Chapter 7 The First Subordinate Recruited

Chapter 7: Her First Recruit

Ji Yuntang wiped the blood from her knife and tossed the handkerchief aside, a predatory grin curling her crimson lips.

“Wrong. There was no connection before—but now there is. What my husband and I jointly own now supports you. Everything within Prince Ye’s residence—half belongs to Prince Ye, half to me. So tell me: do I or do I not have the authority?”

“Servants must know their place. Arrogance—and abusing your master—will tarnish the mansion’s reputation if word spreads. You have one day to vacate the Elegant Rhyme Pavilion. If you’re still here tomorrow, my blade won’t be so selective about its targets.”

Having spoken, Ji Yuntang glanced at the trembling Nanny Xu and the battered, bruised Liu Linlang, then hoisted her massive blade onto her shoulder and strode away. The two instantly exhaled in relief.

But moments later, their hearts leapt into their throats again as a small dagger flashed from nowhere, severing the pearl necklace around Nanny Xu’s neck. She shrieked and collapsed onto the floor.

Large pearls scattered across the tiles, and Ji Yuntang’s icy voice rang out once more.

“Oh—right. I nearly forgot to remind you: this courtyard belongs to Prince Ye’s residence. You are forbidden from removing anything from it. What the Emperor granted me—the Prince’s monthly stipend and operational expenses—I trust both the Ministry of Revenue and the mansion’s ledgers hold full records. I’ll schedule a thorough audit soon. Reflect carefully—and make restitution for any shortages immediately. Otherwise, I won’t show mercy.”

Ji Yuntang brushed dust from her hands and departed. Liu Linlang hauled herself upright, disheveled and grimacing with resentment.

“Mother, what do we do now? Must I really move out? Every item in the Elegant Rhyme Pavilion was painstakingly collected and arranged by me over the years. I’ve lived here so long—I can’t bear to hand it all over to that wretch!”

Nanny Xu had been utterly humiliated today, her face burning with fury. Though equally unwilling, she retained some composure. “Linlang—enough of this nonsense!”

“Didn’t you see how she made an example of us just now? She slaughtered those men right before our eyes—to warn us. Defying her now risks leaving evidence, making people believe Prince Ye’s servants truly are arrogant and abusive toward their master.”

“With lives already lost here, ill fortune has already settled upon this place. Let that wretch revel in her arrogance—for now. Once she’s gone, I’ll secure you a larger, finer residence. Do you truly think we won’t reclaim everything in time?”

Mother and daughter exchanged a glance—identical shrewdness gleaming in their eyes.

Silently, they vowed Ji Yuntang would pay for today’s humiliation with her life.

Ji Yuntang, however, remained oblivious to having made enemies of this pair. Even if she’d known, she wouldn’t have cared. A renowned military physician who had stared death in the face for nearly a decade—what kind of carnage hadn’t she witnessed?

She had long forged an unyielding will. Cross her, and she struck back—hard. At worst, she could begin anew.

Having dealt with them, she felt thoroughly invigorated.

This body was still severely out of shape.

After killing several men, Ji Yuntang keenly sensed its exhaustion and frailty.

She sighed softly. “I still need proper training—to regain the physical condition of my former life. At the very least, I should be able to drop an ox with a single punch, right?”

As Ji Yuntang entered the West Courtyard, a towering figure loomed before her, blocking her path.

“What? Not satisfied with this morning? Looking for another round?” Her eyes darkened. Seeing Chen Hu advance with hostility, she clenched her fists into a ready stance.

Unexpectedly, the next second, Chen Hu dropped to his knees with a heavy thud, his expression pitiful.

“Princess—please save me! I was blind—I didn’t know whom I offended! Grant me the antidote!”

“From this moment on, within this residence, I swear absolute obedience to your every command—I will follow your lead without question.”

The imposing, six-foot-something man knelt on the ground, stripped of his earlier arrogance, utterly cowed.

Chen Hu truly had no other choice.

After Ji Yuntang stabbed his leg, he’d dismissed it as minor and casually summoned an elderly physician.

But the moment the blade was withdrawn, the bleeding refused to stop.

The old doctor warned him he might become the first young man in the Dongchen Kingdom to bleed to death from an unclottable wound.

Convinced the physician incompetent, Chen Hu beat him and kicked both him and his medicine chest out.

Thereafter, every pharmacy he visited was either closed—or the physician absent.

He tried over a dozen; none would treat him.

Back home, the wound grew increasingly painful; even the slightest movement sent searing agony through his bones.

Chen Hu finally realized Ji Yuntang hadn’t been joking about the poison. Its nature was too strange—even the old physician couldn’t detect it.

He’d assumed she was bluffing. Now he knew—he would die without treatment.

And the only person who could save him was Ji Yuntang.

What were integrity or wealth compared to his life? Neither mattered more than survival. He was intelligent—adaptable.

Ji Yuntang studied Chen Hu and arched a brow. “You’re truly willing to serve me?”

She had no reliable personnel within Prince Ye’s residence. Chen Hu possessed martial prowess. Reckless though he was, recruiting him could prove useful.

“Willing—absolutely willing! Just save me, and from now on, I’ll obey only you. Whatever you command, I’ll carry out without hesitation.”

Ji Yuntang pursed her lips faintly—playing it safe. She retrieved a black pill from her storage space and handed it over.

“Very well. I’ll save you. Take this antidote. Return to me every half-month for a dose—until you’ve completed six months’ worth. Only then will the poison be fully neutralized.”

“Until then, guard the West Courtyard without stepping outside—protecting both the Prince and me. Should anything happen to me, no one—not even heaven—can save your life.”

Chen Hu knew Ji Yuntang still didn’t trust him—and was keeping him on a tight leash. He resented living at another’s mercy, yet he was powerless.

Moreover, news of Ji Yuntang’s punishment of Nanny Xu and her daughter had already spread like wildfire among the servants.

He understood this Princess bore no resemblance to the weak rumors circulating before. Her bearing and courage surpassed those of the previous four Princes combined.

Perhaps Ji Yuntang truly possessed the ability to transform Prince Ye’s residence.

“Yes—this subordinate pledges his life to protect the Prince and the Princess.”

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