The woman jumped left and right in fright, but where could she run? She screamed, "Miss Chu, help! I came here for you!"
She was filled with regret. It would have been so much better if she had stayed obediently in Butcher's Stronghold. With Butcher dead, she could have become the leader and brought her family over.
Now look what's happened, people are going to die.
Just as the steel knife was about to be placed against his neck, a white light appeared, followed by a crisp clang, and the steel knife flew away.
The boss: "......"
Chu Jinjin pulled the aunt behind her.
She may be ruthless and always puts herself first, but that doesn't mean she has no conscience.
The old woman came because of her, and as long as she lives, she will definitely protect her.
The leader's shock at this moment was second only to when he had just kidnapped Li Dahua and ended up being chased and beaten all over the mountain, when she was also a very capable fighter.
He was so focused on handing the person over that he didn't have time to think about anything else.
Since Chu Jinjin dared to come to rescue people all by herself, how could she be an ordinary person?
Chu Jinjin said calmly, "Do you know about Black Eagle Mountain Stronghold?"
The leader nodded subconsciously.
At the top of the bandit pyramid, the target of all bandits, was someone the bandit leader once captured to be his wife. If the bandit leader hadn't been soft-hearted, the bandit stronghold would have been gone.
"My father was kidnapped by Black Eagle Mountain Stronghold, and I rescued him all by myself." Chu Jinjin picked up a steel knife from the ground with her toe, spun it around, and threw it, which flew past the leader's head. "If I want to kill you, no one can stop me."
The boss: "......"
He knew why, and believed it without hesitation.
He swallowed hard: "Miss Chu, please take them and leave. No one will stop you. Please don't implicate the stronghold. We...we've had a hard time too, and we don't want to die."
It's impossible to fight.
There's also a silly, love-struck bandit leader. If we kill him, the bandit's morale will collapse.
"Of course I want to leave." Chu Jinjin, who had experienced countless life-or-death situations, said calmly, "But do you really think that if I really leave, the soldiers will let the mountain stronghold go?"
The leader's expression changed again.
The soldiers specifically asked for Chu Jinjin. If he sent her away, they would be furious. He gritted his teeth and said, "I told you, you're highly skilled, we can't stop you."
It's truly unstoppable.
The officers and soldiers probably don't want a lose-lose situation. Once Chu Jinjin leaves, things will be easier with the chieftain around.
Chu Jinjin shook her head and sighed, "Even if you hand me over, you'll still die."
The leader: "...I won't believe your nonsense."
"You've already believed it. For the sake of a mere woman like me, tens of thousands of soldiers besieged the mountain stronghold. What do you think their real purpose is?" Chu Jinjin pulled out a gleaming gold waist token. "Do you recognize this?"
Her trip to the north was ordered by the Emperor, and just in case, how could she not have something to prove her identity?
The leader had never seen an imperial token before, but he recognized gold, knew what a dragon represented, and knew that forging such a thing was a capital offense punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. He was so shocked that he could hardly speak: "You, you were sent by the Emperor? No, you're clearly here to save your brother."
The Emperor is the master of all people. No matter how powerful Li Dahua or the Emperor are, they are still bandits. He only wants to be a mountain king and has never thought of rebelling.
Everyone else was equally shocked.
It felt incredibly distant, hazy, like a dream. For them, the highest official they had ever seen was the county magistrate. Who would have thought that one day they would meet someone connected to the emperor?
"Saving him was just a lucky accident." Chu Jinjin already had a plan, and took out the list. "Take another look at what this is."
Almost all the bandits of any significant size in the north were on this list.
The emperor didn't demand that a certain number be killed; he would let as many as possible be sent to the capital.
The list did not have the imperial seal, but it did have the official seals of various departments.
The chieftain lost his footing: "Your Majesty, what does Your Majesty want to do?"
He saw Li Dahua and her name, as well as some familiar colleagues and their places of residence, and other information.
This cannot be faked.
Chu Jinjin said calmly, "Of course, it's about killing all of you potential threats."
The woman finally saw a glimmer of hope and, fearing that everyone would not know, shouted, "Miss Jinjin, so you are the imperial envoy!"
Chu Jinjin wasn't quite right, but she was close enough that she could nominally represent the Emperor with this token.
Chu Jiyu's lips trembled in shock, and her gaze toward Chu Jinjin was as if she were kneeling before a deity.
The only one unaffected was Li Dahua. She couldn't understand anything, but she felt that her husband was incredibly powerful, and that he had scared a group of people.
The bandit leader, covered in cold sweat, said, "No, no, since you are the imperial envoy appointed by the Emperor, how could the soldiers possibly harm you? As long as you reveal your identity, they will definitely listen to you..."
At this point, he finally realized what was happening and blurted out, "They're going to silence us?"
Chu Jinjin nodded approvingly: "That's right, so in today's situation, no one can escape."
There are very few people who can mobilize such a large number of officers and soldiers.
Firstly, the emperor could be ruled out. If he wanted to kill her, he wouldn't need to go through such a complicated process; he could simply act directly from the palace, leaving her with no chance of escape.
The second was Zheng Zhengfeng, the military governor of the north.
He is definitely involved in this matter.
But here's the question: how did he know he had come to the north?
Was there a reason for killing oneself, and what was one trying to hide?
Chu Jinjin didn't know, but one thing was certain: there was a traitor among the emperor's men who had leaked her whereabouts.
The biggest suspect was, of course, Consort Wang Ruoxiang.
But there was no need for such a grand display.
Her analysis was correct, except for one thing—her allure to men.
In the inner palace, Consort Wang Ruoxiang opened the secret letter and read it several times before placing it on the incense and candles and gently lighting it.
The secret letter, carrying the scent of blood and sweat from thousands of miles away, quickly turned to ashes.
The maid sent from the manor whispered, "Miss, the master doesn't understand what you're doing. If the Emperor finds out about this, the entire Wang family will be implicated."
The master here is, of course, the imperial concubine's biological father.
They certainly supported the Consort's actions against Chu Jinjin, which made the Wang family a laughingstock in the entire capital and ruined their daughter Wang Ruoyun's life. She deserved to die.
Moreover, since they don't have to show up in person, some people want to curry favor and flatter them.
However, making a deal with the Northern Governor is a heinous crime.
It shouldn't be that bad.
No matter how skilled a female merchant is, if someone really wants her dead, there are plenty of other ways.
Wang Ruoxiang sneered: "If she doesn't die soon, the Wang family will be doomed."
The maid was startled: "Young Miss, has something serious happened?"
Wang Ruoxiang slowly closed her eyes, then opened them with a murderous aura: "The Emperor wants Chu Jinjin to enter the palace as a concubine!"
Maid: "......."
She felt like she had been struck by lightning.
She still didn't quite understand: "But, with so many concubines in the harem, Miss, now that you have a prince, no one can shake your position."
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