Chapter 34-Part 2

In her past life, facing such a burly warrior, she was utterly defenseless. The feeling of helplessly enduring humiliation was something she couldn’t forget, even after being reborn as a new person.

These days, perhaps inspired by Jiang Xiurun’s knowledge in both literature and martial arts, a new martial arts field has been established in the academy. Anyone with an interest in martial arts could add courses such as boxing, riding, and archery.

Moreover, proficiency in martial arts would also be considered in the assessment of students’ performance.

This provided an opportunity for warriors like Dou Siwu to showcase their skills. Jiang Xiurun also practiced with Dou Siwu in the martial arts field several times.

Of course, Dou Siwu was impressed by Jiang Xiurun’s archery skills and felt that this slender youth surprisingly had inner strength.

Jiang Xiurun taught him archery, and in return, Dou Siwu taught her some effortless self-defense techniques.

Even Qian Er expressed admiration for these techniques, saying they were suitable for people with limited strength for self-defense, but they required catching opponents off guard. So Qian Er diligently sparred with Jiang Xiurun, practicing very hard.

Now it seemed that the power of these techniques was indeed remarkable.

However, Qin Zhao’s heart was filled with resentment.

Firstly, being thrown to the ground by a woman was utterly humiliating. Secondly, this woman’s ruthless actions showed that she had no regard for him at all.

As he was about to approach again, Qian Er, who had gone to fetch a cloak for Jiang Xiurun, returned.

Seeing Qin Zhao furrowing his brows and charging toward her young master, Qian Er immediately glared, “What are you doing?”

In Qin Zhao’s eyes, Qian Er was not just a maid; she was a monstrous creature with extraordinary strength. Today was already embarrassing enough; if he were kicked over by this grotesque monster in front of Jiang Xiurun, he would have to hang himself to wash away the shame.

So he didn’t say much and just glared at Jiang Xiurun before huffing away.

At that time, there were servants walking back and forth in the garden, and somehow news of Jiang Xiurun throwing General Qin, whose leg was not yet healed, had spread to the Prince’s ears.

Jiang Xiurun thought Feng Liwu would question her about it. But to her surprise, Prince Feng Liwu didn’t ask anything. He simply said that since General Qin’s leg was not yet healed and it was not suitable for him to exert himself, he transferred him away from the crown prince’s residence to a military camp outside the capital, giving him a light duty to recuperate.

In Feng Liwu’s view, there was no need to ask about this matter. It must be because Qin Zhao had ulterior motives towards the youth.

In the past, whatever happened between the two of them, Feng Liwu didn’t care. But now, every time he thought of the scene he witnessed in the Gong Mansion, where Jiang Herun came out with disheveled clothes, wearing Qin Zhao’s clothes… Feng Liwu felt something swelling up in his heart, making him extremely uncomfortable, and he grew increasingly dissatisfied with Qin Zhao.

Therefore, he found an excuse to transfer Qin Zhao away!

Although Qin Zhao left reluctantly, Jiang Xiurun felt relieved. If Qin Zhao had remained at the residence, her escape plan would have been much more complicated.

While Jiang Xiurun was secretly preparing, something happened in the city of Luo’an that terrified the hostages to the core.

The hostage from Wei, upon hearing that the Emperor of Wei was critically ill and near death, wanted to rush back to contend for the throne with his brother. So, he secretly escaped with his servants.

However, even though they had managed to flee to the border of Wei, they were eventually captured and brought back by the pursuers from Great Qi.

As a hostage, he was bound by the solemn treaty between the two nations. His escape meant disregarding the alliance between the two countries!

The case of Liu Pei from Liang was a precedent. After his escape, relations between the two countries rapidly deteriorated, and it might lead to a war at any moment.

After his escape, Great Qi tightened its surveillance of hostages in Luo’an City even further, which led to the failure of the Wei hostage’s escape this time.

Although the Emperor of Wei was gravely ill, he was still lucid. He knew that Wei couldn’t confront Great Qi like Liang could, and he feared Great Qi might misunderstand, thinking Wei intended to annul the treaty. So, he personally wrote to the Emperor of Great Qi, openly admitting the mistake of the hostage and requesting Great Qi to execute him. He also promised to send his youngest son as a hostage to Great Qi in the near future.

Therefore, just before New Year’s Eve, the prince of Wei was paraded through the streets and publicly executed by beheading.

In order to deter others, all the hostages in Luo’an City were required to attend the execution.

Naturally, Jiang Xiurun couldn’t escape this fate. Along with her brother, she sat on the specially erected platform for the hostages to witness the execution.

The Wei hostage about to be executed was said to be the most intelligent son of the Wei king, highly regarded by the ministers. Unfortunately, he couldn’t compete with the favor the Emperor Wei bestowed upon his new wife, who bore him a son destined to be the heir. Therefore, he was sent to Great Qi as a hostage, and the new wife’s son was made the crown prince.

If he had managed to return to Wei successfully, he would have surely gained support from his subjects and become the emperor.

However, Emperor Wei voluntarily requested his son’s execution; whether it was his own decision or his new wife’s, no one knew for sure.

But as they watched the Wei hostage, who not long ago had been drinking and laughing together, now standing disheveled in the prisoner’s cart, all the hostages couldn’t help but feel a sense of despair.

Some even shed tears, not knowing whether they mourned for the prince of Wei or lamented their own fate.

Jiang Xiurun’s face turned pale. She knew that if she had tried to escape with her brother, and if they were caught, her father would surely act like the emperor of Wei, sending a letter to the Emperor of Qi to request their execution.

As the executioner raised his blade and brought it down on the hostage’s neck, Jiang Xiurun couldn’t help but close her eyes, feeling a chill run down her own neck.