Bai Yueyue immediately used magic to calm herself down; she needed to stay calm in this situation.
"No, this is impossible! This is illegal!" Lin's father couldn't believe it. Just because someone attacked Bai Yueyue, they wanted to execute the entire village.
"This is the law established by the imperial family. The mayor has already given the order that anyone who attacks the mayor's family will be treated as a traitor, and everyone in that village will be executed." Qin Zijing waved her hand and had someone shake Pan Sheng awake. "Throw them all back. Remember to take all this information back to your village and tell the people there, so that these ignorant fools know what kind of noble people they have offended."
After throwing Pan Sheng and the others out, Bai Yueyue realized that apart from herself and Lin Zhaodi, everyone else in the room thought the decision was normal.
Bai Yueyue now understands for the first time what her identity means: she can truly decide the life and death of countless people with a single sentence.
She never had to face these things before because her parents and brothers shielded her from them, and she never came into contact with someone like Qin Zijin.
This is so unreasonable! It's completely different from what's taught in the books!
"Brother Qin Zijin, this judgment is too much!"
No evidence or procedures are required. This is completely different from the long process that ordinary people need to go through to protect their rights. All you need to know is that the other party attacked the mayor's adopted daughter, and you can be executed for treason, even if innocent people or victims like Lin Zhaodi are implicated.
So what about the imperial family? What kind of power of life and death do they wield, the family that holds power at the pinnacle of this planet?
"Is it excessive?" Qin Zijing feigned a puzzled expression, but he clearly knew that Bai Yueyue could not accept such a verdict. "This was not my decision. I reported it to my father, and he knows about my decision. In fact, all the nobles will support this decision."
Qin Zijin was serious. After the failed rebellion of people in lower- and middle-level cities many years ago, the imperial family and the five major families deliberately widened the gap between cities of different levels by dozens of times in order to maintain their rule and prevent rebellion.
The resources, military strength, and knowledge of this planet were almost entirely controlled by the imperial clan and the five major families, dividing the planet into the imperial capital and other cities.
The mayor of each city is like a Damocles' sword used to monitor and control the lower classes. Therefore, they absolutely cannot accept any attacks or other actions that are detrimental to the mayor's family.
Such actions would threaten the capital city's control over other cities.
Break their spines, sever their tendons, cut out their tongues, twist their will, and eliminate anything that might threaten the capital, the imperial family, and the five great families.
Two completely different sets of laws were used: one set was made public to regulate people outside the nobility, and the other set was kept hidden to protect the nobility.
Like a greenhouse flower facing a storm for the first time, Bai Yueyue's values were being eroded by these cold-blooded laws for the first time.
She understood why her mother, who rebelled against the imperial family, was considered a legend for surviving, while Qin Yusa, who failed, disappeared and was forgotten.
Bai Yueyue's upbringing taught her that this was wrong, but she herself had become that kind of person. Similarly, she would have to interact with such people in the future.
“Brother Qin Zijin, I know I’m being willful, but please retract this order. It’s only right that those who attacked me be punished, but many people in that village are innocent victims. Many of them are trapped in that village and can’t escape. There are also many children who don’t understand what they did wrong, and many don’t even know that I’ve been there. They shouldn’t die unjustly.”
Using magic to stabilize her nerves and prevent them from collapsing, Bai Yueyue tried her best to present her demands like a true noble lady.
"This is the punishment they deserve," Qin Zijin continued. Bai Yueyue's words were meaningless to him; the true "issuer" of this decision was the imperial family that legislated it.
"No, that's not it, Brother Qin Zijin. As nobles and the mayor's family of this city, we should protect the innocent people of this city."
"Those who pose a threat are no longer innocent. Alright, this matter is now closed. Your personal attendant can live because of you." After saying this to Li Jieyue, Qin Zijin left directly.
Li Jieyue silently watched the confrontation between the two from beginning to end, waiting for Bai Yueyue's decision as an observer.
"Mother, what should I do?" Bai Yueyue looked at Li Jieyue with a confused expression.
She knew she couldn't save everyone, including the village chief, Lin Zhaodi's parents, and everyone who tried to attack Bai Yueyue at the wedding. They would all be executed. But there were many others like Lin Zhaodi who had been sold or kidnapped, and they shouldn't die like that.
"Yueyue, you need to understand that if you want to protect other innocent people, it's not against Qin Zijin, not against your godfather, and not against the Qin family, but against the capital, the imperial family, and all the upper-class nobles."
Looking at her bewildered daughter, Li Jieyue dismissed the servants and then comforted her in the gentlest tone.
"But as a mother's daughter, haven't I already rebelled against them?" Bai Yueyue hugged Li Jieyue in the most impolite way, acting coquettishly.
Li Jieyue looked at her daughter in her arms and tenderly stroked Bai Yueyue's silver hair, just as she did when she didn't have to consider facing the imperial family.
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