"General Jing's handling of his subordinates was lax. He offended the Imperial Princess, so he shall be whipped one hundred times, and the rest fifty times, as a warning. What are the Imperial Princess's wishes?" Yao Ran thought, intending to placate Xiao Man first and then have her go to the palace. Whether they would be beaten or not, or how much, was ultimately up to those in power.
"Granted."
When Yao Ran saw Xiao Man sitting still, calmly awaiting the punishment, she realized how naive she had been. If Xiao Man were that easily fooled, she wouldn't be Xiao Man. However, she still wanted to try her best.
"Imperial Princess, His Majesty is already waiting. Please let them handle the punishment, and we shall proceed to the palace," Yao Ran suggested.
Xiao Man glanced at Yao Ran indifferently. "No rush. We've waited this long, I'm sure His Majesty won't mind waiting a little longer. Prime Minister Yao, please order the punishment to be carried out quickly. If we delay any further, His Majesty will have to wait even longer."
Yao Ran forced a bitter smile and had no choice but to order the executioners forward. General Jing tried to resist but was immobilized by acupoint restraint, kneeling on the ground unable to move. Her eyes glared fiercely at Xiao Man, as if she wanted to devour her alive.
"I do not like her eyes," Xiao Man said blandly. "Prime Minister Yao, if she continues to glare at me like this, gouge her eyes out."
Jing Yu Jun never imagined that Xiao Man would be so cruel. Simply because she glared at her, she wanted to gouge out her eyes. It seemed the rumors were wrong; this Xiao Man was not just arrogant and overbearing, but also brutally inhumane!
Jing Yu Jun averted her gaze and looked at the ground. The vine whip struck her back, causing intense pain, yet she bit her lip tightly, remaining silent. Sweat beaded on her forehead and trickled down, drop by drop. Even though her gums bled from biting down, she refused to show weakness.
Xiao Man observed Jing Yu Jun's demeanor. From her initial arrogance to her current stubborn silence, she did not seem like a mindless individual. Why would she rush out to be the first to face trouble? Was she driven mad by the death of her young daughter at her hands? No, that wasn't right. If she truly loved her daughter, how could she let her daughter engage in such dangerous activities? This person could not be underestimated.
Yao Ran secretly glanced at Xiao Man, seeing her watching everyone with a smile that was not quite a smile. For a moment, she couldn't fathom the temperament of this new mistress. She was truly more difficult to deal with than the Empress Dowager. Yao Ran could at least guess the Empress Dowager's moods to some extent, but Xiao Man's actions were driven purely by her whims, and no one knew what she would do next.
"Imperial Princess, it's about time. Should we proceed to the palace?" Yao Ran inquired.
"No rush," Xiao Man replied calmly. "After this general finishes her punishment, we will enter the palace together."
Yao Ran thought to herself, not only did she beat her, but she also wanted to drag her into the palace to lodge a complaint? Such petty behavior!
"Why are you looking at me like that, Prime Minister Yao? Do you think I am wrong?"
Yao Ran plastered on a smile. "How could the Imperial Princess be wrong? Only others would be wrong."
"You know that's good," Xiao Man said softly. On this journey, anyone who had attempted to assassinate her had not been spared. So many had died, yet these people were still restless. Then she would make them understand that even though she had no maternal clan power in Blue Moon, no one could bully her!
Jing Yu Jun endured one hundred lashes. Her clothes were soaked with blood, her face ashen, and she was swaying precariously. Xiao Man beckoned, and two guards stepped forward, supporting Jing Yu Jun. The procession then slowly moved towards the Imperial Palace.
The onlookers, seeing the carriages depart, began to whisper amongst themselves. "Who is this person? She has such great ability to dare to punish General Jing in the street."
"Didn't you see Prime Minister Yao acting subservient to her? She must be some sort of princess."
"You're so ignorant," a woman said, arms crossed smugly. "This is no mere princess. She is true royal blood, a genuine direct descendant, the orphaned daughter of Empress Yue Xian. If nothing unexpected happens, the position of Imperial Princess will undoubtedly be hers."
"She is the daughter of Empress Yue Xian?" Empress Yue Xian had considerable prestige in Blue Moon, with many supporters among the populace. "Is she still alive?"
"I heard she was sent to her biological father by Empress Yue Xian's hidden guards."
"Who exactly is her biological father?" The public's gossip interest was piqued. The outside world had always speculated about the identity of Empress Yue Xian's consort, but Empress Yue Xian had kept a tight lip, never revealing any information about her consort, and to this day, they still did not know who Empress Yue Xian's consort was.
"I heard it was General Xiao Zhen of Yu Sheng. The Imperial Princess was raised by him, but this man was unfortunately killed a while ago."
A silence fell over the crowd, perhaps due to Xiao Zhen's death, or perhaps due to Xiao Man's tumultuous background.
When the carriage reached the palace gate, the guards on duty saw that Prime Minister Yao was leading the way, and General Jing was being supported in a bloody, unconscious state. For a moment, they didn't know whether to stop them or let them pass.
"Greetings, Prime Minister Yao. This is..."
"Open the gate. This is the Imperial Princess's carriage."
The guards exchanged bewildered glances. Whispers had been circulating outside that Prime Minister Yao had gone to welcome the Imperial Princess. They had initially thought it was a jest, but now it seemed Prime Minister Yao had indeed gone to welcome the Imperial Princess.
The guards immediately opened the palace gates, allowing the group to enter. Xiao Man sat in the carriage, having not shown herself at all.
Wen Mohan poured a cup of tea and handed it to Xiao Man. "Arriving in Blue Moon and already displaying such sharp edges will likely attract widespread animosity."
Xiao Man accepted the tea. "From the moment I stepped into Blue Moon, I became a thorn in everyone's side, a splinter in their flesh. Since that is the case, I cannot appear weak, or those people will think I am easily bullied and will constantly find ways to trouble me. If I want to live comfortably, I must make them behave."
Although Wen Mohan did not approve of Xiao Man's overly ostentatious methods, she had to admit that it was an excellent strategy. Jing Yu Jun was a top general of Blue Moon, holding high rank and military power. Even she, facing Xiao Man, was punished. This would make others hesitate before making a move. It was indeed an effective method to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.
"Man'er, is the Empress of Blue Moon truly ill?"
"Partially true, partially false," Xiao Man said slowly. "She is likely ill, but not as severely as the rumors suggest."
"Then what does she intend to do by bringing you back this time?" Wen Mohan was somewhat perplexed. Xiao Man was the orphaned daughter of Empress Yue Xian, and the current Empress had murdered Empress Yue Xian and usurped the throne. To then grandly bring back the orphaned daughter of Empress Yue Xian to Blue Moon seemed like ill intent.
"What she intends to do, one can guess without even thinking. It's nothing more than a check and balance. As an emperor, the most important thing is balance. Seeing the ministers causing such a commotion, the situation in Blue Moon must not be optimistic. She can no longer fully control it, so she needs someone to attract everyone's attention. And the position of Imperial Princess is the best bait. I am a living target in Blue Moon. It seems the Empress of Blue Moon hates me."