Chapter 46: Divine Thunder Descends, The God’s Wrath (Part Two)

At the beginning of the Si Hour (9:00–11:00 AM), the entire Jiang family had already been dragged onto the execution platform.

There was still roughly one hour left before the scheduled Wu Hour (11:00 AM–1:00 PM) execution.

Last night, chaos erupted in the military camp.

When word spread that the Jiang family’s generals—along with their women and children—had been imprisoned and were facing complete extermination, a group of passionate young soldiers spontaneously rose in rebellion.

But without a leader to unite them, their efforts were disorganized and ultimately crushed by the Su family’s forces.

All those who led the resistance were strangled to death.

Their corpses now hung high above the city gates as a warning to others.

Such was the fate of those who dared to rebel.

The one overseeing today’s execution was Su Cong, a general from the Su family. He and Jiang Younian, the Jiang family’s patriarch, had long been bitter rivals.

Su Cong paced leisurely to Jiang Younian’s side.

Looking down from above, he sneered at the man whose hair was disheveled and spirit utterly broken. With a nudge of his boot, he lifted Jiang Younian’s face, forcing him to meet his gaze.

“Jiang Younian, who would’ve thought?” Su Cong mocked. “Tell me, how did the mighty Jiang family fall so suddenly?”

“Do you see those corpses hanging from the city walls? Those were all fools who overestimated their strength—just like your son.”

“Useless, all of them.”

After speaking, Su Cong spat directly onto Jiang Younian’s face, his intent to humiliate clear as day.

Jiang Younian’s hands were tightly shackled behind his back with iron chains, his neck restrained by a wooden stock, forcing him to kneel.

At last, his closed eyes slowly opened.

There was no emotion in his gaze. With a hoarse, parched voice, he rasped, “Traitors and usurpers—one day, heaven will deliver judgment upon you.”

The people of Great Liang held deep reverence for the gods.

Every year, the temples flourished with offerings and incense, their faith unwavering.

Thus, Jiang Younian’s words immediately ignited Su Cong’s rage.

With a swift kick, Su Cong struck Jiang Younian’s face.

“You decrepit old fool! Even at death’s door, you dare curse me?”

“General!”

The remaining members of the Jiang family watched helplessly as their once-mighty leader, once the embodiment of iron will and authority, was trampled beneath another man’s boot. Their eyes, already dry from exhaustion, now burned with fury, bloodshot with rage.

Below the execution platform, the gathered citizens were divided into two factions.

One side wanted to rescue the Jiang family’s soldiers.

The other wanted them dead.

Time passed.

The sun shifted in the sky, rising directly overhead.

The execution hour had arrived.

Despite the cries of the crowd—

“The Jiang Army is innocent! Let the court investigate further! The real traitors remain at large!”

—there were already signs that some among them were ready to storm the platform to free the prisoners.

But against an armed military force, the people stood no chance.

No further changes were expected.

Su Cong, holding the execution token, cast an indifferent glance at the kneeling members of the Jiang family before tossing it forward.

“Execute them!”

The token fell.

The executioner, his hands freshly cleaned, stepped forward.

He raised his blade.

Every heart in the square clenched.

No one dared witness the impending massacre.

People squeezed their eyes shut, bracing for the bloodbath.

Silence fell.

But in the next moment, a woman’s voice shattered the stillness—

“Hold it!”

Jiang Qingqing removed her veil, revealing her face.

In her hand, she held the Dragon Talisman, the symbol of the Crown Prince.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she ascended the execution platform.

The cold wind rose, lifting the hem of her gown.

Her almond-shaped eyes carried a faint, elusive chill. Step by step, she moved forward—calm, unwavering.

Lifting the Dragon Talisman high, she gazed upon those before her and declared,

“I am the Crown Princess of Great Liang! In times of crisis, my decree is as the Emperor’s own

“By Imperial Decree, the Jiang Family is Innocent!”

Her voice was not loud, yet every word rang with undeniable authority.

Amidst a sea of soldiers, her delicate figure stood unwavering, exuding an aura of unshakable command. Even though she was alone, she showed no fear.

Su Cong had seen Jiang Qingqing before at court banquets.

This sudden turn of events was entirely unexpected.

He hastily summoned his attendant, ordering him to relay the news to Liu Yi.

The commoners below the platform, witnessing this scene, erupted into chaos—especially those who supported the Jiang Army.

“The Jiang Army is innocent! Her Highness has declared it—innocent!”

“Release them now! Free General Jiang!”

People shoved against the Su family’s soldiers who were blocking their way, their voices growing more aggressive.

“Let them go! Move aside—we’ll rescue the General ourselves!”

The situation quickly spiraled into turmoil.

Emboldened by the backing of a higher authority, the citizens gathered their courage and clashed with the soldiers.

As they pushed forward, nearly breaking through the barricade, Su Cong’s expression darkened. His gaze landed on Jiang Qingqing, standing defiantly in the center of the platform, and a ruthless glint flickered in his eyes.

“How dare you! Impersonating the Princess?!” he bellowed.

“Seize her!”

His thunderous command echoed across the open execution grounds.

For a brief moment, the crowd froze.

“She’s not the Princess?”

“Impossible! I saw her at the Governor’s mansion—she stood with Young General Jiang!”

Doubt regarding Jiang Qingqing’s identity cast a shadow over her supporters. They hesitated, as if suddenly losing their backbone.

And that fleeting moment of uncertainty was all the opposition needed.

Seizing the opportunity, the other faction roared with renewed fury.

They had long suffered—hungry, homeless, desperate for someone to blame.

Now, given a target for their hatred, they would see the entire Jiang family perish.

“Kill the Jiang Army! Kill the fake princess!”

On the platform, Su Cong observed the growing disorder.

He had initially worried that Jiang Qingqing might have brought the Golden Guard with her. But after all this time, she remained alone.

Su Cong smirked.

The Emperor of Liang had long been deposed. Now, power rested in the hands of the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister.

Taking the executioner’s blade from the man beside him, Su Cong strode toward Jiang Qingqing with a mocking grin.

“You should’ve thought this through before acting.”

Just like Jiang Yu, he mused.

Reckless, impulsive—and ultimately left half-dead. Ever since the prison break, Jiang Yu had yet to regain consciousness. His breaths were faint, barely clinging to life.

Jiang Younian’s face darkened, his once-lifeless eyes now igniting with fierce determination.

Seeing Jiang Qingqing in danger, he forced his battered body forward, shielding her with his own.

“Su Cong! It was one thing to side with traitors, but now you dare to lay a hand on the Crown Prince of Liang?!”

The Jiang family had rarely returned to the capital, and most of them did not recognize Jiang Qingqing.

But they recognized the Dragon Talisman in her hands.

The women, the elderly, the wounded—all of them, dragging their broken bodies, inched closer to Jiang Qingqing.

Not to seek protection.

But to protect her.

The imperial bloodline of the House of Jiang was already thin. Other than the Emperor, only Jiang Qingqing remained.

The Jiang family had sworn eternal loyalty to Great Liang—a duty etched into their very bones.

Su Cong laughed, amused by their desperate resistance.

“Just a pack of cornered dogs,” he sneered.

As soon as those words fell from his lips—

Jiang Qingqing lifted her gaze to the sky.

A moment ago, the heavens had been clear, without a cloud in sight.

Now, dark storm clouds churned and thickened, suffocating the air beneath their weight.

An overwhelming, primal fear swept through the battlefield, sending shivers down every spine.

Then—

A bolt of violet lightning tore through the sky.

It split the heavens open.

A deafening roar of divine thunder followed, as massive, ten-thousand-volt streaks of lightning came crashing down.

It was a spectacle of terrifying beauty.

Lightning raged, its scorching tendrils ripping through the earth—

Incinerating the execution platform.

Obliterating the executioner.

Devouring the Su family’s soldiers.

And striking down Su Cong, blade in hand, as he advanced toward Jiang Qingqing.

The sudden, blinding light forced everyone to shield their eyes.

And when they finally dared to look again—

All they saw were charred corpses, stiff and lifeless, scattered across the execution platform.

Su Cong still clutched the executioner’s blade in his blackened, lifeless grip.

But the man himself—who had, just moments ago, been brimming with arrogance—lay motionless on the ground.

Never to speak again.