A little girl pretending to be angry was all the more adorable.
"Sister Ting is right here."
Two maids immediately ran over and took the child from Zheng Fan’s hands.
Seeing Zheng Fan adorned in armor, one maid said, "Thank you very much, sir."
"You have to keep a close eye on the child," Zheng Fan advised.
"Sister Ting is naughty. The moment we looked away, she ran out from the Elegant Garden."
"Yes, Sister Ting has a stubborn temper. In this mansion, no one dares to provoke her. She is the beloved baby of our Old Master, who calls her ’short-tempered girl’."
At this time, although chili peppers hadn’t given rise to major cuisines like Sichuan food of later eras, such ingredients were not uncommon due to the Silk Road. Wealthy families, in particular, were always keen to try new dishes.
Zheng Fan nodded. After watching the two maids lead the little girl away, he ground out the cigarette butt on the ground with his foot and walked back.
The personal guards and the accompanying Jingnan Army soldiers who had returned with Lord Jingnan were provided with good meals, including meat and soup, and everyone ate happily.
Zheng Fan had just walked back when he saw a familiar figure appear. He didn’t pay much attention at first, but as the figure drew closer, he realized it was Lord Jingnan, Tian Wujing, himself.
Lord Jingnan, who had previously removed his gilded armor, was now wearing it again. And in the shadows behind Lord Jingnan, Zheng Fan saw Dujuan.
Seeing their Lord appear before them in full armor, all the Jingnan Army soldiers immediately shed their casual demeanor, put down their food, and straightened their armor, snapping to attention.
Suddenly, a sense of panic gripped Zheng Fan’s heart. A terrible premonition began to well up from deep within him. It wasn’t that Zheng Fan was truly afraid of anything; rather, he was stunned by his own inner speculations.
Lord Jingnan’s gaze swept over the assembly.
Quickly, eight captains from the Jingnan Army stepped forward. Zheng Fan took a deep breath and followed them.
The eight captains, along with Zheng Fan, knelt on one knee before Lord Jingnan.
"Jingnan Army, hear the order!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
In the next moment, all surrounding Jingnan Army soldiers knelt in unison. Their previous casual air vanished, replaced by an oppressive, murderous aura so thick it felt almost tangible.
"Surround the Elegant Garden at once!"
Zheng Fan kept his head down, his mouth agape, silently gasping for breath.
The other eight captains’ faces registered shock upon hearing this command, but they immediately lowered their heads again.
Lord Jingnan had commanded the Jingnan Army for over a decade. In the eyes of its officers and soldiers, Lord Jingnan was their god of war; they recognized only his military orders, not even the Yan Emperor’s imperial edicts!
"After you surround it, leave no living thing within the Elegant Garden—not even a chicken or a dog!"
This command struck like a thunderbolt, so shocking the eight captains that their bodies nearly swayed.
Yet, their military instincts compelled them, upon receiving the order, to immediately respond in unison, "Your subordinate obeys!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" Follow current novels on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾※𝙣𝙚𝙩
"Your subordinate obeys!"
In the next moment, thousands of Jingnan Army soldiers, their armor clanking, charged towards the Elegant Garden under the lead of their respective captains.
The tide of armored soldiers consciously parted as they passed Lord Jingnan, who stood there like an unshakeable boulder.
Dujuan stood beside Lord Jingnan, looking up at her man.
Lord Jingnan reached out, took Dujuan’s hand, and said, "Today, you have been wronged."
"My Lord, I do not feel wronged. Today, I have also formally become your wife. My Lord, you are the one who has truly been wronged."
"HEHE, I have not been wronged."
He tilted his head back slightly, gazing up at the brilliant river of stars in the night sky.
Then, he said in a deep voice, "The fall of Yan’s great aristocratic houses begins with my Tian Family."