Whistling arrows had only recently appeared in Great Kang. Neither the laws nor military regulations had made any provisions about them yet. It was a legal grey area.
In other words, as long as Meng Tianhai felt like it, he could fire one whenever he wanted, and no one could stop him.
Even though the eunuch knew something was off, he had no grounds to blame Meng Tianhai.
By then the city gate had already opened. Seeing the Ninth Princess enter the city, the eunuch could only suppress his unease and lead people down to greet her.
“This humble official pays respects to Your Highness!”
The eunuch did not perform the kneeling salute according to palace etiquette. He also did not refer to himself as “this slave” like in the palace. Instead he called himself “this humble official”.
This was his way of reminding the Ninth Princess that his current position was acting governor.
A governor was a high-ranking border official. By protocol, the Ninth Princess should dismount and return the courtesy.
Unfortunately, the Ninth Princess did not fall for the eunuch’s tricks at all. She remained on her warhorse and merely glanced down at him from above.
A flash of viciousness passed through the eunuch’s eyes, but he did not dare make things too difficult for the Ninth Princess. So he turned his anger on Jin Feng instead.
“Jin Feng, do you understand the rules? Escort masters are not allowed to carry blades into the city. Did you not know? Men, come here. Take all their blades and search them thoroughly!”
“Yes!”
The government troop captain immediately led his men forward.
Jin Feng narrowed his eyes slightly. Murderous intent had already risen in his heart.
If those government troops really dared to come and disarm him, he would definitely draw his blade and kill!
Unfortunately, the Ninth Princess did not give Jin Feng the chance to draw his blade. She coldly shouted, “How presumptuous! Mister Jin is this palace’s guard captain. These are all this palace’s personal guards!”
Then she looked at Da Liu. “Anyone who dares touch your blades is attempting to assassinate this palace. Kill without mercy!”
“Yes!”
Da Liu licked his lips and provocatively crooked his finger at the government troop captain. “Come on then!”
The other escort masters also gripped their blade hilts, ready for combat!
Although the escort masters were few in number, their momentum completely crushed the government troops.
The government troop captain was too frightened to advance. He turned back to look at the eunuch.
Only then did the eunuch remember that Jin Feng held the title of the Ninth Princess’s guard captain.
Seeing he could not make things difficult for Jin Feng, he could only wave the government troop captain back.
This kind of petty intimidation trick was beneath the Ninth Princess’s notice. She could not be bothered to waste too much time tangling with a eunuch.
Once the government troop captain had withdrawn to the side, she spoke up. “Where are Xu Fatty and the others? Call them all out.”
“Your Highness, what do you mean? This humble official does not understand.”
The eunuch pretended to be confused.
“If you do not understand, then forget it.”
The Ninth Princess could not be bothered to say more. She waved at Qin Ming. “Captain Qin, arrest him and take him aside. Wait until everyone is gathered, then question them together.”
“Your Highness, this humble one was personally appointed by His Majesty as an imperial envoy and acting governor of Xichuan. Your Highness has no right to arrest me!”
Seeing Qin Ming really leading people forward to seize him, the eunuch quickly took out the golden token from his waist. “This humble one has His Majesty’s personally bestowed golden token. Who dares touch me?”
Qin Ming stopped in his tracks upon seeing it.
An imperial token personally bestowed by the emperor represented the emperor himself to some extent.
Qin Ming truly did not dare touch him.
The Ninth Princess gave a cold snort and dismounted from her warhorse.
“Mister, lend me your blade for a moment.”
As she passed by Jin Feng, she unfastened the black blade from the warhorse.
“Your Highness, what do you intend to do?”
The eunuch retreated two steps in fright and raised the golden token again.
The Ninth Princess flexed her wrist, swung the scabbard with all her strength, and smashed it hard into the eunuch’s face!
Smack!
Two large teeth flew out of the eunuch’s mouth. The whole person was stunned by the blow.
He sat down hard on the ground, and the golden token in his hand fell to the side.
The Ninth Princess stepped forward, picked up the golden token, and casually tucked it into her pocket. “Alright, now you can arrest him!”
Jin Feng, Qin Ming, Qin’er…
Everyone was as stunned as the beaten eunuch, their faces full of disbelief.
They never imagined the Ninth Princess would directly snatch the imperial token, let alone that she would personally strike someone!
In truth, the Ninth Princess had no choice.
Except for her, no one present could touch the eunuch while he held the imperial token.
Otherwise it would be equivalent to slapping the emperor’s face. In serious terms, it would be rebellion.
Even for the Ninth Princess, this matter would be hard to explain to the emperor later.
“You… you actually dared to snatch the imperial token? And you dared to strike this humble one!”
The eunuch glared at the Ninth Princess. “Just wait. When this official returns to the capital, I will certainly seek justice before His Majesty!”
“Captain Qin, this palace does not want to hear his voice anymore!”
The Ninth Princess said coldly.
“Shut your mouth!”
Qin Ming kicked the eunuch squarely in the mouth.
He was wearing the special combat boots produced in West River Bay, with steel plates in the soles. One kick sent several more front teeth flying from the eunuch’s mouth.
His nose also collapsed completely. Clearly the bridge of his nose had been broken.
The eunuch was furious now. He roared at the government troop captain. “What are you all standing there for? Execute this madman who dares harm a court-appointed official on the spot!”
“I would like to see who dares!”
Da Liu directly drew his crossbow and aimed it at the government troop captain. “Make one move, and I will send you to meet your ancestors right now!”
The government troop captain was immediately too scared to move.
Everyone in Xichuan knew that the escort masters of Zhenyuan Escort Bureau were all killers. Da Liu, as Jin Feng’s personal guard leader, was among the most ruthless of them.
The captain had no doubt that Da Liu would really kill him.
Although the eunuch had promised him many benefits and guaranteed to take him back to the capital, he still needed to be alive to leave with the eunuch.
Since the captain did not take the lead, the other government troops hesitated as well.
Just as the two sides were in a standoff, Meng Tianhai rushed over with several hundred men.
The Weisheng Army had been scattered by the eunuch to various parts of the city walls. Several hundred-man squads happened to be on duty nearby. When they heard Meng Tianhai’s whistling arrow, they immediately hurried over.
“Protect Her Highness the Princess!”
Meng Tianhai shouted loudly. The several hundred Weisheng Army soldiers surrounded Jin Feng, the Ninth Princess, and their group in the centre.
The Weisheng Army was originally the most elite force under Qing Xinyao. Having been tempered in the Battle of Dashan Slope, several hundred of them with their backs against the city wall were enough to hold off a thousand government troops.
The government troops led by the captain numbered only a hundred. Being stared down by several hundred Weisheng Army soldiers, many of them were already trembling in their legs before any fighting even started.
“Throw down your blades and lie on the ground. Otherwise you will be considered as intending to assassinate Her Highness!”
Meng Tianhai roared at the government troops. “I will count to ten. Anyone not on the ground by then will be killed on the spot!”
But before he even started counting, as soon as his words fell, the government troops all threw down their blades and obediently lay on the ground.
Meng Tianhai sneered, then sent a squad to collect the government troops’ war blades.
“Alright, start arresting people!”
The Ninth Princess nodded at Meng Tianhai.
Meng Tianhai agreed, then took a single-tube firework from his saddlebag.
Whoosh! Bang!
The firework shot into the sky. Although it had no colour in daylight, the explosion echoed far and wide.
A moment later, another firework rose in Xichuan City, probably in response to Meng Tianhai.
“Mister, let us go. We head to the Qing residence. I estimate Xu Fatty and the others should have been captured and sent there by now.”
The Ninth Princess gave Jin Feng a slight smile, then urged her horse forward.
Jin Feng watched the Ninth Princess’s back and sighed with emotion. “She does not act lightly. But once she moves, she captures everyone in one go. Truly thunderous methods!”
Now that the people had been caught, the next question was whether the Ninth Princess dared to kill them!
