Ling Chi! Yuan Chonghuan's fate was decided.

After the emperor on the platform announced his decision on Yuan Chonghuan, he left without saying a word, and then all the ministers left silently.

On the platform, Sun Chengzong's face was unprecedentedly gray. The sun shone on the platform at nearly noon, sprinkling a piece of golden, and Sun Chengzong felt unprecedentedly cold in the originally warm weather.

He slowly raised his head and looked up at the scorching sun in the sky, the dazzling sunlight shone into his eyes, and his eyes hurt, but Sun Ge Lao tried his best to open his eyes wide, staring at the scorching sun vigorously, as if he wanted to see through the essence of the scorching sun.

His body flickered, and he almost fell, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw a field of Venus flashing in front of him.

A pair of gentle hands held Sun Ge Lao, accompanied by a gentle voice: "Ge Lao, all the adults are gone, let's go too." ”

The person who spoke was Xu Liang, the secretary of Guanglu Temple, who had been staying on the platform, and standing behind Xu Liang was the imperial history of the Huang Dao Zhou.

Sun Chengzong broke free of Xu Liang's hand holding him, and sighed desolate at Xu Liang: "Yuan Chonghuan was wronged!" ”

Xu Liangxin said: Of course I know that Yuan Chonghuan was wronged! I was just about to open my mouth to consol, but I didn't want Sun Chengzong to have another sentence next:

"You guys! It's all murderers! ”

The sad and indignant tone made Xu Liang and Huang Daozhou feel shocked when they heard it. Xu Liang lowered his head, a little weak.

"Murderer!!"

After Sun Chengzong finished speaking, he pointed his fingers around the platform.

"It's all murderers!!"

Above the platform, the scorching sun echoed the angry screams of Sun Gelao, who was like an old father who had lost his son. The originally straight body also looked a little rickety, and he looked back in the direction of the Heart Cultivation Palace. There was a heavy look of disappointment in his eyes, and then. Elder Sun Ge turned his head firmly and walked towards the outside of the palace with a steady pace.

Xu Liang and Huang Daozhou stood quietly on the edge of the platform railing, watching the lonely figure of the Wuyingdian scholar with gorgeous hair walk out of the palace step by step.

Three days later, Yuan Chonghuan was escorted to Xishi and executed.

The execution ground has long been filled with soldiers from the Criminal Department, and the prison officer is one of the directors of the Criminal Department. Several high-ranking officials of the Three Law Divisions, all of whom were human spirits, were naturally able to recognize the execution of Yuan Chonghuan. It was a thankless task, so no one came forward, and in the end, the person who was sentenced fell to an unlucky director of the criminal department.

Before three o'clock in the afternoon, the area around the execution ground was crowded with people watching the execution.

Around the execution ground, few onlookers were upset for Yuan Chonghuan, and the scolding was endless. A gray-haired old woman, with a hoarse voice, stretched out her thin hand. Pointing to Yuan Chonghuan, who had been tied to the torture platform, he cried to the people around him with tears in his eyes: "The old woman originally had two sons and three grandchildren, although the life of a family of eight was difficult. But it can barely survive...... Then, last November, in just one day, the old woman's family was left alone in this world. My wife, son. Daughter-in-law, grandson. All the granddaughters were killed by the Tartars! Whining...... It is because of this Yuan Inspector on the torture platform, holding tens of thousands of male soldiers in his hands, but he is afraid of the enemy and cowardly, and allows the Tartars to attack and harass the Beijing Division!! ”

The people around listened to the old woman's cry, and they all reciprocated tears of sympathy.

The old woman looked up to the sky and shouted: "The sky has eyes! The emperor is wise! Execute this great traitor today!! Shouting, the old woman kept coughing dryly, coughing heartbreakingly, and her face was the color of pig's liver.

The old woman's plight attracted the sympathy of the people around her, and then several people who had killed or injured their families in the war in which Houjin invaded Beijing last year began to angrily point at Yuan Chonghuan and curse incessantly.

On the east side of the execution ground, Xu Liang, Huang Daozhou, Wang Qinian and others all changed into civilian clothes, mixed in the crowd watching the excitement, and heard the curses of the surrounding people to Yuan Chonghuan, Xu Liang couldn't help but sigh: "Although Yuan Chonghuan is arrogant, he has guarded Liaodong for many years, and he has made contributions to the court and the safety of the people in the world. Now that he is about to die, he doesn't know how he will feel when he hears so many people scolding him at the execution ground. ”

Huang Daozhou originally admired Yuan Chonghuan, and after listening to the scolding of the people around him, he was the most angry, if it wasn't for Xu Liang to stop him, Huang Daozhou would have impulsively pulled others to theorize.

Huang Daozhou shouted indignantly: "These fools, how can they understand the ambition of Inspector Yuan!" ”

Xu Liang listened, but shook his head and smiled bitterly. Wang Qinian put his hand on the canopy, covering the scorching sun, and was a little incomprehensible to Xu Liang's insistence on running to see Yuan Chonghuan being tortured in person, and asked suspiciously: "Lord, the sun is so poisonous, why do we need to stand under the scorching sun to watch Yuan Chonghuan be tortured?" ”

Xu Liang glanced at Wang Qinian, looked a little guilty, and sighed lightly: "Yuan Chonghuan can have today's ending, and I, Xu Liang, can't escape the blame." I don't kill Beren, but Beren dies because of me! I can't do anything for Yuan Chonghuan, just let me see Yuan Chonghuan on his last journey. ”

When Huang Daozhou and Wang Qinian heard this, their expressions were shocked, and they were silent.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the hour had come.

The head of the criminal department of the prison officer looked up, slowly walked in front of Yuan Chonghuan, bowed his head to Yuan Chonghuan first, and then asked: "Yuan Chonghuan, this official respects you as a hero!" Before the execution, if you still have any wishes that have not been fulfilled, you may wish to say them, and the official can convey them on your behalf. ”

There were many people around the execution ground, and the voice of the head of the criminal department was not loud, but Xu Liang still heard it clearly, so he stared intently at Yuan Chonghuan on the execution platform, wanting to hear what last words this doomsday hero had to explain.

I saw Yuan Chonghuan slowly raise his head, with a few rotten vegetable leaves in his hair and face, presumably on the way from the edict to the execution ground, and the angry people along the way smashed it.

Yuan Chonghuan glanced at the head of the Criminal Department lightly, the corners of his mouth twitched a few times, and he reluctantly gave a smile. Then, Yuan Chonghuan looked up at the scorching sun overhead, and the dazzling sunlight made him unable to open his eyes.

Yuan Chonghuan no longer forcibly opened his eyes, he tilted his head and let the sun shine on his whole face, and the expression on his face was lonely and sad.

Then, Yuan Chonghuan lightly opened his chapped lips and softly read out his last words:

"A lifetime of career is empty, and half a lifetime of fame is in a dream. After death, there is no brave general, and the loyal soul still guards Liaodong! ”

Xu Liang was shocked when he heard this, and looked at the torture table in surprise. Because the area around the torture platform was under martial law by the soldiers of the Criminal Department. The people watching the execution were all isolated ten meters away, and Yuan Chonghuan spoke softly. It was he who finished speaking, and many did not hear it clearly.

However, the head of the criminal department was the one who heard it most clearly. His expression was like that of Xu Liang, and he solemnly bowed to Yuan Chonghuan, then turned around and walked back.

Huang Daozhou and Wang Qinian didn't hear it clearly, but just looked at the actions of the head of the Criminal Department and Yuan Chonghuan, and guessed what Yuan Chonghuan probably said.

Seeing that Xu Liang was shocked, the two of them became solemn, and they couldn't help but look at Xu Liang curiously. Huang Daozhou asked, "My lord, what did Inspector Yuan say?" ”

Xu Liang shook his head, and saw that the head of the criminal department had already walked back to the desk. He threw an execution token to the ground and said in a deep voice: "The hour has come, execution!" ”

……

Xu Liang had hurried away from the execution ground, and Huang Daozhou and Wang Qinian followed closely and walked out suspiciously. Behind the three of them, there were louder and louder shouts, mixed with many chatter and curses, and every time the executioner finished cutting a knife, the audience would always burst into a burst of happy shouts, and the person who reported the number of knives in Ling Chi mechanically reported the number of knives that had been executed.

The three of them hurried a few more steps. The sound in the direction of the West Market Execution Ground finally became much quieter, and it gradually became inaudible.

Xu Liang paused suddenly. Huang Daozhou and Wang Qinian also stopped and looked at Xu Liang strangely.

Huang Daozhou asked, "My lord, what's wrong?" ”

Xu Liang turned around without saying a word. Yao looked in the direction of the execution ground, bowed deeply, and said sincerely: "Inspector Yuan." Go all the way! ”

After all, Xu Liang didn't explain much to Huang Daozhou and Wang Qinian. Still walking dullly towards the Dongjiang Annex.

Although Huang Daozhou and Wang Qinian noticed Xu Liang's abnormal behavior, Xu Liang didn't want to say the reason. The two of them didn't say much.

Back in the Dongjiang Courtyard, Xu Liang's first words when he saw Feng Suqin, the eldest lady of the Xu Mansion, were: "Clean up a quiet room and come out and set up a tablet for Yuan Chonghuan." ”

Today, Yuan Chonghuan was escorted to Xishi for execution, and Feng Suqin naturally knew about such a major matter. Listening to Xu Liang's words, Feng Suqin couldn't help but be taken aback, and said hesitantly: "Xianggong, this Yuan Chonghuan is a ...... offender."

Xu Liang rudely interrupted Feng Suqin's words: "He is a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty!" ”

Feng Suqin was taken aback by Xu Liang's abnormal behavior, and when she saw that Xu Liang's eyes staring at her were actually a little fierce, she was uneasy, so she didn't say anything anymore, and hurriedly said, "I'll arrange it." ”

Yuan Chonghuan died three days after being sentenced, and amazingly, after Yuan Chonghuan's death, his body disappeared overnight, and no one knew where he went. And the criminal department, which presided over the execution, collectively remained silent about such an important matter.

In the palace, presumably this kind of thing was reported to Emperor Chongzhen, but Emperor Chongzhen actually didn't have any will as if he didn't know anything about this matter.

This made Xu Liang, the secretary of Guanglu Temple, who was originally going to arrange the funeral for Yuan Chonghuan, very puzzled.

It's just that the next day, Tsing Yiwei suddenly reported to Xu Liang that Sun Chengzong, a scholar of Wuyingdian University, had returned to Liaodong. Moreover, when Sun Chengzong returned to Beijing, he only brought two entourages, and this time when he returned to Liaodong, he hired a carriage by his side, and Sun Chengzong served as the coachman and went to Liaodong.

When Tietou reported this matter to Xu Liang, his face stopped talking.

At that time, Xu Liang, Huang Daozhou, and Wang Qinian were all in the house, Xu Liang glared at Tie Tou and asked, "If you have something to say, just say it!" ”

Tietou said: "I heard from the people below, the carriage driven by Sun Ge is actually black, and there are two baskets of salted fish at the tail of the carriage!" As he spoke, Tie Tou had an affirmative expression on his face: "Young Master, although we can't open the carriage to check, I'm sure that what is in the carriage is the corpse of Yuan Chonghuan nine times out of ten." ”

When Xu Liang heard this, instead of praising Tietou for being smart, he glared at him and scolded: "Just you are smart!" What you can think of, can't others think of? Sun Chengzong was able to smoothly take such an eye-catching carriage out of the capital, which shows that many people are playing dumb. ”

As soon as he turned over the words, he was stunned, and he knew that he had said the wrong thing, so he shut up in a daze.

Huang Daozhou on the side said with emotion: "That's fine." Yuan Chonghuan was originally a student of Sun Gelao, and Yuan Chonghuan handed it over to him, which was also a good ending. ”

Xu Liang was silent when he heard this. After a long time, Huang Dao Zhou arched his hand to Xu Liang and said, "My lord, where is Inspector Yuan's mourning hall located?" Xia Guan wanted to go and worship. ”

Seeing this, Wang Qinian also arched his hand and said: "My lord, the lower officials also want to go." ”

Xu Liang nodded slowly, and took the two descendants into a quiet room in the backyard of the Dongjiang Annex, where the candles were bright, and the three of them worshiped Yuan Chonghuan's tablet in turn according to their official ranks.

……

Five days have passed since Yuan Chonghuan was tortured, and the topic of Yuan Chonghuan in the court has gradually decreased a lot.

Next, the main thing to be carried out by the court is Chongzhen's three-year palace examination. At the court meeting, Li Tengfang, the secretary of the ministry, had already made a report to Emperor Chongzhen about the arrangements for the palace examination, and Emperor Chongzhen gave permission.

Due to the incident of Yuan Chonghuan in the middle, the palace examination, which was originally scheduled to be held in mid-August, was postponed to September 9, the day of the Double Ninth Festival.

Although the time of the palace examination was slightly postponed, fortunately, most of the candidates for the examination had arrived in the capital as early as a month ago and stayed in various guilds or inns.

It was also at this time that Xu Liang's hometown, the eldest master of the Xu family in Ji'an Mansion, Jiangxi, Xu Changkun and his wife, finally arrived in the capital and lived in the Dongjiang Courtyard. Xu Changkun's reason for Xu Liang is naturally to ensure that Xu Jiang, the eldest son of the Xu family, can successfully enter high school in this palace examination, add another Jinshi quota to the Xu family in Ji'an Mansion, and glorify the lintel.

However, Xu Liang did not believe in this kind of high-sounding excuse. Xu Jiang, the eldest son of the Xu family, is full of calculations this year, and he is almost thirty years old, if such a big person takes a palace exam, he can go to high school because Xu Changkun and his wife are by his side, it is too ridiculous!

Fortunately, Xu Liang also saw that Xu Changkun's move was somewhat of an opportunity to repair the tense relationship between father and son with Xu Liang, so he acquiesced to them moving in. In the meantime, in order to welcome the arrival of Xu Changkun and his wife, at the suggestion of Feng Suqin, the eldest lady of Xufu, the Dongjiang Villa still specially held a reception banquet for them, but the atmosphere at the banquet can only be said to be unsatisfactory.

Xu Liang's estrangement from Xu Changkun and his wife, the subordinates of the Dongjiang Courtyard can naturally feel it, because the guards of the Dongjiang Courtyard, the subordinates only maintain superficial respect for Xu Changkun and his wife. This kind of respectful meaning that is eight zhang away makes Xu Changkun feel like he is sitting on pins and needles.

Finally, after Xu Liang had dried them for more than ten days, Xu Changkun deliberately carried Xu Liang back with a far-fetched smile on his face and walked into Xu Liang's study. (To be continued.) )