Shuhan

Chapter 639: Two generations passed away, and Jiangdong returned to Han!
Jianye Prison is deep and gloomy, like a corner of hell on earth.

Drops of water dripped from the damp stone walls from time to time, making a heart-pounding sound, which intertwined with the faint screams coming from afar, forming an extremely horrifying picture.

The air was filled with the smell of mold and despair, and every breath seemed to devour people's will.

Here, light seems to have become a luxury. Only the faint light that occasionally penetrates through the narrow window holes can make people barely distinguish the change from day to night.

Since Sun Lu's property was confiscated, the scene in Jianye Prison has become even more horrific.

Those innocent people who were implicated were either framed or had family misfortunes, and were all sent to this dark place.

Their eyes were filled with fear, anger and confusion as to why fate had pushed them into such an abyss.

Whenever it was late at night and everyone was asleep, the prison would echo with their curses against Sun Lu and their cries about their own grievances, their voices filled with despair and unwillingness.

"Sun Lu, the traitor, destroyed my family. This is unforgivable!"

"We are loyal and dedicated, but we have suffered such a disaster. It is really unfair!"

"Please open your eyes, heaven, and give me back my innocence!"

These sounds echoed between the cold stone walls, but seemed unable to penetrate the thick barriers and reach the outside world.

However, just when the despair and darkness reached its peak, a strange sound broke the silence in the prison.

"Squeak~"

The prison door slowly opened, and the long-lost sunlight pierced in from outside the door like a sharp sword, dispelling some of the haze.

Although the light was not strong, it was enough to make everyone in the prison temporarily forget the pain around them, and they all looked up at the rare light.

As the prison door opened, a palace eunuch walked in. He was dressed in gorgeous court robes and holding a bright yellow imperial edict. Behind him followed a team of prison guards with solemn expressions.

This sudden change made the originally noisy prison quiet in an instant. Everyone's eyes were focused on this eunuch, with both expectation and anxiety in their hearts.

The eunuch stood still, cleared his throat, and began to read the imperial edict: "The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, proclaims:

I heard that there are many innocent people implicated in the Sun Lu case in Jianye Prison, and I am very worried. After investigation, it is indeed an unjust case. I hereby announce to the world that all those who were imprisoned in the Sun Lu case will be released, their reputations restored, and a hundred thousand yuan will be awarded to comfort them. I hope that after you return home, you will live and work in peace and do not forget my kindness.

Admire this. "

The content of the imperial edict was like a warm current, instantly warming the hearts of everyone in the prison.

The prisoners who once thought they would be forgotten here forever now had tears in their eyes. Some were trembling with excitement, while others simply knelt on the ground, shedding tears of gratitude.

"Long live! Long live! Your Majesty is wise and wise, and we will finally see the light of day!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. Long live the Emperor!"

"There is only one sun in the sky, and there is only Your Majesty in our hearts!"

Shouts rose one after another, and Jianye Prison was filled with unprecedented vitality and hope.

Those who were once suffocated by injustice have finally seen the dawn of regaining their freedom.

They supported each other and walked out of the dark cell step by step. Each step seemed so heavy, yet so firm.

The sunshine shines on them, as if washing away their past sufferings and blessing them with a new life.

They looked up at the sky. Under the azure blue sky, a few white clouds were floating leisurely. Everything seemed so beautiful and so real.

Outside Jianye Prison, although the sun was shining brightly, it could not dispel the heaviness and sadness in the air.

The women who were released from the Jiaofangsi supported each other and waited outside the prison gate early.

They looked particularly thin and tired, their clothes were untidy, their hair was messy, and their eyes were filled with deep sadness and helplessness.

The days in the Jiaofangsi were undoubtedly a nightmare for them. Not only did they have to endure heavy labor, but worse, their innocence was also ruthlessly defiled. The trauma of the soul was far more difficult to heal than the physical torture.

At this moment, their faces were covered with tears, their eyes were red and swollen, and the corners of their mouths were trembling slightly. Every drop of tears seemed to be telling of endless sorrow and grievance.

Their eyes were fixed on the prison gate, hoping that the familiar figure would appear before them as soon as possible and rescue them from this endless suffering.

Finally, the prison door slowly opened, and a group of men in tattered clothes but with hope in their eyes walked out.

They are the relatives of these women. After many days of imprisonment and torture, they have finally seen the light of day again.

Upon seeing this, the female relatives rushed forward and hugged their loved ones tightly, tears rolling down their cheeks like pearls from a broken string, as if they wanted to pour out all their grievances and pains.

"My husband, do you know how much I suffered in the Jiaofang Bureau? During those days, I was living a life worse than death!"

A woman was crying, her voice full of despair and helplessness.

"It's all Sun Lu's fault. He caused our family to be destroyed and now he's finally getting his comeuppance!"

Another woman said angrily, her eyes flashing with deep hatred for Sun Lu.

She could never forget the pain she felt during that time.

They worked like servants, and even had to please the lowly yamen runners at night. They even had to sacrifice their bodies for a piece of moldy steamed bun.

Thinking of the days when she had been servile and slave like a prostitute, the tears on her face could not be stopped from flowing.

"Thanks to His Majesty the Emperor, if it weren't for His Majesty, the evildoers would have succeeded and we would have died in obscurity!"

The female members of the family fell to their knees one after another, and bowed towards the direction of the imperial palace with tears of gratitude.

Everyone was feeling sad and immersed in the joy of reunion and their anticipation for the future when another palace eunuch hurried in, holding a bright yellow imperial edict with a solemn expression.

After he stood still, he cleared his throat and began to read the imperial edict: "The Emperor proclaims:

I have heard that Sun Lu was guilty of a heinous crime. He was not only corrupt but also perverted the law. He also caused countless loyal people to be imprisoned and suffered an unjust fate. I am deeply saddened. I hereby announce to the world that all Sun Lu's titles and official positions will be revoked, all his property will be confiscated, and he will be executed by slow slicing in the East Market on a certain day to serve as a warning to others. I hope that all the people in the world will take this as a warning.

Admire this. "

The content of the imperial edict was like a thunderclap, exploding among the crowd in an instant.

When everyone heard this, they were very happy and said happily:

"Sun Lu died a good death, and his retribution came well! Your Majesty is wise and has finally brought justice to us innocent people!"

"Yes, the traitor finally got the punishment he deserved. It's really satisfying!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you for taking charge for us!"

Cheers and sounds of gratitude rang out among the crowd. Everyone seemed to have lifted a heavy weight off their shoulders and felt a lot more relaxed.

Although the sufferings of the past cannot be erased, at least justice has been served and those innocent victims have received the compensation and comfort they deserve.

The women who were released from the Jiaofangsi were so excited that they burst into tears.

They can finally free themselves from that nightmarish life and start a new life.

They hugged their loved ones tightly, as if they wanted to pass all their warmth and strength to each other.

"Husband, we can finally go home."

A woman choked up and said, tears and hope flashing in her eyes.

"Yeah, back home."

The man held the woman's hand tightly with a bleak look in his eyes.

Perhaps some people have seen through Liu Chan's tricks, but
Stop fighting, stop grabbing. I am the fish on the chopping board. Just be content!

Before, when their lives were safe and they had no worries about food and clothing, they were still thinking about the kindness of the Sun family and the loyalty of the emperor and his subjects.

Now that I have been to the gates of hell, what is the relationship between a ruler and a minister?
What does it matter?
It’s better to have a wife and children and a warm bed.

This is life. Surviving is the most important thing.

Power?

What's the use of power if you lose your life?
The prison with stricter guards than Jianye Prison is undoubtedly the Imperial Prison.

The dark imperial prison seemed like a corner forgotten by the world, deep and cold.

The ventilation here is poor, the air is so turbid that it seems like water can drip out, and every breath seems to be sucking in corruption and despair.

The dead bodies were lying everywhere and no one had cleaned them up. They blended into the gloomy environment and gave off a disgusting smell.

Infectious diseases are rampant here, like an invisible god of death, reaping the lives of everyone imprisoned in this prison.

It can be said that once you step into the gate of this imperial prison, even a strong person will find it difficult to escape the almost inevitable fate - 100 out of 99 people will definitely die.

Deep in this imperial prison, there was a man with a gloomy face and despair in his eyes.

He was wearing prison clothes, had disheveled hair, and looked haggard. That was Sun Lu.

At this moment, Sun Lu was curled up in the corner, surrounded by an indescribable sadness and desolation.

His eyes were empty and deep, as if he could see through all the hypocrisy and cruelty in the world, but he was powerless to change his own fate.

He laughed at himself for being so stupid and also laughed at himself for being so foolish.

He actually believed Liu Gongsi's lies!
That put him in this situation.

At this time, Zhang Xiu walked forward slowly, holding the imperial edict.

He was wearing a gorgeous official uniform and had a smug smile on his face.

Zhang Xiu felt very happy when he saw Sun Lu's miserable appearance.

He couldn't help but sneer, "Sun Lu, you have ended up like this. When you killed your own brother, did you ever think that this day would come?"

Sun Lu raised his head, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

He glanced at Zhang Xiu and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"I bother!"

He spat and sneered, "What kind of loyal minister do you think you are? Why do you think Sun Deng died? Did I really kill him? No, he was killed by the emperor of the Han Dynasty. Liu Gongsi, that treacherous villain, used Sun Deng to stabilize Jiangdong, and then used me to kill Sun Deng and control Jiangdong. If you are a loyal minister, you should go and assassinate the emperor. Why are you pretending here?"

Zhang Xiu's face turned red after hearing this. He glared at Sun Lu angrily, but didn't know how to refute for a moment.

Zhang Xiu naturally knew that what Sun Lu said was true.

When he left Sun Deng, he thought Sun Deng had a chance to survive.

Only now have they figured it out.

Sun Deng is doomed to die.

In fact, they were accomplices in the murder of Sun Deng.

But even though this was the case, he was unwilling to admit it.

You can't admit it either!
Therefore, Zhang Xiu snorted coldly and said, "I won't bother with you anymore since you are about to die."

As he spoke, he opened the imperial edict and read out the emperor's decree: "In compliance with the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Sun Lu's crimes are extremely heinous and he shall be executed by slow slicing as a warning to others. I decree this."

As Zhang Xiu read out the announcement, the atmosphere in the imperial prison seemed to become even more solemn.

However, there was no trace of fear on Sun Lu's face.

"Hahaha~hahaha~"

He laughed loudly, his voice full of sarcasm and unwillingness: "Liu Gongsi, oh Liu Gongsi, you are really good at scheming. You used Sun Deng to kill my father and stabilize Jiangdong; and you used me to kill Sun Deng and control Jiangdong. Now he wants me to die in order to stabilize Jiangdong, how could I fulfill his wish?"

As he spoke, Sun Lu's eyes suddenly became resolute and crazy.

He then rushed forward and smashed hard against the wall.

His head collided with the hard wall, making a dull and terrible sound.

Blood oozed from his forehead, flowed down his cheeks and dripped onto the cold ground.

Zhang Xiu was shocked when he heard this. He never expected that Sun Lu would choose such a violent way to resist.

He shouted quickly: "Quick! Open the prison door!"

However, the jailers were slow to act.

They were frightened by this sudden change and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

At this moment, Sun Lu's body had fallen limply to the ground.

His eyes were closed, his face was as pale as paper, and his breathing had stopped.

After hesitating for a long time, the jailer finally opened the cell door.

But Sun Lu, who was lying on the ground, was no longer breathing.

Zhang Xiu looked at Sun Lu lying on the ground, a complex emotion welling up in his heart.

He felt happy because Sun Lu finally got the punishment he deserved.

I feel sorry again.

The deaths of Sun Deng and Sun Lu were not due to any other reasons.

It’s just because the Wu Kingdom was defeated and their surname was Sun, that’s all.

If the country is destroyed, they are doomed to have no good end.

Not to mention the emperor at the time, who had terrible skills and a heart as cold as iron, and who didn't even need to do anything himself to kill people.

Then you will have no way to survive.

"Hey~"

He sighed and said to the jailers, "Carry him out and execute him by lingchi according to the emperor's order."

The person is dead, but since your majesty's decree has been issued, it cannot be changed.

Even if it's a corpse, it will be tortured to death!
Inside the Han Emperor's palace, Liu Chan sat upright on the dragon throne, a trace of contemplation revealed between his brows.

He had just learned that Sun Lu had committed suicide by hitting his head against the wall, and his heart was filled with waves.

Although Sun Lu was from the State of Wu, Liu Chan had to admit that he was indeed a man of character. At least he was brave enough to die, which was more than most people.

Recalling the changes in the Wu Kingdom in recent years, Liu Chan couldn't help but feel deeply moved.

Since the fall of the Wu Kingdom, Sun Quan's family has been caught in endless disputes and tragedies.

Sun Quan was killed by his own son Sun Deng, who then committed suicide due to his inner struggle and helplessness. Now Sun Lu also chose to end his life by committing suicide.

All of this seemed to be the retribution for the karma accumulated by Sun Quan during his lifetime, which was now being fulfilled one by one in his descendants.

However, while expressing his feelings, Liu Chan also had to face a realistic problem.

Now that three kings of Wu have died in just over a month, how should the country deal with the situation in the future?

Is it necessary to appoint a new King of Wu to stabilize the situation in Wu?
(End of this chapter)