THE SECOND EXILE 6

The soldier who was pulling Zhu Su looked at him sharply. He found Zhu Su's eyes glowing strangely, as if they were saying that, to know his wife's news would truly be his last wish in his life.

"Hey, bring the body of that madam here!" He waved to his subordinates, who immediately went into Feng Ruina's cell.

The soldier came out, carrying the worst view he did not want to see the most - the dead body of Feng Ruina who had been lying rigidly.

"Ruina!!!" Zhu Su went mad. He abruptly became very strong to break away from the soldiers. He approached the body of his wife, then with a hand that trembled violently he touched Feng Ruina's cold, hardened face.

Feng Ruina's eyes were closed. She died peacefully. Her red lips were turning bluish. Zhu Su could only be stunned. It felt like he was conversing with his wife not very long ago. Talking about the first time they got married, about the happy times they once lived in their marriage, and how Feng Ruina said that she loved him so much... But now, it had seemingly become the last time that had left far behind. Far... behind...

Now, what still remained in front of him was merely the stiffened body that had lost her life.

"We have fulfilled your request. Don't waste time anymore. Let's go!"

The soldiers had been pulling Zhu Su's arm. Zhu Su himself, felt his vision got blurring since his eyes had been wet with tears, and he lost his energy again. He could only let him be pulled apart from his wife. It was merely a vague hearing for him, that Zhu Youdun was now sobbing, repeatedly calling his mother.

"... At the afterlife, I will ask King Yama to permit me to be your life companion in the next reincarnation..."

No need for us to wait for so long to be reunited, Ruina. Don't worry, my dear. I'll catch you up, immediately.

***

It was pitch black outside. The fog was very thick and made the vision obscured. Apparently, it was midnight right now. Zhu Su and Zhu Youdun had left the prison quite far. Without knowing where they would be taken to endure the death sentence.

The fog thinned in a sudden. Vaguely, Zhu Su saw a wide field. A masked person was holding an ax in front of a big, square stone.

It turned out that they would be executed by beheading.

They had arrived at the spot. The soldiers pushed Zhu Su until falling to the knees on the ground, then took out a piece of parchment, read it aloud.

"Former Zhou Wang, Zhu Su, and Former Zhou Shi Zi, Zhu Youdun, have committed an unforgivable sin by planning a coup against the legitimate government. As punishment for their grave mistakes, both will be sentenced to death. Signed, Ming Emperor, Jianwen."

Zhu Su and Zhou Youdun prediction was finally being proven, Zhu Yunwen indeed yearned for their deaths. They initially thought that the way Zhu Yunwen killed them was by not getting them out of prison for life and making them rot themselves there. Unexpectedly, it was even faster. Zhu Yunwen was evidently impatient to see them live any longer.

The executioner began to raise his ax highly, spun it several times in the air as the executioner usually did to prepare himself in taking the life of the prisoners before him.

Come on, hurry up! You are so crotchety, you just block me from meeting Ruina immediately. I really want to meet with her so much, you know!

"Haaahh!" The executioner now shot his ax, pointed directly at Zhu Su's neck.

Zhu Su closed his eyes.