Why did they accept death so calmly? When the cold blade falls, ending a person's life, have we ever thought about whether those who have been beheaded have even the slightest possibility of resistance and escape?
In what mood did they kneel on the ground and wait for death to come?
Li Siming was originally an ordinary young man in the capital, enjoying the love of his mother and the tenderness of his new wife. However, an argument with a neighbor changes his life completely.
On that day, he had a verbal altercation with his neighbor Zhang Er, which eventually escalated into a violent physical altercation. Unfortunately, during the dispute, Zhang Er was unfortunately pushed down by Li Siming, resulting in an unfortunate death.
The accident quickly attracted official attention, and Li Siming was arrested by the government and began a lengthy interrogation process. The jailer took Li Siming to the yamen of the criminal department with a five-flower tie-up and locked him in a dark cell.
The jailers tortured him to extract a confession and tortured him with all kinds of cruel methods, such as whipping, tiger chairs, and pouring cold water on him. Although the pain prevented him from walking, he always stood for his innocence.
In the dark, damp cell, there was filth everywhere, and a few rays of light poured down from the dilapidated windows, illuminating the crawling maggots. Looking at the pleading eyes of his mother and wife, Li Siming chose to stick to his beliefs, he would rather endure the pain than admit a wrongful conviction and bring shame on his family.
However, the jailers had no intention of sparing him, and they mercilessly tortured him for more than a month. Siming was forced to kneel naked on the cold concrete floor, his hands cuffed behind his back, and a heavy shackle around his neck.
The jailers beat him violently with ox tendons, and when he was tired, he changed to another person. The crisp thrashing sound and Siming's painful moans intertwined, echoing through the cell. His back had been bruised and his legs had long since lost sensation, but Siming still held on and didn't say a word.
Seeing the tragic condition of her son in torture, Siming's old mother cried out in pain, knelt on the ground and begged the jailer to stop the abuse, and the young wife had long since stopped crying.
But the jailers turned a deaf ear, and they continued to go their own way. However, the defense line is ultimately unstoppable. After a month of brutal interrogation, Siming's consciousness began to blur, and he finally signed his name to the transcript.
At that moment, a part of his heart was already dead, and he began to accept the fact that he was going to be put to death. His mother and wife wept silently, and he could only watch blankly, with little hope left in his heart.
Siming was taken back to a dark and damp cell, and after signing for confirmation, he faced new suffering. The pain was still not healing, mosquitoes and noisy sounds kept him awake, and the physical wounds were not cared for, and the pain was getting worse day by day.
His mother and wife visited him every day, their eyes full of worry and sorrow. The musty smell and filth in the cell made them sad, and this was supposed to be their newlywed moment, but they were trapped in a cold and damp prison by this lawsuit.
Siming understands that if he is executed, his young wife will be forced to remarry, and his old mother, who grew up with him, will be left alone, endured white eyes and bullying. This made him feel deeply remorseful and distressed.
Siming spent his days in a gloomy cell, waiting for death to come, cut off from the outside world. The hopes and dreams of the past were long gone, and he looked at the nicks on the wall, counting the days, hoping that the painful days would soon end.
This loneliness made him fall into confusion, and gradually lost hope for life, leaving only endless emptiness in his heart. Death row inmates often talk about the past and the horrors of the execution grounds, which makes them even more numb and hopeless about death.
As Siming listened, he lost his fear of the impending death. At dawn, he will be taken to the execution ground.
More than three months later, Siming finally came to the end of his life. The jailer tightened him and escorted him out of his cell and to the execution ground. The area around the execution site was already crowded with onlookers.
Everyone's eyes showed sympathy or malicious ridicule, which made Siming's heart even more desperate. The chatter and ridicule of people made Siming's mind even more confused.
The mother and wife were blocked by the crowd and could only watch it all. Execution Ground**, an iron-faced and selfless executioner is ready. He was dressed in a black robe with a black veil over his face, like a god of death from hell.
He held a razor-sharp sword in his hand, the blade glittering in the sunlight in a formidable way. Under the knife lay a black log, and Siming realized that it was the place where he was about to face death.
His heart was beating faster, his knees were limp, and cold sweat was sliding uncontrollably. The sun is like a furnace, scorching his **, this is the sunshine he has not seen for a long time in prison, and it is also the last sunshine in his life.
Familiar voices echoed in his ears—the inquisitor reading his name and crime aloud, and the clamor of the crowd seemed more like urging the executioner to speed up the pace of his hands. He finally understood that death was near.
His life was coming to an end.
When the bell of judgment rang, Simin bent his knees before his fate. His heart was full of emotional waves, and a trace of unwillingness and fear emerged again. He remembered his mother's tearful eyes, his wife's helpless pleading.
They loved him so much, how could he bear to leave them like this? He tried to struggle, hoping to buy a glimmer of hope for his life. He searched everywhere, hoping to find any possibility of escape.
However, there is more desperation. Three months in prison had completely destroyed his desire to escape. At this moment, he knew that he had nowhere to run - surrounded by Praetorian Guards armed with spears, and executioners with sharp blades awaited his fate.
He was chained and unable to move. The crowd made him completely hopeless.
Faced with an irresistible fate, Siming understands that resistance will only bring more suffering. The Praetorian Guard was always ready to ** him and let his family suffer even deeper.
Behind him, his mother and wife will struggle to survive in this cruel world. His identity made him deeply understand the orders of the emperor and the government, and he could not disobey them.
It's his day, and being irresistible will only lead to more disastrous consequences. Helplessly intertwined, Siming finally chose to accept reality. Under the mournful gaze of his mother and wife, he knelt silently and waited for the end of his life.
He fell to his knees, bowed his head, motionless, ready for the next second of sharp blades.
The moment the knife flashed, it was not only the loss of life, but also the shattering of the family and the shattering of hope. Should we think about the lives that have silently endured death in history, but they also have their own stories and lives?
And when life is gone, who listens to the unspeakable sorrow in their hearts? When the sword light disappeared and the sun sprinkled warmly on the earth, the noise of the crowd gradually subsided, and everything returned to calm.
The people cheered or sighed, and they dispersed, gradually forgetting this brief scene. However, for Siming's mother and wife, the grief of this moment will be engraved in their hearts forever.
They burst into tears and fell to the ground, weeping bitterly. Although Zhang Er's case is over, their suffering has just begun.
We can't erase the wounds of history, but we can stop and listen to the silent lamentations. Perhaps this deep sigh, this sincere tear, is the best comfort for the suffering.
Over the years, there have been countless stories that should not be forgotten. When we look back on history, we should also remember the preciousness of life, avoid cruelty and oppression, and cherish the hard-won happiness and freedom in front of us.