Prince Anxi collapsed backwards. The entire army… annihilated! That was all the foundation Anxi had!
Prince Guang’an’s complexion was also extremely grim.
“Minister Shen, you’ve worked hard,” Bai Qingyan nodded to Shen Tianzhi.
After a young eunuch led Shen Tianzhi to his seat, Shen Qingzhu brought the panicked old and young family members of Prince Guang’an and Prince Baishui into the great hall.
Shen Qingzhu strode forward with swift steps and heroic bearing. After unbuckling his sword from his waist and tossing it to the imperial guards at the door, he walked toward the center of the great hall, knelt in the middle, and cupped his hands: “Shen Qingzhu, following orders, has brought the family members of Prince Guang’an and Prince Baishui into the capital. General Wei Zhaonian and General Cheng Yuanzhi have led troops to take over the garrisons of Guang’an and Baishui. I have come to report completion of the mission.”
At this, even Prince Guang’an’s spine collapsed. The Bai Family Army had taken over Guang’an’s garrison—this meant Bai Qingyan had wiped out even their home base!
Back then, they shouldn’t have harbored any illusions about attending this enthronement ceremony. They should have stayed to defend their feudal domains. Even if Bai Qingyan had sent people to attack, she would have had to consider the cost. How could their home bases have been wiped out so easily?
They had been careless!
“You’ve worked hard. Please take a seat beside General Shen Kunyang,” Bai Qingyan said to Shen Qingzhu.
Shen Qingzhu acknowledged and thanked her, sitting down beside his adoptive father Shen Kunyang.
“Prince Guang’an, Prince Anxi, Prince Baishui… are to be handed over to Minister Lu of the Ministry of Justice to be dealt with according to law,” Bai Qingyan’s voice was indifferent. “The former Jin Dynasty royal family shall have all their property confiscated and be exiled to Yongzhou, never to return to the capital. Violators shall be executed without mercy!”
“This subject receives the command!” Lu Jin stepped forward to receive the order, raising his hand to signal the imperial guards to escort Prince Baishui, Prince Guang’an, and Prince Anxi, along with their relatives, all into prison.
The family members of Prince Guang’an and Prince Baishui immediately burst into tears, loudly begging for mercy. According to the law, rebellion meant execution of nine familial relations!
Prince Shuofang’s family members knelt behind their low table, trembling with fear, not daring to breathe loudly, afraid that their family would be next!
“My lord! My lord, say something!” Prince Baishui’s elderly wife cried out loudly to Prince Guang’an. Seeing that her husband didn’t respond, she pleaded with Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty! Please spare our lives, Your Majesty!”
“Prince Hedong, Prince Shuofang…”
Hearing Bai Qingyan call their names, Prince Hedong and Prince Shuofang hurriedly kowtowed respectfully in response.
“Your ancestral feudal domains were granted by Emperor Gaozu of the Jin Dynasty. Now that the old Jin Dynasty no longer exists…”
Before Bai Qingyan could finish, Prince Hedong kowtowed and took the lead in expressing his position: “Great Zhou is the new dynasty, Great Zhou is the new nation. Hedong’s old feudal domain naturally now belongs to the new dynasty’s territory. This guilty subject… has absolutely no covetous thoughts, nor dares to have covetous thoughts. This guilty subject can immediately send word commanding the Hedong army to surrender, only begging Your Majesty to give this guilty subject a chance to serve Your Majesty loyally.”
If Prince Hedong had previously acknowledged Bai Qingyan’s exceptional methods but still thought he could fight, now… he was completely in awe. He had thought their plans were flawless, but hadn’t expected that Bai Qingyan had already planned to act, and encountering such a pig-brained companion as Prince Baishui had resulted in complete defeat.
Prince Shuofang’s troops had all been annihilated. Unable to cry tears, not knowing how to show loyalty, he could only kowtow forcefully: “This guilty subject also begs Your Majesty to give this guilty subject a chance to serve Your Majesty loyally!”
“Since that’s the case, I hope you two remember that from today on, you… They are no longer Prince Hedong and Prince Shuofang. You may remain in the capital with your families, and I’ll allow you to assist Dong Changyuan and Li Mingrui… in managing the implementation of new policies. But remember, there must be no more acts of outward compliance but inner resistance!” Bai Qingyan asked, “When the matter is concluded, official positions will be assigned according to your abilities. Do you two have any objections?”
“This guilty subject Lin Wenshan has no objections and kowtows in gratitude to Your Majesty!” Prince Hedong Lin Wenshan kowtowed. “This guilty subject is willing to personally go outside the capital to command the Hedong army to lay down arms and surrender.”
Prince Shuofang Lin Huaisu also hurriedly kowtowed: “This guilty subject Lin Huaisu also has no objections and kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty’s benevolence!”
“General Fu… I trouble you to accompany Lin Wenshan on this trip. Also, tell the Baishui army that the main rebel culprit, Prince Baishui, has been captured alive. Those who surrender their weapons will not be killed!” Bai Qingyan instructed Fu Ruoxi.
Fu Ruoxi immediately responded and led Lin Wenshan out of the city to negotiate the surrender of the Hedong army.
Just as Fu Ruoxi led Lin Wenshan out of the great hall, Xiao Ruohai hurriedly entered through the side door of the great hall, circling around from behind the black lacquered sandalwood pillars to the base of the high platform where Bai Qingyan’s throne was located.
Seeing Xiao Ruohai, Bai Jinzhao quickly walked to Bai Qingyan’s side and whispered in her ear. She turned her head… seeing Xiao Ruohai’s anxious expression, she nodded, signaling for Xiao Ruohai to come up.
Xiao Ruohai steadied his expression and movements, respectfully ascending the high platform, quietly kneeling on one knee behind Bai Qingyan. Glancing at Dong Shi and fearing to worry her, he used a voice only Bai Qingyan could hear and said softly: “Eldest Miss, Third Miss has been… captured in Western Liang…”
Bai Qingyan’s hand gripping the low table tightened momentarily, then her tense spine slowly relaxed, still maintaining the composed and steady appearance of the Great Zhou female emperor.
“For what reason?” she asked quietly.
“Chen Qingsheng, who sent back the message, doesn’t know. He only knows that the Western Liang female emperor summoned Third Miss to the palace, and then, for some unknown reason, Third Miss was imprisoned. Third Miss is, after all, a woman—if her disguise were discovered, she would be suspected. Chen Qingsheng tried every method he could think of, but in the end, couldn’t see Third Miss! He had no choice but to send someone back with the message!” Xiao Ruohai’s voice was extremely low.
Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on Li Zhijie: “Where is the person who brought back the message?”
“They traveled day and night without rest to bring back the message—all six people collapsed!” Xiao Ruohai said.
In an instant, Bai Qingyan’s mind raced through countless possible reasons for Bai Jintong’s capture.
The worst would be if Western Liang had discovered Bai Jinxiu’s identity.
Now that Western Liang was eager to ally with Great Zhou, knowing Bai Jinxiu’s identity would be best—that way… Western Liang wouldn’t dare harm her third sister.
But with the situation in Western Liang unclear, rashly demanding Li Zhijie hand over the person here might disrupt Bai Jintong’s arrangements in Western Liang.
She needed to first send someone quickly to Western Liang to investigate the situation clearly, and before that… Li Zhijie shouldn’t think about leaving.
After pondering for a moment, Bai Qingyan said: “Foster brother, I trouble you to make the trip to Western Liang with the messenger who brought back the news. If it truly comes to an unavoidable situation, make sure Western Liang knows that Jintong is my sister. If Western Liang dares to harm Jintong… not only will their Flame Prince be unable to return, but Great Zhou will mobilize the full power of the nation to destroy Western Liang!”
The Rongdi attack on Western Liang was inevitable. Unless Western Liang believed they had the capability to withstand Great Zhou’s might while simultaneously fighting the Rongdi.
“Yes!” Xiao Ruohai responded, bowing respectfully as he retreated down from the high platform.
Li Zhijie noticed that someone had come to report to Bai Qingyan on the high platform, but only glanced indifferently, recognizing that person as someone who had always followed Bai Qingyan on the Nanjiang battlefield, so he didn’t take it to heart.