Please call me the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty

"What about Sun Er and Song Ba? Can they be released?" Wei Zhongxian asked again.

"That won't work either."

Sun Er already had a murder case and had been on the run.

That Song Ba actually dared to slander Empress Zhang and Zhang Guoji by providing false evidence.

He committed the crime of deceiving the emperor.

This is utterly treasonous. He deserves to die; there's nothing more to say.” Liang Tianqi retorted again.

Seeing that Liang Tianqi's gate was sealed off tightly and that he was not giving him any face, Wei Zhongxian was furious.

The smile on his face disappeared.

"Lord Liang, I'm not trying to scare you."

Back then, Yang Lian, Zuo Guangdou, and the other six gentlemen, along with the Donglin Party members, opposed our family.

We dealt with them all one by one. In fact, we disciplined sixty or seventy officials.

You should think this through carefully. What good will it do you to resist us to the end?

Liang Tianqi sneered: "I've heard that there was an official in the Song Dynasty named Bao Zheng, who was incorruptible, fair and just in judging cases, and fearless of the powerful and wealthy."

Although I dare not compare myself to Bao Zheng, I was born to uphold the laws of the imperial court.

Anyone who commits a serious crime shall be severely punished by this official.

I have long since disregarded my own life.

If you think you are powerful and want to take action against me, then so be it.

Wei Zhongxian frowned after hearing this.

He had never dared to lay a hand on Liang Tianqi easily because Liang Tianqi had such a good reputation as an official and was full of righteousness.

Liang Tianqi enjoyed extremely high prestige both inside and outside the imperial court.

Furthermore, he couldn't find a reason to harm Liang Tianqi.

"Lord Liang, do you know how Yang Lian, Zuo Guangdou, and the others died?"

"Weren't they tortured to death by Tian Ergeng?"

"They were so powerful back then, they didn't take our family seriously at all."

They were always going against our family; in the end, none of them had a good outcome.

"Aren't you afraid of dying?"

This is a blatant threat!

Upon hearing this, Liang Tianqi laughed and said, "Eunuch Wei, since I took over the Dali Temple, I have long since disregarded life and death."

Although Wen Tianxiang is dead, his noble spirit lives on.

What's the use of living to 100 if one has accomplished nothing?

"So, you're going to fight us to the bitter end?"

"I, as an official, value evidence in handling cases. I will not wrong an innocent person, nor will I let a guilty person go free."

If you think I'm going against you, then you can decide for yourself.

see a visitor out!"

At this point, Liang Tianqi picked up his teacup.

This is tantamount to forcing Wei Zhongxian to leave.

"We'll see!" Wei Zhongxian flicked his sleeves and left.

Three days later.

morning.

Beijing, under the West Archway of Chaishi.

This is where prisoners are executed.

Before dawn, Liang Tianqi had already sent men to bring Tian Ergeng, Sun Er, and Song Ba out of the prison.

In addition, hundreds of constables were dispatched to guard the area around the execution ground.

Sun Chuanting led a thousand soldiers from the Shenji Battalion to the scene early on to guard the surrounding area.

Tens of thousands of people came to watch, and according to custom, a parade was to be held in the streets.

The yamen runners put Tian Ergeng, Sun Er, and Song Ba into prison carts and cages and paraded them through the streets.

Tian Ergeng usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly.

Today, his beard is disheveled, his eyes are sunken, and he has lost his former radiance.

Sun Er and Song Ba were limp in the cage, unable to stand up at all.

Song Ba was so frightened that he wet his pants. Some of the onlookers were carrying baskets with eggs and tomatoes in them.

They threw eggs and tomatoes at Tian Ergeng, Sun Er, and Song Ba.

Tian Ergeng was covered in egg white and tomato juice; he looked utterly disheveled.

Today, Liang Tianqi personally supervised the execution. He always personally supervised the execution of important prisoners to prevent any unexpected incidents.

Liang Tianqi sat on the execution platform, looking around the shooting range.

He thought to himself that something like storming a execution ground was extremely rare in history.

Things like the Liangshan heroes causing a ruckus in Jiangzhou and storming the execution ground to rescue Song Jiang are extremely rare. Who would have the guts to storm the execution ground?

Rescuing someone from the execution ground is tantamount to rebellion, and such an act would result in the extermination of nine generations of their family.

Beneath the west archway stood three executioners, their chests exposed, carrying ghost-head knives, and wearing red headscarves; they looked quite frightening.

Three bailiffs, Tian Ergeng, Sun Er, and Song Ba, pulled him out of the prison cart and escorted him to the execution platform.

at this time,

A yamen runner reported to Liang Tianqi, "Li Ruolian has arrived."

"Oh, where is he?"

At this moment, Li Ruolian strode up to Liang Tianqi, bowed, and said, "Lord Liang, the Emperor has sent me to protect your safety."

"Your Majesty is overthinking it. With so many yamen runners and the Divine Machine Battalion, nothing will happen."

"It's better to be careful!" Li Ruolian said, standing behind Liang Tianqi and warily looking around.

Normally, the execution would be carried out at noon.

Liang Tianqi said, "There's no need to wait."

A constable responded and shouted, "Lord Liang orders the executions to be carried out immediately: behead Tian Ergeng, Sun Er, and Song Ba!"

On the execution platform, a bailiff replied, "Tian Ergeng, Sun Er, and Song Ba have been verified and their identities confirmed."

"Execute immediately, behead!"

However, no one expected that at this moment, hundreds of men in black suddenly rushed in from the outside of the execution ground. They were all masked and carrying bows, arrows, knives, and spears. When the onlookers saw that someone was going to storm the execution ground, they scattered in panic and ran away.

At that moment, a sharp arrow shot towards Liang Tianqi's forehead.

Liang Tianqi was a civil official who knew no martial arts.

He tried to dodge, but it was too late; he stood there, stunned.

Li Ruolian kicked the arrow away.

Li Ruolian shouted, "Protect Lord Liang!"

Suddenly, twenty constables rushed over and shielded Liang Tianqi behind them.

Li Ruolian said to Liang Tianqi, "Lord Liang, let's get out of here quickly, it's dangerous!"

Liang Tianqi said, "I won't retreat. I'll stay here and watch until Tian Ergeng, Sun Er, and Song Ba are all beheaded."

The hundreds of masked men in black, the Shenji Battalion, and the yamen runners from the Dali Temple engaged in a fierce battle.

The scene was chaotic.

At this moment, Sun Chuanting picked up his rifle and killed two men in black, shouting, "Everyone, don't panic! Don't lose your composure! Get into formation and counterattack!"

Under Sun Chuanting's command, the Shenji Battalion launched a swift counterattack.

Seeing the urgency of the situation, one of the men in black leaped onto the execution platform in a few bounds.

He drew his sword and slashed the executioner standing behind Tian Ergeng, knocking him to the ground.

The man cut the ropes binding Tian Ergeng: "Tian Ergeng, come with me now!"

When Tian Ergeng saw that someone had come to rescue him, he followed that person without thinking.

Just as Tian Ergeng and the others were about to leave the execution ground, Sun Chuanting roared and jumped over, blocking them both.

Tian Ergeng angrily said, "Sun Chuanting, why are you going so far as to bully me?"

Sun Chuanting declared sternly, "I am here on the Emperor's orders to maintain order at the execution ground. Anyone who dares to disrupt the execution will have their entire family, including nine generations, exterminated!"

The man in black and Tian Ergeng fought a fierce battle against Sun Chuanting.

Sun Chuanting faced two opponents alone without showing any fear.

At this point, you have to risk your life.

However, Sun Chuanting's Shenji Battalion quickly brought the situation under control.

Those men in black were either dead, wounded, escaped, or captured.

Li Ruolin jumped over and joined the fray.

Li Ruolian fought Tian Ergeng, and Sun Chuanting fought the man in black; the four of them ended up in two separate brawls.

The man in black was no match for Sun Chuanting; Sun Chuanting shot him in the left scapula.

Seeing that things were going badly, the man in black abandoned Tian Ergeng and fled, wounded.

Tian Ergeng's formidable skill lay in his embroidered spring knife.

However, now that he doesn't have his Embroidered Spring Blade, how could he possibly be a match for Li Ruolian?

Li Ruolian dragged him back and threw him on the ground.

The leader of the men in black ran away.

When the rest of the men saw that their leader had run away, they all ran away as well.

At this moment, two constables came over and tied Tian Ergeng up again.

They brought him before Liang Tianqi.

Liang Tianqi asked sternly, "Tian Ergeng, who are these people?"

"I don't know either," Tian Ergeng stubbornly insisted.

"you do not know?

Weren't you just talking to that man in black?

How could you not know?

"Help! Someone, come here!"

Two constables approached and bowed, saying, "Sir, please give your orders!"

Holding something that looked like a ruler, he hit Tian Ergeng in the mouth!

They beat Tian Ergeng until his mouth was full of blood and even knocked out his molars.

Tian Ergeng was in so much pain that he couldn't bear it anymore.

"I said, stop hitting me! I said!"

Liang Tianqi snorted and thought to himself, "You're such a bastard! I have to beat you up! You'll never behave."

"That masked man in black was none other than Sun Yunhe!"

Even if Tian Ergeng hadn't said anything, Liang Tianqi could have guessed that it must be related to someone from the "Five Tigers".

I never expected Sun Yunhe to be so bold as to dare to storm the execution ground.

Not entirely reassured, Liang Tianqi captured two more prisoners and questioned them, confirming that the man in black was indeed Sun Yunhe.

At this point, someone who was keeping records came over and wrote down what happened.

Then, let Tian Ergeng perform the offering on it.

Tian Ergeng said, "Lord Yang, I'll do anything you ask, as long as you don't kill me!"

Seeing that Tian Ergeng had said everything he needed to say, Liang Tianqi said, "Continue the execution!"

Tian Ergeng hurriedly cried out, "Lord Liang, spare my life! Don't kill me! I'll do anything for you, even serve you like a slave!"

"Spare you?"

The six gentlemen, including Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou, cannot have died in vain!

"Cut off your head, that's too good for you! Chop!"

With Liang Tianqi's command.

"Ah, ah, ah!"

Three screams rang out, and the heads of Tian Ergeng, Sun Er, and Song Ba were chopped off, rolling far away on the ground.

The Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youjian crossed his arms and gazed out the window, quietly waiting for news from the shooting range.

He knew that because of Zhu Youxiao's initial indulgence,

Wei Zhongxian was deeply entrenched and powerful, so it wouldn't be an easy task to bring him down.

Trying to eliminate Wei Zhongxian directly would be too risky; it might backfire.

Therefore, he had to first cut off Wei Zhongxian's right and left arms.

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Tian Ergeng was a close associate of Wei Zhongxian. Killing Tian Ergeng would be tantamount to cutting off one of Wei Zhongxian's arms.

At this moment, Zhou Ling'er walked to Zhu Youjian's side and pressed her slightly plump body against his.

A girl's natural fragrance wafted towards me.

Zhu Youjian couldn't help but pull her into his arms and wrap his arms around her waist.

Zhou Ling'er's body trembled slightly.

"Your Majesty, you need not worry too much!"

"I believe there shouldn't be any problems."

Zhu Youjian felt Zhou Ling'er's body pressing down on him a bit: "Tell me, now that we've arrested Tian Ergeng, Madam Ke, Wang Shaohui, and Wei Liangqing and his wife, do you think Wei Zhongxian will just let it go like this?"

"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but I heard that Wei Zhongxian personally visited Liang Tianqi's residence."

"Oh, what is he doing at Liang Tianqi's place?" Zhu Youjian couldn't help but ask.

"He sent Liang Tianqi a lot of gold and silver jewelry, as well as four beautiful women." Zhou Ling'er held up four fingers as she said this.

"Is that so? Did Liang Tianqi accept it all?"

"No, Liang Tianqi returned them all to him."

"It seems that Liang Tianqi is truly an honest and upright official."