Kang De's Whip

That afternoon, an extra document appeared on Kang De's desk.

Following an emergency meeting of nobles convened in Distant Harbor and presided over by the governor, a vote was taken and discussions were held, and it was agreed that the instigators, manipulators, and perpetrators of the Distant Harbor riots would be sentenced to death.

To be implemented tomorrow.

In the name of the capital of Azure Waves Province, a public announcement was issued to the entire province and even the whole country. A draft of the announcement was also attached to the list, and people from all walks of life in the Distant Harbor would sign it and condemn this behavior.

Important figures should have the aura and authority of important figures; they don't need to personally read documents.

Kang De handed the list to his secretary Lily, who was waiting nearby, and leaned back in his soft chair, listening to the Dragon Girl's cold yet melodious voice playing the notes of death.

After three paragraphs, he frowned.

That's it?

Colonel Henry, who had been standing with his hands at his sides and looking down at his toes, jumped at the sound of his voice, "Your Highness?"

Kang De turned to Lily: "You read that right? Luent Tinston is the former owner of this house, right? The head of the Tinston Family, right? One of the ringleaders who colluded with the Empire to plan this, right? One of the most serious criminals I've appraised, right? This is the person, isn't it?"

Dragon Girl glanced at it and nodded, saying, "If you're referring to the owner of the Oakheart Chamber of Commerce, the president of the Azure Waves Province Log Federation, and the current head of the Tinston Family, then it is indeed him."

Kang De asked in bewilderment, "... What was he sentenced to?"

"Honor hanging," the Dragon Girl said softly.

"What the hell is that? How can hanging be associated with honor?"

Lily shrugged and replied, "Hanging, you know. They put a rope around the prisoner, hang them from a tree, a lamppost, a building, or a mast, let their face turn purple, let their head swell with blood, let their tongue stick out, let them struggle desperately, let their whole body go out of control, and let them die a miserable, agonizing death. Then their bodies hang there, to be eaten by vultures, to be exposed to the sun and rain, so the lowly can see their fate."

"So you know, this is not a respectable way to die. It is often used by lords and kings to punish mobs and villains, to warn other potential criminals. It is one of the cruelest and most severe forms of execution recognized by Civilization and with sound laws."

The Dragon Girl is well-read and can readily recall allusions and stories from the human world.

She continued, "Some nobles committed heinous crimes, not only deserving of death but also the most severe punishment, making hanging the primary option. However, even for the most serious crimes, this undignified death was too much for nobles. So, about four hundred years ago, a kind, respectable, and learned imperial judge, who was also a geometry scholar, improved the method of hanging..."

She held up one hand and gestured. "It involves measuring the prisoner's height, using nooses of varying lengths, and during the execution, pulling the wooden board from the prisoner's feet, causing the prisoner's body to drop instantly. The resulting impact will immediately break the prisoner's cervical vertebrae, causing them to die from suffocation and cerebral anemia within minutes."

"After the execution, the remains could be collected intact—because it preserved the last vestiges of dignity and honor for the criminal nobleman, this severe yet merciful form of execution was called the honor hang."

Kang De nodded repeatedly. "So strict, so strict."

Lily glanced at him and continued to fan the flames, "It's really severe. Let me see, one, two, three, four, five—a full five high-ranking nobles have been sentenced to honor hanging as punishment for their extremely disgraceful role in the riot. It's an unprecedented verdict. You can feel the raging anger of the people of Distant Harbor even through this piece of paper. They hate these people so much..."

Colonel Henry was already wiping his sweat.

Kang De, without changing his expression, said, "Then there are less severe forms of execution, right?"

"Yes, let me see. Hmm, the remaining thirty-seven nobles and their accomplices were sentenced to beheading. They used one of those guillotines; the blade just snapped off their heads, and that was it."

"Oh..."

Kang De exclaimed in admiration, "Well done! Goth was truly Civilization; even the death penalty was treated so humanely, relieving the condemned's suffering as quickly as possible..."

"No, not really."

Lily turned a page. "You see, the nobles are on one page, and the commoners are on another. Goth People are very particular; even on the death row, the commoners and the nobles maintain a proper and respectful distance."

"Look at that, the Cunning Fox Delisa, the top henchman of the Tinston Family, the gang leader who controlled forty percent of the dockside labor business, was sentenced to death in a bathtub."

"That is, locking the prisoner in a bathtub, smearing honey on their face and body to attract flies and insects to lay eggs, then feeding the prisoner and making them excrete, so that they slowly soak in their own excrement, the eggs hatch, and more and more, making the prisoner slowly feel their flesh being devoured and torn apart by maggots..."

"Oh, the classic spiked stakes, thirty-two untouchables were subjected to this punishment."

"Rat torture."

"There are also fish-based punishments adapted to local conditions, animal-based execution methods, and tacit choices among various tribes."

"The strangulation wheel, the gallows... tsk tsk, look at this, the kind and benevolent nobles of Distant Harbor have actually brought out such ancient punishments to satisfy the evil Cathayan's desire for revenge."

"Alright."

Kang De reached out and took the document, then shook it in mid-air, sending paper scraps flying, shattering and dissipating.

He looked at Colonel Henry: "Go again."

The other person bowed and said, "Your Highness."

The Cathayan said calmly, "Tell them that this one day is a gesture of respect I'm giving them, so they can think about what I said again."

A look of disbelief flashed across Colonel Henry's eyes.

He had already gleaned the Forbidden Spell spellcaster's attitude from the conversation between Kang De and the dragon lady.

But the explicit information from the other party still filled this imperial man with dread and fear.

"Sir... sir..."

His usually fluent tongue stammered, "Those people... after all, they are nobles..."

Kang De looked up at him.

That one glance almost made Henry think he had fallen into the polar ice cap.

"Colonel Henry, Colonel Henry."

The voice instilled fear in the Imperials involuntarily... even though the tone was gentle.

Kang De's attitude was calm and his tone sincere; he was, in a sense, patiently guiding the student.

"I think if you want to take an unforeseen path in your career or future plans, you should at least think things through and understand some principles."

He pointed to his head.

"After all, if you can't understand the principles, then you're on different paths. If you're on different paths, you can't do things well. If you can't do things well, you're useless. A person can be good for nothing, but they can't be useless."

The Dragon of Cathay leaned forward slightly, looked at Henry, and said with a friendly expression.

What do you think?

Henry is now at a point where he's too scared to even break a sweat.

His legs trembled noticeably, and after about three seconds, he nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! The adults are right! Reason must be clear! People must be useful!"

Kang De sat up straight, smiled, and said, "Then tell me, what is the principle you've figured out?"

Henry replied firmly, "You say it! You decide! If you say he's an aristocrat, then he's an aristocrat; if you say he isn't, then he's a pile of stinking dog shit! You can step on him however you want!"

Kang De hesitated for a moment, and after a clear wavering appeared in the other person's eyes, he slowly said, "Not entirely accurate, but sufficient... Go."

The interim commander of the Empire Fleet gave a standard military salute, strode out the door, and silently closed it. A moment later, a slight thud echoed in the corridor.

"Father, he tripped and fell."

Horus reported.

Kang De smiled upon hearing this.

Lily leaned over and stared at Kang De, looking him up and down.

"You know what..." she clicked her tongue in amazement, "What she was saying just now was actually quite interesting."

"Hahahahahahahaha."

Kang De chuckled deeply and exaggeratedly, stroking his nonexistent beard. He said smugly, "Who would have thought I'd be giving someone a reading comprehension question out of thin air? Not bad."

The Dragon Girl didn't answer. Instead, she leaned down and rested her head on the table from the side, propping herself up on her elbows and supporting her chin as she stared at Kang De with a strange look in her eyes.

Her full breasts drooped towards the table like ripe fruit on a branch.

Kang De's gaze traveled upwards. "... What's wrong?"

I find you strange and mysterious.

Lily said, "That imperial man thinks you plan to punish the nobles involved with even more severe punishments by death because you want to establish your absolute authority and completely subdue the noble class of Distant Harbor. But I always feel that the reason may not be that. You don't seem to have any good feelings towards the nobles... It's not out of hatred, nor is it targeted at any specific group. Your hostility is directed at the entire class, which is strange."

The Dragon Girl opened her beautiful eyes, and Kang De's face was reflected in her pupils.

"I'm curious, where does this innate hostility of yours come from?"

Not long after.

Distant Harbor City Hall, Justice Hall.

This is an arbitration room specifically set up for the upper class, mainly used to mediate disputes between nobles and commercial conflicts among the wealthy. Sometimes it also serves as a trial room to adjudicate crimes committed by nobles.

Those qualified to enter this place, even if they are just listeners, must be respectable people with a certain degree of influence, status, and wealth in the Distant Harbor, and must strictly adhere to the hierarchical order.

Today, the Justice Hall is packed with important figures. Everyone in the entire Distant Harbor who is qualified has come here. Seating is scarce, so people are crammed together. There is a buzz of voices, many people are talking in hushed tones, some look worried, and some are full of expectation. They are all waiting for a response.

Because they had been arguing about it for over four hours.

No one expected that Prince Kang De, who had defeated the mutated dragons and captured the fleets of the three nations, would only stay in Danfeng Lucerne for a few hours before returning to begin his retaliatory operation against the Distant Harbor.

The nobles had a good plan. After all, Prince Kang De came here alone. Although the warships were indestructible and the Forbidden Spell were extremely powerful, neither was suitable for a search operation in the city. A dignified Forbidden Spell mage could not lower himself to personally arrest people door to door.

They already had a plan. All they needed to do was go through the motions, make a show of it, find a few outcasts without inheritance rights, and capture more commoners and lackeys to kill and vent His Highness Kang De's anger. That would be it.

But who could have imagined that His Highness Kang De would directly use the newly captured naval forces of the three countries as his henchmen to carry out the arrest operation, and that overnight, he would turn the entire Distant Harbor upside down, capturing and eradicating almost all those involved.

This efficiency is simply terrifyingly astonishing.

While they were still shaken and disgusted by the shameful act of the three nations' navies serving as their lackeys, Kang De's ultimatum arrived. He demanded that the entire Distant Harbor draft a joint statement declaring the rioters' betrayal and, in the name of the Distant Harbor, punishing them with the death penalty, to be announced to all of Goth.

Schemes, plots, coercion... The cunning nobles could easily sense the intention behind this move, which was their greatest fear—His Highness Kang De intended to seize control of the Distant Harbor.

This city, though in decline, was still Goth's largest port. Life was already tough enough; the pie was only so big, and now it had to share with a spur-of-the-moment ancestor...

Who would want to?

Taking away someone's livelihood is worse than killing their parents.

But as the governor said, it's no longer a matter of money, it's a matter of life and death. His Highness Kang De has set this difficult question with a clear intention: to force everyone to take a stand.

Moreover, the threat is blatantly obvious.

"To not speak out for justice is to be an accomplice to evil." The words brought by the Imperials still echoed in everyone's ears. It meant that during the Distant Harbor riots, you shut up and pretended to be dead, and I could understand that you had your own interests and concerns. But now that you are not on my side, I will consider you to be on the side of the traitors.

This is a threat.

But tragically... they had no power to resist.

That terrifying warship was anchored outside the harbor, and nearly ten thousand elite naval forces from the three countries were under Kang De's command. The intelligence that came from Danfeng Lucerne last night sent chills down the spines of those in the know. Without a doubt, on Kang De's chessboard, they were insignificant little characters, easily crushed.

We can only retreat and submit for now, in order to plan for the future.

After several hours of debate, they passed the vote.

I fully agree with His Highness Kang De's request.

Draft a joint statement.

Condemning acts of betrayal.

To quell Kang De's anger, they sentenced all the nobles involved to death, and even sent the most powerful nobles to the gallows for the cruel honor hanging. As for the property that Kang De confiscated from the city from those nobles, they tacitly agreed to let it go into the pockets of the Cathayan.

This is an unprecedented and enormous concession.

It is important to know that even in Goth's darkest times, the nobles of this country still consciously maintained the continuation of the aristocratic system. The victors would also consciously take on the responsibility of inheriting the bloodline of the enemy's family, selecting an heir from the enemy's collateral line to reinstate the title and peerage, and even leaving the enemy family enough property and land - such actions would be praised by the world and become a beautiful story.

What they did today is simply appalling.

No wonder that after the vote was passed, an elderly nobleman with white hair burst into tears, saying it was a disgrace, the darkest moment in Goth's legal history, and then many others wept as well.

But when the old gentleman proposed that the various family chambers of commerce contribute a portion of their funds to establish a foundation to support the reconstruction and revival of the major families that were almost destroyed in this catastrophe, the weeping gentlemen were too heartbroken and sorrowful to utter a single word.

The entire hall fell silent for several minutes.

But in any case... the most difficult time is over.

They stayed there, hoping for a positive response.

The nobles whispered anxiously.

"--He will agree."

"Yes, we have done our utmost."

"That's the blood of dozens of nobles..."

"Hopefully he will pardon some of the poor souls..."

"The Grand Duke will definitely be unhappy."

"Poor Mr. Tinston, he was also doing it for Goth..."

"Shh..."

Throughout the entire process, the commoners sentenced to cruel death were never considered by the lords.

Just as they were anxiously awaiting a reply, the doors of the Justice Hall were suddenly flung open, and for a moment, all was silent, as if the hall had been subjected to a spell of collective silence.

Everyone looked towards the gate.

The Bloodthirsty Hyenas of the Imperial Fourth Subfleet appeared there.

Colonel Henry Baker strode in, ascended the steps with an air of superiority, and, in full view of everyone, shoved the mayor of Distant Harbor aside from the podium. He looked around and loudly proclaimed, "Reject!"

In an instant, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, ripples erupted and a roar burst forth. Many people stood up abruptly, bewildered, and even angry—what else did he want?

"Quiet!"

The governor picked up the Thunder Hammer before him and struck the wooden base. The power of lightning reacted with the concave refined gold adorning the base, and a booming vibration swept across the entire area. "Silence!"

After a brief moment of calm, the Governor of the Distant Harbor rose and said, "Colonel Henry, please explain the reason!"

"You have half a day! This day is the dignity His Highness Kang De has reserved for you! Think carefully about those words!" the Imperial man shouted. "Distant Harbor, do the right thing!"

The dignity I've left for you.

Decent.

Yours.

Many of the more astute nobles present, after a moment's thought, turned extremely pale.

Decent.

Our dignity.

Us...

The focus is on us.

The key question is whether we include them or not.

Let's think about it carefully...

After speaking, Henry made a move to leave, but the governor suddenly called out, "Sir Henry! Please explain more clearly! Let's just say we were foolish and clumsy, failing to understand His Highness Kang De's profound meaning!"

The imperial man stopped and gave a cold laugh.

"Okay, then I'll be more explicit!"

He looked around with his head held high, and everyone in his sight held their breath and listened intently. These nobles and wealthy merchants, though they were Goth's country bumpkins, were still nobles with high titles and great power. At this moment, they were actually listening intently and with their breath held, to every word he said.

The sensation made him tremble and intoxicated.

Yes, that's the feeling.

With lowered head and meek eyes, obsequious and comical manner, playing along with the crowd, flattering and fawning, and kneeling and groveling, all these chips accumulated through dignity and humiliation are just for the opportunity right before their eyes, for a once-in-a-lifetime gamble, to bet all their chips at once!

He roared, "These disgraceful people who have betrayed their guardians and their country are no longer worthy of the status and honor of nobles! They shall be stripped of everything! Then they shall be tried and executed like commoners!"

An uproar ensued.

If the previous rejection was like a pebble thrown into a lake...

That sentence is like the explosive that's thrown in.

A deafening roar followed, and water splashed everywhere.

Whether they liked it or not, all the fish were fried out.

The nobles rose in shock and disbelief, instinctively shouting.

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Goth will be ashamed of this!"

He has no right to deprive...

"This is..."

They instinctively shouted out their opposition and protests, but quickly realized who they were accusing. Sparse protests rose and fell, but after the initial shock, reason returned. However, the lingering panic and unease on their faces still revealed the anger and anxiety of these important figures.

How dare he do such a thing!

This is a challenge to Goth and even the entire continent's aristocratic system!

Henry's voice rang out calmly.

"This is not a discussion or deliberation, but an order and an ultimatum. I repeat His Highness's words once more: Gentlemen, this one day is a courtesy His Highness is granting you; you must think it through carefully."

He turned to leave.

"Your Mightiness!"

The governor said in a deep voice, "Please allow us to amend the verdict. All nobles and commoners involved will be equally guilty. The mastermind will be sentenced to honorary hanging, and the accomplices will be beheaded. Furthermore, the mastermind's family will be stripped of their honors, and their titles will be placed under the trusteeship of His Highness Kang De. This point will be agreed upon by all the nobles of the Distant Harbor Justice Hall."

"In addition, all the nobles and commoners of Distant Harbor are grateful for everything Your Highness has done for this city. We request that Your Highness stay and participate in and assist in the city's restoration of commercial vitality. We will jointly petition the Grand Duke for approval. Furthermore, to express our gratitude for Your Highness's heroic act of saving Distant Harbor, we will prepare a generous gift as our humble thanks..."

These conditions were close to the bottom line for the nobles.

Henry was about to speak when his right arm trembled slightly.

The colonel's expression immediately turned serious. He took two steps back, pointed his right arm to the sky, and shouted, "Silence! His Highness Kang De is about to speak to you!"

A moment later, the clear and steady voice rang out.

"Your Excellency."

The governor bowed and said, "Your Highness."

The voice of the Cathayan echoed through the hall, "Don't you think this is very unfair?"

The other person asked blankly, "What?"

"A wealthy nobleman, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, whose wealth could buy half of Distant Harbor, who at fifty-four years old had slept with countless women and enjoyed countless pleasures, with more money than he could ever spend in a lifetime, was still unsatisfied even though he lived a life better than 99.999999% of the world's population. He fawned over the emperor like a dog, harbored hostility towards the nation's protectors, and even betrayed them..."

"The other man grew up in a shack, was brave and fierce, always fighting for food, knew nothing of morality, was uneducated, and had never known that there was another way of life. He lived in a daze. He was given five gold coins by the lackeys of the former's lackeys, who threw them at his feet and ordered him to organize the laborers in the shack area to cause trouble, beat people, set fires, and rob things. For the money, he did as he was told, and then threw all the money into the gambling den."

"Now, these two people, with completely different fates, statuses, and backgrounds, are being hung on the same gallows by the same rope for the same thing—don't you think that's incredibly unfair?"

The governor blinked and said slowly, "But Mr. Luent is, after all, a nobleman..."

"Oh, you think it's fair because that pig was a nobleman, so it deserved to die with dignity, while the commoner gets to die like that, and even benefits from it, right?"

Kang De said calmly, "What you think is not important. What is important is that I feel it is very unfair. You have to pay for what you have done. You big shots enjoy material wealth and power that the common people can't even imagine, so when you commit a crime, you have to pay back a thousand times over."

"This is my principle, this is my way of doing things, this is my attitude towards you. I'm making this clear here today, and you should remember to tell all of Goth's nobles about this."

"You dogs who control the vast majority of the country's resources, once you do something bad, the damage you cause far exceeds that of those lowly peasants. You whip the peasants to make them obedient and prevent them from rebelling, while you do whatever you want. Now, this good thing ends here, because I'm going to whip you too. From today onwards, be prepared."

That's all I wanted to say. You'll need to draft a new execution report. You don't have much time left.

The governor's expression shifted, and he subconsciously glanced behind him.

All the nobles' eyes were on him.

Sometimes, in a certain position, you can't just sit idly by.

He gritted his teeth. "Your Highness, we are willing to follow your arrangements and orders, but please leave Goth some semblance of decency, and please also consider Princess Tina's feelings. Some things cannot be brought to light, and Goth doesn't possess as many cruel tortures applicable to nobles!"

"Oh, really? Then think about it some more, and put your creativity to good use."

Kang De said, "If you really can't think of anything, I'll recommend a few Eastern punishments to you."

Then, the bracelet fell silent.

Henry glanced at the crowd and strode away.

After a brief silence, an even greater wave of panic and anger surged forth.

People jumped up, arms outstretched, shouting, questioning, yelling, hysterical. Only then did they realize that His Highness Kang De's stance was extremely strange; this blow was not only aimed at the traitors of the Distant Harbor, but even at the entire Goth aristocratic class—how dare he do this? How dare he do this?

This will not only provoke a strong backlash from Goth, but will also shake the entire aristocratic system of the continent and even the world, making them wary of him and hostile to him!

Amidst the clamor and the cacophony of arguments and shouts, in an inconspicuous corner, a middle-aged man in his fifties with graying hair grabbed the wrist of his son beside him.

The young man was dressed in an aristocratic suit, and his black hair was tied up in a bun.

"Father?"

"Silence! You wretched child, come with me!" the middle-aged man whispered. "Your destiny has arrived!"

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PS1: 7,000 words! It seems I've inexplicably gotten used to updating with higher word counts...

PS2: The update time is now barely keeping it before 2 PM... Let's keep moving forward.