Chapter 293 The Time of Judgment
At the hour of You, the last rain of late autumn came drizzling down, opening the prelude to a bleak trial.
All the officials were waiting for the palace banquet in the Yong'an Hall, waiting to cooperate with Nanli Jun to successfully end this ridiculous farce.
Amidst Nan Lijun's sullen expression, the female official Zhi Luo stepped forward and read out the Eastern Palace's decree.
A detailed count of Ni Kun's twelve major crimes included eighteen counts of treachery, thirty counts of greed and deceit, and countless counts of causing chaos.
It all started with Ni Kun colluding with the Yu family, and continued with him deceiving Yun Chen into entering the palace to steal the military token.
There were more than ten pages of paper, and it took him half an hour to read them.
Everyone was shocked, but no one dared to stand up and plead for mercy.
Everyone knew this day would come.
I also know the truth that Ni Kun is both innocent and guilty.
The absurd Eastern Palace decree was just because Nanli Jun was so impatient to sit on the throne that his eager anger would burn anyone who dared to stand in his way.
Anyone who dares to plead for Ni Kun may become the second Ni Kun.
Maybe this is another "test".
Yun Wang stood at the head of the civil officials' seats, his face gentle, and listened calmly to Ni Kun's "ineffable" life as an official.
Every word was like a needle piercing his heart.
After the Eastern Palace's order was announced, Nan Lijun scanned the room and asked sternly:
"What do you think, gentlemen, should be done for Ni Kun's crime?"
How? Death is certain.
Judging from what Nan Lijun said, does he want to torture Ni Kun to death?
All the officials looked at each other, unable to guess the emperor's intentions, and could only boldly propose:
"Ni Kun is guilty and should be beheaded in public."
"Ni Kun never married and had no children. He requested to be removed from the family tree many years ago, so he cannot be implicated. He should be executed by slow slicing."
"They should be paraded through the streets."
Nan Lijun sneered, and everyone immediately fell silent. No one dared to speak again.
Obviously, she was not satisfied with anyone's answer, and it was still not enough to calm her anger.
Ni Kun, who had been listening to everyone's suggestions on how to kill him, did not even frown from beginning to end. He just stood there calmly, his eyes calm and peaceful.
Perhaps it was because he was too old or too tired from standing for so long, Ni Kun suddenly sighed deeply and said to the sky:
"If you don't follow the ancient ways, you won't be able to improve the present——"
Yun Wang's whole body suddenly stiffened and his back stretched straight.
He could hardly find his voice, as if he had to use all his strength to move his tongue, his voice trembling slightly:
"Ni Kun's crimes are extremely heinous. I suggest... that he be torn into pieces by five horses..."
"Okay!" Nan Lijun finally smiled with joy.
A quarter of an hour later.
In the square in front of the Yong'an Hall, five hemp ropes as thick as water snakes were pulled up.
One end was tied to Ni Kun's hair and limbs, and the other end was tied to five fierce horses, with five imperial guards leading the horses from the side.
Ni Kun's body was suspended in the air, forming a "大" shape facing the sky. His official robe had been taken off, leaving only a yellowed coarse linen shirt.
There were two small holes on his sleeves, and the autumn wind blew in, making his sackcloth shiver.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier. All the officials stood under the eaves of the Yong'an Hall to watch the execution, and their official clothes were soaked by the cold wind and rain.
Yun Wang stared at the void in the sky, pursed his pale lips tightly, not daring to let anyone notice anything.
"Execution—"
Following an order, the imperial guards whipped their horses hard, causing the frightened horses to leap forward.
The hemp rope instantly tightened, pulling Ni Kun's head and limbs tightly.
Yun Wang suddenly closed his eyes, not daring to look anymore. He felt his liver and intestines trembling with pain.
The torture, which should have been over in the blink of an eye, failed to take Ni Kun's life in one go because of heavy rain, water on the ground, and slippery horse hooves.
The imperial guards whipped the horse hard, and the horse pulled its body again, finally causing Ni Kun to wail in pain.
After two or three repetitions of this, Ni Kun's body was finally separated, leaving only bloody body parts on the ground, soaked in the rain.
No one applauded or celebrated the end of this drama.
Everyone looked at Ni Kun as if they were looking at their future selves.
The cold rain hit Yun Wang's face, penetrated into his eye sockets, and pierced into his bones.
In the end, Yun Wang could no longer remember how he attended the banquet with a stiff smile, and how he listened to the Eastern Palace promoting him to the position of Prime Minister and how all the officials toasted him to congratulate him.
He only remembered that it was very cold in Yong'an Palace, with wind and rain blowing in continuously, making the entire palace icy cold.
By the time it was dark and the palace banquet was over, the heavy rain had washed the square clean, leaving no trace.
Looking at the square that had returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened, Yun Wang felt it was so unreal that he was stunned for a moment.
The eunuch Huai'an, who often added plum soup to Yun Wang's bowl, came over, handed him a cloak and an umbrella, and said with a smile:
"The carriage is ready. Please proceed slowly, Prime Minister."
Yun Wang was stunned for a moment before realizing that the "Prime Minister" Huai'an was talking about was him.
After thanking him politely, Yun Wang got on the carriage and left.
When he turned the corner, he saw a poor little beggar standing under a narrow eave in the rain, holding a longevity god woven out of reed leaves in his arms, as if he was waiting for someone.
Unable to bear seeing this poor man, Yun Wang asked the carriage to stop and left the umbrella to the little beggar.
The little beggar thanked repeatedly with gratitude, opened his umbrella and continued to wait in the rain.
Yun Wang left immediately and returned home as usual. He got out of the car, hugged Yun Liancheng, and even walked at the same pace as usual.
He told his wife Zhu that he was not very hungry and did not need dinner, and then went into the study alone.
He sat at his desk in a daze, saying to himself:
It's all worth it...right...
For this country, this monarch...it's worth it...
Suddenly, the cold wind broke open the window and heavy rain blew in madly.
He quickly put away the documents and letters on the desk, but his eyes fell on the neat and beautiful pine soot ink.
He picked up Mo with trembling hands and slowly held it to his chest. He hunched over the desk and finally burst into tears.
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