The next day, as dawn broke, the entrance to the capital city was already swarming with a massive crowd of onlookers. The lingering scent of blood from the previous day's great battle still hung in the air, and the bodies of the demon infants, still hanging on the city walls, had yet to be removed. Yet, nothing could deter the people from coming out to witness today's spectacle.
Today, everyone had come to see the rebels, led by Lin Zhenfan and Prince Ning, face their executions.
At this moment, Lin Zhenfan and Prince Ning sat in their respective prisoner carts, eyes closed, their faces devoid of emotion, guarded by a troop of soldiers.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Qin Zhihong's entire family, the Minister of Rites Ye Yiheng's family, the Minister of Justice Shen Zhi'ang's family, and about a dozen other officials aligned with them.
Their hands and feet were bound tightly. They were pressed down by soldiers onto a temporarily erected execution ground, kneeling in a neat row. Behind them, they carried long wooden boards, each bearing a prominent, large red character: "KILL."
Some, overcome with fear, sobbed incessantly, crying out their innocence. Others had even wet themselves from terror…
On the other side, the Cold King's mansion presented a scene of utter tranquility.
After a whole night of diligent work, Leng Ruo Li had finally completed the paternity test results for the Emperor and Princess Anle.
The outcome, however, surprised both Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mohan. They hadn't expected Princess Anle to actually be the Emperor's biological daughter.
The couple rushed to the palace that morning to deliver the results to the Emperor. Upon hearing them, the Emperor could not muster any joy.
The Emperor remained silent for a long time. Considering that Princess Anle had been filled with remorse after harming him, and had later assisted the Cold King and his wife in rescuing the Empress Dowager, he decided, in consideration of their blood relation, to spare her life.
Subsequently, the Emperor demoted Princess Anle to commoner status. He casually penned an imperial edict, entrusting Eunuch Li to personally announce it, revoking Princess Anle's title, and ordering her to leave the palace by the end of the day. Furthermore, she was forbidden from taking any of her valuable possessions with her from the palace.
From that moment on, Anle was no longer a pampered imperial daughter; she was merely a commoner named Jun Ya Nan.
Jun Ya Nan had long anticipated her fate, but she had not expected the Emperor to spare her, merely demoting her to commoner status. She was far luckier than Prince Ning.
After Eunuch Li finished reading the imperial decree, she knelt on the ground and kowtowed thrice in gratitude for the Emperor's grace.
"Princess... oh no, Miss Ya Nan, the Emperor has ordered you to leave the palace by the end of today. However, you are not allowed to take anything from the palace with you. You should go inside and pack your belongings properly. I will arrange for someone to escort you out of the palace shortly," Eunuch Li patiently instructed her.
"Thank you, Eunuch Li. I've already packed my things in advance. Please have someone check them now. I wish to leave the palace early to see him (Prince Ning) off," Jun Ya Nan replied faintly, her eyes red and swollen.
"Very well! Alas…"
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li sighed and walked into the room, instructing two young eunuchs to inspect Jun Ya Nan's baggage.
The two young eunuchs carefully examined her bundle and found only two sets of worn-out clothes inside. They saw no other valuables. They then reported truthfully to Eunuch Li. Consequently, Eunuch Li arranged for someone to escort Jun Ya Nan out of the palace.
Meanwhile, at the Cold King's mansion, after informing the Emperor of the paternity test results for him and Princess Anle, the Cold King and his wife paid a visit to Chang Shou Palace to spend some time with the Empress Dowager. As noon approached, the couple bid farewell to the Empress Dowager, left the palace, and prepared to head to the execution ground.
However, as they were about to exit the palace gates, they saw Princess Anle, disoriented, following two young eunuchs out. Princess Anle also saw the Cold King and his wife, but after a brief pause, she quickened her pace and exited the palace gates.
The Cold King and his wife exchanged a look upon witnessing this. Ultimately, they gave chase.
"Princess Anle, please wait a moment!"
Leng Ruo Li shouted towards Jun Ya Nan's back. To her surprise, Jun Ya Nan ran even faster.
Helpless, Leng Ruo Li used her Qinggong (lightness skill) to catch up and intercept Jun Ya Nan.
Without a word, Leng Ruo Li directly took a purse filled with broken silver from her sleeve and placed it in Jun Ya Nan's hand. She then turned to leave, and she and Jun Mohan boarded their carriage, hurrying towards the execution ground.
Jun Ya Nan stood there, staring blankly at the bag of silver in her hand, tears instantly streaming down her face.
...
The grand execution ground at the capital city gates.
The crowd of onlookers grew denser. They endured the scorching sun, unwilling to leave, completely surrounding the execution ground.
Today's chief executioner was Yan Song, accompanied by six officials who were fiercely loyal to the Emperor.
As noon drew nearer, the death row inmates at the execution ground felt an increasing sense of dread.
Ye Meiqian: "Father, your daughter doesn't want to die, woo woo… we haven't done anything wrong… and we are women. Why wouldn't the Emperor spare even women…"
Hearing this, Ye Yiheng closed his eyes slightly and replied slowly, "If you weren't beheaded, you would be sent to the military's pleasure tents, or sold into brothels to serve men, living without dignity, like falling into a demonic abyss, better off dead than alive. Your father would rather you be beheaded."
Upon hearing her father's words, Ye Meiqian wept even louder.
She truly didn't want to die, nor did she want to become a sex slave to men.
On the other side, Shen Yuejia, the legitimate second daughter of Shen Zhi'ang, the Minister of Justice, was also terrified by Ye Yiheng's words.
Although she had heard her father mention before that the female relatives of officials whose homes were confiscated by the Emperor would suffer terrible fates, the situation was just as Ye Yiheng described: either sent to military pleasure tents or sold into brothels. Some would be bought by lecherous old men or those with peculiar tastes for exorbitant sums, only to be tormented, their fates never to be good.
Shen Yuejia: "Father, you had some acquaintance with Consort Ping in the palace when you were younger. Please have someone speak to her and ask her to put in a good word for us with the Emperor, to spare the female members of the Shen household. We don't want to die either."
As she finished speaking, Shen Zhi'ang shot Shen Yuejia a fierce look and rebuked her, "If you don't want to die a more miserable death, then stop causing trouble. Consort Ping was my benefactor over a decade ago; she saved my life. I will never forget her kindness, but there was never any romantic relationship between us. If the Emperor were to misunderstand my relationship with Consort Ping, our Shen family would die even more tragically, and we might even harm Consort Ping to death."
Although Shen Zhi'ang had committed many wicked deeds over the years and harmed many people, he had never harmed Consort Ping or her two sons, Prince An and Prince Ji, precisely because Consort Ping had once saved his life.
Shen Yuejia cried even harder after her father's reprimand.
While the female members of Prime Minister Qin's household were also very frightened, they did not cry out. Especially Qin Xixue; in her current state, it would be better for her to die.