The rockets flying around were like lit talismans to awaken the spirits, and the excitement on the faces of the people fighting slowly faded, and the madness in their eyes gradually dissipated.
The arena just now resembled a gladiatorial arena, and Gan Qiongying seemed to have transformed into a beast tamer, successfully frightening away the beastly nature with her rapid-fire rockets. At this moment, everyone regained their senses and calmed down.
Several guards located the source of the rockets and quickly rushed to Gan Qiongying, who was holding four rockets. They gradually closed the distance and slowly approached to form a semi-encirclement.
They dared not act rashly, fearing that the arrow in Gan Qiongying's hand would actually hit those present, so they could only try to persuade her.
“Princess Duanrong,” a guard hesitated, fearing that Princess Duanrong might go berserk like the Regent and the hostage from Jinchuan, but duty called, and he had to step forward and persuade her, “The arrows are dangerous, leave them to this servant.”
Gan Qiongying remained tense, and the guards around her dared not try to take the arrow. Some people on the field had already scattered and were looking for cover to hide, while others were still standing there, bewildered.
Zhongli Zhengzhen and the Regent hid behind the carcass of the black bear, both clutching their wounds and looking at Gan Qiongying through the firelight, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
Suddenly, a guard rushed to Gan Qiongying's left front. He gestured for the guards to step back, then first gave a respectful salute, then bowed and said, "It is our incompetence that we have disturbed the princess to maintain order."
Upon hearing this, the guards behind her immediately understood, took a few steps back, kept a safe distance from Gan Qiongying, and bowed respectfully.
Gan Qiongying kept her eyes fixed on the people on the field, moving her fully drawn bow back and forth, seemingly unsure where to shoot. The people on the field couldn't hear the guards' words at all, still filled with fear, afraid that they would be hit by the arrows.
Just then, the manager of Haoyue Manor came running up, panting heavily. He was out of breath and ran to where the crowd had gathered. He was clearly exhausted from running all that way. He bent over, holding his knees and catching his breath. Then he suddenly realized something, looked up sharply, and found that the scene had quieted down.
He looked around, following the gazes of the crowd, and looked at Gan Qiongying who was holding the rocket. His breathing, which had just calmed down a little, became rapid again.
Gan Qiongying's eyes were firm. She finally released the fully drawn bow, and the arrows shot out and hit the target not far away. All four arrows hit the target neatly.
A woman possessing such strength should truly make many men feel ashamed and inferior.
Unlike the moment when the Regent hit the bullseye and everyone in the arena exclaimed in admiration, the crowd did not approve of Gan Qiongying's archery skills. Before the rocket was launched, they were terrified, fearing that they would catch fire. However, after the rocket hit the target and they were out of danger, they looked at her with disdain, and some even whispered questions and criticized Gan Qiongying's behavior.
Gan Qiongying ignored it and turned to ask the old steward, "Is the princess unwell, Aunt?"
“Your Highness,” the old steward stepped forward, his voice still trembling, “the Princess was frightened, and Physician Wu is watching over her… she is now out of danger.”
If there is no major problem, then there is a minor problem.
Thinking of how Princess Hui'an had fainted on the ground, and how a bunch of bastards had clearly seen it but ignored it and continued to act crazy, clearly showing that they did not respect Princess Hui'an from the bottom of their hearts, Gan Qiongying was furious.
“Alright,” Gan Qiongying said, her voice softening as she saw the old steward was getting on in years and had made two trips. “You’re not young anymore, go and rest.”
The old steward was genuinely anxious, and he was truly helpless in the face of the previous situation. Although he had managed Haoyue Manor for many years, he had only relied on the kindness of the Grand Princess Huian. As a commoner, how could he possibly persuade the Regent and the hostage from Jinchuan?
Therefore, Gan Qiongying did not blame him for only seeking help from the Grand Princess when trouble arose. Hearing his panting voice sound like a pig squealing, Gan Qiongying was afraid that he would die next to her, so she quickly told him to go to the side and rest.
The old steward was indeed unable to hold on any longer and was almost helped to the side by the guards.
The group of people in the room, who had just been pale with fright, began to discuss among themselves. One of the young men from a prestigious family, who had achieved academic success, arrogantly accused Princess Duanrong of having ulterior motives and called her an ingrate for disrupting his aunt's birthday banquet.
This scion of a noble family was certainly not tired of living. He was a scholar with official rank and his teacher was a great Confucian scholar of the time. Gan Qiongying, on the other hand, had a bad reputation. So what if she was a princess?
If they dared to punish him, they would be stirring up a hornet's nest among scholars. There are countless scholars in the world, and those who have a bellyful of ink but cannot pass the imperial examinations have nowhere to use it. Even if one of them spits out a mouthful of ink, it can smear the powerful and wealthy so much that they dare not go out.
Moreover, if one is truly oppressed by the powerful and wealthy, one can still gain a reputation for being upright and incorruptible, which will make one stand out from the crowd when one enters officialdom in the future.
In the original storyline, Princess Duanrong suffered a loss from confronting these people head-on and didn't dare to leave the house for several months.
Gan Qiongying herself didn't care at all, and didn't even glance at the aristocratic young man who deliberately amplified his voice.
Let her say it. It's not like she'll lose anything or that I'm stealing her money. What's there to be angry about?
Gan Qiongying had her own way of venting her anger. She put down her bow and arrow, raised her voice, and said, "At the birthday banquet of the Grand Princess Huian, you all acted fiercely and disrespected the royal family, causing the Grand Princess Huian to fall into a coma in shock. She is still unconscious and her life is unknown."
"I have already sent people to inform the Dali Temple and all the members of the royal family. If anything happens to Princess Hui'an, every single one of you here today will be going to jail!"
These words were obviously meant to scare people, but Gan Qiongying was on the right track, and Princess Hui'an had indeed fainted here just now, which many people had witnessed.
While the shocking truths revealed by Gan Qiongying contributed to Princess Hui'an's coma, the situation is tense and critical now, so how could Gan Qiongying take the blame herself?
It's definitely going to be blamed on those bastards.
They can't crush this bunch of scoundrels.
Besides, aren't scholars supposed to be quick-witted? Gan Qiongying would like to take a trip to the Dali Temple and see just how quick-witted they really are.
After hearing this, everyone fell into a brief silence, and then no one dared to utter another word.
They finally realized the seriousness of the situation, and they looked at each other, the color draining from their faces as they stared at each other.
The Regent's expression also hardened. He clutched his wound and stared at Gan Qiongying, the firelight unable to conceal the coldness in his eyes.
Gan Qiongying naturally noticed that the Regent was shooting bullets at her with his eyes.
Gan Qiongying pretended not to see it, without feeling guilty at all.
To borrow a line from a skit that Gan Qiongying once watched: I may not be able to beat you, but I will not submit.
She knew, of course, that neither the Regent nor Zhongli Zhengzhen were easy to deal with, but with the title of Grand Princess Huian, even the Regent couldn't hold Gan Qiongying accountable for her crimes.
What crime has Gan Qiongying committed?
Should we try to break up the fight?
Although Sima Rui is the regent and holds power, if it comes to conviction, the "things" he committed tonight, if examined closely, could lead to more than just contempt for the imperial family. If Princess Hui'an were to press the matter, he might also be charged with plotting to harm the imperial family.
Even if he were to accuse Gan Qiongying of attempting to assassinate a high-ranking official, as long as no one died, Gan Qiongying, being a member of the imperial family, would not be subject to any severe punishment.
The mere mention of "royal relative" pinned Sima Rui to the ground, like an unyielding sky pressing down on his head.
Moreover, if you look closely, the Regent Prince even had to bow to Gan Qiongying.
If it were truly Princess Duanrong, she might be afraid of the Regent. He was extremely powerful and ruthless, with the Empress Dowager as his backer, and Ganlin was controlled by the Empress Dowager. Princess Duanrong would be hesitant to confront the Regent, so she naturally wouldn't dare to go against him.
But Gan Qiongying wasn't afraid. She didn't confront things directly; her specialty was finding loopholes.
Develop stealthily.
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