"As far as I know, Madam Ji, the second wife of the Ji family, has found out that the second daughter of the Ji family secretly joined the army. I also heard that Madam Ji, the second wife, seems to have been overcome with despair. It would be best for the second daughter of the Ji family to go back and see her. Otherwise, if they are truly separated forever, it might be too late to regret it."
Princess Yun An cursed the Ji family in her heart, wondering if they were all dead, that no one had come to deliver news. In the end, she, herself, had to show her face to these brutes.
This military camp stinks to death!
Upon hearing this, Ji Zixiu was utterly bewildered.
"You, what did you say?"
"Is what I said not clear enough?" Princess Yun An certainly would not let anyone block her brother's path.
However, she did not have much patience, so after a pause, she continued, "Ji Zixiu, your mother took poison and committed suicide for you, yet you stand here making a fool of yourself. If I were you, I would have followed my mother to the afterlife long ago!"
The surrounding new recruits, upon hearing this, looked at Ji Zixiu with contempt and disgust.
The two words, filial piety and loyalty, with filial piety coming first.
A person who cannot even be filial, what loyalty can they speak of?
It was truly unexpected that the Ji family, a military family for a hundred years, had raised such an ungrateful wretch.
"Ji Zixiu, you should hurry back!"
"Scram, this military camp does not welcome you!"
"The Ji family is truly unlucky, first divorce, then unfilial conduct, they deserve their family's decline!"
Under normal circumstances, Ji Zixiu's whip would have already lashed towards Princess Yun An's face.
But at this moment, worried about her mother's safety, Ji Zixiu could not even spare a thought for the insults around her. She turned and wanted to run out of the military camp.
Suddenly, a familiar voice, cutting through the curses within the military camp, reached Ji Zixiu's ears.
"Ji Zixiu! Stand up straight and hold your chest and head high!"
Ji Zixiu looked towards the sound in astonishment. When she saw her mother, who was leaning by the window of the carriage, her eyes turned red.
Madam Ji, Yu Fenglan, the second wife, also had blurred vision. "Ji Zixiu, you must bring honor to yourself. If you want to join the army, then act like you're in the army. Our Ji family has never produced a good-for-nothing in a hundred years! If you lose this competition, you will receive your punishment back home!"
Her daughter, she could scold her however she pleased.
But it was not for others to point fingers!
So what if it's joining the army?
She would join!
So what if it's being a soldier?
She would be a soldier!
She wanted to see who dared to say her daughter was inferior, and who dared to say her Ji family was in decline!
Ji Zixiu's tears instantly streamed down her face.
Mother was still safe and sound...
With this, she was relieved.
Cao Yan stared in shock at Madam Yu Fenglan, the second wife, who was acting like a shrew. After a long while, he looked at his sister.
Princess Yun An was also dumbfounded.
Wasn't it said that Madam Ji, the second wife, disagreed with Ji Zixiu joining the army?
Wasn't it said that Madam Ji, the second wife, had personally swallowed arsenic in front of her servant?
How, how...
How was she alive and well, standing here?!
It was Ji Zizhao, who was sitting in the carriage, who called Shui Ling over and softly instructed her.
Shui Ling's eyes rolled around a few times before she plunged into the crowd of new recruits.
While everyone was still in a daze, Shui Ling deliberately deepened her voice and shouted, "Madam Ji, the second wife, has come personally, which proves that the Ji family agrees with the second daughter joining the army. Since this is the case, why not start the competition quickly? How long do we have to wait for those behind us?"
As Shui Ling's words fell, the new recruits snapped back to attention.
"That's right, since the Ji family agrees, hurry up and compete."
"We've been waiting for half the day."
"Are we going to compete or not?"
The camp manager quickly raised his hand to suppress the surrounding discussions and asked Ji Zixiu, "Ji Zixiu, do you still wish to continue the competition?"
Ji Zixiu took a deep breath, her eyes filled with a determination she had never had before. "Of course, I must compete."
Cao Yan felt as if struck by lightning upon hearing Ji Zixiu's voice.
But before he could react, he saw the camp manager make a gesture to start.
Cao Yan, "..."
He instinctively wanted to run.
Ji Zixiu, however, raised her eyebrows.
Run, you fool!
As Ji Zixiu spun and leaped towards Cao Yan, the nine-section whip in her hand swung out.
Cao Yan, who had only managed to run a few steps, was entangled by the whip and violently pulled back to the competition grounds.
Facing Ji Zixiu's whip, which was like a fierce wind sweeping away fallen leaves, Cao Yan could not even retaliate, let alone dodge in time.
"Ahhh—! Ahhh—!"
In the military camp, Cao Yan's heart-wrenching screams echoed through the sky.
Princess Yun An watched her younger brother, whose face was blooming from being whipped, and in her anger, she threw down her hand warmer.
The Ji family truly had great audacity to dare treat her brother like this!
Overwhelmed with rage, Princess Yun An stood up, ready to rush down from the carriage.
"Does Princess Yun An still think she hasn't embarrassed herself enough?" A clear, cold voice suddenly rang out from outside the carriage.
Immediately, the tightly shut carriage door was opened.
Ji Zizhao, with an air of detachment, stepped onto the carriage and proactively revealed her identity, "Ji family, Ji Zizhao."
Princess Yun An, looking at Ji Zizhao who had unceremoniously entered her carriage, could not help but scrutinize her.
She saw that Ji Zizhao had a slender figure and skin as smooth as ice and bones like jade.
Princess Yun An had never expected Ji Zizhao to be so exceptionally beautiful.
"You, what are you trying to do? I am Princess Yun An, are you not afraid that I will call for guards?" Princess Yun An, recovering from her shock, saw Ji Zizhao lounging grandly opposite her.
Ji Zizhao kindly lifted the carriage curtain.
She saw that the accompanying servant was already on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain, while the coachman's face was ashen, looking at Qing Zhu, who had a blank expression, as if he had seen a ghost.
Princess Yun An completely panicked. "Ji Zizhao, what exactly do you want?"
"Since Princess Yun An dared to give my aunt poison, she should understand why I am here."
Princess Yun An trembled all over. "You, you're talking nonsense!"
Ji Zizhao raised her eyebrows, propped her hand on the low table, and supported her cheek, saying, "Whether it's nonsense or not, all it takes is to send everyone around Princess Yun An to the Fengtian Prefecture to find out."
Princess Yun An had dared to send her servant to deliver arsenic to Madam Yu Fenglan, the second wife, assuming that Madam Yu Fenglan would surely die after drinking it, thus leaving no witnesses.
However, she never expected...
That everything had far exceeded her expectations!
"Ji Zizhao, even if you make a big fuss, what of it? I am Princess Yun An. The Fengtian Prefecture will only hold me for a few days before releasing me." Princess Yun An clenched her skirt, her neck stiff as she braced herself.