At a quarter to noon, the road leading to the execution ground was crowded with onlookers.
The moment the guards escorted the prison carts into view, an overwhelming barrage of rotten cabbage leaves and foul-smelling eggs flew toward them.
As the eggs smashed, a sour, putrid stench permeated the air. The people inside the prison carts did not even dare to lift their heads.
"You treacherous dogs, you deserve to rot in hell!"
"Traitors deserve to die! Even death by a thousand cuts wouldn't be enough!"
"..."
The furious curses nearly drowned out the members of the Li household; the spit alone could have filled a bathing barrel.
Earl Zhongqin was locked in the first cart. With the weeping of his wife and children lingering in his ears from behind, he did not utter a single word in his own defense.
It wasn't until they arrived at the execution ground and he was forced to kneel on the ground that Earl Zhongqin raised his head, searching the crowd for the figure of Prince Qi.
Before long, the supervising official looked up at the sun hanging directly overhead. Judging that the time had come, he picked up the execution token and tossed it to the ground.
"Execute them!"
The wails of his family echoed in his ears, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes gradually faded.
As his neck was placed on the chopping block, Earl Zhongqin closed his eyes in deep remorse, his entire body trembling as he awaited the arrival of death.
If he had known they would be discovered, he never should have helped in the first place.
Prince Qi remained completely unscathed while he took the fall for everything, dragging his entire family down to be executed. He was filled with endless regret.
The executioner picked up a jar of liquor, took a massive gulp, and sprayed it over the butcher's blade. The liquid dripped onto Earl Zhongqin's face, blurring the line between the wine and his tears.
The blade swung down, and a bloody head rolled onto the ground.
Inside the imperial palace, Concubine Jin, who was standing at the entrance of the Palace of Eternal Longevity, suddenly felt a sharp palpitation in her chest.
She gazed in the direction outside the palace, her face already streaming with tears.
"Brother, I'm sorry. I have failed you."
Not long after, a figure sprinted back to Prince Qi's manor.
He knelt before the couch and reported in a low voice, "Your Highness, all fifty-six members of the Li household have been beheaded."
Xiao Rongche, sitting upright on the bed, did not shed a single tear. Clenching his fists tightly, he asked, "Did Uncle say anything at the very end?"
The guard buried his head against the floor, his body trembling.
"Earl Zhongqin did not say a word. He only cast a glance into the crowd right before the execution."
An entire family wiped out—how sorrowful and tragic. Those severed heads with wide-open eyes seemed to appear right before his very eyes.
Xiao Rongche closed his eyes and let out a long breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"Imperial Father has already promised not to pursue this matter. Where are the imperial physicians from the Shuobei Kingdom? Write a letter to urge them immediately. This time, no one will dare to interfere."
The guard dared not look up and replied in a muffled voice, "Yes, your subordinate will do it at once."
The fresh blood on the ground at the execution grounds was washed away with well water.
Not far away, Song Shixue watched the dispersing crowd with a complex expression. The anger on everyone's faces had already vanished.
"Sister, is this really where it ends? The true culprit is clearly still at large."
Song Jinzhao's eyes gleamed with murderous intent, as if she had already locked onto her target.
"Being at large is nothing. What's truly sickening is that the grain taxes the commoners pay every year are used to feed Xiao Rongche. Silks, satins, and exotic delicacies... he deserves to rot in hell."
Song Shixue frowned in distress.
"With the Emperor around, Prince Qi will never be beheaded no matter what crimes he commits. The ones who suffer will only be others. Lord Ye and Lord Fei are living examples of this."
A cold, curved smile crept onto Song Jinzhao's lips.
"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. When Xiao Chengjing is no longer the Emperor, Prince Qi will naturally have no one to protect him."
Song Shixue turned her head to look at Song Jinzhao, unable to stop herself from pondering the meaning behind those words.
The Emperor is no longer the Emperor... unless someone usurps the throne and kills him.
