Pei Jianzhi wanted to call for a stop, but he couldn't make a sound at all.
He allowed Mu Zi to freely use the Mountain-Shaking Fist technique she had just learned on him.
"Wow, the Duke of Zhenguo's boxing style is incredibly powerful! He must have practiced it for at least ten years."
"I never expected that this Duke Zhenguo, who outwardly appears to be a dissolute playboy, would actually possess such perseverance that it puts us martial artists to shame."
"It seems that the Duke of Zhenguo is not the spoiled brat that the outside world says he is! We have been blinded by our limited perspective."
After all, to outsiders, Mu Zi'an was either a simp or on his way to be a simp every day.
The fact that he now possesses such seasoned and skillful boxing techniques clearly shows that he has put in a lot of hard work. In an instant, the images of a man who fawns over women by day and then suffers the pain of boxing by night flashed through the minds of the generals present.
Seeing that someone was about to die, Xiao Xiuning, who was sitting in the main seat, quickly coughed.
"Duke Zhenguo, a duel is about stopping when the point is reached."
Mu Zian stopped after hearing Xiao Xiuning's words.
At this moment, Pei Jianzhi was lying on the ground with his face covered in blood, and his appearance was no longer recognizable without careful observation.
Mu Zian spread his hands innocently and said.
"Everyone saw that General Pei ordered me to do it, so I took action. To be honest, I've never heard of such a request in my life."
Upon seeing this, Lu Yunxue immediately stepped forward and helped Pei Jianzhi, who had fallen to the ground, up. Now, seeing her beloved man beaten like this, Lu Yunxue angrily pointed at Mu Zian and said.
"Mu Zi'an, I never expected you to be so ruthless! You just want revenge on me, why take it out on others!"
Lu Yunxue's words caused quite a stir, and Xiao Xiuning, who was in the main seat, couldn't help but frown.
"Your Excellency, you have gone too far! Mu Zian is a pillar of the mighty Dali State."
"And you, a mere lowly marquis, dare to address him by his full name! I thought you were just a heartless and ungrateful person, but now it seems you have no idea of hierarchy!"
Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent.
The courtiers present seemed to see the image of the current emperor in her.
Mu Zi'an finally understood why the current emperor had so many children, yet he favored only Xiao Xiuning.
Lu Yunxue was shocked by Xiao Xiuning's voice and immediately knelt down.
"It was my oversight that led me to this point. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Xiao Xiuning snorted coldly upon hearing this.
"Today I am acting on behalf of Heaven. The duel between the Duke of Zhenguo and General Pei was fair and just, and everyone agreed to it. However, you disregarded the facts and committed insubordination. Seeing that you are sincere in admitting your guilt, I am willing to be lenient and will waive your salary for three years as a warning to others."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yunxue's expression turned ugly. Unlike other aristocratic families, she did not own shops or land in the capital.
Now that the entire Lu family has lost Mu Zian's financial support, they rely entirely on Lu Yunxue's salary to make a living. This three-year penalty has made the already impoverished Lu family even worse off.
"Your subject thanks Your Highness the Ninth Princess for your mercy."
Lu Yunxue sat down again, but the expression on her face became increasingly unpleasant.
I feel like nothing's going right these past few days.
First, the construction of the Women's Palace was halted due to unpaid debts.
Then his elder brother was expelled from the sect by Li Jiuxuan, and when he went to visit him in person, he was turned away.
Now, not only was he seated at the end of the banquet, but he was also reprimanded by the Ninth Princess in front of all the civil and military officials.
My luck has absolutely turned out to be terrible.
As she pondered, Lu Yunxue's gaze fell upon Mu Zian, who was sitting in the main seat and wearing a black and gold python robe.
Lu Yunxue suddenly realized that her bad luck seemed to have started when she broke up with Mu Zian!
Could it be that everything that went smoothly for me before was because of Mu Zi'an?
The moment the idea popped into her head, Lu Yunxue immediately stopped her!
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
I have achieved my current status entirely through my own hard work!
Mu Zian was nothing more than a playboy from the capital, and he offered her no help whatsoever.
No one has helped me achieve my lofty ambitions along the way; I have trudged through the snow to the mountain peak on my own!
I am the model for all women, the first female marquis of Dali!
That's right! I got all of this through my own hard work!
At this moment, Mu Zian sat in his seat, drinking wine while brazenly sizing up Xiao Xiuning, who was sitting in the main seat.
He didn't even notice Lu Yunxue looking at him strangely from the corner.
Mu Zian had no interest in Lu Yunxue's inner struggles and contradictions.
Meanwhile, Pei Jianzhi, having recovered his senses, was on the verge of collapse.
If anger could kill, Mu Zi would have died hundreds of times over by now.
Pei Jianzhi became the laughingstock of everyone after the duel.
"Mu Zi'an is far too cunning! His fist technique is the strongest I have ever seen in my life! Yet, not a single word of it has ever been revealed to the outside world! If I hadn't underestimated him and been careless today, how could he have caught me off guard!"
Pei Jianzhi is now completely stubborn, even to the point of being defiant.
Seeing this, Lu Yunxue said with some pity.
"It's alright! You are a general who commands an army of thousands. Your talent lies in leading troops into battle. How can someone who only knows how to be brave as a brute compare to you? If the two armies clash on the battlefield, Mu Zi'an will definitely not be your match."
It has to be said that Lu Yunxue's emotional value was truly on point.
Pei Jianzhi instantly felt like he was back in action.
“That’s right! So what if Mu Zi’an is strong? In the end, he’s just a brave man with the courage of a commoner, while we are generals with the talent of a great general. The battlefield is our home ground.”
"Although Mu Zian is the Duke of Zhenguo, he has no military power. What difference is there between a military general without military power and a toothless tiger? In the end, it is just a nominal title."
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