kvmb Chapter 482 Exposing the Wise King
Chapter 482 Exposing the Wise King
This was a complete shock to Li Leshan.
The blow made him dizzy and disoriented.
What is an execution ground?
The place where death row inmates are beheaded.
"When did your prince return to the manor?" Li Leshan added, "When did he return from the capital?"
The servant replied, "I returned to the manor last night."
Li Leshan gritted his teeth and angrily turned to head towards the execution ground.
He wasn't even given a moment to breathe.
He finally understood.
The King of Guangling planned to torment him to death.
Li Leshan rode a fast horse to the execution ground, where he saw people surrounding the execution ground in layers, and the execution platform was filled with kneeling prisoners.
They were bound hand and foot, with wooden signs bearing their crimes and names inserted behind their necks.
Li Leshan looked up at the executioner's seat but did not see Zhao Yi.
Just as he was about to ask an official, a hand patted him on the shoulder.
Li Leshan was startled and turned to look.
Zhao Yi, dressed in official robes, stood behind him with a smile: "Lord Li, I have been waiting for you for a long time."
Li Leshan: "..."
Was she waiting for him here?
He said solemnly, "Your Highness, in all dynasties, death row inmates were imprisoned until autumn before being executed. Why did you rush to cut off the heads of death row inmates as soon as you returned to Yongqing County from the capital?"
These words clearly implied that Zhao Yi had ulterior motives.
Zhao Yi asked calmly, "Before Lord Li came to Yongqing County, did he have an execution supervisor?"
Li Leshan: "..."
He touched his nose and explained, "I am acting on the Emperor's orders, and this is a special case."
"The case in Yongqing County also requires me and Lord Li to handle it specially." Zhao Yi smiled slightly: "There are still three quarters of an hour before noon. Lord Li's arrival is very timely, and he can supervise the execution with me."
Li Leshan: "..."
For some reason, Li Leshan felt that the Prince of Guangling had calculated when he would arrive in Yongqing County, so he was waiting for him at the execution ground at the exact time.
Let him take the blame.
As Zhao Yi led Li Leshan toward the executioner's seat, he spoke about the situation in Yongqing County.
"Lord Li, His Majesty has issued an oral decree ordering you to assist me in handling the case in Yongqing County. Naturally, I cannot leave you behind and return to Yongqing County first. I received a secret letter from Yongqing County saying that Feng Zhihuan and his confidants have committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
Li Leshan exclaimed in surprise: "Feng Zhihuan is dead?"
Zhao Yi nodded slightly: "In order to kill me and destroy the evidence in my possession, Feng Zhihuan forged the token of the Royal Guard and falsely conveyed His Majesty's decree to seal the city gates and prevent anyone from entering or leaving."
"After his crimes were exposed, Feng Zhihuan was afraid that the investigation would lead to him, so he committed suicide out of fear of punishment, right?"
Li Leshan handled many cases and keenly noticed the problem.
When His Majesty ordered him to monitor the Prince of Guangling, he revealed the details to him.
“Leshan, the Prince Xian is kind-hearted and values loyalty. When Feng Zhihuan committed a crime in Yongqing County, he sought help from the Prince Xian under the guise of being a cousin. The Prince Xian was soft-hearted and helped him out.”
"Therefore, Feng Zhihuan's investigation implicated Prince Xian."
"No matter the reason, the wise king was wrong and should be punished according to the law."
"But I have few children, only the Prince Xian, who is of pure blood. If he is punished, who will inherit the throne of Northern Qi?"
“The Prince Xian is the heir to the Northern Qi, and I have no choice but to cover for him.”
“Now that the Prince of Guangling has gone to clean up the mess left by the Prince of Xian, I am worried that he will take advantage of this incident to do something that would damage the Prince of Xian’s reputation. I entrust this important task to you to keep an eye on the Prince of Guangling’s every move.”
"If anything unusual happens, fire a signal arrow, and someone will come to your aid."
Li Leshan pulled himself out of his thoughts.
I originally thought the case in Yongqing County only involved Prince Xian.
Now it seems highly likely that the Northern Qi emperor was also involved.
Feng Zhihuan's crimes were enough to warrant the execution of his entire family.
Even if he killed the Prince of Guangling and destroyed the evidence of his crimes, he would still not escape death.
Because all the people of Yongqing County are witnesses.
Why would he need to forge the royal guard token, falsely convey the emperor's decree, and kill the Prince of Guangling to silence him?
This is a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.
Feng Zhihuan couldn't be that muddle-headed.
Li Leshan had a guess in his mind—the Northern Qi emperor probably wanted to kill the Prince of Guangling.
However, their deeds were exposed.
Given the current situation, the Northern Qi emperor cannot afford to break ties with the Prince of Guangling for the time being.
Therefore, he pinned the crime of assassinating the Prince of Guangling on Feng Zhihuan.
This is the real reason why Feng Zhihuan "committed suicide out of fear of punishment".
A layer of cold sweat seeped out from Li Leshan's back.
Even the midday sun shining on him could not dispel the chill within him.
"Lord Li?" Zhao Yi looked at the stunned Li Leshan and suddenly asked, "Do you have any objections to Feng Zhihuan's death?"
“No,” Li Leshan denied. “I have no objection.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Leshan saw Zhao Yi looking at him thoughtfully, and then realized that he had overreacted.
Li Leshan was afraid that Zhao Yi would notice something amiss, so he tried to keep his tone as natural as possible.
"I was just a little surprised."
Zhao Yi nodded knowingly and sat down in the executioner's seat.
Li Leshan wiped his face to calm himself down.
But his ashen face, mixed with sweat, left dark sweat stains on his hands.
You don't even need to look to know how disheveled he looks right now.
Li Leshan sat down next to Zhao Yi with a stern face.
They were just waiting for the heads of these condemned prisoners to fall to the ground.
The case is closed.
Then no one will expose the case of the wise king.
His mission was thus completed.
From now on, the struggle between the Northern Qi emperor and the Prince of Guangling will not affect him.
It was noon.
The executioner first poured a bowl of wine into the condemned prisoner's mouth, then drank a bowl of wine himself, and spat the remaining wine onto the blade as a sacrificial offering.
He pulled the wooden tag off the condemned prisoner's neck, threw it on the ground, and then swiftly brought down his knife.
A head fell to the ground with a thud.
Blood was sprayed all over the ground.
The onlookers turned pale with fright, their stomachs churning.
"My lord, I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
At this moment, the condemned prisoner kneeling on the execution platform, waiting to be beheaded, shouted loudly that he was innocent.
"I am the Vice Prefect of the Prefectural Office, in charge of matters such as grain transport, family farms, water conservancy, and litigation."
"As an official serving the people, I receive a salary from the imperial court, and I must conduct myself and act in a manner worthy of the official robes I wear."
"Over the years, I have worked diligently for the country and the people, climbing from an insignificant official to my current position. How could I dare to embezzle, break the law, and harm the people?"
"It was the wise king who threatened me with the lives of my entire family."