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Ji Yucang’s intention to cultivate the three husbands and even grant them official positions quickly reached the Empress Dowager’s ears.
Because both Princess Jiahe and Princess Jiayu felt uneasy, they went to the palace to complain without prior agreement.
After listening, the Empress Dowager was furious: “He’s making a blunder every day, what exactly does he want to do? The ancestral rule is that princesses husband cannot hold office, and he’s going against the ancestral rules at every turn!”
“Mother, he’s deliberately trying to make us all miserable.” Princess Jiahe spoke angrily, “Shen Huai has always been dissatisfied with me, and he’s always cold to me. Once he has the Regent’s support, will he still respect me?”
The Empress Dowager’s expression was not good: “I’ve told you more than once to be gentle with your husband, not to always beat and scold him harshly. Did you listen? If you were beaten or scolded all day long, would you hate him? Would you want him to die immediately?”
Princess Jiahe’s face turned red: “But I’m a Princess, he should listen to me. I only hit him because he always ignores me. If he could make me happy, would I still hit him?”
Compared to Princess Jiahe’s anger, Princess Jiayu was the most uneasy at this moment. Last night, she had given the medicine to Gu Yanran, and today the Regent was targeting the two husbands… If this was a coincidence, she wouldn’t believe it even if she was beaten to death.
It must have been Gu Yanran’s failure, and she had implicated her.
That good-for-nothing who couldn’t accomplish anything but was more than capable of causing trouble!
“Jiayu.” The Empress Dowager’s gaze fell on her face, her eyes dark, “What exactly is going on?”
Princess Jiayu’s face turned pale: “I suspect that… it might be that Gu Yanran has been exposed.”
“She’s such a waste!” The Empress Dowager angrily slapped the table, “She can’t even handle such a small matter, what else is she good for?”
“Your Highness, Your Highness, something terrible has happened!” A eunuch rushed in, “The Regent is going to kill Young Master Qin.”
The Empress Dowager stood up abruptly: “What’s going on?”
“The Ministry of Justice has presented the testimonies of Young Master Qin and the bandits. They say the evidence is conclusive, and the Regent has just sentenced Young Master Qin to death, and… and it will be carried out by beating him to death outside the Fengtian Gate…”
Bang!
The Empress Dowager collapsed into her chair, her face deathly pale.
“Your Highness!” Another eunuch rushed in with a panicked step, “Princess Pingyao is here! She says… she says to invite the Empress Dowager and the two princesses to the Fengtian Gate… to witness the execution…”
The Empress Dowager trembled with anger: “The Regent is so heartless and ruthless! I… I…”
Her vision darkened, and the Empress Dowager almost fainted from anger.
“Your Highness, be careful.” The nursemaid quickly supported her.
“Mother, I won’t go!” Princess Jiahe retreated in fear, “The Regent must be doing this on purpose, I won’t go! I’d rather be beaten to death than go!”
“The Regent has ordered the Empress Dowager and the two princesses to come to the Fengtian Gate to witness the execution.” Princess Pingyao walked in with a cloak, her voice cold and her presence intimidating, “No refusal is allowed.”
With that, she turned and commanded: “Someone, escort the Empress Dowager out.”
As soon as she finished speaking, nearly twenty guards in black entered, standing in two orderly rows on the left and right, their posture respectful yet exuding an unyielding firmness.
The Empress Dowager’s face alternated between green and white as she looked at Princess Pingyao with a gaze that seemed to want to devour her alive: “Pingyao, you are truly audacious!”
“I wouldn’t dare.” Princess Pingyao bowed gracefully, “I’m just growing to like the feeling of having power and being able to do as I please, isn’t this also the reason why the Empress Dowager pursues power?”
Holding great power, deciding life and death.
Tsk.
Not only do men like it, but women also enjoy it. Unfortunately, there are very few women in this world who truly hold the power of life and death.
“Pingyao, how dare you speak to Mother like this?” Princess Jiahe pointed at her, “Don’t forget that I am the legitimate princess, and you—”
Snap!
A fierce whip lashed at her insolent hand, immediately causing Princess Jiahe to scream in pain as she clutched her hand: “Ah!”
“Pingyao, what are you doing?” The Empress Dowager was furious, “You are simply audacious!”
Princess Pingyao leisurely swung her whip, her eyes cold and merciless: “I hate it the most when people point at me with their fingers, it’s so rude.”
After saying that, she turned and walked out: “If the Empress Dowager doesn’t want to be dragged out, then cooperate a little and follow me to the Fengtian Gate. Otherwise, if you end up losing your dignity later, don’t say that I didn’t give the Empress Dowager any face.”
The Empress Dowager was so angry she was almost going mad.
The Regent was maliciously intent on making her witness her own nephew being beaten to death, and Princess Pingyao was aiding and helping, thinking she could do whatever she wanted with the Regent’s support?
They were dreaming!
No matter how fiercely the flames of anger burned within her, no matter how much she detested the Regent’s actions, it couldn’t change the fact that she had to go to the Fengtian Gate to witness the execution. She had to go, whether she wanted to or not.
Outside the Fengtian Gate, the area was packed with people.
After the court session ended, before the Regent went to the Diligent Government Hall, he ordered all the civil and military officials to wait outside the Fengtian Gate. Before long, a barely conscious man was brought over.
The crowd was shocked.
Qin Guoju, the imperial uncle’s eyes suddenly contracted, and he instinctively rushed forward: “Yanshu!”
An attendant loudly announced: “The Regent has decreed that Qin Yanshu, the eldest son of the Qin family, incited bandits to falsely accuse the eldest daughter of the Duke of the State of losing her chastity and murdered over ten servants and guards of the Duke of the State. His actions were extremely vile, and there is both physical evidence and testimonies. His crime is unforgivable! The Regent has ordered Qin Yanshu to be beaten to death, and no one is allowed to plead for mercy. The other bandits, whose actions were brutal, will be beheaded and publicly displayed outside the Gate in three days!”
The ministers were all shocked.
The Imperial Guards stood on either side, stopping the advancing Qin Guoju and also blocking the hastily arriving Empress Dowager.
“Yanshu! Yanshu!” The Empress Dowager hurried over, but was stopped midway by the long spears of the Imperial Guards.
The Empress Dowager was furious: “Get out of my way! Release Yanshu immediately!”
An attendant stood to the side, relaying the decree: “The Regent has ordered that Qin Yanshu be beaten to death, to be executed immediately!”
Qin Yanshu’s face was pale and haggard. The days in prison had tormented him to the point of almost losing his human appearance. At this moment, he was being held down by the shoulders and forced to kneel, powerless to resist. He could only mutter repeatedly: “I want to see Shen Ning, Ning, I know I was wrong…”
“Yanshu!” In despair, Qin Guoju shouted in anguish, “Do you have any last words? I will fulfill them for you!”
Qin Yanshu slowly raised his eyes, his lips dry and cracked, his voice hoarse: “Father, I want to see Ning one last time…”
Qin Guoju swayed, his face turning a shade of iron, both anxious and angry: “You fool! What’s so good about that woman? You’ve ended up in this situation because of her! And you still can’t forget her, do you know that your mother has almost run herself ragged these past few days trying to save you! Qin Yanshu, you’re simply heartless!”
Qin Yanshu struggled to support his body and kowtowed three times to Qin Guoju: “I am an unfilial son. Please take care of yourselves in the future, Father and Mother. I will repay your nurturing kindness in my next life.”
An Imperial Guard pushed him down, and immediately, the heavy court stick struck his back. Just one blow caused Qin Yanshu to scream in agony: “Ah!”
The Empress Dowager stood not far away, watching the scene unfold with a deathly stare, her teeth almost shattered from clenching.
Regent, how vicious your methods are.
The civil and military officials stood at a distance, watching as the once bright and promising eldest son of the Qin family was publicly subjected to the stick penalty under the encirclement of the Imperial Guards. The screams of agony revealed an unbearable pain, sending chills down everyone’s spine.
And by carrying out the punishment in such a public manner, was the Regent implying that the Qin family was about to decline, with no chance of recovery?
Even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager…
The surroundings were deadly silent, so quiet that only the dull thuds of the sticks hitting the body could be heard, along with the continuous painful moans escaping from Qin Yanshu’s mouth…