unedited
Ji Yuanzhi raised his right hand and showed his thumb. The scab on it could still be seen! After a moment, he instinctively withdrawn his hand and looked once more at the chopstick on the floor. His body was abnormally sweating. "I…" He paused. Ji Yunshu completed what his question. "You want to ask how I know the poisoned chopsticks were brought in by you?" "……" Ji Yuanzhi remained silent. "Ji Yuanzhi, you really too clever for your own good. You have never expected that the Wei mansion's chopsticks had a corner shaved to identify them. Yours was unmarked. When you switched the chopsticks, a bamboo chaff pierced your thumb and blood fell on the chopsticks. I have already checked and that blood is yours. Therefore, there's no point for you to quibble." "I-impossible! This can't be!" muttered Ji Yunzhi in a tone of utter astonishment. "When Lord Wei and Madame Wei died, and I was accused as the murderer, you took advantage of that span of time to sneak into my room and left some pitohui feathers. You believe that by doing that, everyone would be fooled into thinking I was the murderer, and sealing my death fate in stone. However, that day in the courtroom, I wasn't convicted for a crime, causing fear to be birthed inside your heart. Because you were afraid that I use this opportunity to reverse the verdict and sooner or later, dig out the truth, which will lead back to you." "You pushed her to kill herself, turning her into your scapegoat. You thought that with her death, the case will close and you will be safe and sound. Unfortunately for you, that scab on your thumb is the irrefutable evidence of your crime." There was no mistake with her explanation, each word worth a gem. It stupefied everyone inside the courtroom. This Ji Yuanzhi was really too bloodthirsty. The truth was out with undeniable evidences. Ji Yuanzhi's hands were stained with the blood of three people. Ji Yuanzhi felt like he was trapped in a quagmire. His plan was obviously perfect! The scapegoat has died as planned! Ji Shuhan also seemed stunned as if he has been hit by a thunderbolt. His legs became soft, almost causing him to keel over, but it made him weakly retreated a few steps with an unstable gait. His lips trembled as he blurted out the words on his mind. "How can it be? How can it be?" How could his son be a murderer? Magistrate Liu was shocked and looked stunned for a moment before picking up his gavel and knocked it on the table with all his might. Bam! The sound reverberated through the courtroom like a strike of thunder. Ji Yuanzhi snapped out and his complexion paled. The magistrate began to interrogate, "Ji Yuanzhi, the evidences for your crime are conclusive. Your attempt to kill Ji Yunshu through poison failed, yet ended up killing Lord Wei and Madame Wei. You also forced Luan'er to take the blame and caused her to hang herself. What else do you have to say for your defenses?"
What's there to say? Ji Yuanzhi, that disappointment, suddenly began to coldly laughed. The hatred in his eyes were clearly seen as he glared at Ji Yunshu. His mouth opened, giving an impression of a piranha's mouth. He gritted his teeth while bellowing, "Ji Yunshu! Why didn't you die? Why it wasn't you who died? WHY?!" "Do you hate me that much?" asked Ji Yunshu. "Yes! I really hate you to the point I want to kill you! If it wasn't for you, my mother wouldn't have died!" 'Huh?' Everyone looked at each other in puzzlement. They didn't understand what his mother's death had to do with Ji Yunshu. However, Ji Shuhan understood everything. His stunned face was now replaced by deep grief. He slapped his thigh and madly shouted, "Karma! This is karma!" Tears fell like rain from his eyes. Ji Yunshu's expression gradually cool down, but there was a trace of guilt on her face. She spoke, "No one had wish for that to happen." "You're the reason why she died! If you didn't fall into the water, my mother wouldn't have jump in to save you. She wouldn't have caught a cold and passed away from it! You caused her to die!" He lashed on her. If his hands weren't restrain by iron shackles, he would have rush and strangle her to death. Ji Yunshu was only aware of the story behind it. It was something that happened to the original owner of this body. When she was ten years old, she accidentally fell into the water. Zhou Pang, who was Ji Yuanzhi's mother, was the only one who knew how to swim and happened to be present. Therefore, Zhou Pang jumped into the water to save her. Unfortunately, she caught a cold and the illness claimed her life not long after. Ever since then, Ji Yuanzhi hated Ji Yunshu to the bone! This problem naturally fell on the transmigrated Ji Yunshu's back. It couldn't be say that this wasn't her problem since this body was now hers. Ji Yuanzhi's eyes was bloodshot from anger. He continued to bellow in rage. "You should die! You should die! Die and accompany my mother in atonement! I can't stand you. If you didn't frame Lingzhi for pushing Muqing in the water, I wouldn't be this heartless and tried to poison you." 'What a disgusting appearance!' Ji Yunshu was truly unaware that this Third Brother of hers had always harbor thoughts of killing her. The corner of her eyes glistened with tears. Her eyes clashed with Ji Yuanzhi's. How can she not hate him? "Did you know that you have caused the lost of three lives?" "They died because of you. They died in your place, so even if they turned into evil spirits, the one they will haunt would be you!" His words sparked Ji Yunshu's fury.
Ji Yunzhi clenched his hands into fist and hit them on the floor. "I really regret that I didn't kill you myself. I would have take revenge for my mother!"
The cost of "avenging his mother" came with the lost of three lives. It made one wonder what was the difference between that kind of man and an homicidal maniac?
Ji Yunshu's almond eyes returned to calm. She asked him, "Let me ask you, when you switch my chopstick with the poisoned ones, did it ever cross your mind a slightest reluctance?" "No way!" He gave a perfunctory reply, then began to laugh. "If you want to kill me, then kill me! Otherwise, I will certainly kill you when given a chance." He seemed a mad lion. Seeing that the situation couldn't go on, Magistrate Liu was about to step in, but Jing Rong was a step earlier. He narrowed his eyes, giving off a deterrent aura that compelled one to obey. He declared, "Murders need to pay with their life. This is the laws of our Great Lin. Behead him at once with no pardon. Ji Yuanzhi, you're done." "Your Highness…" Ji Shuhan shouted, then rushed to Jing Rong before kneeling on the ground with a bam. His whole body was trembling as he begged. "Your Highness, please spare him! Please spare his life!" Jing Rong remained expressionless. His tone hardened even more. "Spare him? Ji Yuanzhi killed three people! Even if he was punished to chariot-tearing1, it would only be cheap for him." "I beg your Highness' mercy! Please, in consideration to the loyalty of the many generations of Ji to the imperial court, spare Ji Yuanzhi's life!" Ji Shuhan had wilted, the flame of his anger had long vanished. He was groveling on the floor, begging for his son's life. Jing Rong snorted. He ignored the man and looked at Magistrate Liu instead. Magistrate Liu understood tacitly the meaning of Jing Rong’s glance and nodded. "Runners, locked Ji Yuanzhi in the prison. After the official document of the Ministry of Justice arrive, the date for his execution will be determined." As he spoke, he pulled out an arrow banner of command 2 from a wooden cylinder on the table and flung it to the floor. Pac! A crisp sound echoed in the courtroom. This time, Ji Shuhan ferociously scowled. His body was completely rigid. In the end, he no longer continued to beg since he has fainted. Two of Jing Rong's subordinates pulled up Ji Shuhan's body. As for Ji Yuanzhi, he continued to laugh while he was dragged away by the runners. Before he was dragged out, he screamed out, "Yunshu! Damn you! You should DIE!" Jing Rong watched the unconscious Ji Shuhan and waved his hand. "Take him away." "Yes, your Highness!" The imperial guard received the order and carried Ji Shuhan back to the Ji Mansion. Inside the courtroom, the calm had return. The case was now closed, but everyone's heart had yet to regain their composure. Instead, it became heavier as if they were sinking into the abyss, choked by the emotions.
Magistrate Liu raised the hem of his uniform and approached Jing Rong. He called out, seeking for further instruction. "Your Highness?" Jing Rong raised his hand, warning the magistrate to shut up. His eyes were closely watching Ji Yunshu. 'This woman is too calm. This calmness is too out of place!'
It took a long while before Ji Yunshu decided to open her mouth and said, "I want to go to the prison. I want to ask him something before he died." 'Hum? What do you want to ask him?'
Grenn’s Rants Corner
…
This is one of the top most gruesome death sentence in ancient China. The convict's limbs and head are tied to five different horses. The executioner will make the horses run in five different directions… and the convict died like that… You can read the written description of other capital punishment here(no visual, promise): ↩ Arrow banner of commander is that red thing in the man's hand: http://sohanews.sohacdn.com/zoom/650_413/2015/9-1449742686040-7-0-375-500-crop-1449742695185.jpg ↩
unedited
Ji Yuanzhi raised his right hand and showed his thumb. The scab on it could still be seen! After a moment, he instinctively withdrawn his hand and looked once more at the chopstick on the floor. His body was abnormally sweating. "I…" He paused. Ji Yunshu completed what his question. "You want to ask how I know the poisoned chopsticks were brought in by you?" "……" Ji Yuanzhi remained silent. "Ji Yuanzhi, you really too clever for your own good. You have never expected that the Wei mansion's chopsticks had a corner shaved to identify them. Yours was unmarked. When you switched the chopsticks, a bamboo chaff pierced your thumb and blood fell on the chopsticks. I have already checked and that blood is yours. Therefore, there's no point for you to quibble." "I-impossible! This can't be!" muttered Ji Yunzhi in a tone of utter astonishment. "When Lord Wei and Madame Wei died, and I was accused as the murderer, you took advantage of that span of time to sneak into my room and left some pitohui feathers. You believe that by doing that, everyone would be fooled into thinking I was the murderer, and sealing my death fate in stone. However, that day in the courtroom, I wasn't convicted for a crime, causing fear to be birthed inside your heart. Because you were afraid that I use this opportunity to reverse the verdict and sooner or later, dig out the truth, which will lead back to you." "You pushed her to kill herself, turning her into your scapegoat. You thought that with her death, the case will close and you will be safe and sound. Unfortunately for you, that scab on your thumb is the irrefutable evidence of your crime." There was no mistake with her explanation, each word worth a gem. It stupefied everyone inside the courtroom. This Ji Yuanzhi was really too bloodthirsty. The truth was out with undeniable evidences. Ji Yuanzhi's hands were stained with the blood of three people. Ji Yuanzhi felt like he was trapped in a quagmire. His plan was obviously perfect! The scapegoat has died as planned! Ji Shuhan also seemed stunned as if he has been hit by a thunderbolt. His legs became soft, almost causing him to keel over, but it made him weakly retreated a few steps with an unstable gait. His lips trembled as he blurted out the words on his mind. "How can it be? How can it be?" How could his son be a murderer? Magistrate Liu was shocked and looked stunned for a moment before picking up his gavel and knocked it on the table with all his might. Bam! The sound reverberated through the courtroom like a strike of thunder. Ji Yuanzhi snapped out and his complexion paled. The magistrate began to interrogate, "Ji Yuanzhi, the evidences for your crime are conclusive. Your attempt to kill Ji Yunshu through poison failed, yet ended up killing Lord Wei and Madame Wei. You also forced Luan'er to take the blame and caused her to hang herself. What else do you have to say for your defenses?"
What's there to say? Ji Yuanzhi, that disappointment, suddenly began to coldly laughed. The hatred in his eyes were clearly seen as he glared at Ji Yunshu. His mouth opened, giving an impression of a piranha's mouth. He gritted his teeth while bellowing, "Ji Yunshu! Why didn't you die? Why it wasn't you who died? WHY?!" "Do you hate me that much?" asked Ji Yunshu. "Yes! I really hate you to the point I want to kill you! If it wasn't for you, my mother wouldn't have died!" 'Huh?' Everyone looked at each other in puzzlement. They didn't understand what his mother's death had to do with Ji Yunshu. However, Ji Shuhan understood everything. His stunned face was now replaced by deep grief. He slapped his thigh and madly shouted, "Karma! This is karma!" Tears fell like rain from his eyes. Ji Yunshu's expression gradually cool down, but there was a trace of guilt on her face. She spoke, "No one had wish for that to happen." "You're the reason why she died! If you didn't fall into the water, my mother wouldn't have jump in to save you. She wouldn't have caught a cold and passed away from it! You caused her to die!" He lashed on her. If his hands weren't restrain by iron shackles, he would have rush and strangle her to death. Ji Yunshu was only aware of the story behind it. It was something that happened to the original owner of this body. When she was ten years old, she accidentally fell into the water. Zhou Pang, who was Ji Yuanzhi's mother, was the only one who knew how to swim and happened to be present. Therefore, Zhou Pang jumped into the water to save her. Unfortunately, she caught a cold and the illness claimed her life not long after. Ever since then, Ji Yuanzhi hated Ji Yunshu to the bone! This problem naturally fell on the transmigrated Ji Yunshu's back. It couldn't be say that this wasn't her problem since this body was now hers. Ji Yuanzhi's eyes was bloodshot from anger. He continued to bellow in rage. "You should die! You should die! Die and accompany my mother in atonement! I can't stand you. If you didn't frame Lingzhi for pushing Muqing in the water, I wouldn't be this heartless and tried to poison you." 'What a disgusting appearance!' Ji Yunshu was truly unaware that this Third Brother of hers had always harbor thoughts of killing her. The corner of her eyes glistened with tears. Her eyes clashed with Ji Yuanzhi's. How can she not hate him? "Did you know that you have caused the lost of three lives?" "They died because of you. They died in your place, so even if they turned into evil spirits, the one they will haunt would be you!" His words sparked Ji Yunshu's fury.
Ji Yunzhi clenched his hands into fist and hit them on the floor. "I really regret that I didn't kill you myself. I would have take revenge for my mother!"
The cost of "avenging his mother" came with the lost of three lives. It made one wonder what was the difference between that kind of man and an homicidal maniac?
Ji Yunshu's almond eyes returned to calm. She asked him, "Let me ask you, when you switch my chopstick with the poisoned ones, did it ever cross your mind a slightest reluctance?" "No way!" He gave a perfunctory reply, then began to laugh. "If you want to kill me, then kill me! Otherwise, I will certainly kill you when given a chance." He seemed a mad lion. Seeing that the situation couldn't go on, Magistrate Liu was about to step in, but Jing Rong was a step earlier. He narrowed his eyes, giving off a deterrent aura that compelled one to obey. He declared, "Murders need to pay with their life. This is the laws of our Great Lin. Behead him at once with no pardon. Ji Yuanzhi, you're done." "Your Highness…" Ji Shuhan shouted, then rushed to Jing Rong before kneeling on the ground with a bam. His whole body was trembling as he begged. "Your Highness, please spare him! Please spare his life!" Jing Rong remained expressionless. His tone hardened even more. "Spare him? Ji Yuanzhi killed three people! Even if he was punished to chariot-tearing1, it would only be cheap for him." "I beg your Highness' mercy! Please, in consideration to the loyalty of the many generations of Ji to the imperial court, spare Ji Yuanzhi's life!" Ji Shuhan had wilted, the flame of his anger had long vanished. He was groveling on the floor, begging for his son's life. Jing Rong snorted. He ignored the man and looked at Magistrate Liu instead. Magistrate Liu understood tacitly the meaning of Jing Rong’s glance and nodded. "Runners, locked Ji Yuanzhi in the prison. After the official document of the Ministry of Justice arrive, the date for his execution will be determined." As he spoke, he pulled out an arrow banner of command 2 from a wooden cylinder on the table and flung it to the floor. Pac! A crisp sound echoed in the courtroom. This time, Ji Shuhan ferociously scowled. His body was completely rigid. In the end, he no longer continued to beg since he has fainted. Two of Jing Rong's subordinates pulled up Ji Shuhan's body. As for Ji Yuanzhi, he continued to laugh while he was dragged away by the runners. Before he was dragged out, he screamed out, "Yunshu! Damn you! You should DIE!" Jing Rong watched the unconscious Ji Shuhan and waved his hand. "Take him away." "Yes, your Highness!" The imperial guard received the order and carried Ji Shuhan back to the Ji Mansion. Inside the courtroom, the calm had return. The case was now closed, but everyone's heart had yet to regain their composure. Instead, it became heavier as if they were sinking into the abyss, choked by the emotions.
Magistrate Liu raised the hem of his uniform and approached Jing Rong. He called out, seeking for further instruction. "Your Highness?" Jing Rong raised his hand, warning the magistrate to shut up. His eyes were closely watching Ji Yunshu. 'This woman is too calm. This calmness is too out of place!'
It took a long while before Ji Yunshu decided to open her mouth and said, "I want to go to the prison. I want to ask him something before he died." 'Hum? What do you want to ask him?'
Grenn’s Rants Corner
…
This is one of the top most gruesome death sentence in ancient China. The convict's limbs and head are tied to five different horses. The executioner will make the horses run in five different directions… and the convict died like that… You can read the written description of other capital punishment here(no visual, promise): ↩ Arrow banner of commander is that red thing in the man's hand: http://sohanews.sohacdn.com/zoom/650_413/2015/9-1449742686040-7-0-375-500-crop-1449742695185.jpg ↩
