The Western Liang people queuing to leave the city saw their neighbors returning, and their hearts skipped a beat. They hurriedly craned their necks to ask the familiar Western Liang people outside the city gate: “Old Zhu, wasn’t your family the first to leave the city? Why have you come back?”

“I beg the general for mercy, please let our family enter!” Old Zhu couldn’t be bothered to answer his neighbor’s question. He dragged his wife and children to kneel, pleading with the gate guard general to let them enter the city.

The gate guard general said nothing and ordered the crossbow soldiers to loose their arrows. The crossbow bolts shot out in unison and embedded themselves in front of Old Zhu’s family, frightening Old Zhu so much that he held his son and scrambled backward in panic, nearly wetting himself in fear, his back immediately soaked with cold sweat.

The Great Zhou gate guard general’s face was cold and stern: “You were given the chance to choose to become Great Zhou citizens… or remain Western Liang citizens. You chose to leave the city and continue being Western Liang citizens, so don’t think about entering our Great Zhou city! I’ll count to ten… If you don’t leave, don’t blame the swords and arrows for having no eyes! One… two…”

Before the Great Zhou soldiers could count to three, Old Zhu hurriedly dragged his wife and daughter away, rolling and crawling while crying.

Old Zhu’s family, who had been the first to leave the city, had returned, making the Western Liang people who had originally queued up planning to leave the city suddenly hesitant and undecided.

Although Old Zhu hadn’t said anything, seeing that Old Zhu was willing to kneel and beg just to enter the city, it looked like he had encountered some trouble!

Seeing Old Zhu’s family walk away, the Great Zhou general only then turned around and said to his soldiers: “Continue processing departures! But let me say this first—Western Liang people who have left Great Zhou cities, don’t think that because His Majesty has shown you kindness these past few days, Great Zhou will tolerate everything. Once you leave Yecheng Pass, you must depart quickly. If anyone returns… they will all be treated as Western Liang spies and scouts and executed without question! You’d better behave yourselves!”

After the general finished speaking, the soldier processing departures looked up at the Western Liang person in front of him, who was holding a child and trembling continuously, preparing to register: “What’s your name? Where do you live? How many people are in your family? When leaving the city this time, the whole family must leave together—do you understand this?”

That person kept trembling. Seeing the Great Zhou soldier looking through the Western Liang household registers, waiting for the Great Zhou soldier who was looking up their officially registered household records, he hurriedly said: “I… I won’t leave the city anymore. Our whole family is willing to become Great Zhou citizens!”

“Then why are you here, causing trouble! Go register at the prefectural office!” The Great Zhou soldier scolded the man and called out loudly, “Next household!”

But at this moment, the Western Liang people who had originally been eager to leave the city all hesitated.

“Are you processing or not? If not, move aside, next one…” The Great Zhou soldier shouted at the next household.

“Child’s father! Maybe we shouldn’t leave the city after all. Who knows what it will be like after we leave the city? We common people, it doesn’t matter which Kingdom we belong to, as long as we can live! Look at Old Zhu’s family—after they left, they can’t even get back in!” The wife tugged at her husband’s sleeve, tears streaming down her face as she tried to persuade him. “The child is still so young. Why are we leaving our homeland behind?”

“Hurry up! Hurry up! Which household is next?” The Great Zhou soldier urged impatiently.

The husband had originally been somewhat hesitant, but suddenly hearing the Great Zhou soldier’s urging, he finally gritted his teeth and pulled his child and wife out of the queue, saying: “You’re right. We, common people, just need to be able to live. If the Great Zhou Emperor wanted to kill us, why would he go to such trouble? When the Great Zhou army entered the city, they could have massacred the city and killed us all with one stroke! Since the Great Zhou Emperor said he would treat us as Great Zhou citizens, why should we leave our homeland? Let’s go… go home!”

“That’s right! Why should we leave our homeland? Whichever emperor can give us common people a way to live, that emperor is our master! Let’s go! Go home!”

More people pulled their wives and children out of the queue and walked back.

The queue in front suddenly dispersed. When those queuing behind asked what was happening and learned that someone who had left the city as a Western Liang citizen wanted to return and was nearly treated as a spy and shot, the people immediately became panic-stricken and uneasy.

Seeing more and more people in front leaving the queue, all taking their wives and children home, the queue behind also began to waver, and before long, more than half had dispersed.

And outside the walls of Yecheng Pass, there were indeed Western Liang people who had left the city and were gradually returning one after another.

Those people pleaded to enter the city, but were told that Western Liang people entering the city would be treated as spies. Some still wanted to force their way in, but were killed with one stroke by the Great Zhou army outside the city wall. This greatly intimidated those Western Liang people who harbored lucky thoughts. The Great Zhou army meant what they said—they protected Great Zhou citizens, but would not be lenient with Western Liang people.

Soon, the small portion of Western Liang people still waiting at the city gate to leave also took their belongings and led their wives and children home, not daring to leave the city anymore, afraid that if they encountered something after leaving and wanted to return, they wouldn’t be able to come back.

After all, their homes were within Yecheng Pass. Once they left Yecheng Pass… they would be like duckweed, not knowing where to go.

As long as the Great Zhou Emperor didn’t kill them, it didn’t matter even if he didn’t treat them as Great Zhou’s citizens.

In turbulent times, the people sought nothing more than to stay alive.

During the evening meal, news from the city gate was sent to Bai Qingyan, Bai Qingqi, Bai Qingjue, Bai Qingyun, Bai Jinzhao, Bai Jinhua, and Bai Jinse.

Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes and picked up some vegetables with her chopsticks for Bai Jinse, responding: “The gate guard general did very well. Tomorrow, there will probably be more Western Liang people wanting to return. Handle them the same way—drive away all who return, and if they dare to force their way in, execute them without mercy! Next, we need to re-register the population and household numbers and implement new policies. This will be hard work for A’Yun.”

“Elder sister, rest assured, A’Yun will handle it well!” Bai Qingyun responded.

“I estimate that in another two or three days, even more Western Liang people will return…” Bai Qingqi thought for a moment and said, “Elder sister, I’m worried that if we leave tomorrow, the news will spread quickly. How about… we leave a few days later? What does elder sister think?”

“No need…” Bai Qingyan took the handkerchief that Weizhong handed her and shook her head. “We’ll depart as planned tomorrow. I’ve already had General Yang leave the city. General Yang is already waiting outside the north gate…”

Bai Qingqi’s hand gripping his chopsticks suddenly tightened: “Elder sister means…”

Bai Qingyan nodded.

“What riddle are the elder sister and the third brother speaking? What do you mean?” Bai Jinzhao was completely confused and felt curious. She turned to look at Bai Jinse. “Xiao Qi, what are elder sister and third brother talking about?”

Bai Jinse looked up at her elder sister and third brother, then said in a low voice: “Elder sister’s meaning is, isn’t it to have the third brother lead troops out of the city, then circle and hand the troops over to General Yang to bring back into the city?”

Bai Qingjue looked at Bai Jinse with considerable admiration: “Xiao Qi truly deserves to have grown up by great aunt’s side!”

“But elder sister, why do this?” Bai Jinhua also didn’t quite understand.