Lao Zhang has been sharpening his knife every day recently. He received a notice asking him to be prepared, as he might be needed to perform the Lingchi execution of the sacrifice during the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony. The higher-ups should have prepared several plans and a group of skilled executioners, and Lao Zhang is one of the candidates. Who will perform the execution on the day of the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony will have to wait for the notice. This is a means to prevent someone from being bribed and tampering with the Lingchi execution, causing the sacrifice to die early. Chen Guanlou asked Lao Zhang how confident he was that he could get the Lingchi execution? Lao Zhang shook his head, "It's hard to say. The Jinyiwei trusts their own people more. Your Majesty trusts the Jinyiwei more. It's rare for the Ministry of Justice to get the job of imprisoning the Great Ming King. If they want to take on the task of Lingchi execution during the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony, the Jinyiwei will definitely not agree, and the palace should not agree either." It's safest to assign different tasks to different yamen and check and balance each other. The Ministry of Justice is controlled by a group of scholars. It's hard to say what they think and what they plan in secret. However, the Jinyiwei are definitely 100% loyal to the imperial power and the old emperor. There is no doubt about this. At the critical moment, the old emperor will definitely only use his left and right arms, that is, the Jinyiwei. "If you are selected to execute..." Chen Guanlou said hesitantly: "..."
But before he could finish the rest of the words, Lao Zhang waved his hand to signal him to stop, "I only do my job as instructed by the superiors and do not participate in any plots." Chen Guanlou laughed at himself and was a little embarrassed, "I am a small prison guard, what plots can I have? You think too highly of me. It's good for me to be on the scene of such a big event." "It's good that you know!" Lao Zhang refused sternly, and Chen Guanlou was tactful and did not mention it again. Qi Wuxiu was persuaded by Chen Guanlou's reasoning and did not resign from the Jinyiwei. He decided to continue his job. However, he learned to be lazy. Recently, he received an errand. During the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven, he had to go to the scene to maintain order and ensure safety. He wanted to find an excuse to shirk his responsibility, but was rejected by Shangguan. Shangguan said that he had to go even if he had to be stabbed. Qi Wuxiu came to Chen Guanlou in the middle of the night and asked him, "Should I go?" "If you want to go, go." Chen Guanlou's attitude has always been like this, so why is there so much entanglement. "But I don't want to go." "Then don't go." "But this is a rare opportunity. If the mission is completed smoothly, there will be many benefits in the future." Chen Guanlou: ... "So do you want to go or not?" "I don't know, I haven't made up my mind yet." "Why don't you go." Chen Guanlou followed the words and said, "It's a rare big scene, go and see it, and broaden your horizons. For someone like me, I may not be able to go even if I want to. It depends on the arrangements above." "The King of the Great Ming is imprisoned in the Tianlao, of course you can go." "If the Jinyiwei comes to take him away in advance, I will definitely not have the opportunity to go."
"No. The Ministry of Justice will not agree." Qi Wuxiu was very sure, as if he had inside information. Chen Guanlou didn't really care, it didn't matter whether he went or not. If he didn't go, he could find a place to watch the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony. It was nothing more than putting on a vest, a small matter. If he went, he would join in the fun and gain some experience. Such a big scene is enough to be written about. As the holiday ended, the government began to work, and people from the Ministry of Justice came to the Tianlao to visit the Great Ming King every day. After a few days, Sun Daoning also came. He first personally confirmed that the Great Ming King was still alive, and then summoned Chen Guanlou to talk. "Can the Great Ming King hold on until the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony?" Chen Guanlou nodded, "He will definitely hold on. The medical officer will eat and live in the Tianlao every day to prevent him from being called at any time to ensure the safety of the Great Ming King." "That's great! I don't want any accidents to happen before the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony." Chen Guanlou raised his eyebrows slightly. This attitude was different from last year. Did he think it through and change his mind? Or is there another mystery? He would never think that Sun Daoning was a loyal minister who was loyal to the old emperor and planned for the old emperor wholeheartedly. However, from another perspective, Sun Daoning was definitely a loyal minister, loyal to the court, loyal to the imperial power, and loyal to the tradition of reading. The only thing he was not loyal to was the person on the chair. He had his own ideas and persistence. The old emperor insisted on abolishing the prince, which hurt too many people's hearts, broke the rules, and messed up people's hearts. Sun Daoning must be one of the people who messed up. The Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony was such a good opportunity. If they didn't want to do something, it would not be in the interests of these people. But he said nothing, but nodded in agreement, "Don't worry, sir, I will take good care of the Great Ming King and ensure his safety. I don't know when the Jinyiwei will come to pick him up." "No need. At that time, the Tianlao and the Six Gates will be responsible for escorting the Great Ming King to the altar. You are responsible for the Tianlao, and you don't need to worry about the Six Gates. You just need to do your duty." Chen Guanlou was a little surprised, "Sir, the Tianlao is weak. If you encounter danger on the road, can you rely on the Six Gates?" Sun Daoning looked at him deeply, "If the Six Gates can't work, you are still here. With your strength, you will definitely not let the criminals get close to the Great Ming King, right." Chen Guanlou:... He wanted to curse, but didn't know where to start. Blame himself for not being able to cover up his true body and revealing his identity. He pretended to wipe the sweat from his forehead, "Your Excellency thinks too highly of me. I was injured last year and have not recovered. Now I am no different from a cripple." "You are too modest. I believe that even if you are injured, you are much stronger than the average warrior." Sun Daoning insisted that Chen Guanlou take on the responsibility, and Chen Guanlou kept complaining that he had no money, no people, and no good health, and he lacked everything he wanted. Sun Daoning didn't buy his tricks, and he was determined not to let up. Chen Guanlou had met his match. He could only nod helplessly, "I'll do my best. If something really goes wrong, don't blame me, sir."
"Don't worry, I won't blame you. I'm not the kind of person who can't tell right from wrong." A few days later, the Ministry of Justice sent someone to discuss the route again. He also personally led the people from the Tianlao twice, and even calculated the time accurately. "It can't be early or late. On the second day of the second month, you must follow the rehearsal. You must strictly abide by the time and not relax. The six gates are responsible for safety along the way, and you only need to escort the prisoners. Also, clean the prisoners one day in advance. Fast for two meals in advance, and stop drinking water for one meal in advance." "What's the point of this?" Chen Guanlou was very curious. It was really surprising that a prisoner who was to be executed by slow slicing had so many rules. "Just follow the requirements of the Imperial Observatory. This matter cannot be neglected. It is related to whether the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the sky can proceed smoothly. If you neglect it and cause an accident, everyone will be in trouble. Remember it?" "Please say it again, Shangguan, and I will write it down. You know, the people in the prison are all rough, so I'm afraid they will make mistakes." "Okay, I'll say it again, remember it!"