He steeled his heart and made a suggestion to the prince: "A life for a life, a debt for a debt. Since Liu Qian has submitted to the law, let us proceed with the original sentence: execute him, and send the body back to them!"
This should suffice, right?
Shi Lei glanced down at the person on the throne but saw no sign of a happy nod.
After a long while, Fan Zehao shifted his posture, leaning back lazily in his armchair, and said slowly, "Why bother with all that trouble? The body will only rot before it reaches the capital. Just chop off his head and send it to Huangfu Xi. You handle the body as you see fit!"
Afraid of the body rotting? Then... the head was also part of the body, so it wouldn't rot?
This prince clearly intended for Liu Qian's head and body to be separated, making it impossible to piece him together again in this lifetime!
Truly, he spoke the gentlest words to do the most ruthless deeds!
"Yes, my lord. Your subordinate will execute this immediately and send Liu Qian's head to the capital via express courier."
Shi Lei replied to the prince with a trembling heart.
"Then go!"
These were the words he loved to hear the most at this moment. Without facing the prince's imposing presence and without having to guess his unpredictable temper, Shi Lei bowed and exited the front hall.
Walking through the prince's mansion courtyard, it felt as if he had just survived a brush with death. Thinking of his own head still attached to his neck, he couldn't help but sigh. Wiping away sweat, he hurried towards the government office.
As for being told to handle the body as he saw fit...
Shi Lei always felt the prince was testing him. If not, perhaps the body would be left exposed for three days, then perhaps thrown into a mass grave to be fed to wild dogs, or chopped up and fed to them?
In short, the body must not be left intact, and Liu Sheng's people must not find any bones to take back. Otherwise, he wasn't sure if the prince would be angry with him!
Zhao Jiaqi arrived at the front courtyard, preparing to leave the mansion to inspect her shops. She bumped into the departing figure of the prefect, who seemed to be in a terrible hurry, as if rushing to his own funeral.
"Su Ya, go and find out what's happening!"
Su Ya responded and went to the front hall to find Wangcai, who was serving the prince. After a brief inquiry, she learned that it was about Liu Qian's matter.
When Su Ya returned, the princess had already boarded the carriage.
"Princess, I've found out. An imperial decree was sent from the capital to Master Shi, ordering him to release Liu Qian. The prefect specifically came to report this to the prince. Now, the prefect has received the prince's orders to handle this matter!"
She deliberately omitted the details of how the matter was being handled, as it was too bloody and she didn't want the princess to hear.
Zhao Jiaqi nodded. She understood her husband well; letting Liu Qian go and allowing him to return to the inner city alive was simply impossible.
She said calmly, "Just watch. The brothel madam's revenge will be avenged today. I hope she can rest in peace in heaven."
It was truly unjust that the brothel madam lost her life for no reason in Pingyuan.
Su Ya sighed inwardly. Another soul had departed this world, and another star would appear in the sky.
Wasn't it better to live well? Why court disaster, only to bring about one's own death in the end? Wasn't this what was called seeking death?
Su Ya lifted the carriage curtain and saw people outside walking in groups, occasionally stopping to look at the goods in front of street vendors. Their faces were filled with happy smiles. Now, there were no beggars or refugees on the streets. Such good times were what all the people in the world yearned for.
The prince and princess had made no small contribution.
Just as the mistress and her maid were admiring this beautiful scene, surprised voices came from below the carriage.
A slightly plump woman grabbed her companion beside her and asked mysteriously, "Did you hear? The person who ascended the throne in the capital, as soon as he became emperor, abolished all the imperial edicts issued by the former Supreme Emperor. Even the matter of free private tutoring for children has now been changed to requiring money!"
"What? Such a thing happened?"
"It's true. My younger brother specifically wrote to me to ask if children in our area also have to pay for private tutoring. As for girls marrying at eighteen, and men having to undergo two years of military training upon reaching adulthood, the new emperor has rescinded all of it. Even wealthy households are no longer paying fines for taking concubines. Tell me, why would such beneficial policies for the country and its people be changed!"
As the carriage gradually moved away, the people inside could no longer hear their conversation clearly. Su Ya lowered the curtain and looked at the inscrutable woman, her beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed.
She genuinely didn't understand: "Princess, what was the emperor thinking? Universal conscription is a sign of a prosperous nation. If war breaks out, all the men in our country can become soldiers and be ready to defend the homeland at any time. Making them undergo two years of military training is also for men to learn life-saving skills. Why was it revoked?"
Su Ya's impassioned speech expressed great sorrow for the prince and princess.
"Children learning from a young age, I dare not say these children can all become top scholars, but it is far better than not knowing a single character. This way, it is also easy to cultivate talents for our Yun Kingdom. Why would the emperor abolish such a good thing so casually?"
Zhao Jiaqi looked at the increasingly agitated girl beside her and smiled, gently patting her hand to comfort her. "A new emperor means new officials. The current Yun Kingdom is not something we can control. As for what will happen in the future, let's wait and see!"
"A new emperor means new officials" – a single sentence that perfectly explained the current situation.
It also successfully silenced Su Ya, who was filled with indignation. From the intelligence provided by Xiao Ce, Huangfu Xi seemed to be a decent person. But who would have thought he was also just a beautiful shell with rotten insides!
Hmph, he was nothing!
The carriage continued its journey. Originally, there wasn't much talk about Yun Kingdom's affairs, but as they moved towards the center of the inner city, more and more people were discussing various matters.
The carriage slowly stopped in front of the 'Enchanting' shop. Sixi put down the carriage step, and Su Ya helped the princess alight.
As soon as they stood firm, they heard the sound of gongs and drums. Yamen runners in official uniforms were beating gongs and drums, shouting loudly!
Some common people were all drawn to the commotion, crowding around the yamen runners.
"Tomorrow at noon, Liu Qian, the murderer who deliberately caused the death of the brothel madam, will be executed at the entrance of the marketplace. Liu Qian is the legitimate son of the Duke's household. He disregards the law and intentionally killed someone. In our inner city, no matter how much money you have or how many connections you possess, if you dare to break the law, you will not be pardoned lightly. Liu Qian is an example. We hope everyone will act prudently in the future. If you feel wronged, go to the yamen and lodge a complaint. The officials will not wrong a good person, nor will they let a bad person go!"
Zhao Jiaqi smiled as she listened to the yamen runner's announcement.
This move by Shi Lei, the prefect of the inner city, was brilliant. He used Liu Qian as an example to warn those who privately handled human lives. This tactic was excellent!
"Alright, let's go into the shop and have a look!"
Zhao Jiaqi withdrew her gaze and led Su Ya into the shop. Bai Lu had been gone for a month. She had sent a letter back the day before, saying that the matter was almost settled and she would return in another three to four days.