Space Farming: Traveling through Ancient Times to Do Business

"Qi'er!" Mrs. Zhou was startled when she saw Liu Ziqi rushing into her room like a gust of wind. She stood up immediately. Her beautiful and dignified face was filled with worry and uneasiness.

"Mom, what's going on?" Liu Ziqi asked anxiously, with a hint of panic and confusion in his voice. His bright eyes stared at his mother, as if he wanted to get some key clues from her.

Mrs. Zhou took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She patted Liu Ziqi's shoulder and said gently, "Okay, Qi'er, now is not the time to ask these questions."

However, Liu Ziqi was obviously not satisfied with this answer. He frowned and continued to ask: "But, mother, if we don't understand the situation, how can we deal with it?"

Mrs. Zhou's eyes flashed with a hint of helplessness, but more of determination. She raised her voice and shouted: "Qier! Things have come to this point. Delaying any further will only make the situation worse. Time is running out, we must leave immediately."

Liu Ziqi was startled by his mother's sudden scolding. He was stunned. But soon, he understood his mother's worry and anxiety. He gritted his teeth, nodded, and quickly turned around to pack his luggage.

At this moment, a servant walked into the room and respectfully reported to Mrs. Zhou: "Madam, everything is ready and we can set off at any time."

Mrs. Zhou nodded slightly, indicating that she understood. She glanced at Liu Ziqi, with a hint of love and determination in her eyes. Then, she said without hesitation: "Let's go!"

As soon as the voice fell, Mrs. Zhou took the lead and walked towards the door. Liu Ziqi followed closely behind. Although he still had many questions in his mind, he knew that the most important thing at the moment was to obey his mother's arrangements.

Half an hour later, outside the city

"Mom, what is going on?" Liu Ziqi finally couldn't help asking. He hoped to get more information from his mother.

Madam Liu stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Liu Ziqi, with a complex emotion in her eyes. She sighed and said slowly, "I already know about your father's bad deeds. The things he did are worth more than ten lives. We can't stay in this place of trouble any longer, we can only go to your grandfather for help."

Liu Ziqi was shocked when he heard this. He didn't expect his father's situation to be so serious, and he didn't expect his mother to be so determined to leave. He tried to say something, but was interrupted by Mrs. Liu again.

"No buts, Qi'er." Madam Liu said firmly, "Your father is a heartless man. We don't need to do anything for him anymore. He has brought this upon himself. There is no need for us to worry about him anymore."

''......''

Day 2: County Court

"Liu Xueyi, do you plead guilty?" Zhou Yisheng sat in the court with a serious expression, staring at Liu Xueyi with sharp eyes.

"Sir, I am innocent!" Liu Xueqi knelt in the courtroom, his voice trembling and unwilling.

"As a teacher, you actually did so many dirty things. It's really a disgrace to our school!" Zhou Yisheng scolded harshly, his voice full of anger and disappointment.

"Sir, I was wrongly accused by others!" Liu Xueqi hurriedly explained, trying to clear himself of the grievances.

"You still want to quibble?" Zhou Yisheng slammed the gavel and shouted angrily, "The evidence is irrefutable, and you still want to deny it?"

Liu Xueqi was frightened and trembled. He raised his head, and a trace of fear and despair flashed in his eyes. He knew that he might not be able to escape this time, but he still wanted to defend himself.

"Sir, I really didn't do those things. The evidence was forged by others!" Liu Xueqi struggled and said, his voice full of pleading.

"Oh my God! No wonder his private school has not produced any scholars in all these years!" an old woman suddenly exclaimed, spitting on the ground in disgust.

A middle-aged man next to him took over the conversation and added angrily: "I have long seen that he is not a good person. He only knows how to enjoy himself all day long. How can he have the heart to teach students?"

"That's right!" a young girl echoed angrily, "My brother studied with him before, but he didn't learn anything and picked up a lot of bad habits."

"Such a person is not worthy of being a teacher!" another old man said indignantly, "We should unite and let the county magistrate chop him off."

"Yes! We can't let people like this continue to harm our children!" Everyone agreed, their voices filled with anger and dissatisfaction towards Liu Xueqi.

Zhou Yisheng listened to the discussion in the hall with a frown on his face. He patted the gavel, signaling everyone to be quiet. Then, he looked at Liu Xueyi coldly and asked again: "Liu Xueyi, do you have anything else to say?"

Liu Xueqi looked up at Zhou Yisheng, with a hint of helplessness and despair in his eyes. He knew that no matter how much he argued, he could not change people's views.

He took a deep breath and said slowly, "Sir, I know I made some mistakes in the past, but I really didn't do those things. I am willing to accept the punishment, but please be discerning and don't let me bear a false accusation."

"The higher-ups demanded beheading and property confiscation." The lawyer quietly walked to Zhou Yisheng's ear and spoke in a low and serious voice.

Zhou Yisheng's face darkened and his brows furrowed when he heard this. He glanced at Liu Xueqi who was being escorted to the court, and a complex emotion surged in his heart. As a local official, he knew the majesty of the law and the importance of justice, but in the face of such a severe sentence, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Liu Xueqi.

He pondered for a moment, then said to his advisor: "Report this matter quickly, and prepare the relevant documents to ensure that everything is carried out in accordance with the court's instructions."

The lawyer nodded in agreement and left in a hurry.

Zhou Yisheng sat back in the hall and looked at everything below with deep eyes.

He knew very well that this decision would cause an uproar, but he also knew that as an official, he must adhere to the red line of the law and defend the dignity and power of the court.

"Behead at noon!" These four words were like a sharp sword, piercing Liu Xueqi's heart.

At this moment, his face was as pale as paper, as if he had lost the vitality of life. He looked up at Zhou Yisheng, with a trace of unwillingness and helplessness in his eyes, but in a moment he lowered his head again, silently accepting this cruel truth.

The surrounding villagers were noisy, some felt pity for Liu Xueqi's situation, while others applauded and thought that he had brought it upon himself. However, no matter how everyone felt, the conclusion could not be changed.

Accompanied by a loud gong sound, Liu Xueqi was rudely taken to the prison van and headed towards the execution ground.

His figure gradually walked away, leaving behind sighs and lamentations.

Zhou Yisheng stared at the prison van that was gradually moving away, with mixed feelings in his heart.