The carriage continued its journey toward the interior of the city.

The people knelt on both sides, shouting Long live His Majesty. Some who were bolder couldn’t help but cry out with tears in their voices: “His Majesty hasn’t abandoned us lowly people! Thank you, Your Majesty, for still thinking of us lowly people!”

“Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty forever!”

Hearing this, she lifted the carriage curtain to look outside. Cold wind mixed with snow rushed in. She hadn’t expected people to be waiting for her at the city gate so early. The people’s heads and bodies were covered in snow, not daring to raise their heads, each one excitedly shouting, some crying out with excitement, their shoulders constantly shaking.

Having thought they were abandoned and prepared for the worst, they never expected that Great Zhou’s most noble Majesty would personally come to the most dangerous border city. Seeing hope in despair, how could the people not be excited?

Seeing children kneeling in the snow, Bai Qingyan’s brow furrowed: “Uncle Shen!”

Hearing her call, Shen Kunyang turned his horse around and came back: “Your Majesty…”

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

Shen Kunyang nodded: “Knowing Your Majesty was coming, they all came here to wait for Your Majesty. Also, during this period, the elephant army appeared frequently, frightening the people. Your Majesty’s arrival is like a stabilizing force, so early this morning, when we came to the city gate to welcome Your Majesty, the people all followed.”

She looked through the carriage window at the people kneeling with bowed heads shouting long live. Their hands supporting them on the ground were already swollen red like radishes from frostbite. She said to Shen Kunyang: “Uncle Shen, have the soldiers persuade the people not to kneel here anymore. Tell them all to go back!”

“Alright!” Shen Kunyang responded, spurring his horse forward to call Cheng Yuanzhi to relay the order.

Bai Qingyan held the curtain, frowning as she looked outside. The soldiers crouched down to persuade the kneeling people with bowed heads to go back.

“Eldest Miss…” Chun Zhi was quite worried, placing a teacup in front of Bai Qingyan and saying softly, “Your body is weak, don’t let the cold wind get to you.”

Bai Qingyan didn’t respond, seeing that the soldiers couldn’t persuade the people to leave. She looked back toward the rear of the procession and saw that the people were all kneeling and unwilling to leave.

This was the only way the people had to express their respect and reverence for their Emperor. How could they leave before His Majesty’s carriage departed?

Bai Qingyan lowered the carriage curtain and said to Chun Zhi, “Have the procession stop for a moment.”

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

Soon, the advancing carriage procession slowly came to a halt. Lu Yuanpeng turned his horse around toward Bai Qingyan’s carriage, but before he could get close, he was stopped by the Bai Family guards.

“All of you, go back quickly! Don’t freeze here!” the soldiers urged the people. “His Majesty definitely won’t abandon our Pingyang City! His Majesty has come here! Get up quickly!”

Then they saw Bai Qingyan emerge from the carriage, supported by Chun Zhi’s hand. Shen Kunyang and Xie Yuchang guarded Bai Qingyan’s side. The soldiers who had been persuading the people to go back all dropped to one knee and bowed to Bai Qingyan upon seeing her.

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

“Your Majesty!”

Seeing Bai Qingyan emerge from the carriage, the people became even more excited, crying out Your Majesty…

“Don’t kneel in the snow anymore. I know that during this period, the appearance of the Tianfeng Kingdom’s elephant army has frightened everyone, but please rest assured – if there is real danger, the soldiers will naturally protect everyone and evacuate from Pingyang City first!”

In the heavy snow, Bai Qingyan’s voice rang out clearly: “I have come to Pingyang City this time, and will soon hold alliance talks with Great Yan, Xiliang, and the Tianfeng Kingdom. Regardless of whether the outcome is war or peace, as long as you are people of my Great Zhou, Great Zhou’s brave warriors will not let anyone bully you in the slightest! Not a single one!”

Having given the people this reassurance, she then said: “All rise and go back!”

“Your Majesty! We kneel here not only to seek Your Majesty’s protection. At this time, when Your Majesty can personally come to Pingyang City to take command, we common people… simply don’t know how to express our gratitude! We can only kowtow!” an elderly person cried out.

Regarding matters of diplomatic negotiations between nations, Bai Qingyan didn’t know how to explain to the people. Seeing that the people were determined to kneel, she ultimately said nothing and returned to the carriage, having the procession move faster.

This was Chun Zhi’s first time witnessing such a scene. Supporting Bai Qingyan back into the warm carriage compartment, she quickly handed Bai Qingyan a hand warmer covered with a warmer sleeve, saying: “This servant has never seen people so insistent on kneeling in worship!”

“The people are mostly simple and honest. Since the elephant army appeared, they’ve been living in fear and anxiety for so many days…” Bai Qingyan’s brow furrowed tightly. “I estimate that wealthy families or official families have already sent their family wealth and relatives out of Pingyang City, which has intensified the people’s fear. Now that the Bai Family Army and we have arrived, the people are extremely grateful. Having been tense for so long, they can finally breathe easy, so they found a way to vent their emotions.”

The more people have suffered hardship, the more they will be moved to tears of gratitude for even the slightest protection and shelter.

Actually, the people don’t ask for much – nothing more than… having enough to eat and wear, living without strife or war.

·

When Bai Qingyan was staying at the Pingyang City Prefect’s residence, she had long since arrived at Linchuan City with Murong Li.

Linchuan and Pingyang City were already extremely close to each other. Yue Shi spent almost the entire day gazing hopefully toward Pingyang City, and as soon as she saw the black sail with white python banners, she rode quickly back to Linchuan to report.

Murong Li, who was dining with Murong Yan, blinked her big, round eyes at Murong Yan, feeling somewhat excited: “Ninth Uncle…”

Murong Yan wiped his lips with a napkin, restraining the joy in his heart, but his upturned lips had already betrayed his mood. He placed the napkin aside and turned to say to Murong Li: “After finishing your meal, properly complete the afternoon lessons Ninth Uncle assigned you.”

“Ninth Uncle, you’re going to see Bai Fam… Ninth Aunt, aren’t you?” Murong Li stared at Murong Yan with a pair of bright black eyes. “I want to go too! After Ninth Uncle got married, I still haven’t met Ninth Aunt, and I… I even prepared gifts for the little brother or little sister in Ninth Aunt’s belly! I’ll go get them right now…”

As she spoke, Murong Li stood up to leave.

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

Murong Li quickly sat back down, somewhat afraid of Murong Yan, saying softly: “Ninth Uncle…”

“A Li, you are the Emperor of Great Yan, not a child anymore!” Murong Yan looked at Murong Li’s frightened appearance and, knowing his expression was too severe, softened his voice to say to her, “Do you know… that there are many pairs of eyes watching you? Just because you’ve left the capital doesn’t mean these eyes don’t exist! You must remember this at all times! If you were an ordinary child, you could do as you please. Even when your Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt were newly married, if you wanted to see your Ninth Aunt, your Grandfather Feng would have sent you! But now you represent the Yan Kingdom…”

Murong Li had always been a clever child and immediately understood Murong Yan’s meaning. She nodded repeatedly.