Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 376 Liu Chong torn apart by chariots!

As early as after Liu Bian personally led the expedition, Liu Yu obtained an imperial edict from Empress He and, in his capacity as Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, summoned the eldest sons of the various princes to the capital to meticulously rehearse the "Martial Virtue Dance of Emperor Taizu," a special gift to present to the emperor on his triumphant return.

The "Taizu Wude Dance" is the "Qin King's Battle Music" of the Han Dynasty, which is the military music of the Han Dynasty!
Using this music to pledge our determination to go into battle, and using it again to celebrate our triumphant return, it can be said that we have a beginning and an end.

However, celebrating the emperor was merely the surface purpose; today's performance was a meticulously planned political show.

Even if the rebellion of princes and nobles is quelled, it ultimately damages the face of the imperial family.

Is it possible that the current emperor is so unpopular that even members of the royal family and princes are raising troops in rebellion?

These young members of the imperial clan were the future bulwark of the Han Dynasty. By having them present the "Martial Virtue Dance of Emperor Taizu" when the emperor returned victorious, it was intended to demonstrate the unity of the imperial clan and to declare to the world that the emperor was not without the support of the imperial clan and feudal lords; it was only because one person had rebelled and caused chaos.

After the dance and music ended, Liu Bian slowly walked towards the group of young members of the imperial clan who had just finished their performance.

They were still panting heavily, and a little sweat was on their bodies. Liu Bian's gaze slowly swept over each of their still somewhat immature but noble faces, and he first praised their performance.

“You are all the eldest sons of the princes, the future pillars of the Han Dynasty, and the bulwark of the state.” Liu Bian paused, and with a wave of his hand, Dian Wei and a group of guards, who had been waiting, immediately escorted a group of shackled and disheveled prisoners forward and roughly forced them to kneel on the ground.

The leader, with disheveled hair and his left leg bent at an odd angle, was none other than Liu Chong, the traitor who had been stripped of his clan status and was the root of this rebellion!

His once magnificent royal robes were now torn to shreds, stained with filth and dark brown scabs. Every time the guards shoved him, his broken leg brought a sharp pain that contorted his face.

Liu Chong's left leg was broken when Jia Fang led his troops to capture Liu Chong alive. Because he did not know Liu Chong's identity, he saw Liu Chong fleeing and broke his leg.

Although his broken leg was in pain, Liu Chong could only make a harsh "hoarse" sound, like a broken bellows being pulled.

Jia Fang broke Liu Chong's left leg, and Jia Xu advised Liu Chong to cut out his tongue before returning to the capital, so that he would not utter any more treasonous curses or insults before his execution.

Having fallen to such a state, there was no longer any will to live in those sunken eye sockets, and the whole person was lifeless, only wishing to die quickly.

Following closely behind were Liu Chong's concubines and young children.

The women's hairpins and ornaments were all gone, their hair was disheveled, and their beautiful dresses were stained with mud and tears. Some had blank stares, like marionettes, while others tightly hugged their children, their bodies trembling like leaves.

The children stared in terror and confusion at the horrifying scene, their quiet sobs muffled by their mother's trembling hands.

Behind them was the family of Xu Yang, the Left Chancellor of the Chen State.

Xu Yang was only wearing a white undergarment, which was covered in stains. Despite his predicament, he still tried to maintain the last shred of dignity of a scholar, straightening his back. However, his constantly opening and closing lips and pale face revealed the despair in his heart.

His family members, his elderly parents, were already unsteady on their feet and were being dragged along by the guards. His wife was also in tears and nearly fainted. His children were crying and begging for mercy.

Fortunately, the Right Chancellor Luo Jun was lucky; he led two thousand men to cover the rear but was killed in battle by Sun Jian, thus avoiding this humiliation and physical suffering.

However, his young son Luo Tong was not so lucky. He was so frightened by the scene that his face turned pale and his body stiffened. He even forgot to cry and just stared with his empty eyes as the soldiers carried him to the front like a chick.

As for Luo Jun's wife, Ren, she was spared death.

Ms. Ren was beautiful and quite attractive.

However, although she was spared death, she was not favored by Liu Bian. Although Lady Ren was somewhat beautiful, she paled in comparison to the beauties in his harem.

It was Hua Xin, the magistrate of Luoyang, who pleaded for her. (Note 1)

Ren was born in Gaotang County of Pingyuan State, and Hua Xin was also from Gaotang County of Pingyuan State!

According to Hua Xin's vague statement, the two had a past relationship.

This piqued Liu Bian's curiosity, and he wanted to investigate further. However, Hua Xin remained tight-lipped and refused to reveal the truth. But Liu Bian had already imagined a dramatic scene where his beloved from his youth was forced to marry another man due to his parents' wishes and the matchmaker's orders.

As for whether Hua Xin's principal wife, Lady Teng, who came from Ju County in Beihai Commandery, would be dissatisfied with this, that was not something Liu Bian needed to concern himself with.

If Hua Xin cannot even handle his family affairs properly, Liu Bian will have to doubt whether he is capable of taking on the important post of Governor of Henan!
Then, the other officials who had sided with the rebels and their families were also brought forward, and they all made a complete fool of themselves.

Some people were limp as mud, some were kowtowing repeatedly, and some were even defecating and urinating, with the stench spreading in the air of fear.

The cries of pleas, weeping, and desperate wails mingled together, creating an eerie and tragic contrast with the joyous triumphant ceremony.

"This wicked and disloyal man, who has received great favor from the state and holds the position of a vassal king, does not think of repaying the favor. He is rebellious and immoral, without a ruler or father, and has raised an army to rebel, bringing chaos to the country! His crimes are too numerous to count! He is not worthy to enter the ancestral temple and defame the sacred ears of my ancestors!"

"Therefore, I have decided that all traitors and their wives and children shall be executed on the spot immediately!"

Liu Bian's eyes showed no pity. He swept his gaze once more over the young members of the imperial clan whose faces had turned from excitement to deathly pale, pointing to the tragic and chaotic scene before him. His voice suddenly turned stern, and he said: "I hope you will remember this day, take this traitor as a warning, and from now on be loyal to the emperor and the country, uphold your duties as subjects, and forever be the bulwark of the Han dynasty!"

Having said that, he didn't look at the trembling young members of the royal family again and resolutely turned away.

Once the imperial edict was issued, the already prepared guards immediately took action.

This was the execution ground; there was no need to take them elsewhere. The guards escorted the wailing and begging prisoners to the makeshift execution ground beside the Yangqu pontoon bridge. The air seemed to already smell the heavy stench of blood that was about to fill the air.

Liu Chong was dragged to the center of the execution ground first. Five warhorses were already in place, with rough but exceptionally tough ropes firmly tied to his head and limbs.

Realizing the final moment had arrived, Liu Chong's previously lifeless eyes widened instantly, bursting forth with deep-seated resentment.

He never imagined that Liu Bian would not even grant him the right to participate in the prisoner-presentation ceremony, but instead expose him to the sight of the officials and the people of Luoyang, executing him in broad daylight with the most cruel punishment of being torn apart by chariots.

What about the dignity of the imperial family members!

White silk and poisoned wine!

Even if you don't want him to have a complete body, at least give him a chance to end his own life!

The result was that they wouldn't even give him the slightest bit of dignity!

Those venomous eyes were almost bursting open, and his broken body trembled violently from extreme hatred and fear, but Liu Chong's struggles were destined to be in vain.

As the executioner waved his command flag, five guards cracked their whips, and the five warhorses, in pain, neighed and strained, pulling violently in five different directions!

"puff--"

"Crack!"

A sickening sound of bones breaking and muscles tearing suddenly rang out. Liu Chong's body was instantly torn to pieces by the immense force. His limbs and head were forcibly separated from his torso and torn apart. Blood splattered out like a bursting water sac, and limbs and internal organs were scattered all over the ground.

The once noble body of the prince was instantly reduced to scattered pieces, with only a pair of wide-open, angry eyes still fixed on Liu Bian with endless hatred.

"Mother, please excuse me for now. I will go to the North Palace to dine with you later."

Liu Bian heard the nauseating sound beside him and remembered that Empress He was also there. He stepped aside to block Empress He's view of the bloody scene, but the heavy smell of blood in the air could not be blocked.

Empress He nodded, her face slightly pale, and then boarded the carriage with Liu Hong, who had a hint of pleasure on his face, and headed back towards the North Palace.

After Liu Hong and Empress He left, the beheading of the remaining prisoners began.

The executioners were expressionless as they swiftly brought their blades down.

The sharp ring-pommel sword sliced ​​through the air, leaving trails of cold, icy light.

The sound of a sharp blade severing a neck was dull and continuous. Heads rolled to the ground like ripe melons, their faces still frozen with the fear, despair, and bewilderment of their last moments before death.

The headless corpse collapsed to the ground, the severed neck gushing out hot blood like a fountain, quickly pooling into thick, dark red pools in the low-lying areas of the execution ground.

The pungent, nauseating stench of blood instantly filled the air, almost solidifying, enveloping the entire area outside the Middle East Gate and making it hard to breathe.

The sounds of hope, cries, and pleas for mercy that had previously lingered were now replaced by deathly silence and the sound of gushing blood.

Xu Yang's head rolled to the ground, his eyes wide open, and his young son didn't even have time to utter a final cry.

Luo Jun's only son, Luo Tong, also fell in a pool of blood, his young body extinguished along with his father's ambition.

Women, children, officials... regardless of status, age, gender, or gender, all became victims of the knife, their bodies piled up and blood flowing like rivers.

The prisoners came and went, as did the executioners and the ring-pommel swords.

The young members of the imperial family who were watching the execution were already deathly pale.

The overwhelming stench of blood filled their nostrils, triggering waves of violent shivers. Some people couldn't bear it and bent over to vomit violently, almost bringing up bile. Others' legs gave way and they collapsed to the ground, their crotches soaked and emitting a foul stench.

They were the eldest sons of pampered princes, and if nothing unexpected happened, they would all become future vassal kings. They had never seen such a cruel and bloody scene.

Such a large-scale massacre, targeting royal princes and their families of similar status, could not help but send chills down their spines and evoke a deep sense of empathy among them.

The ever-spreading crimson and the silently pervasive stench of blood have become an indelible mark of fear in the hearts of these future feudal lords, a mark that will never fade with time.

Liu Bian glanced indifferently at the bloody execution ground and the young members of the royal family who were on the verge of collapse, and understood that the purpose of today's deterrence had been achieved.

He then stopped there, and surrounded by officials and guided by his entourage, turned and rode slowly toward Luoyang, the city he was loyal to.

(3140 words)
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Note 1: Biography of Luo Tong in Records of the Three Kingdoms: (Luo Tong)'s father, Jun, was the chancellor of Chen, but was killed by Yuan Shu. Tong's mother remarried and became Hua Xin's concubine. Tong was eight years old at the time, and then returned to Kuaiji with his relatives and guests.

(End of this chapter)