However, before the big raid, Li Yan first put an end to the fake money case involving bandits and food merchants in the Dashui Gorge.
Zhou Hao took the verdict document and said to Li Yan and Zhang Xian, the governor of Guazhou: "Your Highness, Lord Governor, this is the verdict drafted by my subordinates."
After Li Yan read it, he handed it to Zhang Xian beside him.
Zhang Mian was older, so he struggled to read the verdict and said, "What do you think, Your Highness?"
Li Yan said: "The witnesses and physical evidence are there, the rules for judging the crime are clear, and the lonely king has no objections."
After reading it, Zhang Xian also said: "I second my opinion."
Li Yan said to Zhou Hao: "The lonely king wants to use this case to teach people. Tomorrow at noon, the canonical punishment will be announced outside the east gate. You should ask the Facao Yamen to post a notice that the lonely king will personally supervise and execute these criminals."
Zhang Xian looked at Li Yan in confusion. He knew that formal punishment was also required by Tang law, but this was the first time that he had announced beheading in advance and allowed people to watch.
However, there seemed to be no procedural problems, and Zhang Xian did not object.
Zhou Hao's eyes lit up. Are you planning to hold a public trial? We are familiar with this business!
Zhou Hao immediately said: "Yes! Your Highness!"
On that day, everyone in Guazhou City knew that at noon tomorrow, King Jianning would execute the bandits and food merchants in Dashui Gorge outside the east gate. This suddenly brought a bit of excitement to Guazhou City, which had been dull for a long time.
Since ancient times, watching the execution of prisoners has remained one of the few large-scale collective activities for ordinary people.
It's just that when the government executed prisoners in the past, they would escort the prisoners out of the city to the execution ground on the same day. By the time the people came in a hurry, the prisoners' heads had already been moved.
Those people who came late could only sigh and listen to others describing the execution scenes, and eagerly enjoyed themselves.
But this time the government informed in advance that the prisoners would be executed at the court outside the East Gate at noon tomorrow.
Now the whole Guazhou City was in shock!
On the second day, a huge crowd rushed out of Guazhou City and surrounded the entire execution ground.
Some people even moved benches at home and sat on the edge of the execution ground early, preparing to watch this rare "grand event" in Guazhou City.
The old people in the city lamented: "So many people can only be seen during the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival during the Kaiyuan Year!"
"Master, is the Lantern Festival lively?"
"It's so lively! At that time, the prefect will lift the curfew, and everyone can go out on the streets that night."
"We wore masks, walked among the colorful lanterns, and watched the fireworks on the city wall. It was the most lively time of the year!"
Those young people who have never participated in the lantern festival are full of longing.
But the old man sighed and said: "But since the Tianbao Year, when Pangou and Hui Hui invaded the border, Guazhou City has never held a Lantern Festival again."
After saying this, the old man sighed.
The teenagers who had never seen the Lantern Festival sighed, while the adults who had participated in the Lantern Festival when they were young lowered their heads and recalled the happy times of their childhood.
I don’t know when it started. There is no more laughter of children in Guazhou City. I am trying my best to survive every day.
A child raised his head and asked: "Sir, His Royal Highness Prince Jianning is here this year, can we have a Lantern Festival Lantern Festival?"
The old man was suddenly stunned. He touched the child's head and looked at the child's innocent and clear eyes. The old man murmured:
"There will be. Everything will be available when King Jianning comes."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the thirteen criminals who were sentenced to death were escorted to the execution ground by the government officials.
"Behead! Behead!" shouted one after another, and the people watching cheered!
Thirteen prisoners who were sentenced to be beheaded were pushed to the execution ground by the government officials. The shackled bandits were shivering, and one even sat directly on the ground with his crotch soaked.
Among this group of people, Arhan, a big food merchant with green eyes and curly hair, attracted the most attention. The moment he appeared on the scene, he aroused cheers from the people.
When the prefect Zhang Xian was in power, he always tolerated the big food merchants who broke the law. As a result, the big food merchants were unscrupulous in Guazhou City. They often bullied the market and molested women. The ordinary people of Guazhou did not have any good impression of these Hu merchants.
Even the merchants who deal with Hu merchants also dislike this group of big food merchants who like to sell shoddy goods.
This time Arhan was caught on the spot by His Royal Highness Prince Jianning for using counterfeit money, which made those people who had suffered losses at the hands of profiteers feel happy!
Arhan, who was once arrogant and domineering, now looked pale. He completely collapsed on the ground and could only be carried into the execution site by the government officials.
However, among this group of people, only the third leader looked calm.
He calmly walked into the execution ground, shook his body and refused the help of the government officials. He held his head high as if he were a general receiving a reward, not a criminal who was about to be beheaded.
When he entered the scene, the people were so intimidated by his momentum that even the shouts of "beheading" became much quieter.
When all the criminals entered the venue, the swordsman also walked into the execution ground holding a ghost-headed sword.
When noon was approaching, Zhang Xian, the governor of Guazhou, and Li Yan, the king of Jianning, walked into the execution ground accompanied by the officials of the Fa Cao of the governor's office of Guazhou.
The people knelt down one after another and shouted, "His Royal Highness King Jianning."
Li Yan followed the usual practice and went out in person to convince the three elders who took the lead in kneeling, and then said to the people: "Everyone, get up."
With the grateful support of the three elders, Li Yan took the position of supervisor.
Zhang Mian was sitting next to Li Yan, while Cao Zhouhao, the governor's official, took a step forward to the open space in the square.
He held a long file and read loudly:
"Today, by order of King Jianning, the verdict of 12 criminals in the Dashuixia banditry case and one criminal in the Dashi merchant's counterfeit money case will be read out."
"The twelve chief offenders of Dashuixia Village committed murder, robbery, and privately minted counterfeit money. They were not pardoned for several serious crimes. They were sentenced to death according to the thief law of "Tang Lu Shu Yi"!"
"Arhan, a big food businessman, took the initiative to purchase counterfeit money and deliberately used counterfeit money in the market in Guazhou. According to the "Tang Lv Shu Yi", he committed fraud and forged the law. He will be sentenced to death!"
After hearing the two cries of execution, the people clapped their hands and cheered, and the noise was even louder than before!
Arhan, the big food businessman, even collapsed on the ground, completely lacking the arrogance he had when he bullied the market.
Among the many prisoners, only the third leader was still kneeling on the ground with his head held high.
Zhou Hao then explained the crime process and read out the legal provisions. When it was almost noon, the swordsman walked onto the execution ground with a ghost-headed sword.
However, Li Yan suddenly stood up, walked down from the supervisor's position, and came to the front of the third master.
The entire court looked at His Highness Prince Jianning with confusion, and only saw Li Yan asking the third master who was kneeling on the ground: