Since ascending to the throne, other than the initial great purge of the deposed emperor's old subjects, although he had always been iron-fisted in governing the country, an incident like today where numerous officials from an entire prefecture were to be executed, was truly an unprecedented situation.
No one knew how angry the Great Liang Emperor was at this moment, but many people had already become numb. The biting cold of the wind and snow seemed to have frozen their emotions to the core, making it difficult to stir any reaction from them. They had forgotten how to cry.
However, many were still immersed in shock and had not yet fully woken up. It was not until the soldiers entered the courtyard and dragged them out that they woke up. Yet, most of them lacked the strength to shout, they merely looked at the Great Liang Emperor with pleading eyes.
According to the laws of Great Liang, the trial of these officials would take a considerable amount of time, involving officials from the Ministry of Penalty and even officials from the Three Judicial Chief Ministries. Nevertheless, regardless of the process, the Great Liang Emperor had already set the tone: all officials implicated in this case would definitely face death, even those from so-called prominent families and clans.
The Great Liang Emperor silently watched as these officials were dragged away.
Soon, the courtyard fell silent.
Only the woman and her daughter remained.
At this moment, the woman dared not look at the Great Liang Emperor. She just knelt at one side, her head very low.
No one could have expected that the man she casually brought home would turn out to be the Emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty.
The young girl did not fully understand the significance of the title "Your Majesty." At this moment, she was still curiously sizing up the Great Liang Emperor. However, she was kneeling too, as her mother did not allow her to stand up.
The Great Liang Emperor arrived next to the woman, but did not help her up. He just said, "Having eaten a meal from you, consider it Our repayment. In truth, We still owe you because this is something We should have handled properly, but We failed to do so."
The woman kept her head low, unable to utter a word. Tears had already streamed down her face, continuously falling.
The Great Liang Emperor walked slowly toward the door, saying softly, "People will continue to die in the Northern Frontier, as they have for countless years. We probably won't get to see the day when people stop dying in the Northern Frontier. We can only hope that after they die, those people who are living can live on well."
The woman suddenly looked up, wanting to say something, only to find that the man whom she might only see once in her lifetime, had already walked out of the courtyard and closed the door.
Feeling somewhat disappointed, she bit her lip in silence and did not say anything.
……
……
Outside the door, the current garrison commander of Xuanling Commandery, Xu Ming, stood quietly by the street.
Walking in the snow, the Great Liang Emperor smiled and said, "General Xu, care to accompany Us for a stroll?"
Xu Ming said softly, "This subject obeys."
So, the two of them slowly walked through the wind and snow, along a long street that had already been cleared. There was only the Great Liang Emperor and Xu Ming.
Neither of them walked particularly fast. Xu Ming followed a step or so behind the Great Liang Emperor, never lifting his head. He could only see the tattered emperor robe of the Great Liang Emperor.
Regarding this extraordinary martial artist who had ventured thirty thousand miles into the desolate north, battled the Demon Emperor, and returned unscathed to the Great Liang's territory, Xu Ming held deep admiration for him. Even setting aside the identity as the Great Liang's Emperor, the sentiment remained the same.
"Your Majesty, this subject still thinks it's not right to let Wei Feng retire in old age."
After much hesitation, Xu Ming finally spoke. In the officialdom, being an official and leading troops had always been two different matters. Xu Ming believed he could handle the latter well, but he was not so sure about the former. Therefore, it might have been better to remain silent to avoid being seen as kicking a man when he's down. However, it was not in his nature to stay silent at a time like this.
The Great Liang emperor did not speak.
Xu Ming continued, "Your Majesty, Wei Feng colluded with foreign cultivators. Even though no action was taken, the mere act of doing nothing is already a grave offense. From this subject's perspective, it's no different from regicide. If an outlaw like Wei Feng, who colludes with foreign cultivators to harm Your Majesty, can retire in old age, won't spies be everywhere in the Great Liang Dynasty in the future?"
Xu Ming could clearly understand the events that had transpired. Of course, there were also many who could see it clearly. After such a thing, many might perceive it as the benevolence of the Great Liang Emperor. However, Xu Ming believed that this was the time for a firm and ruthless approach. Benevolence was not useful at this moment.
The Great Liang Emperor did not turn around, only saying calmly, "Governing a country is like cooking a small fish. As a martial artist, it's within reason that you may not understand such matters. However, if you want Us to explain the cause and effect to you at this moment, it doesn't seem to make sense."
Listening to these words, Xu Ming was sweating profusely even on this snowy day.
He was not dumb, he could understand the implied meaning. Otherwise, he would not have grasped those principles when Wei Feng was subdued.
The Great Liang Emperor turned around, patted Xu Ming's shoulder, and smiled slightly, "We are not a deity. There are many things in this world that We cannot see. We naturally won't believe that it doesn't exist just because We can't see them. Perhaps We might not come to Xuanling Commandery again in this lifetime. How things will be here in the future, We won't necessarily know either."
Cold sweat streamed down Xu Ming's back, and he immediately knelt down, bowing his head as he said, "This subject swears not to disappoint Your Majesty and Great Liang even in death!"
The Great Liang Emperor looked at Xu Ming kneeling on the ground and said softly, "There is much for us monarch and subject to accomplish. Those are the deeds that will be recorded in history. Don't take the wrong path; otherwise, we will truly be unworthy of future generations."
……
……
In the military camp outside the city.
Wei Feng looked at his packed belongings, waved to let his two personal guards leave, and then he could not help but cast a lingering look at the chair that had once belonged to him, heaving a sigh.
Actually, whether was it being an official, a person, or leading troops, Xu Ming could not compare to him at all.
Xu Ming could see some things, but in reality, Wei Feng could see everything.
The Great Liang Emperor would not kill him, or at least would not do it personally. It was not because he was concerned that Wei Feng was a disciple of the Northern Frontier Great General. He just did not want to involve too many people. At least, his family had nothing to do with this matter. If he were to be caught and convicted of colluding with foreign cultivators, establishing himself as a spy, his family would be implicated as well. Hence, that was why he declared that he was retiring back to his hometown.
But, retirement did not really mean that one could grow old.
After he returned to his hometown, he still had to die.
At that time, no matter if he chose to end his own life, or if someone else helped him, he would still have to die.
There was no way he could live. The plan of the foreign cultivators fell through, so they would ensure that no evidence was left behind.
So, Wei Feng did not have a choice. He could only quietly accept it.
Returning to his hometown and then dying.
That was already his fate.
Wei Feng shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Why did it come to this? I can't blame anyone either."
