It's treason, it's punishable or most likely always punished by exterminating the entire family including everyone living under that house, related or not and stripped from their status for those who didn't die/escaped and branded traitor in history.
It applies on west and east culture relatively the same way. At those era at least. No exception. Getting away with only one person's death instead of the whole house is already considered to be merciful.
Hahaha, I watched/read too many historical dramas that this type of offence is done so many times to get rid of political enemies/rival. Both Rightfully or falsely charged.
That and she was a liability to the stronghold.She leaked classified information to enemies for her own selfish reasons and didn't even see what's wrong despite the fact that people, valuable soldiers lost lives. And clearly locking her away was not enough.
I must admit that it was cruel to have everybody in Aubrey’s family punished but this has to happen so they can serve as a lesson for everyone else who considers treason or in case treason and the audacity to not know your place (delusion in her case also).
It was merciful that he had one of the family murder their own in a way so they get don’t resent him as much if that makes sense. And they can make it a quick death. This is a cruel thought but to make it get through her head he honestly could’ve demoted and stripped everyone first of their positions and then had her killed so she knows she ruined everyone alongside herself. Aubrey brought it upon herself so I can’t say I pity her. However, I do pity her family. They all kneeled to beg for her life to be spared. And it’s so sad to see mothers beg to die in their kids’ place even when they know their child did wrong. The sisters too including the one sister who chose to bear the burden of killing her sister. The mom might blame the two holding her back and the sister who did the killing. Also everyone’s face seeing Aubrey’s delusional thoughts said aloud to the man himself. That in my opinion was well done and satisfying.