The atmosphere became tense.
"Alright, all of you, stand down!"
Yu Chengxuan waved his folding fan gently, ordering the guards to retreat.
"Your Highness…"
The Great Li general wanted to say something, but Yu Chengxuan tilted his head slightly. His gaze swept across, and the general abruptly stopped speaking. Cold hairs prickled his back. The hand gripping his saber tightened, and he retreated without another word.
Nan Shiying patted Xuan Yi's shoulder. Xuan Yi, understanding the signal, sheathed his long sword. He took a step back, standing beside Nan Shiying.
"Brother Feng, if you are free, would you care for a drink with me?" Even with blood on his boots and standing beside corpses, Yu Chengxuan's demeanor remained as gentle as jade.
Nan Shiying gestured for Yu Chengxuan to look around. Given the current messy scene, did she look like she was free?
"In the current situation, I truly cannot leave. I can only offer my apologies to the Prince."
"Understandable, understandable!"
Yu Chengxuan did not insist. He glanced at the page who had fallen to the ground after being pierced through the chest. He took out a stack of banknotes from his怀 and handed them to Nan Shiying, expressing his regret. "That page suffered a disaster he shouldn't have. These are my small compensation for his family. I hope Brother Feng can help me deliver this token of my regard."
He knew the coachman driving today would die, so he used the people of Lin Yuan?
Nan Shiying looked at his face, which was full of a warm smile, and suddenly felt an urge to punch him. She reached out, took the banknotes from his hand, counted them, and said with slight surprise, "Five hundred taels? Seventh Prince, you are truly generous. I thank you for your magnanimity on behalf of the coachman's family!"
The word "generous" was emphasized heavily. Nan Shiying did not want to consider what was more important to the common people: a life or these five hundred taels.
When starving corpses littered the fields, a few steamed buns could buy a life!
Yu Chengxuan sighed, his face full of pity. "Ultimately, I implicated him… Alright, I won't disturb you any longer. Brother Feng, if you have time, feel free to visit me at the post station for a drink."
"Okay! I certainly will!"
After watching Yu Chengxuan leave, Xuan Yi stepped forward to ask, "Your Highness, how involved is he in this matter?"
"How involved?"
Nan Shiying raised an eyebrow. It was hard to say exactly how involved he was, but if she said he wasn't involved at all, she would absolutely not believe it!
"He's always involved somehow!"
If it weren't for his appearance, how could the black-clothed man who wanted to rescue Yin Si Lan have escaped?
As Nan Shiying finished speaking, she looked around and nodded at Xuan Yi, "Alright, go and notify the City Patrol to come out and clean up!"
"Let's wait for Xuan Wu and the others to return before I go!" He was uneasy leaving the Princess alone here.
"Then take me back to the manor first!" Nan Shiying turned and got into the carriage.
"Yes!"
Xuan Yi answered, got into the carriage to drive, and after escorting Nan Shiying back to the manor, he turned back.
…
The blood on her face had dried. There was no water prepared in the carriage, so Nan Shiying returned to her residence, Xingyuan Pavilion, without going to find Ji Jinmo directly.
"Your Highness, what happened to you?"
Lu Wan exclaimed, quickly stepping forward to take Nan Shiying's hand. She examined her from head to toe, left and right, and only after confirming that the blood did not belong to Nan Shiying did she let out a long sigh of relief.
She had Bai Zhi prepare warm water. Nan Shiying took the damp towel and meticulously wiped the blood from her face, then changed out of her blood-stained clothes before heading to the study.
"Your Highness~"
Thirteen looked at Nan Shiying and then glanced towards the study. Nan Shiying raised an eyebrow slightly and suddenly heard the sound of something, perhaps a vase or an inkstone, being smashed to the ground within the study.
Nan Shiying pushed the door open and glanced at Xuan Yi, who was kneeling on the ground, and then at the inkstone shattered into pieces.
The fragments of the inkstone had cut Xuan Yi's face. Blood trickled down his cheek and then dripped onto the floor from his jaw. Hearing the sound of the door opening, Xuan Yi still did not dare to turn his head.
Nan Shiying remained silent for a second, then stepped over the broken inkstone towards Ji Jinmo.
Ji Jinmo looked at Nan Shiying, his dark phoenix eyes seeming to hold a surging storm. The anger he was forcefully suppressing had reddened his eyelids, adding a touch of devilishness to his sharp and cold features.
"My Lord~"
"Thirteen, take Xuan Yi away and give him thirty heavy blows." Ji Jinmo did not look at Nan Shiying but ordered Thirteen to supervise, taking Xuan Yi to the study door and administering heavy punishment.
"Yes!"
Thirteen entered the study and, without any hesitation, pulled Xuan Yi up.
"Wait a moment!"
Nan Shiying called out to Thirteen and reached out to grasp Ji Jinmo's arm.
Ji Jinmo stared directly at Thirteen, not turning his head to look at Nan Shiying. Nan Shiying reached out, cupped Ji Jinmo's face with both hands, and turned his head, forcing him to look at her.
"I was wrong!"
Nan Shiying bowed slightly, her eyes looking directly into Ji Jinmo's, and apologized sincerely, "It was my mistake to make a decision without consulting you. However, Xuan Yi was merely following orders. Isn't the primary duty of a hidden guard to unconditionally obey all the master's commands?"
"My Lord, you've forgotten, Xuan Yi is now my personal guard!"
"So I cannot punish him, is that right?"
Nan Shiying shook her head and said earnestly, "You can, because you are my husband."
Ji Jinmo pursed his lips, his anger instantly vanishing. He desperately controlled the joy within him, trying his best to maintain indifference in his eyes.
However, the effect was not significant.
"My Lord, fine him one month's salary as a small warning!"
Ji Jinmo's face was stern, and he refused.
"Then beat him ten planks. My Lord, I still have things for him to do!" Nan Shiying proposed a new solution.
Ji Jinmo pursed his lips, his mouth turned down, and after a moment of silence, he waved his hand at Thirteen. Thirteen understood – alright, the Lord had compromised!
After Xuan Yi knelt to express his gratitude, Thirteen took Xuan Yi away and thoughtfully closed the door. He ordered someone to bring a long bench and summoned Jia Huan – to carry out the punishment, ten planks!
…
The sound of the planks hitting flesh was heard from outside the door. Nan Shiying heard no cry from Xuan Yi. She touched her chin – was Thirteen letting him off too easily? Or was Xuan Yi's acting too poor, not even letting out a sound?
Outside the door, as the planks landed heavily, blood began to seep from Xuan Yi's body!