Chapter 189 Lingchi Execution
Mrs. Shen was not much better off. The moment she saw Ma Mingyuan, she knew it was all over.
Nine years ago, Marquis Cheng'en sent people to kill Ma Mingyuan to silence him. The people he sent came to report that he had accomplished the task.
Who would have thought that Ma Mingyuan not only did not die, but also came out to testify and accuse them.
Could it be that Ma Mingyuan was rescued by Old Madam Shen back then?
Mrs. Shen's heart sank when she thought of this.
If it was Old Madam Shen who saved Ma Mingyuan, then she knew the truth nine years ago, which would explain why Old Madam Shen was unwilling to see her.
Old Madam Shen has endured until today. If she is not sure enough, she will not come to report the incident.
The more Madam Shen thought about it, the more panicked she became. She looked at Emperor Jing'an in panic.
Emperor Jing'an threw the two letters on their knees and said in a deep voice, "Shen Wenxian, do you have anything else to say?"
Marquis Cheng'en shuddered all over. He knew the contents of the letter without even reading it.
He wrote a letter to his elder brother, advising him to take the official road to Beijing instead of traveling by water.
Because he said he hadn't seen his elder brother for a long time and wanted to see him as soon as possible, he would ask his father for permission and leave Beijing in person to meet him.
Before going to Beijing, my eldest brother wrote back to him and agreed to his request.
The other letter was sent by the bandits asking for silver after the mission was accomplished.
He opened his mouth, wanting to continue quibbling, but he had no way to refute it.
"According to the laws of the Great Zhou, any sibling who beats a sibling to death shall be beheaded, and those who intentionally kill shall be executed by slow slicing." Emperor Jing'an ruled, "Shen Wenxian, Shen Liushi, you intentionally killed your own brother and sister-in-law. According to the law, you shall be executed by slow slicing."
After the charges were announced, Marquis Cheng'en trembled uncontrollably. He knelt beside Old Madam Shen, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Mother, I'm wrong. I beg you to withdraw the lawsuit and spare my life. My eldest brother is gone. Do you want to send someone young to their grave once again?"
Madam Shen's hands and feet were weak, and she fell headfirst in front of Madam Shen, crying bitterly, "Mother-in-law, I am innocent. I was kept in the dark about the Marquis killing my eldest brother and his wife. I don't know the inside story. Please forgive me. I will treat Heng'er well and atone for my brother and his wife."
When Madam Shen heard Emperor Jing'an's verdict, tears rolled down her cheeks. No parent in the world would want to face their children in court.
She looked at Marquis Cheng'en and Madam Shen, who were in a very miserable state and afraid of death, and the corners of her mouth twitched.
"You cherish your own lives, but you don't regard the lives of others as human lives. When you hired someone to kill your brother and sister-in-law, did you ever consider that they begged you to spare their lives?"
Madam Shen wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand: "From the moment you committed evil, you should have expected this fate."
Marquis Cheng'en and Madam Shen were about to say something, but Madam Shen kowtowed to Emperor Jing'an and spoke again, "Your Majesty, I would like to accuse my unfilial son, Shen Wenxian, of corruption, usurpation, and deceiving the emperor... He colluded with officials and merchants in Guanzhou to embezzle food intended for disaster relief. He also falsely reported the Qingzhou disaster, defrauded the court of disaster relief funds, and arbitrarily bought and sold salt permits... Your Majesty, please investigate."
Marquis Cheng'en looked at Madam Shen in disbelief, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes shattered.
During the days when he was imprisoned and awaiting interrogation, he thought countless times about the scenes he would face, but the only thing he had never thought about was his own mother who would sacrifice herself for the sake of justice!
His mother had always favored his eldest brother, and he could somewhat understand her seeking justice for him.
But he couldn't understand why his mother wanted to expose the cases of Guanzhou and Qingzhou.
If he is convicted, his entire family will be executed.
The person next to him betrayed him and wanted to kill him.
His own mother not only wanted to kill him, but also to cut off the family's lineage.
"Mother, no matter how much you hate me, you can't throw dirty water on me and accuse me of such a serious crime!" Marquis Cheng'en said with a painful expression, "I want to ask you, am I your biological son?"
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