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Chapter 543 Execution
Upon seeing that the Brahma King's nephew had arrived, Eunuch Gao did not give him a kind look, nor did he greet him. He simply signaled to the guards that they could begin administering the punishment.

Two guards then pinned Lu Qing to the ground, while another guard, carrying a large club used for executions, swung it around and struck Lu Qing's body.

With a bang, a bloodstain immediately appeared on the back of Lu Qing's clothes.

Zhu Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he clenched his fists tightly.

One, two, three... I don't know how many times...

The bloodstains on Lu Qing's body gradually merged into one, making it impossible to tell how many blows he had taken. The blood also gradually changed from a dark red that seeped through the fabric to a slightly damp color, making it hard to believe how badly his body had been beaten under his clothes.

Zhu Yu bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, but she forced them back, refusing to let a single drop fall.

Lu Qing was beaten so badly, yet he gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound. There was no reason for her to cry and whine on the side, which would only lower Lu Qing's morale.

The onlookers were initially curious, wanting to see how the troublesome Prince Xiaoyao would be beaten until he was screaming and trembling in fear.

What they saw instead was a tough guy who, despite wearing dirty clothes, still exuded an air of nobility and remained silent even when beaten bloody.

The initial chatter gradually subsided and eventually disappeared completely. The crowd of onlookers was quiet, with only the sound of the cane being struck. The more the cane was struck, the more bloody and mangled the flesh became. Each sound of the cane falling drew gasps from the onlookers. Some people couldn't bear to watch and chose to leave or turn their faces away.

Finally, the beating was over, and not only Zhu Yu, but even the people who had come to watch the commotion breathed a sigh of relief.

The guard in charge of the execution walked over and knelt down in front of Lu Qing, reaching out to check his breath. After checking, he stood up and nodded to Eunuch Gao: "Eunuch Gao, the execution is complete. The prince is still alive."

So what should we do now?

"His Majesty said to take him outside the palace gate and give him fifty strokes of the cane. You just need to give him the full amount of the cane, no more and no less."

"As for the rest, His Majesty said he would issue an edict tomorrow. So let the prince's men take him back today to get some medicine and see a doctor." Eunuch Gao sighed slowly and waved to the guards.

The guards nodded and stepped aside, and those who had been holding the talismans and incantations also relented.

"This...this is it?!" Brahma's nephew, who had been waiting for a while, immediately came over upon hearing Eunuch Gao's words, reaching out to tug at Eunuch Gao's sleeve. "He killed my uncle! My uncle was the dignified Brahma King! And you think fifty strokes of the cane are enough?!"

“The person who prescribed the tonic for your uncle Brahma is someone else, and he has been imprisoned in the death row.” Eunuch Gao turned around to avoid the hand that Brahma’s nephew reached out. “The reason why Prince Xiaoyao was dragged out and flogged is ultimately because he took it upon himself to go to Brahma’s land with others and caused trouble.”

This kind of thing shouldn't have warranted fifty strokes of the cane. His Majesty was only showing consideration for your uncle, who was a vassal king, and since this matter was somewhat related to your uncle's death, he had already dealt with it accordingly.

You saw with your own eyes how much force those guards used. An ordinary person would probably be dead by the time they'd received half of those fifty strokes. What else could you possibly be dissatisfied with?

Brahma's nephew was speechless after hearing this, but he was also unwilling: "Then... then even if he didn't write the prescription, he still went with us, so he's an accomplice! My uncle is the king of a vassal state, and according to the law, the most serious crime of murdering a vassal king is the extermination of three generations of his family, and the execution of the entire family is punishable by joint liability!"
Fifty strokes of the cane are far too perfunctory; they show utter disrespect for my uncle, a prince of the realm!

If it were an ordinary person, they might actually be intimidated by what he said, but Eunuch Gao was no ordinary person.

Who is he? He usually deals with a bunch of powerful people in the palace, and he serves Emperor Jin. Judging people's status and knowing how to handle them are all a piece of cake for him.

Eunuch Gao glanced at the Brahma King's nephew and chuckled, "Young master, I advise you to be careful with your words and actions."

I have already made it very clear to you that the Prince of Xiaoyao only went with others and did not prescribe any medicine for your uncle. Even putting that aside, no matter how big a mistake he made, he is still a prince of Jin Kingdom.

"You dare to threaten to exterminate his entire clan? That's utterly treasonous!"

When Brahma's nephew was scrutinized by Eunuch Gao's meaningful gaze, he immediately realized what was going on.

He had been told that Emperor Jin did not like the Prince of Xiaoyao, and that the Prince of Xiaoyao was not Emperor Jin's biological son. Therefore, he overlooked some other things and blurted out the truth.

Now, after being reprimanded by Eunuch Gao, he suddenly realized that even if he wasn't his biological son, at least his status was there. If he had said "extermination of three generations" in front of Emperor Jin, his head would probably have rolled far away by now.

Realizing this, he was immediately terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. His clothes clung to his body, sending chills down his spine.

“You are not a descendant of Brahma. Brahma neither formally adopted you into his family nor submitted any report to the Emperor indicating his intention to pass the throne to you.” Eunuch Gao did not stop there, but said to him with a smile, “The Emperor will summon you to the palace for an audience at the morning court tomorrow.”

When the time comes, you may wish to present your concerns to His Majesty in person regarding who should inherit the throne of Brahma and whether the punishment of the Carefree King was sufficient.

How about this?

Brahma's nephew, no longer daring to pester him, stammered a reply with a flustered expression and fell silent.

Then, Eunuch Gao waved to the talismans and inscriptions on the side, signaling them to carry Lu Qing away.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment. This old servant has one more thing to say."

Zhu Yu was about to check on Lu Qing's condition when he heard Eunuch Gao's voice coming from behind him.

She stopped in her tracks, turned around and looked at Grandpa Gao, wondering if he had anything else to say to her.

"His Majesty will issue the decree first thing tomorrow morning." Eunuch Gao looked at Lu Qing, who was covered in blood, and sighed with worry. "In this state, the prince probably won't be able to go back on his own. Princess, please remember to find a place to stay before the imperial decree is issued."

"The valuables at home that are easy to carry around are still there, since the Prince Xiaoyao's mansion hasn't been taken back yet, so we can still tidy them up."