Royal Gold Magistrate - Chapter 230

Over the course of two days, Fang Zheng swiftly arranged the subsequent matters.

During these two days, he had already announced to the entire city that Prefect Liu Xun would soon be publicly executed.

At this moment, the vast majority of people in the city had gathered outside the city walls.

On top of the city gate tower, Liu Xun and the deputy prefect, with disheveled hair and wearing shackles, were pressed against the battlements.

Fang Zheng had wanted to let Xie Xian experience being an official, but Xie Xian politely declined.

He was already content with having worn the official robes once.

After all, life in Taoyuan County was much more relaxed and enjoyable than being an official.

To avoid being recognized, Fang Zheng had deliberately dirtied his face a bit and changed into a pair of trousers full of patches.

Now he was holding the imperial sword, with one foot on the battlement, looking down.

In the distance, Nie Zheng was observing the situation with a grim face.

He hadn’t expected Fang Zheng to make such a big deal out of this, calling almost everyone in the city!

With so many people gathered together, accidents could easily happen. Fearing trouble, he had once again brought a large number of troops for protection.

The deputy prefect beside Fang Zheng’s foot was screaming frantically: “You can’t kill me! You can’t kill me!!”

“Fang Zheng! Without a trial by the judicial offices, you still can’t kill me!!”

Fang Zheng drew his sword and then pulled out a cloth from his chest to wipe the blade.

It had been many years since he had killed someone, and he felt a bit nervous.

The last time in the dungeon experimenting with penicillin didn’t count; he had always treated it as a medical accident, without any psychological burden.

Moreover, those death row inmates didn’t simply die by beheading; they suffered all kinds of tortures before death.

Dying by his hand was actually a quick end, a bargain for them.

The first time he killed someone was in Hengjiang Prefecture, when a local clerk had beaten to death several young beggars under his care for no reason.

At that time, he was enraged and, without considering the consequences, drew his sword and killed the man.

After that, he always delegated such tasks to Zhang Biao, never doing it himself.

Hearing the deputy prefect’s cries, Fang Zheng said sternly: “No need to shout anymore. This official holds the imperial sword. Why would I need a trial to kill you?”

“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh ugh!” Hearing Fang Zheng speak, Liu Xun also started shouting desperately.

In his heart, he was screaming: The sword is fake! The sword is fake!

Fang Zheng ignored the two and continued: “The disaster situation is now critical, and this official has no time to waste. Killing you two publicly today serves two purposes: first, to warn other officials, and second, to stabilize public sentiment in the region.”

With that, he looked down at the city below.

At this moment, a sea of people surged below, countless faces looking up at the city wall with anticipation.

Publicly beheading a prefect was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Whether he was good or bad, no one had ever heard of such a thing.

Who wouldn’t want to be part of such excitement?

Fang Zheng forcefully tucked up the hem of his official robe into his waist, revealing his patched trousers.

Liu Xun turned his head to look, and his eyes immediately widened.

This damned Fang Zheng! Wearing the same trousers as me! Even the patches are sewn in the same places!

Then Fang Zheng shouted loudly: “Fellow citizens, brothers and sisters! I am Fang Zheng, the Deputy Prefect of Jianjiang! I bear the imperial mandate to come here for disaster relief!”

“These two are the Prefect and Deputy Prefect of Jianjiang! Do you know what crimes they have committed?”

“Grain prices in Jianjiang remain sky-high! Outside the city, disaster victims drink porridge as thin as water and cry out in misery! Bones litter the fields, and public resentment boils over – all due to the evil deeds of these two villains!”

“Our current Emperor is one in a thousand years! His Majesty has a heart full of love and compassion for the people.”

“Therefore! He specially ordered local granaries to be opened for disaster relief and to stabilize prices! Even the people and officials far away in the capital are striving to raise grain for the disaster victims!”

“But these two dared to tamper with the granary stores, buying and selling, exchanging moldy rice for new rice, in amounts that are staggering!”

“Tens of thousands of shi of grain, originally meant to supply the people of Jianjiang, ended up fattening only these two men!!”

“Now you live in dire straits, unable to eat your fill or keep warm, even starving to death outside the city! Yet these two have beautiful wives and concubines at home, dressed in silk and eating delicacies!”

“Tell me, do they deserve to die?!”

“They deserve to die! They deserve to die! They deserve to die!”

“Kill them! Kill them!!”

The crowd below was in an uproar, their voices rising like a tidal wave.

These people might not understand everything, but the high grain prices had made everyone furious!

They hated these corrupt officials who wanted their lives to the bone!

Faced with this overwhelming pressure, Liu Xun and the deputy prefect didn’t dare to speak anymore, hanging their heads with pale faces.

They stared blankly at the bricks of the city wall beneath them…

Then Fang Zheng stirred up his emotions, looked up at the sky, and when he lowered his head, his eyes were full of sorrow.

He said mournfully to the people below: “Fellow citizens, brothers and sisters, this official… came too late!!”

In the distance, Nie Zheng could vaguely hear Fang Zheng’s voice, his face growing long.

He muttered to himself.

It’s starting again, he’s misleading the masses again!

“I, Fang Zheng, unworthy as I am to be the Deputy Prefect of Jianjiang, cannot escape blame for the people having no grain!”

“These conscienceless, corrupt officials actually made the people with no food eat porridge as thin as water outside the city, and even imposed new taxes and extorted them!”

“You were already living in hardship, and they are rubbing salt in your wounds!!”

“They’re worse than beasts! Worse than beasts!”

“I, Fang Zheng, on behalf of these sinners, beg forgiveness from all of you, fellow citizens!”

As he spoke, he took the imperial sword and cut off a lock of his own hair.

The surrounding crowd was shocked and moved.

This was a truly good official who stood up for the people! Today, they had finally seen a just official again!

“Just Official Fang!! This is a just official!!” Someone shouted.

Many people started shouting along, and soon cries of “just official” arose from all directions.

Fang Zheng looked down in confusion.

Huh? This isn’t right. I didn’t arrange for any plants in the crowd today.

After hearing this, Liu Xun was almost in tears of blood.

He struggled desperately, making the wooden cangue clatter loudly.

Fortunately, the yamen runners behind him were pressing him down with all their might.

Fang Zheng!! You bastard, copying my words! May you die a terrible death!!

Seeing the atmosphere heating up, Fang Zheng struck while the iron was hot and shouted angrily: “These two villains disregard the law! They ignore the people! They are shameless! Their crimes are heinous!”

“Since you are so cold-hearted towards the people, don’t blame this prefec… this official for being cold-hearted too!”

Liu Xun kept making hoarse sounds.

“Heh! Heh! Heh!!”

Still copying… still copying!! I hate you!

After finishing his speech, Fang Zheng raised the imperial sword high, closed his eyes, and without hesitation, swung the sword down towards Liu Xun’s neck!

There was a “clang” sound, and the entire scene fell into silence…..