In the third year of Yongqing's reign, Prince Zhongshun's rebellion failed. Emperor Yongqing decreed that Zhongshun be demoted to a commoner and ordered to commit suicide. The rest of his family members were imprisoned in the clan's mansion without release. All his followers were executed, especially the Wang family, who executed the nine clans, and the Jinling Wang family's homes were ransacked. Many people were also sentenced to beheading because of the public resentment, and their surnames were changed from Wang to Mang.
Lin Shu stood in front of the window of the restaurant, looking down at the Wang family who were waiting to be executed on the torture platform at the vegetable market. He drank a glass of wine in front of the setting sun and sobbed...