Qin Ze decided to take Jin Fengluan back to Jinling.

Moreover, apart from her, all members of the Jin family captured in the ongoing manhunt must be escorted back to Jinling.

They will be sentenced in Nanjing, and rightfully made to pay for their crimes. This step is indispensable. I don't care about the outcome myself, but I need to give the world this result. For the common people, this is of paramount importance.

Although they have now stormed into Nanze and captured Jin Fengluan, there are still members of the Jin family who have fled. It will take some time. Besides the fact that Nanze City is large enough, there should be others who have already left this place.

It will take some time to completely resolve the Jin family's matter, but Qin Ze does not intend to stay in Nanze for long. Foreigners' fleets have already arrived in the South China Sea, and the next step is to resolve the conflict with them.

However, before returning to Nangang, the matter of the Southern Barbarians still needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Although the Barbarians have submitted, they are only outwardly compliant but inwardly resentful. Although the battle at Yanluo Mountain has severely weakened them, the brave and fierce Barbarians may not be willing to submit.

In the same land, the wicked Jin family has been destroyed, so how can we let the barbarians become a hidden danger? Qin Ze does not want any more chaos in the future, so he must go to the barbarians before returning to Nan Gang. Fortunately, the barbarians' place is not too far from Nan Ze, so Qin Ze plans to rest in Nan Ze for a day first.

As for the search and arrest of the Jin family, Qin Ze handed it over to his soldiers. He also sent someone to Jinling to inform Zhang Li about Nanze, and that Zhang Li would need to transfer officials to take over Nanze.

Qin Ze is not good at these things, but Zhang Li is very knowledgeable about them, so it is more appropriate to entrust them to him.

At this moment, Qin Ze, riding on his warhorse, frowned deeply, his expression far from relaxed. Although the battle was over, the tasks ahead were far more complicated.

Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; it doesn't mean that you can govern a country well by force alone. Although we lack experience, we are fortunate to have ministers like Zhang Li who take the world as their responsibility to assist us. In the future, we should listen to their advice more.

Thinking of this, Qin Ze raised his head and looked into the distance.

They had already left the suburbs and were heading into the city. Although the search was still ongoing, Qin Ze could now see the figures of the people.

They are never obtuse when it comes to understanding the situation.

As the saying goes, they'll help whoever wins; when the winner emerges, they'll become the winner's supporters.

Just like this moment—

As Qin Ze led his troops and escorted Jin Fengluan into the street, the people had already come out of their homes and even gathered on both sides of the street. Without anyone reminding them, those who knew what was good for them were already praising him:

Then someone loudly proclaimed:

"Whoa!"

"Your Majesty is indeed extraordinary, truly a dragon reborn. It is an honor to have the chance to meet you!"

"Your Majesty has led a fierce army into Nanze, captured the traitor, and eliminated the internal threat. From now on, our Yan Kingdom will surely prosper and usher in a golden age of peace!" In the crowd, a scholar dressed in loose robes and wearing a square cap praised loudly.

"Your Majesty is now in the prime of your life, possessing great talent and ambition, and being wise and decisive. As the Son of Heaven, you are blessed with boundless good fortune. In the future, you will surely achieve great things!"

Then, he pointed to the sky and said loudly:

"Your Majesty is just like the rising sun in the heavens, illuminating all living beings. In the future, the common people will surely enjoy your blessings, and Your Majesty will enjoy them for thousands of years!"

With a whoosh.

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

Watching the impassioned scholar continue his eloquent speech, Qin Ze wondered if this man was a student of Zhang Li.

There were so many praises that Qin Ze, though not particularly concerned with them, still felt compelled to respond. He waved his hand and said:

"The Yan Kingdom is now in dire need of reconstruction, and I will certainly take the responsibility for the people of the world upon myself, and I will never..."

Turning his head to glance at Jin Fengluan in the prison cart behind him, Qin Ze continued, "Disregarding the common people."

A few casual words were enough to invigorate the crowd, but Jin Fengluan, in the prison cart, couldn't help but curse.

"You traitor! You are incompetent and tyrannical! The people have suffered under your rule for too long!"

"You have imposed harsh policies domestically and colluded with enemy states abroad, plunging the world into misery. Now that you have been captured by His Majesty, you shall surely be executed!"

Someone chased after the prison cart, cursing Jin Fengluan incessantly.

Jin Fengluan, shackled, felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, sweating profusely. Yet, even now, she remained unconvinced and continued to argue back:

"You bunch of opportunists! Seeing me fall into this predicament, you all come to kick me while I'm down. Let me tell you, you will all die without a burial place from now on!"

Seeing that she was still talking back, the crowd became even angrier, and their insults became increasingly vile:

"You wretched woman! What right do you have to sit on that dragon throne? You traitor who stole the country, don't you know that the entire empire was conquered by General Tiger Might!"

"You should have stepped down and given way to a more capable person back then!"

"Yet you shamelessly sit on the throne, yet you are jealous of the virtuous and capable, and persecute loyal officials. You deserve to die!"

Upon hearing the words "usurpation of a kingdom," Jin Fengluan's pale face flushed crimson, and she immediately screamed:

"This is my empire! He is the traitor, he is the one who usurped my throne!"

A burly man in coarse cloth chased after them, cursing:

"Bullshit!"

"You shameless scoundrel, you've plunged the world into chaos!"

"That's not all! You already ceded our territory to those foreigners. If you, you wretched woman, continue to rule for a few more years, you'll have given away all of our ancestors' land to the foreigners!"

"You have not only failed the common people, but also our ancestors. Even now, you still refuse to atone with your death and continue to make excuses!"

"So the fat from your butt has grown onto your face, hasn't it!"

These were truly hurtful words. Qin Ze was genuinely afraid that Jin Fengluan would bite her tongue and commit suicide in a fit of anger. However, when he turned his head to look at her, he saw that her face had only turned even redder, and she showed no sign of wanting to die. She was still cursing incessantly.

This impressed Qin Ze; he didn't see any other merits in this woman, but her willpower was truly remarkable.

Only after being scolded until she was dizzy and exhausted from fighting back did Jin Fengluan finally droop and quiet down like a wilted eggplant.

Thus, upon returning to the imperial city, Qin Ze dismounted and approached Jin Fengluan's prison cart:

"I'll be resting here tonight."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jin Fengluan suddenly raised her head: "That is my palace!"

Qin Ze glanced at her sideways, patted the prison cart, and said, "Come on, take her to the Heavenly Prison."

"We must keep a close eye on her and make sure she doesn't slip out."

"Yes!" The soldier flicked the reins, and Jin Fengluan's voice gradually came from inside the carriage: "I don't want to be imprisoned!"

"Then stay in the stables!" the soldier shouted coldly. Jin Fengluan immediately shut up, but then hummed softly.

Just then, a soldier came to report:

"Reporting to the lord, indeed, some people have already escaped through the west gate. It seems that these people escaped even before Jin Fengluan."

"In addition, dozens of barrels of kerosene were found in residential houses near the imperial city."