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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 253: Execution
When they arrived at the palace gates, Changsun Wuji had to order the attendants to tidy up the two Khans; otherwise, their appearance would be quite unseemly.
Inside the Council Hall, the courtiers stood on either side, rather than sitting on the floor as before. Only the emperor remained seated high above, looking down at the courtiers.
Li Jian Cheng sent two emissaries to Silla and Baekje to deliver a decree and ordered Hejian Wang Li Xiaogong to lead troops to Bohai Commandery. If Silla and Baekje did not comply, they would cross the sea and attack.
The Eastern Turkic Khan knelt outside the hall, and apart from Wei Zheng, no one dared to advise the emperor.
However, the emperor was clearly tired of Wei Zheng as well, directly appointing him as Andong Protectorate Chief and expelling him from the capital.
Everyone understood that from this moment on, they could no longer advise the emperor repeatedly as they had in the past three years.
After one attempt at counsel, if His Majesty did not listen, it would be best to refrain from further attempts. Although it had not yet reached Emperor Yang's level of openly threatening courtiers with death for those who dared to speak out, it was still a significant blow to free speech. The emperor increasingly preferred to act unilaterally.
With the summons issued, Xieli Khan and Tongye Hu entered the hall. Under the watchful eyes of the courtiers, they humbly knelt down.
After extreme anger came genuine fear; if the Central Plains Emperor intended to send them back, he certainly would not have humiliated them in such a manner.
Now, even if they claimed not to hold grudges, who would believe them?
Li Jian Cheng addressed Xieli, saying, "It has been several years since we last met."
Changsun Wuji was responsible for the translation, as his father was Changsun Sheng, which gave him a deep family background in this area.
Xieli looked up at the emperor and said, "It has been about four or five years."
"Why did you violate the treaty and invade our Great Tang?"
Perhaps it was the emperor's calm tone that gave Xieli a glimmer of hope. He thought of his father and deeply pressed his forehead to the ground. "This guilty minister is foolish and has offended the Celestial Empire. I ask Your Majesty for forgiveness."
Li Jian Cheng then turned his gaze to Tongye Hu, who was standing nearby. "And why did you invade?"
Tongye Hu naturally pushed all the blame onto Xieli. Xieli would not accept this, and thus they began to shift responsibility back and forth, growing increasingly agitated, even butting heads in their fury.
Many officials sneered at the scene, while the two Khans, exhausted both physically and mentally, finally stopped. They lowered their heads, their eyes filled with a desperate longing for survival.
Especially Tongye Hu, unlike Xieli who had already been usurped, he was still the Khan of the Western Turkic, the king among kings in the western regions. He continuously promised the emperor that if he could be allowed to return, the Western Turkic would pay tribute every year.
Moreover, he would never dare to obstruct the various states of the western regions from coming to pay their respects to the Son of Heaven in the Central Plains.
Once everything was said, both men awaited the final verdict. The feeling of having their lives hanging by a thread was quite unbearable, but they could only endure it submissively.
The longer they remained silent, the greater their hopes grew because hesitation represented opportunity—the chance to live.
No matter what happened, surviving came first.
After satisfying his own wicked interests, Li Jian Cheng said, "Take Xieli away. Execute him after autumn and send his head back, so that the Turkic people know that our Tang Dynasty's Righteous Valor is flourishing. Those who dare to act recklessly, no matter how strong, will be punished!"
As the saying goes, heaven has four seasons, and a king has four policies. The four policies are like the four seasons: celebration represents spring, rewards represent summer, punishments represent autumn, and executions represent winter.
Autumn arrives with cool winds, white dew falls, cicadas cry out in the cold, and eagles become sacrificial birds, initiating the time for executions.
The summer of the Year of Taiping Three has already passed for more than half, and with autumn here, only about ten days remain.
Upon hearing the verdict about himself, Xieli Khan shouted angrily. Changsun Wuji did not translate and allowed him to be dragged away.
Tongye Hu repeatedly bowed in respect. The emperor seemed to be contemplating; the courtiers had something to say. While Xieli was already a useless person and could be executed without hesitation, Tongye Hu was still a serious Western Turkic Khan.
Fang Xuanling stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Western Turkic Emissary should already be on the way. Should we wait to see him before making a decision?"
"Good, imprison him," came the response.
...
At the Duke of Wei Li Jing's residence, only a few generals came to pay their respects but quickly left after dropping off medicinal herbs.
They feared being targeted by Jinyiwei. By now, dozens of people were awaiting execution alongside Xieli Khan, while hundreds had already been exiled to the southwest.
But the emperor's lingering anger remained, and the Jinyiwei prowled through the city like hungry wolves eyeing their prey, instilling fear among the common people who had already heard of their notorious reputation.
Lady Li Jing, after administering medicine to her husband, said, "Shouldn't you petition the emperor? If this continues, how many people will be implicated? How many will dare to resent the emperor and instead direct their grievances towards our family?"
Li Jing shook his head. "I have already reached this position. If I do not want to end up like Yang Su, it is better for me to be resented by more people."
"I am not considering myself; I only think of our descendants. After we are gone, sigh."
"The emperor is young, much younger than De Jian. As long as I can end my life peacefully, our descendants will surely live in wealth and honor."
"Sir, Lord Li Gong has arrived."
Li Jing hurried to get up, but Li Wei had already walked in with a smile. "Please don't move, sir. If you disturb your wound, I would be guilty of a thousand deaths."
Li Wei stopped Li Jing and then bowed to Duchess Wei. "I apologize for my rudeness."
"Your Excellency, there's no need for such formalities. You come every day; if we still cling to those trivial customs, it would be too excessive."
After exchanging pleasantries, Li Wei said, "Besides the emperor's concern for the Duke's health, he also asked me to inquire about who should be stationed in Bingzhou for stability."
Li Jing thought for a moment and replied, "In my humble opinion, either the Earl of England or the Duke of Jiyin would be suitable. It is best for the emperor to deliberate on this matter."
The Earl of England refers to Xu Shijie, who played a significant role in the recent battle against the Turkic forces and was thus promoted to Duke. The Duke of Jiyin, Dan Xiongxin, is a confidant of the emperor and leads the troops in Bingzhou, making him a reliable choice.
Li Wei received a reply and immediately stood up to take his leave.
A few days later, the Earl of England was ordered to head to Bingzhou. Everyone knew that Chancellor Li had a gentle disposition and was not one to hold power firmly; thus, authority would soon fall into the hands of the Earl of England.
In terms of founding fathers, the Earl of England was not considered a standout, but now he had risen significantly, surpassing Qin Dan Er.
Before autumn, the envoy from the Western Turkic finally arrived, but the emperor did not meet them right away. Instead, he first had them witness Xieli being punished.
The sight of a Khan's head rolling on the ground was quite intimidating.
Following the emperor's orders, the executioners prepared Xieli's head and quickly sent it to Dali City, making sure to display it along the way to boost the morale of the frontier troops.
After Xieli's death, Tongye Hu was finally released to meet with his subordinates. However, after their meeting, he immediately requested an audience with the emperor.
Li Jian Cheng had anticipated this. A nation could not be without a ruler for even a day; if the monarch was captured, it was no different from being dead. Compared to ransom, simply replacing him would be more cost-effective.
The Turkic were not exactly a nation of etiquette; whether father and son, uncle and nephew, or brothers and their children, who among them did not covet the position of Khan?
………………
(End of Chapter)
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