Chapter 857: 854: Inciting Civil Unrest

Chapter 857: Chapter 854: Inciting Civil Unrest

Regarding the matter of King Liang and the Emperor using a thousand boys and girls, along with the Nine-Tier Platform, to trade the throne, Bai Jinxiu did not have anyone notify Bai Qingyan, because she was worried that there might be other commanders by Bai Qingyan’s side.

If other commanders were to know in advance, then… upon witnessing the miserable scenes of the common people on the way back to Dadu City, the commanders would already be mentally prepared and wouldn’t be as shocked. Only if they witnessed it unawares would the impact on their hearts be greater.

Bai Qingyan was furious, both at the Emperor and at Liu Hong: “King Liang has already taken control of the Imperial City and the Emperor! What is his purpose? Could it be that it was King Liang who initially instructed the Emperor to build the Nine-Tier Platform? Could it be that it was King Liang who initially instructed the Emperor to gather a thousand boys and girls?!”

If Bai Qingyan’s guess was correct, the Emperor probably used the throne as a transaction with King Liang, demanding that King Liang build the Nine-Tier Platform within ten days and gather a thousand boys and girls for him within ten days. In this way, the Emperor would pass the throne to King Liang!

In this regard… Liu Hong must have already guessed it, but he was unwilling to admit that it was the Emperor’s fault.

Bai Qingyan turned to look at Liu Hong and raised his voice: “General Liu, you are not a fool. Can’t you deduce that the Emperor is trading the throne with King Liang!”

Liu Hong tightly pressed his lips together. Yes… he could think of it, but he was unwilling to see the Emperor in such a despicable light.

“Who are you?” Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on the government official being pointed at with a sword by Yang Wuce.

“Reporting… reporting to Princess of Zhen, I am an official from Chunmu City!” the official replied.

She asked again: “Are the children all confined inside the government office?”

The official cautiously nodded: “Yes!”

“General Liu, let the army rest here. Please accompany me to the government office!” Bai Qingyan said to Liu Hong, certain things had to be seen with his own eyes for Liu Hong to understand.

Liu Hong nodded: “Alright!”

“General Lin, keep an eye on the army here! We will be back soon!” Bai Qingyan said.

Lin Kangle had originally wanted to go along, but military orders were as firm as a mountain, so he had no choice but to cup his fists and obey.

Bai Qingyan bent down and said to the young woman who held her child tightly in her arms: “Don’t be afraid! No one can take away your children!”

Seeing the young woman glance at Liu Hong seemingly hesitantly, Bai Qingyan continued: “I am from the Bai family, taught since childhood to protect and bring peace to the people! I, Bai Qingyan, swear by my Bai family ancestors, as long as I am here… no one will take your children!”

Liu Hong looked at Bai Qingyan and saw the woman kneeling and crying to thank Bai Qingyan, a premonition forming in his heart.

Soon, Bai Qingyan, Liu Hong, and Yang Wuce led a hundred light cavalry into the city.

Before Bai Qingyan and the group even reached the entrance of the government office, they heard the sound of wailing and crying coming from a distance.

When they approached the government office with the official, they saw that the entrance was crowded with people kneeling, either women, couples, or even elderly people, all begging the officials guarding the gate to let them inside to see their children one last time. The cries were heart-wrenching and tear-inducing.

Seeing soldiers in armor riding up to the gate, the people thought their children were going to be taken away, and their cries grew more hysterical. Several elderly women even fainted from crying.

For a moment, the wailing was deafening, and the parents and relatives of the children did not know what to do, pounding the ground and thumping their chests. Some even crawled forward on their knees to hug the officials’ legs, offering all their family wealth in exchange for their children’s lives, or at least a chance to see them again.

Liu Hong’s emotions surged, thinking how the people were pushed to such a desperate state?!

A crippled man, his eyes filled with tears, stood up, using a crutch to support himself, shouted loudly: “Damn it! I fought for the Jin Kingdom, lost my leg! And now this damned Emperor wants my son’s life to refine an Immortal Pill! A thousand children! A thousand children just to extend this damned Emperor’s life! If such an Emperor truly became immortal, is there any future for us common people?! Fellow villagers… let’s revolt against these bastards!”

It’s unknown if it was this man’s spirited words that incited the people to stand up together.

“Revolt against these bastards!”

“Whoever wants my child’s life, I’ll take his life!”

“Fellow villagers! Our children are inside the government office! We’ve worked our whole lives just to raise these kids! Let’s fight these bastards! Save even one child if we can!”

The people responded one after another, unarmed but driven mad for the sake of their children, charging toward the government office gate that separated them from their children.

The officials were shocked and shouted: “You group of lowlifes! Are you trying to rebel?!”

The crippled man moved forward, wielding his crutch, and struck the official on the head, causing the official to fall to the ground: “Revolt? I’m revolting today! Whoever stops me today… I’ll take his life! Fellow villagers, charge and save the children!”

With the man’s words, the crying mothers rushed forward and fought with the officials, causing chaos in front of the government office.

The officials leading Bai Qingyan quickly moved forward to help and stop the people.

Liu Hong’s steed was startled by the commotion, and he tightly grasped the reins, shouting to Bai Qingyan: “Princess of Zhen! We can’t let the people riot!”

Yang Wuce saw that Bai Qingyan remained seated on her horse, unmoved and without giving orders, Liu Hong looked at her but she remained unmoved like a mountain.

“Princess of Zhen!” Liu Hong shouted again.

Seeing the people agitated, fearing they might get hurt, Bai Qingyan turned and instructed Yang Wuce: “General Yang!”

Yang Wuce responded to the order, reined in his horse, and shouted loudly: “Everyone, stop!”

But the people’s hearts were filled with thoughts of their children crying inside the government office, and they couldn’t hear Yang Wuce’s command!

The officials’ clothes were being torn apart, and the people shouted as they tried to break down the government office gate. Soon, the gate was broken open, and the people swarmed in, crying out their children’s names, following the cries and shouts of the trapped children.

Yang Wuce quickly returned and reported to Bai Qingyan with cupped fists: “Princess of Zhen, we couldn’t stop them! The people have already charged in!”

“This can’t be! It will cause a civil unrest!” Liu Hong felt anxious.

“General Liu, don’t you think this isn’t already a civil unrest?” Bai Qingyan did not look at Liu Hong, her voice cold to the bone, “This is just Chunmu Mountain. Who knows how many more such upheavals are happening wherever the decree has been issued within the Jin Kingdom!”

This was exactly what Liu Hong was worried about!

“Quick! Go and call for reinforcements, we must stop these people. If they really take the children away, none of us will survive!” shouted the head official of the government office.

The official leading Bai Qingyan quickly ran towards Bai Qingyan and Liu Hong, seeing them with a hundred light cavalry, he bowed deeply and said: “Please, Princess of Zhen and General Liu, assist us!”