Qing Zhu entered and said, "Miss, they say they are here on the Fourth Prince's orders to be tested by you."
Upon hearing this, Ji Zi Zhao realized that the Seventh Prince's stay at the参将署 was not going smoothly.
It made sense, of course. It would be strange if the Seventh Prince could remain quiet in the presence of the Fifth Prince.
However, regardless of the reason, the Seventh Prince naturally needed escorts. Since she was now on the same boat as the Seventh Prince, she had to do her part when the Fourth Prince sent people over.
Ji Zi Zhao glanced out the window again before saying, "Call Lian Ju too. Watch them closely, just make sure no one dies."
Qing Zhu nodded and turned to leave.
Soon, Lian Ju stood in the courtyard with Qing Zhu.
Liang Xiu and Sun Li felt a little guilty looking at the two young women opposite them. However, as soon as the fight actually began, Liang Xiu and Sun Li were no longer guilty but physically weak.
Were these two girls too formidable!
Qing Zhu excelled at fierce attacks, while Lian Ju preferred surprise assaults. With their coordinated efforts, Liang Xiu and Sun Li couldn't be said to be constantly retreating, but they certainly weren't gaining any advantage.
The most crucial point was that these two girls seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy.
In the blink of an eye, the sun was almost up, and those who should be attacking were still attacking, and those who should be ambushing were still ambushing.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Sun Li and Liang Xiu were beaten to the point of questioning their own existence!
Finally, when Lian Ju and Qing Zhu stopped fighting, Liang Xiu and Sun Li thought they could finally catch their breath. To their surprise, the maids brought them water that was also poisoned.
If it weren't for their sharp minds and quick reflexes, they would likely have been lying dead on the spot by now.
Ji Zi Zhao, having woken up and had a good sleep, listened to Qing Zhu and Lian Ju's report and nodded with satisfaction.
As guards by a prince's side, they not only needed exceptional martial arts skills but also the ability to discern matters. Now that she had chosen to stand with them, she certainly didn't want anything to happen to either the Seventh Prince or the Fourth Prince.
Only if these two lived stably could the Ji family stand even firmer.
Seeing the sky outside growing brighter, Ji Zi Zhao picked up her brush and wrote a letter to the Fourth Prince. She then handed it to Qing Zhu, saying, "Have those two deliver this letter to the Fourth Prince."
When Sun Li and Liang Xiu heard that they could finally leave, they almost wept with relief.
A quarter of an hour later, Xie Jing Lan, having finished his breakfast, was reading Ji Zi Zhao's personal letter.
Seeing her handwriting was like seeing the person herself. Ji Zi Zhao's calligraphy was unlike the graceful and flowing style of other women. Instead, her brushstrokes were steady and sharp, with a hidden edge. Although the letter contained sincere evaluations of Liang Xiu and Sun Li, Xie Jing Lan could clearly discern the underlying complaints and warnings hidden within the ink.
Ji Zi Zhao stood with him, but she was not his subordinate.
Naturally, she didn't need to obey his every command.
Xie Jing Lan detected the tension in the letter, but he didn't mind.
Regardless of what she said, she had ultimately helped him.
Just after the hour of Chen, Xie Jing Qi arrived.
Liang Xiu and Sun Li, who were standing in the courtyard, would have clung to the Seventh Prince's legs if they could have at that moment. Now they finally understood why the Seventh Prince had looked so glum yesterday.
The eldest daughter of the Ji family...
She was truly a more terrifying existence than a ghost!
Seeing their dejected state, Xie Jing Qi felt incredibly pleased.
Indeed, Ji Zi Zhao's torment knew no discrimination. Seeing Liang Xiu and Sun Li looking as if they wished they had never met Ji Zi Zhao, Xie Jing Qi felt that Ji Zi Zhao had actually shown him mercy back in Luoyi.
However, despite his inner joy, he couldn't show it on his face.
Xie Jing Qi looked at them in silence for a while before saying with great sympathy and understanding, "Actually, being tormented by Ji Zi Zhao... you'll get used to it after a while."
Just like him, wasn't he now much more at ease when facing Ji Zi Zhao?
Sun Li, "..."
Liang Xiu, "..."
Your Highness, how could you say such a demoralizing thing?
However, no matter what, the outcome was good.
Sun Li and Liang Xiu had felt in Luoyi that although the Seventh Prince had a bad temper, he had good character. Now, serving such a master felt like a complete fulfillment.
As for Xie Jing Qi, he immediately took Sun Li and Liang Xiu to the参将署 that very day.
But Xie Jing Qi, who had intended to show off and regain some ground, fell into Xie Jing Zhou's soft trap once again.
Xie Jing Qi was not foolish. When he realized that numbers were not the issue, then the problem must lie with people's hearts.
Just for the matter of the guards, he had not only troubled his fourth brother but also alarmed Ji Zi Zhao.
His fourth brother was understandable; after all, brothers were bound by blood.
But Ji Zi Zhao was not so easily appeased...
If he were to trouble Ji Zi Zhao again because of his own affairs, Xie Jing Qi not only feared where he would hide his face but also dreaded the merciless ways Ji Zi Zhao could torment him.
After much painful reflection, Xie Jing Qi decided to think and solve the problem himself.
A salted fish might lose face, but it had to save its life.
A few days later, Ji Zi Zhao received a message from the Fourth Prince's messenger.
Upon learning that the Seventh Prince had finally started to face his problems himself, she couldn't help but marvel again at how the Fourth Prince, that cunning fox, was wicked to the bone.
No wonder he had sent Liang Xiu and Sun Li to report to her. The examination was likely secondary; the primary purpose was to deter the Seventh Prince.
This would force the Seventh Prince to learn to solve problems on his own.
"Miss, a letter from Luoyi County Town," Qing Zhu walked in, carrying the scent of sunshine.
Ji Zi Zhao took the letter. Chen Gang briefly reported that everyone was safe and then mentioned that the first batch of medicinal herbs from the herb fields had all been harvested.
A good harvest was indeed a good thing, especially at this juncture.
By now, the medical clinics and pharmacies in Luoyi County Town had been completely purchased from the imperial court by the Four Great Medical Halls. The Fourth Prince had also mentioned in his message that Tonglin was unstable and the possibility of war was extremely high.
War not only required provisions and military pay but also a large investment in medicinal herbs. If they could seize this opportunity to send the harvested herbs from Luoyi County Town into the army, it would undoubtedly attract the Emperor's attention.
Only when the Emperor recognized the achievements in Luoyi would medical ventures be expanded to other regions.
However, how to get the medicinal herbs from Luoyi County Town into the army required careful planning.
Ji Zi Zhao immediately picked up her brush to reply, instructing Chen Gang to have Ji Zi Bi escort the harvested medicinal herbs from Luoyi County Town back to the main city as quickly as possible, ideally before the Imperial Academy's examination. This way, all subsequent plans would fall into place smoothly.
After writing the letter, Ji Zi Zhao saw that the weather was nice and intended to deliver it herself. However, before she could get up, Shui Ling blocked her path.
"The sun is strong outside, Miss. It's best you don't go out."