Chapter 99
Before dawn the next day, a short and shrill scream suddenly rang out in the Yangxin Palace, piercing the silence of the early morning.
His Majesty suddenly sat up from the dragon couch, with cold sweat on his forehead, soaking his hair, and his chest heaving violently, as if he had just escaped from the suffocating feeling of drowning.
He was breathing heavily, and what lingered in front of his eyes was the afterimage of last night's nightmare - Hong Jingxiu had messy long hair, eyes as red as blood, nails were blue and black, and she was clutching his clothes tightly, roaring and calling him a cowardly king who ruined his country. Every word was like a poisoned needle, piercing his heart and making him tremble.
"Someone!" His Majesty's voice tightened, and with lingering fear, he shouted towards the outside of the palace, "Send the Prime Minister to the palace immediately! I want... I want to personally execute Hong Jingxiu!"
The prison was cold and damp at noon, with a thin layer of white frost on the corners of the walls, and the smell of mold mixed with rust filled the air.
Li Yin, wearing a moon-white brocade robe, stood outside the prison door, his eyes fixed on Hong Jingxiu, who had a calm expression inside.
The other person's prison uniform was torn and stained, and his hair was tangled like dead grass, but there was no trace of fear of death on his face. Only his eyes were still astonishingly bright.
"There's only half an hour left until the execution," Li Yin said softly, yet with a subtle heaviness. "You really don't have any last words?"
Hong Jingxiu looked up at him, without saying anything, but just shook his head slowly, then lowered his eyes again, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.
Li Yin looked at his disheveled appearance and suddenly recalled their earlier conversation in the Imperial Garden. He couldn't help but ask, "Last time, you said you wanted to be the leader chosen by the people. Could it be that the 'leader' you mentioned is just another puppet king?"
"No!" Hong Jingxiu raised his head suddenly, a hint of anxiety flashing in his eyes, and his voice was hoarse but firm, "What I want is not a puppet position, but to let the people truly stand up straight and no longer be bullied by others!"
Li Yin forced a smile upon hearing this, but confusion was hidden in his eyes. "To be honest, I also want to be a king that the people trust. But tell me, how can I make them choose to trust me willingly?"
Hong Jingxiu slowly stood up and looked directly into Li Yin's eyes through the cold iron bars.
He was frail, yet he exuded an inexplicable aura of unyielding strength. "Your Highness was born in the inner palace, crowned the heir since childhood, the king 'chosen' by heaven. You don't understand. The common people want more than just food and clothing; they also want respect and trust. Those of us struggling at the bottom have seen the oppression of the powerful and the foolishness of kings, and we no longer trust anyone easily."
He took a step back and shook his head slightly, his tone filled with a hint of melancholy: "You and we have been different from the beginning."
"What's the difference?" Li Yin pressed, his tone growing more urgent. "Why do you believe that only by killing the current emperor can we achieve the 'peace' you speak of?"
Upon hearing this, Hong Jingxiu suddenly sneered, his laughter filled with mockery. "Your Highness is too naive. Since ancient times, which king has ever willingly given up power and abandoned selfish desires? You now say you want to 'serve the people,' but if you were to sit on the throne, faced with wealth and glory, can you guarantee that you wouldn't become like His Majesty today?"
Li Yin was about to open his mouth to deny it when the guard's voice suddenly came from outside the prison: "Your Highness, the time has come. It's time to take Hong Jingxiu to the execution ground."
Li Yin glanced outside the prison, then back again, looking at Hong Jingxiu, who was ready to die. He said solemnly, "I know you don't believe me, but I want to tell you that it's not only the 'king chosen by the people' who cherishes them. If a king can gain the support of the people, how could he treat them like pigs and dogs?"
Hong Jingxiu looked straight into his eyes, his gaze as sharp as a knife: "So, what do you want to say?"
"The world I envision is the same as what you desire—a world of peace and prosperity for the people, a world of clean governance," Li Yin said sincerely. "But achieving it doesn't necessarily require bloodshed. Perhaps we can find a way without taking lives."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hong Jingxiu froze in place, his eyes full of disbelief.
Even until the guard came forward, grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the prison, he still couldn't come back to his senses for a long time. He just kept looking back, his eyes fixed on Li Yin, as if he wanted to carve his appearance into his bones.
The execution ground was set up outside the Meridian Gate, on a high platform. His Majesty sat on a temporary dragon throne, his face still pale. It seemed that the nightmare last night still frightened him.
Hong Jingxiu was forced to kneel at the emperor's feet, surrounded by civil and military officials. The whispers of the officials burrowed into his ears like mosquitoes, containing contempt, fear, and a hint of hidden sympathy.
The Prime Minister, standing beside His Majesty, took a step forward and shouted at Hong Jingxiu, "Traitor Hong Jingxiu! Do you know your crime? Confess your crimes of treason!"
Hong Jingxiu slowly raised his head, his eyes sweeping across the crowd. His voice was calm but firm: "I don't know what 'treason' is, and I have never collaborated with the enemy, so I cannot admit it."
"How dare you!" the Prime Minister shouted, holding up a scroll of documents. "I have irrefutable evidence of your collaborating with the enemy! With witnesses and evidence, you still want to quibble?"
Hong Jingxiu's expression remained unchanged, and he simply repeated, "I don't know what treason is, nor do I know what collaborating with the enemy is."
The emperor on the high platform was enraged upon hearing this. He staggered violently and pointed at Hong Jingxiu, his voice trembling with anger: "You... you traitor! Come! Torture him severely! Until he confesses his guilt!"
The prime minister bent down and approached Hong Jingxiu, with a threatening tone: "Hong Jingxiu, if you know what's good for you, just plead guilty. Otherwise, the punishment that follows will not be something you can bear."
He paused, then asked, "Tell me, ten years ago you launched a rebellion, causing the people to be displaced and suffering. Do you admit your guilt?"
Hong Jingxiu suddenly let out a shrill, cold laugh that drew the attention of everyone present. He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding dignitaries. "So, this is the crime of 'treason' you've charged me with? If so, I admit it."
He changed the subject, his voice suddenly rising, making people's eardrums ache: "But if that's the case, then I'm not the only one guilty!"
Hong Jingxiu's eyes were surprisingly bright, as if burning with fire. The ministers who were swept by his gaze subconsciously avoided him and did not dare to look him in the eye.
"Those who levy heavy taxes on the people, those who embezzle fertile land, those who collude with relatives of the emperor and oppress the good," Hong Jingxiu enumerated them one by one, his voice growing heavier with each sentence. "And the monarchs who sit on high platforms, living in a muddle-headed manner, with no regard for the lives of the people. Which one of you is clean?"
“Shut up! Shut up!” His Majesty was so angry that he patted his chest, his face ashen. He pointed at Hong Jingxiu and said in a hoarse voice, “Quick… Quick, kill him for me! Now! Immediately!”
Hong Jingxiu threw his head back and laughed heartily, his laughter filled with sorrow: "So what if I die? Even if I turn into a ghost, I will drag you termites with me and make sure you never live in peace for the rest of your lives!"
His Majesty could no longer hold on. He slumped down on the dragon throne, his lips trembling as he repeated, "Imperial edict... This is my imperial edict! Kill him! Kill him now!"
The Prime Minister bowed and replied, "I obey your order."
The imperial guards stepped forward and were about to drag Hong Jingxiu away with an iron chain when a figure suddenly walked out from the crowd. He was wearing a prince's dragon robe and it was Li Yin.
He bowed towards the platform and said in a steady voice, "Your Majesty, please reconsider."
His Majesty looked at him blankly, his eyes unfocused. "Prince... what did you say?"
"Hong Jingxiu hasn't confessed yet. Executing him now might not convince the public," Li Yin said calmly. "It wouldn't be too late to execute him after he confesses."
The Prime Minister stood aside, in a corner where no one could see him. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, barely perceptible, before returning to his expressionless demeanor. He said to Li Yin, "Your Highness, I'm afraid what you said isn't the real reason. Could it be that you're trying to show favoritism to Hong Jingxiu?"
Li Yin frowned slightly and looked at the Prime Minister: "Prime Minister, what do you mean by this?"
The Prime Minister stepped forward and spoke in a low voice, loud enough for those around him to hear: "By now, word has spread throughout the palace that Your Highness is secretly having an intimate affair with Hong Jingxiu's daughter. Your Highness is pleading for Hong Jingxiu now. Could it be that you are afraid that his death will lead to more trouble?"
His Majesty's gaze instantly grew sharp, scanning back and forth between the Prime Minister and Li Yin. Finally, he asked sternly, "Prime Minister, what do you mean by that? The Crown Prince is having an affair with the traitor's daughter?"
The Prime Minister turned to look at Li Yin with a provocative look in his eyes: "Your Highness, isn't what I said the truth?"
Li Yin pursed his lips and remained silent.
This silence, in the eyes of His Majesty, was a tacit agreement. He became even more anxious and shouted at Li Yin, "Prince! Why are you silent? Is what the Prime Minister said true?"
The Prime Minister watched as the confidence in His Majesty's eyes gradually gave way to suspicion, feeling smug. He then ordered outside the palace, "Come here! Bring the man up!"
Two guards escorted a man in. The man's head was covered with sackcloth, so his face could not be seen. His hands were tied behind his back. He was thrown to the ground, staggering, but he still kept his head down, refusing to let anyone see his face.
The Prime Minister pointed at the figure on the ground and said to His Majesty, "Your Majesty, this is Hong Jingxiu's daughter, Hong Luo'e. She has been disguised as a palace maid, staying by His Majesty's side. She is His Majesty's most trusted person and Hong Jingxiu's inner circle in the palace."
He turned to look at Li Yin, his eyes demanding, "Your Highness, you hid her before, weren't you afraid she would be exposed?"
Li Yin was about to open his mouth to defend himself when Hong Jingxiu, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly spoke up with a hint of impatience in her tone: "It's me who's being tried today, it has nothing to do with her! I've never met her before, and she doesn't know anything about me!"
"Nothing?" The Prime Minister refused to let him go, pressing him. "If Your Highness wishes to prove his innocence, he must prove he has nothing to do with the traitor's daughter. Otherwise, it will be difficult to silence the world."
His Majesty was already about 70% convinced by this point, and he urged Li Yin, "Prince! What are you still hesitating about? Pick up the knife and kill her! Kill her, and I will believe you are innocent!"
The person on the ground finally raised their head, the sackcloth slipping off, revealing a delicate yet pale face. It was Hong Luo'er. Her gaze fell on Li Yin, filled with longing and determination, as if silently saying, "Your Highness, forget me. Kill me, and you will be able to cleanse your stain and continue on your path."
Without waiting for Li Yin to react, Hong Luozhen suddenly stood up and, taking advantage of the guards' unpreparedness, drew the sword from his waist and placed it against her neck. The sharp blade had already cut the skin on her neck, oozing a trickle of blood.
"No! Luo Yun, no!" Li Yin's pupils suddenly shrank, and he rushed over, his voice full of panic and urgency, "Put down the knife! If there is anything, let's talk slowly!"
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