My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!-Chapter 58: Execution by Beating

The middle-aged man appeared before them, and the girl's face instantly turned pale.

The man was even more furious, sidling his body to reach out through the gaps of the prison bars, yet he couldn't touch even the hem of the refined man's robe.

Although Gu Yanran had never seen Li Xuanjing in the Li Mansion, the portrait of her father's murderer was deeply engraved in her heart.

The refined man's gaze fell on the man imprisoned in the cell and he said calmly, "In the case of Qinghe County Magistrate Gu Wenhan, all the main culprits have been executed, except for the son of the Gu Family's protector, who remains at large. I have always regretted this, but today, we can finally close the case completely."

Looking at that figure, the girl cried in agony, "My father was honest and upright, faithfully serving the public. Everyone in Qinghe County knows this. How could he possibly be involved in trafficking women and forcing them into prostitution? These are false accusations you pinned on him, Lord Li. You have done evil deeds; are you not afraid of divine retribution?"

The refined man looked at her, his gaze slightly wavering, then continued, "Gu Yanran, daughter of the Qinghe County Magistrate Gu Wenhan, sixteen years old, exceptionally intelligent. She could compose poetry and understood music at the age of six, and was particularly skilled in calligraphy, known as the first talented woman of Xuan State. She studied under the master calligrapher Lady Wei, who surpassed her teacher and is better than blue. Her Hairpin Flower Small Regular Script is soft, beautiful, elegant, and flowing. No one in Daxia can match her…"

He paused for a moment, then spoke again, "Lady Wei is indeed a renowned teacher of calligraphy, but she has never taken a disciple in her life. When you were six, your father presented a piece of your calligraphy to Lady Wei for appraisal. Since then, she visited the Gu Residence four times a month to teach you calligraphy. You think she appreciated your talent, but in reality, your father paid her three thousand silver taels every year…"

Gu Yanran angrily retorted, "You're talking nonsense! My master is indifferent to fame and fortune; how could she possibly take so much silver?"

After a brief silence, a young man's voice came from the opposite cell, "Miss, this matter is true. Lady Wei is not as detached from worldly desires as you think. She initially asked for three thousand taels, and later, her greed grew, demanding your father pay her five thousand taels every year…"

Despite his deep hatred for Li Xuanjing, what he spoke was the truth.

Gu Yanran was slightly startled, her expression bewildered.

At that moment, the refined man continued, "I must say, although Gu Wenhan was not a good official, he was a good father who especially doted on his daughter. The rice paper you used for practicing calligraphy is called Dragon Pattern Rice paper from Xuan City, Hui State, one tael per foot. The ink you used, Tongyan Ink, is complex to produce and rare in this world, valued like gold…

He looked at Gu Yanran and slowly added, "He, a seventh-rank County Magistrate with a salary of only three hundred taels, managed to purchase several large estates in Xuan State for his daughter, afford a calligraphy master who charges thousands of taels per year, use the top-quality paper and ink, and still support a luxurious lifestyle for your family of dozens… Have you never wondered, where did all these vast amounts of silver come from?"

After hearing all this, the girl was completely stupefied.

From her birth, she lived a life filled with silk and jade, enjoying whatever she wanted. If she saw anything she liked while out, a mere glance was enough for her maid to buy it. She rarely even touched silver herself, nor did she know the price of the paper and ink she used, the amount of her father's salary, or the cost of their household expenses…

No one had ever told her these things.

The refined man, with his hands clasped behind his back, said indifferently, "You didn't know, so let me tell you."

He looked at the young girl in the cell and slowly began to speak, "On the surface, he presents himself as a Qinghe County Magistrate who is as pure as the driven snow and loves his people like his own children, but behind closed doors, he is corrupt and bends the law, accepts bribes, embezzles funds meant for disaster relief, extorts passing merchants, and also acts as a protector for the largest gang of bandits in Qinghe County. They collude with these officials and criminals; in just three years, the number of women sold into slavery in Qinghe County alone has surpassed five hundred. These women, once abducted, were sold to brothels in other regions or to widowed men in remote mountains, with no one to hear their cries for help, no relief from their despair…"

He gazed into the girl's eyes, pausing after each word to emphasize, "The overwhelming majority of these women took their own lives out of shame. Every piece of paper and every stick of ink that you use is tainted with their blood…"

The girl turned pale and shook her head desperately, "This can't be possible, it isn't like that, these are false charges you've fabricated against him!"

She looked pleadingly at the young man opposite her; they were her father's most trusted people. If her father had done these things, he would surely know!

She hoped that Lin Xuan would personally tell her that all this was false, that it was merely a story concocted by Li Xuanjing!

However, the young man did not counter the allegations. Instead, he glared at Li Xuanjing, clenching his teeth and said, "You great villains, you know nothing of the hardships of an upright official. Father initially wanted to be an incorrupt official, but is it really that easy to be one? If he doesn't conform, what will he use to influence the Governor, the Imperial Censor on patrol, the officials assessing him from the Ministry of Personnel? If he had not conformed, he would likely have been completely devoured by those above him by now!"

A trace of mockery appeared on his face as he continued, "What status does Li Xuanjing hold, esteemed as one of the Nine Ministers, in charge of the Secret Spy Bureau, high above tens of thousands, even the Prime Minister must bow his head in your presence. But what about Father? Father is only a seventh-rank County Magistrate; how could he not heed those above him? If Father refused to act, they would simply replace him, and then my entire family would meet a grim fate. What else could Father do?"

At this point, anger swept across his face, and he spoke fiercely, "Moreover, you, Li Xuanjing, were once disloyal and traitorous, causing the deaths of countless like-minded comrades. Over the years, you have formed factions for personal gain, abused your power, and brought corruption and chaos to the court. You're also guilty of greed, bending the law, and plotting against the loyal and good. Many of the loyal officials have died by your hand. You're the greatest villain of Daxia, hated by countless righteous souls, who would take pleasure only in killing you. What right do you have to speak about my father?"

Upon hearing this, the last glimmer of hope in the girl's eyes extinguished completely.

The belief that had supported her until now had also collapsed thunderously.

Indeed, it turned out that everything he said was true.

Her father, whom she was most proud of and held in the highest esteem, was such a person.

All that she had enjoyed from childhood was bought at the cost of these innocent lives.

The girl leaned against the cold wall of the cell, her expression vacant, as if her soul had been drained.

The refined gentleman shook his head and said to the young man, "You people always focus on the faults of others but never reflect on your own. The members of your Gu Family are people, and so are those hundreds of honest women whom your clan has sold into bondage. They have families just like you do. You have destroyed their homes and lives; for me to do the same to your family is only fair, is it not?"

The young man waved his hand dismissively and sneered, "Don't dress it up so nobly. Father was merely caught up in your political struggles. The crimes you commit are a thousand times, ten thousand times worse than any alleged offenses of his. You're the one who truly deserves to die!"

He stared intensely at the man before him and said solemnly, "What goes around comes around. Heaven spares no one. You, criminal, just wait. One day, it will be your turn for the Li Family to face ruin and destruction. It's just a pity I won't be around to see that day…"

The refined gentleman shook his head slightly, "You are indeed loyal to the Gu Family, but unfortunately, you've misplaced your loyalty..."

A few moments later, a figure slowly emerged from the County Magistrate's Office dungeon.

In the courtyard of the County Magistrate's Office, three men stood trembling. Pei Zhe looked relatively composed, while County Magistrate Zhang and County Captain Wang were pale-faced, their backs already soaked with cold sweat.

Finally, it was County Magistrate Pei Zhe who mustered the courage to carefully ask, "Lord Li, how should this assassin be dealt with?"

The refined man patted his sleeve and said indifferently, "Beat him to death with rods..."

His expression was calm, and his tone was light, as if he were discussing a matter of no significance.

"Beat him to death with rods..." Although it was just a brief three words, it chilled everyone present.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

In Daxia, there were only two types of capital punishment: hanging and beheading.

The method of "death by beating" was not within the scope defined by Daxia Law, nor would it ever pass the Ministry of Justice's review.

But these three words were spoken by Li Xuanjing.

Though the capital punishment reviewed by the Ministry of Justice would ultimately need the final approval of the Minister of Justice, the Minister's word could bypass the Ministry and directly determine someone's fate.

Ten years ago, when His Majesty was still governing, the death sentences adjudicated by the Minister of Justice needed His Majesty's final confirmation before being carried out.

However, His Majesty had not dealt with court affairs for ten years. Now, the supreme power of Daxia Law was held solely in the hands of the Minister of Justice.

If he said "beat to death," then that would certainly be the only fate of the assassin.

Soon after, at the entrance of the Chang'an County Government.

A young man was brought out, forcibly tied to a long bench.

Nearby locals, seeing this, began to gather around to watch.

Public executions at the Chang'an County Government had become commonplace in recent days, almost a daily occurrence, and the locals had grown accustomed to it, treating it as a spectacle.

However, among the crowd, there were observant ones who quickly noticed the difference in this execution.

"Eh, isn't it supposed to be a simple flogging? Why is he tied to a bench?"

"Maybe they're afraid he'll run away."

"Then why is his mouth also gagged?"

"Maybe they're afraid he'll scream?"

"I don't know; it's never been like this before…"

…

They had seen many beatings, but never had they seen someone tied to a bench or gagged. As people wondered, two black-clothed men lifted their punishment rods high and then struck down fiercely.

Crack!

Every strike of the rod produced a sound of breaking bones.

It seemed due to intense pain, the prisoner's body twisted continuously on the bench, and he made muffled sounds, but he could not escape due to the ropes.

At this moment, people finally understood why he was tied up and gagged.

They were intending to beat him to death while he was still alive!

Every blow aimed to kill him.

Indeed, after just ten strikes, the figure bound to the bench no longer moved.

A pool of blood seeped from beneath him, dripping onto the ground and quickly staining it red...

One of the black-clothed men approached, checked his breath, then turned and shouted, "Hey, people of the Chang'an County Government, come out and clean up the body and wash the ground!"