Fuzhu's Ballad

1

Chapter 1 Unpardonable

<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>

The wind howled as it miserably swept over the snow-covered city. Under the dismal atmosphere, the entire capital had withered into a lifeless ink painting, its colors drained away by the cold and unrelenting winter.

The sparse snow particles drifting down from the dark oppressive clouds stung Lan Dan's face as she knelt on the center of the execution platform. Behind her was the executor who, with a fluid gesture, was anointing his sword with a fine mist of wine. As an Imperial Princess, she was no stranger to the custom of kneeling. She had knelt before countless figures of authority and power, and in turn, witnessed countless others kneel before her. However, she had never imagined that she would be kneeling for the last time in such a manner. Strangely enough, she felt neither sadness nor fear, but only a sense of deep relief.

A few spectators stood below the high platform. Now that the imperial power had fallen into new hands, how many remnants of the previous dynasty must be pulled out and beheaded? The sudden change didn't feel refreshing anymore.

An old man with graying hair spat out loudly, "Bah! A beast who could poison her own father to death! Da Min is actually ruined in the hands of such a woman!"

The people around hastily gave him a push. Nowadays, mentioning "Da Min" seemed to have become an official taboo. Naturally, it was safer to say less.

Lan Dan lowered her eyes. She didn't need to look to confirm that the person who could criticize her like this was a commoner. She had listened to the verdict of the new imperial court against her. The pronouncement was brilliantly eloquent, condemning her for patricide and high treason, spurning her for bringing calamity to the common people through the sinister and selfish nature of a woman. Such lengthy and flashy speech, didn't the old man precisely nail it with just two sentences?

"It's noon," announced the supervisor in charge of the execution.

In the end, Lan Dan couldn't resist lifting her head to look at the audience, then up the city gate tower not far away... Even at this point, she didn't understand why she still needed to make sure. No one really came to see her off in her last moments.

Perhaps sympathizing with her mood, the tower appeared very gloomy and solemn in the wind and snow. In the old days when she was still Princess Danyang, she would occasionally follow her elder brothers up the tower to watch the executions from a distance. The Crown Prince often had a disdainful face, commenting coldly that such a sinner could be replaced by more outstanding and excellent person. Fifth Prince would show regret, noting that this man had some strategic thinking and that it would have been good to use him if he had not made a wrong step. Seventh and Ninth Princes would murmur their agreement. As an unfavored princess, her mind tended to be more delicate and sensitive. Lan Dan vaguely perceived that Fifth Elder Brother was a little treacherous. Whenever she was idle, she would secretly think about what would happen if he would rebel one day. Ironically, before Fifth Elder Brother could make any move, she had personally handed Da Min's ten thousand miles of territories to Shentu Cheng. In the end, nobody in the Xiao family needed to worry about such a day.

Now it was her turn to be decapitated in public, yet not a single person she knew had the leisure to watch the excitement.

It was unusual for members of the royal family to be executed by decapitation, but in the current dynasty, she was no longer considered part of the royal family. In just ten days, she had already been reduced to a remnant of the previous dynasty. Moreover, she was a heinous sinner who poisoned her Father Emperor. Such hideous crime was unpardonable.

But... didn't Shentu Cheng even come to see her off?

At this point, with the blade already resting at her neck, any feelings of love or hate vanished. Whether he was insincere to her from the very start or had just recently burned bridges, she numbly thought that he should have at least come. Despite whoever else failed to show, he was the one who ought to have been there.