Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 876 - 873: Guiltless at Heart

Bai Qingyan clenched her palms tightly, her lips pressed together. After a long moment, she spoke hoarsely: "Grandmother... was wrong."

An emperor is heartless; this is the Lin family’s way of rulership!

But she believed that to govern a country by law, the law must be heartless while the monarch must have feelings!

A ruler not only needs to harbor great benevolence but also must have compassion and righteous feelings.

She would prove to her grandmother that she was wrong...

"Eldest Young Lady..." Bai Jinse stepped forward and spoke softly, "Ji Tingyu has already gone to pursue her, he will surely bring Grandmother back!"

Bai Qingyan nodded: "Send someone to report peace to Shuoyang, to prevent mother and the aunts from worrying."

"Don’t worry, Eldest Young Lady, I’ve already sent someone back to Shuoyang with the news!" Bai Jinxiu said.

Inside the grand hall.

"The sun is eclipsed, a great disgrace. When the moon wanes, so does the sun; now the common people, too, are greatly grieved. The sun and moon spell bad omens, they do not move in order. The four countries lack governance, they do not use good men. If the moon is devoured, it is a common occurrence; if the sun is devoured, why is it not a blessing? Tremors and lightning will not cease. Rivers boil, mountains crumble. High cliffs become valleys, deep valleys become hills. The mourning people today, why do they not teach and chasten?"

Li Mingrui recited "The Tenth Month of the Year" as he entered from outside the grand hall and made a deep bow to the officials: "The poem ’The Tenth Month of the Year,’ was written by a minor official during the reign of King You of Zhou! The sun represents the essence of yang, the sun also symbolizes the monarch. Now that the Jin Kingdom is in turmoil, it warns the world that those who are unkind are not fit to rule. The Lin family’s imperial power... is just like the Zhou royal family, it has come to an end."

"Li Mingrui! How dare you come here!" Minister of War Shen Jingzhong drew the sword from Lin Kangle’s waist and was about to rush at Li Mingrui, but Lin Kangle quickly stopped him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I understand... because of my previous assistance to King Liang, many of you hold grudges against me, but I am not the only one here who has helped King Liang. Master An... Director Pan? Isn’t that right?" Li Mingrui smiled as he looked at the two officials shrinking at the back.

Those two officials smiled awkwardly, and Director Pan quickly knelt down in the direction of the hall’s entrance and kowtowed: "From now on, I swear to follow the Princess of Zhen to the death!"

Li Mingrui’s gaze fell on Prime Minister Lu, ready to speak at length: "Prime Minister Lu, first there was a solar eclipse, then there was an earthquake at Chongluan Ridge, and floods at Shuijiang Pass. Aren’t these warnings from the heavens that the Jin Kingdom should change its ruler?"

"The Emperor is obsessed with building the Ninefold Terrace... and wants to use the lives of a thousand children to refine the elixir of immortality. How is such a king who regards the people as nothing better than Shang Zhou of old?" Li Mingrui spoke slowly, clutching his heart as if in great pain, "Originally, I thought... King Liang would be a wise ruler, but I later found out I was terribly wrong. King Liang just wanted to ascend to the throne, not for the people’s welfare but to do whatever he pleased, killing whoever he wanted! Such a king will surely become the next Shang Zhou!"

"And the deposed Crown Prince..." Li Mingrui shook his head, "You all should have seen, with such a character, and such weakness, how can he be fit to rule a kingdom?"

"For a hundred years, the Bai family of Dadu has guarded the Jin Kingdom for hundreds of years, always taking it as their duty to support the people, conquering the south and the north, protecting our borders without fear! The achievements of the Bai clan in the Jin Kingdom are unparalleled, and their compassion for the people is unmatched!" Li Mingrui looked around at the officials, "You all have worked with the Duke of Zhen, Bai Weiting, or the Duke of Zhen, Bai Qishan, as colleagues. The character of the Bai clan is clear to all!" frёewebnoѵēl.com

Just as Li Mingrui was speaking eloquently, Bai Qingyan had already stepped into the hall: "Let me speak to you all myself, no need to trouble Minister Li."

Hearing this, Li Mingrui hurriedly bowed to Bai Qingyan, gracefully stepped aside.

His hand behind his back clenched tightly, feeling indignant. Li Mingrui had intended to earn some credit in front of Bai Qingyan this time, but to his surprise, Bai Qingyan seemed unimpressed and insisted on facing the officials directly.

Bai Qingyan, under the watchful eyes of the officials, walked towards the high steps where the Dragon Throne was placed, took a few steps up, turned to face the officials in the hall, and spoke: "My conduct has always been forthright, with a clear conscience. There is nothing I dare not speak openly to anyone about..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the officials saw Liu Hong enter the hall with a surrendered general from the Liang Kingdom.

"Greetings to the Princess of Zhen!"

Liu Hong and Yang Wuce saluted Bai Qingyan.

Having seen so many horrific scenes along the way, which resembled hell on earth, Liu Hong’s loyalty to the Emperor had gradually wavered and cooled. He returned with a glimmer of hope that Bai Qingyan could rebel against the Emperor. After all, the Emperor was unkind... If he was dethroned, at least the Crown Prince was kind-hearted, and having him ascend to the throne would suffice.

However, as soon as he entered the city, Liu Hong heard that the Emperor had died, and King Liang had ascended the throne. Now, he didn’t even know if the Crown Prince was still alive.

If the Crown Prince didn’t survive, perhaps the Princess of Zhen would be the best choice for the Jin Kingdom.

Bai Qingyan looked down at Liu Hong and Yang Wuce kneeling on one knee to report.

Liu Hong loudly proclaimed: "Your servant Liu Hong and General Yang Wuce, leading twenty thousand soldiers, traveled along the line from Puwen City, Longyang City, Youhua City, to Tianlan Mountain back to the capital, ordering the government offices not to forcibly conscript children, and returned the conscripted children to their homes. We also brought back the unclaimed children who were bought as substitutes to the capital."

Yang Wuce glanced at Liu Hong and continued: "Along the way... sixteen cities, both large and small, including Puwen City, Longyang City, and Tianlan Mountain, rebelled. Upon hearing the Princess of Zhen’s order not to forcibly conscript children and her opposition to the Lin dynasty’s treatment of the people as livestock, they all surrendered!"

As Yang Wuce finished speaking, the officials suddenly realized the situation and stared at Bai Qingyan in surprise...

The Princess of Zhen had rebelled?!

Liu Hong gritted his teeth; Yang Wuce hadn’t exaggerated a word. Especially in Longyang City, upon hearing that the Princess of Zhen had rebelled, the people cheered and cried out, finally welcoming a true protector of the people.

Such scenes... Even now, when Liu Hong recalled them, he still felt moved.

Bai Qingyan, with one hand grasping the sword at her waist, stood tall like a cypress and pine at the high steps. Without the slightest bit of guilt or retreat, she faced the officials’ gazes and speculations.

She looked at the officials, who were either thoughtful or bewildered, and her gaze fell on Prime Minister Lu.

Prime Minister Lu was a smart man. Now that Bai Qingyan held military power, if the Emperor wanted to rebel against anyone... Who here could have the strength to oppose the Princess of Zhen?

And with Liu Hong and this surrendered general from Daliang bringing back news of the Emperor’s tyranny, planning to use a thousand children to refine an elixir, it had already driven many places to rebel...

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