“Princess Zhenguo, this humble official… if this humble official weren’t worried about innocent people dying unjustly! I wouldn’t have sent people to capture these children either. This humble official is also a father! Hearts are made of flesh… how could this humble official bear it?” The magistrate’s eyes turned red, his heart filled with helpless despair.

“Father… Father, don’t cry! Father, don’t cry!” The seven-year-old child in the magistrate’s arms reached out to wipe away his father’s tears.

“My child!” The magistrate tightly grasped his child’s hand, then lowered his head to kiss the child’s forehead, tears streaming down his face. “Father… I’m sorry to you! Father is sorry for you!”

Liu Hong’s eyes grew hot, and he turned his head away, not daring to look anymore.

Bai Qingyan clenched her teeth, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart. She reached out to help the weak-kneed magistrate to his feet, then turned to look at those kneeling people: “From this day forward, wherever Bai Qingyan goes, not a single child will be sent to the capital!”

“Yang Wuce!” Bai Qingyan called out loudly.

Yang Wuce responded and entered from outside, kneeling on one knee: “This subordinate is here!”

“You will immediately take people to capture the envoy who came to collect the children. No need to bring him before me – throw him directly into prison!” Bai Qingyan looked at the magistrate again, “Send someone to guide them!”

“Yes!” Yang Wuce ordered Yang Wei to take twenty men and left together with the bailiffs.

“Where is the garrison commander, General Li?!” Bai Qingyan looked toward the magistrate.

Upon hearing this, the magistrate’s face paled, and he lowered his eyes, not daring to speak.

General Li was currently leading over ten loyal subordinates, setting an ambush on the official road outside the city, preparing to risk their lives during the envoy’s journey with the children to the capital… to see if they could rescue these children.

“Speak truthfully!” Bai Qingyan walked before the magistrate.

“Replying… replying to Princess Zhenguo, General Li is currently leading men in an ambush on the official road outside the city, preparing to… rescue the children of Chun Mushan!” After the magistrate finished speaking, he crawled forward two more steps toward Bai Qingyan. “Princess Zhenguo, please don’t blame General Li. Among the children conscripted this time, nearly half are orphans whose fathers died in battle. General Li… simply couldn’t bear it!”

“Good!” Bai Qingyan couldn’t help but praise. “This is truly a model for our generation! A soldier with hot blood and backbone! Send someone to invite General Li back, and tell General Li… Bai Qingyan entrusts him with guarding Chun Mushan – not a single child can be taken away!”

The magistrate was overjoyed upon hearing this and hurriedly kowtowed to Bai Qingyan, then turned to give orders: “Go quickly! Go quickly and call General Li back!”

Soon Yang Wuce brought over the envoy who had come to Chun Mushan to collect children: “Princess Zhenguo, this envoy insists on seeing you. He’s outside the door. If you won’t see him, this subordinate will have him thrown directly into prison.”

That envoy craned his neck to look inside. Upon seeing Bai Qingyan in military attire with an aura of killing intent in the government office, his whole body trembled, yet he still stubbornly shouted with false bravado: “Princess Zhenguo, I am an envoy sent by His Majesty, representing His Majesty! You casually have people arrest me – do you still have His Majesty in your eyes? Aren’t you afraid His Majesty will punish you for great disrespect?”

“No need to see him… lock him up!” Bai Qingyan spoke.

“Princess Zhenguo!” Liu Hong’s brow twitched violently. “That is someone sent by His Majesty. You could very well summon him to ask for clarification. Why treat His Majesty’s envoy this way! In your eyes…”

Liu Hong’s words stopped abruptly. In Princess Zhenguo’s eyes… There was no longer an emperor.

Princess Zhenguo was probably going to rebel.

Liu Hong realized this now, but it was already too late…

Neither Yang Wuce nor those Great Liang surrendered soldiers would obey his commands.

The Jin army forces that could currently obey his commands were all in Han City, controlled by Princess Gaoyi.

Liu Hong closed his eyes. His Majesty had issued such an edict, using such forceful methods to conscript these children. If these children were truly sent to the Nine-Tiered Platform, they probably wouldn’t survive!

Thinking again of what he had seen and heard in Chun Mushan today, Chun Mushan was just one corner… seeing one corner revealed the whole picture. Liu Hong already had a clear idea of what the entire Jin nation looked like now.

Before long, General Li of Chun Mushan, dressed in military attire, returned with his soldiers and knelt beside the magistrate: “This subordinate Li Tianbao greets Princess Zhenguo!”

“General Li’s willingness to risk his life to protect the people – Bai Qingyan admires this!” Bai Qingyan bowed toward Li Tianbao and declared loudly, “From today forward, if anyone comes again with orders to take Chun Mushan children to the capital, whether they hold imperial edicts or golden tokens and command arrows! General Li and the magistrate must not let them pass – detain them! General Li and the magistrate act under my orders, and I, Bai Qingyan, alone will bear all consequences! Chun Mushan is entrusted to General Li and the magistrate!”

Li Tianbao and the magistrate’s eyes immediately turned red. They had long known of Princess Zhenguo’s reputation as a war god, but they never imagined Princess Zhenguo would dare do anything to protect the people.

The magistrate prostrated with his forehead touching the ground, Li Tianbao clasped his hands in salute, and both solemnly responded…

“Princess Zhenguo, rest assured! This subordinate swears to defend Chun Mushan to the death.”

“Princess Zhenguo, rest assured! This humble official swears to defend Chun Mushan to the death.”

After leaving Chun Mushan, Liu Hong remained silent throughout. He didn’t know whether Bai Qingyan intended to rebel against the emperor and then support the crown prince’s ascension. If so, that would still be acceptable – at least Bai Qingyan would be returning to quell the rebellion.

Liu Hong looked at Bai Qingyan’s upright figure and still preferred to believe that, although Bai Qingyan was disappointed in the emperor, she didn’t intend to rebel against the entire imperial family.

Liu Hong recalled what the magistrate and General Li Tianbao had told them before seeing them out of the city: along with the imperial edict forcibly conscripting one thousand boys and girls, another edict had been sent, stating that only those holding golden tokens and command arrows or imperial edicts would be allowed by garrison commanders to lead troops through official roads.

If Liu Hong’s guess was correct, this should be Prince Liang’s way of preventing and restraining him and Bai Qingyan, but now it seemed… this edict probably couldn’t restrain Bai Qingyan.

Once today’s events in Chun Mushan spread… as long as Princess Zhenguo’s reputation and the black sail with white python flag appeared, any garrison commander with a heart to protect and love the people would open their gates.

Seeing Bai Qingyan’s group return, the soldiers resting by the roadside stood up.

Now, Bai Jinxiu was still in the capital. The emperor and Prince Liang had made a deal using the throne. Bai Qingyan guessed… Bai Jinxiu certainly wouldn’t let Prince Liang ascend the throne smoothly. She had to hurry back, otherwise… she feared Bai Jinxiu might fight Prince Liang to mutual destruction while trying to delay until her return.

Bai Qingyan reined in her horse, her gaze sweeping over these soldiers as she issued orders: “Lin Kangle, Yang Wei…”

Lin Kangle and Yang Wei, who had just returned with Bai Qingyan, immediately stepped forward: “This subordinate is here!”

“I order you two to lead thirty thousand soldiers straight toward the Nine-Tiered Platform. You must rescue the children who have already been sent to the Nine-Tiered Platform – no room for error! If anyone brutally kills common people due to the construction of the Nine-Tiered Platform, the entire army needs to show no mercy – execute them immediately! Depart at once!”

“Yes!” Yang Wei leaped onto his horse, planning to tell Lin Kangle about what he had witnessed in the government office along the way.