Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 15: The Court and the public were shocked.
“Majestic…”
“Dong dong dong…”
Fourteen yamen runners were lined up on both sides. On one side, they shouted "Majestic," while on the other, they struck the ground with water and fire sticks. The surrounding colorful lanterns, depicting tigers descending the mountain, added to the sense of imposing authority in the small yamen.
Li Xian, dressed in official robes, saw Wang Ming thrown on the ground and immediately raised the gavel, bringing it down with force. A crisp sound exploded and echoed within the yamen; the sharp and loud noise startled Wang Ming.
Li Xian asked loudly, “Wang Ming, do you know your crime?”
“Let me go. If you lay a finger on me, I’ll have my cousin kill your entire family.”
Li Xian sneered, “It seems you’re quite stubborn. Guards, give him fifteen strikes.”
“You bastard, Li Xian, do we really need to go this far? Ah…”
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“Pa pa pa…”
The fifteen strikes were delivered with real force, and Song Xing and others showed no mercy. Although Wang Ming was at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, his true essence was sealed, making him unable to withstand these strikes. After fifty strikes, Wang Ming had already lost three layers of his life.
“Pa!” Another strike of the gavel, Li Xian continued to interrogate, “Wang Ming, do you know your crime?”
“Li Xian! I want you dead! You’re just a petty sixth-grade official, how dare you strike me!” Wang Ming was writhing in pain.
“Alright, it seems you’re still not admitting guilt. Then…”
“Wait, I admit it!” Wang Ming was terrified by Li Xian’s ruthlessness.
Li Xian asked, “What crime have you committed?”
Wang Ming gritted his teeth, “The Night Curfew Order.”
Li Xian asked, “What is the punishment for breaking the Night Curfew Order?”
“Well…” Wang Ming hesitated for a moment, then sneered, “Sorry, I forgot. You can ask my cousin.”
“Who is your cousin?” Li Xian asked, puzzled.
“Concubine Hua, the emperor’s most favored concubine.” Wang Ming was smug.
Unexpectedly, Li Xian flew into a rage. “How dare you incite me to enter the harem at night? Hmph, Wang Ming, let me tell you, according to the laws of the Great Xia, breaking the Night Curfew Order in the inner city means death by a hundred strikes. Execute him!”
“Ah…” Song Xing and the others were stunned at first. To beat Wang Ming to death with sticks?
Wang Ming was also dumbfounded. Was Li Xian really going to go this far?
Seeing the hesitation among the crowd, Li Xian, slightly angry, said, “Do it. If something happens, I’ll take the responsibility!”
Upon hearing Li Xian’s words, Song Xing was the first to speak, “Strike!”
He raised the water and fire stick and brought it down.
Thud! The stick landed solidly.
“Ah!” Wang Ming screamed in agony, his tone now filled with fear, “Li Xian, spare my life, and I’ll make sure you’re well rewarded.”
“Strike!” Li Xian stood up, hands clasped behind his back, his fists tightly clenched, looking extremely nervous.
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Seeing Li Xian’s determination, Song Xing and the others gritted their teeth and continued to strike. Wang Ming couldn’t even last a cup of tea; he was beaten to death with the sticks, his bones shattered, beyond any hope of revival—even summoning his soul would be useless.
After the beating, Li Xian let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Drag him out of the yamen and post a notice. Write a report and send it to the court overnight.”
As the night passed, the next day the yamen was bustling with activity. The Wang family’s numerous servants blocked the entrance, furious; Wang Ming’s wives and concubines were crying by his corpse, distraught. Wang Ming’s father, Wang Yuhe, the Minister of the Interior, had a cold and grim expression.
The court was in an uproar.
High-ranking officials included: Taiwei Yuan Yong, Prime Minister Ouyang Wubing, and Grand Tutor Kong Xiang;
Senior officials included: General Shangguan Yong, among others;
Second-tier officials included: Censor Li Yulong, among others;
Junior second-tier officials included: Minister of Rites Wang Chuan, among others;
And hundreds of civil and military officials were in the court, some with serious expressions, some showing joy, and some completely indifferent.
On the throne, the Emperor's expression was strange, seeming to waver between wanting to laugh and being on the verge of anger; his expression was complex.
Finally, the Emperor spoke, “I didn’t sleep last night, and Concubine Hua cried all night. Censor Li, how do you assess this matter?”
Li Yulong stepped forward, “Your Majesty, Wang Ming broke the law, assaulted the yamen runners, spoke countless insolent words, ignored the law, and even incited Li Xian to enter the harem at night. According to the laws of the Great Xia, each of these is a serious crime, and the death by beating is already a lenient punishment.”
Wang Chuan, upon hearing Li Yulong’s words, gritted his teeth and remained silent, but his entire body trembled with anger.
The Emperor then turned to the Prime Minister. Ouyang Wubing’s response was: “Li Xian enforced the law with great determination and is a talented person for the country.”
The Emperor asked the court officials, and everyone expressed: “Li Xian enforced the law with great determination, and he is a talented individual for the country; Your Majesty is blessed, and the Great Xia will have another capable official.”
Li Xian’s actions were in accordance with the law and left no room for criticism. Even those who were previously at odds with Li Yulong had to praise him; all of this was part of Xu Ren’s scheme.
Finally, the Emperor turned to Wang Chuan and asked, “Lord Wang, what do you have to say?”
Wang Chuan’s voice was loud and clear, “Congratulations, Your Majesty. The country is fortunate to have such a talented individual. However, it is a great waste to confine such talent to the capital.
Li Xian is brave and decisive and should be given a significant post.
I boldly request Your Majesty to promote Li Xian to the position of An Yang Commandant (regional general), stationed in An Yang. He will surely ensure long-term peace and stability in the northeastern region of the country.”
“Oh…” The Emperor’s tone was long and drawn-out, neither laughing nor angry, as he half-closed his eyes and looked around. Finally, he nodded, “Very well. Let it be written: Li Xian is to be promoted to An Yang Commandant, a fifth-grade position, to guard the northeastern border.”
The morning court session ended abruptly. Li Yulong wore a smile and seemed unconcerned, appearing quite composed.
There were faint sounds of laughter among the officials: It’s quite amusing that the son of the great traitor was beaten to death by the son of a powerful family.
Upon hearing such remarks, Li Yulong’s mouth twitched, and he hurriedly went home.
Here, following Xu Ren's advice, Li Xian continued to operate the yamen openly and transparently, allowing people to come and go. There were onlookers and Wang family members present. However, as long as the Wang family members dared to break any rules, Song Xing and the others would immediately chase them away with their water and fire sticks. After Li Xian’s actions of beating Wang Ming to death, the Wang family was indeed cautious and refrained from any rash movements, waiting for Wang Chuan to return.
During this time, Xu Ren took the opportunity to locate Guo Hong among the Wang family’s entourage and then handed him over to Shangguan for further action.
“Sir, why can’t we deal with Guo Hong ourselves?” Li Xian was eager to make an example by executing another person.
Xu Ren explained, “From the perspective of the law, Wang Ming was a commoner, and you, as an official, had the authority to deal with him. However, Guo Hong is also an official, so he should be handed over to the relevant departments for disposal.”
“It’s truly troublesome. But Sir, what exactly do you mean by ‘opportunity’?”
“It’s simple. You see, despite offending some powerful figures, you’ve gained the support of countless commoners and many upright officials. That is the greatest gain. I believe you will receive praise in the court, whether it is sincere or not.
As for the other gain, I think it will come soon.”
“An imperial edict has arrived.”
As if on cue, the former head of the guards arrived to read the edict. Upon seeing Li Xian, the head of the guards immediately gave a thumbs up and whispered, “Li Xian, you are bolder than I thought. The Emperor has been secretly laughing for quite some time. Also, read the edict yourself. You are to take up your new position within a month.”
Li Xian looked at the edict and found that his rank had been promoted from a sixth-grade official to a fifth-grade official, and he was now in charge of military affairs. It seemed like a significant promotion.
Xu Ren didn’t even glance at it and said, “Didn’t I tell you? Promotion by one rank and being assigned to a local post?”
“Ah, sir knew about this too?” Li Xian was truly impressed by Xu Ren; a strategist indeed was insightful.
Xu Ren dismissed it, “It’s not a big deal. Anyone familiar with officialdom would know. It’s a promotion in name but a demotion in reality, moving you to a local post to get you out of the capital.
However, this is an opportunity for you. Not only do you leave the restrictive capital openly, but you also gain substantial political capital.”
Li Xian looked at Xu Ren for a long time and finally sighed, “To have gained a Master like you is my greatest fortune.”