From the moment Ji Zizhao stood firmly on the ground, all eyes fell upon her.
Yet, amidst the gazes thrown her way, there was still the expected hatred and disgust…
But more than that, there was surprise!
This was because Ji Zizhao had now changed out of her women's attire, dressed in practical men's clothing. Even her hair bun was completely undone, her three thousand strands of dark hair meticulously tied up at the back of her head. Her delicate features were all the more prominent without any disguise.
Han Jingyu looked at Ji Zizhao's attire and quickly urged his horse forward, "What is this, Princess Ronghe…"
Ji Zizhao's expression remained unchanged, "A sudden heavy snow, how can there be any reason to hide in comfort privately? I, Ji Zizhao, am untalented and unable to change the dire situation, but I wish to walk with the army and advance and retreat together."
Han Jingyu was somewhat bewildered.
Marching an army seemed no different from walking normally, yet it was not something everyone could endure.
Everyone had to maintain a unified pace, at the same speed.
Although these two thousand soldiers were currently recruits, they had still received training in the barracks.
And then he looked at Princess Ronghe's slender figure…
Han Jingyu almost pleaded with his life, "The weather is severe, and the march is arduous. I implore Princess Ronghe to reconsider."
However, Ji Zizhao's mind was made up, "There is no need for Major General Han's concern."
The surrounding soldiers were startled by this.
But they did not believe Princess Ronghe could truly endure it.
They probably thought she was just putting on a show.
Ji Zixiu immediately released her grip on Cao Yan's collar.
Looking at her elder sister, whose waist was as straight as a ruler in the wind and snow, her body was cold, but her heart was warm.
She knew, of course, that her elder sister probably wanted to set an example, thus resolving the rumors and gossip within the army.
And she knew even better that if her elder sister said it, she would certainly do it.
Seeing this, Han Jingyu had no choice but to say more, only hoping that Princess Ronghe would retreat on her own.
The Tenth Prince watched Ji Zizhao standing in the biting wind, his little heart thumping more and more restlessly.
But before he could have someone open the carriage door, a hand reaching in from the window pressed down on his head.
The Tenth Prince looked pitifully at the person who had come, "Seventh Brother, I want to accompany Fairy Sister."
Xie Jingqi scoffed, "Don't just tag along and cause trouble. Do you think she can last long?"
Not only Xie Jingqi thought so, but everyone did.
Marching was different from a normal stroll, and how could an ordinary person endure it?
Xie Jingxi stared maliciously at that slender figure, feeling something was not quite right.
If Ji Zizhao truly wanted to walk with the army, she wouldn't have come to find trouble with him just now. Or was Ji Zizhao unable to bear the soldiers' scolding, and that was why she had to march with the army?
The cold wind howled, the snow flew, and the army set off again.
Accompanied by Qing Zhu and Lian Ju, Ji Zizhao silently followed the army.
Everyone was waiting to witness Ji Zizhao's embarrassment, but…
One kilometer, two kilometers…
In the blink of an eye, ten kilometers were covered, and Ji Zizhao's pace had not stopped.
Qing Zhu and Lian Ju, who were following Ji Zizhao, were even less to be mentioned.
They already had military backgrounds, and such marches were nothing more than routine for them.
From some point onwards, the hateful and disgusted gazes directed at Ji Zizhao gradually disappeared.
That night, because the army could not reach the designated location, they had to camp at the foot of a desolate mountain.
Deep in the night, it was completely dark.
Since it was not the designated spot, the army did not dare to light too many bonfires openly.
Ji Zizhao was in the process of setting up a tent in the dark with Qing Zhu and Lian Ju when she saw a few soldiers approaching.
"May I know if Princess Ronghe needs help?"
"Princess Ronghe, let us do it. We can set up tents very quickly."
Lian Ju and Qing Zhu were about to refuse, but Ji Zizhao smiled and nodded, "Then I shall trouble you."
The soldiers were surprised that Princess Ronghe was so approachable, and they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
But the more this was the case, the more guilty they felt for having insulted Princess Ronghe today.
Seeing that Princess Ronghe had no airs, other soldiers gathered around Princess Ronghe in twos and threes. In such cold weather, only by being in a crowd could they keep warm. Su Dan Novel Network
After Han Jingyu distributed dry rations to the lords, he also joined Ji Zizhao's side and naturally struck up a conversation with her.
As they were all discussing matters on the journey, many soldiers occasionally chimed in.
From afar, this area looked unusually lively.
The Tenth Prince, looking at the liveliness over there, really wanted to come, but the Seventh Prince stared at him like a corpse.
After much thought, the Tenth Prince whispered, "Seventh Brother, why don't we go join the fun over there?"
Xie Jingqi snorted, "What's there to join? Stay put obediently here."
The Tenth Prince was very dejected, "Seventh Brother, aren't you cold?"
Xie Jingqi, "…"
He wouldn't admit to being cold!
The Second Prince, Xie Jingxi, in another carriage, also had a displeased expression.
He had originally thought the gossip would be enough to crush Ji Zizhao, but now these soldiers were mingling with that vixen.
As expected, they were just the lapdogs raised by the Xie family, a bunch of brainless idiots.
The young eunuch looked out of the carriage window at the desolate mountains and wilderness and quietly advised, "Your Highness, perhaps the army can slightly speed up tomorrow? This servant has heard that the road is not very safe, and wolf packs may appear in the middle of the night."
Xie Jingxi was dismissive, "I want to see how long she can last!"
Just after Yin Shi, the army set out again towards Luoyi.
Just like yesterday, Ji Zizhao once again chose to walk on foot with the soldiers.
And so they walked for two days…
When Ji Zizhao stood with the soldiers again on the third day, let alone Han Jingyu being impressed to the point of prostration, even the Seventh Prince, who had always disliked Ji Zizhao, was shocked into silence.
Xie Jingxi looked at Ji Zizhao, who was stepping out with the soldiers, and in anger, he overturned the low table in front of him.
The soldiers' gazes towards Ji Zizhao were also gradually changing.
Even Cao Yan, who had always found Ji Zixiu disagreeable, uncharacteristically shut his mouth.
Gradually, the soldiers began to recall the scene when Princess Ronghe had brought medicine to the Second Prince.
At that time, they all thought Princess Ronghe wanted to curry favor with the Second Prince, but now it seemed that Princess Ronghe bringing medicine to the Second Prince was probably because she hoped the Second Prince would recover quickly, so that the army could continue to march at full speed.
And if the army could march at full speed, the beneficiaries would naturally be them, the soldiers.
Only when the speed truly picked up could they reach their destination faster, instead of suffering from the cold wind.
So…
They had blamed the wrong person from the very beginning.
So…
The entire matter was actually the Second Prince's fault alone!