Chapter 121: “The Art of Killing (3)”
The officials kneeling in front of the gates peered up the wall and upon seeing the Emperor, started shouting, confident the Emperor will save them.
But when they spotted the bodies that lay in the dust and recognised them to be who they were, their hearts sank into utter despair!
The officials grew quiet, even Wu Wang and Wei Qun Hua did not escape the knife, who were they to hope otherwise?
For the first time in their lives, the high ranked officials felt the sinking feeling of impending doom.
“Jun Wu Xie, why have you brought them here?” The Emperor asked in a trembling voice. He had thought witnessing the executions of Wu Wang and his father-in-law had been all he could take. Seeing the officials kneeling in front of the gates made him sick, as he struggled to remain standing.
He surveyed the officials’ faces. All with none the exception, were enemies of the Lin Palace who have smeared their names or tried to bring them into disrepute in one way or another.
She missed no one, nor wrongfully captured any.
The Rui Lin Army had apprehended all the officials within the Imperial City who plotted against the Jun Family, in one stroke!
The cold claws of fear crept into the heart of the Emperor, and as he looked into the cold and merciless eyes of Jun Wu Xie, he felt the claws tightening its grip.
This lunatic was capable of anything!
“Let them read.” Jun Wu Xie threw the bag onto the ground in front of the officials, and the scrolls clattered as they fell out.
Long Qi ordered the Rui Lin Army to hand out the scrolls to the officials, and have them open them up to read its contents.
Their faces paled and they started to shake, overcome in fear.
“Read!” Jun Wu Xie intoned, her voice dripped with malice.
Long Qi’s sword snaked out of its sheath and pressed against the neck of the rightmost official. The man almost cried and in a quivering voice, he read: “Liu Pu….. Kai…Kai Yuan year thir…..thirteen, s…..snatched a woman, k…..killed the family…..”
The voice, though quivering, was made loud enough by the blade pressed against his neck, and heard by everyone present.
He was sweating profusely in the chill night as he read out the scroll to the end, and collapsed in a heap, exhausted.
“Kill” Jun Wu Xie ordered softly
“Mercy! I did not …..” The official Liu Pu who knelt in the middle started to plead before he was interrupted by the Rui Lin Army soldier standing behind him with a swift slash of his sword.
The bloody head rolled, and a bright red trail formed.
The officials all cringed in terror as they witnessed the sight right before their eyes, the horror of the scrolls that laid before them intensified with the knowledge that they listed past crimes of officials in detail, and whether the next one read out will be theirs.
Death hung over their heads, over every single one of those kneeling before the Palace Gates. Jun Wu Xie will spare not a single one among them!
When the scroll listing their crimes was read out, those were the last words they ever heard.
“Your Majesty! Save us!”
“Your Majesty!”
They cried, they begged, the high ranking officials beseeched the Emperor to interfere and to bestow His benevolence as they knelt upon the cold hard ground.
“Jun Wu Xie! For these crimes, investigations will be conducted and punishments meted by the authorities! Who are you to take this upon yourself!?” Mo Xuan Fei screamed, unable to contain himself further, jumping in rage, pointing his finger at Jun Wu Xie.
Jun Wu Xie raised her eyes and replied plainly: “I am only carrying out orders.”
“Nonsense! Whose orders!?”
“The Son of Heaven, the Emperor.”
“Lies!” Mo Xuan Fei yearned to tear Jun Wu Xie apart.
Jun Wu Xie replied calmly: “These people played a part in the attack on you, the Second Prince, and the Emperor had given full authority to the Lin Palace to resolve.”
Hence, she was only killing under those orders.
Right?