As he was speaking, the timekeeping incense in Qi Huaiyang's hand broke.
The incense ash fell to the ground, but none of the officials had the heart to remind Qi Huaiyang.
The guards on the execution platform saw that no order had been issued for a long time, so they had no choice but to ask the timekeeper to come in and ask, "Sir Shangshu, is it time to put him in prison?"
Qi Huaiyang looked towards Deng Ying who was on the execution platform. He was pinned down by the officers and could not move, but he was still struggling and kept shaking his head at Bai Yuyang and the others.
Just as Qi Huaiyang was about to speak, someone suddenly reported, "Sir, the Eastern Ji Factory Captain Tan Wende is here, saying that the Second Assistant has something to tell you, and he wants you to see him in person."
Qi Huaiyang said: "Bring it in."
Qin Wende entered the tent and walked a few steps to Qi Huaiyang's front. He bowed and saluted, and said in a low voice: "Sir, Yang Ci Fu and several other ministers have entered the palace. Now the inner court has issued an order to report the situation here moment by moment. Yang Ci Fu said that you are proficient in the rules of the execution ground. Please help our governor to gamble."
After hearing this, Qi Huaiyang chuckled, "Okay, he's pushing me into a dead end."
Tan Wende bowed deeply and said, "Please help me, sir."
Qi Huaiyang nodded, "I will do my best, you go first."
"yes."
After Tan Wende left, Qi Huaiyang immediately signaled the officers to come over and said, "Give the prisoners clothes."
At the order to castrate, Deng Ying was immediately put on the torture rack by the officers. The ropes on his body were cut, but within a moment of being loosened, they were locked on the torture rack again. The officers used a knife to untie the ties on the prisoner's clothes. Deng Ying subconsciously raised his neck. Although he would lose every round under the clothes after the castration, he had already prepared for this. But in this torture field, without Yang Wan, he actually felt unfair for the first time. He didn't want to be treated like this, and didn't want to disappoint the girl who was so brave and wanted him to win once.
"Please dress me up, please... dress me up..."
He opened his mouth and uttered these words wordlessly to everyone.
Bai Huan leaned against the fence with tears in his eyes, and Song Yunqing couldn't help covering her face and crying.
"Don't take off your clothes!"
Chen Hua knelt on the ground and screamed, then he pulled off his robe and stretched his hands toward the execution platform.
"Don't take his clothes!"
Bai Huan also stood up and reached out to untie the ties of his robe. Zhou Muyi and others saw this and also raised their hands to untie his robe.
Suddenly, many of the men watching the execution followed the example of Bai and Zhou, trying to use their robes to cover themselves with Deng Ying's.
The Five Cities Army was on high alert, not allowing these people to get close to the execution platform, but also not daring them to act too aggressively and hurt Bai Huan and others.
The censor in the tent couldn't get down any longer, so he grabbed Qi Huaiyang's hand and said, "You can't get down like this."
Qi Huaiyang said: "Write a chapter and ask..."
He paused, "Ask if you can be exempted from the punishment of being undressed and displayed in public."
An official from the Ministry of Justice said, "Sir, it is past the hour of Si. We are only asking for a "show in public" order, not a "killing order." I am afraid we will not have enough time to carry out the execution."
Qi Huaiyang said with his hands behind his back: "I only ask about the item 'showing the public', and I won't mention the rest."
After saying this, he ordered someone to bring clothes for Deng Ying to cover her body.
The censor turned around and took out his pen. While writing quickly, he couldn't help asking, "Your Excellency wants to delay the execution."
Qi Huaiyang was silent for a while, then said: "Let's take a gamble. If the "killing order" is not seen after the appointed time, then the sentence will be changed. We will move forward in this chapter, and I wonder how long Yang Lun can last."
The censor paused and said, "Your Excellency also thinks that Deng Ying should not be killed, right?"
Qi Huaiyang asked back: "I can't say that. You have been a clerk for so long, how can you listen to the voices of officials and people all over the world? What are you doing?"
**
Inside the Yangxin Palace, Yang Lun stood at the foot of the east staircase and read aloud the memorial handed to him by Qi Huaiyang.
Bai Yuyang could not help but interrupt him and said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Qi Huaiyang's proposal to "show the public his clothes" is unnecessary."
Yang Lun said: "Why not?"
He raised the memorial and handed it to Bai Yuyang, "I will read it again to the Prime Minister - the criminal was sentenced to death and his clothes were taken away. Zhongtang Bai Huan used his own clothes to dress him. The common people followed suit and all sent their own clothes to dress him."
After he finished speaking, he lowered his hands and asked directly, "Qi Huaiyang and his men couldn't even strip the prisoner's clothes, so how are they going to deal with the three thousand knives? Prime Minister Bai, I think this is something we should discuss."
"good!"
Bai Yuyang said angrily: "You decide!"
After he finished speaking, he turned to the emperor and said, "I propose that all those who delivered the clothes be arrested and charged with obstructing execution..."
"When someone was sentenced to death, Zhongtang Bai Huan would use his own clothes to cover him, and the common people would follow suit and give him clothes to cover him."
Before Bai Yuyang finished speaking, Yang Lun raised his voice to suppress his words, and read the previous paragraph again, emphasizing the word "Bai Huan".
Bai Yuyang was forced to take a step back, but his voice clearly lost half of his strength.
"If it weren't for Your Majesty's consideration for our upbringing, and your reluctance to punish the person who wrote the 'rebellious book', how could... "
Yang Lun shouted, "Yang Wan is already in prison because of the 'rebellious book', but has this book been banned until now? No official or foreign publisher dared to print Yang Wan's book, but private copies and private printings have landed on the desks of thousands of families. Should all those who copied and printed it be punished? Prime Minister Bai, is this to appease the people's anger or to excite them?"
Bai Yuyang was speechless and even a little unsteady on his feet. The other two cabinet ministers behind him hurriedly supported him.
One of them advised: "Yang Ci Fu, the purpose of public discussion is to punish the criminals and calm the people. We all know that Your Excellency is in a hurry, but you should also take into account the friendship between the emperor and the court in your words."
Yang Lun sighed, "How can we take care of it?"
He raised his head and said, "Those who came to me in the morning will also kill me when I opened the window..."
"Yang Ci Fu!"
The cabinet minister who had just spoken grabbed him and pleaded, "Your Majesty, please be careful with your words."
Yang Lun said: "I have also copied my sister's book. If you want to punish me, I, Yang Lun..."
He knelt down as he spoke, "Please confess."
“You… you…”
Bai Yuyang said in a trembling voice: "You are reading the holy book in vain, and you are in vain in this pavilion!"
Yang Lun did not say anything. He took off his official hat, placed it on his knees, and bent down.
When several cabinet ministers saw Yang Lun like this, they didn't know what to do.
Yi Lang on the throne suddenly said: "My fellow ministers, I have a question."
The ministers hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please ask."
Yi Lang stood up, stepped down from the throne, and walked to Yang Lun. "After killing Deng Ying, should I also kill Yang Lun and Bai Zhongtang?"
"His Majesty!"
Yi Lang did not respond to the minister, but asked, "What time is it?"
The eunuch standing by replied, "Your Majesty, it is almost noon."
"good."
Yi Lang turned to Bai Yuyang and asked, "Can this minister answer my question?"
"Your Majesty..."
Bai Yuyang had no choice but to kneel down, "I... cannot answer."
Yi Lang said: "Then I will try and answer it myself, and the ministers will judge for me."
After he finished speaking, he bowed his head and looked at Bai and Yang who were kneeling on the ground. "I studied Confucianism when I was young, so I don't know much, but I know the main idea - the father's will cannot be reversed, the wise ministers cannot be betrayed, and the people's hearts cannot be abandoned. My ministers, are my words correct?"
"Your Majesty is wise."
"What does Prime Minister Bai think?"
Bai Yuyang didn't say anything, and Yi Lang didn't continue talking. He just lowered his head and looked at him, waiting for his answer in silence.
Soon, Qing Meng said, "Your Majesty, noon... noon has passed..."
"I understand."
After he finished his response, he turned to Bai Yuyang and said, "Minister, can you make a decision?"
Bai Yuyang exhaled, and his shoulders slumped down suddenly. "Your Majesty... Your Majesty is wise, I... I have nothing to say."
**
At the Pichang Temple, the reporting clerk had already entered the report into the account book three times.
Zhou Muyi raised his head to look at the sun and said softly, "The time is almost up."
Song Yun wiped away his tears, stood up and said, "It's past time to execute the criminal. Up to now, the official has not been dressed yet. It's too late."
She said this with joy, and grabbed Chen Hua's hand and said, "Do you think there will be an imperial decree?"
Chen Hua quickly responded: "Yes, yes."
As he was speaking, the last part of the timer incense stick beside Qi Huaiyang burned off, and the ashes scattered on the ground. Qi Huaiyang closed his eyes, leaned back in the armchair, and let out a long sigh.
The crowd watching the execution suddenly cheered, and the young people rushed forward and shouted loudly: "The time is over! No more killing! No more killing!"
Qi Huaiyang stood up and walked out of the tent, stepped onto the execution platform, raised his hand to appease the crowd and said, "Everyone step back, don't make things difficult for the military department. The time for execution has passed, there will be no more executions today, please disperse."
After he finished speaking, he raised his hand to signal the officers to come forward and said, "Bring down the prisoner."
"Why ..."
Deng Ying uttered two words and then did not ask any more questions.
Qi Huaiyang said: "You can speak now, ask whatever you want."
"Why did you stop my sentence?"
Qi Huaiyang said: "You should go back and ask Yang Cifu about this."
He was about to finish his words when he saw Yang Lun standing at the tent under the execution platform without knowing when, "Bring him down."
Qi Huaiyang said: "Do you have an order? If not, I will hand him over to the Northern Pacification Office."
Yang Lun said: "Your Majesty has ordered that he be taken back to the palace."
Qi Huaiyang was puzzled and asked: "Is this a trial by the emperor?"
"no."
Yang Lun raised his hand and pointed at Deng Ying, "I'm telling you, my sister is seriously ill, and His Majesty has granted her permission to return to the palace to recuperate. You must take good care of her. Don't think that I will forgive you just because I saved you. She tortured herself like that for you. If she has any underlying illness, I will definitely slap you in the face."
Qi Huaiyang couldn't help but laugh, "Minister Yang, you are so old, what are you saying to him in front of me?"
"I admit it."
Deng Ying replied: "I will take care of her. If she is not well, I..."
"I'll slap you in the face if you want, but don't make that fatal oath to me!"
After he finished speaking, his voice lowered and choked, but he cursed: "Fuck (harmony) d, I think back to the oath you made to me, and I realize that you are really vicious."
Deng Ying said: "Then you can just slap me in the face until it turns blue."
Yang Lun unexpectedly uttered a sound, turned his back, and tried hard to hold back his tears.
"I'm telling you, she's been copying for days and her eyes are hurt. Don't be like a dull person in front of her. You won't make her cry, but will make her cry. She can't cry anymore."