The midday sun was like a knife, making the face feel a slight sting.
Inside the Princess Mansion, an elder knelt down, pleading, "Her Royal Highness The Princess, you cannot remain indifferent! I promise, as long as you save everyone’s lives, I will follow only the princess’s orders in the future."
This person was a representative of the Southern Capital City rchants.
An elder wearing a gray robe, with an immortal deanor, clasped his fists and said, "Her Royal Highness The Princess, as long as you help today, our Southern Capital Academy will henceforth fully support Her Royal Highness The Princess!"
This person was Wuu Nianci, the dean of the Southern Capital Academy.
Despite his advanced age and Soul Ascension Stage cultivation level, he had to co out to plead.
Matters in the official residence are unlike those unorganized sects.
They can act recklessly, but the dean of Chang’an Academy cannot.
When encountering a problem and other avenues are blocked, and they cannot use their mana, they can only co to plead with the princess for help.
Representatives from Linjiang City also kneeled before Ji Wanrong, asking the princess to plead for their people.
The council hall of the Princess Mansion was filled with people on their knees.
She, with a slightly angry look, stood up and said, "Please rise, everyone. I just beca aware of this matter. I did not expect the Wuzhou Lord to be so bold to execute soone without orders from above. Don’t worry; I, as the princess, will not stand idly by."
She had already orchestrated everything, with Long Fei and others heading to the city walls, just waiting for the critical mont to stop Yi Zhongcheng.
Everyone sighed with relief and stood up, faces full of gratitude.
Ji Wanrong imdiately called on Wang Xun to clear the way with the Mansion soldiers and led everyone swiftly to the city wall.
Now Wang Xun was already the leader of the Mansion soldiers, holding the military authority of the Prefecture Princess Mansion.
If this situation continued to develop, Ji Wanrong had envisioned a greater position for him.
In the future, he would control the City Defense Camp of the Southern Capital.
On the city wall, Governor Yi Zhongcheng held the Execution Decree token and shouted, "The hour of Wu has arrived; comnce the execution!"
The executioners removed the wooden plaques from the necks of the prisoners and raised their large knives.
The people below closed their eyes in despair, so already crying.
A flash of the knife was about to fall.
At that mont, a loud shout echoed, "Stop!"
The voice was thunderous, whipping up a gust of wind.
Executioners who had already moved were swept to the side by the fierce wind.
Yi Zhongcheng was startled by the voice, and Sima Yan imdiately stood in front of him with a large knife to protect him.
A group of young people descended from the sky, landing in front of Yi Zhongcheng.
They were imposing and handso, staring angrily at Yi Zhongcheng.
Sima Yan cursed loudly, "Who are you? Are you planning to interfere with the execution?"
He recognized Wang Jie and Ji Wanyu, knowing they were from the Princess Mansion, thus preemptively trumping them with a big accusation.
Ji Wanyu, holding the Princess Mansion’s token, cursed at Sima Yan and Yi Zhongcheng, "Bold! Upon seeing this princess, why do you not kneel and pay respects?"
The two exchanged glances. In front of the citizens, they did not want to disrupt the order, so they crossed their arms, bent over in defeat, "Your subordinates greet Her Royal Highness The Princess!"
In an instant, the citizens above and below the city wall were in chaos, witnessing what seed like heavenly intervention, bending their arms to bow in unison.
"Commoners pay respects to Her Royal Highness The Princess!"
"This humble one greets Her Royal Highness The Princess!"
"..."
Soone cried out on the spot, "Your Royal Highness The Princess, please stand up for us common folk!"
"Your Royal Highness The Princess, my son did nothing wrong! He is still young, you cannot kill him!"
"Your Royal Highness The Princess, my husband has elderly and young to care for, he did nothing last night, yet they arrested him; please speak up for this woman!"
The cries resounded like thunder, with groups of civilians falling to their knees.
Ji Wanyu said sharply, "Yi Zhongcheng, you’ve done well! In our dynasty, executing soone is always cautious, clearly stipulated: the Ministry of Punishnt must review executions, with orders from the Ministry before it can proceed. Yet today, you would execute four thousand heads with just one command. I ask you, what cri did they commit? Which law of the Great Xia Country did they violate?"
Yi Zhongcheng was taken aback, a young woman with such eloquence.
Sweating, he countered, "Her Royal Highness The Princess, do not forget, special incidents demand special asures; the military officer outside is not subject to orders. The Great Xia laws also state the governor has discretion. You saw last night’s events; these miscreants gathered, rioted, set fires, looted, killed, and vandalized. If I don’t act, the entire Southern Capital City will be burned down by them."
The people below were agitated, shouting upwards, "Nonsense, it was your soldiers committing arson and robbery; I saw it with my own eyes."
"You dog official, spouting lies. We were petitioning peacefully; did your eyes see us setting fires?"
"Dog official, the fires were started by the city’s ruffians, not us!"
A chorus of accusations from above and below, wanting to drown Yi Zhongcheng in a sea of spit.
Ji Wanyu snorted coldly, "Governor, have you heard them? You claid they committed arson and looting; do you have any concrete evidence? If you have none, you’re abusing your power!"
She leveled a serious accusation, leaving Yi Zhongcheng stamring, unable to refute.
It was Sima Yan, quick-witted, who spoke out, "Her Royal Highness The Princess, you may have a noble status, but the laws of Great Xia are clear: the royal family must not interfere with governance. If Governor Yi erred, it is not your place to interfere!"
Yi Zhongcheng shouted, "Indeed, what right do you have to ddle in Wuzhou’s affairs? As a princess, do you ignore the laws of Great Xia’s court?"
Ji Wanyu held her breath, not yet ready to respond.
A sharp voice cried out, "Then does this princess have the right to interfere?"
The soldiers of the Princess Mansion arrived, holding Ox-Horn Knives, their exquisite, costly armor gleaming under the sun, opening a path on the city wall.
Ji Wanrong led a group of petitioners onto the wall, advancing with a golden token, scolding Yi Zhongcheng, "You fool, upon seeing this princess, do you not salute?"
Yi Zhongcheng truly felt at a loss, suspecting the Ji sisters orchestrated this.
How coincidentally, just as he was about to execute, they stood against him.
Reluctantly bowing again with Sima Yan, he glared at Ji Wanrong with gritted teeth but still asked, "Your Highness, are you also interfering in military and political affairs?"
Ji Wanrong raised her chin, proudly stating, "Indeed, royal kin may not ddle in affairs. But the Old Emperor previously titled the South Yangtze Provincial Princess, surely you do know?"
She switched tokens, producing the Commandery Princess token.
Now, Yi Zhongcheng had nothing further to say, and Sima Yan hung his head, furrowing his brows, unable to devise a response.
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