Chapter 482: Exposing the Wise King
This was a bolt from the blue for Li Leshan.
The blow made him dizzy and dazed.
Where is the execution ground?
The place where death row prisoners are beheaded.
"When did your prince return home?" Li Leshan added, "When did he return from the capital?"
The servant replied, "I returned home last night."
Li Leshan gritted his teeth and turned angrily to go to the execution ground.
He really didn't even have time to breathe.
He finally understood.
Prince Guangling planned to torture him to death.
Li Leshan rode a fast horse to the execution ground, only to see the people surrounding the execution ground in three layers, and the execution platform was full of death row prisoners kneeling.
They were tied up and a wooden sign with their crime and names written on it was stuck behind their necks.
Li Leshan looked up at the executioner's seat, but did not see Zhao Yi.
Just as he was about to find an officer to ask, a hand patted his shoulder.
Li Leshan was startled and turned around to look.
Zhao Yi, dressed in his official uniform, stood behind him with a smile on his face. "Lord Li, I have been waiting for you for a long time."
Li Leshan: “…”
So she was waiting for him here?
He said sternly, "Your Highness, in every dynasty, prisoners on death row were held until the autumn before being executed. Why, upon returning to Yongqing County from the capital, were you so eager to chop off the prisoner's head?"
These words clearly indicate that he suspects Zhao Yi of having other ulterior motives.
Zhao Yi asked calmly, "Before Lord Li came to Yongqing County, had he ever served as an executioner?"
Li Leshan: “…”
He touched his nose and explained, "This humble official is following the emperor's orders and must handle special matters in a special way."
"The case in Yongqing County also requires Lord Li and I to handle it specially." Zhao Yi smiled slightly. "It's still three quarters before noon. Lord Li has arrived just in time to supervise the execution with me."
Li Leshan: “…”
For some reason, Li Leshan felt that Prince Guangling had calculated when he would arrive in Yongqing County, so he was waiting for him at the execution ground at the exact time.
Wait for him to take the blame.
Zhao Yi took Li Leshan to the executioner's seat while talking about the situation in Yongqing County.
"Sir Li, His Majesty has issued an oral order for you to assist me in handling the case in Yongqing County. Naturally, I cannot abandon you and return to Yongqing County first. I received a secret letter from Yongqing County stating that Feng Zhihuan and his close associates committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
Li Leshan was surprised: "Feng Zhihuan is dead?"
Zhao Yi nodded slightly. "In order to kill me and destroy the evidence in my hands, Feng Zhihuan forged the imperial guard's token and falsely conveyed the emperor's order to seal the city gates, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving."
"After the incident was exposed, Feng Zhihuan was afraid that he would be investigated, so he committed suicide out of fear of being punished, right?"
Li Leshan has handled many cases and is keenly aware of problems.
When His Majesty ordered him to monitor Prince Guangling, he revealed the details to him.
"Leshan, the virtuous king is kindhearted and loyal. Feng Zhihuan committed a crime in Yongqing County and came to the virtuous king in the name of a cousin. The virtuous king, feeling sorry for him, helped him."
"Therefore, Feng Zhihuan was investigated, and the virtuous king was implicated."
"No matter what the reason, the wise king is wrong and should be punished according to the law."
"But I have few children, only the virtuous prince, a son of pure blood. If I punish him, who will inherit the Northern Qi dynasty?"
"The virtuous prince is the heir to Northern Qi, and I have no choice but to cover up for him."
"Now that Prince Guangling has gone to clean up the mess for Prince Xian, I'm worried he'll use this incident to do something detrimental to Prince Xian's reputation. I entrust this important task to you. Keep an eye on Prince Guangling's every move for me."
"If there's anything unusual, just fire a signal arrow and someone will come to pick you up."
Li Leshan pulled himself out of his thoughts.
I originally thought that the case in Yongqing County only involved the virtuous king.
Now it seems that the Emperor of Northern Qi is very likely also involved.
The crimes committed by Feng Zhihuan were enough to get him and his entire family executed.
Even if he killed Prince Guangling and destroyed the evidence of his own crime, he could not escape death.
Because all the people in Yongqing County are witnesses.
Why did he have to forge the royal secret guard's token, falsely convey the emperor's oral order, and kill Prince Guangling to silence him?
This is a serious crime punishable by the death of nine generations of the family.
Feng Zhihuan wouldn't be so confused.
Li Leshan had a guess in his mind - perhaps the Emperor of Northern Qi wanted to kill Prince Guangling.
But the deeds were exposed.
Under the current circumstances, the Emperor of Northern Qi cannot break off relations with Prince Guangling for the time being.
So he pinned the blame of assassinating Prince Guangling on Feng Zhihuan.
This is the real reason why Feng Zhihuan "committed suicide out of fear of punishment".
A layer of cold sweat broke out on Li Leshan's back.
Even the midday sun shining on him could not dispel the coldness in his body.
"Master Li?" Zhao Yi looked at the stunned Li Leshan and suddenly asked, "Do you have any objection to Feng Zhihuan's death?"
"No." Li Leshan denied: "I have no objection."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Leshan saw Zhao Yi looking at him thoughtfully, and then he realized that he had overreacted.
Li Leshan was afraid that Zhao Yi would see through him, so he tried to make his tone more natural.
"I was just a little surprised."
Zhao Yi nodded in understanding and sat down at the executioner's seat.
Li Leshan wiped his face to calm down.
But that gray and fluffy face, mixed with sweat, left black stains on his hands.
You don't need to look to know how sloppy he is at the moment.
Li Leshan sat next to Zhao Yi with a stern face.
Just waiting for the heads of these death row prisoners to fall to the ground.
The case is closed.
Then no one will expose the case of the virtuous king.
His mission was completed.
From now on, the fight between the Emperor of Northern Qi and Prince Guangling would not affect him.
It's three quarters past noon.
The executioner first gave the prisoner a bowl of wine, then drank a bowl of wine himself, and sprayed the remaining wine onto the knife as a sacrifice.
He pulled out the wooden sign from behind the condemned prisoner's neck, threw it to the ground, and then slashed with his knife.
A head fell to the ground with a thud.
Blood splattered all over the ground.
The onlookers were so frightened that their faces turned pale and their stomachs churned.
"My lord, this is unjust, this humble official is unjust!"
At this time, the death row prisoner kneeling on the Xingtai, waiting to be beheaded, shouted loudly to protest his innocence.
"I am the magistrate of the county magistrate's office, in charge of grain transportation, family farms, water conservancy, and litigation."
"As an official, receiving a salary from the court, I must conduct myself and do things worthy of the official uniform I wear."
"For so many years, I have worked diligently for the country and the people. I have climbed from a low-ranking official to my current position. How could I dare to be corrupt and abuse the law to harm the people?"
"It was the wise king. The wise king threatened me with the lives of my family."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
