Chapter 40

"Who killed the people below?"

Seeing no one answer, Commander Li shouted again, and the room fell silent.

Yang Wenqing was about to speak, but his gaze swept across the room and fell on the man in the green robe, causing his face to change instantly. He shrank back behind Commander Li.

Seeing this, Zhao Lian and Commander Li thought Yang Wenqing was just being cowardly and did not pay much attention.

"Bring these people in!"

Zhao Lian stepped forward and shouted sternly. The magistrate had cowered, but he, the advisor, could not afford to do the same. Zhao Lian thought of the high officials from Jiangnan in the government office and believed that if he performed well this time, a magistrate position would be within his reach.

His heart burning with enthusiasm, Zhao Lian's voice took on a more righteous tone than usual, making him look more like the magistrate, while Yang Wenqing seemed more like the advisor. Yang Wenqing, hiding behind, cursed Zhao Lian in his heart.

"If there's a struggle and that man in the green robe is killed, all the evidence against me will turn to ashes."

With this thought, Yang Wenqing no longer cared about Zhao Lian overstepping his authority.

The soldiers who entered looked at Commander Li. They were soldiers from the military camp, not the county office's constables, and they followed military orders.

Commander Li was somewhat hesitant. From the bodies below, it was clear that these people were extremely dangerous. Moreover, after killing, they did not flee, clearly not taking the authorities seriously. Such people were either beyond the reach of worldly laws or had very powerful backgrounds.

If they were beyond the reach of worldly laws, with divine abilities, it was obvious that his few dozen men could not handle them. If they had powerful backgrounds, he would have a hard time explaining his actions if he rashly arrested them.

As Commander Li hesitated, the woman in the white dress glanced at him, her eyebrows arching, and she threw a token toward him.

Commander Li raised his hand and caught the token. He saw a regular script "Yang" character on it, cast in bronze and engraved with a phoenix.

Commander Li's face changed dramatically, and he took three steps back. The token felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in his hand, almost slipping from his grasp. Holding the token, Commander Li looked at the woman in the white dress and knelt down, bowing his head and saying, "Commander Li Ziwu of the 4th Battalion of the 18th Army of Jiangning, pays respects to Princess Pingyang!"

Yang Wenqing and Zhao Lian were still puzzled about what was happening to Li Ziwu when they suddenly heard the words "Princess Pingyang." Their faces turned a deep red, and cold sweat broke out on their foreheads. They fell to their knees with a thud, their teeth chattering, "We... we pay respects to Princess Pingyang..."

The corridor was suddenly filled with kneeling people, all bowing their heads deeply to the woman in the white dress.

Princess Pingyang?

The scholar, the Taoist, the monk, Xie Yanran, and the man in the green robe all looked at the woman in the white dress, inwardly shocked. She was Princess Pingyang, no wonder she remained calm in such a situation!

When the Tang Dynasty was founded, Emperor Li Yuan had several children worth mentioning: his eldest son Li Jiancheng, his second son Li Shimin, his fourth son Li Xuanba, and his eldest daughter Li Xiuning. Li Xiuning, also known as Princess Pingyang, raised a "Women's Army" of ten thousand soldiers when Li Yuan rose in rebellion. She and Li Shimin led the army to capture Chang'an. After the war, she was bestowed the title of "Princess Pingyang," which also meant "Pacifying Yang." She was considered one of the chief contributors to the fall of the Sui Dynasty.

Princess Pingyang's Women's Army was renowned in the Tang army, and she was a military genius on par with Li Shimin. If not for her gender, she might have even surpassed Li Shimin. After all, she raised an army at the age of fifteen or sixteen!

The scholar was surprised. How could she be the owner of Yixiang Garden? Didn't Li Yuan station Li Xiuning's Women's Army at Nüzi Pass?

Moreover, in the first month of the Northern Liu Heita's rebellion in Duzhou, a major battle was imminent. It was somewhat unreasonable for Li Xiuning to be here.

Inside the pavilion, the revelation of the woman's identity brought a moment of silence, and no one dared to speak.

Ning Wuxue circulated the "Xuanyin Technique," and his heart glowed with a faint light. The warm flames slowly nourished his body, strengthening his physique as his spirit grew stronger. If his spirit weakened, his entire body would wither. The methods of health preservation were essentially methods of nurturing the spirit.

Inside his body, the remaining power of the Zhu fruit, not yet fully absorbed, slowly healed his wounds under the guidance of the demonic aura. The wounds from the sword cuts were healing at a visible rate. The demonic race had inherently strong bodies, and Ning Wuxue, with demonic blood, would become even stronger as he cultivated.

Although he was healing, Ning Wuxue's consciousness remained alert to his surroundings. When he learned that the woman in the white dress was Princess Pingyang, he was also shocked. She was the only princess in history to be buried with military honors, a great honor in an era where women were considered inferior to men.

It was no exaggeration to say that Li Xiuning's excellence set a precedent for the strong women of the Tang Dynasty, leading to Wu Zetian's usurpation of the Tang throne.

However, in the sixth year of the Wude era, which was next year, historical records suddenly mentioned Li Xiuning's death, with the cause unknown. There has been much debate about this in later generations. She died at the age of twenty, and if she had not died, would the Wu Zhou dynasty have been established?

That would have been a dialogue between two powerful women!

As his injuries improved, Ning Wuxue opened his eyes and looked at Princess Pingyang. It was hard to imagine that a woman in her early twenties had already achieved great military success and was a renowned general. In his time, someone in their twenties would still be a naive and confused college student.

"Sir... you're awake!"

The man in the green robe had been paying close attention to Ning Wuxue. When he opened his eyes, the man noticed and quickly stood respectfully by his side, like a servant. After all, his life and fortune were in Ning Wuxue's hands, so he had to be careful.

Hearing the man in the green robe, the others in the room turned their gazes to Ning Wuxue. Li Xiuning's eyes were cold as ice, showing no emotion, while the scholar, the Taoist, the monk, and Xie Yanran showed a slight concern. Ning Wuxue had indirectly saved their lives, a debt of gratitude they could not forget.

Commander Li looked up, and under the disheveled black hair, the blood-stained face and the young, handsome features slowly merged, causing him to pause.

Yang Wenqing had never seen Ning Wuxue before. He was looking at the man in the green robe, who happened to be looking back at him. Their gazes met, and Yang Wenqing immediately lowered his head. Damn it, why wasn't this guy hanged?

Zhao Lian also glanced over. The sight of him made Zhao Lian's heart race, his mouth dry, and his body break out in a cold sweat. It was him?

Ning Wuxue got off the bed and walked toward Yang Wenqing and Zhao Lian. The sound of his footsteps echoed like a death knell in Zhao Lian's heart. The man in the green robe followed closely, curious about how the foolish pig Yang Wenqing had offended this fierce god.

Li Xiuning's gaze was fixed on Ning Wuxue, her mind filled with questions.

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