Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

Chapter 90: Chapter 89: The People’s Unrest_1

More and more people became increasingly emotional, willing to take the punishment of the court rod on behalf of the Bai family’s third daughter. Even children as young as seven or eight stood up and said, “The Bai family protects the people, and the people can also protect the Bai family. Even though I am young, I have read the books of the sages. I too am willing to be beaten for the Bai family sister!”

The executioner, seeing this, became even more hesitant to act, deeply shaken. He had never seen the common people so determined to protect a family. The aggressive demands of the people to take the punishment for the Bai family’s third daughter left him standing there dumbfounded and at a loss. He turned and instructed the guard behind him, “Quickly report to the Supreme Peak and see how to handle this.”

The little eunuch, hiding inside Wude Gate to gather news, saw the situation and rushed to the Emperor’s hall, scrambling to the door. He urgently said to Gao Demao, “Eunuch Gao, the Eldest Princess of the Duke of Zhen’s residence has brought several Bai family girls to beat the drum of Complaint outside Wude Gate, demanding that His Majesty arrest Liu Huanzhang and execute King Xin to uphold the law of the land! The common people are all out there clamoring to take the punishment for the Bai family’s third daughter who beat the drum.”

Even someone as close to the Emperor as Gao Demao was taken aback by this. King Xin, he was the legitimate son of the Emperor and the Empress. Had the Eldest Princess gone mad to dare demand the Emperor kill his legitimate son? @@novelbin@@

Historically, unless a prince was guilty of rebellion, the most severe punishment was typically confinement. The Bai family likely went mad after losing all their men; they no longer cared for the consequences.

“Eunuch Gao!” The little eunuch wiped his sweat with his sleeve. “Do you want to inform His Majesty?”

...

Gao Demao shook his dust whisk and coldly laughed. “For such unlucky matters, someone else will report it. Why should I rush to do it? Yesterday, His Majesty just kicked King Xin. Today, the Bai family comes to cause trouble. Recently, you all should watch your own heads and avoid getting involved.”

As soon as Gao Demao finished speaking, the city commander came to report the situation.

The Emperor, upon hearing this, immediately smashed the porcelain tea cup with red plum blossoms entwined around blue flowers in his hand. He was so angry that he couldn’t sit still and paced back and forth, the light yellow tea staining the fine carpet in an instant.

“Outrageous! The Bai family is outrageous!”

The palace maids and eunuchs inside the hall knelt to the ground, holding their breath, not daring to speak.

The Emperor’s wrath could lead to the deaths of millions!

Who dared to speak in the Emperor’s rage? Wouldn’t they fear being implicated? Even Gao Demao, who had a significant face in front of the Emperor, kowtowed like a quail, wishing to shrink himself to avoid being seen by the Emperor.

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“Ministers sent people to investigate thoroughly before reporting to His Majesty. It is said that today before the funeral hall, a blood-soaked servant sent by the Bai family to deliver winter clothes risked his life to bring back six bamboo slips. These slips were read aloud by the Bai family girl in public, inciting the emotions of the people. They all knelt at the palace gate, demanding justice for the Bai family!”

The Emperor, almost unable to stand in his fury, thought, The Duke of Zhen’s residence read it out in public once and at the palace gate again, fearing the people wouldn’t remember. They left no room for maneuver!

The Bai family. They were truly audacious!

The Emperor steadied himself against an agarwood table, gritted his teeth, and turned to instruct, “Gao Demao, you go! Personally invite the Eldest Princess in for me!”

After all, she was his aunt. First, he needed to pacify the Eldest Princess. The Bai family’s children could be dealt with easily.

Deciding on this, the Emperor saw the wet hem of his garment stained by tea and became even angrier. “Why hasn’t anyone changed my clothes yet!”

·

Outside Wude Gate, Bai Qingyan, who was kneeling in front of the palace with the Eldest Princess, saw the Emperor’s chief eunuch, Gao Demao, running over.

Gao Demao ran over and greeted, then knelt beside the Eldest Princess and said, “Eldest Princess, His Majesty has asked this old servant to invite you.”

Seeing the Emperor’s chief eunuch had come out, Bai Jintong finally returned the drumsticks and knelt beside Bai Qingyan.

The Eldest Princess squeezed Bai Qingyan’s hand firmly, propped herself up with her cane, and straightened her clothes.

“Miss Bai…” Gao Demao said with a bright smile to Bai Qingyan, “Could you hand over the bamboo slips with the military records to this old servant to present to His Majesty.”

Bai Qingyan solemnly handed the bamboo slips to Gao Demao, speaking each word clearly, “I have read these bamboo slips. Every word pierces the heart! I hope His Majesty will bring justice to those who have sacrificed their lives for the country! Otherwise… the Bai family will not be at peace, nor will the people.”

Gao Demao instinctively glanced at the people kneeling with the Bai family at the palace gate. Miss Bai, in every sense of her words, was threatening the Emperor when taken in a broad sense.

Carefully accepting the bloodstained bamboo slips, Gao Demao said, “Miss Bai, rest assured, this old servant will relay your words.”

Bai Qingyan straightened her back while kneeling, watching her grandmother enter Wude Gate with Gao Demao…

“Eldest sister, do you think grandmother will be swayed by the Emperor?” Bai Jintong clenched her mourning clothes tightly, her eyebrows furrowed.

The Eldest Princess’s stance seemed clear but not quite. How could Bai Jintong not understand?

She gazed at the vermillion gate and her grandmother’s straight back, feeling a bit powerless despite her firm resolve.

She could only say, “The situation forces people, neither grandmother nor the Emperor… can stop it!”

“Can the Emperor really kill King Xin?!” Bai Jintong pondered repeatedly. In Jin’s history, no prince had ever been executed. The previous second prince also took his own life after being confined.

“The Emperor cannot calm the public’s anger without dealing with King Xin! Once he takes action, the crimes of rash advance for merit leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers of Jin and pushing the blame onto the loyal souls are enough to make King Xin incapable of ascending to a high position ever again, be it confinement or demotion to a commoner!” Her voice was slow, with a subtle murderous intent seeping from her eyes.

“He still gets off easy!” A rare fierce expression appeared on Bai Jinxiu’s face as tears streamed down.

“If the Emperor can be ruthless enough to kill King Xin, he can at least leave a good name in the people’s hearts. If he can’t bear to… then he will push all the people’s trust to the Bai family! The loyal and brave die for the people, while the prince keeps his life despite his disgrace. The distinction between right and wrong lies in the people’s hearts!” She breathed in the cold winter air deeply and straightened her back. “The royal court does not accommodate women, but the people’s hearts have no gender. We have no power in the previous dynasty; all we can earn is the people’s hearts!”

“Revenge is simple! If there’s a will… King Xin can always be killed! Why let the Emperor earn a good reputation by taking action? Isn’t it better to hold this powerful blade of public sentiment ourselves? King Xin, fearing for his life and abandoning the people, has many wanting him dead. If one day, he accidentally gets his throat slit on a dark, windy night, besides the Imperial Family… few would shed tears for him!” Bai Jinzhi’s fist clenched so tightly it cracked.

After experiencing one event, Bai Jinzhi now thought things through before acting instead of relying solely on her impulsiveness. Bai Qingyan felt deeply gratified.

·

Inside the hall, the Emperor saw the bamboo slips with the military records for the first time.

Every event, every detail was recorded clearly!

He originally only knew of the severe defeat, with no military records delivered, and the casualties not clearly calculated.

He truly hadn’t expected the defeat to be so severe!