Fortunately, the Seventh Prince left quickly, otherwise Han Jingyu would have been unable to resist clapping his hands in joy.
Who in the imperial city didn't know that the Seventh Prince cared most about his face? Admitting defeat was something one would never expect from the Seventh Prince.
Therefore, even the Emperor was helpless in the face of the Seventh Prince who insisted on getting his way.
But it was different when Princess Ronghe made her move.
Not only did she strike directly at the Seventh Prince's face, but she also pointed out the core of his problem, leaving the Seventh Prince enraged yet unable to vent his anger. He had to return and reflect on his mistakes.
It had to be said that Princess Ronghe had truly got a tight hold on the Seventh Prince.
After a moment of reflection, the sound of the Seventh Prince's footsteps completely faded. Han Jingyu quickly entered the room and said softly, "A report just came from the army, stating that the second daughter of the Ji family has returned to the army."
Ji Zizhao had already understood when she entered the room and didn't see her second sister.
Her second sister, though seemingly rash, was not careless.
She was probably guilty of revealing the plan at the city gate and now, unwilling to burden others because of herself, had voluntarily returned to the military camp.
Han Jingyu thought for a moment and then said, "Please rest assured, Princess Ronghe, I will definitely send people to take good care of her."
Ji Zizhao, however, said, "There's no need. Since she is a soldier of the army, she requires no special treatment."
Han Jingyu was taken aback. "Does Princess Ronghe think that the Turks designed this plan for the Yu Lin soldiers to enter the city because they haven't given up on retrieving the Ji family's remains from before?"
Although the soldiers who had seen Ji Zixiu and Qingzhu were all dead.
The fact that Ji Zixiu was injured had already been leaked to the Turks.
Now that the gates of Luoyi City were wide open, it meant that the fish had been cast to lure the Yu Lin soldiers.
After all, the camp was dull and boring, and no one wanted to stay there all the time.
Turkic soldiers could take the opportunity to cause trouble for Yu Lin soldiers within Luoyi City, thereby probing for those who were seriously injured.
Of course, even if Ji Zixiu hid in the military camp, the Turkic soldiers wouldn't be afraid.
In this way, as long as the Turks investigated carefully, they would definitely be able to discover Ji Zixiu's guilty conscience.
Ji Zizhao proactively poured two cups of tea and invited Han Jingyu to sit down. "The Turks hanging the Ji family's remains on the city walls was a way to show Yu Lin who was in charge. If General Mu Man truly wanted to bring the Ji family's remains back to the Turks to claim credit from the Khan, why would he have hung them in such an obvious place?"
No one would place something they treasured like a jewel out in the open as bait.
Furthermore, now that a peace agreement had been signed, even if the Turks managed to track down the second sister, what difference would it make? It wouldn't change the current outcome.
Han Jingyu politely accepted the teacup and after a pause, said again, "Princess Ronghe believes that General Mu Man's calculations are more profound?"
Ji Zizhao rubbed her teacup. "Please ask Lieutenant General Han to secretly send soldiers to protect the common people of Luoyi."
General Mu Man would have to be mad to openly attack the Yu Lin royal family.
And since the royal family was ruled out, the only remaining targets were the common people of Luoyi City.
Han Jingyu pondered it over and felt that Princess Ronghe's words held truth.
After leaving the restaurant, he called his trusted subordinates among the new recruits.
This naturally included Ji Zixiu, who had just returned to the army.
"You few will divide into ten teams. Each hundred people will form a team and secretly protect the citizens within the city. If you discover anything unusual in the city, report to me immediately." Su Dan Novel Network
"Your subordinate obeys the order!"
Over a hundred new recruits knelt before Han Jingyu to receive their orders.
Han Jingyu gave a few more instructions, and only then did they take their leave.
However, upon seeing Ji Zixiu walking behind, Han Jingyu couldn't help but call out, "Ji Zixiu."
Ji Zixiu turned around upon hearing the command. "Present."
Although Han Jingyu was reluctant to pry too much into others' family affairs, since Ji Zixiu was under his command, she was his soldier. Even if Princess Ronghe didn't intend to give her any special treatment, he couldn't simply ignore her. "If you encounter any inconvenience, report it to me promptly, or perhaps you would like to stay at the restaurant for a few more days?"
Ji Zixiu frowned and asked, "Is this my elder sister's wish?"
Han Jingyu sighed. "Princess Ronghe did not give you any special treatment, but..."
He had been contemplating how to avoid hurting the young girl's feelings when he saw Ji Zixiu's face light up with a happy smile.
Han Jingyu, "..."
Was being ignored so blissful?
"Reporting to Lieutenant General Han, your subordinate requires no special care. If Lieutenant General has no further instructions, your subordinate will take leave." Ji Zixiu was genuinely happy, and even as she left, her small face was adorned with a sweet smile.
She hadn't expected her elder sister to be the one who understood her best.
Ji Zixiu, who walked out of the tent, touched her injured arm and felt that the wound didn't hurt as much anymore.
Han Jingyu watched Ji Zixiu's retreating back, as if she had found a treasure, and after a long while, he suddenly understood.
The Ji family bloodline was strong and unyielding.
Looking at the men of the Ji family throughout history, which one was not iron-boned and unyielding?
It was only because Ji Zixiu was a woman that he had overlooked the Ji family's inherent strength.
So, Princess Ronghe was not indifferent, but rather too understanding.
She knew exactly what her sister liked and what she cared about, and thus acted in accordance with her wishes.
Such sisterly affection even moved Han Jingyu.
Han Jingyu was truly impressed.
In terms of schemes and composure, in terms of foresight and magnanimity, not only were there no young ladies in the imperial city who could compare to her, but even if all the young ladies in the imperial city were added together, they probably wouldn't match up to Princess Ronghe.
What a pity...
That such a person was a woman.
He could only hope that the Seventh Prince would understand Princess Ronghe's good intentions.
Xie Jingqi, the foremost dandy of the imperial city, didn't understand, nor could he understand.
What was even more infuriating was that facing the prime culprit, Ji Zizhao, Xie Jingqi couldn't bring himself to hate her no matter what.
Of course, even if he couldn't hate her, Xie Jingqi had no intention of bowing his head. He even moved his meals into his own room and stayed indoors all day, waiting for Ji Zizhao to come and apologize herself.
Ji Zizhao disdained such childish behavior from the Seventh Prince and acted as if she couldn't see it.
One day, after Ji Zizhao had finished washing up, she heard a Turkic soldier report.
He said that General Mu Man had decided to return to the Turks and would pack his belongings in the next few days, departing three days later.
After Ji Zizhao saw the messenger soldier leave, she immediately instructed Lian Ju, "Go quickly into the city and inquire about Chen Gang's whereabouts."
Lian Ju nodded, walked to the window, and leaped out.
"Dong dong dong... Dong dong dong..." A dull thud sounded out of nowhere.
The sound was so loud that the entire room seemed to tremble.
The people in the restaurant were all startled. Had the sky fallen or the earth collapsed?
Qing Zhu quickly went out to check and returned a moment later. "It's His Highness the Seventh Prince practicing martial arts in his room. I heard he's been cooped up for too long and is stretching his muscles."
Ji Zizhao, "..."
Oh, this was to make her hear the commotion.
Someone was probably impatient and wanted to go out, waiting for her to give him an excuse.
In the restaurant, the earth-shattering sounds continued, but Ji Zizhao was carefully sorting medicinal herbs.
Seeing that her lady had no intention of going out, Qing Zhu said no more.
Not long after, Lian Ju jumped back through the window and whispered to Ji Zizhao, "Your subordinate has found the traces of Chen Gang and the others."
Ji Zizhao paused her hand as she sorted the herbs. "Pack a few things, and tonight, you will take the remains of the Ji family men and leave Luoyi for the imperial city."