Qiao Zhao walked over. Jiang Yuanchao’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he saw her directly pass by him and walk to Shao Mingyuan’s side.

Jiang Yuanchao moved his lips slightly, then lowered his eyes.

“Zhaozhao, why did you come over?”

“I came to see you off.”

Shao Mingyuan raised his hand to gently stroke her raven-black hair: “No need, just take good care of yourself.”

“I will.” Qiao Zhao handed the food box in her hands to Shao Mingyuan, “You must take even better care of yourself inside.”

Shao Mingyuan took the food box: “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

A Jinlin Guard extended his hand: “Inspection.”

Qiao Zhao looked toward Jiang Yuanchao.

Jiang Yuanchao avoided her gaze and smiled faintly: “It’s my duty, I hope the Marquis will understand.”

Shao Mingyuan stared at Jiang Yuanchao steadily for a moment, then suddenly smiled: “Commander Jiang is right, arresting people is indeed your duty. No need for unnecessary words—open it for inspection.”

Jiang Yuanchao nodded to signal the Jinlin Guard.

The Jinlin Guard immediately opened the food box.

The vermilion lacquered, carved food box had three tiers. The top two tiers contained some preserved foods, while the bottom tier held various bottles and jars.

“Sir—” The Jinlin Guard sought instructions from Jiang Yuanchao.

Jiang Yuanchao smiled slightly at Shao Mingyuan: “Marquis, I’m sorry, but these bottles and jars cannot be brought inside.”

Shao Mingyuan frowned slightly, then relaxed his expression and said calmly: “Zhaozhao, take them back then.”

Qiao Zhao silently packed up the items and stepped aside.

Jiang Yuanchao looked deeply at Qiao Zhao. Seeing that she wouldn’t even cast a glance his way, he sighed inwardly, his expression turning cold: “Let’s go.”

In Marquis Guanjun’s residence, there was only Shao Mingyuan as the master; the others were not within the scope of arrest. The numerous Jinlin Guards surrounded Shao Mingyuan as they walked forward. The common people watching the excitement immediately made way, and as the Jinlin Guards walked away, the discussions grew louder.

“Who would have thought! The Marquis Guanjun is the orphan of a criminal minister. I thought he was the illegitimate son of Marquis Jing’an.”

“Did you hear? The entire Marquis Jing’an family was arrested, even his grandsons, who are only a few years old, weren’t spared.”

“What choice was there? Who told Marquis Jing’an to harbor the son of a criminal minister? Earlier, when we heard that Marquis Guanjun killed the Princess of Xijiang, I thought he was venting anger for his fiancée. Now I know he was avenging his family.”

“How does killing the Princess of Xijiang avenge his family?” someone asked in confusion.

“Can’t you figure this out? The Princess of Xijiang died here in our territory. Could Xijiang let this go? If they don’t hand over the murderer, the two countries will have a falling out. Once they fall out, there will be war. When the two countries fight fiercely and our Great Liang suffers, wouldn’t that be avenging his father?”

“If you put it that way, Marquis Guanjun really shouldn’t have killed the Princess of Xijiang…”

Qiao Zhao silently listened to the people’s discussions, her heart turning ice-cold.

The common people were the simplest group—they judged good and bad by what was before their eyes, their emotions easily stirred and manipulated by others.

Since the other side wanted to manipulate public opinion, why should she let them get their way?

Qiao Zhao suddenly stepped forward to the person who was speaking most enthusiastically and asked loudly: “Are you saying that Marquis Guanjun deliberately provoked war between the two countries?”

All the onlookers knew Qiao Zhao’s identity. Hearing her question, the scene immediately fell silent.

That person instinctively stepped back, but stubbornly said: “I wasn’t wrong! If Marquis Guanjun wasn’t trying to provoke war between the two countries, why would he kill the Princess of Xijiang?”

Qiao Zhao laughed coldly: “Then have you forgotten who brought years of peace to the Northern Territories? If Marquis Guanjun wanted to see Great Liang’s people suffer, he needed only to do nothing and stay in the capital as his wealthy young master!”

That person’s eyes flickered as he retorted: “But at that time, Marquis Guanjun didn’t know he was the son of a criminal minister.”

“Son of a criminal minister?” Qiao Zhao raised her voice, her burning gaze sweeping over everyone, “Then do you know who this criminal minister you speak of is?”

“This—”

Qiao Zhao no longer looked at him, instead turning to the people and asking: “Do none of you neighbors know?”

The people looked at each other. Finally, someone hiding in the crowd said quietly: “It’s Marquis Zhenyuan, the Marquis Zhenyuan who once guarded Shanhai Pass.”

Shanhai Pass was the closest checkpoint to the capital. When the founding emperor established the ancestral rule that “the Son of Heaven guards the nation’s gates,” he placed the imperial capital here, separated from the wolf-like Tartars by only Shanhai Pass, so that his descendants would rather die than retreat, guarding every inch of land their ancestors had won.

“Military songs should sing of great sabers gleaming, sworn to destroy the barbarians beyond the Jade Gate. Only knowing to die for country on the battlefield, why need horse-hide shrouds for return?” Qiao Zhao recited this poem word by word, looking coldly at everyone. “Twenty-one years ago, before his execution, Marquis Zhenyuan sang this poem aloud. Not long ago, my fiancé, Marquis Guanjun, also recited this poem. Twenty-one years ago, when Marquis Zhenyuan died under the executioner’s blade, no onlooker spoke for him. Twenty-one years later, when Marquis Guanjun is taken away, no onlooker speaks for him either. I only want to ask you, neighbors: when Tartar hooves trample our Great Liang soil and Japanese pirates’ long blades point at our Great Liang people, who will speak for you?”

The watching crowd fell completely silent.

The young woman standing before them was petite and delicate, seemingly fragile, yet at this moment she stood like a green mountain, like a towering pine before them, making them want only to lower their heads and bow down.

They knew this wasn’t fear due to her status, but an indescribable shame from deep within their hearts.

How could people lack a sense of shame? It was just that most of the time it was covered by many external things—the emperor’s majesty, the Jinlin Guards’ intimidation, their poor and boring lives… All of this became a carnival for these ordinary people when major events happened to the capital’s important figures.

During their carnival, they didn’t even think about whose excitement they were watching, whose blood they were drinking.

Qiao Zhao’s gaze slowly swept over those closest to her. Seeing them instinctively lower their heads, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly: “If the world is like this, if Marquis Guanjun never returns from this journey, then there will never be a second Marquis Guanjun in this world!”

After she finished speaking, tears glimmered in the corners of her eyes.

Imperial power was supreme. She knew that even after saying these words, the onlooking people still had no power to change anything, but some words had to be spoken to feel relief.

If these onlookers felt ashamed and uncomfortable after hearing her words, then she was satisfied.

Yes, she was just such a petty woman. Why should her man shed blood on battlefields protecting these people, yet when he faced trouble, these people could feel at ease watching the excitement?

Footsteps sounded. The onlooking people quietly dispersed to both sides as a tall man stood before Qiao Zhao.

Qiao Zhao raised her eyes to look at Jiang Yuanchao standing before her, a mocking smile playing at her lips as she asked coldly: “Does Lord Jiang need to take me away as well?”

Jiang Yuanchao gazed at Qiao Zhao for a long time before sighing softly: “Must you be like this?”