Those dressed in fine clothes seemed surprised that someone would ride towards them on horseback, and they were somewhat flustered.
"Hurry, hurry, shoot the arrow!"
"Don't shoot!"
A man who appeared to be the leader pressed down the bow and arrow raised by his servant. Distracted by this, Tong Aning had already rushed to the nearest person.
The man thought they had stopped and that Tong Aning wouldn't do anything more, but Tong Aning narrowed her eyes, tightened the reins, and leaned back, shouting, " Bright Pearl, kick him!"
The man's eyes widened as he was kicked hard in the chest. When he came to his senses, he had already fallen to the ground, vomiting blood.
Everyone was shocked, and Su Zhouyue was also quite frightened. Su Zhouyue said with a stern face, " Tong Aning!"
Tong Aning then realized what she had done in a moment of impulse, but she didn't regret it. However, she felt a little guilty when she met Su Zhouyue's gaze, and she stuck out her tongue.
Su Zhouyue rode up to her and, seeing that she was unharmed except for some disheveled hair, felt relieved. " Tong Aning, did you scare me to death?"
"Mother, it's not my fault, they're just too infuriating."
Su Zhouyue didn't want to be too harsh on Tong Aning, after all, she was quite angry too, but... Su Zhouyue gave Tong Aning a deep look, "It's too dangerous."
At this point, Tong Aning became quite excited, "Mother, elder brother, Heir Xue, don't you think Bright Pearl and I are getting better and better at coordinating? My horsemanship has improved again."
Su Zhouyue's face was still grim, so Tong Yibin didn't dare to speak. He just nodded slightly. As for Xue Lin, it seemed that his heart was tied to Tong Aning. Only now did he gradually come back to his senses. He was cold and dazed, like a handful of unfeeling snow.
Tong Aning blinked, dismounted, walked up to the girl, and extended her hand to her.
Lu Xu looked up at the person who had descended upon her like a goddess.
She was so beautiful and kind, with a smile in every corner of her eyes and brows. Even before she spoke, she had already soothed her anxious heart.
Lu Xu stood there stunned. Tong Aning thought she was still scared, so she gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid. No one can hurt you anymore. I will protect you."
Lu Xu timidly took her hand. Her fingers were fair, but she was very strong. With a strong pull, she lifted Lu Xu up.
Lu Xu was held in her arms, feeling the warmth emanating from her.
Those wealthy young men also dismounted at this moment.
Someone brazenly said, "I advise you to let her go."
"You want to save people? Do you have the capability?"
When they spoke, Tong Aning could feel the person in her arms trembling. It was probably because she had been humiliated by these people for many years, so much so that she had a stress reaction as soon as she heard their voices.
Tong Aning hugged the person even tighter.
[Absolutely despicable.]
Nestled in Tong Aning's arms, Lu Xu quietly looked up. She didn't see Tong Aning speak, but she definitely heard Tong Aning's voice. She really was a goddess.
Goddess, please take her away from this kind of life.
Lu Xu closed her eyes and prayed sincerely in silence, two tears sliding down her cheeks.
It was gently wiped away by Tong Aning.
Sichen said, "Under the very nose of the Emperor, you dare to hunt living people? How arrogant!"
"Tsk, who do you think you are? Your master hasn't even said a word..."
"Shut up, all of you."
The leader was quite charismatic; his words silenced the crowd. He walked up to Tong Aning and the others, cupped his hands, and said, " Shi Wushuang greets Heir Xue, Madam Su, and the two Lord Tong."
Su Zhouyue said coldly, "I know you, the eldest son of the Shi family. Does your father know what you've been doing outside?"
Shi Wushuang remained calm. "We were just joking around."
"Are you kidding me?" Tong Aning exploded. "Who in their right mind would joke around with someone like that, unless they're an animal?"
Shi Wushuang hadn't expected that among these people, Tong Aning, the youngest, was the most sharp-tongued.
" Lord Tong..."
Tong Aning sized up Shi Wushuang, "You're actually an official?"
Unless they are officials in the same court as Tong Aning, they would not address Tong Aning as "Lord Tong ".
Tong Yibin said, "This person is the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy."
[He actually manages education? Does he even deserve to?]
Su Zhouyue and the others. "..."
They are clearly not a good match.
[This person is in charge of education; surely everyone else holds important positions? If that's the case, then the court is practically riddled with holes by these parasites!]
Thinking of this, Tong Aning asked, "Big brother, what about the rest of the people...?"
Tong Yibin knew exactly what Tong Aning was thinking, and he said, "There's only this one."
Apart from Shi Wushuang, most of these people were good-for-nothings from aristocratic families, each relying on their family's status to act arrogantly and domineeringly, without even holding any specific official position.
Tong Aning felt slightly relieved. "No wonder they're all unfamiliar faces."
The good-for-nothings. "...?"
Was she being sarcastic or mocking?
But if it really is ironic, there's nothing they can do. Shi Wushuang has already exposed these people's identities; they're not people they can afford to offend.
If Tong Aning knew what they were thinking, she would probably be even angrier—a bunch of bullies who prey on the weak.
Xue Lin: "You all need to come with me to the Jingzhao Prefecture."
"Why...?"
Before the man could finish speaking, Su Zhouyue lashed him across the face with a whip.
"Why should I? You two are all doing inhuman things, and you dare to ask why... You're even glaring at me! Don't even mention you, even if your parents came, I'd still beat them!"
Another person tugged at him. This was Su Zhouyue, who dared to hit even the Emperor when she was young in the military camp.
Shi Wushuang said, "I wasn't involved. May I leave now?"
[You're the worst. You weren't involved, but you used this method to satisfy your desires. Isn't that perverted? Given time, you'll be even worse than these people.]
Xue Lin decisively refused. "No."
Shi Wushuang paused, " Heir Xue..."
Tong Aning didn't understand. "Why are you calling him? He's the heir of Prince Yong and the Vice Magistrate of the Jingzhao Prefecture. Do you think he'd show favoritism for a pervert like you?"
Xue Lin: "..."
Is this how Tong Aning sees him?
Xue Lin followed up on Tong Aning's words, saying, "I never show favoritism; every one of you must go to the Jingzhao Prefecture."
Xue Lin's gaze was cold and unyielding, clearly brooking no argument. This young master was not someone to be trifled with. Shi Wushuang remained silent.
[They seem to have run out of ideas, but in reality, they're plotting something malicious.]
They still dare to harbor evil intentions? Are they planning to target their young master? Sichen gestured for them to proceed. "Let's go."
He needs to get these people away quickly.
"Etc."
Tong Aning walked up to a servant, snatched the quiver from his hand, drew an arrow, and said with a smile, "Didn't you say you were just playing around? Let's play too?"
Everyone turned to look at Xue Lin. Was this... this reasonable?
Xue Lin coughed lightly, pretending not to see it.
Everyone: "...?"
Sichen went to help Tong Aning with great excitement.
Whenever anyone tried to escape, he would shoot an arrow at them.
Some people didn't believe Sichen would actually shoot them, so they kept running forward until Sichen shot them in the calf, at which point they became quiet.
Tong Aning mounted her horse first, then reached out her hand to Lu Xu, saying, "I'll help you onto the horse."
Lu Xu grasped Tong Aning's hand, Tong Aning helped Lu Xu onto the horse, whispering in her ear, "I'll teach you how to shoot an arrow."
Tong Aning brought her own arrows, but she intended to use them to shoot at them, to teach them the lesson of cause and effect, and that retribution is inevitable.
Lu Xu was a little uneasy, Tong Aning said softly, "If you're scared..."
"No, I'm not afraid."
She had to shoot that arrow herself.
Tong Aning taught Lu Xu how to draw the bow and nock an arrow, holding her hand as Lu Xu aimed at the person who had tormented her the longest, and the arrow flew towards that person.
Hearing the man's wailing, Lu Xu's dissatisfaction, indignation, and gloom all vanished.
Lu Xu turned her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Tong Aning.
Tong Aning praised, "Well done."
Lu Xu's eyes lit up even more.
Seeing this, Sichen sighed beside Xue Lin, "Your Highness, it's hard to find someone who doesn't like Miss Tong."
Xue Lin glanced at him, Sichen shut up.
Xue Lin, however, continued to look at Tong Aning on horseback.
A person as radiant, kind, and righteous as her deserves everyone's love.
*
The verdict in Lu Xu's case is out.
These people, having nothing better to do, would go to slave traders to buy slaves. After buying them, they would either release wild beasts to chase them or, like Lu Xu did, go on a hunt.
Apart from Lu Xu, all the other slaves were already dead.
The mastermind behind all of this was Shi Wushuang; he was the one who came up with both of these ideas.
[This person is definitely the worst.]
This morning at court, the Shi family was questioned by the emperor. Shi Wushuang's father wept bitterly in the court, saying that it was all his fault for failing to discipline his children properly, and he wished he could just kill himself.
The people around him quickly stopped him.
Is this a ruse?
[Those slaves who died because of Shi Wushuang were left helpless and desperate. Would their self-inflicted suffering have been of any use?]
The emperor's face immediately turned cold; how dare they resort to such tricks in front of him?
In the end, the entire Shi family was expelled from the capital, and other aristocratic families who had participated were also implicated by their descendants, and their status plummeted.
Tong Aning accompanied Lu Xu to find the remains of some of the slaves and gave them a proper burial.
Lu Xu bid farewell to her goddess.
She went to the town market, was cheated, and became a slave. Now, she's going home.
Tong Aning wished her a safe journey.
*
It was early summer when the Crown Prince was released after three months of confinement.
The Crown Prince stared in surprise at Tong Aning, who was standing among the court officials.
Tong Aning was unaware of the Crown Prince's gaze. As usual, she was idly sipping her food, waiting for the court session to end.
The ministers all breathed a sigh of relief; it was quite rare that no one was called upon during today's morning court session.
The emperor was somewhat pleased, thinking that after purging those corrupt officials from his court, only capable ministers remained.
The emperor found Tong Aning Tong Aning.
Tong Aning was overjoyed.
[Your Majesty is such a good person, but...]
Tong Aning masterfully manipulated the emperor and his court officials with just two words.
But what?