The following days, the empire awoke to earth-shattering news: the Emperor, Han Feng, had decreed the gravest of punishments upon Lady Yue Lan and her clan.
For her heinous crime of attempting to poison his beloved future Wang Fei, Xue Li, she was to be executed by Lingchi, the Death of a Thousand Cuts.
This was one of the harshest forms of punishment reserved for serious crimes like treason or regicide. The person would be executed through a prolonged and excruciating process, serving as both a physical punishment and a public deterrent.
This punishment, rarely invoked and reserved for only the most abominable acts of treason, sent shockwaves through the imperial court and the common people alike. Whispers of horror and disbelief swept through the streets, markets, and tea houses.