FID – Chapter 731

Chapter 731: Has the King Returned? 

The Food Market at the Capital.

Early in the morning, the area outside the military guards’ line was already crowded with citizens who had come upon hearing the news.

Today, the two infamous traitors of the current dynasty were to be executed.

After the beheading of Liu Huai, the patriarch of the Liu family in the capital last year, this would be the second major execution to take place.

Interestingly, this time, the main character also bore the surname Liu, and was deeply intertwined with the previous Liu family in the capital.

One couldn’t help but wonder if this was some kind of retribution.

The small Liu family had defeated the large Liu family in the past, and now it seemed to be their turn.

November in the capital was already very cold.

The open space of the food market was whipped by biting cold winds, making people shiver.

Along with the harsh atmosphere from the soldiers on guard, the entire scene was heavy and oppressive.

Around noon, a prison cart was seen approaching from a distance, escorted by soldiers.

The cart contained two prisoners wearing convict uniforms.

Having been imprisoned for many days, the prisoners appeared disheveled, but whether the elderly man or the young one, both maintained a calm demeanor.

Their eyes were clear, and they held themselves with integrity.

They looked nothing like the treacherous figures the common folk had imagined.

Among the crowd, some people’s eyes wavered when they saw the young man, but they quickly suppressed their emotions.

This trial was being overseen by the Ministry of Justice. Once the prisoners were brought to the scene, the officials from the ministry arrived in their palanquins.

The soldiers, armed with knives and swords, stood around the execution platform, ready to prevent any disruptions.

Now, they only waited for noon. As soon as the time arrived, the people on the execution platform would be beheaded immediately.

Hidden among the crowd, Fu Yuzheng watched the men kneeling on the platform, her heart feeling as if it were being sliced by a knife over and over, the pain nearly unbearable.

She hadn’t been supposed to come today; the Qian family and the Shi family had already made arrangements. To avoid complications, no one had even told the elders of the Liu family about the event, to prevent them from losing their composure and inadvertently exposing a flaw.

Qian Wanjin had even found an excuse early in the morning to keep the elders of the family inside the house, preventing them from going out and hearing the rumors that were stirring outside.

Aside from her, there were also capable individuals from the Qian and Shi families hidden in the crowd, waiting for the right moment to act.

The King had been on his diplomatic mission to Beicang and had yet to return, so they had prepared for the worst and were determined to risk everything to rescue the person.

Time passed, and noon was fast approaching.

The boats on the Grand Canal had pushed their speed to the limit, but it would still take nearly half an hour to reach the capital.

Everyone on board was anxious, even Wei Hong, who usually kept a cold expression, showed signs of worry and impatience in his eyes.

Let alone Liu Yusheng.

However, at this moment, no amount of anxiety would change anything, and they could only endure the torment.

Standing at the bow, staring intently at the direction of the capital, Liu Yusheng clutched Feng Qingbai’s hand tightly. Her apricot-colored eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, her face pale, looking both exhausted and worn out.

They both hadn’t slept a wink all night.

Allowing the young girl to hold onto him as a way to vent the panic deep within her, Feng Qingbai tightened his grip on the woman with one hand. “Shengsheng, relax. Trust me, everything will be fine in the end.”

“Feng Qingbai…” Liu Yusheng’s voice was choked, thick with nasal sound.

She had been holding back tears, but she wasn’t as calm as she appeared. Just the slightest crack, and her emotions might completely break free.

“As for our grandparents, I’ve already had Wei Bai and Wei Cheng gather people to search for them. As long as we can make it back in time from the capital, nothing will happen. They will be alright.”

Liu Yusheng bit her lip, not daring to ask what would happen if they couldn’t make it in time. She couldn’t accept such a consequence.

How could Feng Qingbai not understand the myriad of emotions she was feeling?

At this moment, his impatience was no less than hers, and even worse. The mere thought of what might happen if they didn’t return in time filled him with a murderous rage.

In this torment, the ship finally docked, and it was already noon.

“By the Mandate of Heaven, His Majesty decrees: The traitorous ministers Yang Shuzhong and Liu Zhixia, during their time as advisors, have used the emperor as a puppet to control the court, deceiving and misleading the sovereign, leading him to indulge in food, drink, and pleasure without any ambition! They are ministers of flattery! In order to purge the court of such scoundrels, restore the order of the state, and stabilize the country, it is hereby decreed that both shall be executed by beheading, as a warning to others! So decreed!”

The cold, emotionless voice of the chief executioner reading the imperial edict echoed.

Fu Yuzheng staggered slightly, her face pale, and she could only hold onto the wooden railing in front of her to steady herself.

Her eyes turned toward the platform, where the executioners were already prepared. The large steel blade glinted with a cold, murderous light under the midday sun.

Meanwhile, Elder Yang and Liu Zhixia, shackled and kneeling on the high platform, both sat with their backs straight. Their eyes and expressions conveyed disdain for the so-called imperial decree.

Turning his head, his gaze crossed over the guards and toward the crowd of civilians. When it landed on the unfamiliar face of a woman at the front, with eyes that were incredibly familiar, Liu Zhixia’s eyes flickered for a moment. Then, he casually averted his gaze, as if nothing had happened.

He hadn’t expected her to watch him walk his final journey. In this life, he owed her so much—only in the next life could he repay her.

At this moment, the previously restless crowd began to quiet down.

After the imperial decree was read, the execution was about to take place.

As the moment approached, nearly everyone involuntarily held their breath.

The chief executioner sat back at the desk and dropped the execution token onto the ground.

“Behead!”

The word immediately caused Fu Yuzheng’s eyes to burn with rage, her pupils bloodshot, and her fingers dug into the wooden railing, drawing blood!

On the platform, Liu Zhixia gently closed his eyes, stopping himself from looking at the woman again.

Around the execution ground, there were surely heavily armed soldiers hidden in the shadows, ready to capture his ‘traitorous’ accomplices. Even if he were to glance for just a moment, it could expose a flaw.

Behind him, the executioner had already raised the steel blade in his hand. He could even hear the faint sound of the blade cutting through the air as it came toward him.

There were gasps from the crowd below. Many of the civilians turned their heads and closed their eyes, unwilling to witness such a bloody and brutal scene.

Then, with a loud clang, someone’s voice reached them before they even spoke, “Spare him!”

On the platform, Liu Zhixia and Elder Yang suddenly opened their eyes, a flash of joy crossing their gaze.

Below, Fu Yuzheng’s heart clenched tighter. She used all her strength to keep herself from collapsing.

“How dare you! Who dares to cause trouble at the execution ground!” The presiding judge looked around angrily and shouted.

A figure descended from the sky, ignoring the soldiers around him who were drawing their swords, and revealed a command token. “This is the personal guard of the King. I come by His Highness’s order to deliver a decree. There are many doubts regarding the case of Yang Shuzhong and Liu Zhixia’s alleged treachery. Until the investigation is clarified, they are to be taken back to the prison for detention. Do not make a mistake!”

The crowd erupted in surprise. The King has returned?

If this command came from the King, then it was very likely that Lord Yang and Lord Liu had been wrongfully accused.

Given the King’s current power and position, if he truly wanted the throne, it would be within his grasp. Yet, for all these years, he had diligently performed his role as regent, showing no desire for the throne. Therefore, the ministers he selected to assist the emperor surely would not have committed such a treasonous act.