Zhou Sui didn't speak, but his rising and falling chest indicated he still had a breath of life in him.
Jiang Jin looked around and saw the woman who had spoken earlier; she was currently staring at her with a face full of terror.
Jiang Jin searched through her memories and identified the woman as the original owner's older sister, Jiang Ru, whose biological mother was Beauty Hua.
Her gaze then swept toward the young man who had been 'bullied' earlier, Xu Xiao, her future imperial consort.
Xu Xiao was three years older than the original owner, turning sixteen this year. His father was Grand Commandant Xu, one of the Three Ducal Ministers. He was the consort the empress had arranged for the original owner when she was eleven.
Interestingly enough, Jiang Ru and Xu Xiao had long since secretly consummated an affair.
The original owner had accidentally discovered this half a year ago during a visit back to the palace and informed her mother, Empress Ji Yue.
Ji Yue was furious, but due to various reasons, the engagement was never canceled, even until the Yan Kingdom was destroyed.
Jiao Liang liked beautiful women and handsome men, especially enjoying them at the same time. If the man and woman were a married or engaged couple, it would excite him even more.
Therefore, Xu Xiao, the original owner's fiancé, was also bundled up and sent to Jiao Liang.
Recalling how those two had just pushed her out to act as a human shield, the corners of Jiang Jin's mouth couldn't help but curl up.
She hopped forward two steps and arrived beside the round-faced soldier.
If she remembered correctly, the round-faced soldier was the one who kept the keys to the hand and foot shackles for their group.
She crouched down and felt around his waist, sure enough, finding a ring of keys.
Finding the key that fit the hole of her foot shackles, she inserted it and twisted. Click. It opened!
Feeling physically and mentally delighted, Jiang Jin kicked the shackles away.
Moving quickly, she went over to unlock the wooden cangue and the hand and foot shackles for her ally, Zhou Sui.
Jiang Jin looked at his slightly trembling eyelids. "Find your own food and treat your wounds."
Zhou Sui had many visible wounds on his body, but none were fatal. For someone like him who fought in wars year-round, it wasn't a big deal; he was mainly just starving.
It was simply because Zhou Sui was too fierce; wearing a wooden cangue and shackles wasn't enough to put people at ease. So along the way, they only gave him a sip of water and a bite of coarse grain steamed bun every two or three days, just enough to keep him alive.
Zhou Sui's eyelids trembled violently until he finally opened his eyes. He rolled his eyes, looking up at Jiang Jin with a complex and bewildered gaze.
Jiang Jin ignored him and walked over to the frail man who had been kicked unconscious by Captain Zhao.
This person was the eunuch director who served by Ji Yue's side, Dong Si.
A eunuch director meant he was a eunuch.
Jiang Jin crouched down and checked his breathing. He was still alive. She thought for a moment and decided to use the oldest trick in the book: pinching his philtrum!
"Hiss!"
Dong Si woke up. He was dazed for a few breaths before suddenly bolting upright, shouting, "Princess, Princess!"
He looked around anxiously and saw corpses scattered all over the ground. His eyes filled with horror, and his body went soft. He struggled to crawl toward the bodies. "Princess, woo woo, Princess, where are you?"
Jiang Jin: "...I am right here."
She was clearly crouching right next to him, yet he completely missed her.
Dong Si froze, hurriedly turning to look in the direction of the voice, surprise flashing in his eyes. "Princess, you... you are alright?"
Seeing her covered in blood and grime, he prostrated on the ground, his voice choked with sobs. "Princess, it is all this servant's fault. This servant failed to protect you well."
Jiang Jin stood up and instructed, "Gather the supplies. We need to leave as soon as possible."
Dong Si looked up at the princess, who seemed somewhat different. A moment of confusion flashed in the depths of his eyes, but he still replied, "Understood."
Although he was Empress Ji Yue's eunuch director, he actually knew nothing about Princess Jinyang.
Princess Jinyang had always been raised in Yinshan Temple, only returning to the palace to stay for less than half a month each year.
Jiang Jin stopped paying attention to him and walked toward Jiang Ru.
Jiang Ru was trembling like a leaf. The way Jiang Jin had just killed someone had frightened her out of her wits.
She didn't understand how Jiang Jin had suddenly changed so drastically. Although they didn't interact much, she knew very well that Jinyang was well-protected by Empress Ji Yue and had a rather cowardly temperament.
Watching the blood-soaked Jiang Jin walk toward her was like seeing a vengeful ghost coming to claim her life.
She explained with a trembling voice, "S-Sixth Sister, I... I didn't mean to do that just now. I was just... just too scared."
Jiang Jin arrived in front of her, crouched down, and pressed a hand onto her shoulder, her expression gentle. "It's fine. I don't mind."
Jiang Ru felt a surge of joy in her heart. She raised her doe-like eyes and looked timidly at Jiang Jin. Before the smile on her face could even bloom, she heard a faint 'pfft' sound, followed by a sharp pain spreading from her chest.
Jiang Jin whispered in her ear, "Because, death cancels all debts!"
The dagger was pulled out of Jiang Ru's heart, once again making the sickening sound of tearing flesh.
Fear and pain twisted Jiang Ru's face, and blood spilled from her mouth. "You... you..."
Wiping the dagger on Jiang Ru's clothes, Jiang Jin's voice was calm and rippleless.
"Don't worry, your dear Lord Xu, I'll send him down to accompany you in a moment, so you two can be a pair of happy lovebirds."
Jiang Ru's pupils shrank. She knew!
It turned out, she knew everything!!
No wonder, no wonder Empress Ji Yue had been constantly tormenting her recently!
Thud. Jiang Ru fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Her face was twisted and hideous from fear, dying with her eyes wide open in grievance.
Not far away, Xu Xiao watched all this in horror, unable to speak a single word.
Seeing Jiang Jin walking toward him, he was so terrified that he scrambled up to run, only to be tripped by the shackles on his feet and crash to the ground.
Jiang Jin smiled. She stepped forward, planted a foot on Xu Xiao's back, and plunged the white blade in, pulling it out red.
In just a few breaths, Xu Xiao's violently struggling body went limp. After confirming he was dead, Jiang Jin finally stood up and looked at the two concubines.
She actually didn't recognize these two. The original owner wasn't often in the palace, and Emperor Yan was a passionate man. While his harem might not have had three thousand beauties, there were at least three hundred, and they were frequently replaced.
Feeling Jiang Jin's gaze, the two concubines were so frightened that they prostrated on the ground, their bodies trembling non-stop.
Jiang Jin furrowed her brows slightly and ignored them, instead looking at Dong Si, who was currently looting the corpses.
Dong Si paused his actions and gave an awkward smile. "Princess, they might have copper coins on them. This servant just thought, just thought..."
He came from a poor family and had entered the palace to become a eunuch because he couldn't survive otherwise, so he understood the hardships of this world better than anyone.
Jiang Jin smiled. "You are doing very well. Keep going."
Dong Si's eyes grew slightly hot. He thought the princess was going to reprimand him, but he didn't expect to receive praise instead.
At this moment, Jiang Jin could never have imagined that because of her single word of praise, she would later have a top-tier master corpse-looter by her side.
Zhou Sui had already eaten some of the dry steamed buns left by the soldiers and drank some water, regaining a bit of his strength.
He hesitated for a moment, endured his body's weakness, stood up, and asked, "Princess, is our next step to head to Sizhou?"
Of the five major provinces of the Yan Kingdom, the three provinces north of the Shen River—Chongzhou, Fengzhou, and Juanzhou—had basically been divided and occupied by Jiao, Ji, and Qu Zhao.
Only a few scattered counties and commanderies were governing themselves and resisting stubbornly.
The two provinces south of the Shen River were Sizhou and Haijiazhou.
Haijiazhou was similarly occupied by the Jiao army.
Meanwhile, Jiji Commandery in Sizhou was the fiefdom of the First Prince, Jiang Chun. Currently, Sizhou was controlled by Jiang Chun and could be considered the only legitimate power left in the Yan Kingdom.
The country was broken, homes were destroyed, the land had fallen, and wars were incessant. The common people were displaced, and devastation was everywhere.
In such chaotic times, the only one who could shelter the princess was probably the First Prince in Sizhou.
Jiang Jin looked in the direction of Liangcheng, a trace of bloodlust flashing in her eyes. "No, we are going to Liangcheng!"
