"Maybe he could survive, but would he live like a dog? Or an ant, or one of those bedbugs in the swamp? In short, he couldn't be a normal person, maybe not even a human being."
"If it were me, I would kill all those who hurt me, whip their corpses one by one, and then bury them again. I would dig them up every year, continue whipping them, and continue burying them. No, no, no, that's not enough. I think I would also kill all their descendants, using very cruel methods. Don't think I'm too ruthless. After all, the world repays me with hatred, so how can I repay their kindness?"
At this point, the air suddenly became quiet.
So quiet that it didn't make a sound.
Not just this person, everyone's voices suddenly stopped.
Yes, that's right. People repay me with hatred, so how can I repay their kindness?
Shen Jiao's eyes darkened, and he said, "Your self-righteous sense of justice only makes you see his bad temper, unpredictable moods, capricious nature, and ruthless killing. But you have forgotten that when the Great Yan was besieged by several countries, it was he who took the initiative to lead the troops into battle, and it was he who revived the Great Yan."
Everyone fell silent.
"He is currently far away in the south fighting the enemy. You do not expect him to win, or for Great Yan to win. Instead, you wish for him to die in a foreign land, with no place to be buried. But tell me, which is more important: your momentary pleasure or the invasion of an enemy country, the destruction of your country and the loss of your home?"
Shen Jiao looked at everyone one by one, taking in all their emotions, and continued, "Think about it again, everyone. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, has he ever plundered the people's wealth like the late Emperor? Has he ever forcibly taken women from the people like the late Emperor? Has he ever caused families to be torn apart, homes to be destroyed, and people to die tragically?"
Everyone was filled with shame and shook their heads repeatedly: "No, to be honest, His Majesty doesn't care for these things."
"He would never stoop to doing such things."
"Although it's inappropriate to say this now, it seems that His Majesty really has no other hobbies besides killing people. Oh no, not exactly, he also loves the Empress."
The last sentence was spoken softly, and Shen Jiao did not hear it clearly. She nodded and said, "You should know that you are able to be with your families and have a happy reunion for the New Year, all thanks to him for working hard to protect this country. Although he was unwilling, he never retreated once. It was he and all the soldiers who shed blood and sweat to fight for stability, so that you have the opportunity to create the prosperous world you have today."
Not everyone present was like the second son of the Zhao family. People are born good and have a conscience. After hearing Shen Jiao explain it to them, they all felt their chests swell and felt very uncomfortable.
Shen Jiao's voice became even lighter as she said, "Don't advise others to be kind if you haven't experienced their suffering. He has suffered too much. Why can't you all turn around and look at him, even just once? He has clearly done enough. Why won't you give him a piece of candy?"
“Everyone is doing their best to make a living, and His Majesty is no exception. Why must we block every single path for him, leaving him no way to see the light of day? As citizens of Great Yan, you cannot be so selfish.”
After he finished speaking, the surroundings became so quiet that only the rustling of the wind could be heard.
Shen Jiao clenched her fists tightly. The reins felt like a knife, cutting her palms painfully. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and nimbly dismounted.
Upon seeing this, Chen Bao and his cavalry, though unsure of the reason, dismounted.
A cold wind was blowing, as if fine snow was falling, landing on each fluttering red tassel, like scattered stars fluttering across a red river.
Shen Jiao bowed deeply and said in a loud voice, "Shen Jiao is here to sincerely request that everyone show more understanding and tolerance towards His Majesty in the future. I would be extremely grateful."
The girl's voice was neither loud nor particularly indignant, but each word was clear and distinct, without any intimidation, yet it struck straight to the heart, like the blazing sun in July, sincere and burning.
Chen Bao was slightly taken aback, but when he came to his senses, he also bowed and said loudly, "Chen Bao is here and sincerely asks everyone to be more understanding and tolerant of His Majesty in the future. I would be extremely grateful."
Liang Heng stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said sternly, "Liang Heng is here and sincerely begs everyone to show more understanding and tolerance towards His Majesty in the future. I would be eternally grateful."
One of the Iron Cavalry soldiers immediately spoke up: "Liu Xiaozhu is here and sincerely requests that you all show more understanding and tolerance towards His Majesty in the future. I would be extremely grateful."
"Zhang Shanfeng is here to sincerely request that you all show more understanding and tolerance towards His Majesty in the future. I would be extremely grateful."
"Niu Shanhe is here, sincerely begging you all..."
"Gu Shitou is here..."
The soldiers' dark faces were filled with the purest sincerity as they bowed in unison. At first glance, the civilians saw that these soldiers standing on the frontier were all bent over, as if they were half a head shorter, yet they were also tall and mighty, comparable to towering mountains.
For a time, the sounds echoed throughout the entire royal city, lingering for a long time. The sincere hearts of thousands of iron cavalrymen, like the lights of thousands of homes that lit up one by one, were dazzling, warm, and eternal.
**
A three-year-old child pulled his mother to the window and released a Kongming lantern. Standing on tiptoe, he clung to the windowsill and asked in a childish voice, "Mother, Mother, will the wind carry the voices of my brothers and sisters to the south?"
The mother watched the departing cavalry, now just a black dot in the distance, and reached out to pat her child's head, saying, "Yes."
The child then asked, "Will His Majesty hear me?"
The mother picked up the child and smiled, "Yes, she can too."
The decision to head south was made on short notice and was urgent, so Shen Jiao did not inform the Gu family to avoid worrying them. Now, seeing those familiar figures outside the city gate, she felt troubled.
The Gu family hadn't been there long, and their hair was covered in snow.
Shen Jiao spotted the Gu family couple and Gu An at the head of the group immediately. She told Chen Bao to lead his troops ahead, and then gave them a few instructions before catching up.
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