Chapter 120 The First Slap

Chapter 120 The First Slap

"What arrogance!"

The old veterinarian was so angry that his beard trembled, and he was about to say a few more sarcastic remarks.

"Approved."

A voice, cold as ice yet heavy as a thousand pounds, suddenly came from behind the crowd.

Everyone was startled and instinctively turned around.

Pei Yunjing was already standing at the entrance of the horse farm.

His black iron armor gleamed coldly in the firelight, and his narrow phoenix eyes, devoid of any warmth, swept coldly over everyone present.

"Your Highness!" Tie Kui exclaimed urgently, "This..."

Pei Yunjing raised his hand, stopping Tie Kui from speaking.

He didn't even glance at the veteran who had made great contributions, but walked straight behind Tang Li, his gaze fixed firmly on her slender yet upright back.

"Do as the princess says."

Pei Yunjing's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. His voice was soft, yet it carried a chilling, decisive air of killing intent.

"Bring the salt water and mung bean soup."

"Anyone who dares to be negligent shall be executed."

Once the order was given, no one dared to object.

Although everyone was still extremely skeptical, under the Regent's tyrannical power, they had no choice but to comply, even if it meant feeding the horses poison.

Soon, several buckets of concentrated brine and boiled mung bean and licorice soup were brought out.

"A few men, hold him down! Pry his mouth open!"

Tang Li rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her fair forearm, as white as lotus root, completely ignoring the white foam and filth constantly gushing from the sick horse's mouth.

She took the bucket and, without hesitation, roughly and decisively poured the salt water down the black horse's throat.

"Plop, pluck..."

The black horse struggled painfully, kicking wildly, splashing mud all over Tang Li's body and face.

Her expensive riding outfit was dirty, her face was covered in horse saliva and mud, and her hair was disheveled, making her look utterly wretched.

But the soldiers present, watching the princess who was usually pampered and spoiled, now wrestling with death for her warhorse in the mud like a skilled groom, gradually turned their contempt into astonishment.

She's working desperately.

For these beasts, for their rough and uncouth mounts, this delicate noblewoman is risking her life.

After administering the saline solution, a long wait begins.

A quarter of an hour passed.

The dark horse showed no signs of improvement, except that its convulsions became more severe.

The old veterinarian sneered, about to say, "I told you it wouldn't work."

"vomit--!!!"

The black horse on the ground suddenly neighed, then its abdomen contracted violently, and it vomited out large mouthfuls of filth mixed with undigested hay!

An even more pungent, sour stench filled the air.

"He threw up! He threw up!" Tang Li's eyes lit up. Ignoring the dirt, she patted the horse's back to help it catch its breath. "Good job! Throw it up again! Throw out all the poison!"

As the toxins were expelled, the black horse's convulsions actually gradually stopped.

Immediately afterwards, Tangli had someone force-feed her mung bean and licorice soup.

Time slips away, bit by bit.

More and more soldiers gathered around, and the entire horse farm fell silent, with thousands of eyes fixed on the fallen black horse.

Half an hour later.

The black horse, which had been looking dazed and on the verge of death, suddenly twitched its nostrils a few times.

It raised its front hooves, and amidst a breathless gaze, it swayed unsteadily, yet with extraordinary determination—

He stood up!

It flicked its tail, lowered its head to drink a mouthful of water from the clean trough, and then let out a clear hiss.

It's alive!

It's really alive!

Whoosh—!!!

The crowd erupted in cheers!

The long-suppressed despair transformed into deafening cheers at that moment.

"Amazing! He really stood up!"

"It's not the plague! It's really poisoning! Our horses are saved!"

"Your Highness is a divine physician!"

The soldiers were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes, and some even threw their hats into the air.

Thousands of warhorses! They were the lifeblood of the cavalry!

If they all die, how can we fight this battle?

The princess didn't just save the horse, she saved Yanmen Pass!

Amidst the cheers, Tie Kui stood still, his weathered face turning a deep purplish-red.

He looked at the warhorse that had stood up again, and then at Tangli, who was standing by the manger, covered in dirt but laughing loudly.

In that instant, shame, regret, admiration... all sorts of emotions welled up in my heart.

He was a rough man, and also very straightforward.

If he's wrong, he's wrong; Tie Kui never reneges on his promises!

"Thump!"

A dull, loud bang.

Tie Kui, as if overturning a mountain of gold and a jade pillar, knelt heavily before the entire army and the frail woman he had previously looked down upon!

"Your Highness!"

Tie Kui's eyes were filled with tears, his voice choked yet loud:

"This humble general is blind! He's a complete scoundrel!"

"This humble general nearly caused the deaths of these thousands of warhorses, and almost wronged Your Highness! This humble general... apologizes to you! As for your punishment, Your Highness, please decide!"

As he knelt down, the generals and soldiers around him who had been privately discussing "femme fatales" also knelt down in unison.

"Please punish me, Your Highness!"

The voice was deafening; this time there was no perfunctory attitude, no disdain, only heartfelt respect.

That slap was loud and satisfying.

Tang Li looked at the seven-foot-tall men kneeling on the ground and let out a soft breath.

She wiped the mud off her face, walked up to Tie Kui, and reached out the hands that had just been shoveling horse manure to help the one-armed veteran up.

"General Tie, you flatter me."

Tang Li didn't put on airs, nor did she take the opportunity to humiliate anyone. Her gaze was clear and open, and her voice was calm:

"General, your concern for the war is for the greater good. What crime have you committed?"

"Although I don't understand warfare, I know that a horse is a soldier's legs. Now that the legs have been saved..."

Tang Li's gaze suddenly turned cold, revealing a sharpness identical to Pei Yunjing's:

"Now we should investigate who this traitor is who mixed this 'heartbreak grass' into our fodder!"

Tie Kui was shocked. Looking at the seemingly weak but actually shrewd woman in front of him, the last trace of contempt in his eyes completely vanished.

"Your subordinate obeys! Dig three feet into the ground and find that scoundrel who poisoned us!"

...

Not far away.

Pei Yunjing stood quietly in the shadows, not disturbing her moment of glory.

He looked at the small woman standing among a group of rough men, her clothes dirty and her hair disheveled.

She looked so disheveled, not at all like a noble princess.

But in Pei Yunjing's eyes, she was a thousand times more dazzling at this moment than when she was wearing the most gorgeous palace dress and sitting on the most noble phoenix throne.

That was his woman.

Not only can she act coquettishly in his arms, but she can also make thousands of soldiers bow down in this battlefield of carnage.

"Oh."

Pei Yunjing chuckled softly, his eyes filled with undisguised pride and doting affection.

He turned around and gave instructions to Han Zheng behind him:

"Go, boil some water."

"Burn more."

Han Zheng was taken aback: "Does Your Highness wish to take a bath?"

"No."

Pei Yunjing looked at the figure directing the soldiers to detoxify the horse, his voice incredibly gentle:

"My queen is tired."

"I will personally... wash her feet."