I come to see Bai Yujing today

Chapter 284 I'll Carry Out the Execution
On the execution platform, there were originally three main seats, as well as six seats for clerks and judges.

But because of this change, it is now empty and desolate.

On the contrary, the forty prisoners, along with many of the guards from the Censorate, including the mythical beasts and birds, seemed quite crowded in front of the execution platform.

Chen Zhian suddenly drove up.

The people of Xuantianjing were no strangers to this young official.

After all, Chen Zhian, who was skilled in both poetry and painting, was already well-known. He was one of the top five on the Young Tiger Stele, a proud figure who brought honor to the Great Yu Dynasty. He was also once praised as a master of both poetry and painting. His poems have spread far and wide. Whether in elegant teahouses or brothels, people can sing his lyrics.

Perhaps ordinary people don't frequent these places of enjoyment, but they have long heard of Chen Zhian's reputation.

"These forty prominent figures were all imprisoned by Lord Chen. Now, due to a sudden change of events, their heads cannot be beheaded, yet Lord Chen has come in person..."

The scholars looked at each other and exchanged glances.

The old scholar remained slumped on the ground, ignoring the sword-like gaze directed at him.

"If the wicked are not eliminated, and the demons and monsters are not eradicated, how can we possibly resist the Great Qian?"

The old scholar burst into laughter.

Chen Zhian glanced at him, then his gaze fell on the forty prisoners.

He Guan looked up and met Chen Zhian's gaze. The Soul-Stealing Needle between his eyebrows was gone, and without much thought, he knew that it had been removed.

The two members of the Xie family lowered their heads, not daring to look Chen Zhian in the eye!
The reason is that Chen Zhian is currently too prominent. Not to mention that he ranks fifth on the Young Tiger Stele, his cultivation speed and the power he holds are beyond what they can underestimate.

Among the other prisoners were some arrogant individuals who looked at Chen Zhian with provocative eyes.

It seems that... since the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Prefectural Governor's Office have all issued orders to postpone their executions, even Chen Zhian, the Grand Master of the Great Yu, can only wait for the truth to come out!
"Postponing the death sentence...gives time, and there's always room for maneuver."

One of the prisoners thought to himself.

He Guan narrowed his eyes slightly and turned his head to look at another pavilion in the western suburbs.

But on that pavilion, three people stood with their hands behind their backs, looking down at them, at Chen Zhian.

He Guan smiled slightly.

It was because one of the three was his father-in-law, Lu Baining of the Lu family of Shangyuan!
He Guan was born into a poor family, but he had an extraordinary opportunity and married Lu Baining's daughter.

Lu Baining was a clan elder in the Lu family of Shangyuan, holding a very high position. He had a daughter late in life and doted on her.

In addition, He Guan does have some talent and is experienced and shrewd, so he is a promising talent.

That's why Lu Baining set aside social class differences and allowed his daughter to marry He Guan.

He Guan never disappointed the Lu family.

His cultivation level rose steadily, and he reached the Xuanfu realm at a young age. He also had considerable insight into political affairs. With the Lu family as his backing, he obtained the position of Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

He Guan, holding a powerful fourth-rank official position, also covered up many things for the Lu family of Shangyuan.

In addition, because of his daughter's crying, Lu Baining came from Shangyuan Prefecture in person, and even contacted people from the Li and Pei families, bringing many private retainers to Xuantianjing to find a way out for her son-in-law.

But at this moment... the faces of these three noble families, dressed in fine clothes and of extremely high status, were not pleasant.

They looked at Chen Zhian with furrowed brows.

Pei Zhu, the second-ranked member of the Pei family in the current generation, remained silent.

Li Yuqi, dressed as a scholar with a blue turban wrapped around his head, came from the Li family and was stroking a thumb ring with his fingers. He turned to Lu Baining and said, "Brother... Chen Zhian has come in person. I'm afraid they won't be able to leave easily. They'll have to get past Chen Zhian."

Lu Baining frowned, pondered for a few moments, and then bowed to Li Yuqi: "The Lu family of Shangyuan has a deep-seated grudge against Chen Zhian. Now that he has ascended to the throne, if I go to talk to him, I am afraid I will only humiliate myself."

I urge my cousin to go and see Chen Zhi'an, and ask him... how he can possibly show leniency."

He paused slightly, his brows furrowing even deeper: "He doesn't need to say anything more, just let these people return to the Jingyin Prefecture prison."

Li Yuqi, though middle-aged, appeared quite handsome and dashing, with a free and unrestrained look in his eyes, making him seem unlike an ordinary person.

Hearing Lu Baining's words, he shook his head slightly and sighed, "My Li family has indeed never had much of a conflict with Chen Zhian."

But when Chen Shuijun and Daoguo left Xuantianjing, Li Qingshan of my Li family also went to block their way, wielding a dragon spear..."

As he spoke, his gaze swept across the room, then landed on several prisoners from the Li family.

A hint of anger flashed in Li Yuqi's eyes, but she finally nodded gently.

He stepped forward, a flash of light appeared between his brows, and then a wisp of his primordial spirit flew out.

Chen Zhian stepped down from the Jade Carriage and, amidst the surprised and expectant gazes of the crowd, sat in the main seat.

His eyes were calm, but every now and then a flash of lightning would strike the forty prisoners.

He Guan was fearless, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"My father-in-law has come in person, and there are also orders from the Three Offices..."

Chen Zhi'an, your power as the seal of office is indeed immense, yet you still need to submit a memorial and legal provisions, requesting the Emperor's further approval!

"If you want to cause trouble..."

He Guan narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling the figures in the attic.

“The Three Heavenly Palaces… You possess the Jade Tablet and Seal of Authority, so your father-in-law dares not kill you, but you cannot act recklessly.”

Thinking of this, he calmed down.

What puzzled him was...

"The Xie family of Longxi suffered extremely heavy losses this time. Why didn't you contact any members of the Xie family to come here, Father-in-law?"

While He Guan was pondering this, many people in the western suburbs were waiting.

Chen Zhian looked up at the sky.

It was just past noon, and the warm winter sun was shining brightly.

His expression remained unchanged, and he turned to look at a void.

To others, that place appeared to be completely empty.

But in Chen Zhian's eyes, there was an extra primordial spirit there.

At this moment, the primordial spirit bowed to him: "General Chen."

The divine essence echoed in Chen Zhian's ears.

Chen Zhian nodded slightly to him, then turned his head and closed his eyes, seemingly to rest and wait.

He Guan, Xie Jia, and many other prisoners saw Chen Zhian sitting silently in the main seat.

The Censorate's Xie Zhi envoy escorting them remained motionless, as if he had not heard the order from the messenger.

He Guan's expression was gloomy. He looked around and saw Lu Dingshan not far away.

His eyes turned cold, and he said in a low voice, "Lord Lu! Didn't you hear the orders from the Three Offices?"

Given Lu Dingshan's cultivation level, he naturally heard He Guan's low questioning.

His face was dark, and he remained silent, seemingly oblivious to He Guan's words.

"Lord Lu, do you dare disobey orders? The Censorate has the duty of supervision and the duty of escorting prisoners, but in matters of punishment, the Three Military Offices still take the lead..."

Before He Guan could finish speaking, he suddenly sensed a gaze sweeping over him and landing on him.

He Guan looked up and saw his father-in-law, Lu Baining, frowning and shaking his head at him.

He Guan was somewhat puzzled, but he knew that Lu Baining was signaling him not to speak.

So the former Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review lowered his head and said no more.

Chen Zhian sat upright in the main seat with his eyes closed. The light between his eyebrows grew brighter and brighter before dimming.

But then Chen Zhian's primordial spirit also detached from his body and soared into the sky.

This primordial spirit flew straight into the sky, stood on the clouds, and looked down at the bustling crowd in the western suburbs.

A dense crowd is waiting for the outcome of this matter.

Li Yuqi also ascended onto the cloud and bowed to Chen Zhian.

Chen Zhian stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly unaware of Li Yuqi's presence, and did not return the greeting. Li Yuqi's primordial spirit flickered with a faint light, his face showing no trace of anger. Instead, he bowed again and said, "Lord Chen, the Great Qian is already engulfed in flames, and the world is about to descend into chaos. The Great Yu will also be invaded by the Great Qian's Xuanmen."

Now is the time for the people of Great Yu to unite as one, share a common hatred for the enemy, and jointly resist the national crisis..."

Without turning his head, Chen Zhian interrupted Li Yuqi, sneering, "You mean... I should release these murderers and then join forces with my Great Yu family to fight against the Great Qian?"

Li Yuqi shook his head and said solemnly, "For many aristocratic families, the blood sacrifice to Dao Zhen represents a new path."

If no one tries and the Great Qian continues to grow, how can that be a good thing for our Great Yu?

"That's why... the attitude of the court towards the blood sacrifice of Dao Zhen is actually quite ambiguous."

Perhaps some members of the royal family have also come to understand this principle.

The road ahead is uncertain and fraught with thorns, and there is also the colossal entity of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Now that a new path has emerged, wouldn't it be a great pity if no one tried it and no one improved upon it?

Chen Zhian's eyes were somewhat cold as he looked at the bustling crowd below and shook his head, saying, "Our Great Yu is about to descend into chaos. Trying a new path is not necessarily a bad thing."

Especially since the Great Qian Kingdom has already benefited from the blood sacrifice to the Daoist immortals, it's not surprising that these high-ranking figures in the Great Yu court would attempt it.

"However... I am quite dissatisfied with many of the possibilities."

For example… what use are those scions of noble families who commit such sordid acts, eating human bones and drinking human blood, turning ordinary creatures into elixirs to slightly enhance their cultivation, to our Great Yu?"

People are different, and they occupy different positions.

Forgive my bluntness, but the powerful clans of the Great Yu have been complacent for too long, and there are few strong individuals among their descendants. Your cultivation resources in the Battle Realm have not contributed much to the world.

Now that we have these resources, it's not enough; we want even more...

If I were just an ordinary citizen, I would naturally have no right to say more.

Now that I have power in my hands, I must try to do something about it.

"For example, in my eyes... even if those incompetent members of the Great Yu aristocratic families perform some blood sacrifices to the Dao True, it is still nothing to the Great Qian."

"If that's the case, ordinary people already live miserable lives enough, so why should they be killed by you?"

Li Yuqi remained silent.

A few moments passed, and just as he was about to speak, Chen Zhian suddenly said, "I know what you high and mighty people who look down on the world are thinking."

It's simply that you think ordinary people are nothing more than weeds to you, nothing more than the depths of your soul.

Whether you kill them or use them is entirely up to you.

Let me set aside for now the sour, tooth-aching, life-or-death matters and the innocence of the common people.

I only say this: ...If any ambitious person in the world wants to achieve something great, how can you corrupt and decadent people possibly succeed?

As Chen Zhian spoke, a glint appeared in his eyes.

"Our Great Yu Kingdom is vast, with fifty prefectures and eight hundred million people, yet there are only one in a hundred cultivators."

If all 800 million people could attempt cultivation, and all had sufficient resources for it, and their innate talents were passed down through generations, what possibilities would arise?

“Lord Li… tell me, if you slaughter everyone, if you still stand on high and control 95% of the cultivation resources, how can my Great Yu become strong?”

Chen Zhian's words were astonishing, leaving Li Yuqi momentarily stunned!

After a few breaths, Li Yuqi suddenly burst into laughter.

"Chen Zhian, I originally thought you were young and strong-willed, and vengeful."

I never imagined you would have such an absurd thought!

"You want everyone in my Great Yu to be like dragons? Have you even consulted the sages?"

Chen Zhian smiled slightly and said, "The sage has bestowed power upon me, so naturally I must wield the whip and command with unrestrained might!"
Lord Li, these forty men are all guilty of capital offenses and must die today. Do you intend to stop them?

These words, as Chen Zhian's divine essence exploded, were like thunder, resounding in the ears of Lu Baining, Pei Zhu, and even He Guan, among the forty other prisoners.

He Guan's expression changed slightly as he looked up at Lu Baining from a distance.

Lu Baining's expression grew increasingly gloomy as he coldly stared at Chen Zhian.

He Guan's chest heaved, but a cold smile played on his lips: "Now we have the decrees of the Three Offices! And three Heavenly Palaces have come here together."

Chen Zhian, how exactly do you intend to kill us?

"Do you think you can somehow transfer the prison guards into the capital?"

As he thought this, many prisoners behind him looked up at Chen Zhian, who was sitting in the main seat with his eyes closed, his expression unruly.

The storm has passed, and the clouds and mist are shifting.

Chen Zhian's primordial spirit dissipated on the spot.

Li Yuqi gritted her teeth.

Lu Baining and Pei Zhu pursed their lips tightly.

At this moment, Chen Zhian, who was in the main seat, finally opened his eyes.

He slowly stood up and looked up at the sky.

The storm dispersed the clouds and mist, revealing the sun in the sky once more.

It was already noon.

Before countless eyes, Chen Zhian flicked his finger, and a jade tablet appeared in the sky.

"It is noon. Lu Wu hereby orders the immediate execution!"

The western suburbs were eerily silent.

Even the few executioners scattered on the execution platform seemed somewhat at a loss.

At this time, the prisoner had not yet reached the execution platform.

The executioners were terrified by the identities of these men and unsure whether they should obey their orders.

Lu Baining stood on the pavilion, snorted coldly, and was about to speak.

Just then, Chen Zhian snapped his fingers again.

He drew the Tiger Soul Blade and held it in his hand.

"In urgent situations, one must act expediently; I will carry out the execution!"

At Chen Zhian's command, a chilling atmosphere descended upon the area around the longsword.

Upon hearing Chen Zhian's words, He Guan's expression turned somewhat ferocious, and his gaze fell upon the three Heavenly Palace figures in the pavilion.

Lu Baining and Pei Zhu suddenly unleashed their auras.

Chen Zhian suddenly turned to look at Lu Baining, his eyes slightly narrowed, and a dragon aura quietly emanated from his body.

A puppet shadow appeared on the ground behind them, like a shadow itself.

Lu Baining and Pei Zhu were momentarily speechless.

Thinking back to what had already spread among the high-ranking members of various powerful families in the past few days.

Chen Zhian has gained a new dragon under his command, who killed three people from Tianque!

"My father-in-law is afraid!"

He Guan was somewhat taken aback when he saw this scene.

The next instant, Chen Zhian's voice rang out again: "Evil spirits and demons, sacrifice to me, the King of Slaughter, sacrifice to my Azure Emperor's sword intent!"

The nine patrols suddenly unleashed a flurry of swords.

The soaring sword intent roared, followed by streaks of brilliant white lightning.

At the execution platform in the western suburbs, blood gushed out, and forty heads were thrown into the air!

(End of this chapter)