The trusted aides lowered their heads in shame and reported, "Three rounds of torture have been used, but they still refuse to speak."
Zhao Hanzhang instructed them to be lowered slightly, so that their toes just touched the ground but they couldn't fully stand. This caused them to sway a bit, and they eventually relied on their bound arms for balance.
Standing straight, Zhao Hanzhang was only slightly shorter than them, but with their heads lowered, they appeared even smaller than Zhao Hanzhang.
She took the whip from the trusted aide, lifted one of their chins to scrutinize them, then after a moment stepped back and looked them up and down with a slight smile. "You're lucky my favored general, Yuan Li, is not in the Northern Lands right now, or he could have given you a proper welcome. But you're also unlucky to have provoked me when I have little patience."
