What bad luck. On top of that, Her Majesty flew into such a rage that none of them dared to speak.
"Yes!" In the heavy and silent atmosphere of the court, only Kristof could still laugh.
Elara's handling of those corrupt officials filled him with deep satisfaction and even a stirring sense of excitement.
Kristof lifted his handsome pale face. While everyone else held their breath, he straightened his robe and smiled as he bowed cheerfully to Elara.
"Your Majesty is wise. Kristof accepts your command. I also thank you on behalf of the people of Xunding City. This kind of handling will show the people that Your Majesty is serious about dealing with corruption. It shows that our new laws are not a joke. This can calm the people and ease their anger, restoring peace in Xunding City."
Kristof had once passed the final round of the imperial exam under the Plumera Kingdom, but because he disliked corruption and had the odd habit of "dividing the wealth," he was framed and imprisoned by people like Lord Gregory.
Now that he saw Elara hand down the harshest punishment without hesitation, fulfilling everything she had once promised, he couldn't help but feel stirred. The corners of his lips lifted openly, showing his joy.
Elara glanced at him, then turned to Francis. "Francis, send three thousand elite soldiers to Kristof. When the officials from the Ministry of Justice escort the criminals to Xunding City for execution, have them protect the journey. As for the rebel forces in Xunding City, don't touch them for now. Wait until the criminals are paraded through the streets and executed one by one, then open the granaries and distribute all the confiscated goods and food for relief."
"If the rebels disband on their own after that, then let it go. But if anyone dares to stir up more trouble or try to incite anger in the city again, use those three thousand soldiers to take them all down and punish them according to the law."
"Yes!" Francis raised his hand and accepted the order.
"Also, send a medical team along. They need to treat the severely injured and those sick due to lack of supplies."
Oswyn nodded. Behind him, Assistant Kian and Assistant Di bowed in agreement.
Once all these arrangements were made, Elara finally looked at Hu Chen, who had collapsed unconscious. Her face remained cold.
"As for Hu Chen... Kristof, go ahead and execute him later. Hang his corpse in the center street of the North District. Leave it on display for a month first."
Plumera City had no walls dividing its four districts. They were all connected and equally developed. There were no longer areas for commoners or slave kilns.
But for administrative convenience, most ministers and government offices were based in the North District.
The central street of the North District was the main road all officials used daily to reach the government office and attend court.
By hanging Hu Chen's body there, every official would be forced to see his miserable end every day. It was a warning for anyone who dared commit corruption in her reign.
"Yes!" Kristof bowed again. He gestured, and several officials from the Ministry of Justice stepped forward to drag Hu Chen away for execution.
With that matter settled, Elara had no mood to continue the court session. But before leaving, she returned to her seat and gave a special reward to Kristof and all the Ministry of Justice officials involved in the case.
"Kristof, you and the rest of the Ministry of Justice have done excellently this time. Though I already rewarded you earlier for your diligence these past three months, I now grant an additional reward of one hundred taels of gold, ten bolts of silk, three thousand taels of silver, and ten refined iron weapons."
"Take these rewards back to the Ministry of Justice. Distribute them according to each person's official rank and how much effort everyone in your ministry put into this difficult investigation."
For the Plumera Kingdom to maintain long-term stability, she needed someone like Kristof to always be by her side.
Kristof was smart enough, skilled enough, and cunning like a fox. He wasn't afraid to offend others and had a strange habit of "splitting wealth evenly."
Someone like him, who feared neither heaven nor earth and stuck firmly to his own principles, was exactly who Elara needed beside her.
Only with him constantly supervising and cleaning out the corrupt pests in the court could she feel at ease expanding her conquests outside. Only then could the Plumera Kingdom develop smoothly and comfortably without breeding too many parasites.
The smile on Kristof's face grew even wider, and he couldn't hide it. His long, deep eyes sparkled as he looked at Elara, and the bow he made was more proper than before.
"Yes! We, the officials of the Ministry of Justice, thank Your Majesty for the reward!"
All the officials behind Kristof also looked excited, their eyes bright, as they knelt with him to thank Elara.
After the court session ended, Elara didn't let Kristof leave right away. She kept him back alone and waited until he came close before speaking to him in a low voice:
"The reason I kept those old ministers back then was mainly because there was no one else to use. But now, the second nationwide examination is approaching. The Plumera Kingdom has gradually gained the trust of the people and the talents. From now on, the number of people taking the exams will definitely increase. We no longer have to worry about empty positions in the court, so for now, have someone keep an eye on those old ministers."
"If anyone among them voluntarily returns the extra salary they took from Lord Gregory within three days, no matter how much they return, as long as they give back what they can, don't touch them for now."
"But if they don't return a single coin or still dare to make any strange moves, once the second exam ends, make them get off their seats in court!"