I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 696: Heads Rolling, Hongnong City's Aristocratic Family Destroyed (Combined Chapter 6K7)

The atmosphere in the lobby of the County Magistrate's Mansion was solemn and dignified.

Su Yao sat in the hall, his eyes sharp as torches. He listened quietly to Mr. Lin's accusations, without any expression on his face.

Jia Xu was carefully recording every word of Mr. Lin, and occasionally looked up at Su Yao, with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes.

Mr. Lin's voice trembled slightly with excitement. While taking out the evidence he had treasured in his arms, he recounted his family's misfortune, his son's injustice, and the Zhao family's evil deeds, describing every detail clearly.

Everyone in the hall was moved by Mr. Lin's accusation.

Those children from noble families looked at each other, with a hint of panic and uneasiness in their eyes.

They didn't expect that someone would actually dare to stand up and accuse them, let alone that the accusation would be so detailed and powerful.

As these evil deeds were exposed one by one in the court, everyone present was filled with indignation.

In the lobby, the Zhao clan members kneeling on the ground were extremely panicked. Some of them refuted loudly, saying that Mr. Lin was slandering them, while others kowtowed repeatedly, trying to distance themselves from the matter, saying that they did not know and had not participated in it.

The Zhao clan members behaved in an ugly manner in the hall, and the crowd watching outside the hall burst into shocking discussions, as this old event aroused the anger and injustice in their hearts.

"This Zhao family is so cruel and crazy!"

"What Mr. Lin said is true. They almost destroyed my family!"

"And the Zhang family, they bully others on a daily basis, and we are angry but dare not say anything!"

"Marquis of Champion—you must rule for the people!"

Inside and outside the county magistrate's mansion, there was a sudden roar of voices, and no one left the battlefield.

Faced with this surging public opinion, Su Yao narrowed his eyes slightly and swept his gaze over the people in the hall.

He already had a calculation in his mind.

The Zhao family is undoubtedly a cancer in Hongnong City and must be eradicated.

The opportunity before him was a good chance for him to establish his authority.

"You can rest assured."

Su Yao stood up, stretched out his arms and pressed them, signaling everyone to be quiet:
"Since I, Su Yao, have come to Hongnong, I will not sit idly by and watch this evil continue."

"No matter what grievances you have, I will seek justice for you and make those lawless people pay the price they deserve!"

When Mr. Lin heard this, he was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude:

"Thank you, Champion Marquis! Thank you, Master!"

Su Yao waved his hand, signaling Lin Weng to leave, then turned to look at Jia Xu:

"Wenhe, that's all I have to say. The rest is up to you."

Jia Xu nodded, knowing that this was Su Yao's trust in him.

He stood up and glanced sharply at the people in the hall:
"Chief Zhao, Zhao Dai, do you have anything else to say?"

The Zhao family head and Zhao Dai looked at each other, their faces as pale as paper.

Looking at the mountain of irrefutable evidence, they knew that this matter could no longer be covered up.

"I...we..." The head of the Zhao family hesitated and couldn't say a word for a long time.

However, his son, the culprit Zhao Dai, stood up suddenly and struggled to shout:

"I'm innocent! What crime have I committed?!"

"You are just some lowly people. With a few coins in your pocket, you think you can change your fate and be on equal footing with noble families like us?"

"Bah—they deserve it!"

"When my grandfather's grandfather was fighting with Emperor Guangwu to conquer the world, their ancestors didn't even know where to get a living!"

Zhao Dai's face was ferocious and he roared in a hoarse voice.

Looking at the crowd in uproar and Su Yao who was looking at him coldly, Zhao Dai shouted angrily:

"I lied to them, so what?"

"Are they not at all wrong?"

"I just fulfilled their fantasy and taught these idiots a lesson."

"In the past twenty years, I have made so much contribution to Hongnong and the Han Dynasty."

"Can't we punish a few greedy untouchables who don't know the rules?!"

"No need to say more."

Su Yao waved his hand and interrupted Zhao Dai:

"I have heard enough of your sophistry."

He turned to look at Jia Xu and said in a deep voice: "Wenhe, according to the law, how should we deal with them?"

Jia Xu stroked his beard and nodded, saying solemnly:

"Zhao Dai first betrayed his trust and stole people's money, then he seized people's property and killed people."

"As an official of the imperial court, he abused his power, knowingly broke the law, falsely accused and framed others, causing many innocent victims and the destruction of their families. According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, such evil deeds should be punished by confiscation of property and immediate execution."

"At the same time, Patriarch Zhao has failed to educate his son properly and has been a traitor to his son. He should also be stripped of all his titles and be exiled to the frontier as a warning to others."

Seeing Su Yao nod, the faces of the Zhao family head and Zhao Dai turned pale as paper in an instant.

They knew that their family's fate was about to come to an end.

"No! That's impossible!"

Zhao Dai suddenly shouted:

"You can't kill me. You can't kill me."

"Marquis Guanjun, I know I was wrong. I made a mistake. I can compensate the Lin family for their losses, and I can also provide food for your army."

"Don't kill me, spare my life."

However, Su Yao just looked at him coldly, without any movement.

"You realize your mistake now? It's too late!"

Su Yao's voice was cold and ruthless:
"I have already given you a chance, but you didn't know how to cherish it."

"Now, pay for your crimes!"

He waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to take the Zhao family leader and Zhao Dai away:
"Tomorrow at noon, behead him in public at Caishikou!"

The soldiers took the order and escorted the head of the Zhao family and Zhao Dai out of the hall.

As Mr. Lin watched this scene, he felt endless gratitude and excitement in his heart.

He knew that he had finally obtained justice for his son and cleared the Lin family's grievances.

"Son!"

"do you know?"

"The day has finally come!"

"Thank you, Marquis Guanjun! Thank you, Military Advisor Jia!"

Mr. Lin knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude.

Su Yao helped Lin Weng up, patted his shoulder and said:
"Old man, you don't have to be so polite."

“This is what we should do and what we must do.”

"It's your son's hard work and your perseverance that earned you all this."

Mr. Lin was in tears and could only make a whimpering sound with gratitude.

He knew that it was lightly said by the Champion Marquis, but if the Champion Marquis had not come here, the injustice he had suffered over the past twenty years might never have been redressed, and his persistence would only result in ruthless ridicule from others.

After catching his breath, Mr. Lin kowtowed deeply again, crying out to the sky.

The people watching outside the hall also burst into warm applause and cheers.

"Oh my God, did you see that, did you hear that?"

"It's an immediate execution!"

"They will also confiscate all property and exile all members of the clan!"

"The Zhao family is finished, the Zhao family is finished!"

"Champion Hou Weiwu!"

"Well done, well done!"

"We have eliminated harm for the people! We have eliminated harm for the people!"

The people outside the county magistrate's mansion cheered and applauded. They cheered for Su Yao's decisiveness and fairness, and were moved by Lin Weng's persistence and justice.

At this moment, Su Yao's status in the hearts of the people of Hongnong instantly rose, and his reputation spread like wildfire, becoming more and more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

The disciples of the noble families in the hall and in the crowd were all pale and looked terrified.

They didn't expect that this champion marquis was so cruel and ruthless, and would kill people at will.

Their frightened figures, like broken-backed dogs, stood out in front of the cheering people.

"Lord Su, the people's hearts can be used. We should seize the opportunity to pursue the victory!"

After listening to Jia Xu's words, Su Yao nodded calmly.

This is what the question implies. He has waited so long for such an opportunity, how could he let it go easily?

Next, it’s time to take action.

At noon the next day, Caishikou was bustling with people.

Almost all the people in the city went out today. They came in large numbers and watched the beheading of the head of the Zhao family, Zhao Dai and others.

That’s right, this time, it wasn’t just Zhao Dai who died.

As the saying goes, if a wall falls, everyone will push it down.

Although Lin Weng's evidence and accusations were mostly directed at Zhao Dai himself, there was not enough reason to implicate his clansmen and followers.

However, when Su Yao announced the verdict on Zhao Dai yesterday, everyone knew that the Zhao family was finished.

Now, all the people who had not dared to speak out and report before for fear of retaliation took action.

They stood up one after another to accuse the Zhao family of their years of evil deeds and expose the crimes committed by members of the Zhao family.

For a time, various reports came in like a tide, and a long queue formed in front of the county magistrate's mansion.

Jia Xu and the officials of the county magistrate's office were extremely busy and had to work overtime late into the night to review every piece of reporting and verify every clue.

After a busy night, they finally compiled a detailed list of crimes committed by members of the Zhao family.

This list includes not only Zhao Dai's immediate family members, but also those members of the Zhao family who colluded with Zhao Dai, as well as those officials and thugs who were bribed or coerced by the Zhao family. Naturally, Zhang Yan and others who fled out of the city are also on the list.

So, after Jia Xu excitedly handed the evidence to Su Yao, Su Yao showed a satisfied smile.

Looking at the crimes committed one after another, Su Yao knew that these Hongnong families who were causing trouble should finally pay the price for their actions.

He stood up, his eyes were sharp, he glanced at the officials and soldiers in the hall, and said in a deep voice: "Pass the order down, immediately follow this list, arrest all the criminals and bring them to justice, not a single one can be spared!"

"Yes, my lord!" The officials and soldiers in the hall responded in unison and took quick action.

Su Yao turned to Jia Xu and said:
"Wenhe, you will personally sit in the county governor's office and be responsible for the interrogation and sentencing of these criminals. You must be fair and strict, and let the people see our determination and actions."

"Your humble position is worthy of your order!"

With Su Yao's order, Hongnong City was instantly set on fire late at night.

Lu Bu himself took charge of the city and led the army to block all streets and gates of Hongnong City, impose a curfew, and announce that anyone who went out on the streets in violation of the ban would be regarded as an accomplice and would be severely punished and could be beheaded in the street.

Then, the Chiyun Knights, who were Su Yao's personal army, attacked overnight under the leadership of Zhao Yun, following the map and arresting the criminals in a massive manner.

"Hurry, move quickly, don't let them run away!" Zhao Yun ordered loudly.

The knights were divided into several groups and headed to different target locations. With accurate intelligence and efficient actions, they captured all the suspects overnight. With their vigorous cooperation, the arrested families were unable to put up any resistance.

Su Yao didn't even give them time to collude and cause trouble.

The night sky of Hongnong City was illuminated by flames, and the wailing and crying sounds intertwined together, forming a shocking picture.

In the dead of night, batches of suspects were escorted to the county magistrate's office, where Jia Xu was in charge of the trial.

"Spare my life!"

"I know my sin, I know my sin!"

"Please don't kill me. Please show some mercy, at least leave a bloodline for our family!"

In the lobby of the county magistrate's mansion, cries for mercy were heard one after another.

The head of the Zhao family and those disciples from the noble families who had thought they were lucky and had escaped the trial at dusk were filled with despair and they all kowtowed and begged for mercy.

However, Jia Xu was ruthless and impartial. He cut the Gordian knot and signed their names one by one. He crossed out their names and ordered them to be taken to the execution ground, where they were beheaded together with Zhao Dai as a warning to the public.

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"It's over, it's over."

The head of the Zhao family collapsed on the ground, his eyes filled with dead despair.

After one night, the large-scale arrest finally came to an end, and what followed was the public execution show at Caishikou.

Dozens of young men from aristocratic families, led by the Zhao family, and their hundreds of accomplices who did evil, were personally escorted by the Scarlet Cloud Knights and taken to the execution platform one by one.

As the first rays of morning light penetrated the mist, the curfew in Hongnong was completely lifted.

People poured out of their homes and rushed to the square under the propaganda of Xiaotao, Xiaolu, Hu Ji sisters and others who beat drums and gongs.

That’s right, it’s the one not far from the county magistrate’s mansion.

It is the largest square in Hongnong City and the distribution center for commodity trading and vegetable trading in the entire city.

Previously, at the call of the Zhang family, these people launched a boycott against the Zhen family's business here.

Today, in the same place, those who plotted rebellion and opposed him will all be beheaded in public as a warning to others.

As the crowd gradually gathered, the atmosphere in the square became more and more tense and solemn.

Su Yao stood on the high platform, looking coldly at the people below.

Behind him were the Chiyun Knights and officials from the County Governor's Office lined up in neat rows. They were on high alert and maintaining order at the scene.

However, even the gleaming blade could not stop the enthusiasm of the people.

The faces of these people were filled with anger, curiosity, but mostly shock and expectation.

My goodness! There has never been such a large-scale public execution with so many people in the history of Hongnong City.

Moreover, those who were killed were the children of aristocratic families who were once high and mighty.

Such a big event is more eye-catching than the grand rally a few days ago.

So the people pushed forward desperately, trying to get closer to the execution ground.

The surging crowd almost pushed the soldiers away.

At this moment, suddenly everyone stopped and gradually became quiet.

Because Su Yao is here.

"Fellow citizens, I have called you all here today so that you can witness our victory with your own eyes."

Su Yao's voice was loud and powerful, penetrating the noise of the crowd:
"The Zhao family and other aristocratic families have been bullying the people for a long time and have committed numerous crimes."

"However, the law is long and wide, and nothing escapes them. Their evil deeds finally received the punishment they deserved."

"I, Su Yao, swear here that as long as I am alive, I will never allow those who bully the people and exploit the common people to go unpunished!"

"This will never change because of their background and status!"

Su Yao's words were powerful, and every word seemed to carry a tremendous force, deeply engraved in the hearts of every citizen present.

Mr. Lin in the crowd was in tears, his hands were shaking, and he was so excited that he could hardly speak.

At this moment, he seemed to see the smile of his son's spirit in heaven and felt the long-lost justice and fairness.

"Marquis Guanjun, you are truly the savior of our Hongnong people!" Mr. Lin shouted while choking with sobs. Although his voice was weak, it once again created a wave of sound.

"Champion Hou Weiwu!"

"Long live Su Junhou!"

The shouts rose one after another, resounding through the sky, and the people around also echoed them. They shouted Su Yao's name, applauded and cheered for him, pushing the atmosphere in the square to a climax.

At this moment, the execution began.

The executioners raised their knives and slashed, and the five skulls of the first batch of criminals, including Zhao Dai and his father, rolled down, and the blood dyed the platform red.

Then, their bodies were thrown aside. After Jia Xu read out the report, another five criminals were taken to Xingtai and executed one by one.

Those children of noble families who were once so powerful can only kneel on the ground, waiting for death in despair.

In the crowd, some people were crying quietly, some were gritting their teeth, but more people had expressions of relief and pleasure.

They knew that this day had finally come and the bullies who had oppressed them for years had finally received the punishment they deserved.

The execution lasted until nearly dusk.

The people applauded and shouted that it was great fun.

The rest of the noble families remained silent.

Su Yao's actions and statements made them fully aware of the situation.

As soon as Su Yao and Jia Xu returned to the county governor's mansion, the children of the Liu family, the Yang family and other families in Hongnong City came to express their loyalty.

"The Champion Marquis is truly a blue sky!"

"You are the wise ruler we have been waiting for!"

"I have some small amount of money on hand, and I am willing to donate it to support the army in its fight against Dong."

"As for the traitor Zhang Yan, I know where he is hiding and I am willing to lead a large army to destroy him."

Su Yao looked at those disciples from aristocratic families who were kneeling on the ground with their buttocks sticking out, and couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

These people were arrogant and domineering before, but now they have bowed their heads and submitted one by one. Such a ridiculous change is certainly not out of sincerity. It is just because they have seen his methods and are afraid of being punished more severely.

If these people had realized their mistake earlier, everyone could have lived in harmony without interfering with each other.

But today is different.

He had killed many people at the execution ground, making it clear that he would clear up the old case of Shen Ke and would not let anyone off unjustly.

So, it is absolutely impossible for these people to buy connections by spending money to have others turn a blind eye to their crimes.

"Wenhe, I have handed over the internal affairs of Hongnong to you. Please tell me how to deal with these people."

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu smiled slightly, and looked deeply at the children of the noble families kneeling on the ground, then turned to Su Yao and bowed, saying:
"My Lord, since these people have expressed their willingness to repent and reform, and cooperate with our actions, we naturally cannot generalize and severely punish all of them."

Su Yao nodded and motioned for Jia Xu to continue.

"However, this does not mean that their previous crimes can be forgiven."

Jia Xu emphasized:
"First, they must truthfully confess their past crimes, actively surrender themselves, and cooperate with the investigation."

"This way, we can give different punishments to them based on the severity of the crime they committed and their level of cooperation."

"For those who have committed less serious crimes and actively cooperated with our actions, we can give them lenient sentences, such as confiscating part of their property, ordering them to return the occupied land and property, and compensate the victims for their losses."

"As for those who have committed more serious crimes, or who are willing to cooperate but are not sincere enough or have something to hide, they must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others."

"At the same time, we also need to strengthen surveillance on them to prevent them from doing evil again in the future," Jia Xu added.

Su Yao did not comment, and his eyes swept coldly over the trembling crowd:
"What if they don't confess their crimes truthfully and conceal their crimes?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu's face darkened and he said firmly:

"If anyone dares to conceal their crimes and resist investigation, they will be severely punished. We can increase their punishment, even confiscate their property and exterminate their entire family, to serve as a warning to others!"

At this time, Su Yao nodded with satisfaction:
"Very good, Wenhe has thought it through. Let's do it accordingly."

"As you command, my lord."

Jia Xu bowed his hands in response, then turned around and ordered the soldiers in the hall:
"Please ask these noble family members to go down separately and keep them under strict supervision until I can ask them further questions."

"At the same time, I would like to advise all the young masters not to take chances."

"If you conceal something on purpose and someone reports it, then it will be too late to make amends."

Jia Xu's voice was cold and firm, as if it could penetrate people's hearts. Upon hearing his words, the children of the noble families showed fear on their faces and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

The soldiers stepped forward and asked these children of noble families to leave one by one. Since they had not yet been clearly charged with a crime, they were simply placed under house arrest in the guest rooms of the county magistrate's mansion or in some empty houses outside the mansion.

Jia Xu gave each of them paper and pen and provided them with three full days to write down their crimes and the compensation they were willing to pay.

At the same time, he also encourages reporting, if the report is true, and the person being reported is not confessing his crime.

Then, the whistleblower will be rewarded with significant merit, while the person being reported will face more severe punishment.

As soon as Jia Xu's order came out, those children of noble families who were under house arrest suddenly fell into panic and anxiety.

They knew that this time, Guan Jun Hou and his men were serious. If they did not confess their crimes truthfully, once they were reported by others, the consequences would be disastrous.

Since they were detained separately, they had no way of colluding with each other, and they dared not gamble whether others would report them.
As a result, people who were in despair and panic took up paper and pen and wrote down their crimes.

Some people even racked their brains to write down things like the time when they peeked at their neighbor's sister taking a bath when they were a child in order to reduce their punishment, out of fear of making things difficult for others. They would rather add more sins than leave anything out.

When the people heard the news, they also took action.

They poured into the county magistrate's mansion, beat the drum in front of the yamen loudly, and rushed to report the crimes of the children of noble families.

More and more evidence was brought out to accuse the children of noble families of evil deeds.

Seeing this, Jia Xu was busy working overtime, but was secretly happy in his heart.

He knew that Guanjun Hou's action had achieved initial success and that in the near future, Hongnong City would usher in a new era.

An era of greater fairness and justice, where people can live and work in peace and contentment, and society is prosperous and harmonious.

And now, there is only one last problem left - the escaped Zhang Yan and others.

As the initiator of the boycott, he fled the fastest and fled to his country estate, and his whereabouts are unknown.

However, this is nothing to worry about.

Due to the successful capture and punishment of the noble families in the city, many people have expressed their willingness to report his crimes and provided the places where he might be hiding.

However, the rest of the matters were not something Jia Xu needed to worry about.

While the disciples of the noble families in the city were writing furiously and turning themselves in at their desks, and the common people were beating drums and gongs and reporting enthusiastically, the champion marquis Su Yao had already personally selected the troops to go into battle.

It is located in the west of Hongnong County, ten miles outside Zhangjiawu Fort.

"Spare my life!"

"Lord Champion, please be magnanimous and forgive our sins!"

"My master was confused for a moment, and he already knows he was wrong."

"We are willing to open the city and surrender ourselves. We can also pay all the expenses of your army in Hongnong in the future. We only ask that you can show leniency and spare our lives."

Several of Zhang Yan's trusted envoys knelt in front of Su Yao, trembling. Behind them was the tightly closed gate of the fortress, inside which hid Zhang Yan and the rest of the remaining forces.

Su Yao was riding on his horse with a stern look in his eyes. He slowly glanced at these people begging for mercy, and a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He wouldn't give these people any chance at all.

Su Yao had only one answer to these so-called messengers:
"kill!"

"When we attack the city tomorrow, we must capture the thief Zhang Yan alive."

"Except for him, no male member of the Zhang family in the fort will be left alive!"

(End of this chapter)