Chapter 1065: 1059: Tears of Gratitude

Chapter 1065: Chapter 1059: Tears of Gratitude

The carriage continued to drive towards the city.

The common folk knelt on both sides, shouting long live His Majesty. Some, braver ones, couldn’t help but cry out with sobs: “His Majesty did not abandon us humble people! Thank His Majesty for thinking of us!”

“Long live His Majesty! Long live the Emperor!”

Upon hearing this, she pulled the curtain of the carriage and looked outside, snow mixed with a cold wind rushed in. She hadn’t expected that the common folk would be waiting for her at the city gate so early. Their heads and bodies were covered in snow, not daring to raise their heads, they were just excitedly shouting, some were crying with emotions and their shoulders shook uncontrollably.

Thinking they had been abandoned, they had prepared for the worst, but to their surprise, His Majesty of Zhou, the most noble, personally came to the most perilous border city. In the face of despair, they saw hope, how could the common folk not be excited?

Saw even children kneeling in the snow, Bai Qingyan furrowed her brows: “Uncle Shen!”

Shen Kunyang heard, turned his horse back: “Your Majesty…”

“Have the common folk been kneeling here for a long time?” she asked.

Shen Kunyang nodded: “Knowing His Majesty would come, they all came here to wait for you. It’s also because recently the Elephant Army has appeared frequently, frightening the common folk. Your arrival is like a stabilizing force, so this morning, when we came to meet His Majesty at the city gate, the common folk followed.”

She looked through the carriage window at the common folk kowtowing and shouting long live, their hands on the ground were already red and swollen from the cold, she told Shen Kunyang: “Uncle Shen, have the soldiers persuade the common folk to stop kneeling here, let them go back!”

“Understood!” Shen Kunyang responded, pulling the reins forward to instruct Cheng Yuanzhi to relay the command.

Bai Qingyan held the curtain, frowning as she looked outside, watching the soldiers squat down to persuade the kneeling and bowing common folk to return.

“Miss…” Chun Zhi expressed her concern, placing a teacup in front of Bai Qingyan and saying softly, “You’re weak, make sure not to be caught by the cold wind.”

Bai Qingyan did not respond, seeing the soldiers couldn’t persuade the common folk to move, she looked towards the back of the crowd, seeing the common folk persisted on kneeling, unwilling to leave.

This was the only way for the common folk to express their respect and reverence to their Emperor. How could they leave before the imperial carriage had departed?

Bai Qingyan put down the curtain and told Chun Zhi: “Let the procession stop for a moment.”

Chun Zhi responded, knocked on the carriage door, and told those outside: “His Majesty wants the procession to halt for a moment!”

Soon, the moving carriage procession slowly came to a halt, Lu Yuanpeng turned his horse towards the direction of Bai Qingyan’s carriage, but was stopped by the Bai family’s guards before he could approach.

“Everyone should go back now! Don’t freeze here!” the soldiers persuaded the common folk, “His Majesty certainly would not neglect Pingyang City! Look, His Majesty is already here! Stand up now!”

Only to see Bai Qingyan, supported by Chun Zhi’s hand, get out of the carriage. Shen Kunyang and Xie Yuchang guarded beside Bai Qingyan, the soldiers persuading the common folk to return knelt on one knee to greet her.

“His Majesty has come out! His Majesty has come out!”

“Your Majesty!”

Seeing Bai Qingyan come out of the carriage, the common folk became even more excited, crying and shouting for His Majesty…

“Don’t kneel in the snow anymore, I know the appearance of the Tianfeng Elephant Army in recent days has frightened everyone, but please rest assured, if there truly is danger, the soldiers will naturally protect everyone and lead you out of Pingyang City first!”

In the heavy snow, Bai Qingyan’s voice rang clear: “This time I come to Pingyang City, I will soon meet with Yan, Xiliang, and Tianfeng in alliance. Whether the outcome is war or peace, as long as they are the people of my Zhou Kingdom, Zhou’s brave warriors will never allow any bullying, not one bit!”

Reassuring the common folk, she said: “Everyone stand up, go back now!”

“Your Majesty! We aren’t kneeling here just to seek your protection, at this time, with you personally coming to Pingyang City to oversee, we common folk… just don’t know how to express our gratitude! We can only kowtow!” an elderly person cried out.

Regarding the several nation’s alliance matters, Bai Qingyan didn’t know how to explain to the common folk, seeing their determination to kneel, she eventually said nothing further and returned to the carriage, making the procession move quicker.

Chun Zhi, for the first time, saw such a scene, helping Bai Qingyan back into the warm carriage compartment, promptly handing her a hand warmer wrapped in a stove sleeve, said: “This is the first time I’ve seen the common folk so insistently kneeling and bowing!”

“Common folk are mostly simple, they’ve been living in anxiety since the Elephant Army appeared…” Bai Qingyan frowned deeply, “I estimate that affluent families or official households have already sent their assets and families out of Pingyang City, which has intensified the common folk’s fear. Now with the Bai family army and us arriving, the common folk are deeply grateful, having been tense for so long, they can finally relax a bit and found a way to vent their emotions.”

The more hardship people endure, the more they appreciate even the smallest protection and maintenance.

In truth, the common folk do not ask for much, just… enough food and warmth, no disputes, no wars.

·

While Bai Qingyan stayed at the Governor’s Mansion in Pingyang City, Murong Li had already reached Linchuan City.

Linchuan and Pingyang were very close to each other, Yue Shi almost throughout the day watched towards the direction of Pingyang City. Upon sighting the black sail white python flag, they swiftly rode back to Linchuan to report.

While Murong Li was dining with Murong Yan, he blinked his round eyes excitedly, looking at Murong Yan: “Uncle…”

Murong Yan wiped his lips with a napkin, constrained his inner joy though his upturned lips already betrayed his mood. He placed the napkin aside, turning to Murong Li saying: “Finish your meal, and complete the midday lessons Uncle has set for you.”

“Uncle, are you going to meet the Bai family… is it Aunt Bai?” Murong Li’s bright eyes stared at Murong Yan, “I want to go too! Since Uncle got married, I haven’t seen Aunt Bai yet. I also… prepared a gift for Aunt Bai’s baby brother or sister! I’ll go get it now…”

With that, Murong Li got up to leave.

“Sit down!” Murong Yan said with a stern face.

Murong Li quickly sat back down, a little afraid, whispered: “Uncle…”

“Ah Li, you are the Emperor of Yan, you are not a child anymore!” Murong Yan looked at Murong Li’s fearful appearance, knowing his expression was overly stern, he softened his voice, saying to Murong Li, “Do you know… there are many eyes watching you? Just because you’ve left the capital, doesn’t mean those eyes don’t exist! You must remember this always! If you were an ordinary child, you could do as you wished. Even when I and Aunt Bai had just married, if you wanted to see Aunt Bai, Grandpa Feng would have sent you! But now you represent the Yan Kingdom…”

Murong Li was always a clever child, immediately understanding Murong Yan’s meaning, he nodded repeatedly.