The old General Zhong was filled with emotion, his aura seemingly returning to its former glory.
The morale of the army, which had been scattered and indifferent due to the people's apathy, was reignited.
Xie Jingqi, still stunned by Ji Zizhao's words, watched as she walked towards him.
Xie Jingqi, "..."
What was she doing?
Han Jingyu couldn't help but gloat at the sight of the Seventh Prince acting like he was facing a formidable enemy.
Only the eldest daughter of the Ji family could possibly instill such terror in the Imperial City's bully, the Seventh Prince.
Ji Zizhao, under the watchful eyes of the public, could not do anything. She merely approached Xie Jingqi a few steps, whispered a sentence, and then turned to leave.
After all, they were on a military expedition, and there was no time for prolonged delays.
Cao Yan, clad in armor, rode up to Ji Zixiu's horse, his eyes full of envy. "Although the eldest daughter of the Ji family had a good relationship with the Seventh Prince in Luoyi, it's not appropriate to whisper like this in front of everyone. But it would be perfectly fine if it were with me."
Ji Xixiu, "..."
You're more suited to eating shit!
A sharp rap on the head from Ji Xixiu nearly brought tears to Cao Yan's eyes. As his vision blurred with tears, he suddenly saw a figure gallop past, heading straight for the old General Zhong.
Upon closer inspection, it was the Seventh Prince?!
Everyone was startled by the Seventh Prince's sudden and impulsive action.
Why did he suddenly lose control?
Xie Jingqi paid no mind to the onlookers. He tightened the reins and stopped his horse in front of the old General Zhong, reaching for his waist. When he withdrew his hand, his well-defined fingers held a spirit tablet!
The crowd looked closer and saw that the spirit tablet bore the name of the old General Zhong.
Han Jingyu's eyes welled up instantly, his hand gripping the reins trembling uncontrollably.
They were all people who walked on the razor's edge. How could they not understand?
The old General Zhong had no intention of returning alive!
The soldiers present, seeing the spirit tablet held by the Seventh Prince, were all moved to tears.
How could one who was willing to lay down his life for his country, and another who was willing to die to reclaim lost territory, not be respected!
Faced with the red-rimmed eyes of the crowd, the old General Zhong smiled calmly. "At my age, I'm not what I used to be. If I were to die in Tonglin, which belongs to Yulin, I would have no regrets."
"Crack!"
A crisp sound was heard as the Seventh Prince broke the old General Zhong's spirit tablet in half.
All the soldiers were stunned.
The old General Zhong roared in anger, "I beg His Highness the Seventh Prince to exercise self-restraint!"
Xie Jingqi looked at the broken spirit tablet in his hand, showing no guilt. "If Ji Zizhao hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known you old man had this plan. Old man, I'm telling you, I'm no less skilled than you on the battlefield, so you better keep your eyes wide open and watch how I crush you into dust."
With that, he casually tossed the spirit tablet away.
Han Jingyu, "..."
Ji Xixiu, "..."
The soldiers, "..."
The sorrow they had just felt vanished in an instant.
With such a carefree Seventh Prince, how could they possibly remain sad?
Although the old General Zhong's eyes were still wide, a subtle curve formed at the corner of his lips.
He knew the Seventh Prince wasn't as wicked as he seemed. It turned out the Ji girl had seen something.
Thinking about it, he owed that girl another favor.
Hiding in the nearby woods, Zhong Xinyi and Zhong Shaowen watched the scene unfold, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Especially Zhong Xinyi. The thought of the person who broke her grandfather's spirit tablet being her future husband made her lose all hope for her future.
Zhong Shaowen truly hadn't expected Ji Zizhao to come to see them off, nor had he expected her to say what she did, even to dissuade his grandfather from his obsession with death.
Thinking back to how Ji Renran had subtly insinuated Ji Zizhao's troublesome nature just days ago, he couldn't even be bothered to think about it anymore.
Look at Ji Zizhao's dignified and steady demeanor, and then look at Ji Renran's petty nature...
There was no comparison.
So, why dwell on it?
"When you have time later, you should invite the eldest daughter of the Ji family to visit more often," Zhong Shaowen suggested, showing his willingness to admit his mistakes.
Zhong Xinyi couldn't help but chuckle. "Who was it before that stubbornly looked down on Ji Zizhao?"
Zhong Shaowen, "..."
I was blind before, alright!
Zhong Xinyi smiled and linked her arm through her brother's, saying magnanimously, "It's okay, it's like none of us were blind before. As long as we repent and reform, we can still be upright heroes!"
Ji Zizhao, who was on her way back to the city by carriage, was unaware of the commotion that ensued after her departure.
As members of military families, the old General Zhong and the men of the Ji family shared a similar aura.
That kind of unwavering loyalty and heroic spirit resembled her grandfather, father, and uncles.
At the time, Ji Zizhao had been unable to keep the men of the Ji family, a regret in her life.
Therefore, she truly hoped the old General Zhong would return safely.
The carriage ahead suddenly stopped.
Ji Zizhao reached out and braced herself against the carriage wall, managing to steady herself.
Lifting the curtain, she saw that her carriage had collided with an oncoming one.
At the same time, the person in the opposite carriage also lifted the curtain.
Upon seeing the Fifth Prince's face, Ji Zizhao felt a wave of revulsion.
Xie Jingzhou, upon seeing Ji Zizhao, was clearly delighted. He hastily got out of his carriage and stood by Ji Zizhao's carriage window, smiling obsequiously. "Zizhao, I never expected to run into you here."
It was a bustling street at this time, and the Fifth Prince's voice drew many curious onlookers.
Hearing his voice, Ji Zizhao knew the Fifth Prince had ulterior motives.
To be so ostentatious on the street was clearly intended to attract attention.
She suspected that even this so-called accident was likely orchestrated.
Xie Jingzhou, seeing Ji Zizhao's lack of response, said with a hint of grievance, "I know that after the divorce, Zizhao, you've been avoiding me. In truth, it wasn't my intention to hurt you. If Zizhao has time, I'm willing to explain everything to you personally."
With the Empress Dowager's funeral, Ji Zizhao had completely fallen out with the Fifth Prince.
His current words, ostensibly to explain himself to Ji Zizhao, could be seen as normal.
However, he deliberately spoke vaguely, causing the surrounding populace to speculate.
The common folk were unaware of the reasons for the Fifth Prince and Ji Zizhao's divorce. Seeing the Fifth Prince appear so pitiable, coupled with his usual demeanor of being timid and cowardly, naturally led them to believe that perhaps there were hidden circumstances surrounding the divorce.
After all, royal marriages involved many factors, and at the time, Ji Zizhao's status was indeed not befitting of the Fifth Prince.
Therefore, both the Emperor and Noble Consort Xi had reasons to facilitate their divorce.
Seeing the sympathetic glances from the crowd, a cold glint flashed in Xie Jingzhou's eyes.
However, outwardly, he still appeared tearful and pathetic, and he reached out to lift the carriage curtain.
Fu Bao, who was arguing with the Fifth Prince's coachman, turned pale at this sight.
Having served the Second Prince, he understood the Fifth Prince's true nature and the reasons for his lady's aversion to him.
Therefore, he knew without a doubt that his lady would not react favorably to the Fifth Prince's entanglement.
But what was the Fifth Prince trying to do?
If the surrounding populace were to witness his lady's cold demeanor, they would surely deem her cruel and heartless.
At that point, wouldn't the citizens of the Imperial City drown his lady with their gossip?!