On the main northern street of Xichuan City, Jin Feng and the Ninth Princess rode side by side, followed by the escort masters and the Weisheng Army.
As they advanced, more Weisheng Army units kept rushing over to join them.
Hearing the commotion outside, the common people hid behind their doors and peeked out.
Because of the disaster, Xichuan City had already been shrouded in gloom. Meng Tianhai’s sudden closure of the city gates had made everyone even more anxious and fearful.
On the second floor of a tavern, a group of scholars looked out at the street from the windows.
“There are so many soldiers outside. It cannot really be that the plateau people are attacking again, can it?”
Seeing a hundred-man squad of the Weisheng Army emerge from an alley, weapons in hand, rushing towards the main street, one scholar frowned and said.
Tubo was located on a high plateau, so many common people referred to the Tubo people as plateau people.
“There is already famine, and now war. How are we supposed to live like this!”
“With Mister Jin and the Ninth Princess here, the plateau people coming would just be sending themselves to death!”
“Mister Jin and the Ninth Princess left Xichuan long ago. The Zhenyuan Army from Dashan Slope has all withdrawn! And I heard Lord Qing has also been stripped of his position. Now a eunuch is in charge of Xichuan!”
“Is that true or false?”
“Of course it is true. If you do not believe me, go look at the governor’s mansion!”
“No wonder the plateau people dare to come. The one in charge has been replaced by a eunuch. Is the court just messing around?”
“If the court were not messing around, why would they recall Mister Jin and Her Highness the Ninth Princess at a time like this!”
“Yes, I heard that the Zhou family outside the city received help from Mister Jin and built several workshops. Many disaster victims relied on working for Mister Jin to support their families. Now those have stopped too. The disaster victims have no work again and are surviving only on relief from the Zhou family.”
“I really admire Young Master Zhou. If I were in his situation, I would have gone mad. Yet Young Master Zhou now lives with even more openness than before.”
“Young Master Zhou also met a benefactor. Without Mister Jin, he definitely could not have held on.”
“Look over there, so many people are coming, and they are carrying the black flag of Zhenyuan Escort Bureau!”
“Has Zhenyuan Escort Bureau not withdrawn? Why are so many escort masters appearing again?”
“Quick, look! Aren’t the ones in front Mister Jin and Her Highness the Ninth Princess?”
“It really is them!”
“Wonderful! Mister Jin and Her Highness have come. Xichuan City is saved!”
“Quick, let’s go down and see!”
…
Not just this group of scholars. Once the common people learned that Jin Feng and the Ninth Princess had entered the city, they rushed out of their homes and poured onto the streets.
Very soon the main avenue was packed so tightly with people that not even water could flow through.
Meng Tianhai quickly organised the Weisheng Army to clear a path ahead.
Da Liu also directed the escort masters to surround Jin Feng and the Ninth Princess in the centre.
Bei Qianxun, Qin’er, and Zhu’er vigilantly scanned the surroundings, ready to act at any moment.
There was no choice. There were simply too many people and the scene was too chaotic. If someone mixed in with the crowd and shot an arrow at Jin Feng or the Ninth Princess, it would be a disaster.
Fortunately, although the people were excited, they had no intention of causing trouble and remained quite cooperative.
At the entrance to the Qing residence, the “unconscious” Qing Xinyao was now standing perfectly fine by the roadside.
Seeing the Ninth Princess and Jin Feng approach, he quickly led Qing Mulan forward to greet them.
“Wuyang, sir, you have finally returned!”
After the formal greetings, Qing Mulan ran up, grabbed the Ninth Princess’s arm, and said excitedly, “If you had come even a few days later, I would have suffocated to death!”
Not only had the eunuch taken Qing Xinyao’s position, he had also placed the entire Qing family under house arrest.
Qing Mulan had not left the courtyard for a very long time.
Fortunately, she had been beaten with military rods by Jin Feng earlier, and only recently fully recovered. Otherwise, with her temperament, she would have long since taken people and fought her way out.
“Sister Mulan, slow down!” the Ninth Princess asked. “Is your injury healed?”
“Healed! A few days ago I started riding horses in the courtyard again!”
“Good that it is healed.”
The Ninth Princess nodded, then turned to Qing Xinyao. “Have Xu Fatty and the others been captured?”
Qing Xinyao was just about to answer when he saw a squad of soldiers marching over, escorting the powerful figures.
These soldiers were trusted confidants cultivated by Qing Xinyao. They showed no courtesy to the powerful figures. Anyone who walked too slowly on the way was pushed and shoved.
These powerful figures had all lived lives of luxury and privilege. When had they ever suffered such humiliation?
Seeing the Ninth Princess, Fatty Xu was the first to speak up aggressively. “Your Highness, we did not know you had come to Xichuan and failed to greet you at the city gate. That was our fault. But what you have done is too much. To detain us without reason?”
“Without reason?”
The Ninth Princess sneered. “At this point, do you still think you are innocent? You should know this palace’s temperament. If there were no ironclad evidence, do you think this palace would act?”
“What ironclad evidence? I do not know what Your Highness is talking about!”
The powerful figures were not easily frightened. Fatty Xu naturally would not admit anything.
“No matter. We can wait a little longer then. This palace wants to see how long your mouths can stay so hard.”
The Ninth Princess could not be bothered with them. She turned and walked into the Qing residence.
“Escort them inside!”
Qing Xinyao shouted to the soldiers.
“Qing Xinyao, you had better think carefully!”
Fatty Xu did not dare argue with the Ninth Princess, but he had no fear of Qing Xinyao. He sneered. “Release me now, pour me a cup of tea, apologise, and this matter ends here! Otherwise, when the eunuch arrives later, just wait for your death!”
“Eunuch?”
Qing Xinyao sneered coldly. He ignored Fatty Xu as well and followed the Ninth Princess into the residence.
“Qing Xinyao, just you wait! Do not think that with Princess Wuyang here you can act lawlessly. When the eunuch comes, see how I deal with you…”
Fatty Xu jumped up and down, cursing from behind.
But before he could finish cursing, he fell silent.
The eunuch he had been mentioning was now being pushed and shoved forward by Weisheng Army soldiers.
And he looked far more miserable than they did.
Although they had been shoved a few times on the road, they still wore fine clothes and looked somewhat presentable.
The eunuch, however, was covered in dust and dirt. Both cheeks were swollen high, his nose was still bleeding, dripping all over the ground.
“Eunuch, how did you end up like this?”
Fatty Xu was shocked.
The other powerful figures also turned solemn.
When Qing Xinyao’s men had found them earlier, although they were surprised, they had not panicked.
They did not believe Qing Xinyao dared to touch them.
Even after seeing the Ninth Princess later, they had remained convinced of that.
Because each of them represented their own family. Even as an imperial princess, the Ninth Princess would not dare to tear face with so many families at once.
But now, they could no longer be so confident.
The eunuch had been personally appointed by the emperor and carried the emperor’s personally bestowed golden token.
Even so, he had been beaten into a pig’s head.
The only one who dared to act was the Ninth Princess. It could not be anyone else!
If the Ninth Princess dared to strike even the eunuch, would she care about them?
“Could it be that the Ninth Princess has obtained the imperial decree?”
The Xie family member frowned and asked.
“Even with the imperial decree, she cannot beat an imperial envoy!”
The goatee’s face became extremely ugly. “The Ninth Princess must have been pushed to the limit. She is preparing to go all in!”
“Go all in? What do you mean?”
Fatty Xu stared wide-eyed and asked. “She is a princess. She cannot possibly rebel together with Qing Xinyao and Jin Feng, can she?”
