Thinking of Bai Qingyan’s words about impeaching him before the Crown Prince, Magistrate Zhou hurriedly raised the case files in his hands high above his head.

“The County Princess’s teaching is correct. This humble official was not failing to seek justice for the people, but rather, every time the Bai clan was extremely well-prepared, this official could only act according to Jin law.”

“Over these years, this official has worked tirelessly without sleep or food, and finally Heaven has not failed those with determination – this official has found evidence in some cases that… the Bai clan bribed witnesses and hired assassins to commit murder! Please, County Princess, examine this.”

Magistrate Zhou was truly a… weathervane who could read the subtle signs and find the right direction, his words managing to completely exonerate himself.

“Uncle Zhou, you’re my father’s close friend!” Bai Qingjie widened his eyes.

Magistrate Zhou turned his head and sneered coldly: “This official is the people’s parent official. Who would be close friends with your father, such a person who uses a fox’s cunning to exploit a tiger’s might? All these years, this official has endured humiliation and disgrace for nothing more than to find evidence against your Bai clan and seek justice for the people!”

“You!” Bai Qingjie was furious beyond measure.

Bai Qingyan’s indifferent and disdainful gaze fell on Bai Qingjie as she said to Magistrate Zhou: “Since that’s the case, I trust Magistrate Zhou will certainly handle this matter impartially. Who hired assassins to murder in Shouyang City, who engaged in forced buying and selling in Shouyang City, who forcibly seized civilian women, and who treated human life as grass… Investigate every single case! There must be no favoritism or perversion of justice!”

“Today, I, Bai Qingyan, also place these words here: if it’s discovered that anyone from the Shouyang Bai clan… has used the authority of Duke Zhenguo or the Zhenguo County Princess to oppress the people! Once verified, I will ask the clan leader to expel them from the clan and compensate the oppressed people.” Bai Qingyan pointed at Bai Qingjie and his group. “If the clan leader refuses to expel these unworthy descendants from the clan, our Capital City Bai family… will remove ourselves from the clan entirely, and from then on have no connection whatsoever with the Shouyang Bai clan!”

Cold sweat poured down Magistrate Zhou’s forehead. He understood – the Zhenguo County Princess intended to sever relations with the Shouyang Bai clan. His throat worked as he felt fortunate for his quick reaction in finding himself a story about enduring humiliation and disgrace.

Bai Qingjie thought he had misheard. His father, Bai Qiyun, had clearly said that in the future, Bai Qingyan would still need to rely on the clan for support in her old age, and absolutely wouldn’t have the courage to break with the clan!

In Bai Qingyan’s view, the Shouyang Bai clan had lived too smoothly over the years, so smoothly that they acted without using their brains at all. Greedy, selfish, and somehow confident that the orphaned widow and children of the Capital City Bai family must depend on the clan for survival, living under their mercy?

They were simply too stupid to be worth her using any schemes or tactics. Having Steward Liu figure out how to gather the other branch families here was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Thinking about it now, it was because the grandfather had originally placed the clan leader’s position too high, making them truly think of themselves as important.

But Bai Qingyan was not her grandfather.

Such a clan – Bai Qingyan didn’t want to waste energy correcting and guiding them, nor did she have that energy.

To prevent their Bai family’s reputation from being polluted, Bai Qingyan could cleanly and decisively cast off the burden of the Shouyang Bai clan.

She wanted to see who would be unable to survive in Shouyang in the future.

Bai Qingyan cupped her fists to the people gathered around watching the commotion: “Everyone, please tell your relatives, friends, and neighbors that any people who have been harmed by members of the Shouyang Bai clan can come to Magistrate Zhou to seek justice.”

After speaking, Bai Qingyan looked at Magistrate Zhou again: “Magistrate Zhou… I have only one principle: debts must be repaid, murder must be paid with life! Punish according to law, show no leniency!”

“Yes!” Magistrate Zhou turned to order the bailiffs: “What are you standing there for! Arrest these thugs who held hostage someone’s young child and forcibly seized someone’s restaurant!”

Amid Bai Qingjie’s curses, all the Bai clan members who had come to cause trouble today, whether masters or servants… were all seized by the bailiffs.

“Bai Qingyan, you’ll still need to rely on the clan for support in your old age, yet you dare treat me like this! My grandfather is the clan leader… would he expel me from the clan for your sake?! Just wait… in the future I’ll make you suffer!”

“No need to wait for the future! I’ll make you suffer right now!”

Bai Jinzhi raised her hand and whipped him. With a loud crack of the whip, one of Bai Qingjie’s bloody teeth flew out.

“This Magistrate Zhou is in cahoots with the Bai clan!” A bold citizen shouted to Bai Qingyan.

“Exactly! County Princess, if you let him investigate… he’ll cover for the Bai family!” A man said this, then realized that Bai Qingyan was also a member of the Bai clan and shrank his neck.

Bai Qingyan nodded and looked at Magistrate Zhou: “I have already visited many households and had people record in writing what outrageous deeds the Shouyang Bai clan has committed over the years. On the first day of the fifth month, the Capital City Bai family will depart from the capital to return to Shouyang, and the first thing I’ll do is come find you to see how the case investigation is progressing. Magistrate Zhou, don’t disappoint the people, don’t disappoint me! When the Crown Prince asks about your crimes later… the more superficial this case investigation is, the heavier your guilt will be. Do you understand?”

“This official understands! This official understands!” Magistrate Zhou’s back was covered in sweat.

“The Bai family’s fifth branch seized our family’s good farmland – can it be returned?”

“And the rouge shop they seized two days ago – can it be returned?” A young woman said dissatisfiedly. “The prices at that rouge shop have tripled now!”

“Everyone can rest assured. As long as the Bai clan seized anything through improper means, once verified as true, Bai Qingyan will make the clan return everything! If the clan refuses, even if Bai Qingyan must bankrupt herself, she will compensate everyone, because… everyone’s suffering is due to our Capital City Bai family’s failure to investigate, allowing the Bai clan to use our influence to oppress the local community! Here… Bai Qingyan apologizes to everyone on behalf of the Bai family.”

Bai Qingyan assumed an extremely humble attitude, bowing deeply to the ground.

For the Bai family, reputation in Shouyang was extremely important. In the future, when Bai Qingyan wanted to train troops in Shouyang under the pretext of bandit suppression, she would need the people’s support.

Therefore, Bai Qingyan had to make this special trip back to Shouyang, spending time and energy accompanying these arrogant, ignorant descendants of the Bai clan in this elaborate performance.

The people looked at the woman on the high steps with her sharp bearing and steady, decisive manner, inexplicably feeling a sense of authority and trustworthiness.

Before mounting her horse to leave, Bai Qingyan sat upright on her horse’s back, holding a black gold horse whip in one hand and the reins in the other, looking down at Magistrate Zhou from her elevated position: “Magistrate Zhou, one should fulfill the duties of their position. Since you are a local parent official, you should love the people like your own children and seek justice for them! Those who collude with corrupt officials… cannot protect their positions. Do you understand?”

“Yes! This official understands! This official understands!”

The people watched Bai Qingyan’s party gallop away, then, after a moment of silence, someone said…

“That was the Zhenguo County Princess? She’s… different from what I imagined!”

“The Zhenguo County Princess just said she arrived in Shouyang last night and visited the people this morning. Could it be she came back specifically because of the Bai clan oppressing the people?”