“Great Zhou is not a nation that forbids people from discussing politics. Opening channels for public discourse… This is repeatedly emphasized in the new laws. You know the law yet break it, you enforce the law unjustly and indulge your subordinates… forcibly arresting people and causing wrongful deaths in prison. Do you know your crimes?”

“I beseech Your Majesty’s clear judgment. The coast is currently in a state of great anxiety. This official… this official was afraid that these people, having drunk too much wine, would speak carelessly and cause public panic or civilian unrest, which is why I sent people to arrest those speaking wildly! Originally, this official only intended to hold them for one night, and after they sobered up, scold them a few words before releasing them. I never used private punishment on them! I truly never expected that it would result in a death!” The Jinwan County Magistrate kept kowtowing. “I beseech Your Majesty’s clear judgment!”

“Great Zhou opens channels for public discourse. As a local official, since you knew the people harbored resentment, you should have promptly helped them resolve it, not arrested people to intimidate and silence them, forbidding them to speak! This is your first crime!” Bai Qingyan looked coldly at the trembling county magistrate kneeling on the ground. “When trouble occurred during the arrests, you failed to properly settle the matter afterward. Whether it was private punishment or an accident, a person died in your prison—this is your dereliction of duty. This is your second crime! When people gathered before the government office, beating the grievance drum seeking justice, the grievance drum sounded, yet you, as the local official, hid in the back hall and ordered guards to arrest people. You show contempt for the new laws—this is grave disrespect and dereliction of duty. This is your third crime!”

The county magistrate knelt on the ground, trembling continuously, knowing his career was finished: “This official deserves death and dares not plead for mercy. Please punish me, Your Majesty!”

Bai Qingyan understood clearly in her heart that even if this county magistrate’s crimes weren’t so severe, they had to be treated as such. Otherwise, it would be difficult to quell the people’s grievances and anger. Especially before destroying Dongyi, she had to win over the coastal people’s hearts. She had to use this opportunity to let the people know that she, as the emperor, ultimately upheld the new laws and valued the people!

Wei Zhong turned and signaled to the accompanying Imperial Guards, who immediately stepped forward and removed the county magistrate’s official hat in front of the people.

“Prince Zhongguo…” Bai Qingyan called softly.

“Your subject is here!” Bai Qingyu stepped forward in response.

“I command you to remain here. Before tomorrow, investigate this matter thoroughly from beginning to end. Those who should be dismissed shall be dismissed, those who should be imprisoned shall be imprisoned, those who should be sentenced shall be sentenced. You must give the people… give this sister-in-law an explanation!”

“Your subject receives the command!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!” The woman wept and knelt again.

“Your Majesty is wise!”

“Your Majesty is wise!”

The people all kowtowed, seemingly gaining new understanding and perspective of this emperor who had once been high above them and whom they had never seen before.

Bai Qingyan handed the blood petition to Bai Qingyu: “This blood petition’s writing is passionate and stirring. One can see that the person who wrote it also has fervent blood. Investigate thoroughly!”

Whether in handwriting or content, this blood petition was not written by this woman. Bai Qingyan praised the blood petition and instructed Bai Qingyu to investigate thoroughly. On the surface, it seemed she wanted Bai Qingyu to investigate this case well, but on a deeper level, she also wanted him to thoroughly investigate the person who wrote the blood petition, or rather, the person behind this woman.

Whether this person… truly had fervent blood or was trying to disrupt the peace of Great Zhou’s coast remained to be determined.

“Yes! Your Majesty, rest assured!” Bai Qingyu understood the meaning.

Bai Qingyan had rushed nonstop to Jinwan and went straight to the government office. The military camps still didn’t know that Bai Qingyan had arrived. The entire naval camp and the Bai Family Army camp were shrouded in gloom, speculating about what orders would come from the capital.

Cheng Yuanzhi of the Bai Family Army had complete confidence in Bai Qingyan, believing that their Young Marshal Bai would never let her soldiers suffer such humiliation and would fight Dongyi.

But sometimes when he heard Master Cai mention that if Great Zhou began fighting now, once they started collecting grain and supplies to send to the coast, for fairness’s sake they would naturally have to collect grain from Zhou territories within Yan’s domain as well, and thus the national wager would likely be lost, Cheng Yuanzhi felt very uncertain, especially since the national wager lasted only three short years.

Cheng Yuanzhi didn’t want Great Zhou to lose the national wager, but he also didn’t want the Prince of Hancheng’s remains to be defiled by Dongyi. He was extremely agitated.

On the naval side, they had already concluded that first, Bai Qingyan would not come to retrieve the Prince of Hancheng’s remains according to Dongyi’s provocative demands, and certainly wouldn’t fight Dongyi for the naval brothers who had sacrificed themselves. Even if she were willing… she would probably only send someone to persuade them to wait until after the great victory in the national wager before seeking revenge.

The naval commanders calculated the time—from when the military report was sent back to the capital to when the capital made its decision and sent someone with the emperor’s latest orders, at the very latest… it should arrive within seven more days.

At this moment, six naval commanders gathered together, discussing what they should do if the Great Zhou Emperor ultimately prioritized the national wager.

“What else can we do! No matter what, we cannot let the Prince of Hancheng’s remains stay in Dongyi!” One naval commander peeled the red skin off a peanut and tossed the peanut into his mouth. “If the Great Zhou Emperor ultimately won’t fight! Or leaves the Prince of Hancheng’s remains unattended, even if I have to sneak over secretly, I will bring the Prince of Hancheng back!”

“If it comes to that…” Another naval commander turned to look outside, confirmed no one was there, then said, “Why go secretly by yourself? Why don’t we take troops over there, snatch the Prince of Hancheng back, and rebel against Great Zhou!”

The six men quickly glanced toward the door, confirmed no one was there, then a commander lowered his voice and said: “Don’t speak such words carelessly! We might not matter, but our subordinate soldiers have families here. If we give the order… they would follow without knowing anything, but they would become rebels, and what good fate would rebels’ families have?”

“That’s right, if not for our consideration, we must consider our subordinate brothers! We only want to rescue the Prince of Hancheng—we have no rebellious heart!” Another commander said.

“Right now, there’s no news from the capital, and all our speculation is just speculation!” The eldest naval commander cracked open a peanut. “Moreover, when the Prince of Hancheng was alive, we all knew he was utterly loyal to that Great Zhou Emperor. I hope… the Great Zhou Emperor proves worthy of our Prince of Hancheng’s loyalty to her!”

Just as the elderly naval commander finished speaking, one of his subordinate junior generals ran in breathlessly, saying: “General… Generally, many former comrades who left the navy have returned outside our naval camp, saying that… the Emperor told them to return to destroy Dongyi!”

The six naval generals looked at each other in surprise. The elderly general thought he had misheard, stood up and asked again: “What did you say?”

Before the junior general could speak, another naval junior general came running to the door, shouting as he ran: “General Huai Sheng has returned! General Huai Sheng has returned!”