Chapter 53 He was forced into it.

Aqi helped Lu Jinlan into the carriage. Lingxia watched the carriage drive away and her smile vanished instantly.

"Tch, what kind of top student from the Royal Academy is she? She gets all dizzy when she sees a man. I thought she was so cautious. What a fool, hmph."

Ah Qi helped Lu Jinlan back to her room and frowned as he saw her passed out on the bed.

As Ah Qi took off her shoes, he grumbled inwardly.

Lu Jinlan, oh Lu Jinlan, how could you be so lustful? What are you doing in Beizhou? You have official business to attend to, and someone offers you a man of unknown background, and you dare to accept him? Lust is a dangerous thing, are you out of your mind? Frivolous! Shallow! Even if you're not a bad person, you're still a fool!

Ah Qi gritted his teeth, threw his shoes on the ground, and sat on the edge of the bed, sulking.

Suddenly, he felt a weight on him as a pair of arms wrapped around his neck, the smell of alcohol mixed with fragrance warmly lingering around his ear.

Ah Qi felt his ears getting hot, and his body tensed up involuntarily.

Lu Jinlan leaned on his shoulder with dazed eyes and mumbled, "Your name is A-Qi?"

"yes."

What's your surname?

"No surname."

"How can it not have a surname?"

"Without a home, without knowing one's mother or father, one has no surname."

Lu Jinlan slightly opened her eyes and touched his reddened ears. "Did you have a hard childhood?"

A group of children flashed through Ah Qi's mind, practicing kung fu shirtless. Some were six or seven years old, some four or five. The master held a wooden stick as thick as a wrist, and would hit anyone who didn't do well. Every child was covered in bruises; it seemed that there wasn't a time in their entire childhood when they weren't injured.

The tears welled up in Ah Qi's eyes and then dispersed. She only said, "It's alright, but I sometimes feel envious when I see children who are loved by their parents."

He glanced at her and saw that she was drowsy, not knowing whether she was asleep or awake, so he said to himself, "When I was little, I especially loved eating candied hawthorns. I had to save up my allowance for a month to afford one. But I didn't want to eat the ones I bought myself; I wanted to eat the ones my parents bought."

"So every time I bought some, I would stick it in a crack in the wall, run around to the back, and pretend that my parents had come to see me. They couldn't find me, but they left me the candied hawthorns, haha."

As Ah Qi spoke, he secretly found himself amusing, thinking: Why am I telling this to a drunkard?

When he turned around, Lu Jinlan was staring blankly at him, her eyes watery.

He thought she was too drunk; she had even gotten alcohol in her eyes.

Lu Jinlan rubbed her eyes. "Go and have someone bring us bathwater so we can bathe and change."

Shower? Change clothes? Wait, what about us?

Ah Qi instantly felt hatred for Lu Jinlan again. Ha! Women.

You try to talk to her about your past, about romance and childhood trauma, trying to help her understand your past, but all she wants to do is sleep.

Lu Jinlan was soaking in the bathtub when Aqi gritted his teeth and shook her clothes behind the screen, making a rustling sound as if there was something dirty on them.

Lu Jinlan coughed lightly, "Where is he? Why are you dawdling?"

Thinking of his undercover mission, Ah Qi took a deep breath and walked over with his head bowed. "Lord Lu, what can I do for you... um!"

Lu Jinlan grabbed his collar and forcibly demanded a kiss.

Warm lips pressed against his, and the man was so nervous he forgot to breathe. He heard a loud thumping in his ears, and after a while, he realized it was his own heart.

A brief, fleeting kiss. After it ended, Lu Jinlan licked her lips and looked at his motionless figure. Lu Jinlan laughed, "Just a kiss, and you got all scared. Commander Ling said you're good at serving people, but you don't seem like it to me. You haven't learned anything, she's not lying to me, is she?"

When Ah Qi heard that she was suspicious, she quickly said, "No, I...I learned. Master taught me everything, but I'm new here and haven't been learning for long, so I haven't learned well. But I've learned how to serve women."

"Really?" Lu Jinlan looked at his serious expression and found it amusing.

This man first disguised himself as an assassin to kill her, then as a disaster victim to secretly observe her, and now he's posing as a young master for her amusement, saying he wants to serve her. He seems to really enjoy role-playing; Lu Jinlan really wants to play along.

"When we get to bed later, you'll show me what you've learned."

Ah Qi froze. Even just looking at his back, one could tell that he was gritting his teeth.

Lu Jinlan lay on the bed, thinking that he would keep dawdling until she fell asleep, so she considerately pretended to be asleep.

She had indeed drunk too much, and after pretending for a while, she actually fell asleep. In her hazy state, she felt a slight itch on her feet, and she vaguely wondered: How come there are rats in the Northern Governor's mansion?

She instinctively kicked him, and heard a cry of pain. Ah Qi sat on the ground, covering his nose, glaring angrily at her.

Lu Jinlan instantly understood. She could easily imagine how A Qi had tragically gotten into bed, kissed her feet with a do-or-die attitude, only to be kicked off the bed by her.

Lu Jinlan didn't want to laugh, but she couldn't help it.

"Hahahaha..."

Ah Qi secretly glanced at her, then, remembering the language skills her master had taught her, she forced herself to say, "I am honored to make you smile, sir."

He squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, as if to say: Laugh, laugh yourself to death!

Lu Jinlan suppressed a laugh, rubbed his hands, and pulled him down to lie down. "Alright, I'll let you off the hook today. No need to show off your learning achievements, go to sleep."

She really wanted him to fall asleep, but the person in her arms remained stiff, as if Lu Jinlan were holding a piece of wood.

Can't sleep?

"Yeah, I have trouble falling asleep."

“When I was little, I couldn’t sleep, so my mom would press my neck. After pressing it a couple of times, I would fall asleep. Let me press it for you.”

Ah Qi was flattered and said, "I dare not trouble you, sir."

"Hey, just think of me as your mother. A few massages will help you get a good night's sleep, but your neck will be a little sore when you wake up."

As Lu Jinlan spoke, she gently massaged the back of his neck, then unexpectedly pressed on his sleeping acupoint.

Ah Qi's neck went limp, and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

*

Zhao Zhiyu, Xiang Ruzhen, and Yan Wuxin returned late. As soon as they arrived at the government office, they heard that Lu Jinlan had brought a man back with her.

Zhao Zhiyu couldn't help but laugh and said, "She's really blinded by lust. I'm sure she knows that she doesn't care for gold and silver, but she'll definitely accept a man if you give her one."

Yan Wuxin said, "I was saying that Cheng Yuanqing invited us all to leave. If I were here, I would definitely stop her."

Xiang Ruzhen shook her head with a smile, "You? Forget it. If you go with her, you'll bring back two men of unknown origin tonight."

The two laughed, and Yan Wuxin retorted, "That's not necessarily true. I have plenty of men at home, and I don't like eating wild vegetables. Jinlan, on the other hand, is indiscriminate in her tastes; she'll pluck any wild grass she can find."

"Ahem!" A cough came from inside Xiang Ruzhen's room. Lu Jinlan walked forward, holding a newly lit candle. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the wine, but her eyes were incredibly clear. She smiled and said, "Talking behind people's backs, aren't you afraid of biting your tongue?"

Yan Wuxin asked in surprise, "Oh, didn't you bring a man back? It's the middle of the night, a time when the brocade quilts are in full bloom, why are you out here?"

Lu Jinlan pursed her lips. "Let's get down to business. Have you found any information at the Northern Prefecture camp?"

Zhao Zhiyu and Xiang Ruzhen exchanged a glance and sighed helplessly.

Zhao Zhiyu said, "Since they dared to invite us over, they must have prepared a foolproof plan. We can't see anything wrong with it."

Xiang Ruzhen said, "I took a walk around the camp. The Ling family army has very good food, and the soldiers are living very comfortably. They are living such good lives that they are not grateful to the court, but only to the Ling family. They are united as one. If we investigate the Ling family, it will only arouse the soldiers' resentment. They have no reason to leak information to us."

Yan Wuxin said, "Moreover, if they stole the disaster relief funds, it must have been through their trusted confidants. How could trusted confidants easily betray their superiors? I think the Northern State Camp is a monolithic entity, with no loopholes for us to exploit."

Zhao Zhiyu thought for a moment and asked Lu Jinlan, "I suppose it's the same at the garrison headquarters?"

Lu Jinlan said, "The soldiers at the garrison are also surnamed Ling, so they are naturally the same as those in the Northern State camp. However, I am sure that our previous actions frightened them, forcing them to be afraid. Once they were afraid, they took action, and once they took action, they gave themselves away."

Zhao Zhiyu didn't understand, "What clue?"

Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "Your Highness, the horse's tracks are right on my bed."

Yan Wuxin was taken aback, then said, "No, no! They must have ulterior motives for sending you a man at this time. But what can a man accomplish? He definitely has no direct connection with the Ling family, so catching him wouldn't be of any use. Even if he's a spy, he can only pass on messages or something. We haven't found anything, so his passing on trivial matters won't affect us."

Xiang Ruzhen said, "That's not right. We know we haven't found anything, but the other side doesn't. If we can use this spy, we can let him pass on whatever information we want the Ling family to know. We can use false information to confuse Cheng Yuanqing and Ling Xia, forcing them to lose their composure, and then we can fish in troubled waters."

Lu Jinlan said, "That's exactly what I meant."

Zhao Zhiyu smiled broadly, "Great! It was a complete mess, and we didn't know where to start, but the other party threw out a loose thread themselves."

Lu Jinlan continued, "Actually, I've had a feeling these past few days. I felt that the people who assassinated me at Tingfeng Post Station and those who robbed the disaster relief funds were not the same group. The assassin's goal was to take my life, while the group that stole the disaster relief funds did so for money. But I couldn't figure out why the assassin wanted to kill me. Until today, when Ling Xia handed this man to me, it all became clear. Because this man is one of the male assassins who tried to kill me."

"What?" Yan Wuxin was quite shocked. "So, you're in great danger?"

Lu Jinlan waved his hand and pulled the kettle and cups on the table closer to him.

“This cup represents the Ling family army of Beizhou. We all know that their masters are the Ling sisters.”

She placed the cup in front of everyone and then put the kettle next to it.

“Cheng Yuanqing and Ling Xia, acting on the orders of the Ling sisters, robbed the disaster relief funds. Their relationship is very close, and we have no way to take action against them.”

She picked up the second cup. "This cup represents those male assassins. Since Ling Xia disguised the assassins as young masters and gave them to me, we can be sure that the assassins' master is also surnamed Ling."

"Wait a minute!" Xiang Ruzhen exclaimed, puzzled. "Why would the Ling sisters send someone to assassinate you?"

Lu Jinlan glanced at Zhao Zhiyu, "Your Highness should know the reason."

"Me?" Zhao Zhiyu thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "That's right, I should have known. The assassination attempt on you must have been carried out by the Ling family. The reason is simple: the Song family army and the Ling family army have been keeping each other in check on the border for over a decade. General Song has no daughter, and the Ling sisters could have simply waited for her to grow old, at which point the Song family army would have been no threat. But then Jinlan and Song Lincheng got engaged, and suddenly the Song family army had an heir, and this heir was a young prodigy at that. How could the Ling family not be wary?"

Lu Jinlan nodded and said, "I guess that's the reason, but the assassin failed. Right now, the biggest threat to the Ling sisters is the disaster relief fund case. They can kill me whenever they want, there's no rush. So, they changed their strategy and wanted to use my womanizing ways to plant a spy by my side to gather information about us."

Yan Wuxin clapped his hands. "Brilliant! I think their plan to use a handsome man involves three steps: first, gain your trust; second, utilize your information channels; and third, kill you after they've confirmed your identity. A double kill with one move."

Lu Jinlan nodded, but Xiang Ruzhen said with some worry, "But what if they find out that things have been exposed and this man makes a move on you beforehand? No, it's too risky for him to eat and sleep with you."

Yan Wuxin smiled and said, "Ruzhen, you don't understand. Which man could resist our talented Lu? Don't underestimate Jinlan's charm. She even bewitched the arrogant Young Master Song. Have you forgotten about the ancestral worship incident in the cafeteria?"

Lu Jinlan took a sip of tea and smiled without saying a word.

Zhao Zhiyu asked, "Are you confident in this man?"

Lu Jinlan said firmly, "I'm at least certain that he won't take my life."

Zhao Zhiyu didn't believe it. "That's a cold-blooded killer that the Ling family has been raising for over a decade. Where do you get the confidence to make him betray his master?"

Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "First, he's a man of principle, not cold-blooded. Second, he was the one who gave us the steamed buns that day. Tell me, if you were going to kill someone, would you worry about whether they're hungry?"

Zhao Zhiyu shook his head with a smile, "I admit defeat. So, this person seems quite interested in you. What do you plan to do with him after this is done? Will you follow Wu Xin's three-step approach: trust him, use him, and then kill him?"

Lu Jinlan rubbed her temples, and the image of Ah Qi lying on the ground with a dark face and covering his nose flashed in her mind. She curled the corners of her mouth and said, "I haven't thought about it yet. Let's finish the first two steps first."

Zhao Zhiyu said, "Then let's do it this way for now. The rest of us will lead people to search around, making it seem like we won't rest until we get to the bottom of it. Jinlan will be responsible for appealing to his emotions and coaxing that man into thinking that he has gained your trust."

Lu Jinlan shook his head. "Your Highness, trying to appease him might arouse suspicion from him and his master. Doing the opposite might be more effective."

Yan Wuxin's eyes lit up, "I get it! You just need to force yourself on him, tease him a bit, push him onto the bed, and then force yourself on him..."

"Stop!" Lu Jinlan wanted to cover her mouth, and said with disgust, "Forcing him will only backfire. Winning his heart is better than winning his body."

Zhao Zhiyu agreed, "So, you already have an idea?"

Lu Jinlan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Please cooperate, everyone."

*

When Aqi woke up, Lu Jinlan was still asleep.

He rubbed his neck, which was indeed a little sore, but he slept very well.

He tiptoed out of bed, went outside to fetch a basin of warm water, and prepared to help Lu Jinlan wash up.

However, just as he stepped through the archway, someone suddenly covered his mouth.

The basin of water crashed to the ground with a clatter. Ah Qi instinctively wanted to retaliate, but then he suddenly remembered that he was just a young master who served others and shouldn't reveal his skills. So he had no choice but to let the other party drag him to the door of a room.

"Go inside!" Xiang Ruzhen pushed him.

Ah Qi fell to the ground. When he looked up, he saw the eldest princess sitting upright in a chair, Yan Wuxin standing to the side, and Xiang Ruzhen blocking the doorway. All three of them were scrutinizing him with their eyes.

Had I been exposed? Ah Qi's heart tightened.

Zhao Zhiyu lowered his head and stirred his tea. "The one called Aqi, go forward and answer the question."

Ah Qi crawled a few steps and obediently knelt down in front of her.

Zhao Zhiyu pinched his chin and carefully examined his face. "Hmm, a fine appearance. No wonder they sent you to act as a spy."

Ah Qi was startled and quickly denied it: "What spy? I don't know anything about it."

*Slap!* Zhao Zhiyu slapped someone across the face, startling everyone in the room.

Zhao Zhiyu said, "Such dishonesty, I think you're tired of living. Speak! Who sent you? What is your purpose in staying by Lord Lu's side?"

Ah Qi argued, "I'm just a young master that someone bought with their money. I serve whoever my master tells me to. Since Lord Lu is willing to take me in, I naturally want to stay by her side so that I can have someone to rely on for the rest of my life."

Zhao Zhiyu snorted coldly, "Such a stubborn mouth. Men, give it a good beating!"

"stop!"

Ah Qi turned around abruptly and saw Lu Jinlan striding in with a stern face.

She frowned as she looked at his swollen face and said coldly, "Your Highness, if I have done anything wrong, you may punish me. Why make things difficult for the people around me? If word gets out that you have laid a hand on a weak man, it will only damage your reputation."

Zhao Zhiyu clicked his tongue. "Jinlan, how could you be so muddle-headed? We're currently investigating the theft of disaster relief funds with great urgency. How can we allow irrelevant people around us at this time?"

Lu Jinlan said, "Your Highness misunderstands. He is just a young master I casually asked for from Commander Ling. He is just there to serve me. He will not affect important matters."

"Is that so?" Zhao Zhiyu glanced at Yan Wuxin.

Yan Wuxin immediately stepped forward, grabbed A Qi's hand, pried open his palm, and pressed it. "He has thin calluses on his palm; he is a martial artist."

Lu Jinlan was taken aback. Aqi hurriedly said, "I only know some rudimentary martial arts, just for self-defense. I'm really not a spy. Lord Lu, you have to believe me."

He tugged at Lu Jinlan's clothes, pleading urgently.

Lu Jinlan sighed softly, "Your Highness, the world is so chaotic, it's only natural for men to learn martial arts. Which of my men doesn't know martial arts? There's nothing to be surprised about."

Zhao Zhiyu said helplessly, "Alright, if you insist on protecting him, I won't force you. Even a heroine can't resist a handsome man, but Jinlan, let's be clear from the start. At this critical juncture, if something happens to someone close to you..."

Lu Jinlan said sternly, "If anything happens to him, I will take full responsibility. Whether he is dismissed or demoted, it is entirely up to him."

As Lu Jinlan spoke, she pulled up Ah Qi, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Let's go."

Ah Qi followed her with a heavy heart. The two returned to the room. Lu Jinlan looked at his injuries and frowned, muttering, "Who told them to attack? And to beat him so badly."

Ah Qi quickly replied, "It's alright, I get beaten up all the time."

Lu Jinlan was taken aback. "Huh?"

"Well, because I learn to serve people slowly, my master will punish me."

Lu Jinlan sighed, gently applied some medicine to him, and said earnestly, "You can get used to anything, but you can't get used to being beaten. You need to change this bad habit."

Ah Qi was silent for a moment, then said, "It was just a slap. As long as you believe me, sir, I won't feel any pain."

Lu Jinlan pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "It's not that I trust you, it's just that I don't want to see you die. In that situation just now, if I hadn't protected you, you would have certainly died."

Ah Qi was stunned for a moment, her heart almost stopping. She murmured, "Aren't you afraid that if something really happens, His Highness will hold you accountable?"

Lu Jinlan smiled brightly, "I, Lu Jinlan, am known for my romantic affairs, not because I have many men. It's because I am responsible for my actions and never let any man down. I don't want you to die because of me. Even if you betray me in the future, I will only blame myself for misjudging you. However, to die under the peony is to die romantically, even as a ghost. Even if I go to jail for you, it won't tarnish my reputation as a romantic and talented woman."

She stroked Ah Qi's cheek and said gently, "Now it's just the two of us here. Tell me honestly, did you come here with ulterior motives?"

"Don't be afraid. Even if you were arranged by Commander Ling, I will let you go. The infighting and fighting are women's business, and you, a man, shouldn't be involved. Even if you were arranged by them, I believe it's not your fault. You are just a pawn, with no choice in your own life, and I will never make things difficult for you."

Ah Qi stood there, stunned. Lu Jinlan's words were completely unexpected and caught him off guard. He had clearly come to harm her, yet she had saved him, protected him, applied medicine to him, and was even letting him go. But if he really left, what awaited him when he returned would surely be a punishment worse than death.

He was confused. Why did the master he swore to serve always punish and beat him? And why did the woman he had carefully plotted against show him so much pity?

In a moment of impulse, he thought: I should leave her now, so as not to hurt her. Whether I go back or live or die, it's all my fate; I can only live this life without control of my own destiny.

But then he thought again: If I leave, Master will just send someone else. She's so naive; she'll be killed sooner or later. If I leave, I'll never have the chance to be by her side again. It's better to stay here and spend as much time as possible with her; that would be a blessing for me.

With tears in his eyes, he said to her, "Thank you for your kindness, but I am just a young master, not anyone's pawn. Please don't send me away, let me stay by your side."

Lu Jinlan hugged him and breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I'm relieved. Come on, I'll take you out for a walk to clear your head."

The three people eavesdropping in the shadows had different expressions.

Yan Wuxin muttered to himself, "Will this work? He still isn't telling the truth."

Xiang Ruzhen smiled slightly, "What do you know? This is more useful than telling the truth. Look at the way he's struggling inside. I think he's already fallen for it."

Zhao Zhiyu joked, "Don't let Ruzhen's apparent indifference to men fool you; she understands men better than either of us. I'm really curious to see what Ruzhen will be like when she gets married."

As they were talking, the people inside came out, and the three of them silently shrank back into the room.

Lu Jinlan held Aqi's hand and they went shopping on the street. She never hesitated to spend money, and in no time, Aqi's hands were full of bags and packages, almost too many to carry.

Ah Qi said embarrassedly, "That's enough, let's go back. I bought seven or eight hairpins, I don't even know how many heads I have."

Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "There's one more important thing I forgot to buy. Wait here for me, I'll be right back."

Ah Qi sat at the alley entrance with a smirk, fiddling with an exquisite object in his hand, until a dark shadow loomed over his head. Startled, Ah Qi dropped the box in his hand, scattering gold, silver, and jade artifacts all over the ground, and his smile vanished.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Six days in a row, I've stood up! A special thank you to a reader named mpk for speaking up for this novel on a certain platform. Last night, I was upset and angry because of some misunderstandings and accusations, which affected my state of mind. But seeing people who actually read the book speak up for me has made me feel better. I can't please everyone.

Regarding male procreation, many people have a preconceived notion that this gives women's abilities to men, depriving women of their reproductive rights. Let me clarify again: in this article, the physiological structure remains unchanged. During intercourse, the woman decides whether to release her egg. After the man obtains the egg, a fertilized egg forms inside his body, which is then removed via cesarean section after ten months of gestation. This article portrays a collective portrait of women, not referring to men as women and women as men. Furthermore, I believe that the so-called reproductive rights are generally being deprived in the present day. Forced to have children, children taking another's surname, the giver becoming an outsider—where is the power? Some say reproductive ability is important and shouldn't be given to men. How important is this ability? Because of this ability, can we women reach the pinnacle of power? Enjoy preferential treatment? We possess such an important ability, so why is our situation so difficult in a patriarchal society? Oh, because it's a patriarchal society. Yes, that's the problem. Who holds power, who decides everything. In this article, the one who holds power is women. They are renowned throughout the world, conquering and expanding territories, protecting their homes and countries, and even ruling over vast empires. Some people don't care about these great achievements; they only care about whether it's the women who give birth. Close the novel, look around you—it's all women giving birth. Look at what they gain. Of course, my thoughts are just my logic. I don't demand agreement, but I don't like being misunderstood. I didn't start this female-centric book without any knowledge; I've studied and thought about it. Any shortcomings are a matter of ability, but I feel wronged if people doubt my intentions. In short, my idea is that her bloodline needs to be passed on. If she doesn't want to give birth, then let a man do it. This has zero downsides for the protagonist. If anyone tells me that you can exchange your uterus for supreme power, a primary status, and endless money, I'll just say, "You've covered the benefits, but what about the downsides?" If giving birth is a good thing, why don't so many people want to have children now? You don't want to give birth, yet you want my protagonist to? Hello? How can you be so mean? Besides, there are plenty of stories about women giving birth—some even have over a hundred. Feel free to read them.

Actually, when I was writing this book, I anticipated that I would be criticized by many people, but the critics weren't from the group I expected, which still gave me a slight shock. But that doesn't matter anymore; being misunderstood is the fate of those who express themselves. What matters is that you, who have read this far, understand my story. Thank you to each and every one of you; you are the meaning behind this story. I feel great and will stubbornly continue writing.