Seemingly satisfied with everyone's reaction, the elderly man in splendid robes smiled faintly and said at an unhurried pace, "They were arrested during the march. Getting them out directly is impossible.
Mistakes come at a price. Whatever the reason, participating in a protest march means opposing the Legation Quarter, and punishment is inevitable.
But not everyone needs to lose their head. Other than the organizers, planners, and those directly involved, who cannot escape punishment, the rest were merely accomplices—guilty, but not deserving of death.
This case involves far too many people, and the international community is watching closely. The Legation Quarter will establish an International Court for the trial.
Before the trial is over, all we can do is make some arrangements to ensure they have an easier time inside. What can be worked on is where they serve their sentences after the trial.
The victims in the embassy case were Russians, so the place of imprisonment will most likely be the Far East or Siberia. Both are hellholes of ice and snow—once you go, you basically never return.
What we can do is choose them a better place. Once the heat dies down, we'll find a way to get them out."
Hearing this answer, everyone wore expressions of astonishment. Getting someone out before trial and getting them out after trial were two completely different concepts.
With the former, it could be treated as though nothing had happened. They could keep a low profile for a while after coming out, and the matter would pass; with the latter, it would become an eternal political stain.
In a country like the Far Eastern Empire, where foreigners were feared like tigers, the government would never dare employ a hothead who had run with the Japanese and then stood against the great powers.