Chapter 122 One Slash

Mu Xi glanced around and said, "Lord Liu is dressed in official robes for the banquet, so he must be carrying his official seal."

"This..." Liu Qi did not dare to hesitate any longer, so he took out a brocade bag from his bosom and presented it with both hands, "Alas, it is up to you, Your Highness."

Mu Xi did not take it, but turned to Mu Xun and then said to Marquis Shen Lun of Yong State: "This seal is most suitable to be placed in my uncle, who has a reputation that is known throughout the world."

Shen Lun hadn't expected that he would have something to do here, but he couldn't say much in front of everyone, so he just nodded.

Mu Xun then stepped forward to take it and called Shen Lun.

He then summoned the servants of the Jun family to carry the body away, and also took the rest of the people away with them.

Having reached this point, Liu Qi had no face left, so he bowed again and took his leave: "My lord, Your Highness, I have offended you today. I will come to apologize another day. I will take my leave now."

"Wait a minute..." Mu Xi then turned her gaze to Ma Zheng, who had shrunk to the side. "What's the rush, Lord Liu? This isn't over yet."

Ma Zheng immediately understood, and with a thud, he knelt down and grabbed Liu Qi: "My lord, my lord, save your subordinate..."

Liu Qi was barely able to protect himself just now, how could he possibly protect Ma Zheng now?

Mu Xi stepped forward with a cold laugh: "Left Supervisor Ma, what did you just say? Should I repeat it again?"

"Your Highness...Your Highness...I...I..." In his panic, Ma Zheng glanced at Gao Quan, "Gao..."

"Ahem..." Gao Quan spoke first, "I say, Your Highness, what time is it? Today is the Marquis's birthday banquet, are you going to make us watch this farce? How long will it last?"

"A farce?" Mu Xi didn't even turn her head. "Isn't this more entertaining than a theatrical performance?"

No one answered.

Mu Xi's gaze fell on Ma Zheng's broad waist knife: "Left Supervisor Ma, your waist knife is quite good. Bring it here for me to see."

"Huh?" Ma Zheng was confused.

"Bring it up!" Mu Xi shouted.

Ma Zheng exclaimed in shock, "Your Highness, you're not going to kill me...!"

"You? You're not worthy of my attention." Mu Xi sneered. "But you just made promises, so it won't be so easy for you to get away unscathed."

Ma Zheng was dumbfounded: "What does the Crown Prince intend to do?"

Mu Xi shouted again, "A man's word is his bond! Bring me the knife!"

Forced by the imposing presence, Ma Zheng had no choice but to slowly unfasten the sword from his waist.

Mu Xi waved to Cao Pan'er behind him and said, "Supervisor Ma, your knife must have killed many people. I wonder if it's still sharp."

Ma Zheng unfastened his sword and hastily offered it with both hands, already flustered: "Your Highness, you wouldn't be going to..."

Mu Xi did not take the knife, but smiled contentedly: "Left Supervisor Ma, there's no need to be nervous. One knife is one knife. I will let bygones be bygones."

Ma Zhengshang was caught off guard.

“Pan’er…” Mu Xi commanded.

Cao Pan'er understood, stepped forward and snatched Ma Zheng's sword, drawing it with a "whoosh".

Mu Xi added, "You can't dodge, you can't scream. As long as you survive this knife from my maid, no matter how badly you're injured, tonight will be a good night for you."

"This...this..." Ma Zheng was about to stand up and dodge.

Mu Xi stepped back, and Mu Xun stepped forward, kicking her and drawing his sword to threaten her: "Didn't you hear what the young master said?"

Ma Zheng was kicked to the ground.

Mu Xi's smile remained unchanged: "Supervisor Ma, if you keep hiding, things won't be so easy to discuss."

Ma Zheng got up from the ground and looked at Liu Qi.

Liu Qi avoided eye contact.

Ma Zheng then looked at Gao Quan.

Gao Quan, sitting there, spoke without a care in the world: "How much force can a skinny maidservant have when she stabs? A real man is going to get stabbed whether he sticks his neck out or not, so what's there to be afraid of?"

Having no other choice, Ma Zheng could only grit his teeth and say, "Fine, Your Highness keeps your word."

Mu Xi smiled and looked at Cao Pan'er: "Your mother was extorted by him, and you were unjustly imprisoned by him for more than half a year. Here's your chance."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Cao Pan'er stepped forward, sword raised, her expression murderous.

Mu Xun cooperated by threatening him with his sword: "Left Supervisor Ma, kneel down properly. Don't move... or it won't count."

Ma Zheng swallowed hard, changing from kneeling to standing. His small eyes on his horse-like face were fixed on the knife in Cao Pan'er's hand, not daring to move even slightly.

Cao Pan'er held the knife in both hands, raising it high above her head.

Everyone in the hall held their breath.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

Just when everyone's nerves were stretched to the limit, Cao Pan'er shouted "Ah!" and swung her knife across Ma Zheng's neck.

Ma Zheng instinctively dodged, his neck tilting to the side.

Cao Pan'er stopped her stance, squatted down, changed her horizontal sweep into a vertical slash, jumped up, pressed all her strength into the ground, and slashed the knife at Ma Zheng's right shoulder.

"Ah..." Ma Zheng roared in anguish, and his right arm fell to the ground with a thud.

"Pah..." Cao Pan'er spat, not very satisfied with her technique, but threw the knife on the ground with a "bang".

Mu Xi looked down at him coldly, while Ma Zheng covered his wound with his left arm and struggled on the ground.

After a while, once the gasps of surprise from all around had subsided, he sighed with regret: "Alas, Supervisor Ma... no... without an arm, he probably won't be able to hold any public office in the future. In the end, it's all for your own good."

"Ah...ah..." Ma Zheng gritted his teeth and tried to say something, but he couldn't utter a word. In the end, he couldn't hold on and fainted.

Mu Xi turned around and stepped onto the eastern steps, looking at Liu Qi who was standing there dumbfounded: "Lord Liu, what are you waiting for? Why don't you take your men and get out of here?"

Liu Qi was jolted awake, his whole body drenched in cold sweat. He adjusted his official hat before regaining his senses. Unable to utter a word, and disregarding his subordinates, he was the first to flee the hall.

His subordinates quickly lifted Ma Zheng up, picked up his waist knife, and fled in panic.

Mu Xi turned around and bowed to Jin Fangjun and Mu Zhen: "Father, what just happened was a farce, and it has now been resolved. May we begin the birthday banquet now?"

Tonight's birthday banquet, according to Jin Fangjun and Mu Zhen's original plan, was for Mu Xun to stand at the front, get to know more people, and steal the spotlight.

However, Ma Zheng from the Court of Justice's office stirred things up, making Mu Xi the center of attention instead.

Jin Fangjun and Mu Zhen's expression was complex, like the bottom of a pot burning with anger, black with a hint of red, and like a dying patient's last gasp, red with a hint of black.

Ever since he stepped into the main hall and sat in the main seat, he had kept his lips tightly pressed together and remained silent. Now, upon hearing the report, it took him a long time to finally speak: "Then let's begin."

Mu Xi finally got to see the "grand show" tonight and reported again: "It's a pity that the auspicious time has passed. I'm sure all the distinguished guests are getting impatient. Why don't we present a sword dance to Father directly? After the sword dance, we can start the banquet so as not to neglect our distinguished guests."

Mu Zhen lifted his eyelids and looked deeply at Mu Xi, as if Mu Xi were a stranger.

After a long while, he seemed to read something on Mu Xi's face, yet also seemed to read nothing at all, and finally said in a low voice, "As Your Highness wishes."

Mu Xi felt somewhat guilty under the scrutiny of her scumbag father, but she still continued under pressure: "Then, son, go and change into a set of clothes for the birthday sword dance."

Jin Fangjun and Mu Zhen nodded.