Chapter 148: The Third Moment of Noon

Bei Di Yi Guan, Tuoba Heng and Princess Yuan Qing sat at the table playing chess; although they were Bei Di royalty, likely due to sharing the same mother, they both liked Han Chinese culture.

However, Tuoba Heng's expression showed some anxiety; opposite, Yuan Qing was no better, placing her stones in wrong spots.

With a clatter! Tuoba Heng shoved the go board aside, irritated, looking at Yuan Qing: "Does your method really work?"

"Now the people in the capital have risen up completely; if we don't go back soon, we may not be able to suppress them."

"Prince Brother," Yuan Qing could still keep basic composure, staring steadily at her elder brother and said: "Elder brother, you came this time not just for the Du family's landscape map, did you? Now we know it's in Gu Jiu Ling's hands; we've found out about this map. If we don't get it, wouldn't this be losing the wife and losing the troops?"

Tuoba Heng slapped the table coldly: "That scoundrel Xiao Yin guards Gu Jiu Ling too tightly; there's no opening, otherwise we could just seize that woman and force her to hand over the map."

Yuan Qing's eyes turned slightly cold, feeling a bit uneasy.

She couldn't understand what was good about Gu Jiu Ling—just a worthless good-for-nothing from Shang Jing of Southern Qi—worth him protecting her like this.

Even though Bei Di sent so many assassins, they couldn't get Gu Jiu Ling out of Rui Wang Fu; instead they lost many men there.

Such matters can't be brought to light; if they die, they die.

There was only one chance; Gu Jiu Ling, disguised as a man, finally managed to leave the Wangfu, but Xiao Yin apparently sent out all the hidden guards of the mansion, leaving them no chance to act.

Afterwards Gu Jiu Ling simply never came out, making the matter even harder.

She lowered her eyes and said calmly: "Prince Brother, don't be impatient! Let's wait and see!"

Tuoba Heng, vexed, said: "It's heard that Gu Jiu Ling and her brother Gu Kang have long been at odds; she probably won't go rescue her brother."

"Tomorrow is the time for Gu Kang's execution; meanwhile, Gu Jiu Ling's side still shows no movement."

Yuan Qing also felt a bit anxious; if we fail to take the landscape map this trip to Southern Qi, we'll have to seize it by force on the battlefield later.

She suppressed her panic and gave a cold smile: "She will, after all Gu Kang still bears the Du family blood; even if Gu Jiu Ling dislikes this brother, she must consider the Du family."

The next day at noon, outside the Meridian Gate already crowded with masses of people.

Seeing criminals executed outside the Meridian Gate was nothing new to Shang Jing residents, but today's condemned was unusual—he was the legitimate son of the former Gu Xiang Manor, and the case was a romantic scandal, especially eye-catching to Shang Jing locals.

Thus today, outside Meridian Gate Square, many people gathered, crowded and bustling.

Soon a commotion arose from the crowd; people made way, and Gu Kang, seated in the prison cart, slowly approached the execution platform.

Sunlight fell through the prison cart's bars onto the shrinking Gu Kang inside, wearing a blood-soaked uniform; shackles on his neck, wrists and ankles cut his skin, oozing pus and blood.

His legs were horrifying: the knees had been smashed, exposing white bone fragments.

Gu Kang finally saw sunlight, slowly opened his eyes, face covered in blood, hair disheveled, looking like a strange madman.

The wound had festered; it hurt so much it reached extremes, then went numb, so it no longer hurt.

Turns out this was liberation.

He had been the Gu family's legitimate son since birth; his maternal grandfather and mother left him great wealth to squander, and his elder sister was the Princess Consort of Rui.

He should have had a better life, but this time he was ruthlessly trampled into the mire.

Gu Kang looked at the surrounding crowd; the prison cart moved too fast, those smiling onlookers' faces seemed abstract.

His expression was numb, his gaze dull, his heart unwilling, his mood desperate.

With a clatter, the prison cart halted beside the execution platform; its axle slammed hard against the edge of the table, and he was forcibly dragged out of the cart.

The long-dormant sharp pain surged again, startling the survival instinct dulled by the jailers' torture.

Gu Kang hoarsely shouted, crying out to the onlookers around him.

"I didn't kill anyone! I really didn't!! I didn't kill anyone!"

"I beg you! I didn't kill anyone! I didn't kill anyone!!"

Gu Kang's mournful cries elicited no sympathy from the surrounding onlookers; instead they provoked laughter.

Everyone regarded him as a joke; Gu Kang struggled desperately, yet was forced down on the execution platform, his knee wound reopening and oozing turbid blood.

Pressed down so he couldn't lift his head, he gasped heavily; still he uttered cries of injustice, but his voice was too hoarse to form words, leaving only muffled groans.

The execution officer slowly rose, looked up at the azure sky, and took hold of the execution warrant.

The executioner, bare-chested, tipped back a swig of strong liquor, sprayed it on the blade, and muttered lowly: "Injustice has a source, debt has a master; each rests in fate—dead, don't come haunt me, little ghosts!"

"Hold on, Second Master Gu! It'll be over soon!"

The executioner's cackling laugh, under this bright sun, chilled to the bone.

The execution officer slowly raised the execution warrant; his expression even grew numb—life to them was just a plaything.

"It's already the third moment of noon—execute!"

As the execution officer gave the order, suddenly a rapid horse-hoof sound came; a flying knife struck the executioner's blade, shaking it open despite the distance.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the newcomer.

It was actually the trusted guard of Prince Rui, Ling Feng?

"The Emperor has ordered—spare his life beneath the blade!"

With a boom, the surroundings instantly erupted.

"What does that mean?"

"What on earth does this mean?"

"Could this case actually have a grievance?"

"What grievance? Surely Prince Rui isn't trying to save his own brother-in-law?"

"You're overthinking! I heard the Gu family's eldest daughter had long since split from her brother, never to meet again."

"Then what play is this?"

The execution officer also broke into a cold sweat from Ling Feng's maneuver; having served as execution officer for years, this was the first time he'd seen a stay of execution at the grounds—though he'd seen it in operas.

"\"Commander Ling? \" the execution officer hurried down the steps."

Ling Feng held Emperor Longqing's imperial edict, walked to the execution officer, bowed with fist salute, then straightened and produced the edict.

The execution officer and others hurriedly knelt to receive the edict, then had to stuff Gu Kang back into the prison cart once more.

Ling Feng glanced at the inhuman-looking Gu Kang, sighed inwardly, then told the execution officer: "The Emperor commands—immediately take the person back to the Ministry of Punishment; retrial Gu Kang's murder case, the Emperor himself will oversee the review!"