After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

hiss!

The wind is howling!

The speed and ferocity of the draw were such that the blade was already upon the burly man with thick eyebrows in the blink of an eye.

His face was contorted.

He quickly raised his hand and swung the whip horizontally.

The horsewhip made of raw cowhide was sliced ​​open instantly with a fine knife, just like tofu.

Mu Lang, a military officer in the Northern Dynasty delegation, leaned back. "Sizzle," blood bloomed as Zheng Ming's blade pierced his chest. Fortunately, he retreated in time. Although the knife had cut a large, gruesome gash in his chest, and blood instantly soaked through his clothes, at least he was temporarily out of danger.

"Let's do it!"

"Commander Mu!"

"Commander!"

Exclamations erupted immediately, followed by a series of clanging sounds! More than ten Northern Dynasty military officers in black robes drew their swords and charged forward, their faces contorted with menacing rage.

"stop!"

Zhou Jili was terrified! His voice trembled uncontrollably.

"Stop! Stop! Everyone stop!"

"Damn it! That southern dog!" Mu Lang's face was deathly pale. He glanced down at his wound, then immediately took the goose-feather saber from his subordinate, looked up, and cursed, "I'm really going to see who chops whom up today!"

"Mu Lang." At this moment, Hong Jiao called out lazily.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was just a lazy, languid sound.

Mu Lang's figure, wielding his sword, immediately stopped. The other dozen or so military officers who had formed a battle formation also dared not take another step forward, merely glaring angrily.

Zhou Jili was breathing rapidly, and a thin layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead.

Seeing that both groups had stopped fighting, he quickly bowed and clasped his hands in thanks to the Fourth Young Master Hongjiao in the carriage, saying, "Thank you, thank you for your understanding, Fourth Young Master."

But Hong Jiao didn't even look at him, only at the haughty noblewoman in the pink cloud dress, and smiled and said, "I wonder who this young lady is?"

Zhu Jiamu said calmly, "Zhu, Zhu Jiamu."

The surname Zhu appeared.

Zhou Jili, who had been secretly resentful of the woman for suddenly ordering someone to attack, felt a chill in his heart. Upon hearing the name "Zhu Jiamu," his heart turned from chill to an indescribable despair.

At this moment, Zhou Jili finally understood where that sense of familiarity with the woman came from.

Although he had only seen her once from afar, as an official in the Ministry of Rites, he had naturally heard of the name of Princess Tang.

"This humble official is Zhou Jili," Zhou Jili said in a desperate voice, "Greetings, Princess Tang."

These words were spoken.

The dozen or so military officers from the Northern Dynasty immediately narrowed their eyes.

Even the fourth young master in the carriage let out a soft exclamation: "The Prince of Tang?"

Zhu Jiamu glanced at Zhou Jili indifferently.

Although this minor official was biased towards the Northern Dynasty, before revealing his own identity, he at least did not force the people of Daliang to bow down to the people of the Northern Dynasty, so he was still of principle. Therefore, I did not hold it against him.

"Get up." Zhu Jiamu nodded.

Zhou Jili's face was bitter. He looked at the fourth young master and then at the Princess of Tang. His hands trembled. He really didn't know how to persuade her. He could only turn around and wink at the clerks who had come with him, ordering them to quickly go and invite their superior.

Seeing Princess Tang staring at him arrogantly, Hong Jiao's fierce expression intensified. However, after sizing her up, a forced smile appeared on his face: "Princess Tang, I'll let it go that your carriage damaged mine. But just now, your men injured my men with knives. How do you plan to settle that score?"

Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Jili wiped his sweat and quickly said obsequiously, "Fourth Young Master, rest assured, I have already sent someone to fetch a doctor for Commander Mu. He will surely be cured... Including your carriage, I guarantee that it will be returned to you intact!"

Hong Jiao didn't even look at him, but narrowed her eyes and smiled at Zhu Jiamu, "Princess, if you want me to let this matter go, that's fine. Just accompany me to an elegant restaurant and introduce me to a couple of famous dishes from your dynasty, and this matter will naturally be dropped."

"Do you still want to argue?" Zhu Jiamu said.

Hong Jiao's eyes narrowed.

"Zheng Ming," Zhu Jiamu said, too lazy to pay him any more attention, "why don't you hurry up and chop him up?"

"yes!"

Zheng Ming raised his knife and slashed at the burly man with thick eyebrows again!

"Come on!" Mu Lang roared, wielding his goose-feather saber and slashing down.

Clang!

The two swords clashed.

As if it were a signal, a dozen or so black-clad military officers from the Northern Dynasty raised their swords and swung them at Zheng Ming. The four guards beside Zhu Jiamu also drew their swords and rushed forward. Instantly, the sound of metal striking metal rang out!

Immediately, streaks of blood bloomed.

Princess Jiamu's guards were fewer in number, so their injuries were naturally more severe than those of the Northern Dynasty's men.

Zhou Jili cried out in pain and, with a miserable expression, led his men back to protect Princess Jiamu.

Just as the stench of blood emanated from the scene.

Without any warning.

"Bang!"

Suddenly!

A thunderous explosion rang out!

Zhou Jili shrank his neck.

"A musket?"

"A musket?"

"Who? Who's setting off firearms in the street?"

Instantly, everyone's pupils contracted, their weapons stopped, and they all jumped to their respective sides.

"Protect the princess!" Zheng Ming's arm was bleeding, and he quickly led several guards to Zhu Jiamu's side, looking around to see who was firing the musket.

Just then, a strong smell of gunpowder came from behind.

Everyone turned around and their pupils contracted; sure enough, they saw the person who had fired the musket.

Zhou Jili stared blankly. He recognized the figure; it was the young man who had gone down with Princess Tang just now, but then deserted at the last minute!

"Huh? You didn't escape?"

At this moment, two or three zhang behind Princess Tang, the young man dressed in a wide white robe was raising a musket into the sky, with wisps of white smoke rising from the muzzle.

"Mr. Ning!"

Zheng Ming's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in delight.

His heart had been pounding, fearing that if the Northern Dynasty soldiers brought out muskets, he wouldn't stand a chance. He might die, but he was terrified of harming the princess. However, when he saw that it was this Mr. Ning, whom the princess had befriended, who had brought out the muskets, Zheng Yang and the guards immediately calmed down!

Zhu Jiamu's eyes also widened in surprise.

Before getting out of the carriage, she told him to get off first and leave in his own carriage. But after getting off, seeing that he really left without looking back, she felt a little disappointed. But she never expected that this person... this person... actually went to get a musket!

On the carriage of the Northern Dynasty, Hong Jiao squinted as he watched the figure with the musket slowly approach.

He smiled faintly and said, "Not bad, you actually dared to bring out a musket."

Thump, thump, thump.

Ning Nan's musket was burning hot as he slowly walked towards Princess Zhu Jiamu.

"Hey," Ning Nan looked at the fourth young master of the Northern Dynasty in the carriage and smiled, "I'll give you two choices."

"The first one," he held up a finger, "get off the carriage and apologize to Princess Jiamu."

"I choose the second one," Hong Jiao interrupted with great interest.

when!

"Hehe," Ning Nan chuckled as he tossed down the musket. The musket clattered onto the flat bluestone pavement.

Hong Jiao glanced over and noticed that the person opposite was emitting a green light on their left thumb. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was an emerald green thumb ring.

"Okay," Ning Nan said.

With a snap, he pulled out a second musket, already loaded with gunpowder, from the leather strap behind him.

Holding the gun with both hands.

He aimed at the burly man with thick eyebrows who had just caused trouble.

Light the fuse.

A faint smell of burning wafted over.

"Click!"

Pull the trigger.

The serpentine rod caught the fuse and pressed down, igniting the medicine box with a hiss.

Immediately!

"Bang!"

It exploded!

In the blink of an eye, a huge bloody hole appeared in Mu Lang's head.

The fierce and imposing Northern Dynasty commander, with his eyes wide open, was now speechless and collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud, his blood and yellowish-white substance splattered all over the place.

Clang!

Ning Nan laughed and threw down the second smoldering musket.

He drew a third musket from behind and aimed it at the four princes of the Northern Dynasty in the carriage, whose eyes were wide with shock and who seemed to have become dumbfounded.

"Hey," he grinned, revealing a set of chilling white teeth, "My surname is Ning, the Ning of Marquis Jingbei, the Ning who specializes in killing the Northern Tartars... I'll give you two choices."

"The first one," he lit the fuse, closed one eye, aimed, and said, "get off the carriage and apologize to Princess Jiamu."