A long, long time later, in the hearts of the older generation of Northern Qi people, the last day of March in the sixth year of Tianxiang calendar in Northern Qi was a day that could not be recalled.【】
That day has been smeared with fear in memory. When I think back for a moment, there will be a slight chill climbing up from the soles of my feet, like a bone-eroding vine, binding people's hearts and making people tremble uncontrollably.
and fear.
Until the end of her life, Zhong Qingye, who was already the Empress Dowager of Tianze, recalled this day, and her finely wrinkled face would still show the same expression as before. In her memory, it was a tragic day.
The overwhelming blood covered the entire memory, and heads fell to the ground like rolling balls, spinning around. The dirty faces on them did not close their eyes until they died.
No one noticed that among the vast crowd of people watching, there was a girl disguised as a man holding a disguised child.
And that child's heart was completely closed along with those little things in life.
On March 31, under Qi Mu's strict orders, all the officials involved in the witchcraft incident were executed in public at the Meridian Gate. The death toll reached five figures. Blood flowed down the high platform and covered the square.
The ancient bluestone floor slowly spreads around.
The blood from the last time has not yet solidified, but the warm fresh blood has already rolled in, covering it over and over again, never solidifying.
The huge square in front of the Meridian Gate was densely packed with people. Zhong Qingye stood in the crowd with Xi Zang in his arms. It was just a drop in the ocean. No one noticed that this woman disguised as a man was the second most popular person in the world after Qi Mo.
Princess Rui. No one even discovered that the child she carefully protected in her arms was the only bloodline of the Xiling clan who was being beheaded on the high platform.
Perhaps these simple people simply don't understand why Xi Zang is in so much pain, but still stubbornly wants to give his family the last chance. But for Zhong Qingye, this is the only thing he can do.
Send your family on their way.
No one spoke, no one made any sound. The huge square was silent. Only the sound of the executioner brandishing his knife and shouting could be heard. The long knife with cold light was raised high, and when it was illuminated by the not very bright light, there was something unexpectedly there.
A dazzling feeling. The knife rose and fell, and the light pierced everyone's eyes, and it felt like it was pierced in the heart.
The sound of puffing was endless. It was the last blood spurting out from the neck of a body with its head cut off. It spread out beautifully and flowed out a magnificent red carpet on the ground, just like the last breath of an actor on the stage.
Put on heavy makeup, flick your long sleeves, and your life ends.
Every time a head was chopped off, the executioner would swing the long knife and call another one, while the remaining heads and corpses were thrown aside in a mess.
Time passed little by little, and the massacre started at noon and continued until nightfall. The forty long poles were burning brightly, illuminating the entire square as if it were daytime. The strong smell of blood had enveloped the entire Jingyang City.
, everyone's sense of smell seemed to be numbed by this pungent smell, and their expressions changed from excitement to intolerance, from intolerance to fear, from fear to calmness, until finally, looking around, they saw numbness and expressions in their eyes.
In the end, it seemed that even the executioner had become numb to this sheer massacre. He didn't even bother to shout, he just dropped the knives like a machine, kicked the corpse to the ground, and started all over again.
Over and over again, again and again.
No one knows how long this situation lasted. Even agents like Zhong Qingye who crawled out from the pile of dead people felt that this senseless massacre was too bloody. If it weren't for the piles of corpses that had gathered on the hill,
She almost thought that these people just killed some animals.
I'm afraid that among all the people, only Xi Zang's eyes widened and he finished the whole process without blinking.
His expression was too stiff and his eyes were too cold, so that Zhong Qingye could not imagine what he was thinking during this period of time.
, what kind of trauma is caused.
I regretted more and more, I shouldn't have agreed to the execution ground for him.
Zhong Qingye bit his lower lip and thought in annoyance.
The massacre continued until midnight. The beheaded corpses were densely packed and piled up into several hills like garbage. Blood covered the road under everyone's feet. Even when breathing, one could detect the rich blood almost dripping from it.
The smell of blood.
No one knows how many people died, but the smell of blood that hangs in the heart is an inner demon that everyone will never get rid of.
Zhong Qingye knew that in the Northern Qi calendar, these decapitated corpses were either dragged to the wolf pen to feed the wolves, or burned with a fire because too many people died. In order to prevent the occurrence of the plague, this
Doubt is the best solution.
As for the head, the principal criminal must be selected and imprisoned in the royal tower forever, which means that he will never be reincarnated. The heads of other accomplices will be put into a dry well and sealed with stones.
but……
Zhong Qingye frowned at Xi Zhan's still expressionless face, feeling a heavy feeling in his heart.
If this is the case, then wouldn’t Xi Zang, the child, not even be able to pay homage to his family’s graves?
For an ancient person, this was almost like cutting off all thoughts. His parents died in front of him, but he couldn't save them, which was an act of unfilial piety, and the Xiling family was guilty of cursing the king, which was an act of disloyalty.
.
What a heavy shackles the reputation of being unfaithful and unfilial would be for this seven-year-old child?
After the beheading, the moon was already in the sky, and the people who were forced to come to watch were finally dismissed, and they immediately left impatiently, as if they were chasing a savage beast behind them. This kind of place full of blood and innocent souls, there is no place like this.
People are willing to wait a little longer.
Under Qi Mu's tight blockade, it was impossible to retrieve the remains of Xi Zang's parents. In desperation, Zhong Qingye had no choice but to take Xi Zhan back.
Before they had gone far, two young men walked out of the corner. They saluted Zhong Qingye respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty asked my servant to take you back to your home."
Zhong Qingye was in a bad mood. He nodded and was about to get on the sedan when he suddenly asked: "How long have you been waiting?"
The servant replied: "Go back to your Majesty, my servant has been following you since you left the house. However, the prince has ordered that you are not allowed to disturb your Majesty except to take you back, so I have never dared to come out."
Qi Mo...
Zhong Qingye's heart softened, and he hugged Xi Zang and sat in the sedan.