Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play-Chapter 854 - 831: Hallucination (2)

The leading commoner seemed to recognize that the person standing on the palace gate was Xie Jue, and shouted at the palace gate, "Xie Jue is out, he’s the one who killed the king, who killed the priest, and yet he has the face to live. Let’s storm the Royal Palace and kill him! We can fight the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry; there are tens of thousands of us in the city—can we not overpower their five thousand cavalry? We people of Sannan have spirit and will defend Sannan’s dignity to the death. If the Royal Family is too cowardly to act, we will take up the butcher’s knife and seek vengeance for them!"

The commoners had been besieging the palace gate for several days and were already exhausted. A siege requires momentum—if not, it will weaken after the second push and exhaust by the third. Although the commoners were incited, after sitting in the cold for several days, many had calmed down and some had already given up and gone home, though the original number was so large that it was not noticeable.

Now, seeing Xie Jue, the leading commoner excitedly incited the crowd once more, and the commoners’ passion was stirred again, shouting in unison to kill Xie Jue.

Xie Jue watched their commotion with an expressionless face.

Zhang Boxin was anxious, "Han Ziqi already went to talk to them with no success. Last night they tried to storm the gate, and Lin Xiao and I had no choice but to hang up Han Ziqi and Princess X to deter them and force them not to act rashly."

The Sannan commoners still cared deeply about the Royal Family, especially the Princely Heir and Princess X—one their new master, one their pride. They were hesitant to act rashly.

Xie Jue asked, "How many more days will the palace’s provisions last?"

"Three days!"

This was the limit, and the soldiers would have to alternate between hunger and fullness to last for three days. Xie Jue calculated that the border army wouldn’t move fast enough to reach Sannan in this time. They needed to find a way to save themselves.

"Let them down, send them out of the palace!" Xie Jue calmly ordered.

Lin Xiao was stunned, but did not question, "Yes!"

The group of gathered commoners, seeing the soldiers unfasten the ropes, were very anxious, not expecting Lin Xiao and the others to directly let down the ropes, freeing Han Ziqi and Princess X outside the palace gate, granting them freedom.

The commoners were incredulous, "They let the Princely Heir and Princess go!"

A dozen commoners rushed over, eager to rescue Han Ziqi and Princess X, fearing that if they were a step too slow, Xie Jue might change his mind. Xie Jue ignored them, not even bothering to linger at the palace gate, instructing Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin to stay vigilant at the gate, and to find him if there was any issue. Direct confrontation was a last resort—only to be used when absolutely necessary, or it would fuel criticism. Xie Jue knew he wouldn’t have a good reputation after the chaos in Sannan.

No matter!

He never cared for reputation, but the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s blade never turned against commoners; this was a strict rule. Even in Sannan, as long as the commoners didn’t initiate attacks, he wouldn’t choose to attack them either.

To leave this Royal Palace, the commoners must leave the palace gate and settle their grievances.

Han Ziqi and Princess X were the best bridges for communication.

Ying Yi said, "Master, Han Ziqi has already explained to the commoners at the palace gate what happened inside, but they simply don’t believe and have been incited to blame you."

Xie Jue spoke lightly, "The King of Sannan is dead, the High Priest is dead, Han Ziqi and the Princess were imprisoned in the palace. The Sannan commoners see me as the culprit. What use is it for Han Ziqi to explain? They’ll only think Han Ziqi was forced, forced to lie for the palace concubines, princess, and princes. They’ll naturally find a reason for Han Ziqi. When you hang them at the palace gate, they dare not attack, showing that whoever incited the commoners’ anger lacks authority. They value Han Ziqi and Princess X’s lives more. Only by freeing Han Ziqi and Princess X will the commoners believe Han Ziqi’s words."

Without the threat to their lives, Han Ziqi’s words carried weight and could earn the trust of the Sannan commoners. If Han Ziqi continued explaining at the gate, no matter how earnestly, the commoners would think he was desperate. To make the commoners retreat, Han Ziqi’s freedom was needed. Xie Jue was not afraid of Han Ziqi inciting the commoners.

He was now free.

His mother-consort, his sister, and brothers were still in the Royal Palace.

Han Ziqi was cunning and suspicious; the Sannan Royal Family had fought among themselves for years, yet now had become prisoners. Han Ziqi understood more than anyone that breaking the peace negotiations would not benefit Sannan at all. The power disparity between Sannan and Beining was immense, and news of the border defeat would soon reach Mudan City. If he wanted better terms for the Sannan Royal Family, he needed to quell this unrest. The terms for submission agreed to during the King of Sannan’s life were no longer possible.