In this battle of reaping, the situation, which had been evenly matched, was instantly broken the moment Lou Panshun led his troops into the fray. Like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, they swallowed the landscape with an unstoppable force, driving the rebel forces into the valley. The rebels were utterly crushed, with no ability to resist.
The speed and decisiveness of this victory owed much to the sixty thousand soldiers Lou Panshun had brought with him.
Among these sixty thousand soldiers, more than half were heavy cavalry. They were fully armed, wearing dozens of kilograms of armor, with even their warhorses protected by iron armor that couldn’t be pierced by swords or cut by blades. They were like an indestructible wall, surrounding the cavalry archers and artillery soldiers in the center. They coordinated seamlessly, launching continuous attacks on the enemy while minimizing their own casualties.
This was an army that had been organized at great financial and material expense.
According to Lou Panshun, this was only a part of the troops from Tongzhou.
He claimed that if the entire Dayong faced an existential threat, Tongzhou would undoubtedly be the safest place, for it had the strongest soldiers and the finest horses in all of Dayong. Together, they formed an impregnable fortress.
In creating this fortress, there were always people providing them with supplies, funds, and even blueprints for military equipment.
This was terrifying. If Prince Ning decided to rebel, he would be unstoppable.
However, if Prince Ning didn’t rebel, this powerful army would undoubtedly become a thorn in the new emperor’s side, a death sentence for Tongzhou.
It was no wonder Huo Xian was so worried about Prince Ning’s situation.
Lou Panshun, stroking the iron armor on his warhorse, said, “Tongzhou is stronger, more troublesome, and harder to deal with than His Highness imagines. I can say that if His Highness had personally seen Tongzhou, he would never have spared Prince Ning’s life. But now, as he sits on the throne, any further moves to eliminate him would draw criticism. However, offering up sixty thousand troops this time shows their sincerity. Prince Ning is kind-hearted and does not wish to start a conflict. Keeping things peaceful is not a bad outcome.”
Ji Yuluo also looked at the majestic horse, silent for a moment, lost in thought. After a while, she asked, “Did Xiao Cheng really run away?”
Lou Panshun sneered coldly, “He was never in the enemy camp. The commander that night was his strategist, Mu Lei. This person is extremely cautious and always leaves himself an escape route. He must have sensed the situation turning bad and decided to cut his losses to save himself.”
Ji Yuluo frowned and asked, “What about Marquis Xuanping?”
Lou Panshun replied, “He injured his leg and hastily bandaged it. After less than two days of rest, he rushed back to the capital to report. In a few days, these tens of thousands of soldiers will also set out. Will you come with me?”
Ji Yuluo looked up at him, knowing that Lou Panshun was not asking about her but Huo Xian. When she had come over earlier, this old man had kept glancing behind her, disappointed at not seeing anyone.
But Huo Xian had been acting strangely when she left.
There was an unspoken, inexplicable tension between these two men.
Ji Yuluo thought for a moment and shook her head, “I plan to return to the capital first.”
The army moved too slowly. Traveling with them would mean many delays on the road. She was anxious about Zhao Yong’s life and the poison in Huo Xian’s body and didn’t want to wait another moment.
Although Lou Panshun didn’t know the reasons, he didn’t insist.
After speaking, Ji Yuluo took another walk around the military camp, seeing the iron-armored cavalry with her own eyes. She gained a clearer understanding of Huo Xian’s years of secret accumulation before bidding farewell to Lou Panshun.
At the end of autumn, the red withered and the green faded.
Outside the city, after a fierce battle, the desolation was even more apparent. As the carriage passed through, it seemed that the scent of blood from the mountains still lingered in the air.
It wasn’t until they reached the city gates that the atmosphere became more lively.
When the carriage stopped at the city gates, Ji Yuluo suddenly heard someone crying out. She remained unmoved until she heard a man’s voice mentioning the name “Cuixue Tower,” which prompted her to lift the curtain and look.
Not far away, outside a jade shop, the shopkeeper was struggling with a man. Although the man was dressed in common clothes, Ji Yuluo recognized the knife at his waist; it marked him as one of Zhou Baihu’s men. He held a piece of Hetian jade high above his head, forcing the shopkeeper to stand on tiptoe to reach it, crying and begging, only to be kicked far away.
The surrounding commoners pointed and whispered, and there were even constables present, but no one dared to step forward.
Seeing this, Ji Yuluo understood what had happened without needing to ask.
Cuixue Tower had joined forces with the court for the first time to suppress the rebels and had won a great victory. At this peak of their glory, it was inevitable that some would become arrogant and conceited. With ties to the new emperor, they were even more emboldened, bullying others and not even respecting the city guards, leading to repeated conflicts.
Because of this, the constables didn’t dare to intervene rashly.
The shopkeeper, kicked to the ground, clung to the man’s leg, crying out in misery, “This is a family heirloom, I can’t sell it! I’ve already given you many jade pieces a few days ago, but this one I really can’t part with!”
Seeing that his tears and pleas were in vain, the shopkeeper grew angry and said, “You are not soldiers, you are bandits, robbers! Do the men of Cuixue Tower really think they can rob people in broad daylight and disregard the law?”
“Hey, you’re right,” the man laughed heartily. “Do you know we chased and fought the rebels for days, risking our lives until reinforcements arrived? We joined forces to annihilate the rebels in the valley, sparing Shunde city from the horrors of war, allowing you to stand here and shout today. Moreover, we are the new emperor’s personal troops. Even if we enter the capital, the emperor will reward us. Taking your piece of jade is doing you a favor! Get out of the way!”
The shopkeeper was kicked down again, and the constables quickly came to help him but still didn’t dare to speak out, only looking troubled.
At this moment, someone among the onlookers shouted, “The prefect is coming! The prefect is here!”
Fang Kejin got off his sedan and approached.
But the man was not afraid. He pretended to bow respectfully, swinging the jade pendant by its string, acting like a complete rogue. Whatever he said made Fang Kejin wipe sweat from his forehead, his face looking extremely troubled.
The man continued, “The new emperor used to…”
“Clang!” A steel knife flew past his face, landing upright at his feet.
Ji Yuluo stepped out of the carriage and said coldly, “The new emperor is benevolent and has always instructed us to do good deeds and never to bully the people! But Prefect Fang also knows that those in power can’t control everyone. There are always black sheep who break the rules, don’t you think?”
Fang Kejin’s head throbbed, but having been an official for twenty years, he understood the implied meaning immediately. He nodded and said, “Yes, yes, black sheep cannot be compared with the former emperor.”
The man’s face turned pale, and his arrogance vanished instantly. The city had been busy with post-battle cleanup these past few days, and the main officials were nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t expected to be caught so red-handed.
Defying Ji Yuluo had severe consequences, as recently demonstrated. He intended to show weakness and beg for mercy, but before he could even utter “Miss Yuluo,” the arm holding the Hetian jade was torn off.
Blood splattered everywhere, and the onlookers retreated in shock.
The blood, still warm, splashed onto Fang Kejin’s face. He instinctively touched his face, saw the blood on his fingertips, and nearly fainted.
Ji Yuluo’s voice pulled him back to reality.
She spoke calmly, “In the future, if anyone acts like this again, Lord Fang, remember to handle it the same way. We cannot let troublemakers tarnish the new emperor’s reputation and thus fail to honor his grace.”
Supported by others, Fang Kejin could only nod repeatedly, unable to speak.
Ji Yuluo turned around and saw Zhou Baihu rushing over from a distance.
Zhou Baihu, panting, looked at his subordinate, who was screaming with a missing arm, and then glanced around, clearly feeling humiliated.
Before he could question her, Ji Yuluo spoke first, “I gave you time to handle this, but since you couldn’t take decisive action, I had to step in.”
Her hands were still stained with blood, and she couldn’t clean them with a cloth. As she spoke, the cloth became redder, but her expression remained indifferent.
Zhou Baihu was at a loss for words, thinking she truly deserved the personal training from Xie Subai—swift and ruthless.
Feeling indignant, he said, “Our master has ascended the throne. Are we supposed to cower and act meekly instead of enjoying our rewards? Damn it, the court is even more restrictive than the jianghu!”
Ji Yuluo replied, “No one is stopping you from enjoying your rewards, but if you flaunt it in public, how can you blame others for breaking your bowl? You were never allowed to be ostentatious before. Why should it change now that our master is on the throne?”
“I—”
“What?” Ji Yuluo grew increasingly agitated as she couldn’t clean the blood off her hands. “You still have the nature of a bandit and hope to join the army under Marquis Xuanping? I can’t bring myself to ask the master for such a favor on your behalf.”
Zhou Baihu was stunned, “How did you know I was thinking that?”
Ji Yuluo glanced at him sideways but said nothing. She lifted the curtain and got into the carriage.
Unexpectedly, Huo Xian was sitting inside.
It was unclear how long he had been there or how much he had seen.
Their eyes met, and Ji Yuluo paused slightly before sitting down as if nothing had happened. However, for some reason, she instinctively wanted to hide her bloodstained hand. “Why are you here?”
Huo Xian replied, “I figured you’d be returning, so I came to pick you up.”
He glanced at Ji Yuluo’s hand and took it directly, saying, “Why are you hiding it? I’ve seen more blood than you’ve drunk water. Do you think you can scare me?”
As he spoke, he used a damp cloth to wipe the blood away.
Ji Yuluo remained silent, her demeanor slow and measured.
Upon returning to the residence, Huo Xian fetched water for her. Once Ji Yuluo had washed her hands, he suddenly raised his eyes and said, “Are you worried that if I see you like this, I’ll regret it and run away? Miss Yuluo, isn’t it a bit late for such concerns?”
Ji Yuluo calmly flicked water into his face. As she dried her hands, she looked at him and said, “If you dare run, I’ll—”
It wasn’t appropriate to threaten to remove another arm.
She paused for a moment, her expression softening, and said, “I’ll break your legs and tie you up in the house, so you won’t be able to go anywhere.”
She smiled faintly, her tone half-serious, but Huo Xian could see the sincerity in her eyes.
This person’s words were always tough. Even in moments of intimacy, she wouldn’t utter a single endearment, but she would scratch and bite, and every bit of force told Huo Xian that he was important.
Huo Xian laughed, suddenly leaning close to her and saying, word by word, “What should I do? I’m so scared.”
He continued, “Why don’t you tie me up right now, so I can’t go anywhere and stay with you day and night?”
Ji Yuluo’s ears turned red.
She threw the towel she was using to dry her hands at Huo Xian’s face and said coolly, “Huo Zhe’an, you should drink some cold tea to cool down.”
