The officials who were locked up in the Zongzheng Temple lived a life of luxury at home. Naturally, they weren't used to the food of the Zongzheng Temple.
As the head of the Zongzheng Temple, Prince Shou took this into consideration and sent them food from the restaurant outside the palace.
In the prison, the officials were eating heartily.
"This pork shoulder is from the Wafting Fragrance Restaurant."
"It's definitely from the Wafting Fragrance Restaurant. The smell of the wine can't be wrong."
"The food of the Zongzheng Temple is really hard to swallow. The Wafting Fragrance Restaurant is the best. Thank you, Your Highness Prince Shou …"
…
Other than having their freedom restricted, the twenty officials didn't suffer much in the Zongzheng Temple. Prince Shou arranged a single cell for each of them and changed the bedsheets. In order to protect their privacy, he even had people separate the cells with curtains.
Three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Two hours in advance, the prison guards would send the menus from the various restaurants in the Divine Capital. Each of them could order four dishes, one soup, and a pot of wine.
If they were hungry in the middle of the night, they could even order supper. For this, Prince Shou specially invited the chefs of the Wafting Fragrance Restaurant to the Zongzheng Temple to be on standby. Even if these officials had more needs in the middle of the night, the chefs would have to crawl out of bed to satisfy them.
In terms of food, the food these officials usually ate at home wasn't as good as the food in the Zongzheng Temple.
Not only that, Prince Shou even considered their physical needs and used his sedan to secretly bring the girls from the brothels outside the palace into the Zongzheng Temple to comfort these officials at night.
This made the officials in the prison change their impression of Prince Shou.
Other than his stupidity and cowardice, Prince Shou still had his shining points. Despite the risk of being impeached by the censor, he still took care of these criminal officials meticulously. This wasn't something that anyone could do.
It was really good to have one of their own in the Zongzheng Temple …
In the courtyard of the Zongzheng Temple, Zhang Chun watched as the prison guards sent the food made by the Wafting Fragrance Restaurant's chefs into the prison. He looked at Prince Shou and said slowly, "Your Highness, isn't this a little too much?"
"Too much?" King Shou glanced at him and said, "How is this going overboard? When you took special care of Li Yi's daughter, did I say anything overboard? Why are you like this …"
Zhang Chun was stunned. "I just covered her cell with a curtain and changed her bed …"
King Shou said, "I also covered up their cells and changed their beds."
Zhang Chun looked at the busy figures in the kitchen of the Zongzheng Temple and said, "But you brought the chef of the restaurant into the palace. Isn't that too much?"
King Shou said, "Is this too much? This is not too much at all. Let me tell you what is too much. Li Mu used His Majesty's imperial kitchen to cook for other women, this is what is too much …"
Zhang Chun was stunned and said, "But you can't let them drink. The Imperial Ancestral Temple strictly forbids prisoners from drinking."
After that, he waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about the wine you gave to those guilty officials. You even found women for them. What do you think the Zongzheng Temple is? A restaurant or a brothel?"
King Shou glanced at him and said, "Ordinary prisoners have to eat a full meal before they are executed. Are you in charge of the Zongzheng Temple or am I?"
Zhang Chun said angrily, "You …"
Then, he seemed to realize something and looked at King Shou in shock.
King Shou sighed and shook his head.
Zhang Chun silently shut his mouth. After thinking for a while, he said, "Even if you want to find women from the brothel, Your Highness' taste is too unique. You don't let them enjoy, but let them suffer. I know of a brothel in Luoyang. The women there are very beautiful …"
King Shou said indignantly, "What's wrong with my taste? They are fat and chubby. Aren't they good …"
In the prison, two officials had just finished their sweet and sour fish. As they picked their teeth with the fish bones, they complained, "Everything about His Highness King Shou is good, but I really can't agree with him when it comes to women. I can't even bear to touch the women he finds …"
King Shou walked in and said, "If you're not satisfied, I'll give you a beautiful one tonight …"
The official smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Highness …"
King Shou walked to the innermost cell and asked Commandery Prince Nanyang, "Are you used to it?"
Commandery Prince Nanyang said, "Not really, but thank you for taking care of me."
At first, Commandery Prince Nanyang looked down on King Shou. Although King Shou was one of the seven One-Word Princes and his status was much higher than his, everyone in Luoyang knew about King Shou's cowardice and incompetence.
Now, although his evaluation of King Shou's cowardice and incompetence did not change, he did not hate him as much.
King Shou squatted at the door of the cell and said, "Nanyang County is such a good place. Why did you come to Luoyang in the first place?"
Commandery Prince Nanyang smiled and said, "Nanyang is good in every way except for one thing. It's not Luoyang."
King Shou murmured, "Luoyang, what's so good about Luoyang?"
Commandery Prince Nanyang said, "Power, wealth, women, cultivation resources. Luoyang has everything you want. It's thousands of times better than Nanyang County …"
King Shou sighed and said, "Although Luoyang is good, it's also dirty …"
Commandery Prince Nanyang did not hear what King Shou said clearly and asked, "Brother, when will you let us out?"
King Shou said, "You know what you've done. If I let you go just like that, I won't be able to answer to the people and the imperial court. Instead, the new party will have something to use against you. Therefore, we still have to put on a show."
Commandery Prince Nanyang asked, "How do we put on a show?"
King Shou said slowly, "You'll still be sentenced to death. Then, you'll be sent outside to be executed. Of course, this is all an act. The executioner's knife won't really cut you down. The dean will use his great power to create an illusion to make the people think that you're really dead. After that, you'll have to appear in Luoyang with a new identity …"
Commandery Prince Nanyang frowned and said, "So troublesome?"
King Shou said helplessly, "Do you think what you've done is a small matter? According to the crimes that Zhou Zhong has confessed, each and every one of you will be beheaded. This is the only way to save your lives. From today onwards, Commandery Prince Nanyang is dead. You'll have a new identity. At that time, we'll find a way to let you enter the imperial court again. After that, you'll get back everything you've lost …"
Commandery Prince Nanyang had a thoughtful expression as he carefully considered King Shou's words.
Indeed, since Li Yi's case was overturned, Commandery Prince Xiao Yun was no different from a dead man in the Great Zhou.
His official position was revoked and he would never be employed by the imperial court again. Instead of using the useless identity of Commandery Prince Nanyang, he might as well change his appearance and start a new life.
If King Shou really let him go so easily, Commandery Prince Nanyang would be suspicious.
Li Mu and the Zhou Clan were watching. If he let them go, King Shou wouldn't be able to bear the consequences.
However, his plan was so meticulous that it wasn't possible for him to be deceived. It was most likely a decision made by the higher-ups.
At this moment, King Shou continued, "I need all of you to act out this scene. Don't mess it up. Otherwise, all your previous efforts will be wasted and no one will be able to save you."
Commandery Prince Nanyang no longer had any doubts. He nodded and said, "I understand."
King Shou patted him on the shoulder and said, "Remember, even if a knife is placed on your neck, you must remain calm. This is because the executioners this time are all our people. Oh right, remember to tell the others. Otherwise, if they mess it up, everyone will be implicated and Li Mu won't be able to get rid of them …"
Commandery Prince Nanyang said, "Don't worry. If anyone dares to mess it up, I'll take their life …"
…
In the court of the Zongzheng Temple.
Zhang Chun looked at the few guilty officials kneeling before him. He picked up a document and read it aloud, "Minister Counsellor Ai Tong of the Ministry of Revenue. During his reign, he coveted a huge amount of tax from the national treasury. According to the law of the Great Zhou, he is sentenced to death by beheading …"
"Minister Wu Sheng of Guanglu Temple. According to the law of the Great Zhou, he is sentenced to death by beheading …"
"Wei Chong, Wang Ning, and Zhuo Xian. As officials of the Great Zhou, they participated in the trafficking of women and children and acted as a shield for evil forces … They are sentenced to death by beheading …"
"Minister Chen Guang … They are sentenced to death by beheading …"
When Zhang Chun announced the sentence, there was no fear on the faces of the officials in the court. Some of them even looked at each other and laughed.
It wasn't that they weren't afraid of death. It was just that King Shou had already made it clear to them that this was just an act. When the time came, not only would they not die, but they would also usher in a more glorious life with a new identity.
The death penalty documents of these officials had already been reviewed multiple times. After Zhang Chun announced the sentence in the court, more than 20 people were escorted to the execution ground.
King Shou stood outside the Zongzheng Temple and nodded at all the guilty officials who walked out of the temple.
After receiving the "hint" from King Shou, everyone felt more at ease. They rushed to the execution ground without any fear, looking quite resolute.
On the execution ground.
Screens surrounded the execution ground. The people below the execution ground couldn't see the specific situation on the execution ground.
This time, those who were to be executed were all officials of the imperial court. There were even relatives of the emperor. The scene of their execution couldn't be seen by the people.
Li Mu held Li Qing's hand and stood in the crowd.
The main culprits and accomplices who framed her father back then were almost all here. Li Mu promised her that all the culprits of the case back then would receive the punishment they deserved.
Behind the screens, more than 20 people knelt there. There was still no fear on their faces.
Some of them even looked back at the executioner with a smile.
Even though the executioner was used to big scenes, he still felt goosebumps from the strange gazes of these people who were about to die.
Zhang Chun sat at the executioner's seat. He looked up at the sky, grabbed a bunch of sticks, and threw them out. He said, "The time is up. Start the execution —"
The executioner's knife was raised high and quickly brought down.
Looking at the heads rolling next to him, one of the officials sighed in his heart. A Seventh Realm cultivator was indeed a Seventh Realm cultivator. This kind of realistic illusion almost fooled him, let alone the people …
There were also a few people whose expressions changed when they noticed the blood of the people next to them splattering on them.
However, the executioner behind them didn't give them time to think.
With a slash of the knife, the heads were separated from the bodies and their souls scattered.
Before and after the execution, the execution ground was completely silent.
In the past, before the execution, the prisoners would cry and howl. This was probably the quietest execution that the people of the Fairy's Capital had ever seen.
King Shou stood outside the execution ground and sighed deeply. He muttered, "In your next life, be a good person …"
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