People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 549, The Show Begins

Vertical sun.

As the Spring Ploughing Ceremony draws ever closer, the climate in Qin is beginning to warm up. The warm sunshine makes Xianyang, the solemn and majestic capital of Qin, appear much gentler.

People who had been staying home all winter because of the cold were now taking to the streets to prepare for the coming spring.

However, compared to the vibrant and flourishing scene in Xianyang, Zhangtai Palace and the banks of the Wei River were filled with a desolate atmosphere, dispelling the warmth brought by spring.

Inside Zhangtai Palace.

Members of the Qin royal family and dozens of ministers stood in the square, led by three members of the Qin royal family: Lord Weiyang, Lord Jingyang, and Lord Changping.

The three men, accompanied by their ministers, stood solemnly in the square, looking ahead at Lao Ai, who was being dragged out of a prison cart by armored soldiers, and at the five oxen swishing their tails in the square.

"By imperial decree, Marquis Changxin, Lao Ai, is ungrateful and has gathered his servants, retainers, and accomplices to plot a rebellion. His crimes are unforgivable, and his entire clan shall be exterminated. Lao Ai shall be punished by being torn apart by five horses!"

Zhao Gao stood before the assembled officials, holding the imperial edict in his hands, and read it aloud.

Upon hearing Zhao Gao's reading, the Qin officials looked at Lao Ai with a newfound sense of pity. Dismemberment by five horses, waist-cutting, and slow slicing were among the most severe punishments in Qin's penal code, and dismemberment by five horses was not an exaggeration for Lao Ai's crime of treason.

But there are five oxen in the square, not five horses. Although being torn apart by five horses is painful, it is far less painful than being torn apart by five oxen.

The ox was much slower than the horse, giving Lao Ai ample time to clearly perceive the excruciating pain of his limbs and body being torn apart.

"Time's up, execute him!"

Zhao Gao glanced at the sundial in the distance and shouted loudly to the soldiers below.

Five soldiers dragged Lao Ai to the middle of the five oxen, tied chains around his neck and limbs, and then walked behind the five oxen.

On the high platform, Ying Zheng, dressed in royal robes, looked coldly down with sharp eyes, devoid of any emotion, staring at Lao Ai like a sharp sword.

"Execute!" Zhao Gao gave the order, and five armored soldiers lashed the ox's rump with whips. The startled ox let out a loud moo and then ran forward.

Lao Ai was instantly pulled into the air by the powerful force. As the strong bull ran in five directions at the same time, the tearing sensation in his limbs and neck caused Lao Ai to scream in pain.

"Ahhhhh!!"

The members of the royal family looked at the suffering Lao Ai without any pity on their faces. Instead, they were filled with excitement, wishing they weren't the ones whipping him.

They had wanted to kill Lao Ai for a long time, and now that they saw him die in such a painful way, they must be happy.

Compared to the excitement of the members of the royal family, the ministers who came from the six states were filled with fear, and some even trembled uncontrollably. They knew that Ying Zheng's order for all officials to watch Lao Ai being executed was a warning to the ministers, especially to them, the scholars from the six states.

"Ah!"

As Lao Ai let out his last painful scream, his limbs and head were forcibly separated from his body in the blink of an eye, and his blood was splattered on the bluestone bricks of the square.

Ying Zheng looked at Lao Ai, who had been dismembered, and finally felt relieved. He glanced at the assembled officials and then turned to walk into the hall.

"Sir, I have finished here. The rest is up to you," Ying Zheng thought to himself.

Meanwhile, the officials below the stage, upon witnessing Lao Ai's gruesome death, all turned grim and suppressed the urge to vomit.

Xiong Qi glanced at Lao Ai's corpse and lost all interest. He didn't care about Lao Ai's death; he was more concerned about the execution ground on the banks of the Wei River, where Xu Qing executed Lao Ai's followers and accomplices.

The majority of those executed were scholars from the six states, but there were also relatives of the Zhao state and military nobles.

With this act, Xu Qing has beheaded so many people, and it's likely that their relationship with other officials in the court will plummet to rock bottom.

"Your Majesty, Lord Zhaoming, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Xiong Qi looked at the palace, his eyes filled with doubt, and thought to himself, "Dead! Dead! Finally dead!"

"Hahaha, heaven has eyes! That scoundrel Lao Ai is finally dead!"

The members of the royal family, led by Lord Weiyang, were overjoyed and clapped their hands in delight.

"Lao Ai is dead, but not all of his accomplices have been punished. Marquis Wenxin, Lü Buwei, as the one who recommended Lao Ai, should be punished according to Qin law. All of you, come with me to see the King and submit a petition!"

Lord Weiyang turned to the excited members of the royal family and shouted loudly.

Immediately, everyone present looked at Lord Weiyang. The members of the royal family were taken aback at first, then raised their hands in righteous indignation and shouted loudly.

"Severely punish Lü Buwei and uphold the Qin law!"

Compared to the spirited members of the royal family, the faces of Yao Jia and Lü Buwei's retainers, along with the scholars from the six states, instantly darkened, their gazes toward Lord Weiyang filled with complex emotions.

They wanted to defend Lü Buwei, but it was a fact that Lü Buwei recommended Lao Ai, which led to Lao Ai causing chaos in the harem and plotting a rebellion.

Even if they wanted to, they were speechless in the face of such irrefutable evidence.

"Go and see the King!"

Lord Weiyang led his clansmen toward the palace where Ying Zheng was, each of them displaying an attitude of not giving up until they brought down Lü Buwei.

Meanwhile, at the execution ground on the banks of the Wei River.

Two or three hundred soldiers surrounded the entire execution ground, making it impossible to move. In the center of the execution ground, several executioners were sharpening axes and halberds, preparing for the next execution. On the side, hundreds of prisoners dressed in prison clothes, with disheveled hair and bound with hemp ropes, knelt on the ground.

Xu Qing, dressed in a black and red official robe, sat in the position of the executioner, accompanied by two officials from the Court of Justice. The shadow of the pointer on the sundial not far away was moving slowly.

"One hundred and sixty-three people. The lowest-ranking noble is Buge, and the lowest-ranking official is a minor official in a certain prefecture. This is probably the first time since the Weihe Execution Ground was established that there has been such a large-scale execution." Xu Qing said, looking at the prisoners who looked terrified and were restless.

“You are right, Lord Zhaoming. The execution ground on the Wei River was set up by Lord Shang to execute those who fought privately. At that time, 122 people were executed, which was the largest number of executions in the history of Qin.”

"However, this will be changed starting today."

An official standing nearby echoed this sentiment.

Xu Qing nodded slightly, then looked at the sundial beside him. Seeing that it was time for the execution, he stood up and called out.
"By imperial decree, Lao Ai is guilty of treason, and his accomplices are to be executed immediately!"

"Execution time! Bring in the prisoner!"

After receiving Xu Qing's order, the soldiers guarding the prisoners escorted them to the execution platform. After the first batch of prisoners were brought up, Xu Qing gave the order to be beheaded.

"cut!"

The executioner raised the axe in his hand, its sharp blade gleaming with a chilling light, and with Xu Qing's command, it fell immediately.

Dozens of heads fell to the ground instantly, and blood spurted out.

After the first batch of prisoners was executed, the second batch began, and it wasn't until a quarter of an hour later that all 163 prisoners had been executed.

"Next up is Marquis Wenxin's time to shine."

Xu Qing looked towards Xianyang, thinking to himself.

Soon, news of Xu Qing's execution of 163 people who had followed Lao Ai in his rebellion at the Wei River execution ground reached Xianyang. However, before the officials could digest this news, an even bigger piece of news came from Zhangtai Palace.

Lü Buwei submitted a memorial requesting to resign from all his official positions, including that of Chancellor, which Ying Zheng granted. He also abolished Lü Buwei's title of Marquis Wenxin and relocated his fiefdom to Bashu.

(End of this chapter)