bayedsolid Chapter 154: This is not the end of the crime
Chapter 154: This is not the end of the crime
The next day was what Xiao Zhengdu called the day of "catching a typical example" and making an example of him.
Under the big tree at the entrance of the village is an ideal execution site, spacious and well-known.
When Lou Xiao went out to watch according to the time, she heard faint crying on the road.
Several villagers who had gossiped about her supported each other and whispered comforting words.
Although she was afraid of the soldiers who were everywhere, she could not hold back the grief in her heart and she burst into tears.
When he saw her, he quickly wiped it with his sleeve and hid behind someone, as if he was afraid of her revenge.
The old people in the village love to gossip about others when they have nothing to do. Lou Xiao had Li Huaiqing as her "husband" before, and now she has Mo Jingchun who is loved by the villagers.
I don't know how much they have talked about the three of them in private. If they were talking about good things, they wouldn't have avoided her.
However, Lou Xiao doesn't care about trivial matters. What she cares more about is why they are crying.
Are they crying because their loved ones have been buried in the mine, or are they crying because they are afraid of being punished?
In order to avoid frightening the person, Lou Xiao did not call the person over to ask for clarification.
She was followed by a group of guards and soldiers, marching towards the big tree at the entrance of the village.
There were also villagers on the road who were asked to go to the village entrance to watch the execution. They all walked with heavy steps and had sad faces.
From still far away, he saw Xiao Zhengdu surrounded by a large number of guards.
He was tall, and he traveled with the airs of a prince, swaggering and showing off.
He was wearing a dark brocade robe with silver animal patterns, and a silver bat-wing hair crown on his head, which could barely hold back his fluffy black hair.
It seemed as if someone reminded him of her arrival. Xiao Zhengdu turned his head to meet her gaze with a smile on his face.
Only when she came closer did he turn his face serious and ask someone to invite her to sit down.
Sitting on the other side was Li Huaiqing. When he saw her, he bowed to her, but she interrupted him halfway and he gave up.
Compared to Xiao Zhengdu, Lou Xiao was dressed very plainly, almost the same as Li Huaiqing.
If there wasn't someone following her, her outfit would be almost the same as before.
Most of the people crowded around were the elderly who had stayed in the village, with the occasional young person, presumably the miners who had been released.
Someone beside Xiao Zhengdu gave a time signal and gongs and drums sounded, indicating that it was time for the execution.
"I have the audacity to preside over this execution at the mine..."
Xiao Zhengdu was too lazy to listen to the flattering nonsense from the lowest-ranking veterans.
He interrupted directly, "Why don't you read out the charges and execute the sentence at an auspicious time? Did I come here to listen to you talk about this?"
The new county magistrate, sweating profusely, nodded in agreement.
The county magistrate who was originally in his position had been beheaded by the cold-blooded prince in front of him, and he was just a legal advisor who had been treated coldly for many years.
Although he unexpectedly got the position of county magistrate, he was still worried that he might offend King Youshan.
The person sitting on the other side was said to be the Duke of Zhenguo, a favorite of His Majesty. She didn't look bad, but she didn't look like someone who was in a high position...
He didn't have time to think about how to curry favor with the people around him. The people around him handed him a booklet, and he shouted out the names, ages, and places of origin of the people to be executed today...
As he read out the names one by one, the soldiers led the people to kneel under the big tree at the entrance of the village.
Lou Xiao, who had originally had a calm expression, looked at Xiao Zhengdu repeatedly after seeing people being escorted out one by one.
Is this... too much?
She also saw the butcher who had lost a lot of weight and looked listless. Even if he was not beheaded, he would not survive for a few days.
Isn't it about catching a "typical example"? What effect can a butcher have on killing a chicken to scare the monkeys?
She had previously thought that only the small boss of the mine and the group of skilled guards would be executed.
But from what she saw, they seemed to be just ordinary villagers.
She had many questions and didn't understand why so many people were being held accountable.
Lou Xiao moved the stool she was sitting on, leaned over and asked Xiao Zhengdu quietly, "What's going on...?"
The new county magistrate was still reading the list beside me.
No matter how soft her voice was, it could be heard by Li Huaiqing and Xiao Zhengdu, and they both turned their heads.
"What are you talking about?" Xiao Zhengdu didn't understand what she was asking.
"That's it..." She pointed to a row of villagers kneeling under a big tree. There would be more in a while.
"Is it too much? They are just ordinary villagers, they shouldn't be guilty of such a crime, right?"
Since she could not escape the death penalty once she reached the village entrance, perhaps she was the only one present who did not know this.
Xiao Zhengdu replied calmly, "Not much. This is already a great favor."
Lou Xiao still didn't understand. "There are not many young and middle-aged people in the village, and part of them were buried by the mine. If no one stays, how will the elderly in the village live..."
She was still thinking about the old people who used to gossip behind her back but were occasionally very enthusiastic.
"Although there is a need for punishment, it is enough to just kill the leader. The villagers just want to earn some money."
Her voice was very soft, and she was close to Xiao Zhengdu's ear.
The breath she exhaled fanned Xiao Zhengdu's ear. Her ambiguous gesture and what she said did not make him feel comfortable.
If someone else said these words in this situation, he would definitely get angry.
But this was Lou Xiao, so he could only lower his voice and say,
“If we don’t use severe punishment, how can we make them remember what they should and shouldn’t do?!”
"But..." Lou Xiao was about to speak, but Xiao Zhengdu lowered his eyes and continued,
"Do you know how many people knowingly committed the crime? Do you think they don't know that opening a mine privately is a serious crime? But they still did it..."
They concealed the truth from each other and had already opened two mines, but only one person noticed something was wrong and reported it to the capital.
However, this group of villagers felt at ease and worked in the mine with a fluke mentality, thinking that they could earn a lot of money, but they didn't know that they would die in the mine without anyone knowing.
"If we let it go lightly, and everyone thinks that the law does not punish everyone, then there will be more concealment in the future."
Xiao Zhengdu explained patiently.
He knew that she had just arrived in the capital from the common people, and his heart was still soft.
She had lived in the village for a few days and could not bear to see them suffer.
But national laws must be strictly enforced by someone, otherwise where is the authority?
Lou Xiao was speechless and looked at Li Huaiqing.
Li Huaiqing looked indifferent, and like Xiao Zhengdu, he didn't think there was anything inappropriate in his behavior.
Following the order, blood gushed out from under the big tree where the villagers were supposed to be eating melon seeds and chatting.
A body fell down amid the villagers' cries of grief.
Lou Xiao has killed people before, but most of them were in battles, life-and-death struggles, so no one can be blamed.
She didn't want to see the unarmed villagers die in front of her eyes, and she felt in her heart that
The crime is not so serious.
But she couldn't go against Xiao Zhengdu's wishes and argue with him face to face in such public.
She couldn't get a word in.
Because she had no involvement in the handling of the whole incident.