Li Xiang believed he had performed exceptionally well. Every time he met someone, he would shed tears and denounce his past actions, admitting that he deserved to die for causing the deaths of so many people. He hoped they would take good care of their families, and then he would have no regrets.
Under his diligent performance, many were moved by his words and promised to put in a good word for him with the City Lord.
Finally, on the sixth day of his imprisonment, a jailer delivered a message: "Prepare yourself, the City Lord wishes to see you!"
"It's finally here. It seems the real performance is about to begin!" Li Xiang felt both excited and apprehensive, unsure if his act could move the City Lord.
Eventually, within the prison, there was a reception room. Previously, it was where inmates met their families, but now it was a heavily guarded area. Many young individuals with special abilities stood guard around the room. Shen Feng slowly walked in, and at the other end of the reception room sat Li Xiang, who had supposedly repented.
"Li Xiang, we haven't seen each other for many years. Because I trusted you to manage a city well, I didn't pay close attention to your affairs. I never expected you to do something like this, which has deeply disappointed me. It's not how I wished to see you, but there's no other way since you made a mistake," Shen Feng said calmly.
"City Lord, I've thought about it these past few days. I've committed an unforgivable sin, and I know I cannot be pardoned. But after much thought, I realized I was misled by others. That's how I ended up in this situation. It was because of the wicked people around me who incited me to misuse the grain, indulging their own appetites. I was momentarily bewitched and took the wrong step!" Li Xiang stated.
"I have already apprehended the wicked people you spoke of. You won't be lonely on the road to the underworld with them as companions. I won't let you die in vain; these people are your escorts because they were the ones who misled you! Starving thousands of people, what a grave sin! You can only atone for it in the next life!" Shen Feng could only shake his head helplessly after hearing Li Xiang's confession.
If Li Xiang had understood this earlier, there wouldn't have been this whole charade, making things awkward for everyone and leading to bloodshed. But now that the situation had escalated, not executing him would be an unacceptable outcome for the common people. Furthermore, it served as a warning to others. Executing one person could instill caution in others, making them realize that grain could not be arbitrarily diverted, as it was a matter of life and death for everyone.
Li Xiang was stunned when he heard Shen Feng's words. He hadn't expected his performance to fail to earn him forgiveness. Did Shen Feng truly intend to have him executed? He couldn't help but ask, "Can a single mistake never be rectified? I followed you, City Lord, and worked tirelessly, making significant contributions. Even if not major contributions, I was diligent and never made mistakes. Are you truly going to take my life so heartlessly?"
Shen Feng took a deep breath and replied, "If your mistake were minor, today's events wouldn't have happened. I would have merely cautioned you. But have you considered that your decision led to the deaths of thousands? If I don't execute you this time, what will others think? Will they also harbor a侥幸 mentality, believing that mistakes have no consequences, thus emboldening them to err without fear, knowing I will forgive them?"
"But I was also misled! Initially, I just wanted to get more grain to live a more comfortable life. I didn't expect those fellows to illegally withhold grain from the common people, leading to the famine. Should that also be blamed on me? These were mistakes made by my subordinates; why must I bear the responsibility?" Li Xiang still tried to defend himself.
Shen Feng paused and said, "You might think that by shifting all the blame to your subordinates, you can escape unscathed. But I can tell you that during your detention, all those arrested have confessed the truth. They stated that these activities were carried out with your support, and there is ample evidence. It is now impossible for you to absolve yourself of guilt!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiang was instantly stunned. He hadn't expected his subordinates to confess so quickly, betraying him the moment they were caught. This made it difficult for him to argue his way out.
"They must be falsely accusing me to lessen their own guilt. They are saying I instructed them. This is all a conspiracy, City Lord, please believe me!" Li Xiang said, thinking quickly.
"Enough! Ever since I entered this room, you have been talking, and not a single word of truth has come from your mouth. As for how I discern this, there's no need to elaborate further. Xixi, come out!" Shen Feng suddenly roared, telling Li Xiang to stop talking, as he had seen through his deception.
As his words fell, a woman in a cloak emerged from a corner. She wore a black cloak, and at first glance, one might mistake her for one of Shen Feng's bodyguards. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear she was a woman, and her combat prowess wasn't particularly strong, as she lacked muscular build.
The woman emerging from the corner was none other than Zhang Xixi. Her ability was simple: she could detect if someone was lying. When a person spoke, various emotions would flash through their mind, and these emotions would be released as brainwaves, which she could capture to confirm if the person was lying.
Under normal circumstances, she worked in prisons or courts, as her ability to detect lies was crucial for judging cases.
Therefore, with her appearance in the room, the matter was all but settled. She could tell whether someone was speaking the truth or not with a single glance.
"Do you have anything else to say? I've heard from many people about your behavior these past few days. They all said you showed remorse, but from what I see today, you were merely feigning it to escape punishment. Don't think I don't know your intentions. You hoped to gain my sympathy to save your life. Now that your plan has failed, what else do you want to say, speak up quickly!" Shen Feng directly addressed Li Xiang's motive.
"This is unfair, completely unfair!" Li Xiang, realizing he was cornered, decided to abandon all pretense and shouted. His act of feigned remorse and pitifulness vanished.
"What is unfair about this? I am only executing you. As for your family, I will look after them. Out of respect for your years of service, I will spare them and allow them to live in Yuzhou, arranging suitable positions for them in the future. Do you still think this is not fair? You have caused the deaths of thousands, and they too had families, yet they had to suffer starvation. Is that fair to them?" Shen Feng's tone became stern.
"I'm not saying this is unfair. I'm saying other things are unfair. Why are you people so high and mighty, able to obtain countless resources? I just want to live a comfortable life. What's wrong with that? It's like saying the officials can set fire, but the common people cannot light a lamp. Are you such a leader? I was blind to have followed you as my boss back then. I know I should have betrayed you with others!" Li Xiang's eyes were now red, his mind no longer clear, and he even began to threaten Shen Feng.
Shen Feng remained silent for a moment and then said, "So you feel this is unfair. Then I can tell you that you reap what you sow. My subordinates, while they have their own gray incomes, know my bottom line and never dare to tamper with grain or deceive me on this matter. You are the first to do something like this. If I don't deal with you, who should I deal with? Wanting a better life is simple; you can achieve it through your own efforts or your own ingenuity. As long as the matter isn't too serious, I will tacitly allow you to have a better income. But in the end, you chose to misuse the grain. This grain was distributed by me. It was harvested, processed, and dried by many people on the front lines, and it is incredibly precious. Yet, you used it to brew alcohol and feed livestock. Did you ever consider others?"
"Don't try to explain your actions now, because I can see you're just a fair-weather friend! You think I'm useless now, so you want to kill me. That's it, that's definitely it, I'm not wrong!" Li Xiang said in exasperation.
Shen Feng shook his head helplessly and replied, "So that's what you thought. But since it has come to this, I can only send you on your way. Tell the jailers around you what you want to eat, and they will prepare it for you. As for your family, I will have them change their names and live elsewhere. I didn't expect you to have married seven wives and have over a dozen children. But rest assured, I won't touch them. Some people must eventually face their own death!"
After saying this, Shen Feng stood up and prepared to leave. He understood that he had done all he could. Even if Li Xiang repented now, it was too late, as the grave sin had already been committed, and it was impossible to rectify.
Li Xiang had been shouting curses with great satisfaction earlier, but now, seeing Shen Feng about to leave, he couldn't help but say, "Boss, are you really abandoning me? I truly know I was wrong now. Just spare my life, and I'll do anything!"
However, Shen Feng had made up his mind, so he left resolutely. After exiting the room, the surrounding bodyguards followed suit. In their eyes, Li Xiang was met with nothing but disdain.
Most of the bodyguards accompanying Shen Feng were his disciples. They needed positions during their training, and the most suitable role was that of a bodyguard.
Finally, on the day of the execution, the plaza was packed with people, many eager to witness the ceremony. The individuals to be beheaded or shot were only about a dozen or twenty. More were quietly taken to the execution grounds, either injected with poison or killed outright.
Those executed in the plaza were typically individuals of high status, including Li Xiang and his brother-in-law, Qiao Xianwen, who had assisted him. Many hotel owners were also on the execution list because they had handled many of the illicit transactions.
The City Lord's mansion immediately disseminated the news, so on the day of the execution, many people learned of it and flocked to watch. Numerous media outlets were also present, cameras in hand, ready to capture the scene for their reports.
"Brother Qiao, this wine is for you. May your journey on the road to the underworld be smooth, and may you never err again!" Qi Lingshan, remembering their past relationship, came to bid farewell to such a person. Standing beside Qiao Xianwen, he held a bowl of strong liquor.