That light, casual word “execute” sent shockwaves through everyone present!

Even Fang Zheng felt it was a bit excessive. What was this about? How could he order an execution so suddenly? Just because he didn’t love the people as his own children? This was too damn terrifying!

Even the seasoned Cabinet Elders were visibly shocked.

Although Yan Guoan had gone too far, at most he should be reprimanded and then demoted. Even the harshest punishment of stripping him of his rank and making him a commoner wouldn’t warrant death!

However, after exchanging glances, none of the Cabinet Elders spoke up.

His Majesty was clearly utterly disappointed and enraged with Yan Guoan.

An emperor who had fought his way to the throne through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, killing countless people.

But Emperor Jing was merciful, rarely causing bloodshed after unifying the country.

Perhaps the time of mercy had been too long, and many had forgotten what kind of emperor Emperor Jing truly was.

Killing a mere Yan Guoan was indeed nothing to His Majesty…

Guo Tianyang waved his hand, and the Eastern Depot agents who had been waiting on both sides immediately stepped forward to seize Yan Guoan’s arms.

Yan Guoan was thunderstruck, his mind blank, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Only when he felt a sharp pain behind his knees as he was forced to kneel did he react. His face instantly turned pale, trembling like a sieve as he looked at Emperor Jing in terror, “Why seize me… why seize me… Your Majesty! I… what crime have I committed?”

Emperor Jing looked at him coldly, then silently turned to gaze at the plaque above the hall.

The Eastern Depot agents were already twisting his arms behind his back, dragging him out.

Yan Guoan was scared out of his wits, shouting, “Your Majesty! How can you arbitrarily execute a high official?! How can you kill me without a proper trial? I object! I object!”

Emperor Jing made no response.

Yan Guoan’s eyes were bloodshot, no longer minding the pain in his arms, desperate to make a last stand. He roared, “Capital punishment doesn’t apply to high officials! Your Majesty can’t kill me!”

“Unjustly killing a high official will cause uproar throughout the empire, alienating the people!! Your Majesty, please reconsider!!”

“I… I have an iron token of amnesty granted by the late emperor at home!!”

At this, Emperor Jing suddenly moved.

He slowly turned, looking at Yan Guoan.

Everyone else also felt relieved for him. So he had an iron token of amnesty. It seemed he wouldn’t die after all.

His Majesty must have known this and was just putting on a show.

“Wasn’t that iron token of amnesty given to your father by the late emperor?”

Hearing Emperor Jing speak, the Eastern Depot agents holding Yan Guoan paused.

Yan Guoan felt as if he’d been granted a great pardon. With disheveled hair, he knelt down, repeatedly kowtowing.

Soon, there was blood on the ground from his kowtowing.

In a state bordering on madness, he explained, “Yes! Yes! The iron token of amnesty granted to my father by the late emperor!”

Emperor Jing sneered, “That was given to your father. How dare you use it?”

The pain in his arms began to intensify. Yan Guoan closed his eyes in agony.

How could this be! How could this be! What exactly had happened?

“But my father has passed away… the iron token of amnesty was left to me…”

Emperor Jing walked up to Yan Guoan, looking down at him, his eyes full of coldness.

“That settles it. No one can save you today… Not just the iron token of amnesty, even if the late emperor were here, he couldn’t save your life. I have spoken!”

Tears gushed from Yan Guoan’s eyes. With a hoarse voice full of despair, he cried, “Why! Why! Even if Your Majesty wants me dead, at least let me die knowing why…”

Emperor Jing shook his head and turned back to look at the plaque above the hall.

“‘Great Righteousness.’ You are not worthy to sit under these two words. Let this be a lesson to all of you. There are too many places in the world that I cannot see, but the common people see them for me.”

“Torrential rain falls, sewage flows in the streets, and the people have nowhere to go. This is how you, Yan Guoan, love the people as your own children…”

“If you still don’t understand, go ask the child who drowned in the street. Guards, take him away and execute him!”

Yan Guoan let out a wail as he continued to be dragged out, still shouting, “You can’t kill me! I’m the top scholar of the imperial examinations!!!”

“I’m a Hanlin Academy scholar…”

Before he could finish, Yan Guoan stared blankly at six people kneeling before him.

They were the ones Emperor Jing had encountered earlier in the pavilion.

The crowd was also wailing. Seeing Yan Guoan, they seemed to see a savior and began to cry out.

The most familiar face, Su Rongxuan, was among them.

Seeing Yan Guoan in this state, his heart sank to the bottom, but he still instinctively called out, “Lord Yan, save us! Save us, Lord Yan, what on earth has happened?!”

Yan Guoan’s mouth opened and closed, tears flowing, but he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t help but turn his head away.

The dignity of a scholar made him instinctively not want to show such a face to others.

But under the shadow of death, the words in his heart finally burst through his throat: “I’ve been wronged…”

A flash of steel.

Before Yan Guoan could finish speaking, his head had fallen.

His body remained kneeling upright, a fountain of blood spurting upwards before falling, as if it were raining blood.

Just like that, one swift stroke took away all of Yan Guoan’s pride and honor.

In his final moments, he had no dignity, his body disappearing into the polluted water, no one caring anymore what expression he wore.

Blood splattered on Su Rongxuan’s face, and at that moment, he was utterly terrified.

The dignified, high and mighty Lord Yan had died just like that?

What crime had he committed? And what crime had I committed?

As the body fell, a crimson stain spread through the dirty water…

Inside the hall, Li Yansong and the others shook their heads and sighed, glancing at Fang Zheng out of the corner of their eyes.

This time, His Majesty had indeed arbitrarily executed a high official without a proper trial. Who knew what waves this would cause in court?

Although it wasn’t directly related to Fang Zheng, many people would associate him with this incident… This young man would likely face no small amount of trouble in the future. At the very least, no one would dare to associate with him for a while.

Fang Zheng still looked bewildered.

They really executed him? Just like that? What exactly had he done?

To be executed just for mismanaging a district seemed too absurd…

His mind full of questions, unable to make sense of it, he couldn’t help but nudge Li Yuanzhao beside him. But there was no response.

Fang Zheng turned to look and found him pale-faced, trembling uncontrollably. He shook his head helplessly.

You’re no good either! Usually, you’re all bluster about going to war and fighting.

But at the sight of an execution, you’re scared out of your wits. It seems His Majesty has protected you well.

After a while, someone came to collect Yan Guoan’s body, and an Eastern Depot agent came to report.

“Your Majesty, the criminal has been executed, his head has fallen.”

“Good! Hang his head high on the Yimen Gate as a warning to all! Let all the officials in the capital see it clearly!”

“Loving the people as one’s own children is easy to say, but how many officials in the world treat the common people like pigs and dogs? Employing such people in high positions at court, I bear inescapable responsibility!”

“Return to the palace!”

Emperor Jing led the group out of the hall, passing by the six people kneeling outside as he left.

Su Rongxuan felt both terrified and confused, not knowing who this person before him was. As he saw him leave, his heart relaxed a little. Just as he was about to raise his head to speak to the Eastern Depot agent beside him, he saw a steel blade falling!

Six flashes of silver, and several more corpses lay in the hall.

Soon after, the wind began to pick up again.

Yan Guoan’s head swayed on the Yimen Gate, eyes wide open, his expression full of unwillingness, staring down at the rippling dirty water below, spreading out in layer after layer…