DOUBTFUL

"Your Highness, don't hesitate! This brat is the nation's destructive rat! The whole Ming will accept eagerly for your decision to execute him, in fact, even if he is executed by slow-slicing, all Ming people will eat his sliced flesh excitedly since they hate this bastard so much!"

The whole hall soon shouted vigorously. Zhu Su pressed his lips. He had to make a choice; for the need to follow the prevailing tradition, or his inner voice.

He must choose one of these two difficult choices.

"Prince Turgen," Zhu Su uttered slowly. "The mistake you've made is so unforgivable. As a former Yuan Prince, you are trying to commit treason and bring down a legitimate government. In accordance with the order of Da Ming Lü, you have to endure..."

All officials in Great Hall stared straightly at Zhu Su.

"... execution by poison."

Everyone's tense expression changed; their eyes widened since they could not believe with what they just heard.

"Your Highness! As you have said, this bastard has tried to bring down a legitimate government. He must not be punished by such light execution!" An official said.

"I punish him with a death sentence. Why do you still complain?!" Zhu Su asked impatiently.

"Your Highness, you should understand the reason why the death penalty must be implemented together with gruesome torture. It is not without reason, not just to prove that the Ming government can be cruel towards its own people. It precisely has a greater goal - to prevent others from following the criminals' footsteps. We have learned in history that there are so many people who aren't afraid of death. Lots of people are willing to be the food tasters just to taste the food they will never be able to eat in their lifetime, don't care anymore even though they might die. Many soldiers are willing to die to defend their lords. That is why the execution without gruesome torture will not make people afraid of breaking the law," Qu You explained at length.

Other officials nodded in agreement. "That's true!" They shouted in unison. "Your Highness, you must carry out the orders stated in Da Ming Lü, according to the procedure that has been legalized for generations!"

"And about Runan Jun Wang!" Ignoring the comments of those officials, Zhu Su focused his attention on Zhu Youxun. It was obvious that the young man was scared to death, his face was as pale as white wall and his eyes went round in fear. Realizing that his son was scared of him, Zhu Su smiled wryly. "Don't show such kind of awful face. I will neither kill nor torture you, because after all, you are my son..." He sighed, "... So. Go to Yunnan and help Mu Cheng run the government there."

"Fu... Fu Wang?!?"

"Right now Yunnan is very different from the time when Yunnan was just conquered by Ming. Now Yunnan is clean and tidy, very civilized, and comfortable to live in. You won't suffer so much there, at the very least, what you'll experience will be far better than what you did to me." Zhu Su gazed at Zhu Youxun who stared back at him with tears in his eyes, said coldly, "Despite everything, you are my son, Youxun. You are indeed apostate and heartless, and I hate you very much... but there won't be a father who can kill or torture brutally his own child even if his child is so bad to him. And so do I."

Exactly! That was the difference between children and parents. Very often, there are legends and true stories about the parents who are willing to sacrifice themselves to help their children, but we rarely hear the touching legend of children sacrificing themselves to help their parents. And also. It was very rare or even almost unheard that the parents kill their own children, but the story of a child killing his own parents, we often hear about it.

And how could Zhu Su have the heart to execute Zhu Youxun even though his son had even been trying to kill him? Zhu Su had no heart to do a cruel thing towards the mortal enemy he hated so much, then how could he do it towards his own son?

However, he still felt doubtful.

Because he was not sure whether the decision he had taken was correct or not. Especially when he remembered the expression of disagreement showed by the officials. It was not only one or two people who had a different mindset with him. Almost all officials disagreed with him, especially with the decision about Xie Wang.

A huge crescent moon was hanging in the night sky. Standing on the veranda at the second floor, Zhu Su was now staring at the crescent moon. He still pondered with what had happened in the afternoon.

I am supposed to agree with them. The rule and society norms must be carried out at all cost, even if it is contradictory to my inner voice.

No. The most important thing to do is listening to my inner voice. The key point to success and happiness is to ignore others' comments and to keep believing in myself.

But still, we live in society. We must socialize with others, our life is not separated from others. We must follow and conform with general opinion, and must not enforce our own will.

And, this is the social norm in Ming, Although I don't agree with it, because I live in this country... and this era... even though I don't agree with it, but I still must follow it... I am supposed to do that...

However, right now I oppose it instead.

In fact, I am supposed to introspect, how many times have I broken the principle and tradition which has been firmly maintained in Ming? Whereas, as one of the leaders, I must be exemplary for all people to maintain the tradition?

Suddenly Zhu Su felt that he was not destined to become a competent leader.

I am not as cold-hearted as Fu Huang and Brother Di. I am even more likely to Yunwen. My Heaven, if this is the case, can I become a good leader for Kaifeng?

Although the crescent was not as bright as the full moon, its pale silvery ray was able to provide a light of hope, encouraging the humans to keep going, to finally find the true reason why he must live on this earth.

I hope that Gods and Goddesses above are willing to help me in finding the best path I should take.