Never regret it
His hands trembled as he waved his sleeve and said, "Bring Madam Pei out and behead her outside Zhengyang Gate." He paused briefly and said in a hoarse voice, "Bring her head back to report."
Upon receiving this decree, not only did Consort Chen and Zhao Ling's expressions change, but Xie Lang himself finally lost his footing. He gripped the armrests of the dragon throne to help himself stand, his face turning pale and then red, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
This was an approach that left no room for favoritism or retreat. Immediate execution eliminated the need for delays such as repeated questioning after imprisonment, the manipulation of criminal charges to reduce serious crimes to minor ones, and the use of the severed head as a reward after execution, thus preventing any attempt to substitute one person for another.
Since there is no way to avoid it, it is better to present the results to the world and Li Chongyu in a clear, fair, and efficient manner.
Mu Huaying calmly stood up and said loudly, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty." Then she led the first person to the palace gate.
Since none of the imperial guards and executioners dared to escort her to her execution, they all followed her out slowly after she had set off.
Shangguan Yuqi and Fan Liancheng exchanged a glance. Shangguan Yuqi sighed, gestured for Fan Liancheng to stay, and then got up and followed him out.
The execution of the former Grand Commandant of the Great Yan Dynasty, Lady Pei, Mu Huaying, naturally required a supervising official, who was also responsible for "bringing back the head" as Xie Lang had stated. This was hardly a pleasant task, and there was even a risk of retaliation from the Pei family afterward.
As the leader of the Flying Phoenix Army, Shangguan Yuqi did not want Fan Liancheng from the Northwest Army to be implicated. Based on the principle that it was not a good thing and it was better to have one less person involved, she decided to supervise the execution alone.
As she did this, A-Qiu saw that her cousin, the Right Chancellor Shangguan You, among the assembled officials, showed a look of strong disapproval. He seemed to want to step forward to stop her, but he restrained himself, his face turning pale and then red.
The reason for wanting to stop it was naturally for the sake of Shangguan Yuqi's future. Everyone knew that Madam Pei was Xie Lang's sworn sister. At this moment, Xie Lang had no choice but to execute Mu Huaying. As the head of the civil officials, it would have been fine if the Shangguan family hadn't spoken up to stop him, but to actually supervise the execution was truly unwise.
They kept quiet, but because Li Chongyu was present, they didn't want to reveal their family's political calculations of give and take to an outsider, lest they be looked down upon.
After all, the North and South were now in opposition, the Central Plains were fragmented, and everyone knew that the Southern Dynasty was known for its "cunning, hypocrisy, and scheming." Li Mingyuan's death on the battlefield was also inextricably linked to this reason.
Even if others didn't know, they had heard that Shangguan You was the nephew of Shangguan Jin, the commander-in-chief at the time and the former Grand Secretary.
For the sake of the overall situation, he held back and did not stop Shangguan Yuqi's actions.
Xie Lang watched Mu Huaying's tall and proud figure walk step by step toward the palace gate. The candles on both sides cast shadows of varying shades behind her. Suddenly, his eyes stung and his heart ached.
His mind raced uncontrollably, filled with feelings of guilt, regret, and a host of other emotions.
What exactly led this god-sister to this point?
Perhaps the fundamental mistake was that he shouldn't have let Mu Huaying marry Pei Yuanli back then.
He understood perfectly well that no matter how many reasons he or Mu Huaying could find, her marriage into the Dongguang Marquis's mansion was still a sacrifice, for the stability of the Dayan Dynasty, which was in dire need of reconstruction at the time.
The Flying Phoenix Guards are all loyal and righteous. Since Mu Huaying has married into the Pei family and has been protected and respected by Pei Yuanli for many years, she will surely stand up for the Pei family when they are in danger and Pei Yuanli is seriously injured, even at the cost of her life.
Regardless of success or failure, she had no intention of leaving the palace alive after making this move.
She sacrificed herself to protect Pei Yuanli and Pei Yu in the future.
Being a ruler is not easy, but being a good minister is even more difficult.
Xie Lang's vision gradually blurred.
As the eldest sister of the Flying Phoenix Guard, known for her cunning and deep-seated strategies, Mu Huaying's life was like a game of chess. From entering officialdom to getting married, she always made the right moves and never left anyone behind. However, all her schemes were for others, never for herself.
His lips turned pale and he stammered, wanting to call her back and take back every word he had just said.
But Li Chongyu stared at him with sharp eyes, showing no mercy whatsoever.
Even though his heart was churning with pain, Xie Lang did not lose his composure. He knew very well that what Li Chongyu would never let go of today was not Mu Huaying, the assassin in front of the emperor, but rather the Southern Dynasty's attitude towards the death of his father, Li Mingyuan.
Therefore, he cannot be soft-hearted or show any flaws.
Mu Huaying had just reached the palace gate and was about to pick up her skirt and leave when a towering figure, as imposing as a mountain, entered from outside and blocked her way.
Although the newcomer's face was as pale as paper, his tone was firm and brooked no argument as he said, "Go back."
Pei Yuanli stopped Mu Huaying and strode towards the front of the hall. Unlike before, he was now carrying the Pei family's famous "Returning Dragon Spear" upside down behind him.
He walked with great steadiness, yet with great slowness.
Anyone could see that he had suffered severe internal injuries; his face was as white as paper, and his breathing was erratic.
Anyone not serving as a guard and carrying weapons into the palace is guilty of a capital offense. But at this moment, no one thought to question Pei Yuanli about this.
Anyone could see that Pei Yuanli's current state could only be described as "utterly vulnerable." Even the hand holding the Returning Dragon Spear was trembling slightly.
The first person in the hall to understand his purpose was Li Chongyu.
He watched Pei Yuanli's figure winding past him, his eyes flashing, and he simply crossed his arms and gave a cold snort.
That expression seemed to say: It should have been done long ago.
A Qiu immediately understood Li Chongyu's meaning.
Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. Li Chongyu's pilgrimage was originally aimed at Pei Yuanli. Why sacrifice Mu Huaying's life?
If Pei Yuanli had stepped forward to take on this matter earlier, Mu Huaying wouldn't have had to come and die.
But in Li Chongyu's eyes, Southerners were used to putting on airs. He let them act as they pleased and would never object in the slightest.
A Qiu noticed that the other person on the field, with his arms crossed, seemed indifferent and almost like a spectator, was Xiao Chang'an.
A very uncomfortable feeling welled up inside her.
In terms of stance, Xiao Chang'an was of course on the side of the Southern Dynasty, but he seemed to have a cold and ruthless nature, treating others like straw dogs.
Even though Xie Lang didn't realize it at first, when Pei Yuanli stood in front of him, supporting his body with the Returning Dragon Spear with one hand, and bowed deeply, he understood most of his intentions.
After kowtowing three times, Pei Yuanli resolutely said, "Hua Ying offended the Marquis of Guannei because of a personal grudge, which has nothing to do with the country. I beg Your Majesty to withdraw your order to punish him. I request to fight the Marquis of Guannei to the death in the square in front of Jinshui Tower. I am willing to accept defeat and will never go back on my word, so as to settle the grudge between two generations."
Upon hearing this, the crowd in front of the hall instantly went from boiling over to deathly silent.
Given Pei Yuanli's current condition, it's hard to say whether he can withstand a single blow from Li Chongyu.
He was trading his life for another, but the life he was trading was Mu Huaying's.
Mu Huaying's face eventually drained of color. She still wanted to speak up to stop them, but ultimately kept quiet.
Even now, she has lived up to her reputation as the "most cunning" among the Four Guards of Flying Phoenix. Now that Pei Yuanli, the man who caused Li Mingyuan's tragic death in the battle of crossing the river, has appeared, there is truly no reason for her to distract anyone in the hall.
Xie Lang's gaze was deep, yet he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He fixed his gaze on Pei Yuanli, as if asking a question, or perhaps talking to himself, "Uncle Yuanli, have you made up your mind?"
Pei Yuanli's usually expressionless eyes now revealed a resolute look as he kowtowed again and said, "Your mind is made up, and you have no regrets."
At this moment, Xie Lang was filled with mixed feelings.
Pei Yuanli, his uncle, was someone he had been wary of and suppressed, yet had to use and fear, from the time he rose from the rank of General of the Central Army to the throne.
At the beginning of his political career, Pei Yuanli had helped him. Later, when he ascended the throne, Pei Yuanli never made any mistakes in front of him, always respecting the imperial authority. But at the same time, he firmly held the Jianzhang Army in his hands, and even Gu Yi could not shake his military power.
Even now, apart from the Imperial Guards, everyone else in the capital is Pei Yuanli's man.
Did he welcome the passing of such a potential major threat? The answer is definitely yes!
But at this moment, facing the severely injured Pei Yuanli, and the haggard and disfigured Mu Huaying surrounded by executioners at the palace gate, he found himself unable to utter a single word.
Pei Yuanli understood his hesitation, and there was even a hint of relief in his eyes. He stepped forward again, crawling on his knees, and reminded him, "Your Majesty, you cannot delay any longer. Hua Ying is still awaiting execution."
Pei Yuanli knew very well that mentioning Mu Huaying would surely bring this decisive emperor back to his senses and make him make a firm decision.
Xie Lang closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze was clear and bright.
He did something that no one expected.
He stepped forward, bent down, and took Pei Yuanli's arms in his hands, whispering in a voice barely audible:
"You may choose one for Yu'er: the Grand Marshal of the Army and the position of Crown Princess."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanli's eyes first lit up, then he smiled sadly and said, "It's a pity I won't be able to see that day." He bowed deeply to Xie Lang again, and said with slight movement of his lips, "I only have one daughter. Let her have her own wishes when the time comes!"
Xie Lang shouted, "Good!" He then turned to Li Chongyu, who was eager to try his luck at the table, and said, "Would the Marquis of Guannei be willing to accept the Marquis of Dongguang's request and have a life-or-death duel outside the palace?"
Li Chongyu laughed proudly, "Why not? Thank you for granting my request, Your Majesty!" He then immediately stood up and headed out of the hall.
Pei Yuanli then stood up as well, not glancing at anyone else, and dragged the dragon spear back out of the hall.
He passed by Mu Huaying, paused slightly, but ultimately did not utter a single word before leaving.
The usually resolute and fierce Mu Huaying collapsed to the ground, covering her face with her hands, unable to move any further.
Shangguan Yuqi bowed before the palace gate and said, "The duel between the Marquis of Dongguang and the Marquis of Guannei still needs to be judged by a notary. I request," she glanced at Aqiu in front of Li Chongyu's seat, and continued, "to go with the successor of the Junior Tutor and the musician Shi to be judged."
Historically, duels required each side to appoint a witness to adjudicate the dispute; this witness had to possess both exceptional martial arts skills and high prestige. Shangguan Yuqi, as the foremost swordsman of the Southern Dynasty, naturally possessed the qualifications to represent the Southern Dynasty.
A Qiu's actions just now, blocking Li Chongyu's path and using a "Wind and Thunder Slash" palm strike to send Mu Huaying flying ten feet away, were enough to prove her strength. Furthermore, as Gu Yi's successor, with her acting as Li Chongyu's representative, Li Chongyu should have no objections.
Although the outcome of this duel was obviously predetermined, there was really no doubt about it.
Among the assembled officials, Shangguan You's face had turned ashen, and he was ready to step forward and reject Shangguan Yuqi's request.
He really couldn't understand why his niece always liked to take on thankless tasks.
Before he could move, a hand pressed down on his shoulder. The blow was so heavy that he couldn't move at all.
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