On the morning of the eighteenth day of the lunar month, the edict that Ouyang Xiu and Su Jin had been waiting for finally arrived, and the three soldiers were so tired that they were almost out of shape, and the edict was handed over to Ouyang Xiu, and the two fainted on the spot.

Ouyang Xiu ordered people to quickly ask for medical treatment, and then hurriedly read the edict, and was immediately overjoyed, and immediately rushed to Yangzhou Mansion to summon Song Zhen and Su Jin, as well as the officials of Yousi, to ascend to the hall to announce the edict.

Everyone gathered in the lobby of the mansion and knelt down to listen to the edict, only to see Ouyang Xiu pick up the edict and read: "I was really shocked when I heard that Ouyang Aiqing asked for this case; This is the first major case of official governance since I ascended the throne, and under the rule of Taiping, my officials are so corrupt that it is unbearable! I personally examined the file overnight, the evidence of this case is conclusive, and the facts of the case are clear, which shows that Ouyang Aiqing, Song Zhen, Su Jin and others have spent a lot of energy to investigate this case. I have already read the petition of the people, and for the sake of the people, I will allow you to wait for the execution of the criminal officials in Yangzhou, and the people will be angry! I hope that this move can deter officials all over the world, self-denial, honesty and self-love, after the case is concluded, Ouyang Aiqing needs to make a detailed discussion of the case, and choose an early day to play it up, so as to show the ministers. ”

Su Jin's heart finally fell firmly into his stomach, and the sound of three long live shouts was the loudest cry he screamed.

After everyone got up, Ouyang Xiu said with a serious face: "The Holy Lord seems to be very angry, the lower officials' recital did not say that these criminals will be executed, but the Holy Lord said that we will be allowed to execute a criminal official, since the emperor's golden mouth has been opened, let's do it according to the will." ”

Song Zhen said: "Please let Lord Zhongcheng call the shots, and the lower officials will help." ”

Ouyang Xiu glanced at the serious Su Jin, and said loudly: "Then let's discuss, those people should be punished with death, and who else should not die." ”

Su Jin said: "Lord Zhongcheng is familiar with the law, so it is naturally better for Lord Zhongcheng to decide, and the lower officials are just a reminder, the emperor means to take the opportunity to deter officials in the world, and it seems that he can only be heavy, not light." ”

Ouyang Xiuxin said: "I still have to remind you, you are afraid that there will be fish that will slip through the net, and in the end something will be bad; Why isn't the old man afraid? ”

"Governor Song, what do you mean?" Ouyang Xiu asked.

"Naturally, I listened to Lord Zhongcheng, but ......"

Su Jin frowned and said, "Lord Song has no opinion, the adult decides." ”

Song Zhen shut up, of course he didn't know that there was already a tacit understanding between Su Jin and Ouyang Xiu, and he also understood that it was very beneficial for him to execute the prisoner in Yangzhou, but his scholarly temper couldn't be changed all of a sudden, and he was always self-righteous and wanted to add something, how could Su Jin let him say this 'but' The latter words, Song Governor was a fool, and there was no need to count his words at all.

"Good! Since the two adults agreed, the official gave a heavier punishment according to the terms of the Song Penal System; The matter of the judgment on the desk can be decided by the officer, but should the date of execution be fixed? ”

Su Jin said: "The lower the official thinks, the sooner the better, firstly, there is no need to delay this case any longer, and there is no need to wait at all under the conclusive evidence, and secondly, the people of Yangzhou are looking forward to Feng and a corrupt official to be beheaded, and the sooner it is over, the people will have peace of mind for the New Year; It is not easy to stabilize in the year of the catastrophe, the people's will is the most important, and the emperor's edict reply also has this meaning. ”

Ouyang Xiu nodded and said, "It's okay, Lord Song, you immediately handle the matter of the judgment desk with me, and the Su envoy organizes people, finds a location, and shoulders the responsibility of safety; Feng has committed the remnants or has not been cleared up, and there must be no mistakes at that time. The officer will see that the desk business can be completed this morning, so how about the day of execution be set for three o'clock in the afternoon tomorrow? ”

Su Jin and Song Zhen both agreed, and everyone immediately split up and got busy.

Ouyang Xiu and Song Zhen immediately pronounced the verdict on the prisoners one by one, and the captured officials, Luo Song, the chief arrester of the Yamen, resisted arrest and was cut and wounded, and he had already died the day before yesterday, and the other 18 former heads of various departments of the Yangzhou Prefecture were all executed without exception.

On Feng Jingyao's side, more than 20 of the more than 100 disciples of the Dragon Tiger Sect who were captured were sentenced to death, and the rest were all exiled by tattoos.

The family property of the convicts and Feng convicts was confiscated from the officials, and the wives and female slaves in the family were either dismissed or exiled according to the size of the crime, and some were used as official prostitutes; The officials were busy raiding their homes and sealing the doors all afternoon, and threw the families of the convicts into prison like grasshoppers.

Su Jin didn't know that so many people would be affected, although the families of these criminals were not capital crimes, but the punishment of assassination and exile as official prostitutes was really not light, Su Jin only knew the laws of this dynasty, and he couldn't imagine that so many people would be implicated. But in any case, these people are guilty, and those implicated are not innocent, thinking that these people had colluded with Feng Jingyao to harm so many people in Yangzhou City, Su Jin's heart hardened, and he left his compassion behind, how can he have the kindness of a woman at this moment?

That night, Su Jin came to accompany Ouyang Xiu to inspect the prison where the death row prisoners were held, and there was a sound of scolding and shouting everywhere he went; Feng Jingyao is okay, this gentleman is not yet sober, and others such as Guo Pinchao, Shen Dezhang, Cangsi Fan Chengren, Tixue Hou Shangrong, Wang Dahui, Zhou Zhe, Sun Youyi and others are shouting and scolding through the prison, they have learned in the afternoon that they will be executed tomorrow, and the last glimmer of hope has been shattered, so they simply become unscrupulous.

"Su Jin Xiao'er, don't be complacent, sooner or later the matter of your unauthorized use of military rations will be known to the imperial court, and you will die worse than us when the time comes, you will be killed by Ling Chi for three days and three nights, with a thousand knives, wait."

"Ouyang Xiu, you faint official, we have already reported to you that Su Jin used military rations without permission, you actually concealed it and did not report it, and asked for your life to kill us, you will also have retribution."

"What are you afraid of? The head has fallen off the bowl and the big scar, the master is waiting for you under the yellow spring, waiting for the conspiracy of your two dog officials to be revealed, and when you arrive at the underworld, you will be put into the oil pot and fried for three days and three nights......"

Listening to the vicious shouting and scolding one after another, Ouyang Xiu's face was not good, and he frowned and said to Su Jin: "Isn't it a bad thing that tomorrow's execution will also be like this?" How to think of a way to do it. ”

Su Jin smiled and said: "Don't worry, my lord, people are about to die, and they will eventually go crazy, and tomorrow the officials will have their own ways to make them unable to open their mouths." ”

Ouyang Xiu said: "You are not allowed to cut your tongue or anything, the head corpse will be sent to the capital for inspection, this is the rule of the imperial court, if the damage is too serious, you will be given a handle." ”

Su Jin said: "No, I have already made hundreds of hemp walnuts, and when the time comes, each person will stuff one in their mouth, and their tongue will be paralyzed and they will not be able to say anything." ”

When he walked to the end of the cell and turned to walk back, the screams and curses of the death row prisoners were even more vicious and unbearable, and even the eight generations of Su Jin and Ouyang Xiu's ancestors were turned out and cursed; Ouyang Xiu's face was pale, and he was very displeased.

Su Jin shouted: "Everyone, what's the use of you making such a fuss? Are you not convinced? Reflect on what you have done, shouldn't you be sentenced to death? Lord Ouyang is polite to you, but he just sentenced you to beheading, if you are not satisfied, you can choose one of the car splits, hanging, Ling Chi, and waist beheading, and the management guarantee will satisfy you; Whoever wants to try it will scold me again. ”

The death row prisoners were terrified when they heard this, and some people didn't buy it, so they opened their mouths and scolded: "You dog officer, we are all people who are going to die, and we still listen to your scare, go to your mother's comparison." ”

Su Jin waved his hand, and the jailer next to him hurriedly stepped forward, Su Jin said: "Open the prison door, use chopsticks to open the man's mouth, pour a bucket of ice water into him to wash his mouth, whoever wants to scream again, just do it." ”

The two jailers opened the cell door and entered, the death row prisoner was locked in the bed and could not move, was pressed down by the jailer, used two bamboo chopsticks to tie the upper and lower lips and opened his mouth widely, snoring and pouring a large bucket of water, immediately his lips were blue and his face was purple, his stomach seemed to be stuffed with cold ice, he could no longer speak, and his body was curled up and shaking.

Su Jin shouted: "If I were you, I would stay alive and sound, tonight is your last night in the world, I don't want you to suffer before you die, but it doesn't mean that you can't fix you if you die anyway; Counting tomorrow's severed head dinner, you only have three meals, and I will order someone to bring good wine and food to entertain you, and if you want to open some, people will always die; Moreover, your death is because you have violated the laws of the court, and you are to blame yourself, how can you blame others. ”

The prisoners hate it so much, Lao Tzu deserves to die if he breaks the law, you kid is still free when he breaks the law, and you are still ashamed of what you say; Although he was angry in his heart, he was silent when he saw the death row prisoner who did not know whether he was alive or dead after being flooded; Most people made up their minds to shout out about Su Jin's matter in public before the execution tomorrow, there is no impermeable wall in the world, as long as this matter reaches the capital, this kid will not be able to jump in a few days.

Su Jin nodded with satisfaction and said, "Stay well, tell the jailer if you want to eat or drink, it's just the same, don't toss around, don't waste this last time." ”

The prisoners really stopped making noise, but they stared at Su Jin and Ouyang Xiu with vicious eyes, and their throats and eyes let out a beast-like roar; If their eyes can kill, Su Jin and Ouyang Xiu's bodies are already full of holes.

Ouyang Xiu and Su Jin couldn't face these gazes calmly, after all, these two people had ghosts in their hearts, so after explaining a few words, they fled and left.