Chapter 296: Imperial Mandate Banner

Chapter 296: The Imperial Banner and Tablet

And the officials kneeling behind Lian Wujing were injected with fresh confidence from these words. They shook off their extreme fear and began to chime in.

"Lord Lian is right! Cheng Ge, you have no authority to punish us!"

"We are all officials appointed by His Majesty! To kill or punish us requires an imperial decree."

"If you dare to execute punishment today, you are defying the laws of the court! His Majesty will not spare you!"

"I demand to see the Emperor! We demand to see the Emperor! Let His Majesty decide!"

In an instant, pleas for mercy turned into sophistry and threats, and these officials seemed to regain some of their former arrogance.

All eyes, filled with complex emotions, once again focused on Cheng Ge.

Cheng Ge's expression remained unchanged, only an unfathomable calm.

He didn't even look at Lian Wujing; he simply raised a hand and waved lightly behind him.

Heavy footsteps came from behind the crowd, accompanied by solemn horn notes.

The commoners instinctively parted to create a wide path.

Eight imperial guards in golden armor were carrying a dragon pavilion draped in bright yellow silk, step by step toward the center of the square.

The dragon pavilion was entirely golden, radiating a majestic glow under the sunlight. Wherever it passed, the crowd held its breath.

The dragon pavilion was steadily placed at the highest point of the square, directly facing the thousands of spirit tablets.

Cheng Ge adjusted his robes, made a deep bow to the dragon pavilion, then stepped forward and personally lifted the bright yellow silk covering.

On the left side of the pavilion, a blue command flag was clearly visible, with the gilt character "Order" gleaming in the sunlight.

On the right side of the pavilion, a vermilion token stood solemnly, with the two large characters "Imperial Mandate" shining brightly.

And the shaft of the staff was engraved with lifelike dragon patterns, symbolizing the supreme imperial authority.

"The Imperial Banner and Tablet! It's the Imperial Banner and Tablet!" someone in the crowd shouted in shock.

The next moment, like a wheat field bent by the wind, the vast crowd fell to their knees.

Soldiers knelt on one knee, their armor clanking, and even the officials who were forced to kneel were pushed down to kowtow.

Tens of thousands of people knelt in absolute silence, with only the Imperial Banner and Tablet on the dragon pavilion fluttering slightly in the wind, symbolizing the supreme imperial presence.

The last trace of color drained from Lian Wujing's face, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

The officials behind him seemed to have their spines broken; the fire that had just been kindled was instantly crushed by the imperial banner!

Some collapsed directly, others began kowtowing uncontrollably, blood immediately forming on their foreheads.

The previous arrogance and hope for a lucky escape evaporated, leaving only the most primal fear.

Cheng Ge turned, bowed once more to the dragon pavilion, then straightened his back.

His voice was unusually clear in the silence, each word falling like hailstones:

"By His Majesty's own grant, the Imperial Banner and Tablet is here! Enshrined in the dragon pavilion, as if His Majesty himself were present!"

"With it, I am given authority to make provisional decisions! In cases of corruption, malfeasance, harming the state and its people, and with conclusive evidence—I may execute first and report later!"

His gaze, like lightning, shot into Lian Wujing's eyes, which had lost all luster:

"The Imperial Mandate is here; the law of the state is the sentence! Today, whether it is you or even a member of the imperial family, I can execute you!"

"A joint trial by the Three High Courts? Escorted back to the capital?"

Cheng Ge's voice turned harsh. He spun around to face the dragon pavilion and the thousands of commoners, his voice echoed across the square.

"Today, before this dragon pavilion, under this imperial banner—"

"With your heads, I will make an offering for the wronged souls! To execute justice!"

Lian Wujing stared fixedly at the blue command flag with gold characters and the vermilion "Imperial Mandate" token in the dragon pavilion, his lips trembling uncontrollably.

Like a beast trapped in a desperate situation, he let out a hoarse roar: "No... impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

He struggled violently, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Cheng Ge, his voice shrill with extreme fear:

"You are just a minor censor! How could His Majesty grant you the Imperial Banner and Tablet! This must be a forgery! Forging an imperial order is an even greater crime!"

As if clutching at the last straw, he turned to the surrounding commoners and soldiers and shouted hoarsely:

"Everyone! Everyone look carefully! This must be fake! Cheng Ge has forged the imperial order—his crime deserves death!"

Cheng Ge paid no attention to Lian Wujing's hysterical accusations; he only nodded slightly toward the execution platform.

Two armored soldiers immediately dragged Lian Wujing to the place of execution, their rough movements causing the belt of his official robe to loosen.

"Cheng Ge! How dare you!" Lian Wujing struggled madly, his headpiece askew, strands of graying hair falling over his forehead, making him look even more wretched.

"Even if you have the Imperial Banner and Tablet, you cannot execute people indiscriminately like this! The high officials at court will not let you off! If you kill me today, tomorrow will be your day of death!"

He was forcibly pressed onto the cold execution platform, the rough wood shavings cutting into his cheek, his neck fully exposed to the cold wind.

The fear of death made his whole body tremble, yet he still refused to give up, roaring hoarsely.

"Our court has always valued due process! Even with conclusive evidence, it requires multiple reviews! You are trampling on the law of the state! You..."

Cheng Ge still said nothing, only turning his gaze to the executioner holding the Ghost-Head Saber.

That executioner, a middle-aged man, was now shaken by Lian Wujing's words.

His hand holding the saber trembled slightly, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

He looked at the dense crowd below and then at Cheng Ge, hesitating to swing the blade.

In that moment of hesitation, Cheng Ge suddenly strode forward and snatched the Ghost-Head Saber from the executioner's hand.

The saber was heavy, the polished steel blade glinting coldly in the bleak winter sunlight.

The veins on the back of Cheng Ge's hand holding the saber bulged, yet his hand was steady without a trace of tremor.

"You wretch! You will die a miserable..." Before Lian Wujing's final curse escaped his lips, Cheng Ge swung the saber and cut down!

The blade flashed like lightning, with the sound of air cleaving.

The sharp blade cut precisely into the neck bone, producing a tooth-grating "crack" sound.

Blood sprayed, and a head rolled onto the execution platform, eyes wide open, lips still forming a curse, with an expression of horrified disbelief.

Scalding blood gushed like a fountain from the severed neck, staining the first nanmu coffin dark red.

A few drops of blood splashed onto the Xiezhi insignia on the front of Cheng Ge's official robe, staining it a glaring scarlet.

The crowd: "!!!!!"