Yang Qing turned the matter over and over in his mind. Apart from the path Jiangli had proposed, there truly was no other choice.
The common people now were no longer the ones they had encountered in Western Chu, Northern Liang, or the nations of the Western Regions.
Before this, the only reason Yang Qing and his companions had moved among the people like fish in water was that those people had regarded them as their heaven.
Indeed, Yang Qing and his companions had been able to accomplish things because they held power, and their words carried weight.
Now, however, quite apart from Yang Qing being a mere commoner, the people of those dozens of cities for hundreds of miles around already had a master to revere and serve: Emperor Zhetian.
Out of reverence for the legends of the Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom, and for Emperor Zhetian's legendary life, those people accepted his rule from the bottom of their hearts.
What was more, although they had not previously been under Emperor Zhetian's jurisdiction, now that they had become his subjects, they had all submitted as one.
Even if Emperor Zhetian had merely borrowed the identity of a descendant of the Eastern Splendor Royal Family, that alone was enough.
And so, seeing Yang Qing's thoughts drifting, Jiangli spoke up to remind him.
Yang Qing naturally understood what Jiangli was reminding him of.
After a long stretch of deliberation, he finally let out a sigh.
Jiangli was right. Even if he poured every ounce of his loyal heart into urging the people to beware of the natural disaster, few would likely believe him.
Not only would few believe him, but he would also draw the attention of the Eastern Splendor Royal Family.
If that truly happened, he would lose more than he