Chapter 100

With Elara's permission, it didn't take long for the once empty registration site to be flooded with wave after wave of refugees.

Actually, the people she brought shouldn't be called refugees anymore. Along the way with Elara, they had already eaten well and stayed warm for days. The hopeless look in their eyes had faded, and their torn clothes were replaced with warm outfits that covered their bodies.

They now looked full of energy. Compared to the local citizens of Plumera Kingdom's Huayan County, it was the locals who looked more like refugees.

Seeing so many people coming to register for the exam, and a good number signing up for all three subjects, Elara finally felt a bit comforted after tossing and turning for most of the night before.

She didn't bring them all this way for nothing.

"Huh? Someone actually dared to register?"

"Who are these people? Aren't they afraid that violent new governor will kill them?"

In the corners of the streets, local citizens of Huayan County who were hiding behind doors and cracks in the walls peeked out. They couldn't help but gasp in surprise when they saw the sudden crowd lining up to register.

"They don't look like locals. Wait, wasn't that a slave just now? I saw a mark on his neck."

"I saw that too. More than one of them! Can slaves really register?"

"Is the new governor… telling the truth then?"

"Shhh! I've never heard of slaves being allowed to take the exams in my life! That governor is so ruthless. What if she brought these people just to put on a show? You better shut your mouth. If they hear you, you might get dragged out and beheaded!"

"But I recognized that man who just ran past. He used to be a scholar and studied for years. Half a year ago, he became a bandit in Lin City. Why is he here now? And daring to join the exam? Is our new governor a bandit in disguise?"

"Shut up! Don't talk nonsense! Didn't you hear the announcement yesterday? That group who entered the city was led by that girl in fancy clothes. Her status is not ordinary. She is the only princess of Plumera State! A few years ago, Huayan County was given to her as her territory. She's just returned now."

"What? She's that terrifying princess they say seduces men, scares children at night, and is cruel to the bone?"

No wonder she could kill off the whole governor's office on her first day here. Her methods really matched the scary rumors.

But what is this exam about? Is she openly recruiting handsome men for her own pleasure?

"Enough! You want to die or what? If you get beaten to death, you deserved it!"

The citizens, who had started peeking out, quickly pulled their heads back in. After hearing about Elara's name and title, they locked their doors tighter and hid even deeper in their homes.

Elara had no idea what was happening in those corners.

Because this was the first time such an exam was being held and time was tight, she let the Wei group handle everything.

Only the Wei group's style — efficient, precise, and without error — could prepare all the supplies for the exam overnight just as she requested.

Right now, it was also Wei agents managing the registration tables at every exam site. With them present, Elara had no worries at all.

The entire exam process would take at least two hours. Elara didn't plan to waste that time.

With the Wei group guarding the exam grounds, she didn't need to stay there. So she pulled Scholar Fu along and headed toward the prison in Plumera's capital to see if there were any wrongly accused talents like he mentioned.

In the dark, wet prison of Huayan County, a rotten stench filled the air.

Elara and Scholar Fu walked down the stairs. As soon as the prison guards saw them, they trembled and dropped to their knees, not daring to breathe loudly.

Elara had dealt with officials yesterday. These low-ranking guards hadn't been touched yet, but it didn't stop them from being terrified after seeing their superiors lose their heads.

Now, watching Elara and Scholar Fu, the prison warden who had already been shaking in fear all day rushed over, bowing and fawning with a hunched back.

"Your Highness, the dungeon is filthy and damp. Someone as noble as you shouldn't dirty your feet here. If you need anything, just tell me. I'll take care of it. No need for you to come personally…"

Elara looked at the warden's face, which was twisted into a fake smile. She didn't tell him to leave.

She only asked him to follow and explain who had been locked in which cell, what crimes they had committed, and where they were now.

Cold sweat ran down the warden's forehead. He had already found out who this fierce newcomer really was. Of course, he had heard the terrible reputation of the princess.

But he didn't expect someone so noble and fearsome to come to a filthy, cold prison. He had no idea what Elara was planning.

He didn't know what her purpose was in coming here, and he was terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing.

Elara didn't even need to turn around to know what the hesitant jailer behind her was struggling with. She glanced around while walking forward in a calm voice.

"When I ask you something, you answer honestly and completely. If you lie, hide anything, or add unnecessary details, I'll hang your head up there too."

The jailer's scheming thoughts were immediately scared out of him by her words. He thought of the row of heads displayed in the city center, his face turning pale with fear, and no longer dared to hesitate.

"This, this cell used to hold the former inspector. He noticed the refugees outside the city were too many and tried to get Lord Gao to open the gates and let them in. But Lord Gao refused, saying that as the inspector of Marigold County, he failed to prioritize the safety of the county, and labeled him as neglecting his duty before throwing him in prison. He was executed five days ago."

"This cell used to hold the former Ritual Official. Since the royal temple ceremonies were recently completed, he suggested reducing the collection of tribute grain and silver. But Lord Gao accused him of disrespecting the gods and threw him in jail. He was executed ten days ago."

"This one was the former royal attendant…"

As Elara listened, a trace of sarcasm began to show on her face.

Most of the prison cells were now empty, because those who had been imprisoned were already executed. The reasons for their executions varied, but they all had one thing in common. They hadn't truly committed crimes. They had simply offended Lord Gao or stood in the way of his greed.

Elara felt the urge to drag Lord Gao out and whip his corpse again.

The guard walking behind her hadn't noticed the shift in her expression and continued explaining who had been locked in each cell.

As they passed the corner of the dungeon, Elara suddenly heard loud banging sounds in the distance.

It sounded like someone was using a heavy stone to pound against the walls.

Elara looked at the guard. "What's that noise?"

The guard's face filled with panic, afraid that the noise would annoy this fearsome woman and get him killed.

"It's probably those animal slaves going crazy again. Don't worry, Your Highness. I'll take care of it right away…"

Before he could finish, Elara cut him off. "Not yet. Show me the ones who are still alive first."

The guard had to stop and turn back to lead the way. "Yes."

They walked past another corridor of cells and turned another corner. Finally, Elara saw people still alive inside.

The frightened jailer suddenly found a good reason to flatter her and quickly tried to please her.

"Your Highness, these people were supposed to be executed yesterday or today. Because you came here yesterday, they were spared for a moment. Now they're all waiting for your orders."

His flattering was done so naturally he didn't even stutter. It was clearly because Elara had executed Lord Gao without hesitation that they hadn't dared to act. Yet now he made it sound like her visit had granted mercy.

If there were ranks for flattery, this man had reached the peak.

Elara nodded casually and slowed her pace to walk past each cell. Most people inside were staring blankly, thin and withered.

They were still breathing, but they looked like they were already tortured to death in spirit.

The jailer, seeing Elara's nod, became more confident and worked harder to explain who each person was. He focused especially on some of the good-looking young men, clearly trying to appeal to her preferences.

Elara didn't care about that. After listening to his introductions, she found that most of these people were just like the ones already executed.

They weren't real criminals. They had offended Lord Gao and ended up here.

No wonder they all looked like lifeless husks and had no reaction to the sudden appearance of a woman like her.

Elara swept her gaze over their faces and kept walking deeper into the prison.

When she reached the last cell, a hoarse male voice suddenly came from inside.

"Who are you?"

Elara turned and saw a disheveled young man leaning lazily by the prison bed. He was holding a bowl of wine, and beside him were two empty jars.

She raised her eyebrows. This one was different from the others. He even had wine?

"How dare you, Su Ye! You still dare to…"

The jailer pulled out a whip to punish him, but Elara stopped him.

"Did I say you could move?"

Just one look from her made the jailer shrink like a paper tiger. He quickly put away the whip, bowed, and stepped back while explaining.

"Your Highness, he's the former deputy magistrate. Two years ago, he was the last ranked scholar in the Plumera imperial exams. But he offended someone important in Plumera City, so he was demoted to Marigold County."

"After arriving in Marigold, he shamelessly begged Lord Gao, swearing to serve him like a dog. Lord Gao gave him a position handling city affairs. At first he obeyed everything. But once he became deputy magistrate, he started to disobey orders in secret. He even embezzled from Lord Gao's private vault, nearly emptying both the lord's and the county's treasury."

"Your Highness, don't be fooled. This man is all sweet talk and lies. I don't even know which useless guard gave him that wine, but I'll deal with them soon!"

This man was actually quite interesting. And if he really was the last top scorer of the final Plumera exam, didn't that mean he had taken the same test as Scholar Fu? Maybe they even knew each other.

Elara turned to look at Scholar Fu, who was quietly following behind her. His expression didn't change, and he stayed silent.

Elara looked back at the prisoner. The man had put down the wine bowl but was now staring directly at Scholar Fu.

After a few seconds, a smile appeared on his face. He glanced between Elara and Scholar Fu, then poured himself another drink.

"So it's the Princess and Scholar Fu, what an honor. Forgive me for not greeting you properly."

Though he spoke politely, his body didn't move at all. Before Elara or Scholar Fu could reply, he drank the whole bowl and let out a satisfied sigh. Then he flopped back on the bed and looked like he was ready to sleep, as if he no longer cared about them.