The news of Yuan Mao's imprisonment spread quickly and soon spread throughout Guangning. The city was full of criticism and people were in panic.

Although they all wanted to hide it from Yue Qingshuang, she still found out. She fell ill that day, and the Yuan family was filled with gloom.

After an extremely torturous night, the three Yuan brothers hurried to Qian Anrong's house, hoping to learn about the interrogation from him.

Qian Anrong looked very unhappy, and said in a muffled voice: "Ge Zhong has compared the handwriting and it is indeed written by Lord Li."

"Impossible!" Yuan Shaoxu said anxiously, "Lord Li spoke so generously that day. You, I, and the Guangning soldiers were all present. How could he look like he was being coerced?"

"Hey, Shao Xu, I know, but it's useless for me to believe it. I have to make Lord Yushi believe it."

Yuan Sikong gritted his teeth and said, "It's not uncommon to be able to imitate someone's handwriting. How can you make a judgment on this major case based on the handwriting?"

"Lord Ge also wants to talk to Lord Li's relatives, but his relatives seem to be really coerced, they are vague and dare not say a word."

"How is my father now?" Yuan Nanyu asked.

Qian Anrong sighed: "He was tortured... but it was not serious, and the jailers took good care of him."

"Master Qian, what should we do now?"

Qian Anrong shook his head: "You have to know that the root of this matter is not the secret letter, nor is it Lord Li. It is because your father offended someone who should not be offended. If he is determined to kill your father, I am afraid..."

"What if I go and ask Han Zhaoxing for help?" Yuan Shaoxu asked anxiously, "As long as he is willing to let Dad go, our family will leave Guangning and never come back!"

"Absolutely not." Qian Anrong smiled bitterly, "If you go to beg him, wouldn't it be telling the world that he framed your father? He will be even more angry and ashamed. I have already written to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. He is from the same hometown as me and may be willing to help. At the same time, I have also sent a letter to Datong Prefecture. Prince Jingyuan appreciates your father. If he is willing to plead for your father, there should be a chance for this case to turn around."

"Thank you, Sir Qian. Thank you, Sir Qian." A glimmer of hope ignited in Yuan Sikong's heart. That person will definitely help his father.

Yuan Nanyu asked, "Master Qian, can I go to the prison to visit my father?"

"Master Ge is not allowing anyone to visit him now."

Yuan Sikong frowned and said, "This is against the laws of Dasheng. No matter what crime one has committed, relatives can visit him."

"Hey, the emperor is far away here. What law can Lord Yu Shi talk to a child like you about? If he doesn't allow it, you don't have to go."

Yuan Sikong clenched his fists, his heart filled with despair and powerlessness. He was too weak. The person most important to him was framed and imprisoned, but he could not do anything!

On the way back, Yuan Nanyu said quietly: "Can the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice that Lord Qian mentioned help us? And Prince Jingyuan, he seems like a good person..."

Yuan Shaoxu said sadly: "Now we can only wait for news."

Yuan Nanyu gritted his teeth and said, "If not, let's go to jail!"

"Stop having wild ideas." Yuan Shaoxu took out some silver and threw it to him, "Go to the pharmacy and bring mother's medicine home." After saying that, he hurried away.

Yuan Nanyu held the silver in his hand and stared at Yuan Sikong with his big black and white eyes without blinking. "Second brother, you are the smartest. Do you have any ideas?"

Yuan Sikong hesitated for a moment and said, "I'm going to go find Lord Li's family."

"Okay, let's go together."

"Go get some medicine for Mom."

"Second brother..."

"Be obedient." Yuan Sikong patted Yuan Nanyu's face and looked at him seriously, "Take good care of mother."

Yuan Nanyu pursed his lips and nodded.

After the two separated, Yuan Sikong went straight to Li's house.

Everyone in the Li family was still in mourning, and the house was filled with a dead atmosphere.

Yuan Sikong went to the concierge to inform him and waited quietly outside the door. After a while, the concierge came back and said expressionlessly, "Madam is in great grief and will not see guests for the time being. Please go back, young master."

"Uncle, I have something important to ask of you."

"Please go back."

"Uncle." Yuan Sikong pleaded, "My father Yuan Mao was framed and imprisoned. He saved the entire Guangning!"

The doorman looked embarrassed, but finally shook his head and said, "Madam said she doesn't want to see you, please go back." After that, he pushed Yuan Sikong out of the door and closed it.

Yuan Si was so angry that he kicked the door hard and simply waited outside.

But he waited for a whole day, his hands and feet were almost numb from the cold, but the person he was looking for never showed up. Thinking of Qian Anrong's words, he was afraid that Lord Li's family was really being threatened by Han Zhaoxing, so he avoided talking about the matter.

He had no choice but to return home in despair.

Yue Qingshuang's old illness flared up. She kept coughing, had a fever, and her face was abnormally flushed. Yuan Weiling and Yuan Nanyu stood by her side with their eyes swollen.

"Second brother..." Yuan Nanyu hesitated and wanted to ask him whether he had found the Li family. Yuan Sikong shook his head sadly.

He sat down beside the bed, held Yue Qingshuang's boneless hand, looked at her thin face, and reluctantly comforted her: "Mom, don't worry, take good care of yourself, Dad will definitely come back."

Yue Qingshuang didn't say anything, just nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.

Yuan Sikong turned his face away, feeling extremely heartbroken.

How could this happen? They had been immersed in the joy of victory, looking forward to the imperial reward and the money allocated to build a stronger city wall. But what they received was such a cold and cruel imperial edict that instantly sent their family to hell.

He prayed to God that if he could survive this disaster, just as Yuan Shaoxu said, his family would rather leave Guangning and never serve as an official, as long as the whole family could be safe...

——

No matter how many years have passed, Yuan Sikong still clearly remembers everything that happened that day, from the time he couldn't sleep all night to the time he finally couldn't hold on and fell asleep, to when he was awakened by Yuan Nanyu. He can remember all the details, all the sounds, and all the expressions clearly.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Yuan Nanyu's face was covered with tears. His mind was in an extremely confused state. He just hugged him and shouted something vaguely.

He panicked, an uncertain premonition intruding his mind: "Yu'er, what's wrong? Don't scare me. Yu'er, what's wrong?"

Yuan Nanyu cried so hard that he was out of breath and unable to speak. He just pointed outside.

Yuan Sikong stumbled out of bed and ran to the courtyard, where he saw Yuan Shaoxu kneeling on the ground, holding onto Qian Anrong's robe tightly, crying and begging.

Yuan Weiling and Chen Bo's family were also crying and shaking all over.

Qian Anrong burst into tears and wanted to help Yuan Shaoxu up, but he couldn't pull him up.

Yuan Sikong trembled and said, "Master Qian, what's wrong..."

Qian Anrong shook his head, obviously finding it difficult to speak.

Qian Anrong's attendant said with difficulty: "Master Yuan... has been convicted and will be executed at noon today."

Yuan Sikong felt as if a thunderbolt exploded in his head, almost killing him. He tried to hold his breath, but it was as if he had fallen into deep water and it was difficult to breathe. He heard himself say, "Impossible, how can he be convicted in three days? Impossible, the emperor has not reviewed it yet. Even if he is just a bandit, he needs the emperor's approval before he can be sentenced to death, let alone an official appointed by the court! Impossible--"

Qian Anrong wiped his tears and said, "Ge Zhong said he has a divine decree, and he can... he can be executed right here on the spot."

"Impossible!" Yuan Sikong roared, "No one can kill my father!" He ran out of the door and ran towards the market.

Dad...No, it's impossible, you can't die, Dad!

When Yuan Sikong ran to the market, the execution platform was already surrounded by the people. Officials such as Ge Zhong and Han Zhaoxing were sitting on the throne. The one wearing prison clothes, shackles and forced to kneel on the execution platform was Yuan Mao.

Yuan Mao's clothes were stained with blood, his hair was disheveled and his face was dirty, and his lips were bloodless, but he knelt with his back straight and his expression was surprisingly calm. His heroic spirit of facing death with indifference truly showed that of a man of integrity.

Yuan Sikong burst into tears instantly. He desperately squeezed into the crowd: "Dad, Dad!"

Yuan Mao was stunned for a moment, but when he saw Yuan Sikong, his expression finally relaxed a little and his eyes became moist.

"Dad, my dad is innocent! My dad is innocent!" Yuan Sikong shouted hoarsely, "My dad didn't seize the military token, my dad didn't harm Lord Li, why do you want to wrongly accuse him, why do you want to frame him!"

Ge Zhong stroked his beard and frowned, and Han Zhaoxing also looked unhappy.

"Yes, Lord Yuan is definitely wronged."

"We all rely on Lord Yuan to defend Guangning. Lord Yuan is a good man. He must have been framed."

The people started talking at once, the noises became louder and louder, and the entire execution ground began to boil.

Ge Zhong smashed the teacup in his hand and shouted, "Be quiet——"

The scene suddenly fell silent.

Yuan Sikong stared at Ge Zhong with red eyes and shouted: "Ge Zhong, what do you base your conviction on? Just based on a letter that can be forged? What's the point of my father seizing a military token that is in danger in Egg City? Lord Li sacrificed his life for justice and served his country with all his loyalty, but you said he was coerced. Not only did you wrongly accuse my father, but you also made Lord Li ashamed in his grave!"

Ge Zhong angrily said, "Where did this arrogant kid come from? Get him out!"

Yuan Mao said in a hoarse voice: "Kong'er, stop talking and go home!"

Yuan Sikong showed no fear: "Ge Zhong, as a military officer, you defied the laws of Dasheng. You did not allow relatives to visit you, tortured you into confessing, and hastily convicted you. You executed the imperial official without the emperor's review. You are so brave! Does the emperor know what you have done? Does the world know it?"

Ge Zhong was so angry that he was shaking all over: "Asshole, catch him for me!"

The guards squeezed into the crowd to capture Yuan Sikong, but the common people blocked their way with their bodies. Those guards were Yuan Mao's old subordinates and were not truly obedient to Ge Zhong, so they couldn't squeeze through after a long time.

"Han Zhaoxing!" Yuan Sikong had already risked everything. He stared at Han Zhaoxing fiercely with resentful eyes. "You are a sinister and vicious villain. You lost Qingzhou and caused the court to abandon the seven states of Liaoning. You lost Huangshui and caused Guangning to be almost broken. If it weren't for my father, Guangning would have been gone and you would have died long ago. My father shouldn't have let you into the city that day! You repay kindness with enmity and framed my father. You, a beast, will not die a good death and will be infamous for thousands of years! I curse you--"

Han Zhaoxing jumped up from his chair in excitement: "How dare you slander an official of the imperial court? I think you are tired of living. Hurry and arrest you."

"Kong'er!" Yuan Mao yelled, "Hurry up and leave, and don't say anything more."

"Dad..." Yuan Sikong burst into tears, "Why did they kill you? You saved Guangning, you are a great hero, why did they kill you? When the Jin army attacked the city, all the wood and stones were thrown, and the cannons fired from a distance, you stood on the top of the city, and you were shot in the shoulder but still held your ground. Where was Han Zhaoxing? The emperor said he had merits, what merits did he have? Ge Zhong said you were guilty, what crime did you commit!"

Yuan Mao burst into tears: "Kong'er, don't say anything. I beg you, just go... take good care of your mother..."

"Ge Zhong, Han Zhaoxing, if you kill my father unjustly today, everyone in the world will know tomorrow that my father was loyal and brave, and saved 40,000 people in Guangning. He did not die at the hands of the Jin people, but was unjustly killed at the hands of his own people! God is watching over you, aren't you afraid of retribution? Is there justice in this world?" Yuan Sikong cried, "My father only has merits, not sins, on what basis do you kill him——"

Ge Zhong roared, "Catch them, catch them, do you all want to disobey my order?!"

Yuan Sikong was protected in the middle, and the guards and the people started pushing and shoving each other.

"Lord Yuan is innocent!" Someone in the crowd shouted.

This sentence was like a spark that spread across the prairie in an instant, and the people followed suit and shouted: "Mr. Yuan is innocent, Mr. Yuan is innocent, Mr. Yuan is innocent—"

Suddenly, the shouts resounded throughout the sky, shaking the entire world.

The guards guarding the execution platform formed a circle, with spears across their chests, blocking the angry people.

Ge Zhong and Han Zhaoxing were anxious and angry. The situation was about to get out of control. Han Zhaoxing shouted, "It's noon. Execute! Execute!"

"Dad——" Yuan Sikong's voice was drowned out by the roar.

Yuan Mao burst into tears as he stared at Yuan Sikong. Their eyes met in the chaotic crowd, and that glance pierced each other's hearts.

Yuan Sikong stretched out his hand, trying in vain to grab Yuan Mao. Although they were only a few feet apart, he seemed so close yet so far away. His tears blurred his eyes and he wiped them desperately. He wanted to see Yuan Mao clearly, just for one more look.

The executioner shouted at the top of his voice: "It's noon, execution--"

"Master Yuan is innocent!"

The executioner pressed Yuan Mao down on the stone platform and said in a deep voice, "Master Yuan, I'm sorry."

Seeing that they were powerless to save the situation, the people gradually quieted down and their sobs became one.

"Dad..." Yuan Sikong knelt on the ground exhausted, his throat too hoarse to utter a single sound, tears welling up in his eyes.

Yuan Mao smiled proudly: "Kong'er, live well and take good care of your family."

"Dad...don't..." Yuan Sikong felt a sharp pain in his heart and was about to die immediately.

"Execution!"

Yuan Mao chanted loudly:

Miasma cannot cover your eyes, and destiny is unpredictable.

Bones buried in the snow for thousands of years, loyal souls guard Liaoning!

When the executioner raised his sword and Xiao Se fell, this scene became Yuan Sikong's lifelong nightmare.

At that moment, something collapsed in his body. Everything he had believed in for the past thirteen years vanished in an instant. All he could see was the cold blade, the column of blood rising to the sky, and the person who could no longer comfort, love, or protect him.

He seemed to be dead. The pain of having his skin peeled off piece by piece and his soul being drained out bit by bit must be what death is.

"ah--"

The people knelt down in large numbers, their cries shook the heavens, and their grief almost drowned the entire city.

Suddenly, Yuan Sikong felt himself being picked up. He had no strength to struggle, and could only scream miserably, facing the execution platform, facing the person who would never respond to him again, hoping that his soul was still there and could hear his voice for the last time.