monarch

"When I woke up, my lungs felt like I had swallowed coals, and my mouth was full of the taste of blood. I struggled to open my eyes and found myself trapped in darkness, with the textiles coming from my hands. From the touch of the object, one could deduce that I was lying in a sack."

"Gradually my senses started to work again, the sound of small talk came to my ears, my brain reacted quickly, and I lay in the bag, like a real dead body, motionless."

"After a while, I felt two people each lift one end of the sack, and someone tied something to my feet, and the rope was only strangling my feet. They were holding one end of the sack at the same time, dangling back and forth. .”

"Suddenly, I felt as if I was being thrown into the air, followed by a free fall. I felt like I was hitting some kind of wall, and in a split second I was enveloped by a cold feeling, and I realized It was water - they threw me into the water and obviously strapped something heavy to my feet."

"I began to tear the sack with all my strength, but the thick burlap was very strong without any cracks. At this moment, I thought of the dagger that was still stuck between my ribs."

"The dagger was originally aimed at my heart, but God had his own arrangements. My heart was born in a different position from others, it grew on the other side of the chest, so the knife just stuck in my ribs There was no heart injury."

"As a doctor, I know the danger of pulling out the blade inserted in the body hastily, but at this time I couldn't care less, so I grabbed the handle of the knife and pulled it out forcefully."

"There was an indescribable pain at the wound. Fortunately, the pain did not make me unconscious, on the contrary, it made me clearer. I immediately cut the burlap with the tip of the knife, and the heavy burlap It was torn in two like a piece of white paper. I leaned out from the sack, bent down, found the rope that bound my feet, and found an iron ball hanging underneath. I cut the rope with a knife, Swim up hard."

"When I was a child, one of my favorite things to do was to play in the Arno, so I had good water skills. My feet struggled with the water, and I quickly reached the surface. Before I was about to The moment I suffocated, I floated to the surface."

"The moment I surfaced, I saw that I was on the surface of the sea. There was a small boat not far away. There were two black shadows on the boat. They must have just thrown me into the sea. Fortunately, the people on the sea The wind is not small, and the turbulent current has already taken me away for a certain distance, and on such a night, it is almost impossible to find a head floating on the sea just by relying on the moonlight."

"However, just to be on the safe side, I took a deep breath, dived into the water again, and swam in the opposite direction. When I surfaced again, the small boat was already heading towards the port."

"I struggled to swim towards the shore, the waves rolled, and the sea water poured into my mouth and nose, and the salty taste made me feel sick again. I paddled hard, and my arm had been lost. Feeling, and my legs seem to be starting to cramp, and I feel that moment is coming."

"At this moment, my foot touched something sharp, and there was a sharp pain. My first feeling was that I was bitten by something, but I immediately realized that my foot was on the ground. A rock in the sea."

"Twenty paces away, in the moonlight, was a shore full of white pebbles. Then I made a few strokes forward, and with my feet on the bottom, I came ashore."

"I walked forward for about 10 minutes, and finally came to a road. I walked along the main road, and there were a few lights flickering not far away, like a lighthouse in a storm on the sea."

"When I arrived, I found it to be a humble farmhouse with a knee-high fence that served more as a decoration than a defense. I stepped over the fence, went to the door, and stepped on the Those three wooden steps, at this time I was already dizzy."

"I reached out and tried to knock on the door, but my legs couldn't move. I felt the door getting closer and closer, and then I slammed into the door and collapsed in front of it. When I was unconscious At that moment, I vaguely heard the door opening and a woman's exclamation."

"It was half a month later when I woke up again. The owner of the farmhouse was an old couple who saved my life. When I woke up, I claimed to be a seaman. In a shipwreck I The boat sank, and the knife on my chest was inserted by my companions while fighting for the lifeboat. They believed my story and marveled at what happened to me."

"I was determined to find out the truth and do justice for my family. I remembered that the dagger had a badge on it that looked like a pair of wings pointing upwards. I described the pattern to the old man, and he slightly After thinking about it for a few seconds, I raised my head and looked at me with a strange expression, 'You're not talking about the family crest of the Seymour family, are you?'"

"Although I am a foreigner, I am still very familiar with the name of the Seymour family. It is the Seymour family that once gave birth to a queen, and the Seymour family is powerful in England!"

"I realized what a mess I was getting into, and when I was able to get out of bed, I left the old couple without saying goodbye. I went all the way across half England, doing odd jobs all the way to Wales. .Because of my appearance, the probability of finding a job is much lower than that of ordinary people, and it is very eye-catching. I wandered in the mountains and forests for a long time, and did not return to the crowd until I had enough money to buy a few masks middle."

"When I returned to London again, England had a new king, and the Earl of Hertford of the Seymour family became the Lord Protector of the kingdom. I wandered around the Lord Protector's mansion Then, the badge on the big iron gate of the mansion is exactly the same as the one I saw on the dagger. After squatting around there for a few days, I finally saw that John coming out from the side door where the servants came in and out. He really Working here. When the Protector came out from the mansion, I carefully observed his movements and figure, and I was sure that was the person who asked me the question. I wanted to assassinate him, but when I was still thinking about how to When he got close to him, there was news that he was under investigation." He raised his hand and pointed to the Lord Protector standing opposite him, "He is the murderer, Your Majesty, my lords, I will point out the murderer to you, please enforce the law impartially !"

There was a gloomy silence in the room, and the breathing from hundreds of chests could be clearly heard.

"This court expresses deep sympathy for the misfortune you and your family have suffered," the Chief Minister finally said after a long time, "I have one last question. Do you swear that everything you say is true? ?”

"I swear on my soul, on the soul of my wife and daughters!" the doctor almost roared.

"Your Excellency the Duke." The Chief Minister turned to the Lord Protector who looked like a lion with a broken paw, "Do you know this doctor? Do you admit to everything he said?"

The muscles at the corners of Duke Protector's mouth twitched slightly. He supported the armrests of the chair with both hands and stood up, "These are completely nonsense, vicious slander and insults. I don't know this person, and I have never seen him before. pass him!"

"You don't know me anymore?" The doctor has been watching the Duke Protector's every move, he shouted sharply, jumped up from his position, and was about to jump at the Duke Protector, but was held back by several guards, "But But I can recognize you! Although I have never seen your face, I can recognize your movements and hear your voice! Even if you have fooled everyone in this world, you can’t fool me, let alone You can't fool God!" He pointed to the ceiling, and everyone couldn't help but follow his movements and look up, as if the ceiling was about to crack in the next moment, and the eternal judge was about to show up.

"Please calm down!" The chief minister knocked on the table. "This court has recorded your testimony. On behalf of the court, I thank you for your testimony."

He turned to the Duke Protector who was slumped on the chair again: "Your Excellency, do you have anything else to say?"

A look of decadence quickly surfaced on Duke Protector's face, and he remained silent.

"Do you have anything else to say?" the Chief Minister asked again.

Duke Protector didn't raise his eyes, but shook his head slowly, as if his head weighed a thousand catties.

"Then I will announce an adjournment for half an hour." The Chief Minister knocked on the table, "The judges will withdraw to vote."

The king stood up and walked out of the hall under the eyes of everyone, followed by the judges.

The actors who brought the play had all left the stage, like a theater during an intermission, the room immediately became a buzzing hive, and the audience was full of enthusiasm, discussing the plot just performed on the stage.They poured out of the hall like a tidal wave, flowing into the surrounding lounges and corridors.

Princess Elizabeth in the auditorium yawned lazily. She stood up and straightened her skirt, "Let's go, the show is over."

"But, the result of the trial hasn't been announced yet?" Miss Jane Gray took a few seconds to realize, she was completely fascinated by watching.

"That's just an encore after the curtain call. The Lord Protector is finished. I don't just mean his life, but his reputation, his family, everything about him. From now on, historians will Call him a kingslayer, and forever be nailed to the pillar of shame in history." Although she tried her best to keep her calm, the shortness of breath when she spoke still betrayed her excitement.

"Do you think . . . that he killed your father?" asked Miss Jane Gray cautiously.

"My father?" The princess said with a hint of sarcasm in her tone, "Yes, he is still my father after all." She raised her head slightly, looking quite proud, but Miss Jane Gray had a feeling that, She wanted to keep the tears swirling in her eyes inside.

"I wasn't sure before, but now... I think he is indeed a regicide." The princess's voice returned to the previous indifference, "As for the death of the first queen, I don't know, and to be honest, I don't care. "She lifted her skirt and was about to leave.

Miss Jane Gray looked hesitant, and rose reluctantly.

"Why, don't you want to leave? Don't tell me you are still interested in this play." The princess noticed Miss Jane Gray's hesitation.

"With your permission, I would like to stay here until the sentencing." Jane Gray was a little embarrassed, her two hands were clasped together, and her fingers were pinching each other, "I must admit that I was a little fascinated. "When Dr. Giovanni narrated just now, she did not dare to blink her excited eyes.

"You were anxious to go back just now, but now you are reluctant to leave." The princess laughed, "Well, if you like, let's finish the play together." She said and returned to her seat sit up.

"Thank you!" Jane Gray looked like a singing oriole, bouncing back to her place.

Ten minutes before the resumption of the court session, people who went outside to breathe or chat have already returned to the hall. Obviously, except Princess Elizabeth, no one wants to miss the final chapter of this drama that has become the talk of the whole of Europe.When the bailiff rang the bell to announce the reopening of the court, the hall was full again.

As in court, the judges lined up and walked back to their seats.Then, with the sound of the trumpet, the king entered again, passed through the saluting crowd like a forest bent by a strong wind, and sat down on the throne.

The defendant was brought back to the hall, and Sir Thomas was still the same as before, looking like a walking dead.And Duke Hu seemed to be ten years older than before. His well-maintained, energetic face was now showing signs of exhaustion, and his hair, which was always meticulously combed, looked a little disheveled.He still walked into the hall with square steps, but experienced people could tell at a glance that his steps were a little pretentious.The audience in the hall looked at him in surprise, and they whispered to each other in surprise.

"This Court now pronounces its sentence." The First Minister stood up, looking as expressionless as a statue, like the embodiment of law and power, "With the unanimous consent of your lords, we hold that the former Lord Protector, Somerset Edward Seymour, Duke, and his brother, Admiral Sir Thomas Seymour, are guilty of regicide, murder, treason and 150 six counts."

There was a panting sound of panic in the room. Although many people had already expected this, the final dust settled still gave them a huge shock.

"The crimes committed by the defendants are of a magnitude unprecedented. With the consent of the court, the two defendants are immediately disbarred from their peerage and will be executed at Tyburn three days later."

"Their legs shall be driven into wooden boots with nails, their hands shall be burned with sulfur and molten lead, and after that they shall be wrecked with chariots."

The panting in the room grew louder, and there was a commotion at the back of the room, as if a lady had fainted after hearing the description of the dreadful torture, and was being administered smelling salts to her.

The king frowned slightly, he thought for a moment, and stood up, the people in the room immediately shut their mouths, and some didn't even dare to take a breath.

"I decided to commute the punishment of the two defendants." Edward surprised everyone in the room as soon as he spoke.

"As my father's son, I am extremely angry at the actions of the two defendants, and my chest is full of desire for revenge. However, as a human being, I must say that I am disgusted by this cruel and inhuman punishment. Therefore, I decided to , change the sentence of the two defendants to beheading, the time and place will be set in the Tower of London three days later. May God forgive their sins and may their souls rest in peace."

"Your Majesty is merciful!" The chief minister immediately jumped up like a spring under his buttocks, "Long live Your Majesty the King!"

"Long live His Majesty the King!" thunderous cheers erupted in the room, and many were moved to tears by the king's noble gesture.

Princess Elizabeth disdainfully turned her head to look at a lady who kept wiping her tears with a silk handkerchief in her hand. The lady said to the man beside her with sobs: "Your Majesty is truly a saint! What a noble heart, what a kindness move!"

The man next to him also had a look of approval on his face, "God bless England and give us such a great monarch!"

There was a soft chuckle from under the princess's veil.

"Idiots! Even a group of stupid geese have more brains than these idiots!" She whispered disdainfully, the voice was so small that only she could hear it.

"Does the defendant have anything else to say?" The chief minister looked at the Lord Protector again, motioning him to thank the king's Long En.

The Duke Protector stood up and scanned the crowd in the room. The faces that had looked at him with sympathy just now became filled with righteous indignation, as if they were accusing him of being ungrateful.Like a group of reeds that fall with the wind, they are only worthy of being played with in the palm of the hand.

"What I want to say is that before the trial, I didn't expect this court to give me the justice I deserved, and the results of the trial have confirmed this. The judges of this court are just a group of people who are manipulated by behind-the-scenes Clowns, they have no shame in directing this political scandal. I don't recognize their so-called trial. And I believe that the justice that the courts of this world cannot provide me, the eternal court in heaven will provide me; today's The justice that the court cannot provide me, the court of history will provide me. When people read the history books thousands of years later, it will be clearly recorded that it is not me who should be judged, but the one sitting on the stage Everyone above!"

The Duke Protector's voice was a little hoarse, and his body was shaking a little. The confidence and arrogance he had during the court session were gone forever.As soon as he finished speaking, the righteous indignation of the audience exploded like summer thunder. They all stood up and denounced the defendant's ungratefulness and unrepentance. The chief minister had to slam on the table to maintain order .

"Take the accused out of court," he ordered.

The Lord Protector stood up expressionlessly, and walked towards the gate surrounded by guards, without even looking at the audience jumping up and down, as if they were just a group of noisy frogs in a summer pond.

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The punishment mentioned in the article is the punishment for the assassin Robert Damian who attempted to assassinate King Louis XV of France in 1757. Lavaillac, the assassin who successfully assassinated King Henry IV in 1610, was also subjected to similar torture.