The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 228 Bet

When Zheng Xun and Lü Mengying arrived at the scene, their attention was not drawn to the two people fighting.

They noticed several figures peering over the wall next to them.

They pointed at Zheng Xun for a moment, and then threw a few pebbles at her.

Calling them pebbles isn't quite right either, because the largest ones are as big as a fist. Young people are strong, and if such a stone were to hit someone on the head, it would surely take away half of their life.

Lu Mengying had been watching their movements closely. She raised her longsword, and with a few crisp clangs, the stones were knocked down.

The smug and carefree expressions of the people leaning against the wall vanished.

Their heads tucked back behind the wall, and they were about to escape when Lü Mengying quickly gathered her strength and gave chase.

Zheng Xun turned around.

Wu Zongyu knelt down with a thud, cold sweat pouring down his forehead again.

The two fighters were so engrossed in their fight that they haven't noticed anything unusual happening around them until now.

Zheng Xun said calmly, "Get up."

Wu Zongyu shakily got up, wanting to remind his two colleagues who were courting death.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, Zheng Xun gave him a slight sidelong glance.

He immediately lowered his head, knowing that there was no point in offering any advice; he could only let them fend for themselves.

Just as Pang Yunyi and Che Zhong'an were about to use their internal energy, Zheng Xun stepped forward and kicked each of them away.

The two who were suddenly pulled apart felt a surge of anger.

But after seeing who had kicked them away, the two fell silent instantly.

Pang Yunyi's bruised lips twitched: "Hiss... I must say, the princess has quite a bit of strength."

He thought his remark was quite humorous, and he burst out laughing as soon as he said it.

But no one else laughed.

Che Zhong'an lowered his head and knelt down silently.

Wu Zongyu looked left and right, feeling that it wouldn't be right not to kneel, so he knelt down as well.

Pang Yunyi's smile grew drier and drier under Zheng Xun's indifferent gaze, until it disappeared completely.

He quieted down, and Zheng Xun asked calmly, "Why aren't you smiling anymore?"

Pang Yunyi felt that the situation was a bit tricky, so he also knelt down.

At this moment, Lü Mengying returned, dragging three people who were tightly bound.

Their mouths were gagged, and they could only mumble and groan, unable to understand what they were saying.

Pang Yunyi and Che Chezhong'an were still somewhat unaware of the current situation, but they dared not ask, so they could only silently keep a low profile and hope that the princess would forget the mistake they had just made.

Zheng Xun's gaze shifted to the three of them.

"Mengying, let them speak."

The stuff in their mouths was removed, revealing that the corners of their mouths were torn and their chins were covered in saliva.

Zheng Xun admired their disheveled state and slowly walked up to them.

"I know why you're causing trouble. You don't believe in earthquakes? You think I'm spreading heresy?"

The fact that the three of them dared to be so presumptuous in front of Zheng Xun, even though they knew her identity, shows that they were all troublemakers at heart.

Even though they were already fish in the slaughter, aside from the initial panic when they were discovered, they didn't feel much fear.

The long-faced boy was the first to speak up: "Isn't that right?"

The man with slanted eyes chimed in, "Exactly, how ridiculous! You say there will be an earthquake, and then there really is?"

The last man with the small head said sarcastically, "That's why people say she's lucky. She was born a princess and can do whatever she wants!"

"But we cannot tolerate such willful behavior. Whether you want to kill or take the blame, it's up to you!"

He doesn't read many Facebook posts, and the few fancy phrases he's learned are all poorly written.

He was ignorant, but also impulsive! He was impulsive, but also foolish!

He even thought he was a hero speaking up for the people!

Pang Yunyi, who was kneeling next to him, was sore from kneeling that he changed to a more comfortable position and marveled at the sight.

He has admired very few people in his life, but today he has three more.

Perfect timing, since he had never seen Zheng Xun angry before, he could let them try it out for him.

Zheng Xun's tone remained as calm as ever; clearly, their words had no effect on her.

“Without learning etiquette, one cannot stand upright. Mengying, teach them how to behave when they see me.”

Lu Mengying pursed her lips, reached out and pinched the back of their heads one by one, forcing them to kowtow three times each.

The stones they threw in were laid out in front of them, their foreheads just touching the sharp edges.

Unsurprisingly, they were all covered in blood after the event.

Wu Zongyu turned his face away, feeling a pang of emotion.

She was, after all, a princess. No matter how approachable and devoted she was to her country and its people, her dignity was not to be offended.

Zheng Xun scrutinized them for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction: "Do you all think of yourselves as heroes who are not afraid of the powerful and wealthy?"

Rong Changlian stubbornly retorted, "Hmph! Does the princess intend to use her power to intimidate others?"

Zheng Xun smiled and said, "You proclaim your own righteousness, yet you incite the people among the populace. What, do you want to rebel and become emperor?"

No one dared to respond to that, as the three troublemakers weren't really planning a rebellion.

Of them, one wanted to make a name for himself in history, another was purely impulsive and thoughtless, and the last one was simply cynical.

Although their purposes differed, none of them intended to become traitors or rebels.

As for Zheng Xun being a princess?

A princess is not an emperor!

"Hmph, quite a few people know we've come to see the princess. If something were to happen to us, the princess would have to think carefully about how to appease the people."

The small-headed man was so arrogant that Zheng Xun had no doubt that if he hadn't been tied up, he would have definitely shown what it meant to be shameless.

"Oh? In that case, it seems I really can't do anything to you."

"It's good that the princess knows."

Zheng Xun sighed softly: "True courage lies in knowing without fear, while recklessness stems from ignorance; it is merely foolishness."

Her voice was low, and the three of them couldn't hear what she was saying. The man with the slanted eyes impatiently urged, "How does the princess intend to deal with us? Why not just give us a quick death?"

"You've used the pretext of attacking me to extort money from other people, haven't you?"

Rong Changlian rolled his eyes: "They insisted on giving it to us, it wasn't us who asked for it."

Zheng Xun let out a snort of laughter: "How about we make a bet?"

The three exchanged glances, and Rong Changlian spoke up, "What does the princess want to bet on?"

Gambling? That's what they're best at!

"Since you believe there won't be an earthquake, then don't move with the army. Two months from now, you'll stay at the foot of the small cliff to the west. Do you dare?"

The soil on the small cliff that Zheng Xun mentioned was loose, and it would collapse if there were any serious earthquakes.

"Of course I wouldn't dare!"

They agreed readily, not because they were confident, but simply because they felt Zheng Xun's prediction could not come true.

Zheng Xun smiled and said, "The stake is one hundred taels of gold. I can give you the gold in advance, but I have one condition."

They asked impatiently, "What are the conditions?!"

"This matter is known only to a few of us, and we must not tell anyone."