Chapter 224: The Sun and Moon Shine Brightly~~~

「Fury bristles to the crown, leaning on the railing~ the fine rain clears. 」

「Lifting my gaze, I whistle to the heavens~ my heroic passion burns fierce. 」

「Thirty years of fame are dust and earth, eight thousand li of road are clouds and moon~~~」

「Do not idle away, white the youth's head~ vainly grieving~~~」

Before Kaifeng Prefecture, Qin Gui recited the verses with great emotion.

Deep down, he did not quite think much of this poem.

Full of killing intent, it was clearly written by a martial artist.

But this was an order from an immortal, so naturally he dared not disobey.

「The humiliation of Jingkang is not yet avenged~」

「A subject's hatred, when shall it be extinguished~」

Qin Gui sneered inwardly, what Jingkang humiliation, we won, didn't we, what humiliation is there, what hatred is there.

These martial men only know killing.

Harmony brings wealth~~~

While sneering inwardly, he heard the heavy sound of dragging.

Turning his head in doubt, he saw several armored soldiers pushing the Dog Head Executioner's Blade over.

Seeing the blood-stained Dog Head Executioner's Blade, Qin Gui was like a rooster with its neck seized, instantly voiceless.

「Why did you stop? 」

Lin Dao's somewhat lazy voice came: 「Don't stop~」

Not far away, Lin Dao and Zong Ze sat on stools drinking tea.

Zong Ze, refreshed by happy events, was spirited and ruddy-faced, even the wrinkles on his face seemed to relax.

Having seen the stories in the Kunlun Mirror, Zong Ze looked down on Qin Gui.

But this man had already reached the end of his road, so there was no need to insult him with words.

He withdrew his gaze, raised his hand, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his clothing.

Suppressing the anxiety in his heart, Qin Gui continued reciting Man Jiang Hong.

「Whip~ whip the long carriage~~」

「Trample the mountain, the mountain crumbles~」

「Too few words. 」 Lin Dao frowned slightly 「Be serious. 」

「Yes yes. 」

From the corner of his eye, he saw the Dog Head Executioner's Blade pushed behind him.

Qin Gui's calves were already cramping.

He calmed his breath, striving to steady his mood.

【I have always served the immortal with great respect; surely it would not come to this.】

「Heroic ambition eats the flesh of the northern invaders~ laughing and talking, drinking the blood of the Xiongnu~」

「Wait from the beginning~ to tidy up the old land and rivers~ face the imperial court~」

The common people spectating around cheered and applauded, thinking this poem was truly not bad.

Qin Gui here had just breathed a sigh of relief.

The armored soldier behind him stepped forward and snatched the manuscript away.

Before he could come to his senses, two armored soldiers seized his arms.

Before he could cry out, he was pressed to the ground.

Several armored soldiers holding clubs stepped forward and beat him from head to face.

The common people spectating around instantly erupted in an uproar.

At this moment an armored soldier stepped forward, holding a stack of letters high, shouting to the uproarious common people.

「This man Qin Gui colludes with the enemy and betrays the nation, dealing with the Jin to sell intelligence. 」

「The great army attacked and breached the enemy's nest, seizing his treasonous letters~~~」

「Now the evidence of guilt is conclusive, he shall be executed according to law! 」

The shocked common people around quickly turned to anger.

They shouted loudly 「Kill him~ kill him~~」

Qin Gui, being punished, cried out in grief and indignation 「I didn't, it wasn't me, I am wronged~」

「Immortal~ I want to see the immortal~」

「Minister Zong, say something~~」

【Bang! Bang!】

Several fists smashed into his mouth, and his cries instantly weakened.

But the grievance and pain in his heart could not be suppressed.

He truly did not collude with the Jin~~~

【Bang bang bang bang~~】

In a short while, Qin Gui, stripped of his clothes, was beaten until covered in wounds, his flesh and blood blurred.

An armored soldier stepped forward, soaking a hemp cloth strip in fish bladder glue; this strongly adhesive thing was directly stuck to Qin Gui's wounds.

After the glue dried, he tore the hemp cloth hard, tearing off skin and flesh along with it, flesh and blood blurred.

Qin Gui groaned and fainted dead away.

「This is the Hemp Wrapping Torture. 」

Lin Dao explained to Zong Ze beside him, "Before Yue Fei died, he suffered this torture."

"Qin Gui wanted to force a confession through torture, but Yue Fei would rather die than confess, and the torture he endured was extreme."

Zong Ze covered his face with both hands, hot tears rolling down.

"This old man only knew Pengju died unjustly on a trumped-up charge."

"Never imagined~ never imagined he suffered this torture before that!"

With Pengju's such upright character, how could he possibly admit to a false crime because of this torture!

And since he would not admit it, he must have suffered even more cruel punishments.

Zong Ze wept with heart-rending sorrow, old tears streaming across his face.

"The Zhao Song, from the Emperor down to the clerks, all deserve to die!"

Yue Fei is the unresolved regret of countless people.

Such heroes and outstanding men, dying in such pain and misery.

Yet Qin Gui who directly caused his death met a good end, dying on his couch.

Heaven's eye watches~ Heaven's eye watches!

Lin Dao took a sip of water, his gaze fixed on Qin Gui who had been awakened by a basin of cold water.

"Whatever Yue Fei once suffered, now it will all be returned onto you, the perpetrator!"

Qin Gui, his flesh and blood stripped away, howled miserably.

His mouth still shouting injustice~

Right, it is indeed injustice.

In this time-space, he hasn't yet had the chance to kneel and surrender to the Jurchens.

But historically, Qin Gui also wronged Yue Fei in just this way.

Heaven's eye watches?

Right, it is Heaven's eye watches!

After the hemp wrapping torture, Qin Gui with no good flesh left on his body was given a series of strong heart-stimulating needles.

Under the powerful medicinal effect, his mental state gradually improved.

"I~ am wronged~"

Amid Qin Gui's low cries of injustice, the armored soldiers hoisted him up again.

Two more armored soldiers holding thick hemp ropes stepped forward, winding the rope circle by circle around Qin Gui's chest and ribs.

The two stood on both sides, pulling the rope ends with all their strength.

As force was applied, the rope grew tighter and tighter.

Qin Gui's ribs wrapped by the rope also made cracking sounds in response.

Under the tremendous inward binding force, Qin Gui also threw back his head, letting out a suffocating howl of pain.

Glancing at him, Lin Dao took out a map and placed it on the table.

"Master Zong, please look."

"This is Annan, which was once Central Plains territory during the flourishing Tang period, with the Annan Protectorate established there."

"After the Great Tang fell, the local monkeys actually dared to betray, and even attacked the Great Coward many times."

"This useless Great Coward couldn't even defeat Annan."

Regarding the Song Dynasty's combat strength, Lin Dao had long given up hope.

Using civil officials to control the military, the military aristocracy greedy by nature.

Soldiers unable to support themselves had to go do all kinds of labor; besides fighting they could do anything.

No combat strength, unable to even defeat Annan is only natural.

"What the Immortal says is absolutely correct."

Zong Ze understood his meaning, nodding repeatedly.

"Once the various military prefectures and counties are pacified, we must send expeditions to conquer, punish, and exterminate them!"

"Also." Lin Dao's finger pointed to the northeast corner "Goryeo."

"Ungrateful white-eyed wolves."

"During the Tang the Andong Protectorate was established there, then taking advantage of the Great Tang's fall they rebelled."

"Understand, understand." Zong Ze continued nodding "We must recover the lost territories."

"The various Mongol tribes to the north, during the Tang the Anbei Protectorate~"

"The Western Regions need no further words, the Beiting Protectorate, the Anxi Protectorate~"

"Dali to the south, the Tang's Yaozhou Governorate~"

Lin Dao's finger drew a large circle on the map.

Looking at it this way, nearly all are former Han and Tang territories.

Since they are former Han and Tang territories, they are Central Plains lands!

They must be recovered!

"Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang, that's just several decades to win such vast territory."

"Han Yue are still young." Zong Ze sincerely declared "Let them go fight, fight for several decades and win it all back!"

【Ah~~~】

Qin Gui's miserable howls from not far away interrupted Zong Ze's words.

Turning to look, under the rib-binding torture Qin Gui's ribs could not withstand the rope's pulling force and snapped inward.

The pain of broken bones, plus the damage from broken bone ends piercing internal organs, plunged Qin Gui into extreme agony.

"Yue Fei, that's how he was tortured to death alive."

Lin Dao withdrew his gaze and looked at Zong Ze. "After retaking Hangzhou, all yamen runners in the city shall be executed!"

"Understood."

Lin Dao looked at Zong Ze with a puzzled expression. "Master Zong, how come I feel you've changed a lot recently."

"Whatever I say you support — if there's something, just say it directly!"

Zong Ze's old face bloomed with a smile. "This old man has heard that Roufu Princess's due date is approaching?"

"Roughly within a month."

"Immortal Master." Zong Ze's smile grew even broader. "You are busy with affairs and often in seclusion."

"Zhou Shi's Zhou Zhaogong, in the end, still re-established a Son of Heaven."

"Even if the Son of Heaven's power greatly declines, ultimately there still must be one."

"This old man thinks that if the Princess gives birth to a boy, he can be established as Son of Heaven."

"If it's a daughter, that's also fine."

"Maode Princess, Baofu Princess, Renfu Princess — they're all with child too; surely one of them can give birth to a boy."

Lin Dao understood.

So this old man was harboring this idea.

The reputation of the Zhao Song royal family had long since stunk.

Especially after Zhao Gou pulled the stunt of changing his name to Wanyan Gou, they were spurned by everyone.

Even dragging out a descendant of the Zhao Da line would find it hard to gain the recognition of the Northern Lands' soldiers and civilians.

But after thousands of years of habit, one always feels there still must be a Son of Heaven.

During these days, everywhere people proclaimed themselves Son of Heaven.

Those enthroning Zhao Song clansmen and proclaiming themselves Son of Heaven numbered no less than a hundred if not eighty.

In Zong Ze's view, an Immortal Master with heaven-penetrating, earth-piercing abilities, together with the offspring of a legitimate Princess, becoming Son of Heaven was nothing more fitting.

Lin Dao pondered briefly.

"The Council of State must be retained; in the future we can take the constitutionalism path."

"Good, good." Zong Ze was overjoyed; the Immortal Master actually agreed.

He had originally thought the Immortal Master would take the Princesses and their offspring back to the heavenly realm.

Lin Dao rose and went to the Dog Head Executioner's Blade.

The already moribund Qin Gui, upon seeing Lin Dao, instantly rallied for a final burst of lucidity.

He desperately lifted his head, forcing out a voice with difficulty.

"Immortal... Immortal Master~~"

"I'm wronged~~~"

Lin Dao nodded. "Mm, I know."

Then he raised his voice. "Open... the blade~~"

The snow-bright Dog Head Executioner's Blade was slowly raised.

The bewildered and uncomprehending Qin Gui was pinned onto the Dog Head Executioner's Blade.

The pain in his body could not conceal his shock and despair.

Not until the blade fell did a flash of realization cross his heart.

So that's how it is!

"Haul him to the Burial Mound, mince him and feed the dogs."

Returning to the Brothel Courtyard, he got into the carriage.

A group of Princesses were all wiping tears as they watched the screen.

On the screen was a wedding; the groom slapped the bridesmaid, the bride slapped the groom, the bridesmaid slapped the bride again, the male best friend slapped the bridesmaid, and the groom and the male best friend started brawling with each other.

This plot made Lin Dao feel like his brain was about to smoke.

With such an explosive storyline, wouldn't it take a hundred or eighty episodes to act out?

Marriage Chaos!

"I'm going into seclusion?"

The tear-wiping Princesses didn't even turn their heads as they answered in unison.

"Oh oh oh~~~"

Back in the Modern World, Lin Dao, who was just about to go to the Chongzhen Spacetime to collect raw silk, froze slightly.

Before him, a fourth Green Light Time Gate appeared.

(End of Chapter)