All eyes turned towards Ji Zizhao.
The envoys from Han Jingyu and Yu Lin watched with concealed but palpable worry.
Now that the Turks held evidence, and the Second Prince was clearly willing to betray Princess Ronghe to save himself, if the matter were to be rigorously investigated according to the Turks' wishes, Princess Ronghe might even lose her life!
Ji Zizhao’s heart pounded like a drum as she watched Mu Shizhen’s raised arm. If this matter truly went according to the Turks' desires, given their ambition and appetite, could her life alone satisfy them? At that point, the imperial court might sacrifice the entire Ji family to appease the Turks' wrath and predicament!
Ji Zizhao subtly rotated her wrist, forcing herself to steady her breath. Although her second sister's silver hairpin being left here was outside her original plan, Ji Zizhao had been prepared for a fight to the death from the very beginning. No matter how this matter festered and spread, it would ultimately lead to a dispute between the two countries. Therefore, the so-called evidence was key. Ji Zizhao looked at Mu Shizhen, who was approaching, and narrowed her eyes slightly. Perhaps she wasn't entirely without a chance...
"Little General of the Turks, might I have a look at the silver hairpin?" Steadying her nerves, Ji Zizhao seized the opportunity, stepping forward to block General Mu Man and politely extending her hand to Mu Shizhen.
Mu Shizhen, of course, did not comply. "This is evidence of a crime; it cannot be handed over to Princess Ronghe of Yu Lin."
Ji Zizhao stood her ground, showing no intention of backing down. "Then may I ask, who does this evidence point to?"
A hint of impatience flickered in Mu Shizhen's eyes. However, remembering the retribution Yu Lin was about to suffer, he curled his lips in extreme disdain. "It naturally points to the Yu Lin villain!"
"Since it implicates my Yu Lin, why are you, Little General of the Turks, being so secretive in front of us Yu Lin people? Is it because you, Little General Mu, are not confident in the evidence you hold, or is it that this evidence is merely a fabricated charge the Turks wish to impose upon Yu Lin to exert pressure?"
Ji Zizhao's words were quite to the point. If it was evidence solely against Yu Lin, why were they afraid to show it to the Yu Lin people? However, the Yu Lin envoys, who already knew whose hairpin it was, were far from gleeful. Even if they could delay it for a while, how could they delay it forever?
"You..." Mu Shizhen was enraged, showing signs of raising his fist. At the same moment, the Seventh Prince's hand, adorned with a bone ring, gripped Mu Shizhen's wrist. Xie Jingqi’s brows were dark, and his handsome face was shrouded in a dangerous aura, as if a storm was brewing. Though he hadn't spoken a word, the pressure of his grip was steadily increasing. Mu Shizhen’s face paled from the pain, and he couldn't break free. He frowned and looked at the Seventh Prince of Yu Lin, only to find that the prince was not only holding one of his arms but also staring intently at his other arm. In such a terrifying scene, how could Mu Shizhen not be afraid? His leg still ached from the kick earlier, and now the prince wanted to cripple both his arms?
However, Xie Jingqi, completely oblivious to Mu Shizhen's escalating fear, was contemplating a different scenario. Even if Xie Jingqi understood little about court politics, he knew that the silver hairpin in Mu Shizhen's hand was currently the key. He genuinely wanted to break Mu Shizhen's arm, but his true aim was to destroy the evidence along with it. Therefore, forgive him, but his arm was merely an accidental casualty.
Ji Zizhao, who understood the Seventh Prince's ulterior motives, could only sigh.
If killing a prince were not a crime, this imbecilic Seventh Prince would have been the first to die by her hand.
"We in Yu Lin have a saying: even in death, one must die with understanding. With the Turks acting so secretively, how do you expect us Yu Lin people to meekly confess? Do you, Little General of the Turks, think we Yu Lin people look like fools?" This statement hit Mu Shizhen right where he wanted it. Ever since the peace talks began, Ji Zizhao had been a thorn in the Turks' side, causing them no end of trouble. Yu Lin, as a result, had even managed to gain the upper hand against them! What Mu Shizhen wanted most now was for these Yu Lin people who opposed the Turks to suffer a terrible fate, thereby making an example of them and preventing Yu Lin from ever daring to act so presumptuously in front of the Turks again.
"Since you in Yu Lin are so eager to die, why should I stop you?" Mu Shizhen said, handing over the silver hairpin in his hand. Xie Jingqi instinctively moved to snatch it and destroy it, but Ji Zizhao preemptively blocked his restless hand.
General Mu Man, standing not far away, felt a pang of unease. Given Princess Ronghe of Yu Lin's cunning, it was unlikely she would truly confess meekly. There was likely a trick involved. But by the time General Mu Man wanted to speak up and stop them, it was too late. Ji Zizhao raised the silver hairpin before her and examined it closely.
Xie Jingqi wished he could just knock the woman beside him unconscious to vent his anger. Such a golden opportunity, and she wouldn't let him destroy the evidence? Was she truly waiting to die? Han Jingyu and the other Yu Lin envoys were also perplexed by Princess Ronghe's unconventional behavior. With irrefutable evidence, what good would her eloquent speeches do? However, looking at Princess Ronghe, she didn't seem scared at all. All eyes, once again, fell upon Ji Zizhao.
General Mu Man, unwilling to let Ji Zizhao handle the evidence for too long, spoke first. "Princess Ronghe of Yu Lin has been holding onto important evidence for too long without returning it to our Turks. Is she perhaps trying to destroy the evidence?" Everyone else listened intently. They were truly curious as to how Princess Ronghe intended to extricate herself from this perilous situation.
Amidst the silence, Ji Zizhao smiled faintly. "General Mu Man, perhaps you have delirium. From beginning to end, the Little General of the Turks has simply mistaken something. What evidence are we even talking about?"
Han Jingyu: "..."
Yu Lin envoys: "..."
If they hadn't collapsed on the spot, it was only because of their good physical condition. They had expected Princess Ronghe to offer some earth-shattering defense, but this? Such a weak and uninspired statement, even a three-year-old child couldn't utter it...
General Mu Man's lips curved slightly, taking Ji Zizhao's words as the desperate struggles of someone cornered. "Princess Ronghe of Yu Lin certainly has a sense of humor..." But before General Mu Man could finish speaking, he saw Mu Shizhen's expression change drastically. At the same time, even the Seventh Prince standing beside Ji Zizhao was stunned, his handsome face frozen in shock.
On top of the city gate, under the blazing flames, Ji Zizhao slowly raised her hand. But what was held between her fingertips was no longer a silver hairpin? It was a rust-eaten, heavily corroded twig!
The Turk envoys were bewildered.
The Yu Lin envoys were also bewildered.
The Second Prince, who had wanted to use this to send Ji Zizhao to her death, was even more bewildered.
What was... what was going on? Was it a ghost?