The biting wind was harsh, and the snow fell thick and white.
Over a thousand soldiers of Yulin were still held captive outside the city gates by Turkic soldiers.
However, faced with the burning passion of the Yulin soldiers, the Turkic soldiers found it almost impossible to suppress them.
Ever since the Ji family's remains were stolen, the morale of the Yulin soldiers had soared. They were mere recruits, yet they now faced the blood-stained axe blades of the Turkic warriors without fear.
This powerful aura even inspired the common folk of Luoyi, who, amidst the ruins, straightened their hunched backs.
The battle of Luoyi had claimed the lives of all the Ji family men.
What seemed to be the Ji family's extermination was, in truth, a deep sorrow in the hearts of Luoyi's people.
Yet, now, as the Ji family's eldest daughter had just arrived in Luoyi, the remains of the Ji family men had vanished from the city gates.
Such a feat! How could the people of Luoyi not be filled with righteous indignation?
Some elders, standing in streets littered with corpses, cried out with trembling yet powerful voices, "The Ji family is not yet fallen… The Ji family… has returned!"
In a private room on the second floor of the wine house.
General Mu Man heard the fervent shouts, his fists, hidden within his sleeves, bulging with veins.
Mu Shizhen, recuperating from his injuries on the bed, his eyes bloodshot with an unspeakable hatred, bellowed, "Guards! Seize the ones shouting in the streets and have them torn apart by five horses!"
General Mu Man, however, grasped his son's arm. "Now that Yulin's morale has surged, even if you kill one, you cannot silence all the other people of Luoyi."
Furthermore, the Turkic and Yulin had already signed a peace treaty. How could he now commit another massacre of Yulin's people?
"Are you saying Abu will just let the Yulin people run rampant?" Mu Shizhen clutched his chest, where two ribs had been broken by the Seventh Prince, his face turning pale with pain.
"Yesterday, the Khan sent an urgent dispatch, ordering me to withdraw my troops from Yulin immediately."
Despite their apparent victory in the battle of Luoyi, the Turks had suffered immense losses in manpower and resources.
The Khan's message, devoid of any commendation, was merely a hasty summons, clearly indicating his dissatisfaction.
General Mu Man knew that the Khan likely suspected him of harboring rebellious intentions.
In such a situation, it was a pipe dream to expect the Khan to continue sending troops to support Luoyi.
"The Khan has always been wary of Abu. It has been this way for years. In my opinion, Abu should keep the Yulin hostage and forcibly marry Princess Ronghe. Once the deed is done, the Khan will have no choice. Then, Princess Ronghe of Yulin will be under our control and will surely help Abu rise to prominence."
Mu Shizhen loathed Ji Zizhao, but he could not deny the woman's capabilities.
A flicker of disappointment crossed General Mu Man's eyes. "It is true that the Ji family orphan is capable. Her intelligence and depth are no less than any man's. But have you ever considered that someone who can turn the tide of Luoyi within a few days is not so easily controlled or managed?"
General Mu Man had fought Ji Zhengyong his entire life.
He thought he had finally gained the upper hand.
But in the end, he was still the loser.
Both were descendants of military generals. Look at Ji Zhengyong's granddaughter.
And then look at his own son…
Alas!
Mu Shizhen was filled with resentment. "Is Abu truly planning to let go and leave like this?"
General Mu Man remained silent for a long while, his dark eyes growing even more somber. "The Turks are currently restrained because the hearts of Luoyi's people have always been with Yulin. Now that Yulin's imperial family is before them, they naturally do not regard us highly. But if someone is willing to lend us a hand, it remains to be seen who will have the last laugh."
Mu Shizhen was startled. "What does Abu mean…"
"I have already found a suitable candidate for this matter. Remember not to act rashly. Once this is accomplished, Luoyi will surely become a grave concern for Yulin."
This prize, Luoyi, if the Turks cannot have it, then Yulin will not have it either.
General Mu Man patted Mu Shizhen's shoulder again before rising and heading towards the door.
The city's fervent acclamations for the Ji family continued to echo, reaching his ears.
It was as if all the buildings in the city were trembling in response.
And what also trembled were the dried remains of the Ji family men.
In a secluded medical clinic on the west side of the city.
In the dim light, the scars on each of the skeletal remains were shocking and numerous.
Chen Gang, head bowed, his voice trembling greatly, reported, "When all the remains were brought here, I personally led a team to examine them. All of them had been chopped and hacked after death, and then smeared with oil and trampled by horses…"
The other doctors standing behind him, looking at the mangled skeletal remains, had tears welling up in their eyes.
These were the warriors of Yulin.
They did not flinch or flee, fearing neither life nor death.
Even in death, they stood tall and resolute.
Yet, the Turkic scoundrels had treated them with such brutal desecration after their deaths. It was sheer madness!
Ji Zizhao slowly reached out and caressed the remains of her closest kin, her limbs trembling, a chill pervading her entire body.
Her cold fingers gently traced the axe marks on her grandfather's bones, the knife scars on her father's bones, and the debris on her uncles' bones, tears falling like broken pearls.
Qing Zhu and Lian Ju’s faces were already streaming with tears.
"Princess Ronghe, please accept our condolences…"
The doctors from the four major medical clinics were unaware of Ji Zizhao's true identity.
In their eyes, Ji Zizhao was merely an orphan who had lost her family.
Even so, their eyes were already blurred with tears.
Chen Gang gritted his teeth and sent the doctors outside. After closing the door, he said, "Now that Luoyi's civilian and military hearts have been revitalized, it is all due to the mistress's efforts. If the Ji family men have spirits in heaven, they would surely be proud of all the mistress has done."
Ji Zizhao lowered her gaze, her face ashen. "Compared to the Turks, I seem too merciful."
Chen Gang took a deep breath, earnestly persuading, "I heard that the Turks have signed a peace agreement with the Yulin envoys. If so, they will likely leave Luoyi soon. I know the mistress is unwilling, but things have come to this…"
Ji Zizhao curled her lips in a sneer. "If the Turks were truly so agreeable, why would they have entangled with my grandfather for most of their lives?"
Chen Gang was taken aback. "What does the mistress mean…"
Ji Zizhao closed her eyes, suppressing the overwhelming grief and anger within her.
The Turks' current inaction, while appearing to be a ceasefire, was likely the beginning of their covert schemes.
What good intentions could be expected from villains who would desecrate corpses?
After a long pause, Ji Zizhao slowly opened her eyes, a murderous intent blazing within her dark pupils. "This is good. I do not wish for the Turks to leave Luoyi so soon."
A drop of kindness received should be repaid with a gushing spring.
The revenge for a broken tooth must be repaid with heads.
Chen Gang shuddered, not daring to say another word.
He had seen this look on the mistress before.
He vividly remembered the last time she had worn such an expression, it was during the extermination of the Yan family in the imperial city.
Not a single one of the Yan family's one hundred and eighty-three members survived.
Even now, the Yan family massacre remained a mystery in the imperial city.