Chapter 858: Chapter 855: Hell on Earth
Bai Qingyan leaped off her horse, turning back to look at the two children and two won brought back by the cavalry. They were full of uncertainty and panic.
She spoke soothingly, “Don’t worry, with here… no one can take a child away from Chunmu City! Go back!”
The young woman, hearing this, imdiately burst into tears and hurriedly pulled the two children to kneel and kowtow to Bai Qingyan, “The compassion of the Princess of Zhen, this humble woman will definitely rember! I dare not forget! Hudaner, Niuniu, quickly… quickly kowtow to the Princess of Zhen!”
The old woman also followed suit, crying and kowtowing, “Thank you, Princess of Zhen!”
“Princess of Zhen!” Liu Hong did not agree with Bai Qingyan letting the children go. Since the Imperial Edict demanded these children, they must be sent to the Nine-Layered Terrace. He believed the Emperor would use the throne to exchange with King Liang, but he did not believe the Emperor would use the lives of a thousand children to refine that elusive Immortal Elixir.
Bai Qingyan ignored Liu Hong’s voice, helping the won and children up, “Get up! No need for this! Go back quickly!”
Seeing more governnt officials rushing over, each drawing their long knives intending to charge into the governnt office, Bai Qingyan’s eyes turned cold as she ordered, “Yang Wuce, surround the governnt office, do not let those officials get close to the people by even a step!”
“Yes!” Yang Wuce responded, leading half the cavalry to dismount and surround the front of the governnt office.
Those governnt officials who had rushed over saw fifty soldiers surrounding the gates of the governnt office, actually drawing their blades towards them, preventing their entry. The officials looked at each other, unsure of the situation.
Inside the governnt office, the people who had found their children saw their children locked in wooden cages. They cried and cursed as they broke the locks to rescue their children, holding them closely, kissing and caressing them.
The crippled veteran still cried out for everyone to quickly retreat, and only then did the people hurriedly pull their children and run out.
Just as they were about to rush out of the governnt office, they saw the gates surrounded by soldiers. Strangely, the soldiers did not draw their blades towards them but rather blocked the officials outside.
The crippled veteran protected the people and his own son behind him, warily looking at the Jin Army outside the gates.
“General, have you got it wrong?” An official there to apprehend the disruptive people was puzzled, “The people stealing children are inside!”
“I know!” Yang Wuce stood at the front, holding his sword, “The Princess of Zhen has ordered, you officials are not to get close to the people by even a step!”
The officials, knowing they couldn’t outfight these soldiers, turned to whisper to their subordinates, “Quickly! Notify the county magistrate… the Princess of Zhen is here!”
Bai Qingyan and Liu Hong, with the remaining fifty cavalry, walked towards the gates of the governnt office.
She glanced at the officials and then walked straight inside.
Inside the office, the people hid their children behind them, gritting their teeth as they looked at Bai Qingyan and her group with a desperate willingness to fight to the death if anyone dared to take their children.
“Sorry for alarming you all!” Liu Hong, fearing Bai Qingyan might agree to let the people take their children back and defy the Imperial Edict, quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands to the people, “Everyone… everyone! I am General Liu Hong of the Jin Kingdom, today, I, Liu Hong, swear on my life, His Majesty absolutely does not intend to use the lives of children to refine so Immortal Elixir. He intends to select children with pure conduct to accompany His Majesty to the Nine-Layered Terrace to seek the Immortal Elixir!”
“Pah! Are you trying to fool us?” A fierce woman spat at Liu Hong, her eyes red as she gritted her teeth, “If that were true, why doesn’t the county magistrate dare to send his own son? And those wealthy families… all bought children from brokers to send instead!”
Due to this matter, child brokers’ five- to ten-year-old boys and girls had beco highly sought after, commanding extrely high prices.
“Exactly! If it was really just to seek the Immortal Elixir, why use such brutal punishnt! Any family that doesn’t hand over their children… the entire neighborhood would be executed. Do you think we are all fools?!”
“Princess of Zhen!” The crippled veteran stared at Bai Qingyan, standing with her hands behind her back in silver armor, his eyes widened, recognizing her, his eyes suddenly filled with tears.
The man limped forward, supporting himself with a cane, kneeling on one knee, “Princess of Zhen, this humble one was a soldier wounded and retired from the Xuanjia sixteen-year campaign in the southern border. I was fortunate enough to see the Princess of Zhen! Here… many of these children are the only remaining bloodline of soldiers who died for the Jin Kingdom! I have seen the Princess of Zhen reprimand Jin Soldiers in the camp, saying… soldiers are supported by the taxes of the people, they are the people’s soldiers! Although I haven’t read many books, the Princess of Zhen’s words are etched in my heart! I beg the Princess of Zhen, for the sake of these children’s fathers who sacrificed their lives for the country, spare these children!”
“The Princess of Zhen?!”
“The eldest granddaughter of the Duke of Zhen?”
“Is she really from the Bai family of the Duke’s lineage?”
Seeing the man who led them to rescue their children kneel, the people talked amongst themselves and followed suit, eagerly expressing to Bai Qingyan how their children’s uncles, fathers, or grandfathers died for the country.
“Princess of Zhen! Please, like the late General Bai, protect our children!” An elder who had received Bai Weiting’s kindness knelt heavily, crying out.
Bai Qingyan gripped her riding whip so tightly it almost shattered, her emotions surging.
In a solemn voice, she said loudly, “With here, no one will take your children! Take your children and go ho!”
Before the people could thank Bai Qingyan, Liu Hong could no longer hold back and shouted, “Princess of Zhen! Are you defying the Imperial Edict? These children… no matter what, were demanded by His Majesty! As subjects, how can we disregard the imperial authority? This is great disrespect to His Majesty!”
“Such an emperor, should I respect him… does he deserve it?!” Bai Qingyan gritted her teeth and turned to Liu Hong, raising her voice, “Whether it’s the two children outside Chunmu City or these here, their grandfathers, fathers, and uncles died in battle! To protect the land and its people, they gave their lives! The Emperor wants to use their only remaining bloodline to refine an Immortal Elixir, to seek so everlasting life! General Liu… does such an emperor deserve respect?!”
Liu Hong clenched his fists, “His Majesty is the ruler, we are subjects… if the ruler makes a mistake, we can advise him! But we cannot be disrespectful!”
“Advise?! Did Pri Minister Lu not advise? Did the Emperor listen? Accusing him of great disrespect, imprisoning him, and abolishing the pri minister’s position to establish a cabinet, for what reason?! Was it not because of Pri Minister Lu’s advice!” Bai Qingyan questioned Liu Hong loudly, “This is just Chunmu City! Throughout the Jin Kingdom, how many other cities are conscripting children, how many cities are like this living hell?”
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