Chapter 83 Heart Fluttering
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, fierce winds raged and heavy snow fell, bringing an extreme cold weather event that occurred only once in a century.
The world was a vast expanse of white, and you couldn't see anything even a few dozen steps away.
As soon as a person steps outside, their breath immediately turns into ice crystals and sticks to their scarf.
The biting cold made me shiver all over.
Frozen animal carcasses are frequently found by the roadside, hard and stuck to the ground, impossible to lift.
Logically, there shouldn't be anyone on the road in this kind of weather.
Or perhaps only a handful of people have no choice but to come out to handle some business.
But today there were an unusually large number of people on the streets.
They were all bundled up like bloated fat men, trudging through the snowdrifts as they headed straight for the Meridian Gate.
The Wang family, consisting of fifty-three members, will be executed today.
These people braved the bitter cold to watch the execution.
Occasionally, someone will lose their balance and fall, and a passerby will immediately lend a hand and help them up.
Then we continued on our way.
"Grand Tutor Wang committed many evils and finally got his comeuppance."
“He seized my family’s land and severely injured my uncle and aunt. My family had nowhere to turn and almost couldn’t survive. This kind of beast deserves to have his whole family executed.”
“My distant niece was insulted by her nephew. When her parents went to confront him, they were beaten up. My cousin died of illness because of this.”
"The Regent is truly a just and upright official, sentencing this beast to death."
"If you ask me, Your Highness is still not ruthless enough. You actually let children under the age of five go. If you don't nip the problem in the bud, who knows what trouble they might cause in the future?"
"Yes, I heard that too. Children under five years old, regardless of gender, are all granted absolution."
"I used to think the prince was ruthless, but I never expected him to be so soft-hearted."
"Once their heads roll, I'm going home to have a few drinks to celebrate."
...
The snow was too heavy, making it inconvenient for carriages to travel, so Tang Xinu walked and mingled with the crowd.
She was accompanied by Xiaoqian, Zisu, and Lianqiao.
The group of people, all wearing heavy cloaks, slowly made their way forward, following in the footsteps of those who had come before them.
Tang Xinuan was wrapped up very warmly, wearing a snow fox cloak that Zhou Chuanxing had specially ordered to be made for her.
Only his eyes were visible, his eyebrows covered in frost. With each blink, the frost would settle on his eyelids, raising goosebumps on his skin.
But her heart was warm.
My parents have been wronged for fourteen years, and today I can finally avenge them.
Because the snow was so heavy, the footprints left by previous people were quickly covered by the snow, and if you were far away from the people who came after, you could hardly see the footprints they had just left.
"Miss, the Wang family has finally been beheaded. If the master and mistress are watching from heaven, they will be very pleased."
Tang Xinuan wrote a letter to her brother yesterday, explaining the situation in the capital.
However, the roads are difficult to travel due to the heavy snow, and it's uncertain when the messenger will be able to deliver the message.
Once his elder brother received the letter, the imperial edict exonerating the Tang family had been proclaimed to the world, and he could then live as a descendant of the Tang family.
When spring comes next year and the flowers bloom, she can definitely go to the Northern Region to visit her brother.
She also wants to buy a large three-courtyard house in the capital so that she can live with her brother when he returns.
Then we'll find a wife for my brother, and in a few years, the house will be filled with the joyful laughter of children.
If my parents are watching from heaven, they will surely be very happy to see this.
After walking for more than an hour, Tang Xinuan finally arrived at the Meridian Gate.
The entire Wang family, consisting of over fifty members, was bound hand and foot on the execution platform.
The executioner, Li Ce, was already in place.
The six ministers and other officials in charge of the execution sat on either side of Li Ce.
There were two empty seats in the center of the main stage, one for Zhou Chuanxing and the other for Prince Duan.
They haven't arrived yet.
The audience consisted of people from most of Beijing who had come to watch the execution.
Some people had frostbite on the backs of their hands, but they seemed oblivious, focusing only on the stage.
It was still a quarter of an hour before noon.
Tang Xinuan stretched out her little hand and breathed on it.
"Grand Tutor Wang has committed numerous evils. It's really too good for him that he's been allowed to live this long."
She stared intently at the disheveled Grand Tutor Wang, wishing she could personally take over the executioner's job and behead him.
"It's so cold," Xiaoqian said, shivering despite wearing thick clothes. It was her first time going out in such cold weather.
"Why wait until noon? It's so cold, let's send them on their way earlier."
Lianqiao is a martial artist and is more resistant to the cold than most people. Moreover, she is from the border region, where it is colder than the capital year-round, and she has gotten used to the cold.
"How could we possibly set off ahead of time? Even beheadings have a set time; it can't be done any earlier."
Xiaoqian snorted, "Killing these kinds of people a moment earlier would be a blessing for them, what a waste of air."
Lian Qiao recalled the plays she used to watch, "You've seen how they perform in theaters, with someone shouting 'Spare the life' at the last moment, just in case there's some injustice and the person can still live."
Xiaoqian had her own understanding: "He was a good person. How could anyone stop someone as wicked and evil as Grand Tutor Wang?"
Lian Qiao deliberately teased her, "What if? Qin Hui has three other lovers. The Grand Tutor's daughter is the Empress. Maybe she'll come up with something cowardly at a crucial moment and rush over to save the Grand Tutor."
Xiaoqian got angry: "Why are you going against my young lady? Don't you want to protect her anymore?"
Lian Qiao quickly covered her mouth, "Hey, I was just joking. I'd like to see that kind of parasite, Grand Tutor Wang, die first."
One year, he deliberately withheld military rations, causing a mutiny. If it weren't for the prince's intervention, those soldiers would have turned around and attacked the imperial court.
I don't know what the Emperor was thinking, allowing such a person to live until now..."
The group was making a ruckus when someone shouted, "The Prince is here!"
Tang Xinuan subconsciously looked towards the head of the table.
Zhou Chuanxing, wearing a purple cloak, stepped onto the stage with a tall and elegant posture.
He first glanced at the sun in the sky, then waved his hand.
Noon had arrived, and the executioners raised their long swords.
It looked like it was about to be cut down.
Suddenly a strong wind blew by, stirring up snowflakes that filled the sky and made it impossible for people to open their eyes.
Tang Xinuan reflexively closed her eyes and pulled her cloak over her head to shield herself from the wind and snow.
After the snowstorm subsided, she looked towards the execution platform. The executioner was also taking shelter from the snowstorm and had not yet carried out the execution.
She couldn't help but clench her little fists.
I'm so worried something might happen.
At this moment, all the people were staring intently at Xingtai, holding their breath.
Though late, the "sparing his life" was timely.
Just as the executioner was about to bring down his blade, a rough shout echoed across the execution platform.
It pierced through the wind and snow, its sound echoing through the heavens.
"Spare his life!"
Tang Xinuan felt as if she had swallowed a large chunk of ice, the chill running from her throat all the way to her heart.
Her family had done nothing wrong, yet they were all executed. Not a single person stood up to plead for their lives to be spared.
Grand Tutor Wang deserved his punishment, yet he was allowed to live for so long, and there were even people who tried to stop his execution.
God is really unfair.
"Continue the execution," Zhou Chuanxing stood up, his gaze sharp, and shouted sternly.
The young girl had waited a long time for this day, and he insisted that Grand Tutor Wang die today.
The general, riding a tall horse, stepped onto the platform, glaring angrily at Zhou Chuan as he raised the imperial edict above his head.
"By imperial decree, the execution of Grand Tutor Wang and his family is to be postponed. Second Master, return to the palace immediately."
Noticing Zhou Chuanxing's displeased expression, he solemnly reminded him, "Second Master, do not disobey the imperial decree."
The emperor had been bedridden for nearly two years; how could he possibly issue an imperial edict?
Zhou Chuanxing was puzzled. "Is my elder brother awake?"
The general who delivered the imperial edict was somewhat polite to Zhou Chuanxing, but only somewhat.
"His Majesty has recovered, so you should hurry back to the palace, Second Master."
Zhou Chuanxing has always respected the Emperor. Now that he has been summoned back to the palace, even if the execution is underway, or even if the sky were to fall and the earth were to crack, he would rush back immediately.
"Return to the palace."
The execution ground was in a state of flux, and Tang Xinuan watched helplessly as the execution came to a halt.
The Emperor has awakened; his only daughter was born to the Empress.
Even if we disregard the monk's feelings, we'll spare Grand Tutor Wang's life out of respect for the Buddha.
If we miss this opportunity, it may be difficult to seek justice from Grand Tutor Wang again.
Tang Xinuan quickly unfastened the exquisite weapon from her waist, aimed it at Grand Tutor Wang's back, and decisively activated the mechanism.
Since being imprisoned, Grand Tutor Wang went from being arrogant to gradually despairing. Today, as he is escorted to the execution ground, his family has no hope of survival.
He kept his head down in despair, without even uttering a word of protest.
Hearing that the Emperor had awakened and the executions had been suspended, Zhou Chuanxing needed to return to the palace immediately, knowing that it was his daughter who had come up with a way to save his family.
Suddenly he looked up at the sky and let out a long roar.
“Zhou Chuanxing, man proposes, God disposes. Didn’t you want me dead?”
The Emperor has woken up. The Emperor has woken up!!!
So what if you take away my pardon and refuse to acknowledge it? Do you dare to disobey the imperial decree?
Hahaha……
Even God is helping me, is helping me...
Hmm—
Suddenly, some sharp weapon pierced through his back, and at the same time, an incredibly sharp sword sliced across his neck. Before his earth-shattering laughter could finish, he suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed heavily to the ground.
"Zhou Chuanxing...you..." You will die a horrible death.
Amidst the swirling snowflakes, the treacherous official who had been stirring up trouble in the court for decades buried his head in the ground, twitched a few times, and quickly froze like a snow sculpture.
Zhou Chuanxing never intended to give the Wang family a way out.
As he passed by Grand Tutor Wang, he suddenly attacked, and Grand Tutor Wang and his two sons were all ennobled with a single sword strike.
Zhou Chuanxing was decisive and ruthless, and his actions were swift and efficient.
Once he sets his mind on killing, none of his men survive.
Among Grand Tutor Wang's descendants, his two sons were the worst. Now that they are dead, it's unlikely that the others can cause any trouble.
Zhou Chuanxing was certain that something had happened in the palace and he needed to rush there immediately to deal with it, but he would absolutely not give the Wang family a chance to rise again.
Tang Xinuan thought there was no hope of killing Grand Tutor Wang today, so she took matters into her own hands.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Chuanxing had the same idea as her. When she pulled the trigger, he also raised his sword.
They even killed two more than her.
Originally, she had no concept of love.
Her cousin was good to her, and she relied on him, so she stayed with him.
But her cousin wanted to marry someone else and wouldn't allow her to have children, which went against her wishes, so she decided to leave.
Erlang treated her well, taking meticulous care of her, helping her with her illness, and protecting her safety, so she stayed by Erlang's side.
We should find a way to give him a formal title and help him find talented people.
It's more of an affirmation of her own value.
She had never known what it felt like to be moved, let alone what it was like to fall in love with someone.
But at this moment, she saw Zhou Chuanxing raise his knife and strike with a graceful and heroic air, without any hesitation or fuss. His movements were fluid and seamless, without any unnecessary actions.
The three vicious and treacherous villains fell into a pool of blood in an instant, and were then covered by the heavy snow.
He held a long sword, its blade dripping blood, and stood amidst the wind and snow, like a pillar supporting the sky.
He then walked step by step through the wind and snow toward his BMW.
Soon, the upright and unyielding figure disappeared into the vast expanse of flying snow.
Tang Xinuan suddenly felt her heart pounding like a drum and her cheeks burning.
Zhou Chuanxing's sword strike was so cool, it left an indelible mark on her mind.
She will remember this scene forever.
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