Chapter 001: The Whole Family Was Slaughtered

  Crossroads at dawn.

  It was originally the most peaceful and tranquil time of the day, but on this day, the tranquility of the entire street was broken by a large army extending from the northwest corner of the imperial city.

  Dozens of prisoner carts were escorted by tens of thousands of royal guards, slowly pushed out from the East Palace.

  A ten-mile-long street, crowded with people, packed with onlookers along the way.

  The guards were strictly guarding, separating pedestrians on both sides of the road and not allowing them to approach the prisoner's vehicle.

  In the solemn and heavy atmosphere, someone started whispering secretly.

  "What's going on? Such a big commotion, where did so many condemned prisoners come from?"

  "What's a dead prisoner? Didn't you just see who was sitting in the first prison cart up ahead? I'm telling you, it's His Highness the Crown Prince!"

  "How is this possible? Yesterday afternoon I went to the northern city to sell vegetables, and from a distance I saw the crown prince's and Duke Kang's carriages returning to their residences after attending court. It was said that Princess of Jiangdu had won another battle at the border, and the Emperor was delighted, bestowing many rewards!"

  "Hmm, you're actually right, it's indeed related to Duke Kang."

  "What?"

  "I heard that the King of Kang is not the biological son of the Crown Prince, but rather the son of some...some Long Princess from the previous dynasty! I forgot her name, anyway, it's like this! You guys don't think about it, if this gets out what kind of crime would it be? Hiding remnants of the previous dynasty! This is treason! No matter whose head it falls on, it's a crime punishable by family extermination! Have you seen the procession of the prisoner's cart? The entire Eastern Palace, all 368 people, including the ones responsible for pouring out the dirty water at the back door, are all gone. The notices have already been posted on the front street, everyone is to be executed, not a single one will be spared!"

  "This Crown Prince is actually the Emperor's own son, people say that a tiger does not eat its own cubs—"

  "Hush! Do you want to die? How dare you gossip about His Majesty behind his back? Do you have multiple heads?"

  "Oh! But this matter seems suspicious, could it be a mistake? The Crown Prince is the heir of our dynasty, he will become the Emperor in the future, how can he help raise the son of some princess from the previous dynasty? This...this just doesn't add up!"

  "Who knows! Anyway, this news is true. Look at the leader in front, do you see? That one - the one wearing a red official uniform. That's the Imperial Grandson! It was the Imperial Grandson himself who reported to the Emperor. The Imperial Grandson is the son of the Crown Prince, so this matter must be true. It's also said that the Emperor spared the entire Eastern Palace because he remembered his meritorious report. Today, as a show of loyalty, it's him and Lord Deling of the Ministry of Justice who are overseeing the execution together."

  "The son accuses the father, the father kills the son, this royal family matter is really——"

  "Hush! Don't say another word, the palace spy has arrived."

  ……

  Crowds surged from the street corner all the way to the gallows at the end of Cross Street, surrounding the entire execution ground and making it impossible to get through.

  At the beginning of the fourth watch, Chu Qi Hui, one of the execution officials and the emperor's grandson, read out the imperial edict.

  The crown prince was ordered to be executed at noon for harboring remnants of the previous dynasty with the intention of rebelling.

  The entire Eastern Palace, from top to bottom, would all be guilty of knowing about the crime but not reporting it.

  But because there were too many people involved in the case, it had to be carried out immediately.

  The crown prince Chuyi An was dragged onto the execution platform with his hair disheveled and his clothes in disarray, quietly waiting for noon to arrive.

  Others were dragged off in batches from the prison cars, eight at a time, and beheaded in public.

  The executioner's large knife falls once every half minute, blood splashing everywhere, and the remains are scattered all over the ground.

  The atmosphere in the crowd also changed from its original restlessness to an unconscious quietness, with everyone holding their breath. Every time the knife fell, it would bring about countless people's hearts chilling and trembling with fear.

  Batch after batch of prisoners were led up and then dragged down as headless corpses.

  From dawn till noon, the entire street was filled with a strong bloody smell. In the peaceful and prosperous imperial capital, it seemed like a dead city, under the bright sunshine, there was an eerie and ominous atmosphere spreading slowly.

  Watching the beheading of the Eastern Palace officials, Chu Qi Hui was like sitting on pins and needles, his expression nervous.

  October deep autumn is again cold wind whistling, he actually broke out in a sweat.

  "Lord Yanling, it's almost noon, may I take a step ahead?" Just as the last batch of condemned prisoners was led to the execution platform, Chu Qiwei finally spoke up with a hoarse voice, "Rebel leader... after all, he is my father, I..."

  The emperor sent him to supervise the execution, just to use this opportunity to reveal his true heart. He didn't dare not come, but thinking that he had betrayed his father and brothers, he still felt guilty in his heart, especially...

  And that half-sister Chu Liu Yang had never been caught, thinking of this, he almost got goosebumps all over his body.

  Sitting next to him, Yanling Jun leisurely held his tea cup, and his elegant interest didn't seem to be diminished by the bloody smell at all. He narrowed his eyes, looked up at the sky with the sun high in the air, and a beautiful arc appeared on the corner of his lips as he murmured, "The time is almost right, please proceed, Chancellor Longsun!"

  "Good! Good!" Chu Qi Hui let out a sigh of relief, hastily bid farewell to him with joined hands, then turned away from the remaining prisoner on the execution platform, Crown Prince Chu Yi An, and quickly walked down to lead his horse.

  "Your Honor, it's noon!" A judicial officer walked forward and reminded Yanling Jun in a low voice, "It's time to execute the prisoner."

  "Hmm!" Lord Yanling responded faintly, without any extra expression, and continued to lower his eyelids to drink tea.

  That officer ordered him to take a tally stick and clear his throat, just as he was about to raise his hand to throw it down.

  Just then, a sudden change occurred, and from behind the crowded crowd in front of him, a crisp and urgent horseshoe sound suddenly came.

  At that time, the whole street was like a purgatory on earth, without a single human voice, but the sound of horseshoes was exceptionally clear, stepping on everyone's heart.

  The crowd of onlookers unconsciously retreated to both sides, looking up at the sound, but it was a majestic black horse galloping swiftly towards them.

  A young woman in a soft armor war robe on horseback, her hair tied up in a simple ponytail, with wind and dust flying all the way, her eyebrows and eyes are cold and quiet, but her face is born with a beautiful and charming appearance, as if the red plum blossoms on the snowy peak, showing off its splendor in the snow and wind, suddenly rushing into view.

  A glance of surprise, stunning countless people's vision.

  By the time the guards around the execution ground reacted, she and her horse had already galloped forward, directly breaking through the outermost layer of human wall.

  "Jiān —— Jiānyáng?" Chǔ Qíhuī, who was halfway up the horse, was the first to react. He slipped and fell off, his face covered in cold sweat, looking extremely frightened.

  Chu Songyang rode into the execution ground on horseback, his piercing gaze sweeping across the scene while accurately capturing his location, and with a burst of speed, he leapt forward, his legs clamped tightly around the horse's belly.

  Her movements were agile and nimble, her figure lithe and slender. In the instant she leapt into the air, a gleaming long spear grasped in her right hand reflected a cold and menacing glint under the scorching sun. As she landed on the ground, the spearhead was already steadily thrust in front of Chu Qiuhui's face.

  "Jiangyang, I am your elder brother, you... this is disobedience, you cannot move me!" Chu Qi's face was pale and bloodless, being forced to step back one by one.

  "Brother?" Chu Nanyang's long spear was pressed against his chest, inch by inch, step by step, forcing him into the dead angle under the execution platform, completely inescapable: "How many people from the Eastern Palace have been stained with blood on your hands, and yet you still dare to come and claim kinship with me?"

  "I... I have no choice!" Chu Qi Hui was well aware of her sister's temperament, and his entire spirit had been crushed when he saw her appear earlier. He couldn't even stand now, his legs weakening as he knelt down, grasping her long gun tightly, tears streaming down his face as he begged, "Jian Yang, I just don't want to die! You... you can hate me if you must, but it's all because of my brother! If not for him, things wouldn't have ended up like this! It's all his fault!"

  Chu Qi Hui's words were like a mournful sigh, each one falling into Chu Mo Yang's ears like a magical curse, constantly gnawing at her nerves, making her chest feel suffocated, her head ache as if it was about to split open, and her mood suddenly became disoriented.

  Taking advantage of her distraction, Chu Qi Hui's eyes suddenly lit up with a glimmer of hope, and she abruptly pushed away the long spear that was pressed against his chest. She turned around and jumped onto the execution platform, rushing towards Yan Ling Jun who sat at the desk.

  Then he was so flustered that his hands and feet were not nimble, and he ran only two steps before falling to the ground.

  Chu Youyang's eyes turned cold in an instant, and he quickly regained his composure. With a slight movement of his toes, he followed closely behind and jumped onto the execution platform.

  Qiu Qi Hui got up with a start, and stumbled forward in a hurry.

  At this time, Yanling Jun, who had been indifferent all along, elegantly adjusted his official robes and walked out from behind the desk with a gentle pace.

  "Lord Yanling!" Chu Qi Hui seemed to have grasped the last straw, and she pulled his sleeve and hid behind him.

  Chu Youyang stood with his spear at the ready, facing off against the man, who didn't flinch or dodge.

  Because he had been stationed on the border for many years, opportunities to return to the capital were limited. Chu Zhaoyang and this person did not have much contact with each other, but every time they met at a palace banquet, separated by crowds, they would occasionally catch a glimpse of each other, and always felt that this person had an air of mystery about him that was unfathomable.

  Zhuo Rouyang's instincts had him on guard, but his hand holding the long spear didn't hesitate, pointing directly at the man's throat.

  Yanling Jun didn't have any intention of laying a hand on her, he simply looked at her calmly.

  Chu Qi Hui, who was hiding behind him, panicked and hastily pulled his sleeve, anxiously saying: "Lord Yanling! Save me! This girl is crazy! She wants to kill me! She's going to take the prisoner away! Save me! You save me!"

  "Today's execution, it's my duty." Yanling Jun stood up straight, his refined and elegant face expressionless, only then did he speak in a calm tone: "Does the governor want to kill someone? Or rescue a prisoner?"

  Leisurely strolling in the courtyard, we hadn't even exchanged laughter when the wind and waves arose.

  This man had always considered himself a scholar, but Chu Zhiyang clearly saw that with a quick flip of his wrist, he had already pulled the sleeve out of Chu Qihui's hand.

  Then the next moment, he was walking calmly past her side, and in the instant they passed each other by, he even had time to nod his head: "The young lady is free to do as she pleases! However, duty-bound, this official must hurry back to the prefecture to mobilize troops for support."

  As they spoke, her clothes fluttered and she had already walked out several steps away.

  Chu Youyang was stunned for a moment, turned his head back, and he had already mounted his horse.

  The imperial guards who had rushed from afar gathered around the execution platform, and through the crowd, Chu Sunyang vaguely caught a glimpse of him turning his head, with an almost imperceptible curve appearing at the corner of his lips. His tone was still as calm as ever, "The princess is a noble lady, a meritorious subject of the imperial court. I will first return to the palace to ask for instructions. Longsun, you are in charge here for now."

  Having said that, he raised his whip and urged on his horse, still calm and elegant as he rode through the crowd, gradually disappearing into the distance.

  But what he left behind was a sentence that made everyone feel apprehensive, and under the tense atmosphere, no one dared to take action arbitrarily.

  Jiuyang Jun's military achievements are brilliant, and she is also the emperor's own granddaughter. Although the Eastern Palace was punished for its crimes, isn't the imperial grandson an exception? Maybe this Jiuyang Jun will be an exception too.

  Chu Qi Hui was frightened out of her wits, and in the midst of panic, her eyes darted wildly about. In desperation, she suddenly turned around and rushed towards Crown Prince Chu Yi An, who was still kneeling on the execution platform, bound by ropes.

  Just as Chu Yunyang was about to catch up, he hastily pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and pressed it against the man's neck, trembling with fear. "Don't come any closer! If you take one more step forward, I'll...I'll kill my father!"

  The spear thrust out and then withdrew, but in the blink of an eye, blood splattered everywhere, piercing the two men's chests together.

  Crown Prince Chou Yi-an and Grandson of the Emperor Chou Qi-hui died together on the spot.

  Their own daughters and sisters were shot down.

  Digression

  Certain Lan Xin Keng, this time it's a female lead who excels in both literature and martial arts! The first chapter already has a handsome male lead with a rough outline, baby needs to make a move quickly O (∩_∩) O ~

  PS: Produced by Certain Lan, pit products are good, quality guaranteed! Still the old routine, orthodox female strong article, house fighting + palace fighting + power fighting, it will still be a thrilling story with ups and downs. You know Certain Lan's rhythm, the first few chapters are anxious to explain some things, the heroine is very strong and won't disappoint you~