I, the heir of the great Eastern nation

[The People's Protection: As a member of the Han imperial family, you possess the power to bestow the title of 'People' as a form of protection.]

The sudden awakening of new abilities surprised Liu Zhao.

Then came a surge of joy.

common people?

It's important to know that the original meaning of this term is quite different from the "common people" that people in modern society refer to themselves as.

In ancient China, the term "common people" was always a synonym for the aristocratic class.

At that time, people who were not entitled to have a surname could only be called commoners or ordinary people.

With the changing times, it wasn't until the late Spring and Autumn Period that surnames gradually became common among ordinary people, which led to the later general term "common people".

According to the laws of the Kingdom of Austro, only those at the rank of Earl have the power to bestow noble titles upon commoners.

This is also why Liu Zhao initially wanted to obtain a title and territory.

Now, with the awakening of this new protective ability, he has completely eliminated his concerns in this regard.

Its power will grow in the near future!

This unexpected good news immediately lifted Liu Zhao's previously gloomy mood.

"The emergence of this new protective ability seems to be because my actions, in a way, align with Emperor Zhaolie's benevolent and people-oriented principles."

"Great, now I have another reason to keep going!"

The awakening and resonance of the protective ability made Liu Zhao's determination even stronger.

He looked at the last prisoner awaiting trial beside him—the head of the guard, Richard Nolan.

At this moment, Richard was on the verge of collapse after watching Webber and Will die in front of him. He kowtowed to Liu Zhao while crying out various words of pleas for mercy and repentance.

Liu Zhao ignored it.

"Guards! Bring Richard here!"

Upon receiving the order, the two guards closest to the front immediately shouted "Yes!"

They immediately carried Richard, who was slumped on the ground, to the center of the open space, one on each side, right next to the two still-warm corpses.

Richard had just knelt down when he accidentally bumped into Will's head, causing Will to let out a desperate scream. Richard kicked Will's head away and scrambled away from the spot.

But he was held down by two guards and could not move.

Seeing their usually aloof and superior captain of the guard in such a disheveled state, everyone present fell silent.

Then, just when everyone thought that Liu Zhao would execute Richard in the same way as he had executed the other two men before,

What Liu Zhao said was completely unexpected by everyone.

He said.

"Priest Brian, I need your help now."

Upon hearing this, Brian, who had been standing to the side without saying a word the entire time, immediately showed an expression of disbelief.

"Huh? Me?"

He pointed to himself, looking completely bewildered.

"My lord, what do you need me to do?"

Liu Zhao glanced at him with a smile.

"I have always revered the Holy Light Church, so I know that each of the priests of the Holy Light Church possesses a divine art that can detect lies, and at the same time, they bear the responsibility of judging evil and upholding justice."

"Like Weber just now, I also lack sufficient evidence for Richard's crimes."

Therefore, in order to give justice to the victims and to let the truth be revealed to the world, I cannot wrong any innocent person.

"By the God of Light, I wish to have you, the priest who is trusted and revered by all, assist me in this trial. Is that alright?"

Upon hearing this, Brian's expression froze instantly.

Richard, who had been in utter despair, now had a glimmer of hope rekindled in his eyes.

He stared wide-eyed at Brian, at the Holy Light priest who had received countless favors from him, frantically giving Brian meaningful glances.

"Save me, or you'll all be doomed!"

On one side was Liu Zhao's calm gaze, and on the other side was Richard's almost blunt threatening look.

Priest Brian's face turned pale, and he gritted his teeth.

"No, if I don't help him, and he exposes those things in front of so many people, I'll be completely finished!"

Moreover, although the new lord was powerful, he strictly followed the trial procedures for both of them before the trial. Will and Webber were killed only after being caught with solid evidence.

Richard was always cautious, and it was impossible for him to find decisive evidence in such a short time.

Furthermore, since this Baron Liu Zhao is said to be on good terms with the Holy Maiden of my Holy Light Church, and that he is only doing these things to seize power, he certainly wouldn't really offend all the local nobles, and he's even less willing to antagonize the Holy See over such a trivial matter.

More likely, he wants to use this incident to gain leverage over me, thereby securing my loyalty to help him better rule the territory. Therefore, as long as I remain adamant, there might still be a chance for things to turn around.

His mind raced for a moment.

Then, seemingly having made up his mind, he walked straight to Richard's side.

"My lord, I am willing to cooperate with you."

After he finished speaking, he subtly gave Richard a look.

Richard was overjoyed at the sight, but fearing he might reveal something, he immediately lowered his head again.

Seeing the two people's subtle movements, Liu Zhao's eyes flickered slightly, but his face remained expressionless.

At the same time, he did not say anything about continuing the trial.

Brian took a deep breath.

"My lord, I'm ready. May we begin?"

"Wait a minute."

Liu Zhao sat quietly in his chair, watching, making Richard and Brian feel uneasy and restless.

Finally, just as Brian was about to speak again, the sound of a carriage suddenly rang out.

"Your Highness, I'm back!"

A figure leaped down from the carriage and ran straight to Liu Zhao's side.

Everyone turned to look.

It was the York knight that Liu Zhao first sent out.

He was travel-worn and sweaty, but his expression was one of great excitement.

"Your Highness, I have fulfilled my mission and successfully completed the task you entrusted to me."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhao's eyes lit up. He looked in the direction of the carriage and saw a figure wearing a large cloak stepping out of the carriage.

"Very good, York, thank you for your hard work."

Liu Zhao laughed and patted the Knight of York on the shoulder.

Then, amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Liu Zhao turned around.

"Alright, there's no need to wait any longer. I hereby declare the trial to continue."

Liu Zhao looked at Richard in the audience and questioned him loudly.

"Richard, have you committed any illegal acts such as intentionally harming civilians or maliciously seeking personal gain?"

Richard responded loudly.

"My lord, I didn't do it!"

Liu Zhao looked at Brian.

"Priest Brian, is what he said true or false?"

Brian remained calm and composed.

"Sir, I can testify that what he said is true."

At this moment, with the personal testimony of this priest of the Holy Light Church, many of the angry civilians around him all showed expressions of fear and confusion.

In the hearts of these commoners, the Papacy held a position far superior to that of the nobility.

The deep-seated humility and absolute obedience to the Papacy made them unable to speak, even knowing that Brian's words were problematic. They could only stand there, staring at each other, speechless.

This reaction completely put Brian's initial anxiety at ease.

"This matter is settled!"

he thought.

However, the next second, just as Richard and Brian both showed joy, thinking that the matter should be over,

A clear, crisp female voice suddenly rang out.

"This is a lie!"

Everyone was taken aback and turned to look.

I want to see who dares to publicly refute a priest's judgment.

The next second, the man unhooked his hood, revealing his true face.

Brian, a high-ranking priest in the eyes of the villagers, was so terrified when he saw the title above the other person's head that he went limp and collapsed to the ground.

"Your Highness... Your Highness!"