Though the dung of cattle and horses, mixed with fallen leaves and fruit peels, was wrapped in oilcloth, much of it still splattered as it was flung from above. A sentry stationed nearby received a full face of it. Li Jing forbade him from washing, ordering instead that he stand there until Li Ce emerged—to witness the full extent of the havoc he had wrought, to see how terrifying the female fiend truly was.
After hearing Li Jing's detailed recounting, Li Ce asked, "Has she gone?"
"She left right after throwing it," Li Jing replied. "I climbed the ladder to look. That formation—why, not even Father Emperor's grand tours were this extravagant."Realizing he had spoken ill of imperial dignity, he slapped his own mouth and sighed, "What do you propose? If you didn't fancy her, you shouldn't have provoked her from the beginning. And now you've rejected the marriage, what for? Today it's dung, tomorrow it might be worse. At this rate, the Prince Zhao's manor will become a cesspit!"
Li Ce offered no explanation. He remained seated in the shadowy corner of the room where sunlight could not reach, his obsidian eyes unreadable. He spoke with gentle remorse, "The Prince of Chu's manor is nearly complete. Once I move out, she will have no reason to return."His humble tone made Li Jing uncomfortable. Since when had Li Ce shown him such respect? Wasn't he always the one taking liberties?
Li Jing stood there, goosebumps rising, and stammered, "You… what are you talking about? Have I… have I ever driven you away?"
He turned around, hesitant, as if fearing that any more complaints might invite even stranger remarks."Ahem…" He waved to allow the dung-soaked guard to clean himself and deliberately raised his voice, "This prince shall refrain from complaining to Father Emperor. Throwing dung is good—it enriches the soil! Next year we'll build a flower bed right here and plant blossoms. Cheer up. I'll take you to the flower pavilion for a stroll when we have the time."
Qingfeng, Li Ce's attendant, stood by the door, unsure whether to escort Li Jing out or begin cleaning up the manure. After a while, seeing that Li Ce still sat motionless on his mat, Qingfeng couldn't help but speak, "Planting flowers is good. Yanyun will be back soon—he knows how."
Ever since the Third Prince was assigned to guard the royal tombs, Li Ce had ordered Qingfeng to recall their people stationed there. Yanyun was the leader among them.
Yet even this remark stirred no response. Li Ce sat there unmoving, as though worldly affairs and the passage of time no longer concerned him.
Within the Jingzhao Prefecture, Liu Yan, disinterested in the case files before him, finally received the news he had been waiting for."Well? Was Miss Ye injured?"
"No," the bailiff captain replied with a smirk, barely concealing his schadenfreude. "It was the military officers who took the brunt—worst of all, Bai Xianyu nearly got strangled to death."
Liu Yan frowned with concern. "Let's not provoke someone we shouldn't."
"Rest assured," the officer said. "Bai Xianyu, usually so arrogant, is now as meek as a lamb. He's patrolling the streets as we speak. I shadowed him for half an hour and nothing went amiss before I came back to report."
To a man who had once survived the chaos on Mount Li, a little commotion was hardly newsworthy.Liu Yan clutched a dossier and nodded in satisfaction. "Do those military officers obey Miss Ye?"
"They do, indeed," the subordinate replied earnestly. "She even ordered them to fling dung into Prince Zhao's manor, and not a single one refused. In fact, they fought over the chance to do it!"
Liu Yan was dumbstruck. His hand trembled, tearing the page he held. Dung-flinging? What sort of command was that? Since when did patrol duties involve manure?
Elsewhere, Commandant Yan Congzheng of the Sixteenth Guard of the Imperial Army was also momentarily at ease. The military officers were under the army's jurisdiction, and conveying a message was simple.
"Rest assured, Commandant," a subordinate respectfully reported. "Your words have been delivered. The captains say they won't cause Miss Ye any trouble."
No trouble did not equate to cooperation. These scoundrels were adept at feigned compliance, capable of undermining her every step. But soon, Yan Congzheng heard of the patrol.
Ten captains, in perfect formation, were escorting Ye Jiao as she toured every major district of Chang'an. Clearly, she had made an impression and won many over.
"They're all on their best behavior," the returning subordinate reported again. "They've now headed toward the city gate—quite the entourage."
An entourage indeed—it sounded more like a band of brigands descending upon a town. The sheer scale spoke volumes.
Ye Jiao's destination was the city gate, responding to word of an incident there.
A young officer, bruised and battered, grabbed Bai Xianyu's hand, sobbing, "Captain, they're beating our men senseless!"
Bai Xianyu flung him off like a hot coal. "Mind your mouth! I'm not a captain anymore—just a humble team leader."
He glanced at Ye Jiao, eager to shift the burden to her.Anyone daring to beat a military officer half to death must either be an overbearing royal or a high-ranking official above reproach. Even the imperial guards would tread carefully. Let Ye Jiao clash with such a wall—perhaps then she would realize that brute strength alone would not secure her command.
So Ye Jiao rode to the city gate, and the people witnessed dozens of horses thundering down the road. Amid the golden autumn leaves and crisp skies, her flowing garments fluttered like a streak of rosy cloud. Behind her, the officers in black looked like a pack of wild wolves from the frontier.
The streak of color halted before Qixia Gate. The passage was blocked by a throng of curious onlookers. Though drawn by the spectacle, none dared venture too close.
Over a dozen carriages stood before the gate—large, uniform, and solidly built, clearly belonging to a single household. Their owner, a burly man in a dark indigo robe with silver trim, leather boots on his feet and a whip in hand, was lashing a kneeling officer.
The officer, face twisted in pain, clenched his teeth and bore it silently, refusing to beg for mercy.Ye Jiao recognized him—it was the same man Bai Xianyu had tied to the plum post, the one she'd just paid silver to for medicine. And already he was being beaten again?
Before Ye Jiao could speak, a captain who recognized the attacker dismounted to intervene."Isn't that General Zong himself? Please, sir, enough—surely a mere boy isn't worth your personal wrath."
Ye Jiao gave the man an approving glance and then studied the attacker more closely. She recalled his name—Zong Quanwu, a Deputy General of third rank.His family, it turned out, had once had ties to the Ye family.His father had served under Ye Jiao's grandfather, the Duke of Anguo, and had once been granted an audience with the Emperor thanks to the Duke's favor. But the Zongs were shameless opportunists. Once the Duke's household declined and Ye Jiao's father passed, her brother Ye Changgen was driven out in disgrace when he came to offer condolences. So incensed was Ye Changgen that he studied for nights on end, vowing to become the top scholar.
Last summer, Zong Quanwu had been impeached for corruption. Though only a few of his subordinates were caught, the Emperor still dispatched him to Liao City as a minor punishment. That harsh border post likely prompted his return during year-end evaluations, hoping to secure a better post.
As the officer tried to mediate, Zong flung his whip to a subordinate and spat.
"And who are you to search my carriages?"
It turned out the beaten officer had simply tried to inspect Zong's carriage upon seeing it enter without proper checks, which offended the general.
Ye Jiao dismounted, walking through the crowd like a breeze parting petals. The young officer, in pain and fear, shook his head at her, silently pleading:You already saved me and gave me silver—I am forever grateful. But don't cross this man. He's a battle-hardened general. You cannot defeat him.
The officers behind Ye Jiao laughed awkwardly, bantering with Zong Quanwu, hoping to smooth things over.They were used to swallowing humiliation. What were a few beatings? In the eyes of many, they were just the dogs of the court.