Chapter 99: Decapitation

"They’re here, they’re finally here."

"It’s divine retribution. We’ve all been robbed by this gang of bandits so many times before. Every time, we could only think of paying them off to avoid further disaster, handing over whatever money or goods we had."

"These people only know how to bully the weak. If they ever ran into someone truly formidable, they wouldn't dare lay a finger on them. We should pelt them with rotten eggs!"

"This time, they were blinded by their own arrogance. They finally met their match."

The crowd buzzed with speculation. Someone lowered their voice, whispering, "Meeting their match is only one part of it. I heard that they committed a heinous crime a while back involving a powerful figure in the imperial court."

"What crime? What happened?"

"Have you heard that too? I heard about it as well. It supposedly happened several years ago, but the victim recently returned to the capital and has gained quite a reputation, which is why the matter has been brought to light again."

Listening to the chatter below, Tan Qingjiu raised an eyebrow slightly. If she wasn't mistaken, they were talking about her, weren't they?

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Tan Qingjiu's mouth. Tan Yun was quite meticulous; she hadn't expected him to think of spreading rumors first to stir up public interest and curiosity.

Before long, the bandits were escorted in. There were twenty or thirty of them facing execution at the Meridian Gate today, all confined in prisoner wagons.

"I know him!" Someone rushed toward the second wagon, clutching a stone and hurling it at the man inside. "It’s him! He killed my wife and child!"

Tan Qingjiu’s gaze lingered briefly on the second wagon. The man inside was in his thirties, with dark, weathered skin and a look of utter disdain on his face.

Seeing where her eyes were fixed, Qingdai leaned in and whispered, "That man is the second-in-command of the Wuyou Mountain bandits. He is also... the one that Tan Yun and we managed to track down."

Tan Qingjiu looked up, surprised. Since Tan Yun had found the man first, she had simply instructed him to proceed with his own leads and hadn't paid much attention to the details. She hadn't realized that the man Tan Yun had secured was the second-in-command of Wuyou Mountain.

"He agreed to this? After all, he was the second-in-command of the gang."

Qingdai smiled. "Yes, he was. But he and the leader of Wuyou Mountain had been at odds for years, and it had only worsened recently. It was over a woman, they say. This second-in-command met a woman at the foot of the mountain and fell in love with her. When the leader found out, he abducted her and brought her to the stronghold, using her family as leverage to force her to marry the second-in-command."

"As it turned out, the woman had a fierce spirit. She chose to end her life by slamming her head against a wall."

"Because of that incident, a rift grew between the second-in-command and the leader, leading to disagreements over many things."

"When the stronghold was taken down, Tan Yun used the woman’s surviving family members to pressure him. The second-in-command is a man of deep sentiment; even though the woman is gone, he still holds her in his heart."

Tan Qingjiu nodded. Just then, the wagons reached the execution platform. They were opened, and the prisoners were hauled up.

The presiding official stepped onto the platform, his gaze sweeping over the dense crowd before settling on the prisoners. "Today, we execute the bandits of the Wuyou Stronghold on Wuyou Mountain. This gang has been arrogant, committing arson, murder, and pillaging. They are to be beheaded at the Meridian Gate today as a warning to all."

The official narrowed his eyes. "Kneeling at the front is the leader of this band. Today is your final hour. I will give you one last chance to repent. Tell us what evil deeds you have committed, and what you regret the most."

The first to speak was the burly man kneeling in the center. He lifted his chin and laughed, his voice booming like a bell. "What evil deeds have I done? There are too many to count! Isn't that what you just said? Arson, murder, pillaging—I’ve done it all. But I don’t regret a single thing. I’ve walked this earth, and I’ve done everything I wanted to do. It was worth it!"

"If I had to do it all over again, I’d choose to live the same way. It was glorious! Hahaha..."

The official’s face darkened instantly. Recalling his instructions, he took a deep breath to suppress his anger and turned his gaze to the man on the left.

The man on the left was the second-in-command. He looked off into the distance, a smile still playing on his lips. "As for me, I’ve committed my fair share of sins, much like my brother here. But there is one thing I did entirely on my own."

The leader turned his head to look at him.

"This is probably my only secret. But since I’m going to die anyway, what does it matter? I might as well confess it now, so I don't carry the burden to the grave."

"Over six years ago, the Princess Consort of Prince Ding gave me two hundred gold taels to kidnap her half-sister and ruin her virtue. I did as I was told."

As soon as the second-in-command spoke, the crowd erupted in an uproar.

"The Princess Consort of Prince Ding? Her half-sister, that would be..."

The second-in-command curled his lips. "That sister was quite a beauty. I used drugs to knock her out before taking her. She was so young, I couldn't bear to see her face when she realized what was happening, so I took her while she was still unconscious."

"I kept tabs on her later. I heard she was drowned in a pond because she was pregnant. I remember thinking, 'That won’t do; the child in her belly was mine.'"

"I actually gathered some men to go rescue her, but I arrived too late. By the time I got there, she had already been thrown into the water. I had people search for a long time, but we couldn't find her, so I let it go."

"Recently, I heard she didn't die and returned to the capital?" The second-in-command’s smile widened. "If she didn't die six years ago, does that mean I have an heir out there?"

"Hahaha, then I haven't lost everything. Dying was worth it."

The second-in-command’s words hit the crowd like a stone dropped into a still lake, causing a massive ripple.

The whispers of the onlookers grew deafening.

"My God, isn't it true that people said Tan Qingjiu was loose six years ago and got pregnant by having an affair?"

"It was the Princess Consort of Prince Ding? But why would she do such a thing?"

"It’s not hard to understand, is it? I heard the Princess Consort is from a concubine’s line; her birth mother was just a servant. The second young lady was the true daughter of the primary wife. It was only after the second young lady’s mother died that the Princess Consort’s mother was elevated to the position of primary wife. I suppose... it was jealousy?"

"Besides, have you all heard what happened at the teahouse yesterday?"