Video Editor

Those who plot rebellion will be executed at the Meridian Gate three days later.

That day, the capital city was deserted as everyone flocked to the streets.

Before dawn, the streets were already packed with people.

There were merchants who came from the east of the city, people who came from the west of the city, women carrying children, and elderly people leaning on canes.

They stood on tiptoe, craning their necks to look towards the Meridian Gate.

The entire Fu family was exterminated, along with three generations of their clan.

More than a hundred people, young and old, were taken to the execution ground.

At the front were the masterminds, Fu Zhaoxin and Fu Lingtu, followed by their brothers, nephews, and then the women and children.

There were elderly women with white hair, babies in their arms, young wives trembling with fear, and teenagers crying their hearts out.

The onlookers watched those people and began to discuss them amongst themselves.

Who is that old lady?

"The old lady of the Fu family, Fu Yanqing's wife."

How old are you?

"I heard he's over eighty."

"You're over eighty years old and you still want to kill him?"

"Treason, no matter how big."

"Where is that child? He's still breastfeeding."

“Kill them too. Exterminate their entire clan, leave no one alive.”

Some sighed, some shook their heads, and some silently turned away.

The executioner raised his knife and brought it down.

A human head rolled to the ground.

Then came the second, the third, the fourth...

Blood stained the stone slabs in front of the Meridian Gate, flowing down the cracks and forming streams.

The executioners were changed three times, and it took them from morning to afternoon to kill all of the more than one hundred people.

Those who participated in the rebellion, including the assassins and former officials, were exterminated along with their entire families.

Hundreds of households and thousands of people were implicated.

Some are in Beijing, some are in other places, some have already been arrested, and some are still on the run.

The Imperial City Guards, carrying the list, went door-to-door, ensuring that no one escaped.

The blood flowed for an entire day.

Of the three hundred cavalrymen from the Khitan side, not one fled.

Yelü Dilie was taken to the capital and executed by slow slicing in front of the people.

The executioner cut away, one slice at a time, from morning until noon, and from noon until afternoon.

Yelü Dilie cried out from beginning to end, his voice growing weaker and weaker until it turned into groans, into gasps, and then into silence.

As the onlookers watched, some closed their eyes in fear, some cheered excitedly, and some silently counted the number of cuts.

Chai Zongxun was the last one.

When he was led to the execution ground, his face was deathly pale and he was trembling all over.

The once spirited Marquis of Anle is now like a chicken waiting to be slaughtered.

His hair was disheveled, his prison clothes were tattered, and he wore heavy shackles on his feet, which rattled with every step he took.

Someone threw stones at him.

"You thief! You dare to call yourself emperor?"

"Bah! You've squandered the empire your father built!"

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

Chai Zongxun kept his head down and didn't say a word.

He was led to the center of the execution ground and forced to kneel on the stone slab.

The executioner stood behind him, holding the large sword that had chopped off more than a hundred heads.

Bloodstains still clung to the blade, gleaming a dark red in the sunlight.

Chai Zongxun raised his head and looked up at the sky.

The sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the sun was bright.

He remembered when he was six years old, his father held him and pointed to the palaces, saying, "Zongxun, all of these will be yours from now on."

That was the last time he saw his father.

Later, my father died.

He was sent out of the palace and moved into the Marquis's residence in the western suburbs.

In those years, he dreamed of those palaces countless times, dreamed of his father countless times, and woke up crying countless times.

But a dream is just a dream.

He can never go back.

The executioner raised his knife.

The knife fell.

The head rolled to the ground.

Among the onlookers, some cheered, some sighed, and some silently turned their heads away.

Fu did not come.

She locked herself in her room and didn't come out for three days and three nights.

The doors and windows were tightly shut, and no one was to be seen.

The palace maids placed food at the door, but she refused to eat it.

Later, it was said that Fu shaved her head and became a nun, going to a nunnery outside the capital, and no one ever saw her again.

The nunnery was very small, consisting of only a few dilapidated rooms and a few elderly nuns.

After Fu left, she spent her days chanting scriptures, meditating, sweeping the floor, and fetching water, living like an ordinary nun.

The former Empress Fu, now a nun, no one knows her past, and no one asks.

Su Ning kept his word, sparing her life and pardoning Chai Zongxun's children, but demoting them all to commoners.

The Chai family's children, the oldest being a teenager and the youngest only a few years old, were sent out of the capital to a place where no one knew them, to live in anonymity.

But Madam Fu knew that from now on, she and the Chai family were nothing to each other.

……

Before the blood on the execution ground had even dried, Su Ning summoned his twenty-four sons to the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple enshrines Emperor Taizu Guo Wei, Emperor Shizong Chai Rong, and other members of the Guo family who died in the massacre.

Incense smoke curled around the memorial tablets, which stood solemnly in rows, like pairs of eyes coldly watching the people kneeling on the ground.

The twenty-four princes knelt before the memorial tablet, not daring to utter a sound.

They were dressed in plain white clothes and knelt in three neat rows.

The older ones are in their thirties, and the younger ones are in their teens.

Some are calm, some are clever, some are brave, and some are intelligent.

They were all exceptional individuals, and each of them thought they were remarkable.

But now, they all lowered their heads, not daring to look at the person standing in front of them.

Su Ning stood in front of them, looking at these sons she had raised with her own hands.

His gaze swept across the face of the eldest brother, Guo Wen, then the second brother, Guo Zhi, then the third brother, Guo Wu, and finally down to the youngest.

He studied each person's face for a long time. "Do you know why I sent you here?"

No one dared to answer.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple was deathly silent.

Only the sound of incense burning, faint and rustling.

"Because I want you to see, to see who is enshrined in this Imperial Ancestral Temple." Su Ning pointed to the memorial tablets, one by one, "Emperor Taizu, he rose from a common soldier, conquering the empire with every sword and spear. How many battles did he fight? How many wounds did he suffer? Do you know?"

"Emperor Shizong personally led an expedition and died beneath the walls of Yunzhou. He was wounded by an arrow, bleeding profusely, and even on his deathbed, he was still asking how the battle was going at the front. Did you know that?"

"And those Guo family members, more than two hundred people, were all wiped out by Liu Chengyou. From the white-haired old people to the babies in their arms, not a single one was spared. Do you know that?"

The princes lowered their heads, and no one uttered a sound. "When I was fourteen, I crawled out of a well, drank thin porridge in a refugee camp, and was protected by an old beggar to escape pursuers. At twenty, I destroyed the Southern Tang, at thirty, I pacified the Khitan, and at forty, I planted the flag of the Great Zhou on the land of the Abbasid Caliphate."

And you?

His voice grew louder and louder, “You were born princes, eating the best, wearing the best, and receiving the best education. You think you’re so great, that you know everything and can do anything.”

"But do you know how many people in this world are watching you? How many are waiting to see you make a fool of yourself? How many are hoping you will kill each other so they can profit from it?"

"Back then, the most suitable successor of the Later Han Dynasty was Liu Chengxun, but he was poisoned to death by his brother Liu Chengyou in his prime. However, Liu Chengyou was ambitious but incompetent, and he persecuted loyal and good people. He even slaughtered the entire Guo and Chai families in Bianliang. Do you all want to imitate that fool Liu Chengyou?"

"..." The princes who knew this history were all silent with fear.

Su Ning walked up to Guo Wen, the boss, and looked down at him. "Boss, what did you discuss when you called your staff together?"

“Father, your son…” Guo Wen trembled all over.

However, Su Ning didn't want to hear his explanation. Instead, she turned to the second son and asked, "Second son, what did you find out when you sent someone to the Ministry of Revenue to inquire about the situation?"

"..." Guo Zhi's face turned pale.

"Third brother, how many people did you contact when you went to the army to contact your old subordinates?"

"Father, I know I was wrong." Guo Wu lowered his head and dared not utter a sound.

"Fourth brother, how long have you been secretly communicating with the people from the Imperial City Guard?"

"Your subject..." Guo Gong's hands trembled.

"Fifth Brother, what secret weapon or equipment have you developed while researching new things at the Academy of Sciences?"

Guo Qian's face turned pale.

"Sixth Brother, what are you dealing with these foreign envoys for? To probe their intentions? To find a way out? Have you forgotten that the Great Zhou is your true home?"

Guo Qiu's lips were trembling.

Su Ning pointed at each of them one by one, hitting the nail on the head with each one. "You all know what happened this time. I was poisoned and unconscious, and what were you all thinking? Winning over court officials, contacting old subordinates, and making moves everywhere. Did you think I wouldn't wake up? Did you think you could rob me?"

"..." The princes knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

"I'm telling you, I'm not unable to wake up. I did it on purpose."

"..." The Imperial Ancestral Temple was deathly silent.

"I want to see who's behind this. I also want to see what kind of people you sons really are. And what was the result?"

He sneered, "Hmph! You have truly disappointed me."

Su Ning turned around and pointed to the memorial tablets. “From today onwards, you will kneel here. For three days and three nights, you are forbidden to eat, drink, or move. You will simply look at the history of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Show me how many people died during those hundred-plus years, how chaotic things became, how many people were reduced to food, think about the pathetic sheep-leading ceremony performed by Shi Chonggui of the Later Jin Dynasty, and see what fate befell those princes who fought for power.” He walked to the door and stopped. “Three days later, each of you will submit a 30,000-word reflection.”

"If you can't write well, don't even think about leaving."

After saying that, Suning turned and left.

The doors of the Imperial Ancestral Temple closed slowly behind him with a dull thud.

The twenty-four princes knelt before the memorial tablet, looking at each other in bewilderment.

The eldest son, Guo Wen, spoke first, his voice hoarse: "Father is... really angry."

Guo Zhi, the second brother, smiled bitterly, his lips dry: "How can I not be angry? He saw all our little tricks. Anyone would feel uncomfortable in that situation."

The third brother, Guo Wu, asked, "How do I write a 30,000-word book report?"

The fourth brother, Guo Gongdao, said, "The history books of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms are dozens of thick volumes. Let's read them slowly!"

The fifth son, Guo Qian, sighed: "Three days and three nights, without food or drink, reading history books, and then having to write reflections. Father Emperor is trying to kill us!"

Guo Qiu, the sixth brother, said, "To kill them? If we really wanted to kill them, it wouldn't be about writing a book review. Those outside the city whose entire families were exterminated, and many gentry and large landowners in Jiangnan whose entire families were exterminated, that's what it means to kill them."

Everyone fell silent.

Yes!

Compared to those who were beheaded, what is this punishment?

The first day was manageable.

Twenty-four people knelt there, and no one spoke.

Someone secretly moved their knee and was immediately glared at by the person next to them.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple was so quiet that you could hear the sound of incense ash falling, your own heartbeat, and the breathing of those around you.

The eldest brother, Guo Wen, knelt at the very front, motionless.

He looked at the memorial tablets and recalled what his father had just said.

More than two hundred people, from the elderly with white hair to the babies held in their arms, were all gone.

He couldn't imagine how horrific the scene must have been, but he suddenly understood why his father was so ruthless towards those who plotted rebellion.

The next day, some people started to give up.

The younger ones were pale, had dry lips, and were swaying precariously.

The eldest brother, Guo Wen, saw it all, but dared not say anything.

Father Emperor said that no food or drink are allowed, who dares to disobey?

Guo Wan, the seventh child, is twenty-four years old this year and has been in poor health since childhood.

He knelt in the crowd, his face as white as paper, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and his lips cracked and peeling.

He knelt until the afternoon of the second day, but finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground.

The people nearby were startled and wanted to help, but dared not move.

The eunuch who was guarding outside quickly ran in, looked around, and went out to report.

After a while, the eunuch returned and relayed a message: "His Majesty said to carry him out, give him a bowl of ginseng soup, and make him continue kneeling."

Guo Wan was carried out, given ginseng soup, and then carried back to continue kneeling.

Since then, no one has dared to fall.

The third day was the hardest.

Everyone was pale, their lips were cracked, and they were swaying precariously.

But no one dares to fall.

The eldest brother, Guo Wen, had lost all feeling in his knees from kneeling.

He tried to move it, but found that the leg felt like it didn't belong to him and he couldn't move it at all.

His heart sank, but he gritted his teeth and continued kneeling.

The second brother, Guo Zhi, had eyelids that felt like they were filled with lead; he couldn't open them no matter how hard he tried.

He pinched his palm with his fingernails, again and again, until it bled, to keep himself awake.

The third brother, Guo Wu, had a blank mind and couldn't remember anything.

He only remembered one thing—he couldn't fall, he couldn't fall, he couldn't fall.

The fourth brother, Guo Gong, stared at the memorial tablets, counting them over and over again.

One, two, three... When I counted to more than a hundred, my mind went blank, so I started counting again from the beginning.

The fifth brother, Guo Qian, silently recited the contents of those history books in his mind.

Zhu Wen, Li Keyong, Shi Jingtang, Liu Zhiyuan...

He repeated it over and over to keep himself alert.

Guo Qiu, the sixth brother, was thinking about how to write his book reviews.

A 30,000-word article: where to begin, where to end, and what to write in between.

As he thought about it, his mind became clearer and clearer.

The younger princes were crying, trembling, or even delirious, but none of them dared to fall.

The sky outside went dark and then bright again, then bright and then dark again.

The incense in the Imperial Ancestral Temple burned one stick after another.

The rising wisps of smoke were like countless eyes, watching the princes kneeling on the ground.

On the third night, someone started talking nonsense.

"Father...Father, spare me..."

"I was wrong... I'll never do it again..."

"Water...give me water..."

But nobody paid them any attention.

The eldest brother, Guo Wen, gritted his teeth and told himself over and over again: Hold on, hold on, hold on.

He remembered how his father had survived when he crawled out of the well at the age of fourteen.

Back then, no one gave him ginseng soup, no one gave him a chance; he could only rely on himself.

If Father can do it, so can I.

Three days and three nights have finally passed.

The gates of the Imperial Ancestral Temple opened, and Su Ning walked in.

Looking at his sons, who were teetering on the brink of collapse, his face remained expressionless.

Some people knelt there, their bodies trembling; some had their heads down, their shoulders shaking; some had faces as white as paper, their lips cracked and bleeding.

But they all remained kneeling, and not one of them fell down.

"Have you finished writing your book report?"

One by one, the princes took out their own written reflections and presented them with both hands.

The papers were crumpled, some stained with sweat, some with tears, and some with blood.

Suning took them and looked at them one by one.

Guo Wen's reading notes were the best.

It draws on classical texts and provides thorough analysis, from the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period to the present-day peace and prosperity, from the princes vying for power to their final fate.

The article, 30,000 words long, was written in neat handwriting and was clearly organized.

Guo Zhi, the second son, also did a good job. He wrote about the fates of those rulers who lost their kingdoms, analyzing them one by one from Shi Jingtang to Liu Chengyou, and his writing was very insightful.

The third brother, Guo Wu, wrote worse. He didn't read much, so he wasn't good at writing anyway. But this book review was honest and straightforward. He said what he thought, without pretending, bragging, or dodging.

The fourth brother, Guo Gong, wrote very insightfully. He analyzed why there were so many rebels in those chaotic times and why those princes ended up in such a miserable state.

Some of these viewpoints were unexpected even by Suning.

The fifth brother, Guo Qian, wrote the most unique piece. Instead of a book review, he wrote a thesis entitled "On the Root Causes of the Chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period".

It is rich in references and data, and includes several charts that I drew myself.

The sixth brother, Guo Qiu, wrote the most honestly. He wrote entirely about his own insights, reflecting on past events from this incident, and on his father's words and his own actions. He spoke from the bottom of his heart, without holding anything back.

Guo Wan, the seventh brother, wrote the shortest. He was in poor health and couldn't write that many words, but his writing was the most sincere.

"Father, your son's reflections are not well written! But kneeling here today, I finally understand what 'fear', 'respect', 'filial piety', and 'yielding' mean."

The younger princes wrote in a mess, while others simply copied from books, resulting in crooked and scribbled copies.

But they all wrote them and submitted them.

After reading it, Su Ning remained silent for a long time. "Those that are well-written, I know you put your heart into it. Those that are poorly written, I also know what you were thinking."

"But I must tell you—you should know how many people died during the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. You should also remember what became of those princes who fought for power."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the pale faces. "The Great Zhou empire was won by Emperor Taizu with every sword and spear. It was also won through Emperor Shizong's diligent governance, not for you to fight over. When Emperor Taizu passed away, I was already eighteen years old, but for the sake of a smooth transition of power in the Great Zhou, Emperor Taizu still chose Emperor Shizong, who was not related to me by blood. I also agreed to step down and become the Crown Prince. Why?"

The princes looked up at him, saying, "Because the Great Zhou Dynasty was won by the entire Guo family, it cannot be destroyed by our own ambition."

"From now on, you should do what you're supposed to do. But there's one condition—anyone who dares to have any improper thoughts, don't blame me for disowning him as my son."

The princes knelt on the ground and said in unison, "Your subject understands."

Su Ning nodded. "Go back and rest! I will make new arrangements for you in a month."

Twenty-four people, supporting each other, limped out of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

The eldest brother, Guo Wen, helped the second brother, Guo Zhi; the second brother, Guo Zhi, helped the third brother, Guo Wu; and the third brother, Guo Wu, helped the fourth brother, Guo Gong.

The younger ones were supported by the older ones as they walked out step by step.

Their legs were so weak that they felt like they were walking on cotton.

But there was something in their eyes that they had never seen before.

That thing is called fear, and also respect.

Su Ning stood in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, watching their backs as they walked away, and remained silent for a long time.

Zhao Pu walked over and said softly, "Your Majesty, they are, after all, princes..."

“I know,” Su Ning said. “Precisely because they are princes, they must remember this lesson.”

He turned around and looked at the memorial tablets.

The incense smoke curled upwards, and the memorial tablets stood there silently, as if countless eyes were watching him.

"Guo Wei, Chai Rong, did you see that?"

"I have protected this land for you."

No one answered.

But Su Ning knew that they had all heard it.

...(End of this chapter)