Dozens of Turkic soldiers were dragged out following Ji Zizhao's command.
Everyone knew what awaited them.
Faced with such a merciless Ji Zizhao, even Xie Jingqi was stunned, his heart pounding.
This Ji Zizhao was so fierce that one dared not look directly at her!
General Mu Man, suppressing his panic, forced himself to appear calm as he watched Ji Zizhao standing there, seemingly delicate but exuding an imposing aura and hidden murderous intent. He turned and left.
Soon, the miserable wails of the Turkic soldiers echoed through Luoyi City.
The citizens lining the streets, watching the Turkic soldiers being dragged past by fast horses, all cheered inwardly.
The soldiers of Yulin were filled with emotion, their respect for Princess Ronghe growing by three points.
The Turkic soldiers who had been swaggering in the morning now had to shrink back and behave.
Having previously roamed freely in Luoyi, they now had to detour when they saw Yulin soldiers.
It had to be said that Ji Zizhao's act of "killing the chicken to warn the monkey" had directly broken the last shred of morale of the Turkic army.
By the window of a private room on the third floor, Mu Shizhen watched the dejected Turkic soldiers, grinding his teeth in anger. "A bunch of useless things, they only dragged a few people to their deaths, why are they acting so subservient?"
General Mu Man's eyes darkened. "This incident, while seemingly just punishing those reckless soldiers, was actually Ji Zizhao's move to break our Turkic army's morale."
Ji Zizhao deliberately made this matter known throughout the city, precisely to show the Turkic soldiers that he, as a general, was now unable to protect his own subordinates.
What a formidable young lady, truly impossible to guard against!
"When things settle down a bit later, may I personally go and appease the Turkic soldiers?" Mu Shizhen furrowed his brows tightly.
General Mu Man waved his hand. "Before achieving great things, remember not to act rashly."
Wasn't today's incident also a show of force, a warning to him not to act rashly?
A soldier hurried in and whispered into General Mu Man's ear, "General, it's done."
General Mu Man waved his hand, a sinister smile curling his lips. "Even if Princess Ronghe wants to sow discord among the troops, it will be in vain, because soon, Luoyi will completely become Yulin's abandoned land."
That Ji family orphan indeed had some cunning, but she lost because she was too young.
And she lost even more because there were too many stumbling blocks in her way.
Ji Zizhao sat silently in the hall until Qingzhu and Lianju brought news that all the Turkic soldiers had been ground into mincemeat. Only then did she get up and head upstairs.
Xie Jingqi's heart pounded just hearing about it, but thinking he was in a good mood today, he couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.
"Ji Zizhao, tell me, wasn't I brave today? If I hadn't intervened, who knows how many doctors in the city would have died in vain, and how could our Yulin soldiers have entered Luoyi City so quickly..."
Xie Jingqi followed Ji Zizhao all the way to the fourth floor, expecting Ji Zizhao to praise him a few times. However, after wearing down his lips three layers, all he got was the sound of Ji Zizhao's heavy door closing.
Inside the room, it was cold and empty.
On the bed, Ji Zixiu's figure was nowhere to be seen.
But before Ji Zizhao could ponder further, the door behind her was kicked open.
Ji Zizhao turned around and saw Xie Jingqi with a dark and handsome face.
"Does Your Highness Seventh Prince have something else?"
Xie Jingqi, "..."
Don't think I can't tell you're trying to get rid of me.
"Ji Zizhao, is it that hard for you to admit I'm amazing? Think about how you used to lecture me, and I always accepted it humbly. Why are you so stingy with praise now? Truly, it's difficult to deal with petty men and women!"
Faced with Xie Jingqi's outburst, Ji Zizhao glanced at him indifferently. "What does Your Highness Seventh Prince want to hear?"
Xie Jingqi puffed out his chest. "Of course... heartfelt words."
"Does Your Highness Seventh Prince really want to hear them?"
"Of course!"
Everything he did was to gain some respect in front of Ji Zizhao.
Ji Zizhao nodded, finally looking directly at Xie Jingqi. "Your Highness Seventh Prince struck General Mu without understanding the situation, which was reckless. Allowing Yulin soldiers into the city was brainless. Now, instead of reflecting, you come to me bragging, which is utterly foolish."
Xie Jingqi, who had been cocking his ears, waiting for praise, was stunned by these harsh words.
"Wait a minute, wait... are you sure reckless, brainless, and utterly foolish are compliments?" Xie Jingqi may be uneducated, but he wasn't stupid, was he?
Ji Zizhao's expression remained unchanged. "Of course not."
Xie Jingqi's face soured. "Ji Zizhao, don't be too presumptuous. I am a prince, after all!"
Ji Zizhao had no intention of indulging him. "I am speaking heartfelt words. If Your Highness does not wish to hear them, you may leave directly."
Xie Jingqi, "..."
You insult me and still have a point?
"Ji Zizhao, don't think that just because you're a bit smarter than other women, you can boss me around. I am a prince, and what are you? Just a county princess sent by my father for a political marriage. To put it bluntly, you and the Ji family are just pawns for our Xie family!"
After Xie Jingqi roared, the room fell silent.
In fact, as soon as Xie Jingqi finished speaking, he knew he had gone too far.
"Ji Zizhao, I didn't really mean..." Xie Jingqi was about to look up and explain, but a slap to the face drove the words back down his throat.
"Slap—!"
Loud and crisp.
The Ji family was loyal to Yulin with all their heart, but that was the Ji family's loyalty, not a reason for the Yulin royalty to be complacent.
All the honor of the Ji family was not bestowed by the Yulin royalty; it was earned by the men of the Ji family with blood and lives.
She could be criticized in any way, for she did not possess the fanatical loyalty of the Ji family in her bones.
However, anyone who dared to slander the Ji family, even if it were the king of heaven, would have to lose a piece of flesh.
When Han Jingyu pushed open the door, he witnessed a scene that made his jaw drop.
Everyone in the imperial city knew that the Seventh Prince had grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Even the Emperor had never dared to strike him.
Just then, a eunuch attending the Second Prince came downstairs to fetch water and passed by the door expressionlessly.
Han Jingyu, "..."
Huh, why are you so calm?
The little eunuch was helpless.
It wasn't that he was calm; it was because he had personally witnessed how Princess Ronghe had beaten up the Second Prince. Seeing the Seventh Prince only slapped, he wasn't surprised at all.
The awkward atmosphere in the room continued.
Han Jingyu, standing at the door, wished he could disappear into the ground.
Ji Zizhao looked calmly at the Seventh Prince. "Eyes are meant for seeing the road. What is truly meant for seeing people should be the heart. If Your Highness needs others to guide you even in such small matters, I am willing to apologize to you now. It is I who overestimated Your Highness. I will accept any punishment Your Highness deems fit."
Xie Jingqi, "..."
You hit me and you're still right!
Xie Jingqi certainly would not admit to being a fool who couldn't even discern people, but he really couldn't bring himself to hit a woman, so he simply turned and left.
Out of sight, out of mind.