There is a god in the sky

Chapter 422 Execution

“It is Li who is in charge,” Sui Feng whispered.

Xiao Ji's gaze remained fixed on the person in the prison cart. He sat motionless, his head bowed, making his expression unreadable.

Amidst the constant insults and curses, a small pebble struck Li Ge on the forehead, leaving a cut.

Even so, he didn't move an inch.

"Master, I'll go and see." Sui Feng was very curious whether Marquis Pingyang wanted to rescue people or collect corpses.

Xiao Ji nodded in agreement, "Go ahead. If Marquis Pingyang makes any moves, lend him a hand."

"clear."

The crowd surged toward the vegetable market entrance.

On the high execution platform, the bloodstains accumulated over the years were as black as ink, emitting a pungent stench.

"Bring up the death row inmate, Li Ge."

The prison cart was opened, and the bailiffs dragged Li Ge out.

He was chained to the hands and feet, and had a heavy yoke around his neck.

Not only that, but anyone who got close could see that his hands and feet had been broken, and he was unable to walk. He was dragged onto the high platform by the yamen runners.

"Identify yourself."

An older official walked over, grabbed Li Ge by the hair to force him to look up, and then nodded to the officials behind him.

The man was dragged to the execution rack and tied up; the executioner was already in position.

Sui Feng was anxious. He had just glanced at him from afar and recognized Li Ge as the real person.

There was no sign of the Marquis of Pingyang anywhere. Could it be that he really only came to collect the corpse?

His hand reached for his sword, but looking at the guards and soldiers around him, he couldn't draw it at all.

Time was ticking away, and the third quarter of the morning was fast approaching.

The executioner took a big gulp of wine and wiped his precious sword with a cloth.

He grinned and said, "Don't worry, sir. I, Chen Ping, have been wielding this sword for twenty years and have beheaded thousands of people. I will never let you feel any pain."

He brushed aside the prisoner's long hair, revealing his fair neck.

"what?"

With just one glance, the executioner noticed something was amiss.

He gently touched the prisoner's neck; there was no pulse. He then tried to check for breathing, but still no pulse.

"This... sir, he... he's dead!" he exclaimed.

"What?" The executioner suddenly stood up, lifted his clothes and jogged over, reaching out to touch Li Ge's nose.

"Dead? This... Quickly report to the Prime Minister! No, no, we must report to the Emperor!"

The official who carried out the execution was the newly appointed Minister of Justice, who was not very capable, but was the most loyal person to the emperor.

"Lord Lin, please calm down," the registrar said, pulling him aside.

"It's all the same whether you die sooner or later. What difference does it make whether you're dead or alive after the executioner's blade falls? Why bother the emperor?"

"That makes sense, but how could a perfectly healthy person die?"

"He must have committed suicide out of fear of punishment, or he was scared to death. Such things are not uncommon in government offices."

"really?"

"Of course, as you can see, the auspicious time has arrived, so we mustn't miss it."

Lord Lin tossed down a warrant and shouted, "The time has come! Execute!"

The executioner raised his broadsword high, but before he could bring it down, an arrow struck the hilt.

He stumbled back a few steps, and the broadsword in his hand fell, almost hitting his own foot.

"Who is interfering with the execution ground?"

Marquis Pingyang put away his bow and arrows, jumped off his horse, walked up to the high platform, and said with a smile, "Lord Lin, I have come to convey the Emperor's oral decree."

Upon seeing that it was the Marquis of Pingyang, Lord Lin hurriedly came over to pay his respects.

His current rank is not much lower than that of the Marquis of Pingyang, but people are still different.

"This humble official greets Your Excellency. May I ask what His Majesty's orders are?"

"When the Emperor heard that the prisoner had died, he remembered the help Li Ge had given him in the past and decided to leave him with a whole body, so the beheading was unnecessary."

Everyone was puzzled. They had only just discovered the person was dead, so how did the Emperor know?

Marquis Pingyang told them the truth: "The man died last night, didn't you notice?"

Lord Lin broke out in a cold sweat.

This is my own dereliction of duty.

"My lord, how did you know?"

"Nonsense, of course the Emperor knew first. Do you really doubt the Emperor's source of information?"

"No, no, no, it is my fault for not keeping a close watch on the prisoner. I will definitely investigate the cause of his death thoroughly."

"Yes, it's time to find out. A perfectly healthy person was locked up in the dungeon and died inexplicably. I don't know who couldn't even wait one night and actually struck first."

Marquis Pingyang clicked his tongue in disapproval.

He concluded that the accident was caused by human intervention, specifically by Li Ge's enemies.

He walked to Li Ge's body and gently kicked it with his foot; the body slumped to the ground.

The onlookers whispered among themselves, speculating about the cause of Li Ge's death.

"Lord Lin, please invite a coroner to examine the body. Only after confirming the cause of death can I take the body away."

Lord Lin was stunned for a moment, and several thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

This person must be extraordinary to have killed a high-ranking criminal in the imperial prison; he might even hold a high position.

If he really finds out the truth, will it ruin his career?

The registrar beside him frantically gave him meaningful glances.

Lord Lin understood; this meant he should avoid getting involved in anything.

"Cough cough...My lord, I see that the prisoner has no wounds and no signs of poisoning. He is probably suffering from a heart attack."

"Oh? So, Manager Li has a heart ailment?"

"This heart ailment is a hidden illness; perhaps the fear in your heart has finally erupted?"

"That makes sense, so we won't examine the body then?"

Lord Lin replied weakly, "It's not that I didn't want to investigate, but the coroners in the Ministry of Justice have limited abilities and I'm afraid they won't find any useful clues. I will definitely question the jailers when I get back and punish them severely."

"Speaking of autopsies, I know an expert, namely the current Chief Prosecutor, Lord Shen. Why don't we invite her over?"

The registrar hurriedly interjected, "My lord, I heard that Lord Shen went to another region with Judge Xiao on a case."

"Is that so? Then forget it. I'll take the body with me."

At first, Lord Lin didn't understand what was wrong, but when he saw the body being thrown onto a carriage, he hurriedly chased after it.

"My lord, where are you taking the body?"

Marquis Pingyang turned around and glared at him fiercely, "Of course, throw him into the mountains to feed the wolves!"

Lord Lin dared not ask any more questions, wiping away cold sweat as he watched him leave.

The registrar came over to comfort him, "Sir, the case is closed. It's good that the Marquis of Pingyang took the body away, so that no one will keep pursuing his death."

The body was taken away by the Marquis of Pingyang, so if anything happens, the Marquis of Pingyang should be held responsible.

Lord Lin breathed a sigh of relief. "Indeed, I am just an executioner; it has nothing to do with me."

So many people were hoping for his death, and now that he's really dead, I wonder if they're satisfied?

Upon returning to the yamen, Xiao Ji's first act was to write a memorial and submit it to the emperor.

In his memorial, he mentioned the truth behind Magistrate Zhou's death, as well as the Jianghu figures who helped Qian Tai commit the murder.

When he met the emperor, he recounted the whole story of the case.

"Qian Tai is already on his way back to the capital. I am in a hurry to go home to pay respects to my ancestors, so I will go ahead."

The emperor did not pursue the matter of him returning to the capital first. During the New Year season, Xiao Ji, as the eldest son, already had great responsibilities and many things to do.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. When Suiying found out where those martial arts figures went, I sent Vice Commander Li and Lord Shen to track them down."

Lord Shen has the talent to judge character, and Deputy Commander Li is highly skilled in martial arts. With their combined efforts, they should be able to apprehend the murderer as soon as possible.

The emperor was somewhat surprised. "Isn't it too dangerous for Lady Shen, a woman, to be in such a situation?"

Xiao Ji smiled and said, "Your Majesty knows her too. Although she is not highly skilled in martial arts, she is capable of protecting herself and is stronger than me."

The emperor also laughed.

"I almost forgot, Shen Lan is different from other women, but are you really comfortable letting her go out with other men?"

Xiao Jijun blushed and replied shyly, "She promised me that we could discuss marriage after the case is closed."

The emperor did not expect that their relationship would actually work out.

At first, he could only see that Xiao Ji had romantic feelings for Shen Lan, but he also thought that Xiao Ji only wanted to take Shen Lan as a concubine.

Since Shen Lan is about to become a daughter-in-law of the Xiao family, she must be eager to return home, so there is no need to worry about anything else.