The old woman also looked up at Bai Qingyan, weeping bitterly: “Those with money and power all find ways to buy their children’s lives with money, but what about us poor families? Poor families’ children also live! How can they be sent to make elixirs for the Emperor? Please save my two grandsons, Princess Zhenguo, I’ll do anything! Work like an ox or horse… even if you take my life! Please! Please!”

The old woman kept kowtowing repeatedly.

Seeing the old woman kowtowing directly to Bai Qingyan, the young woman also knelt and kowtowed. The pebbles on the riverbank were stained red with blood.

“Both of you! Both of you!” Bai Qingyan hurried to help the young woman and the old woman up.

Lin Kangle’s eyes reddened as he quickly stepped forward to assist.

Liu Hong hurriedly explained to the old woman: “Both of you, His Majesty’s conscription of children is for them to ascend the Nine-Tiered Platform together to seek immortal elixirs, not… to use children to make elixirs! How can you speculate about His Majesty like this?!”

Upon hearing this, the old woman spat at Liu Hong: “You’re just the Emperor’s good dog, spouting such nonsense to fool us! If the children are handed over to you, can they return alive? If it’s truly so… why don’t you hand over your children to the dog Emperor!”

Liu Hong closed his eyes, straightened up, and wiped away the spit with his hand, his heart in turmoil. The common people now hated the Emperor to such an extent…

The common people and bailiffs who had come chasing the old woman, young woman, and two children saw from afar that the two women and children had been subdued by soldiers. They pointed toward Bai Qingyan and Yang Wuce, shouting: “Over there! Over there! The military lords have caught them!”

Hearing this, the old woman and young woman trembled with terror, turning around like facing mortal enemies and desperately gripping Bai Qingyan’s arms…

The young woman pleaded with Bai Qingyan again: “Princess Zhenguo! Please save my children… save my children! I’ll do anything you ask!”

The old woman, desperate and helpless, looked up at Bai Qingyan and cried out hoarsely: “My old man and three sons all died as soldiers in battle! Only these two children remain in our family – they are our entire family’s hope! You are a descendant of the Bai family, you will surely protect us common people, won’t you?! As long as you can protect my grandson and granddaughter, this old woman… this old woman is willing to die immediately! Please!”

“Mother! Grandmother!”

“Mama… Grandmother…”

The two children struggled out of the soldiers’ embrace, ran to their grandmother and mother, hugging them while crying loudly.

The young woman released Bai Qingyan, tightly embracing the two children in her arms. She looked back in terror at the bailiffs and common people rushing toward them, then gazed desperately and helplessly at Bai Qingyan. That kind of desperation – wanting to protect her two children but being powerless to do so – was deeply heart-wrenching.

Seeing the soldiers, the common people gradually slowed their steps, but the knife-bearing bailiffs mustered their courage and walked toward Bai Qingyan and Liu Hong.

Seeing the bailiffs approaching, the young woman held her two children tightly, stroking their heads. Not knowing what else to do, she could only cover their ears and said with a choked voice: “If Princess Zhenguo cannot disobey orders to save us, mother and children, please just release us and let us three die together! Death… would be better than letting my children be made into elixirs!”

Lin Kangle clenched his fists tightly, gritting his back teeth without saying a word. How could the Emperor be so… so brutal!

Bai Qingyan crouched down in front of the young woman and spoke solemnly: “Not only the Bai family and Bai family army, but all armies are established… with the original intention of protecting and bringing peace to the people!”

The approaching bailiffs were sharp-eyed. Seeing the banners of the large army resting in the distance, they immediately knew that these two before them were Princess Zhenguo and General Liu Hong, and quickly bowed: “Thank you for your assistance, Princess Zhenguo and General!”

With that, the bailiff reached out to grab the children from the woman’s arms, but Lin Kangle and Yang Wuce, standing behind Bai Qingyan, drew their swords. Two long blades pressed against the bailiff’s throat.

Both Lin Kangle and Yang Wuce wore grim expressions.

Bai Qingyan had said… all armies were established with the original intention of protecting and bringing peace to the people, meaning she had agreed to the woman’s request to protect the two children. Moreover, these two children were orphans of fallen soldiers. As fellow soldiers, how could Yang Wuce and Lin Kangle just watch as bailiffs took the children away?

Especially Lin Kangle, who was filled with indignation. The Emperor treated the common people as less than human. These soldiers fought bloody battles… leaving behind such little bloodline, and it still had to be used to make elixirs for the Emperor?!

What did the Emperor take the soldiers for? What did he take people for? What did he take these children for? Were they livestock he raised that could be slaughtered at will!

The bailiff, seeing the cold gleaming blades of Lin Kangle and Yang Wuce, smiled obsequiously: “No… both generals, we’re also just following orders! The imperial edict says… the Nine-Tiered Platform must be completed within ten days, and we must deliver one hundred boys and girls aged five to ten by the fourth day of the fifth month! We’re just missing these two children! Otherwise… not only will we lose our heads, but all the people of Chunmu City will also lose their heads!”

The common people who had come with the bailiffs knelt one by one: “General, if we can’t deliver the boys and girls, we’ll all die! Orders from above… whoever hides children will implicate their neighbors! We can’t let everyone lose their lives for these two children!”

“Suqin… please have mercy on our family! If you don’t hand over Hudan and Niuniu, Second Uncle’s entire family will die with us!” More common people kowtowed to the young woman.

“Why don’t you hand over your children?” The young woman called Suqin held her two children tightly. “These two children are my life! Their father died in Nan Jiang… only these two bloodlines remain! How can you be so heartless to bully us orphans and widows like this!”

“Whose children aren’t bloodline! But when His Majesty’s edict comes down, what can anyone do? Who told us we’re unlucky that our children happen to be between five and ten years old?” A commoner cried while trying to persuade the young woman. “My grandson just turned five yesterday, but he was still dragged to the prefectural office by neighbors afraid of being implicated! My grandson… just turned five yesterday!”

As that person cried, almost all the common people who had come chasing this mother and her three children began weeping. Everyone had relatives’ children who had been sent to the prefectural office!

Bai Qingyan gritted her teeth, emotions surging in her chest.

“Damn it!” Lin Kangle cursed with reddened eyes. “Princess Zhenguo, even if I don’t want to be a general anymore, I absolutely will not hand over the children!”

Liu Hong also panicked at this situation.

“This isn’t His Majesty’s intention! This… might be Prince Liang’s plot! It must be Prince Liang!” Liu Hong declared loudly. “Prince Liang is a traitorous rebel; he must have coerced His Majesty into issuing this edict!”