THE TRIAL

Chen Xinyi brought Zhu Youxun and Xie Wang to Zhu Su, who was now legitimately enthroned as Zhou Wang. "Your Highness, I have fulfilled the duty you order. Here they are, Runan Jun Wang and Xie Wang!"

Zhu Su stared sharply at those who were now forced to kneel down with their heads bowing down. This occurrence was almost similar to the vision that once appeared in his meditation on Mount Laojun previously. The difference was just that he was not the Ming Emperor, and who was captured beside Zhu Youxun was not Zhu Yunwen and Li Jinglong, but Xie Wang - his mortal enemy from thirteen years ago.

"According to Runan Jun Wang's confession, the idea to trap you and Zhou Shi Zi is all the strategy Xie Wang has created," Chen Xinyi explained.

Although the situation he was facing right now was not exactly the same as the vision in his past meditation, yet it was almost exactly the same. Zhu Su became the victor, the one who held the power. He had succeeded in seeking his revenge. Those who did evil to him had got their punishment - and he would punish them shortly after.

In fury, Zhu Su stared closely at Zhu Youxun. If the one who did evil towards him was the person who had no kinship with him, he could understand it since the different blood could turn anybody into a cruel person. But Zhu Youxun was his own son. They were father and son. It should have been affection and compassion that they shared with each other, but how could his son instead have the desire of seizing the throne to the point of defaming him before the emperor... even trying to kill him?!...

"The closer a relationship is, the deeper the hatred will be evoked."

Zhu Youxun knew that his father was very angry with him. He was sure that his father would punish him severely shortly after. Terrified, he kowtowed so deeply that his forehead touched the ground, screamed, "Fu Wang! I... I really apologize to you! I... I am guilty!..."

Zhu Su just stared at him in silence.

Zhu Youxun now raised his head and then banged it again on the ground. "Fu Wang! I plead my guilty, please forgive me! Please, forgive me!"

"Youxun... do you know that your mother has died?"

Zhu Su's voice was so cold, Zhu Youxun quickly looked up and stared closely at Zhu Su. "M... Mu Fei... died?..."

"Yes. Because of you, ungrateful son!"

Now Zhu Su could no longer hold his anger. While Zhu Youxun was dumbfounded, twitched to surprised as if he was being struck by lightning.

"Youxun... Youxun. All this time I always thought that you are the smartest and the most diligent kid, and if you become so desirable and ambitious then it is my fault as father because I fail to educate you properly. But I'm sure that your mother and I didn't educate you to kill your own parents. No parents in this world will teach such things to their own children. I just want to ask you something, Where is your conscience as humankind?! Even animals will not harm their own parents! Or do you want to say that you're lower than animal?!"

Zhu Su rose out of his seat. So furious, he even punched the table next to him. He then pointed his finger at Xie Wang, "And you even join forces with him?! You are more desirable to cooperate with outsiders to attack your own family?! Have you never got the warmth from your family all this time?! What is my fault as your father, Youxun, that you prefer someone else rather than your own parents?! What's my fault?!"

"A... actually I have no intention to kill you! It is all Xie Wang's fault! I have been deceived and manipulated by him! Even until now I never thought of killing you!..."

"Runan Jun Wang, how can you deny your own words after you've got cornered? It is all your will from the beginning, but now you deny it," Xie Wang kept his head down and did not look at both Zhu Youxun and Zhu Su, but his low and horse voice sounded very piercing.

Zhu Youxun looked at Xie Wang angrily. "You did it without telling me! You just reported it to me after you did it! Now you turn the fact and slander me!"

"Huh, is that your mentality, to slander when being oppressed?"

Zhu Youxun turned his gaze at Zhu Su, giving him a miserable look. "Fu Wang! Don't listen to him. It is he who wants to kill you, but now he slanders me!"

"It's all your request..."

"You!..."

"Shut up, both of you!"

Zhu Su punched the table again in anger. Zhu Youxun and Xie Wang kept their moths closed, and the atmosphere turned quiet. Zhu Su then pulled his gaze towards Xie Wang. The former Yuan Prince said nothing, but Zhu Su could see that his eyes were filled with hatred.

His anger was soon doubled.

"Prince Turgen, you always make me topsy-turvy. Even until now you still put much troublesome in my life. Ah... but your great power is only in the past," Zhu Su said coldly. "And right now you are merely a captive whose life and death are determined by me, the person you tormented before."

This time Qu You said, "That's right, Your Highness. This former Yuan Prince has stirred so much chaos when you were in exile. Besides his mistakes against you, he must also be severely punished for his mistakes against the country and people!"

Following Qu You, other officials also expressed their minds eagerly. Because it was not merely an ordinary family problem, but a conflict in the imperial family which had a great impact on the whole country. Moreover, Xie Wang was a Yuan, and the entire Ming hated everything related to Yuan undoubtedly.

"I agree with Sir Qu. Your Highness, we must punish him severely!"

"Because he has been so insolent to the imperial family, he must endure the most severe death sentence!"

"Execute him by slow-slicing!"

"Or Waist Chop!"

"Tear him apart by five chariots!"

Zhu Su was startled. It was indeed a legal law in Ming Dynasty that anyone who had harmed the imperial family - especially the Emperor and Fan Wang - must be sentenced to death by gruesome torture, they were not allowed to be killed easily and with minor pain. The process of execution must be showed in public in order to warn the people, to make them remain obedient and submissive towards authorities. It was because of these cruel executions then the laws in the Ming Empire could be successfully enforced and the Hongwu Emperor could ensure that the whole Ming was willing to submit to him and his family. That was why the people in Ming era were very used to various kinds of horrific executions, because the royalty was prone to torture and execute easily whenever they wanted to.

However, Zhu Su was evidently not that kind of royalty.

He kept looking at Xie Wang, who still went poker face. He knew that he had to follow the rules. If the wrongdoers were not punished, then he would do anything as he liked, people were unafraid to break the law, and the country would turn chaotic. But he must admit that his heart had turned to be very fragile. He had no heart to do such gruesome things.

He now wondered, could he use those inhumane methods of execution like his father and brother did?