Chang'an, Dongshikou, Dongshi was crowded with people early in the morning today. The entire Dongshi was surrounded by water, and everyone was rushing to one place.
Today is the day when Chu Suiliang, a third-rank official in the imperial court and a scholar-bureaucrat, was beheaded.
You must know that this was the first time since the founding of the Tang Dynasty that a scholar-official was beheaded. Such a thing naturally attracted everyone to watch. For ordinary people, the scholar-official class was superior. Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, and scholar-officials were ranked second. One person.
Even the scholar-bureaucrats were beheaded, and the shock caused can be imagined.
Yanlai Tower, fourth floor. Since King Li Tai of Wei was forced to leave Chang'an by Luo Zhang, the private room on the fourth floor that originally belonged to King Wei has now become the exclusive private room of Prince Li Chengqian.
In the private room, Li Chengqian was lying on the deck chair outside the balcony on the fourth floor. Zhao Tianhu was waiting on him carefully. He was joking, this is the prince, and he is a person who hopes to become the emperor in the future. Can he be waited on carelessly? Maybe the prince will reward him if he is happy. It is possible that the official will be given to him.
Of course, no matter how high-ranking an official is, it is not as good as following a younger brother. Following a younger brother is a very popular and popular person, and he is in charge of such a big business. I have never seen those court officials being polite when they see him. This is normal. Can a small official have it?
Besides, if it weren't for my little brother, he wouldn't have the life and status he has now. Therefore, serving the prince is only his responsibility, and Zhao Tianhu has no other ideas in his heart.
"Is there any message from Luo Zhang?" Looking at the bustling crowd below, the prince asked Zhao Tianhu beside him.
Zhao Tianhu put down the bottle from which he was pouring wine, bowed and replied: "The head of the family sent a letter a few days ago, asking me to be more optimistic about the business of the dock. He asked about the situation at home and said that everything is fine now. He didn't say anything else. !”
Li Chengqian nodded and murmured: "Counting the days, it has been two months since he left Chang'an. It should be snowing all over the sky in the north now!"
At this moment, a commotion began below, attracting the prince's attention.
On the high platform at Dongshikou, I saw an unkempt figure with unkempt face, some staggering steps, and wearing a white prison uniform being pushed onto the high platform, followed by a man in red clothes, holding a beheading knife, with a ferocious look and a big waist. The big man.
Seeing the prisoner being pushed up, everyone in the audience immediately burst into flames, pointing and talking at the stage.
"This is a third-rank official of the imperial court. This is the first time I have seen him beheaded like this!"
"Isn't that right? This is a scholar-bureaucrat. He can be beheaded. Your Majesty is really a saint. Just as he said, the prince who breaks the law is guilty of the same crime as the common people!"
"It's no wonder that Your Majesty attacked Chu Suiliang. He really deserved to be killed for what he did!"
"Huh? How do you say this?" Some people who didn't know the inside story inquired.
"He harmed the officers and soldiers of the Royal Navy of the Tang Dynasty and tried to poison them. You must know that the Royal Navy was responsible for pacifying the barbarians in the south and defeated the Japanese at sea. Such a force would be beneficial to the Tang Dynasty. Chu Suiliang wanted to kill them all because he was jealous of Luo Hou's subordinates. He was so cruel!" People who knew the inside story explained to everyone.
"What? This Chu Suiliang actually did such an outrageous thing? He really deserves to be killed!"
"Your Majesty did the right thing and killed well. Such a person should be killed except for him. Your Majesty is so kind!"
In the restaurant opposite Yanlai Building, Changsun Wuji was sitting in a private room, where he could also see everything in the execution ground.
When he saw the old scoundrel, ahem, being pushed onto the execution platform with his left and right arms, Changsun Wuji's anger began to rise.
First of all, he hated Luo Zhang. If it weren't for Luo Zhang, how could Chu Suiliang have reached this point? How could he not be able to save Chu Suiliang? You must know that Chu Suiliang was a great help to him. Without Chu Suiliang, many things would have happened. His hands were tied, and there was no one in the court to help him express his attitude to others. Losing such a right-hand man was a heavy loss for him.
Secondly, he hated Chu Suiliang. He failed to do something that was obviously possible. Who did he invite? It's just a pig's brain. You said you'd screwed up, but you were traced to yourself. You're so stupid. If you're caught, you'll be caught. You should be tighter, but not only did everything get shaken. He came out, confessed to him, and even hid the evidence of helping him over the years. This is simply an unforgivable crime.
Changsun Wuji didn't know why His Majesty spared him, but if His Majesty really wanted to take action, he was afraid that he would be doomed. The things he had asked Chu Suiliang to do over the years were enough to behead him more than a dozen times. He could escape this time. After a calamity, it can be regarded as good luck.
Therefore, he loved and hated Chu Suiliang's beheading, but now that the deal was done, he let him go. He came today just to give him a ride out of past friendship.
On the beheading stage, Chu Suiliang stood on it, his body trembling. He had often seen others being beheaded before, and he was very happy. Even if he was killed, he would not have thought that he would be where he is today.
Looking at the crowd pointing at him in the audience, Chu Suiliang would be lying if he said he was not afraid. Even though he was in a high position, he was not much more courageous than ordinary people.
The executioner sitting beside him was sitting on a chair, looking at his former colleagues, and he felt a lot of emotion in his heart, but he had no intention of helping. This was a case appointed by His Majesty, and the final verdict of the three-division trial was to be beheaded in public.
At this time, he was waiting for the hour to arrive. Looking at the sun, it was almost time. The executioner picked up the imperial edict on the table and walked to the stage.
Seeing the executioner coming out, everyone immediately stopped talking.
"By God's blessing, the emperor issued an edict saying that Chu Suiliang, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, killed his colleagues with cruel methods. The evidence is conclusive, and he is sentenced to beheaded in public to serve as a warning to others!"
"Your Majesty is unjustly accused, I am unjustly accused, it was not me who did it, I was just delivering orders, it was Changsun Wuji, Changsun Wuji! It was not me!"
After hearing the imperial edict read by the executioner, Chu Suiliang raised his voice to the sky and cried out in grief.
Everyone in the audience immediately burst into an uproar when they heard this. You must know that this kind of thing was only talked about in the court before, and only dignitaries knew what was said in the court. But today, Chu Suiliang actually said it on the execution platform. These remarks were not only known to the dignitaries, but also to the common people and merchants of Chang'an City.
"What does Chu Suiliang mean?"
"He said that he was wronged, and Master Changsun asked him to do it?"
"Does he want to take a bite before he dies?"
"I don't know. This is the first time I've heard of this. Is this Chu Suiliang really unjust?"
