Chapter 166 The Prefect of Longyuan is executed by slow slicing for six days
The noblewoman looked surprised. "The entire Hewan County, including the magistrate, has been severely punished. Isn't that enough to explain things?"
"That's not enough."
"Add the dismissal of the governor of Longyuan, and that should be enough."
"Is that enough?"
Xiao Qidi's gloomy gaze made the noblewoman feel uneasy.
The noblewoman looked at the Imperial Censor kneeling beside her, made up her mind, and said, "If His Majesty feels it is not enough... then punish Lord Xue. He appointed the prefect and is his direct subordinate. If the prefect commits a crime, he will be held jointly responsible. It is reasonable and the people will surely be satisfied."
Lord Xue lowered his head, on the verge of tears.
Years ago, wasn't it at the private request of these Xiao clan nobles that he appointed that You man as the governor of Longyuan?
Even if he knew about the mess the governor of Longyuan had made, what could he do but turn a blind eye?
As the Grand Censor of the Great Xuan Dynasty, he was not afraid of ordinary nobles, but this was royalty. Even if he had the guts of a bear and the courage of a leopard, he could not afford to offend them!
As for Duan Wu's accusation that he also benefited from being the governor of Longyuan, he had no way to explain himself.
What good is there in that!
Aside from sending him a few pieces of coal jade, a specialty of Hewan County, every year, that's all.
He didn't even know how much of the people's wealth the governor of Longyuan had plundered, let alone how much of it had ended up in the treasuries of these Xiao noble families.
He has neither the right nor the guts to ask!
Now that things have gone wrong, he has been unhesitatingly pushed forward to take the blame!
"Lord Xue, do you know your crime?" Xiao Qidi asked.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Lord Xue pressed his forehead against the blood-soaked ground, "Your Majesty knows your crime, Your Majesty is willing... to accept any punishment."
Seeing his attitude, the lady breathed a sigh of relief.
Although it's a bit of a pity, at least someone of sufficient stature has stepped in, and Xiao Qidi should not pursue the matter any further, both morally and logically.
Xiao Qidi looked down at the Imperial Censor lying on the ground, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
If it weren't for this incident, Lord Xue would have been the perfect candidate to succeed the prime minister.
This person's ability to assist in government affairs is no less than that of Situ Wei, and unlike Situ Wei, he did not form cliques. He is a rare individual who did not take sides in the power struggle between the Empress Dowager and Situ Wei.
"What if I want your life?" Xiao Qidi said coldly.
Lord Xue closed his eyes in despair, “My life belongs to the sovereign. If the sovereign commands me to die, I… have no choice but to die.”
Xiao Qidi then asked, "So, if it's dismemberment by five horses, being cut in half at the waist, or being subjected to slow slicing, would you accept that?"
Lord Xue trembled, his eyes snapping open as he stared at the blood-stained mud so close to his nose. After a long silence, he gritted his teeth and said, "This sinful subject... deserves his punishment, even if it means being torn to pieces... death is nothing to regret. But this sinful subject begs Your Majesty, spare... spare this sinful subject's family..."
"Before you die, is there anything you want to say? Perhaps it can reduce your sentence," Xiao Qidi said meaningfully.
The noblewoman and the others immediately became somewhat nervous again.
Lord Xue slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, "Your Majesty, this sinful subject... has nothing left to explain."
After saying that, he inwardly mocked himself.
What else needs to be explained?
Didn't Your Majesty see it with your own eyes?
After all, they are family. Even in front of a crowd of people, the monarch will still do his best to protect the royal family and nobles.
I had no choice but to become a scapegoat, close the case, and appease public anger...
“This Lord Xue is indeed a man of courage and integrity,” the noblewoman said, her face regaining a relaxed smile. “Your Majesty, since he didn’t try to argue to the death, let him die a quick death. I heard that he only has a mother, a wife, and a daughter at home, and they used to live a very poor life. In my opinion, there is really no need to implicate him.”
Lord Xue felt as if his heart had been stabbed to pieces, the pain indescribable, yet he still had to thank her and say a few words of gratitude for her mercy.
After hearing this, the noblewoman smiled and said, "You are quite sensible. Go on your journey with peace of mind. Considering your past hard work for our Great Xuan, the Great Xuan royal family will not let your mother, wife, and daughter be left to wander the streets."
Lord Xue felt a chill run down his spine. On the surface, these words seemed to be for his own good, but in reality, they were using his family's lives as a threat to ensure that he would not go back on his word.
"Guards," Xiao Qidi said calmly, "remove the Censor-in-Chief's official hat and robes and take him to the county jail."
Duan Wu immediately ordered his soldiers to drag Lord Xue away, and more than a dozen of his entourage were also imprisoned in the county government office.
The noblewoman's heart, which had been in turmoil, finally settled down. She glanced furtively at the Prefect of Longyuan kneeling in the corner of the judge's platform and could only sigh inwardly.
It's clear that there's no way to save him today.
This source of income has now been cut off, and I will have to find someone else from now on. I also have to appease my maternal relatives. The more I think about it, the more upset I become.
“Your Majesty, we should go back first,” the noblewoman said absentmindedly, bowing, “so as not to disturb your investigation.”
After saying that, she and the others prepared to get into the carriage and leave.
"Wait a minute," Xiao Qidi said with a slight smile, "Since you're here, why not watch how I judge the governor of Longyuan?"
The lady forced a smile, "This... isn't quite right..."
"General Duan, bring a few more chairs," Xiao Qidi said, gesturing towards the judge's platform before she could refuse. "Please come in."
The group exchanged glances, then had no choice but to go up on stage.
Then, Xiao Qidi sat behind the trial table, Duan Wu and more than ten Xuanjia soldiers stood in the back row, and several Xiao clan nobles sat on both sides.
It was midday, and the sun was blazing.
There was no shade on the judge's bench, and the sun beat down on the nobles, who shook their heads in disbelief.
Xiao Qidi glanced at them and said quietly, "Can't even handle this?"
The lady shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand and complained, "When have we ever suffered like this before? Of course we feel terrible."
“Aunt, look at those ordinary people,” Xiao Qidi said in a low voice, “which one of them hasn’t spent their whole life exposed to the elements?”
The noblewoman looked disdainful. "Does Your Majesty consider them to be on par with our Xiao family nobles?"
"Does your aunt know that just this one set of clothes you're wearing is enough to feed an ordinary family for a year?"
"So what? We are nobles."
"Ha, what a nobleman..."
“Your Majesty,” the noblewoman frowned, “the common people of the world are nothing but cattle, horses, and ants, born to be driven by us nobles. If it weren’t for the Great Xuan, where would they be? It is their honor to provide value to the princes and nobles of the Great Xuan. Why do I feel that Your Majesty seems to pity them?”
Xiao Qidi had long harbored murderous intent in his heart, but he did not show it on his face, nor did he answer his aunt's words. He then announced to the people how he would execute the governor of Longyuan.
"The Prefect of Longyuan has committed heinous crimes. He must be killed to appease public anger, and he must be executed to serve as a warning to others. I hereby sentence him to death by slow slicing."
Upon hearing the verdict, the people were excited, but because the king was present, they dared not cheer as they had before.
Lord You showed no reaction, kneeling in the corner like a living dead.
The expressions on the faces of the several members of the Xiao clan were not very pleasant.
In particular, Xiao Qidi's paternal aunt hurriedly spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, he is from my maternal family, so he is related to you in some way... Slowing down is too harsh. Please reconsider, Your Majesty."
Xiao Qidi chuckled, "Is that so? Then I'll think about it some more."
The noblewoman looked at him expectantly.
After a moment's thought, he announced loudly, "Starting tomorrow, beginning with Hewan County, the Prefect of Longyuan will be escorted to each of the various county towns in turn, and executed by slow slicing at each location. This process will continue in rotation until the Prefect is finally returned to Hewan County, the area most severely affected, for execution!"
These words caused an uproar among the people.
Several nobles from the Xiao clan were terrified, their hair standing on end.
The noblewoman nearly fell off her chair and hurriedly said to Xiao Qidi, "Your Majesty... this is too cruel! Longyuan Prefecture has five counties, and to display the death by a thousand cuts in turn like this... isn't that... making him suffer five days of being slowly sliced to death?!"
Xiao Qidi's smile was tinged with icy coldness. "Aunt, you've miscalculated. From the beginning to the end of Hewan County, it should be six days."
"Ah! This...this...this..." The noblewoman's face paled.
Xiao Qidi said, "In addition, I will send people to uproot his accomplices and subordinates in other counties of Longyuan Prefecture. If they have committed the same crimes as the magistrate of Hewan County, the local officials will also be executed by slow slicing. Those criminals who are executed by slow slicing will have their bones crushed and their ashes scattered after death."
Several members of the Xiao clan were dumbfounded.
Even under the bright sun, the group felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, with a bone-chilling cold spreading throughout their bodies.
The lady couldn't bear the shock and clutched her stomach, retching violently.
"Your Majesty... I... I'm not feeling well," the noblewoman said, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. "Please allow me... to leave first..."
Seeing this, the others all got up and helped him up.
Everyone was thinking of escaping this place of trouble as soon as possible.
Before they could even take a step, a row of Xuanjia soldiers blocked their way.
The group of people were taken aback.
The noblewoman angrily retorted, "What do you mean? You dare block my way? How dare you be so insolent in front of the Emperor!"
Xiao Qidi sneered, "It's my order. Since you're here, none of you are leaving."
"Your Majesty...you..." The noblewoman was dumbfounded, "Are you planning to harm us?"
"Surprised?" Xiao Qidi's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "Do you really think I'll let you go?"
"I...I'm your aunt! These are your uncles!" the noblewoman said, both anxious and angry.
“It’s Tang’s.” Xiao Qidi corrected and emphasized again.
"Xiao Qidi!" The noblewoman was completely enraged. "You even killed your own family?! Aren't you afraid that future generations will call you a cold-blooded tyrant who doesn't care about his own relatives?!"
"If it can bring peace and stability to the people of the world, I wouldn't mind killing all of you. Even if future generations judge me as cold-blooded and cruel, what does it matter?" Xiao Qidi coldly waved his hand, "Take these people to the prison!"
"Yes!" Duan Wu responded and led his soldiers into action.
Several uncles knelt down and begged for mercy, while the noblewoman cried and made a scene, completely losing her usual superior aristocratic demeanor.
But no matter how much they struggled, it was no use; they were all tied up and dragged away by the Xuanjia Army.
Such a response left countless people present speechless.
The current Great Xuan Emperor has already exceeded expectations by executing the corrupt county magistrate and the prefect of Longyuan, and also by dealing with the Grand Censor, a high-ranking official in the court.
Unexpectedly, even royalty and nobles were dealt with by him!
Throughout history, it has been common for royal families to fight amongst themselves for power. However, there has never been a monarch who would kill his own relatives and nobles for the sake of the people.
This unprecedented event will undoubtedly cause a huge upheaval in the Great Xuan Kingdom! The other countries will likely be greatly shocked as well!
"Your Majesty...Long live Your Majesty!" someone in the crowd shouted, their voice trembling with tears.
In an instant, the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Long live the Emperor!"
Long live the Emperor!
The shouts rose like waves, each one louder than the last.
The crowd all knelt down, kowtowing and shouting continuously.
Xiao Qidi's cold, hard face softened at that moment. He repeatedly asked the people to rise, but his voice was drowned out by the people's heartfelt shouts...
...
The following morning.
The magistrate of Hewan County and the prefect of Longyuan Prefecture were escorted to the execution ground.
Several soldiers selected from the Xuanjia Army were responsible for carrying out the execution, while several doctors with medicine kits waited nearby.
As instructed by the emperor, these two men must be subjected to a thousand cuts before they can die, so it is essential to ensure they live during the execution.
The area around the execution ground was packed with people.
Xiao Qidi's aunts, uncles, and other relatives were dressed in prison uniforms and escorted to the front by soldiers so that they could all see them clearly.
At Duan Wu's command, the soldiers began to carry out the executions.
The heart-wrenching screams of the magistrate of Hewan County and the governor of Longyuan Prefecture echoed through the sky.
The people applauded and cheered, while several nobles from the Xiao clan were so frightened that they lost control of their bladder and bowels, and some even fainted.
Two hours later, the county magistrate and prefect, who were tied to the pillar, were covered in blood. Their thin, fleshy skin and blood mixed together on the ground, forming a muddy mess.
The doctors immediately administered medication into the mouths of both individuals and cleaned the wounds.
In comparison, the magistrate looked much more miserable, because he only had to be executed by slow slicing in Hewan County, so the flesh was cut off much faster.
The prefect also had to take it to several other counties for a rotating display, so the harvesting had to be done more slowly.
After a short rest, the torture of slow slicing continued.
As the sun set, the magistrate of Hewan County was nearly reduced to a skeleton by slow slicing before finally being stabbed through the exposed heart, ending his life.
The first round of public execution by slow slicing for the governor of Longyuan County came to an end. He was carried away by his soldiers and sent to the next county town overnight.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
When the governor of Longyuan was brought back, he was in a similar state to the magistrate of Hewan County before his death. He was subjected to a final round of slow slicing, which lasted for four hours, before he was finally released.
Sending him to several other counties in Longyuan Prefecture to be executed by slow slicing served as a great deterrent. Xiao Qidi's Xuanjia Army execution team conveniently dragged out the problematic local officials in those counties and brought them to Hewan County for trial and processing.
After observing Duan Wu's performance over the past few days, Xiao Qidi discovered that he was quite talented in handling political cases, so he entrusted him with the follow-up handling of the case of the Prefect of Longyuan.
Inside the county government office study, Duan Wu was so busy that he was dizzy.
"General Duan, it's time for lunch." Someone came in carrying a plate of food.
Duan Wu didn't even look up. "Just leave it there. I'll eat it later."
"General Duan has now abandoned military affairs for civil service?" the visitor teased with a smile.
Duan Wu snorted, "Don't even mention it! The Emperor has forced me, someone who used to wield swords, spears, and clubs, into becoming a pen-wielder. If this continues, I might as well become a civil official!"
"So much resentment?" The other person's smile deepened.
"Hmph!" Duan Wu blurted out, "Right now, I want to throw this whole pile of bamboo slips at His Majesty's head!"
After saying that, Duan Wu realized his mistake and wanted to tell the person who delivered the food to pretend he hadn't heard him. But when he looked up and saw the person's face, he exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! It's you?!"
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