At the Justice Department Execution Hall

Consort Fang and her family were on their knees facing the commoners who are standing below them since they were on the a platform. The citizens whispers among themselves as Chief Justice enters the stage, sitting behind them. Chief Justice opens a scroll and started to read aloud,
“Fang Wei Xing and his family plotted to revolt against the Emperor of Central Plains. As for his punishment, his titles will be stripped and be given to Crown Prince Yan Shen Qing. I hereby, give Fang Wei Xing and his family the death sentence” Chief Justice finishes as he sets the scroll on the table in front of him.

“Nonsense! How can General Fang revolt against Your Highness?! This is unfair!” shouted a bunch of commoners.

“General Fang is righteous and upright, he wouldn’t commit such a horrible crime!” another commoner shouts.

“Be quiet! Evidence was clearly found in Fang Wei Xing’s house; you have no right to be speaking here!” Chief Justice retorts.

“We may begin the execution” he adds.

Fang Wei Xing and his two wife lined up first to be executed; followed after was Consort Fang’s turn. The executor threw Consort Fang over the circle-shaped, wooden plank as she closes her eyes waiting for the knife to snap her head from her body.

“Stop!” Shen Qing yells, entering the stage so was I.

“Crown Prince” Chief Justice quickly bows. I rushed over to Consort Fang and helped her up from kneeling over the plank.

Shen Qing gestures him to stand, “How come I wasn’t informed ahead of time of my wife’s crime?”

“Your Highness warned us not to tell” Chief Justice answers, he lowers his head.

“And how dare you punish my wife without thoroughly looking at all evidence and motives?!” Shen Qing raised his voice.

“We did, Crown Prince” Chief Justice shuffles through his table and handed Shen Qing two piece of papers. He examines them; one of them stated the plans of revolting with two sealed stamped, one was Consort Fang’s father’s seal, and the other was a medical note of poison being bought. Shen Qing looks at them with disbelief and glares back to Consort Fang.

“Is this real?” Shen Qing questions Consort Fang. She coldly looks away.

“Speak! Did your family really plotted this?” he walks over to her and grip her by her arms with his strong hands. I tried pushing him away from hurting Consort Fang, afraid that he’ll harm the baby inside of her.

“What’s the point of explaining when you don’t even trust me?” Consort Fang angled her face to him as she stared into his eyes.

“Explain to me then. Tell me that it’s not real, that your family wasn’t trying to murder Imperial Father”

“Crown Prince Yan, I’m pretty sure you know the motives” she spoke softly as she leans forward and whispers something into his ear, “I overheard your conversation with Highness Ping. You may be able to trick others, but you won’t fool me. Karma will get you” She pulls back after she finishes. Shen Qing lets go of her and steps back.

“Kill her” Shen Qing heartlessly said as he turns away to leave.

“No!” I retorted when the men grabs her away from me, “How can you be so cruel?! She’s carrying your baby!” I shouted as Shen Qing stops halfway.

“Kill her” he repeats, his tone indifferent and cold.

“Yan Shen Qing, you’re too heartless! Just because she isn’t Consort Xue, doesn’t mean you can let her die for a false crime! She’s still your wife! She’s still a family of our’s! How can you-” I madly yelled.

“Enough! She brought this upon herself” he continues to leave the stage.

I automatically turned to Chief Justice and collapsed to my knees.

“Unless Consort Fang and her remaining family aren’t pardon, I won’t stand up from here” I stubbornly said.

“Crown Princess” Chief Justice rushes over to me and tried to make me stand.

“Chief Justice, I beg you. Consort Fang is still carrying an unborn child. Please let them go. The death of three has been made, but these children still has a long way to go. Don’t take that away from them” I plead as I bowed down causing an uproar from the commoners.

“Crown Princess, you clearly understand that I can’t pardon them of their crimes”

“Then please re-investigate the case”

“Sorry, without Your Highness’s edict I can’t, but I can give her lighter punishment” Chief Justice said, in a complicated situation.

“Xiang Yun,” Consort Fang said from behind, “No need to beg them. It’s useless”

I got up and faced Consort Fang, “I won’t let them kill you. It’s obvious that the crime is false, so I won’t give up”

“Xiang Yun, no need. Please, let me and my unborn child die peacefully”

“No!”

“Xiang Yun” she shakes her head.

“Men, give her 100 beatings” Chief Justice commands.

“No. No. No” I repeated as I tried to reach her but his men held me back.

Consort Fang laid her body on the long plank as the executor started giving the punishment. Every hit pained me as I struggled to run for her. It’s unfair. She didn’t even committed the crime. I thought justice department is supposed to find justice instead of murdering innocent victims. Shen Qing, you’re too heartless. She’s clearly innocent, but you won’t even save her.

    Consort Fang’s arm drops down the plank as I stopped moving. My eyes filled with agony and felt my legs about to give up. The executor quickly walks over to her and checked for breathing. He glance up and announced,

“She’s dead”

My body drops as droplets of tears rolls down my face. His men backs away from me the moment when I’ve collapsed. Despite my terrible relationship with Consort Fang, I wanted to help her. I wanted to save the unborn baby who didn’t even get a chance to see the sunlight. I wanted to save the unborn baby who didn’t have the chance to see his/her parents. I wanted to save the unborn baby from injustice.

    After the deaths of the Fang Family, I personally escorted the bodies back to the Fang residence for a proper burial. Their house was a few miles down from the palace and when I arrived inside their residence all their servants and maids stood in a line outside the main hall weeping in tears.

“Crown Princess” they all greeted me as I gloomily signaled for them to stand.

“Who’s in charge of the household matters?” I asks as the men sets the bodies in the ancestral hall.

“Crown Princess, I am” an old man approaches me.

“What’s your name?”

“Everyone here calls me Lao Gui”

“Lao Gui, I’ll have money sent over. Please, give them a proper burial”

He nods, “But what about-”

“Consort Fang will be buried with her family” I interrupted.

“Sure” he said, “I’ll have my men send you back”

“No, I want to stay here” I look up to the direction of the ancestral hall, “I have a few words to say to Consort Fang”