I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 289 Slaying to Establish Authority
The accompanying Flying Dragon Guards drew their swords and slashed at the city's defenders.

Just as the defending soldiers were about to retaliate, an arrow whizzed past them and shattered the Flying Dragon Guard's longsword.

"Who dares to touch the guards of my Wuwei fiefdom?"

Li Dajian turned around at the sound and saw a young woman in armor riding towards him on horseback. Her bright red cloak and high-tied hair fluttered in the air, making her look even more heroic and dashing.

The grooms blocking the city gate instinctively reversed their carriages to make room, and the shoving crowd, unable to back away in time, could only watch helplessly as the horses galloped towards them.

"Shut up!"

The horse's hooves were raised high, almost upright, and the young woman gripped the reins tightly, stopping the horse in an open space just a step away from Li Dajian.

Li Dajian was so frightened that his heart almost jumped out of his chest, and his legs went weak and he almost fell. Fortunately, the Flying Dragon Guards who were protecting him caught him in time.

"Princess Zhaoshan!"

Sitting on his horse, Tang Zhao looked down at Li Dajian and asked, "Li Dajian is still ill and should be recuperating at the clinic. Why are you causing trouble at the city gate?"

These words were quite impolite, and Li Dajian's face turned red with anger. "The war in the Northwest has broken out again, and I, the military governor, have the right to report this!"

"If the governor wants to report to the imperial court, he can do so through the Wuwei Prefecture government office, where Prefect Lu Ying will send the report to Luoyang via the official imperial gazette. Why bother the governor to do it personally?"

"The governor-general looks so hurried. Those who know him say he is anxious to report the war situation in the northwest to the court, but those who don't might think he is afraid of death and is running away!"

Through Tang Zhao's pair of crystal-clear eyes, Li Dajian could clearly see his own disheveled appearance.

Li Dajian wanted to righteously rebuke Tang Zhao for arbitrarily slandering the imperial military governor, but he dared not, fearing that once he spoke, he would be in a difficult position.

"How can an official report explain this clearly? It would be better for this warlord to report to His Majesty personally!"

Li Dajian decided to swallow his anger for now, and once he returned to Luoyang, he would definitely vent his anger on the Xuanwang Mansion and the Northwest!
Thinking of the sounds of fighting he heard last night, Li Dajian even hoped that the Turks would break through the Northwest and kill all the traitors, including Tang Zhao and the Northwest Army, which would be a way for him to vent his anger!

Tang Zhao looked at the undisguised malice in Li Dajian's eyes, sneered, and pulled out the purple jade riding whip, lashing it hard across Li Dajian's face!
Snapped!
Li Dajian's face was instantly torn open, but what was even more unbearable than the pain was the humiliation of being whipped by a woman in front of everyone.

Li, the chief eunuch, stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "You dare to hit us?"

Tang Zhao lashed Li Dajian's face with the whip again, demonstrating his courage to fight.

Li Dajian staggered from the blow, but fortunately the Flying Dragon Guard behind him reached out to support him in time so that he did not fall to the ground.

But this was enough to make him lose face completely!

"Very well, very well indeed, Princess Zhaoshan!" Eunuch Li threatened, "You've attacked us, aren't you afraid of His Majesty's punishment?"

"Who do you think you are? I refuse to believe that His Majesty would punish me for beating a castrated dog!"

Ever since Li Dajian began serving Emperor Pingyuan closely, he has never been called a eunuch to his face again. Those of lower status dare not, and those of higher status disdain him.

Now that Tang Zhao had humiliated him in front of all the noble families in the Northwest, even Li Dajian, who had honed his skills in swallowing insults in the palace, was burning with rage. Li Dajian immediately disregarded Tang Zhao's status and shouted, "Seize him for me, the warlord!"

The Flying Dragon Guards leaped forward.

The guards of the Protectorate General's Mansion, who had been hiding all around, acted faster than the Flying Dragon Guards. The three of them formed a formation and captured all the Flying Dragon Guards present in a few rounds, binding them tightly and forcing them to kneel on the ground.

Li Dajian swallowed hard, and tried to back away, but was stopped by Wu Yi'er, who said in a fierce but weak voice, "Princess Zhaoshan, are you trying to rebel?"

"Rebellion? Who exactly is rebelling?" Tang Zhao interrupted, "This princess was personally appointed by the Emperor Gaozu as a first-rank princess, and the late Emperor bestowed Wuwei City as her fiefdom!"

"You, a mere eunuch, ordered the assassination of me on my fiefdom! Who is the one rebelling?!"

Li Dajian broke out in a cold sweat, stammering, "I...I am acting on His Majesty's orders! And I, the Princess, am acting on the late Emperor's orders to guard Wuwei!"

Tang Zhao firmly established his moral high ground, saying, "Now the Turks have repeatedly invaded the borders of our Great Yu. The soldiers of the Northwest Army are risking their lives to defend the city and the people. At this critical moment, instead of standing with our soldiers, you are cowardly and fleeing in the chaos. Do you think your actions are worthy of the people who share the city with you, the soldiers who fought bravely, Your Majesty, and the world?"

Li Dajian was rendered speechless.

"Hmph! Shameless scoundrels like you, who are heartless, disloyal, and unfilial, are not worthy of being associated with by me, the Princess and the people of Wuwei City!"

Li Dajian said angrily, "Since Princess Zhaoshan is unwilling to see me, then let me leave. It will be better for both of us!"

"Dream on! A great battle is imminent. If we let you out of the city, the Turkic cavalry might take the opportunity to attack, putting all the people in danger!"

Tang Zhao looked around and said loudly to the crowd, "Today, I, the princess, hereby declare that anyone who dares to open the city gates without my order will be executed!"

"I, the princess, will bear any consequences!"

The soldiers defending the city roared in unison, "Your subordinate obeys!"

Everyone present looked grim. Li Dajian gritted his teeth and said, "I'm leaving the city today. If Princess Zhaoshan has the guts, then kill me!"

After making his statement, Li Dajian turned around and strode towards the city gate under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Tang Zhao asked, "Where are the guards at the city gate?"

"The humble position is here!"

"Li De has trespassed through the city gate; he shall be executed immediately!"

"Yes!"

A city gate guard drew his sword and mercilessly chopped off Li Dajian's head.

The head rolled to the ground, and bright red blood splattered everywhere.

"what!"

The ladies and young women of noble families who witnessed this scene screamed in fright, and the masters and young men all turned pale.

They didn't expect that Tang Zhao would actually dare to kill someone, especially a military supervisor sent down by the imperial court.

They dared to kill even the military governor, let alone them.
Sure enough, Tang Zhao said, "This princess's word is law. Anyone who doesn't believe me, feel free to try!"

"Princess Zhaoshan, you are too domineering!"

"Lady Ning'an is right. This princess is indeed domineering. If you have the guts, then rebel against this princess. If you don't, then behave yourself!"

"You!" Lady Ning'an was furious.

After a brief standoff, a carriage slowly turned around and headed back into the city.

With a leader in charge, the other carriages also turned around and dispersed.

Lady Ning'an was unwilling to accept this, but she was also worried that her beloved son would be implicated, so she had no choice but to swallow her anger.

But Tang Zhao was relentless in seeking revenge.

“Madam Ning’an, if I were you, I would immediately go home and pray to the gods and Buddhas, praying that the Northwest Army can defend Wuwei. Otherwise, if all the soldiers of the Northwest Army die in battle, then the ones going to the battlefield will be the personal guards of the Protector General’s Mansion.”

Lady Ning'an rolled her eyes and fainted.