This group of people was, naturally, the Ling Family.

Madam Ling the Elder had insisted on coming, and no one could dissuade her. Ling Daye, whose illness had not yet fully recovered, also pushed himself to come, and together with Ling Wuye he supported Madam Ling the Elder on her left and right.

Every junior member of the Ling Family had also come in full attendance.

Ling Jingshu wore a plain, pale-colored dress, its long veil concealing the elation in her eyes.

She stood at Ling Xiao’s side, her gaze passing through the crowd of figures ahead and settling on the center of the distant execution ground.

Two men dressed in the garments of condemned prisoners had their hands bound tightly behind their backs and were kneeling there with their heads lowered. Both were disheveled and filthy, their faces impossible to make out clearly.

Even so, Ling Jingshu recognized Lu An at a single glance.

That beast — handsome and mature in appearance, yet a monster within, not even willing to spare his own daughter-in-law! In her past life she had endured every humiliation. In this life, she had at last had her great vengeance fulfilled.

Today, she would personally watch Lu An be beheaded!

The sun climbed higher and higher, its light brilliant to the point of being nearly blinding. The hour of execution was drawing near. The crowd gathered around the execution ground began to stir with restless unease. The bolder ones had already begun to clamor noisily.

The presiding official of the execution was about to speak when he suddenly noticed a column of expressionless guards driving back a portion of the crowd, and a path quickly opened among the people.

The presiding official’s eyes were keen and sharp — he immediately recognized these as the Crown Grandson’s personal guards, and without any further concern for his official dignity, he hurried forward to receive them.

The guards split into two lines, and a young man with a composed bearing and handsome features walked forward between them.

This young man had not yet reached twenty years of age, yet his bearing commanded attention, and his every movement carried an air of authority and cold severity.

It was the Crown Grandson!

The gazes of the crowd were all drawn toward him.

“This official greets Your Highness the Crown Grandson!” The presiding official bowed respectfully.

The Crown Grandson’s gaze flickered slightly, and he said with cool indifference: “There is no need for ceremony. This prince has merely come to look around — I am not here under imperial edict to oversee the execution. You carry on with your duties; there is no need to attend to this prince.”

Those were his words, but a mere fifth-rank presiding official would never dare show the slightest disrespect toward the Crown Grandson. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the official quickly welcomed the Crown Grandson to the chief seat at the execution ground.

Ling Jingshu was somewhat farther away, and could only hear the commotion without knowing who had arrived — not until the Crown Grandson had settled composedly in the chief seat of the presiding official.

She had not expected him to personally attend today as well.

Ling Jingshu looked from a distance at the Crown Grandson sitting in composed, unspoken authority, his dignified bearing utterly natural, and a subtle and inexpressible stirring arose in her heart.

He had kept his promise and lent his hand to bring down the Lu Family. How could her heart feel no gratitude? His feelings for her — she had always known of them. It was a pity that she had only one heart, and it had been given to Wei Yan; there was not the smallest space left to accommodate anyone else.

With his pride, he would never stoop to forcing a woman. And so he had not sought to use his favor as leverage — he had simply, quietly, let go.

She felt gratitude toward him in her heart… and only gratitude, nothing more.

Once the Lu Family affair was settled, she was to marry Wei Yan. From this point on, the turbulence of the court would have nothing more to do with her. Between him and her, there would be no further entanglement.

As Ling Jingshu was silently turning all this over in her mind, the Crown Grandson happened to look over in her direction.

Between the two of them lay a distance of several dozen paces, the dense layers of figures in between, and her veil.

Yet the Crown Grandson still found her in a single glance.

There are some people who are carved so deeply into one’s memory that without needing to make out their figure or their face, a single distant glimpse is enough to know with certainty — that is her.

Ling Jingshu, I have finally done what I promised. Today, I watch alongside you as the Lu brothers are executed.

The Crown Grandson gazed at the graceful figure in the distance. Then he withdrew his gaze and addressed the presiding official: “The hour has come. Give the order to carry out the execution!”

The presiding official promptly acknowledged the command, rose to his feet, and in a raised voice recited at length the crimes of the Lu brothers. Then he drew out his command token and flung it heavily to the ground with a sharp crack: “The hour is upon us! Execute!”

…

The executioner raised his gleaming long blade.

The flash of the blade caught the sunlight and blazed with a startling brilliance. In a single flashing arc, two heads fell to the ground.

Blood sprayed out and rapidly soaked into the earth, staining a wide swathe of shocking, vivid red.

The heads rolled across the ground several times before coming to rest.

Among the spectating crowd, some cried out in startled fright, and a few of the more timid ones even wept and shrieked. Several who had brought children found the little ones so terrified they burst into wailing tears — the whole scene was a loud and chaotic uproar.

Ling Jingshu did not move at all, watching this scene in motionless silence.

Her eyesight was exceptionally keen; she could even clearly see that the eyes on Lu An’s severed head remained open, as if right until this final moment of death, he could not believe he had died just like that.

Dying without closing one’s eyes in peace?

Ling Jingshu tugged at the corner of her lips, her eyes filled with cold satisfaction.

Ling Xiao, witnessing the most bloodcurdling scene of his life for the very first time, had long since gone pale, his handsome face ashen, his stomach faintly heaving with nausea. By instinct he gripped Ling Jingshu’s hand tightly and murmured: “A’Shu, if you’re frightened, lean against me.”

Ling Jingshu returned to herself and looked at Ling Xiao — clearly frightened yet forcing himself to appear strong — and laughed inwardly. But aloud she sighed: “This sight is indeed rather harrowing. Having witnessed it today, I fear I shall have nightmares for several days.”

Ling Xiao had no suspicion to the contrary, and also let out a sigh: “In truth, you and sister-in-law should not have come to a scene like this.”

However, since Madam Ling the Elder had insisted on coming, the younger members of the family could only follow along.

Besides, now that the Lu brothers were dead, someone had to come and collect the bodies. The Ling Family and the Lu household were legitimate relations by marriage; failing to appear would only invite reproach and gossip.

Madam Ling the Elder had been standing for quite some time and had long since grown dizzy and light-headed. Then, jolted by the bloody scene, she predictably fainted. Ling Daye had come prepared and immediately called for Ling Siye to help him support Madam Ling the Elder out of the execution ground.

As for Ling Wuye, he still needed to remain behind to collect the bodies and could not leave.

The spectating crowd gradually dispersed.

Ling Wuye steadied himself and walked up before the Crown Grandson, bowing respectfully: “This official greets Your Highness the Crown Grandson. The Lu brothers have been executed, and I wish to collect their bodies — I humbly await Your Highness’s gracious permission.”

The Crown Grandson said nothing further, merely giving a slight nod — which served as his assent.

Ling Wuye let out a breath of relief and immediately turned to instruct the household steward and servants to collect the bodies of the Lu An brothers.

Coffins had already been arranged at the coffin shop in advance. Once the bodies were collected, they would be delivered to the coffin shop, then buried in some suitable plot of ground. It was at the very least a way to spare the Lu brothers from having their bodies left exposed to the elements. A proper and dignified burial was out of the question — even if the Ling Family had the heart for it, they did not have the nerve.

As Ling Wuye led his people in their work, Ling Jingshu took Ling Xiao with her and walked up before the Crown Grandson, the two siblings paying their respects together: “We greet Your Highness the Crown Grandson.”

The Crown Grandson looked deeply at Ling Jingshu for a moment, then replied with cool composure: “Rise.”

Ling Xiao could not quite make out why Ling Jingshu was so insistent on coming to pay her respects to the Crown Grandson, and so he stood off to one side in silent acquiescence.

He then saw Ling Jingshu give a slight curtsy and say softly: “Your Highness has spent these past days thoroughly investigating the Lu Family’s case — you have worked hard.”