On this day, countless soldiers poured into the prison of Songjiang Mansion.
Seeing this scene, all the prisoners in custody understood what was going on.
For a time, the cries were so loud that the gods and ghosts couldn't bear to hear them.
A young man came in surrounded by soldiers.
"Xu Erxuan, today is the day of execution. Do you have any last words?"
Xu Erxuan has long lost his former glory. Wearing only a prison uniform, his eyes are dull and his appearance is haggard, even worse than a piece of rotten grass.
When he heard the question, he suddenly jumped up, pressed against the railing, and begged endlessly.
"I am willing to surrender, I am willing to give up all my family property, and just ask for my life! From now on, I will be honest, live my duty, and never dare to have any greed again."
The young man frowned and shouted angrily: "You are full of evil, and you will not be able to escape the death penalty. Stop fantasizing."
The decisive words made Xu Erxuan lose all his strength, fell to the ground, and his soul left his body.
The young man didn't want to talk too much nonsense to him, but ordered the soldiers: "Take the people away according to the list."
The soldiers opened the cell doors one by one, took out the people inside, and began to escort them out.
These people obviously knew the end was coming.
When the people were slaughtered, they were all arrogant, but now they can't behave like this at all. Being dragged by the soldiers, they are like broken sacks, and they are as embarrassed as they are.
The soldiers took some away, but there were still more prisoners in the prison.
Coincidentally, most of the remaining people are women and children.
These are the prisoners' family members.
Although Shandong did not request it, the Nanjing government still followed their custom and sent everyone over.
Although they were not arrested, these people were not much better.
We all know from past experience that once their homes are confiscated, they will be the worst off.
Many women despaired at the thought of being thrown into the Jiaofangsi and having no one to live with from now on.
Soon, these people were gathered together.
The young man walked to the front, his face still serious.
"The crimes of Xu Erxuan and others are heinous and unforgivable. In recent years, they have embezzled land, oppressed the people, and robbed people of their wealth countless times. Although you are not the masterminds, as family members of criminals, you cannot evade responsibility while enjoying the benefits. Therefore, I am here today.
The final judgment of the Songjiang City High Court is read to you."
The sickle of fate is about to fall, and all the women and children are even more miserable. The messy crying makes the scene very chaotic.
The young people didn't care either. Reading aloud actually suppressed everything.
"After careful review by the competent authorities, the guilt of Xu Erxuan and others has nothing to do with you. Therefore, today we announce that you and others will be acquitted. However, you have enjoyed the wealth stolen by the criminals, so all the confiscated wealth has nothing to do with you.
.From now on you can come and go freely and make a living freely."
After the reading was finished, the crying stopped suddenly, and everyone looked at each other in shock.
One of the women, with the excitement of surviving a catastrophe, asked cautiously: "Is it true that the officials, civilian women, etc. are not guilty?"
The young man nodded.
"The relevant cases have been investigated clearly, and you and others are indeed not involved. The law does not punish innocent people, so... you are free."
When they heard that the situation was true, these women and children hugged each other and cried bitterly. For the first time in their lives, they felt that it felt so good to be alive and free.
After such a disaster, they were able to maintain their innocence and not be insulted by others. They really can't expect too much.
As for losing all the family wealth and having to live in poverty from now on, it really doesn't matter.
Even so, these people all knelt down and kowtowed to the young man, thanking him for not killing him.
Among them were some rich ladies with lively minds and pretty looks, who were enchanting the young people with their charming eyes.
Although they didn't know this young man, they looked like he was obviously powerful and proud.
If you get along with such a person, you will naturally have no worries about food and clothing in your future life.
Being looked at by so many women at the same time, especially when these women were wearing white prison uniforms, looked even more pitiful.
As the saying goes, a woman should be pretty and well-dressed.
Facing this scene, the young man was at a loss and quickly turned around and left for fear of making a mistake.
Someone from behind quickly shouted: "Can the officials, civilian women, etc. collect the body of this humble man?"
The young man did not look back, but said: "When the execution is completed, it will be returned to you."
When these family members heard this, they couldn't help but wonder.
According to their guess, what their men did would probably result in them being cut to pieces.
How can we return the body after it has been reduced to pieces?
It's a pity that they lack the necessary understanding of Shandong's civilization.
The wilderness outside the city is now very lively.
Almost all the people in the city came out to watch the execution.
But the people were not very satisfied.
"Historically, executions were carried out at Caishikou, but today they were moved outside the city, causing me to run a lot in vain."
"That's right! Caishikou is better. Drink a little wine while watching the beheading. It's so comfortable!"
The judges did not hear the people's arguments.
Even if he heard it, he would not agree.
Seeing that hundreds of prisoners were all in place, the judge began to preside.
"Can the corresponding criminal be identified clearly?"
Several subordinates ran back one after another.
"Report to the judge, everything has been verified."
The judge took out a document and showed it in front of several subordinates.
Several subordinates were not surprised and took out pens and seals one after another. They signed their names and stamped the document, and then the judge put it away properly.
This document is a letter of responsibility.
Whenever a death penalty is executed on a prisoner, the person responsible for the inspection must sign it.
The purpose of this is to avoid accidents and to keep the executioner alert.
After all, human life is at stake, and a dead person cannot be resurrected, so Zuo Mengeng has stipulated extremely strict procedures for the execution of the death penalty.
Here he not only referred to the principles and procedures of judgment in later generations, but also added more details.
After the examination was completed, the judge began to read aloud the crimes of these people.
Every time he said something, the anger of the people around him increased to the next level.
When all the crimes were publicized, the people's anger was uncontrollable.
"Kill these bastards!"
"Cut them into pieces and let them taste the taste of harming others."
Seeing that the effect was remarkable, the judge stopped delaying.
"Execution!"
I saw the New Army soldiers who had been waiting aside for a long time running forward, with one standing behind each prisoner.
Seeing the officer raising his hand, they all raised their muskets in unison and pointed the muzzles at the back of the prisoner's head.
And when the officer waved down, they opened fire simultaneously.
Amidst the deafening gunfire, all the prisoners fell to the ground one after another, with a huge hole in the back of their heads. It was obvious that they could no longer survive.
When the people around him saw this scene, they were all stunned and speechless.
Although the prisoners' bodies were still intact after execution, the scene of collective shooting was even more shocking.
I believe that after these people read it and spread it, it will have a more deterrent effect.
