kingnovel Chapter 1956 Killing the chicken to scare the monkey
Chapter 1956 Killing the chicken to scare the monkey
Li Bi became increasingly convinced of his own reasoning as he spoke, and his tone grew more and more forceful:
"Look at this Chang'an City! Look at this world!"
"His Majesty the Chu Emperor implemented the equal-field system, recruited new soldiers, and reduced taxes. Were all of these measures taken to stabilize the people's livelihood and benefit all the people of the land?"
"And what about you? For your own selfish desires, for the long-rotten dreams of the dynasty, you did not hesitate to incite rebellion, dragging Chang'an City, which had just seen a glimmer of hope, back into a sea of blood!"
"Who is truly wreaking havoc on the people? Who is the real culprit?!"
Li Bi's unreasonable and distorted words infuriated Liu Sheng and Liu He, making them tremble with rage and unable to utter a single curse.
It struggled with all its might, making wild, guttural noises, as if it wanted to devour its flesh raw.
Ran Ming listened with great interest. He didn't understand many profound principles, but he found Li Bi's "twisted logic" quite interesting.
He found it particularly amusing that he had infuriated two former princes. He rubbed his bald head and chuckled twice.
Seeing that the verbal battle had temporarily subsided, Li Bi turned to Ran Ming, suppressing his agitation and adopting a respectful, inquiring posture, bowing and asking:
"General Ran, now that these two rebel leaders have been captured, what should be done with them?"
He already had a guess in his heart, but he still needed Ran Ming to confirm it in person.
Upon hearing this, Ran Ming's playful smile was instantly replaced by a pure, icy killing intent.
He suddenly stood up, his tall figure exuding an invisible sense of oppression, his leopard eyes gleaming with cold light.
"How should we handle this?"
He grinned, revealing his signature gleaming white teeth, his smile menacing.
"His Majesty has already issued a clear order! All remnants of the previous dynasty who dare to rebel and plot rebellion—every single one—must be spared! Weed out the weeds, and eliminate them completely!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the ashen-faced Liu Sheng and Liu He, his voice like the clash of cold iron, carrying an undeniable cruelty:
"As for these two ringleaders... in order to serve as a warning to others and deter anyone who still harbors improper thoughts, they must be executed in public!"
"We must let everyone in the city see clearly what the consequences will be if they oppose the Great Chu!"
Li Bi felt a chill run down his spine; it was just as he had imagined.
He immediately responded, his tone decisive, even showing a hint of eagerness to prove himself:
"Understood! This matter will be handled by me!"
"Set up an execution platform right here in the West Market vegetable market, and publicly behead these two traitors!"
"I will immediately arrange for the yamen runners to beat gongs and announce the news throughout the city, so that all the people may come and witness the execution, to set an example and demonstrate the might of Heaven!"
"Okay, go ahead! Make it lively!" Ran Ming nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand.
Without further delay, Li Bi immediately turned around, summoned the accompanying officials and yamen runners, and swiftly issued instructions.
Soon, in Chang'an City, the people who had just experienced a night of fighting and were still in shock heard the increasingly urgent sound of gongs and the hoarse shouts of the yamen runners:
"The wanted criminal has been executed! Witness the execution at the West Market!"
"The former rebel leaders, Liu Sheng, Prince of Zhongshan, and Liu He, Prince of Xuan, have instigated a rebellion and committed heinous crimes. By His Majesty's decree, they shall be executed in the West Market at this very moment!"
"All citizens may go and witness the execution, as a warning to others!"
The sounds of gongs and shouts echoed through the streets and alleys, carrying a bloody allure.
It was now midday, the sun blazing, trying to dispel the bloodshed and gloom in the city.
The people had mixed feelings—a sense of relief at surviving the disaster, lingering fear of the rebellion, dread of the killing, and a touch of curiosity.
They emerged from their homes, like streams flowing into a river, slowly and silently making their way to the Xishikou vegetable market, where countless members of the Liu clan had been executed not long ago.
A new public execution targeting the highest-ranking members of the former royal family is about to unfold on this blood-soaked land.
Chu Ning's iron will will be deeply imprinted in the hearts of every resident of Chang'an City, and indeed, everyone in the entire Han region, through this process.
The Xishikou vegetable market, a place that recently witnessed the massacre of the former dynasty's royal family, still bears indelible dark marks of bloodstains in the cracks between the stones, even after the bloodstains have been roughly washed away.
At this moment, the place is once again surrounded by a dense crowd.
The sunlight was blinding, shining on the makeshift wooden execution platform and on the countless faces below, each with a different expression.
On the execution platform, Liu Sheng, the King of Zhongshan, and Liu He, the King of Xuan, were kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs.
They had hemp seeds forcibly stuffed into their mouths and were tightly bound with strips of cloth, only able to make indistinct "woo-woo" sounds.
The two men's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on their foreheads, as they struggled and twisted desperately. Especially when they heard the murmurs of the people below the stage, the anger, humiliation, and resentment in their eyes almost burst forth.
They were princes, how could they have ever been treated like this?
What they found even more unbearable was that they were deprived of even the last chance to speak out and express their true feelings.
Li Bi, dressed in official robes, stood solemnly in front of the execution platform.
He knew that this was not only a time to carry out His Majesty's orders, but also a crucial moment for him to consolidate his position and demonstrate his loyalty to the new dynasty.
He must seize this opportunity.
He took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and his voice rang out clearly through the noisy crowd:
"Fellow villagers of Chang'an City!"
He suddenly pointed his arm at Liu Sheng and Liu He, who were kneeling on the ground, and said in a stern voice:
"Look carefully, all of you! These two are none other than Liu Sheng, the Prince of Zhongshan, and Liu He, the Prince of Xuan, remnants of the previous dynasty!"
A commotion immediately arose in the crowd, and countless eyes focused on the two disheveled figures.
"They are members of the royal family, yet they do not care about the peace and stability of the country, nor do they care about the suffering of the common people!"
Li Bi's voice suddenly rose, carrying a deliberately feigned indignation: "Taking advantage of the time when His Majesty the Emperor of Great Chu is suppressing rebellious subjects and pacifying the four directions, they have secretly colluded to incite rebellion!"
"Last night, it was they who led the rebels into the city, causing fighting to break out again in Chang'an City, and rivers of blood to flow!"
"How many innocent lives have been lost? How many homes have been destroyed? Such acts are heinous crimes, and they arouse the wrath of both gods and men!"
He deliberately attributed last night's bloody battle to the instigation of Liu Sheng and Liu He, while concealing Chu Ning's plan to lure the enemy out, portraying himself and the new dynasty as victims and defenders of justice.
"Thanks to His Majesty's divine might and General Ran Ming's bravery, the rebellion was quelled in time, which has kept me safe and sound!"
Li Bi then changed the subject, emphasizing the emperor's benevolence once again: "Today, I am here by order of His Majesty the Emperor of Great Chu to bring these two wicked and treacherous villains to justice, to comfort their unjustly deceased souls and to uphold the law and order of the nation!"
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"
When Liu Sheng and Liu He on the stage heard Li Bi so blatantly distort the truth and place all the blame for the rebellion on themselves, they were so angry that they trembled with rage and struggled even more violently, letting out the howls of trapped beasts.
They stared intently at Li Bi; if looks could kill, Li Bi would have been executed by slow slicing long ago.
They desperately wanted to tell these ignorant masses that they were fighting to restore the Han Dynasty and reclaim the legacy of their ancestors!