Chapter 251 - 251 249 A Dog_1

Chapter 251: Chapter 249: A Dog_1 Chapter 251: Chapter 249: A Dog_1 Ji Langhua, in an emotionally charged state, pointed at the few foreigners spreading rumors about Bai Qingyan being warlike and bloodthirsty. “Have you ever fought for the people of the Jin Kingdom? Have you ever faced an enemy with fifty thousand troops against their hundred thousand troops and dared to leave ten thousand captured soldiers alive? If you claim you would dare, I will personally take you to chase down the Crown Prince’s carriage today, allowing you to present your brilliant strategies that would enable victory with fifty thousand troops against over a hundred thousand while sparing ten thousand captured soldiers. If you claim you would dare, I, Ji Langhua, would apologize to you with my life! Dare you or dare you not?!”

The people dispatched by Ren Shijie to spread rumors about Bai Qingyan being warlike and bloodthirsty panicked and tried to retreat. However, Ji Langhua’s pointing finger, along with the furious and obstructive expressions of the Feng County people, barred their escape.

“What nonsense about killing ten thousand captives to avenge the Bai family… that’s utter bullshit! Those ten thousand captives were killed by Young General Bai to protect us border residents of the Jin Kingdom! Xiliang people are inherently belligerent. Over the years, wasn’t every single war initiated because Xiliang repeatedly invaded Jin and Yan? If those ten thousand Xiliang captives were kept alive, they would undoubtedly have returned with a vengeance once Young General Bai withdrew. And then, wouldn’t it be us poor folks who would die?! Wouldn’t it be your wives and daughters who would be humiliated?! What’s wrong with being called a God of Slaughter?! The God of Slaughter is our guardian deity in the Jin border regions! Young General Bai is our guardian deity!”

“I, Ji Langhua, hereby declare that anyone who calls Young General Bai brutal will never again receive medical treatment or medication from our Caoan Hall. We will not waste a single ounce of medicine on such heartless and ungrateful people!”

Moved by Ji Langhua’s passionate speech, someone shouted emotionally, “Exactly! What others say is their business, but we people of Feng County were saved by the Bai family’s generals and soldiers who risked their lives for us. We only believe in our saviors!”

“If Young General Bai hadn’t burned and killed those ten thousand captives, we might not even be able to return to our homes now!” a man shouted, rolling up his sleeves and grabbing one of the rumor spreaders. “These wretched scoundrels must be spies from an enemy country. Everyone, let’s hand them over to the officials. Let the official government investigate them thoroughly!”

“What are you doing?! You border wildlings! We are merely traveling merchants passing by, just casually chatting! What are you doing?! Let go… let go! Is there no law here?!”

Bai Jinzhi stood by the window upstairs, looking at Ji Langhua and the people dragging the troublemakers to meet the officials. Her eyes turned red as she glanced at her eldest sister, Bai Qingyan, whose expression remained as calm as still water. Choking with emotion, she said, “Eldest Sister…”

“Hmm!” Bai Qingyan nodded, understanding that Bai Jinzhi was deeply moved.

Border residents had suffered greatly from Xiliang and naturally were not easily deceived by people sent to spread rumors.

However, the people living in an era of peace might not think the same. Since there were people spreading rumors in Feng County, it was likely that more people along the way would learn about her killing the captives.

The battle against Xiliang’s coalition with Nanyan in the southern warfront had concluded. Whether it was the Crown Prince or the Emperor, or even Xiliang, they all intended to use the incident of burning and killing the captives to portray her as bloodthirsty, tarnishing the Bai family’s reputation for benevolence.

The title “God of Slaughter” was indeed impressive.

Broadcasting it not only among other nations but also within the Jin Kingdom.

She could roughly guess the Crown Prince’s intentions. He sought to defame the Bai family while waiting for her reputation to become so tarnished that everyone despised her, then step forward to vindicate her, thereby gaining her complete loyalty.

She narrowed her eyes. After all, when in despair, having someone extend a hand to offer the greatest kindness would indeed invoke immense gratitude.

In this lifetime, the Crown Prince’s handling of her was strikingly similar to the previous lifetime’s handling by King Liang.

Ever since the southern battlefront settled and Xiliang sought peace, she had been pondering… Even her loyal grandfather couldn’t be tolerated by the Imperial Family. So what kind of ministers did they truly want?

She thought, they wanted competent ministers who would fight for them and protect their lands, but these ministers had to be utterly submissive… as loyal as a dog; they couldn’t defy, covet power, seek fame, or have their own ambitions and integrity. From head to toe, they had to be entirely dedicated to serving the Imperial Family’s interests, taking pride in sacrificing their lives as stepping stones for them, with every fiber of their being filled with unswerving loyalty to them.

Loyal to the point that… if the Imperial Family commanded them to kill their sons, they would also offer their daughters’ heads. If they commanded them to kill their fathers, they would undoubtedly present their parents’ heads together, begging like a dog that the Imperial Family would glance at them, acknowledging their loyalty.

Heh…

Therefore, in the Emperor’s eyes, the Bai family’s demise was probably their self-inflicted punishment! In King Xin’s eyes, it was the Bai family’s own arrogance!

Because they had their pride and didn’t grovel like the court’s sycophants.

Because their hearts harbored the country and its people, not the Emperor.

Because their fame surpassed that of the Emperor, daring not to offer their heads willingly.

The Bai family should blame themselves. That was probably how the Imperial Family saw it.

Born in the Jin Kingdom and encountering such an Imperial Family, she had neither the means nor the capacity to rebel at present. Yet, she couldn’t discard her integrity, ambitions, and dignity to become a dog.

Therefore, she could only manipulate the Crown Prince’s heart, allowing him to see a loyal minister to the core, repeatedly misunderstood due to her pride.

Only through this could the Crown Prince be used by her.

“Let’s go; it’s time to catch up with the team!” Bai Qingyan turned away from the window.

Bai Jinzhi glanced back, seeing Ji Langhua stepping down the stairs to escort the troublemakers to meet the officials. She quickly followed her eldest sister.

As they exited the tavern, the long street was still in an uproar over the “merchant” troublemakers spreading rumors. People clamored to report them to the Government Office and investigate whether these slanderers were enemy spies.

Bai Jinzhi saw her eldest sister mounting her horse without a care for the commotion. She hurriedly followed suit, riding after her.

A ten-year-old child, helping laborers carry wood under the city wall, crossed paths with Bai Qingyan as she rode by. Stopping in his tracks, with sweat dripping, he gazed at her with pure, black eyes, clear as raindrops.

Suddenly, the child ran back to the tea stall, placing a stack of empty bowls heavily on the table and tugged at the elderly man brewing tea. “Grandpa!”

The old man turned, seeing the child pointing towards the city gate. His cloudy eyes followed the direction.

“Young General Bai! Our benefactor! Young General Bai!” the child shouted excitedly.

The old man looked at the tall, slender figure on horseback, his pupils quivering.

Bai Jinzhi followed Bai Qingyan out of the city, feeling a bit regretful for not being able to meet their ninth brother, Bai Qingyun. “Ninth Brother is heading to Panluo Mountain this time. I wonder if Gu Yijian would accept him as a disciple. If not, what would Ninth Brother do? After all…”