Chapter 48 : Executions

In the gloomy dungeon, the cold wind of the spring night was mixed with the smell of blood drifting around, and the light of the uncertain fire added a few more points of bizarre and fearful colours. A sound of twisted and miserable howling and pleading sound don't know from which cell came out, the prisoners in the other cells in fear and trembling huddle together, tightly cover their ears, but it is futile, the sound is still through the gap between the fingers, as if the sharp blade generally stimulate their ears and heart.

Accompanied by the sound of colliding chains, a closed door suddenly opened, and the jailer respectfully led a young woman dressed in gorgeous and dignified clothes to a certain cell.

The young woman waved her hand and commanded, "All of you go down."

"Yes, my lord." The jailer owed a bow and went down with the guards standing next to him.

The young woman narrowed her eyes and looked condescendingly through the wooden fence at the old man sitting cross-legged in the cell, who did not seem to have heard the howling outside, and was resting with his eyes closed in a dignified manner.

"Lord Feng is worthy of being an official for many years, you can still be so calm in this situation," Pei Si Yan sneered and laughed, his voice cold as if it were a thousand years of ice, "but ... exactly, you are thinking that you won't be dragged to the torture chamber, so that's why you're so calm and collected?"

The old man slightly opened his eyes, swept a glance at the visitor, and let out a cold snort from his nose, then closed his eyes again.

"It's your turn next, Lord Feng." Pei Siyan said quietly, as if the poisonous snake spitting its red core was slowly swimming towards the old man in the cell, "I purposely went to learn about Lord Wushu's torture methods, how can I say this ... With your age, death is much easier than you think."

Feng Taishi still had his eyes closed and did not pay attention to the woman outside the cell.

Pei Siyan didn't mind Feng Taishi's coldness at all and continued, "You'd better not hold any hope, the Emperor is bent on having Lord Woo Ruai search out evidence of your crimes, the second prince is still grounded in his chambers today, your powerful party members have all been imprisoned, and the rest are all desperately trying to clear the air with you and beg for self-preservation. Ask who else can save you?"

Feng Taishi's originally spreading brows finally knit up between them as he cast an annoyed glance at Pei Si Yan and said drily, "It seems that I underestimated you too much before, Lord Wuban! Say what you have to say straight out, no need to beat around the bush!"

Pei Si Yan pleasantly admired the face that was slightly distorted due to her anger and said, "Lord Feng, I'll take the first half of this sentence as you complimenting me. In return, I would like to advise you to honestly confess to the crimes you have committed! Lest you both suffer the pain of skin and flesh, and still end up with a body and head in the end."

Feng Taishi stroked his long beard and let out a cold laugh, "Don't be too happy, Lord Wuban! In a few days, the ones sitting in this prison cell will be those of you who falsely accused old me."

"Oh yeah?" Pei Si Yan was unimpressed, "You trust that group of people under you too much, imagine if they really had the ability to save you, why didn't they get any wind of it? I am outside the prison, I have seen more and heard more than you, so I am kindly coming to tell you. Elder Master Feng, sitting at the pinnacle of power for long years and being worshipped and touted by others, as a result has made you short-sighted?"

"It's not your yellow-haired girl's turn to comment on how old me is!"

Pei Si Yan blinked her eyes, the brightly dancing firelight made her eyes even deeper, surfacing with a light filled with hatred as she fiercely grabbed the wooden grill and spoke loudly to the prisoners in the cell, "Eunuch Feng, you have always viewed the Tantai family as a thorn in your eye and a thorn in your flesh, bribing the second house to do all the bad things and even killing my father! Now that the matter has been revealed, you actually still have such thick skin and don't know how to confess?!"

"Old me doesn't want to talk to you." Elder Feng said in disgust.

The hatred in Pei Si Yan's heart was on the verge of crushing the wood in her palm, the things Feng Taishi had done were definitely more than just Tantai Yu's murder and her almost being buried alive, from the time she joined the dynasty as an official, so many things had happened, nine times out of ten, they were also done by order of Feng Taishi and Lady Yueruo, weren't they?

She is no longer the old Pei Si Yan who was so mute that she hid her talents and was so lazy that she was at the mercy of others, she wants to single-handedly create her new future and use the power in her hands to make those who hurt her get their retribution!

No one will be spared ...

Pei Si Yan gradually stabilised her emotions, slightly loosened her hand, and said blandly: "In fact, what I want to say most is - you will definitely die, be shamed and abused by the world, and be left in disgrace for ten thousand years with the name of 'traitor'! To repay my father's blood debt!"

"Traitor?" Taishi Feng laughed out loud and looked at Pei Si Yan contemptuously, "I still don't know who will be the traitor that the world will abuse. However, no matter what, it definitely won't be old me." Having been an official for many years, the image of cleanliness and virtuousness that had been established in the eyes of the world would not be destroyed by the crimes that had been uncovered? No one would believe that they had done those things, they would only believe - that they had been falsely accused and died.

Pei Siyan scoffed, "Eunuch Feng, you are too confident, as in you are too trusting that someone will save you."

"The truth will be like this," Taishi Feng stood up and walked closer to Pei Si Yan, his eyes gleaming, "I advise you to discuss with the other several auxiliary ministers and lords on how to find an acquittal for me, or else the history books of the future generations will write you as 'falsely accusing the Qing officials with mischievous intentions' as treacherous ministers!"

Pei Si Yan lowered her head, slowly arranging her cloak, "What? Do you think that your crimes of making a private dragon robe, assassinating Wuluo and murdering my father are not enough to bring you to justice? Your Majesty ... seems to believe the rumours in the marketplace," she raised her head, her eyes contained a smug smile as she stared tightly into Feng Taishi's eyes, "Your Majesty believes that you will conspire to usurp the throne."

Feng Taishi disdained, "Hmph, how could the emperor listen to rumours!"

"Rumours are fiercer than a tiger, Lord Feng! It's hard not to let the Emperor believe in that you harboured the second prince's egregious deeds. Several of your powerful henchmen seem to be on the verge of not being able to stand up to Lord Wushu's punishment and are about to let go. I wonder what awaits you ..."

At this time, from the direction of the torture room came a sharp scream that could almost cut through one's eardrums, the cold wind sent gusts of flesh and skin scorching flavour, followed by a deathly silence.

As if by an invisible hand on the throat, Feng Taishi held the fence and coughed violently, his body trembled as if it were a falling leaf in the autumn wind, appearing dishevelled and powerless.

Pei Si Yan said softly, "Feng Yuanding, you killed my parents, I will absolutely make sure that you don't die well!" After saying that, she walked towards the outside, and just after taking two or three steps, she turned back and laughed at the still coughing Feng Taishi, "So what if I am called a traitor, as you said, the world will sweep everything away for me in the future!"

No longer wanting to say half a word more to her enemy, Pei Si Yan twisted her head and left.

Out of the prison, Pei Si Yan exhaled a long breath and looked towards the man in white who accompanied him. Under the darkness of the bright moon, that white coat gently fluttered with the wind, floating as if flying, radiating a serene and light light that put people at ease.

Pei Si Yan's face revealed a faint smile, "Mo Xuan, let's go back."

Mo Xuan walked in front of Pei Si Yan, the bright firelight shone on his delicate jade mask, refracting a soft glow, setting off his face as luminous and moving as the moon above the nine heavens.

He thoughtfully put on Pei Si Yan's cloak and fastened the straps, then naturally embraced her into his arms, "Let's go."

Pei Si Yan smiled happily, her head pillowed on Mo Xuan's solid shoulder, feeling warm and secure, this feeling she really liked, and wanted Mo Xuan to be by her side forever, don't leave ...

"What are you thinking about, so absorbed?" Mo Xuan asked.

Pei Si Yan stared at the road under her feet, her brows slightly wrinkled, hesitated for a long time before she said, "Mo Xuan, I'll ask you a question, okay?"

"Naturally."

"If, I mean if ...," Pei Si Yan's gaze still fell on the verdant stone road, "one day I am called a 'traitor', will you still marry me as your wife?"

Mo Xuan was stunned and felt the uneasy trembling of the person in his arms, wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders, "Why did you say such a thing? How could you possibly be scolded?"

Pei Si Yan smiled bitterly, "The day Tantai Yuan got married, I heard someone say this about me ... Feng Taishi's clean image is too deep into the hearts of the people, and I was the first person to propose impeaching him."

"Regardless of what others say about you, I only know that you are my favourite person." Mo Xuan said, gently dropping a kiss on Pei Si Yan's forehead, "After the dust settles, I will take you as my wife."

"Aren't you afraid that it will have a bad effect on your family?"

"It's really a bit scary, after all, Mo Qi Villa is not mine alone," Mo Xuan smiled gently, his dark coloured eyes gazing deeply at Pei Si Yan, as if to give her encouragement and comfort, "But the truth will come out one day, on that day people will know that you, Tanya Yan, are a good official who is dedicated to the people. Don't be afraid, you have me guarding your side."

Pei Si Yan nodded and leaned towards Mo Xuan's arms again.

Half a month later, shocking waves were set off in the imperial capital - Wushu had appealed to the emperor, the criminals had confessed to their crimes, and the truth had been investigated clearly!

Ye Wenqing, the minister of the household department, and Qiu Zhaofu, the chamberlain, couldn't survive the torture, and confessed to the crimes they committed. In order to redeem themselves, they confessed to seven other implicated officials, as well as the things that Feng Taishi had once explained to them - all of which demonstrated the wilful ambitions of Feng Taishi!

For a while, the imperial capital was in an uproar, and the streets and alleys were full of talk about the matter of Master Feng.

However, the people didn't want to believe that Master Feng had really done "using his power for personal gain, murdering important court officials and attempting to usurp the throne", and gathered outside the prison, protesting loudly and demanding that Master Feng be cleared of all charges.

The emperor was furious, ordered the arrest of Feng's party, and then fell ill, lying in the Palace of Yangxin not to see outsiders.

Rats scattering from a sinking ship, the court was in chaos, and the streets of the imperial capital could often see officials and soldiers rudely escorting officials who were once spirited and powerful, but were now grey in the face, to the Da Lisi to be interrogated. A few of his clique members hastily packed up their bags and belongings, and fled the imperial capital with their families. The officials who had been in contact with Feng Taishi were trying their best to clear their relationship with the culprits.

The young secretary of the Da Lisi, by imperial decree, took the soldiers and officers out of the imperial capital to arrest the local officials who were involved in the case of Feng Taishi, causing the chaos caused by the case to spread further and further.

This dispute was declared to be over on the tenth day of the fourth month.

The Emperor, who had just recovered from his illness, issued a decree-

At noon on the 23rd of April, Feng Taishi was beheaded.