Outside Wumen Gate, Chen Qiaoyue was soon beheaded.
Ling Hua stepped forward and pleaded with the Emperor, "Your Majesty, although Minister Chen was momentarily confused and his actions warrant beheading, his wife, daughter, and extended family are innocent after all. I feel that they should be spared!"
The Emperor turned sharply, "You're pleading for Chen Qiaoyue?"
Ling Hua sighed, "Your Majesty, as the ruler, you have always been wise. To exterminate the extended family is a grave sin that even the wickedest criminals don't deserve. Minister Chen is guilty, but his crime doesn't merit such a punishment. I think that his execution is enough. To prevent panic among the people, his family could be spared. After all, he served in Jingzhao Prefecture for many years. Even if he had no great achievements, he has endured hardships, and this is the only mistake he really made."
