At almost the same time, Bai Qian, far away outside the capital, finished her battle and returned to her tent, exhausted.
"General, the enemy is already in a state of rout. Should we continue the pursuit?"
Bai Qian took a few gulps of water, then shook her head. "It would take a huge amount of manpower to completely wipe out these bandits. It would be enough if they stopped harassing the people for a short period of time."
Her purpose in coming here was to exert pressure.
Recently, bandits have been roaming around this area, and the terrain is easy to defend but difficult to attack, so Bai Qian had to put in a lot of effort to drive these bandits out of the city.
Bai Qian took off her armor and put on a clean and neat robe. "I'm going to take a walk among the common people."
The city of Liu was unusually quiet at first, with no bandits around. The people tentatively ventured out, but once they realized the bandits had really been driven away, they excitedly ran out with their silver.
Seeing the smiles on the faces of the people, Bai Qian's somewhat heavy mood improved considerably.
"If it weren't for Marquis Dingyuan's insistence on quarreling with the royal family, how would these bandits dare to cause trouble in our Liucheng?" The words of several people in the alley made Bai Qian stop in her tracks.
"That's right. Marquis Dingyuan's reputation is widespread. Originally, those bandits didn't dare to come here at all. A few years ago, another group of bandits wanted to come to Liucheng, but Marquis Dingyuan's secret guards killed the bandit leader directly."
"Now, I'm afraid it's not just our Liucheng; other places are also suffering hardships they shouldn't have to endure because of the Marquis of Dingyuan's severing of ties with the royal family."
......
Bai Qian picked at her ears in disbelief. What were these people talking about?
Is he accusing Jiang He of severing ties with the royal family, causing them to suffer?
Bai Qian couldn't control her steps and walked towards the center of the crowd. "What are you saying? The culprit for your misfortune should be the bandits, not Marquis Dingyuan."
"Where did this young lady come from? Dressed like this, parading around the city?"
A man chuckled slyly and said, "We're discussing important matters of the court, what are you doing interrupting?"
"You're talking about Marquis Dingyuan, which means you're making trouble for me."
Bai Qian raised her leg high and placed her foot on the tea table where the group was drinking tea.
"Marquis Dingyuan has diligently protected the people of Daqing for so long, why would he break with the Daqing royal family? Don't you know?"
Perhaps because Bai Qian's eyes were already a little red, the group was unsure of what to say for a moment.
"The Daqing royal family has been scheming against the generations of Marquis Dingyuan, and has a blood feud with the Jiang family that spans generations. If you were in their shoes, what would you do?"
"What do these grudges have to do with us ordinary people?" another man said slowly. "The consequence of the struggle between the two sides is that we suffer. What are we supposed to do?"
Bai Qian suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness. The people of Lingzhou could open the door for Jiang He, but the people here were complaining that Jiang He had made them suffer from bandits.
"If I hear another word against Marquis Dingyuan, watch your mouths."
Bai Qian gave these people a deep look. If they weren't unarmed civilians, she would have taken their lives.
"Harsh words can wound like a chill in the third month of winter." The strategist watched from the shadows for a long time before emerging after Bai Qian left. "You should be cursing the bandits, not the Marquis of Dingyuan."
"If we chill the hearts of our meritorious officials, who will be willing to protect Liucheng in the future?"
As night fell, Bai Qian sat irritably outside her tent. The soldiers had already begun packing their belongings, preparing to return to the capital.
"General, don't argue with the common people."
The strategist slowly walked to Bai Qian's side and sat down on the ground as well. "For them, whoever feeds them is their mother."
Bai Qian rolled her eyes. "I just feel sorry for him. People are always too harsh on good people and like to bring them down from their pedestals, but you can't blame him for all of this."
"General, don't the people of Lingzhou all love and respect Marquis Dingyuan?"
The strategist looked at Bai Qian's expression and laughed.
"Strategist, what are you laughing at?"
"I laugh at the general, whose body is in Liucheng, but whose heart is in Lingzhou."
The strategist looked up at the sky and said, "It's getting late. General, you should go back to your tent and rest. We'll set off for the capital tomorrow, and we should be back in three or four days."
If the general wishes to go to Lingzhou at that time, he may do so.
The strategist didn't say it aloud, but Bai Qian understood. She pursed her lips, got up, and walked into the tent.
I've heard that things are in turmoil in the capital recently. Can she really abandon everything in the capital and rush to Lingzhou?
......
In the past few days, almost everyone in the capital has been focused on Wei Ruo.
All the officials in the court tacitly awaited the results of Wei Ruo's investigation.
Kui Ruo finally saw Jiang Yu again.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
When Wei Ruo saw Jiang Yu, his eyes shone as brightly as the stars in the sky.
"Long time no see." Jiang Yu also smiled and said, "I never thought that the boy from back then would be the top scholar in the imperial examination. I was unable to see you before due to circumstances, but I am able to see you today."
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your life-saving grace back then."
Kui Ru knelt before Jiang Yu and kowtowed three times earnestly.
"Furthermore, Your Majesty, I am grateful for your trust and am willing to serve you at all costs, even through fire and water."
Wanji twitched his eyes. The top scholar, who was known for his aloofness, was actually like this?
This bears absolutely no resemblance to the rumors.
"Get up quickly." Jiang Yu glanced in a certain direction. "I've come to see you today to hear how your investigation is going."
Kui Ruo immediately understood and stood up. "After investigation, I discovered that the late Emperor had tried to kill the Prince of Xiang, forcing the Prince's wife to commit suicide by hitting her head against a pillar to bring the Emperor into the public eye and ensure his safety."
Jiang Yu's smile widened as Wei Ruo spoke, "Thank you for your hard work. But what if someone asks you about the relevant evidence and witnesses?"
"I have collected some evidence, but I haven't found any witnesses yet."
"I have found it for you."
Jiang Yu tapped rhythmically on the table with her nail-protected fingers. "Eunuch Cen Hai, who served the late emperor, should be a suitable witness."
"If that's the case, then the evidence must be conclusive."
Jiang Yu nodded. "I'll leave the rest to Lord Kui."
She needs solid evidence to completely expose Gu Heng's past actions.
"Your Majesty... back then..." Kui Ruo was about to say something when she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
"I do not wish to revisit what happened back then."
After seeing Kui Ruo take her leave, Jiang Yu looked helplessly in the direction of Gu Lin again.
"You said it yourself: 'Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust.'"
After a few more pauses, Gu Lin slowly appeared. "The time has come. Have him submit his memorial at the morning court tomorrow."
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