Chen Chuan's eyes were so wide they cracked and bled, tears mingling with blood as they streamed from the corners of his eyes. He was filled with regret.
He didn't know where the strength came from, but he desperately spat out the straw from his mouth and shouted in a hoarse voice, "I was wrong, I'll never do it again! My son's death has nothing to do with the Li family! I was blind..."
Jiayin gave him a cold look. "Lord Chen, making a mistake should be punished. Even a child knows that. If shouting a few words of regret could make everything go away, then what's the point of having laws?"
Li Lao Er reached out and pulled Li Lao Si up, and Li Lao Si grabbed Chen Chuan and threw him directly onto the coffin.
The village chief personally took a shovel and stepped forward. Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si each took one and scooped up the loose soil from the edge of the pit and scattered it down.
Instantly, the wailing of the Chen family members grew even louder.
Chen Chuan roared hoarsely, "I am an official appointed by the imperial court! You cannot kill me at will! You are breaking the law! Take me away! I am a fifth-rank commander!"
Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si's men kept moving.
Li Lao Er even spoke to Chen Chuan in a casual, conversational manner, explaining his principles.
"Lord Chen, you're mistaken. When you led over a hundred men, carrying a coffin, to Broken Gold Beach, did you ever think that our family also held a noble title?"
"My little niece is a princess, I am the Earl of Zhongshan, my mother is a first-rank imperial consort, and my brother is a general!"
“Which official rank isn’t higher than yours? Which one isn’t more prestigious than you? So why did you still bring a coffin in?”
"After all this fuss, it's your pet that's in the right!"
"When you bully others, you don't care about anything, but when it's your turn to suffer the consequences, you remember that you are an official of the imperial court!"
"So what if you're an official appointed by the imperial court? Aren't you just one mouth and two nostrils? At worst, after we send your whole family on their way, we'll return your titles to the imperial court."
"These things are pretty useless anyway. People who want to bully our Li family don't care about these titles, do they?"
Chen Chuan was speechless after being rebuked, and just then a handful of dirt was thrown in his face, choking him and causing him to cough violently.
His defenses were completely shattered, and he burst into tears.
"Spare me! Waaah, please spare me, Your Excellency! I'll never do it again! I was blind and foolish! Waaah, spare me! I don't want to die!"
With their master taking the lead, the Chen family members cried even louder.
Unfortunately, handful after handful of sand was still scattered in the pit.
The sand fell, gradually filling the gaps between everyone, reaching above their legs, waists, and chests...
In the new capital palace, there was no need to attend court today. The emperor got up early to review the memorials and then went for a stroll in the imperial garden.
Now that the plum blossoms are in bloom, it would be perfect to summon a gentle and talented concubine to admire the flowers and compose poems together.
But the joy was short-lived, as Manager Yi rushed over.
The concubine was very perceptive; she excused herself by picking flowers to put in a vase and then left.
Then Chief Steward Yi said, "Your Majesty, a small matter has occurred."
"Chen Chuan's mother passed away last night. Chen Chuan and his two elder brothers were probably too angry. They carried Chen He's coffin and led more than a hundred veterans and servants into Suijintan, intending to bury Chen He in front of the Li family's gate."
"What?!" The Emperor frowned, angrily shouting, "How dare he! I have already ordered the Ministry of War to investigate. Does he not trust the Ministry of War, or does he not trust me?!"
“The Broken Gold Beach is the fiefdom of Princess Kangle. His act of forcing her with a coffin shows that he doesn’t respect the princess and the Li family.”
"He lost a son, does that mean he's gone mad?"
Steward Yi sighed and continued, "Your Majesty is right, this old servant also cannot understand. I heard that the Chen family's hundred or so men were carrying clubs and knives, and injured many villagers in Suijintan."
"Fortunately, General Li was at home, otherwise the Broken Gold Beach would probably be a ruin by now."
"If Chen Chuan really buries his son's coffin in front of the Li family's door, the Li family will never have the face to show their faces in Xindu again."
"Now Chen Chuan and his family have been arrested by General Li and the villagers. The princess is furious and has dug a pit to bury Chen Chuan and his family."
"Your Majesty, what do you think of this matter..."
The emperor was exasperated by Chen Chuan's recklessness.
Although the true cause of Chen He's death was not told to him, it is currently under investigation. His reckless actions are a blatant disregard for the law and contempt for imperial authority!
"That fool deserves to be buried alive!" the Emperor cursed, but still said, "But if he really is buried alive, the censors' memorials will pile up on my desk again, and Fu Niu'er's title and fief will be lost."
He thought for a moment, then said, "By imperial decree, Chen Chuan has broken into the fiefdom of Princess Kangle with a coffin, showing utter disregard for the law and committing an unforgivable crime. Considering the loss of his son and mother, he may be spared the death penalty, but he will not escape punishment."
"Those members of the Chen family who trespassed into Broken Gold Beach today shall all be sentenced to six months of hard labor on Broken Gold Beach, and the Chen family shall compensate double for any losses suffered on Broken Gold Beach."
Chief Steward Yi quickly agreed and whispered, "Your Majesty is wise! In six months, the truth about Yaochi will come to light, and the cause of Chen He's death can be told to the Chen family. This misunderstanding will be completely resolved today."
The emperor sighed and said, "I'm afraid we'll have to wrong the Li family again, but the overall situation is more important. Let them vent their anger for now, and when the truth comes out, the Chen family will naturally have to apologize."
"Furthermore, you should privately advise the princess that it would be detrimental for a girl to bear the reputation of burying a hundred or so people alive."
Chief Steward Yi quickly drafted the imperial edict, then led his men on horseback out of the palace, heading straight for Broken Gold Beach...
Outside the new village, the pit is still being filled in.
Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si showed no mercy whatsoever; in a short while, the sand had already buried everyone up to their necks.
The entire pit was filled with human heads, heads with mouths agape and wailing.
Even the most horrific scenes in the eighteen levels of hell couldn't compare to this.
The idlers in the distance had already quietly gathered around, peeking out furtively.
Some people with weaker mental fortitude ran off to vomit after just one glance...
The Li family is serious; they're not just putting on an act!
At this moment, everyone was shocked by the ruthlessness of the Li family.
Old Master Liu turned his head away, and Mr. Wen and the other young soldiers also looked unwell, but no one spoke up to persuade them.
They were originally there to support the Li family, and no matter what happens to them, they would definitely support them to the end.
The Li family, too, is determined to establish its authority to the very end!
The Chen family was in despair; they couldn't even speak, only howling like wild beasts...
If they could turn back time, they would cut off their own legs rather than ever venture into Broken Gold Beach again!
Jiayin sat upright, staring at the pit, trying her best to suppress her discomfort.
In both her past and present lives, she never killed anyone.
Now that she has given the order, she is about to reap the lives of more than a hundred people. How could she possibly be as calm as she appears?
But when faced with a wild beast, the best way to protect yourself and your family is to kill it completely, or... scare it so badly that it never dares to go near it again!
Grandma Li cherished her granddaughter like the apple of her eye, raising her with the utmost care and understanding her temperament all too well.
At that moment, using her sleeve as a cover, she quietly took her granddaughter's hand, wanting to offer her some comfort.
Sure enough, her granddaughter's palms were already sweaty...
"Spare his life! Spare his life!"
Just then, Steward Yi finally arrived with his men.
Everyone instinctively looked over!
Manager Yi jumped off his horse and almost fell over; his old arms and legs rarely got to go through such a stunt.
He gripped the reins, panting, and said, "Princess, please calm down. The Emperor knows of the Chen family's rudeness and has already issued an edict to punish them!"
Upon hearing this, everyone stood up and knelt down.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com