1450 Returning Home (1/2)

On April 7, 4 days after the national banquet, the execution ground outside the Meridian Gate of emperor's imperial city of Xuanyuan Hill...

Handcuffed, Fang Keyan closed his eyes involuntarily as a beam of sunshine cast onto his face the moment he got off a black prison van escorted by some guards. At the same time, he raised his hand to cover his eyes.

Meanwhile, Fang Keyan heard a sea of sheer roars in the surroundings.

”Beat him to death...”

”Beat him to death...”

”Beat this lackey of Heavens Reaching Church to death...”

”Beat this son of a b*tch to death!”

In the overwhelming roars, Fang Keyan's forehead ached as it was struck by a smelly egg. Broken pieces of eggshell and stinky, degenerative yolk and egg white sprayed over Fang Keyan's face in a split second, making him pretty embarrassed.

Fang Keyan turned around as he saw a 7-year old kid, who was gazing at him fearlessly. At the same time, the kid threw the second smelly egg towards him.

”Go die, you b*stard...”

”Beat him to death!”

All the onlookers around the execution ground were looking at him in furious, despicable and hateful expression.

When the turmoil in Xuanyuan Hill happened, Han Zhengfang's party members and accomplices were struggling in Xuanyuan Hill. The party members of Heavens Reaching Church killed people and set fire everywhere so that they could have a chance to escape away from Xuanyuan Hill. Commoners in Xuanyuan Hill were deeply afflicted by them. Therefore, commoners in Xuanyuan Hill abhorred Heavens Reaching Church very much. After knowing that the ”remnant” of Han Zhengfang's party was going to be beheaded today, the onlooking commoners couldn't wait to eat his flesh and sleep under his skin.

At the same time, Fang Keyan was struck by more dirty things such as broken soles, rotten vegetable roots even dried sh*t being wrapped by paper.

If not being towed by those guards of supreme court and stones were forbidden to throw at the criminal in case he was beaten to death ahead of the execution or his face was broken by stones which would be hardly identified after his death in that age, Fang Keyan would have been beaten to death by irritated people in the short distance of about 100 meters from where he got off the prison van to the ground of execution.

When he looked at the ground of execution, Fang Keyan's face turned dismal at once as he quivered all over. The minister of the imperial financial and living affairs who was qualified to be an honorable guest in Anyan Palace could never imagine about such a reversal of his fate in only a few days——he would face the end of his life in the ground of execution outside Meridian Gate.

Previously, as an official in the emperor's imperial city, he would always be escorted imposingly when he inspected each province. Even the commanders of military regions would respect him.

By contrast, as a convict awaiting execution, his official uniform had been peeled off. He would be pointed and hated by a multitude of people wherever he passed by. Even a 7- year old kid would like to kill him.

One thought would lead people to paradise or hell.

”I want to see grand justice. I'm wronged. I want to see Grand Justice Yu; I want to see the crown prince...” Fang Keyan was still yelling even after being embarrassed; however, his yells became as low as the sound of flies flapping their wings in the overwhelming roars ”beat him to death”, ”beat this son of a b*tch to death”.

”General Mushen saved hundreds of millions of people from the demon camp at the bank of Weishui River; he also heavily destroyed the demon army and enabled commoners in the theater of operations to have enough food and give officers and soldiers sharp weapons to kill demons. Although we don't read too many books, we also know that General Mushen is a hero of Taixia Country. These days, when we drank in boite, even the storyteller who described Legend of Black Iron Hero said that General Mushen is the pillar of Hua people and the country. He's righteous, merciful and dignified. Because of the existence of General Mushen, demons fail to cross the Weishui River. You sh*t, vicious official, how could you dare screw General Mushen and stand on the side of demons and Heavens Reaching Church? You ungrateful b*stard! You're wronged? Peh...”

A guard at his 40s said as he looked at Fang Keyan in a despicable expression. Watching Fang Keyan struggling and wailing, those guards exchanged a glance with each other. The guard who said just now tipped the other two a wink. The other two guards then forcefully thrust their iron-wrapped wooden sticks against Fang Keyan's shanks, breaking his bones at once. Feeling a sudden heavy pain, Fang Keyan wailed miserably before passing out. Those guards then drew him onto the ground of execution.

When Fang Keyan woke up a few minutes later, his head had been buckled onto the rack. An official in vermeil uniform was having someone spraying water over his face.

After seeing that Fang Keyan woke up, that official took a flagon and made a cup of spirit for him. After that, he raised the glass to Fang keyan's lips.

”Mr. Fang, it's your last drink...”

Seeing that official's face, Fang Keyan's flurried eyelight turned bright at once as if he caught a life-saving straw. Struggling, he uttered, ”Mr. Xiang, Mr. Xiang, as we know each other, please let me see Mr. Yu and the crown prince. I'm wronged. You know that I'm wronged...”

”Mr. Fang, don't you know that civil officials are more useful in governing a country in peaceful times while military officers are more useful in troubled times?” The official in vermeil uniform sighed, ”We've already been in a position far greater than that of common provincial governors. We take compensations from the country; therefore, we should be diligent, act dutifully and be loyal to our country. General Mushen is a moral and righteous hero. How could Mr. Fang expect to offend him with words in Anyan Palace and make the crown prince embarrassed? It's not beneficial to the country! How could you be that stupid? You know that it's in the holy war, civil officials like us couldn't even match a common field officer on the battlefield. In the eyes of the countrymen, even 1 million of people like you and me couldn't even match a finger of General Mushen. It's okay that you couldn't kill enemies on the battlefield; how dare you offend General Mushen in the public? You're zoning out by profit! You're seeking for death! If you're wronged, everybody else in the world would become idiots. We should live up to people's heart...”

Fang Keyan burst into tears as if he was driven mad, ”I'm wronged...I'm wronged...I want to see the crown prince...I could bear the rod and willingly take the punishment...”

”If Su Qianling was here, I'm afriad that he would feel lucky that his letter of impeachment was submitted a few years ago before General Mushen's name became remarkable and demons' invasion into Taixia Country. If he submitted it now, Mr. Fang would not be the only one person who's going to be beheaded...” The official in vermeil uniform said calmly, ”Mr. Fang, no need to say anything now. You're too talkative. As your old friend, it's my final willingness to serve you this glass of spirit. After taking this glass of spirit, Mr. Fang shall prepare for going onto the path. I will have the executioner do it fast in case Mr. Fang suffer any pain...”

Su Qianling was one of the censors who impeached Zhang Tie in earlier years. Finally, he failed it and was therefore demoted to Yinzhou Province as a deputy class VIII fiscal administrator. Thankfully, he was still alive.

”I want to see the crown prince...I want to see General Mushen...I'm the minister of imperial financial and living affairs, who of you dare to kill me...officials are not to be killed by his words in Xuanyuan Hill; I want to see Emperor Xuanyuan...” Fang Keyan fell into a trance as he started to exclaim.

Watching Fang Keyan, that official's eyesight gradually turned distant. He then poured the last glass of spirit over the green rock in front of Fang Keyan before turning around and returning to the surveillance platform.

Two more officials were sitting on the surveillance platform with glassy-eyed looks. Watching that official in vermeil uniform returning, one of them waved his hand as a shrewd inferior official moved forward to authenticate the identity of Fang Keyan.

The inferior official then returned and nodded towards that official.

”Mr. Xiang, it's not because we don't trust you. As it's a major crime with the consent of the crown prince, no error is allowed. This humble official could only follow the procedure...” That official said as he cupped his hands towards Mr. Xiang.