Chapter 129 I See You as a Traitor
The senior sister chuckled, "Scared, aren't you? Although I don't think the Emperor is a good person, she's still the Emperor. My junior brother has high standards and looks down on us commoners."
That sounded a bit sarcastic, and Lu Jinlan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Has he ever met the Emperor?"
The senior sister said, "I almost met him. You know about the Emperor's selection of concubines a while ago, right? My junior brother represented our Ji Yun clan and went to participate in the selection."
Upon hearing her mention the Ji Yun clan, Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin glanced at her simultaneously.
This rebellion was led by the Ji Yun clan, whose chieftain, Ji Yunyao, was the leader of the multi-tribal rebellion alliance.
The three of them came for this very reason, but they never expected to encounter rebels before even entering Yaozhou.
Yan Wuxin silently unfastened the weapon from her waist, and Lu Jinlan shook her head slightly, signaling her not to do it.
The senior sister was clearly a rough person and did not realize the subtle change in the atmosphere in the cave. She was focused on standing up for her junior brother.
Lu Jinlan stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "He didn't pass the preliminary rounds, did he?"
The senior student was taken aback and asked warily, "How did you know?"
Lu Jinlan smiled, "If he passed the preliminary selection, he would definitely have met the Emperor. He should be in the palace right now, so why is he here?"
The senior sister suddenly realized, "Haha, that's right, you're really smart. But that little emperor isn't as smart as you. Humph, my junior brother traveled thousands of miles to participate in the selection, and she didn't even see him before sending him back. What a philandering emperor, he can't even understand what a womanizer is, he has no taste at all."
“My junior brother is named Ji Yunyuanzhen, and he’s the son of our clan leader. Look at him, he’s only seventeen, yet he’s already so outstanding. According to your Hua people’s standards, he’s stunningly beautiful. He’s obsessed with the emperor, but the emperor doesn’t want him. Tell me…”
As the two women's conversation grew louder, Ji Yunyuan couldn't help but interrupt, "Stop talking, Senior Sister. Don't you think I'm embarrassed enough?"
His senior sister quickly stopped talking, and Lu Jinlan comforted him, saying, "What's so shameful about it? It's the Emperor's loss that you weren't selected. You don't have to be confined in the palace; you can be free and unrestrained outside. That's a blessing for you too."
Ji Yunyuan shook his head. "But I don't think so."
His senior sister frowned and shook her head, whispering to Lu Jinlan, "See? My junior brother is so stubborn. He hasn't even met her yet, but he's already smitten."
"I think he's just been infatuated with the heroic stories about the emperor that are told in storytelling halls. In reality, those stories are probably all lies, designed to deceive naive young boys like them."
Over the years, countless stories have circulated about Lu Jinlan, some true and some false.
Yan Wuxin couldn't help but ask, "What stories did he hear?"
The senior sister said, "He listens to all sorts of stories every day, all of them fantastical and absurd. He said that when the emperor was still a junior general, he shot down a flagpole sixty feet away with an arrow, which terrified thirty thousand soldiers on the spot."
Yan Wuxin laughed and said, "It's true. I... I have a relative who was in the army at the time and saw it with his own eyes. However, it wasn't one arrow that cut through, but three arrows that were shot at the same time."
Ji Yunyuan's eyes lit up. "Really? What did your relative say? Did she also particularly admire the Emperor back then?"
Yan Wuxin laughed and said, "I admire you! The Emperor stopped the army with three arrows and decided the fate of the world. Then, tens of thousands of soldiers followed her into the city without saying a word. Everyone was convinced."
The senior sister didn't believe it. "Is she really that amazing? But I heard she was quite unreliable in her younger days. She frequented brothels, kept male prostitutes, and even slept with handsome male monks. It's said that she also had an affair with the royal consort of the Jiang Kingdom."
Lu Jinlan touched her nose. "These are all minor matters, nothing serious."
The senior sister nodded thoughtfully, "If she were really as powerful as the legends say, it wouldn't be a problem if she were a bit of a womanizer. What woman isn't attracted to women? But I don't think she could be that powerful. The story of her assassinating an enemy general amidst a vast army is probably just something made up by others."
Yan Wuxin hurriedly said, "This is also true; my relative saw it with his own eyes."
The senior sister was extremely surprised. "Seeing it with your own eyes is impossible! Legend has it that three people did it: the current emperor, the prime minister, and the Grand Commandant. Was your relative standing next to the enemy general at the time?"
Yan Wuxin, quick-witted, patted his chest and said, "My surname is Yan, and so is the Grand Commandant's. Although I don't know the Grand Commandant personally, the fact that I share the surname Yan is well-known throughout our clan. Do you know who struck first?"
Yan Wuxin smiled smugly and began to share his glorious achievements, "Let me tell you, it wasn't the Emperor, it was the Grand Commandant who took the lead and was the first to draw the enemy's attention. She was incredibly brave, charging alone to the Crown Prince of Qu..."
Ji Yunyuan whispered, "Yan Sanxia, let's talk about the Emperor. I want to hear his story. What else did your relative see?"
Lu Jinlan couldn't help but chuckle. Yan Wuxin glared at her and muttered, "It's all those storytellers' fault! Why don't they promote me properly? These ignorant young men only know how to worship you, why don't they worship me?"
Lu Jinlan said in a low voice, "Then you should promote yourself. If you talk to him all night, he might admire you tomorrow."
Yan Wuxin took a few steps over and said, "Young Master Ji Yun, let me tell you the story of the Emperor and the Imperial Consort of Jiang Kingdom."
Ji Yunyuan shook his head. "Those are just rumors made up by others. I don't listen to them."
Yan Wuxin rubbed his forehead, feeling that the person in front of him was beyond redemption.
While Yan Wuxin and Yuan Zhen were talking, Lu Jinlan asked the senior sister, "I heard that everyone in your Ji Yun clan has the surname Ji Yun."
The senior sister nodded, "That's right, my surname is also Ji Yun. I'm the sixth child in my family, so my name is Ji Yun Liu. You can just call me Lao Liu."
Lu Jinlan smiled and pursed her lips. Ji Yun, the sixth brother, didn't sound like the protagonist who could win the heart of a beauty.
She jokingly said with a smile, "With a name like that, your junior brother definitely won't marry you."
Ji Yunliu retorted, "So what if I'm called Lao Liu? You're called Lu Er! He won't marry me, and he won't marry you either."
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "I didn't say I wanted to marry you, but if I wanted to, there really wouldn't be any man in the world who could refuse me."
Ji Yunliu snorted, "Second Hero Lu, don't brag. You're not the emperor. Besides, even if you were the emperor, my master wouldn't agree to you marrying my junior brother!"
Lu Jinlan thought, of course, because Ji Yunyao has already rebelled. However, she wouldn't decide to rebel just because her son wasn't chosen for the harem, would she? That would be too much of a temper.
Lu Jinlan hurriedly asked, "By the way, where are you going?"
Ji Yunliu said, "We're going to the capital to assassinate..."
"Senior Sister!" Ji Yunyuan quickly interrupted her, "We shouldn't casually talk about what we're doing, lest we cause trouble for our benefactors."
Ji Yunliu nodded. “Three young heroes, it’s not that I’m unwilling to tell you the truth, but the matter is just too big. You are all free-spirited heroes of the martial world, and you have saved us. We can’t bring trouble upon you.”
The three of them exchanged glances and whispered among themselves.
Xiang Ruzhen whispered, "The rebels who come to the capital are definitely not doing anything good; they might be targeting you. Should we arrest them and interrogate them thoroughly?"
Lu Jinlan shook her head, and Yan Wuxin said worriedly, "But if we don't scare them a little, I'm afraid they won't tell the truth easily."
Lu Jinlan patted his chest. "I have my own way. Just watch my signals."
Lu Jinlan coughed lightly and said to Ji Yunliu and Ji Yunyuanzhen, "I apologize to you both. Actually, we just lied. We are not just ordinary chivalrous people, but chivalrous thieves."
The two "heroic thieves" looked around at the three of them with surprise. Ji Yunliu said strangely, "Could it be that Hero Xiang is also someone she thinks is very upright?"
Lu Jinlan: "Uh, yes, she just joined and is in charge of keeping watch for us."
Ji Yunliu nodded, seemingly finding this explanation much more reasonable and credible.
Lu Jinlan added, "We actually just pulled off a big heist; we broke into the palace and stole something."
As she spoke, she took out a string of Buddhist prayer beads from her bosom. "This was the emperor's personal possession, one of the treasures we stole from the palace. To tell you the truth, we were discovered by the guards and chased by the authorities, which is why we fled here."
Lu Jinlan sighed, "Well, to be honest, we're prisoners. Being with you is just causing you trouble. Eldest sister, third sister, let's go."
Ah, Yan Wuxin thought to himself: It's pitch black outside, and it's raining. Which way should I go?
But since Lu Jinlan had already said so, the two had no choice but to play along, putting on a show of fervor and saying, "Gentlemen, may our friendship last forever. Farewell!"
The three turned and walked to the cave entrance. Ji Yunyuan hurriedly said, "Three heroes, please wait and let us finish speaking before you leave."
Lu Jinlan raised an eyebrow triumphantly at Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin, then turned and said, "Do you two have anything else to say?"
Ji Yunliu said happily, "There were some things we couldn't say earlier because we were afraid we weren't on the same side. Now that we know the identities of the three of you, I'll tell you the truth. Our Ji Yun clan, along with several other tribes, has joined forces and rebelled. My junior brother and I originally planned to enter the palace to assassinate the emperor."
The three of them took a deep breath. "Really?"
"Really! Hehe, we are rebels, you are fugitives, we are family! You stole the little emperor's things, I'm going to take the little emperor's head, we are also comrades."
"I see that the three of you are exceptionally skilled. Why run away? Why not come with us to the palace and assassinate the Emperor? After we succeed, you will become famous throughout the land. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Lu Jinlan chuckled, "Sixth sister, don't be anxious. This is a very important matter. Let the three of us sisters discuss it."
The three walked aside and whispered. Xiang Ruzhen said, "The assassin is right in front of us. Can we arrest him now?"
Lu Jinlan shook his head again, "We've only just arrived. It's not too late to arrest people after we understand the inside story. Let's establish this connection first, so it will be easier to infiltrate and do things later."
Xiang Ruzhen said worriedly, "But I must ensure your safety."
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "I'm safe. I'm standing right in front of them right now. Not only will they not recognize me, but they'll also want to come with me to assassinate the Emperor."
Yan Wuxin said, "But these two are going to the capital. If we let them go, what if they break into the palace and hurt people?"
Lu Jinlan chuckled softly, "These two fell off a bridge and nearly drowned as soon as they left the city. With such meager skills, they'd be better off trying to assassinate me at the palace gates. Besides, we'll just not let them into the capital."
After the three of them discussed for a few minutes, Lu Jinlan turned to Ji Yun and her brother and said, "Actually, I've long disliked the emperor and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. I really wanted to go to the capital with you to assassinate him, but unfortunately you were too late. The emperor has already secretly left the palace."
Ji Yunyuan hurriedly asked, "She left the palace, where did she go?"
Lu Jinlan said, "She came to Yaozhou. We overheard her talking about it on the roof of the South Study that night, right, Third Sister?"
Yan Wuxin hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, yes! I heard with my own ears that there is a rebellion in Yaozhou, and the Emperor is coming to Yaozhou. He has already set off and will probably arrive in a few days."
Ji Yunliu was shocked. "This is a big deal, Junior Brother. We're not going to the capital. We'll return to the city immediately tomorrow morning and inform Master as soon as possible. The young emperor must be bringing a large army to annihilate us. We need to get all the alliance's departments ready."
Ji Yunyuan nodded, then looked at Lu Jinlan and the others, "Fellow heroes, what are your plans next?"
Lu Jinlan said, "We also need to go into the city. We have accomplices there. We'll make contact first and then see if it's easy to survive in Yaozhou. If we can survive there, we might have to seek refuge with you."
Ji Yunliu said, "Then you should come back with us. The alliance is in dire need of experts like you. Master will be very happy to see you."
Ji Yunyuan glanced at her and said awkwardly, "My senior sister is straightforward, but although the three heroes are our benefactors, they are also strangers, and even strangers. Please allow us to discuss this with my mother first before making a decision."
After a short while, his clothes were dry. He returned Lu Jinlan's outer robe and instructed, "The city of Yaozhou is currently arresting rebels. You heroes must be careful tomorrow."
Lu Jinlan smiled and agreed, thinking to herself: We're not rebels, you're the rebels, why are you worrying about us?
The next day, upon entering Yaozhou City, they found that there were checkpoints every three miles and sentries every five miles, with checks being conducted everywhere.
However, the group easily blended into the crowd and managed to get past them.
However, upon arriving in the Xinping Prefecture area, the checks became even stricter. Almost everyone was searched and registered, their names and household registrations were questioned, and they were required to show their travel permits.
Ji Yunliu said, "A new prefect surnamed Zhang has arrived here. He's incredibly meticulous. Be careful and don't give yourself away."
When the soldiers came closer, Ji Yunliu and Ji Yunyuan both took out the fake travel passes they had prepared and answered the questions fluently.
They were genuine traitors, and they had been prepared for this. But the three men were fake fugitives, and their true identities could not be revealed.
Lu Jinlan pulled Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin to the back of the line, whispering to them, "What should we do when we get here? What should we say?"
Yan Wuxin held up the heavy silver in his hand, "Money makes the world go round. I'll talk to them about it in a bit."
Before she could finish speaking, the patrol leader noticed them and pointed at Lu Jinlan, saying, "You, come out! We need to conduct a thorough search of you!"
Lu Jinlan looked around, "Why?"
The leader's eyes sharpened as he said, "Something's not right with you. You look like a traitor."
"I'm a traitor, hehe." Lu Jinlan was so angry that he laughed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
