Chapter 149 He wasn't making a scene, was he?
You Shun slowly opened his eyes, gazing at Lu Jinlan with deep affection, as if trying to imprint her image into his fading soul. He murmured weakly, "I don't want you to die."
He struggled to raise his hand and touch Lu Jinlan's warm cheek, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "You were right, I really will never get married, even if I die. Actually... I had a dream last night, a dream that I married you. But it was just a dream, it will never come true..."
He was already fair-skinned, and now, due to blood loss, his face was almost as white as paper. Lu Jinlan quickly grasped his hand, her eyes red, and said, "I will marry you, I will marry you now. I will bestow upon you the title of Consort You, okay?"
You Shun's dark eyes lit up, and tears streamed down his face. He choked out, "That's...that's wonderful. Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness. But I...I will never have the chance to serve you in the palace. Please take my ashes to the capital. I want...I want to be closer to you."
Lu Jinlan hugged him tightly, "Alright, I'll take you back to the capital."
"That treasure... consider it my dowry. You... take it back to the capital. The treasure map is in my purse."
You Shun leaned against Lu Jinlan's chest, a happy smile spreading across his handsome, haggard face. "My whole life... I've been hiding and concealing, never living a single day according to my own heart... but to marry you... to die in your arms, I... have no regrets. This life... was... worth it..."
You Shun's hand fell limply to his sides, and he slowly closed his eyes.
A cold wind blew from beyond the Great Wall, and Zuo Suizhi softly reminded him, "Your Majesty, Consort You has passed away. Please accept my condolences and take care of your health."
Lu Jinlan nodded slightly. She held You Shunhe's purse in her arms, then took out a white jade hairpin and pinned it to his hair. She said in a deep voice, "Bring Consort You's body back to the capital and bury it in my mausoleum. Let my husbands return to the capital first."
Zuo Suizhi hurriedly asked, "And what about Your Majesty?"
Looking at the vast expanse of the northern frontier, Lu Jinlan said with great emotion, "I will personally pursue the bandits until they are wiped out."
*
Guan Shanyue rushed as fast as she could, but she was still too late. By the time she led her people to Xinping Prefecture, Lu Jinlan had already led his men out of the pass.
After discussing among themselves, the ministers concluded that the aftermath was a minor matter. With so many officials present, how difficult could relocation be? Besides, the policy was already quite comprehensive, and everyone could simply apply it flexibly.
However, the Emperor's personal command of the expedition is a major event. The matter is urgent, and the Emperor did not bring many troops with him. If anything were to happen to him, his health must not be harmed.
After discussion, Guan Shanyue, together with the general of Yaozhou, led 8,000 light cavalry to escort the emperor.
At this time, Lu Jinlan and the others had arrived at the border of Wucang Kingdom.
Yan Wuxin went to knock on the gate, but the general guarding the gate had just let the Yousang people in, so naturally he refused to let them pass.
The other side seemed to have been prepared, with several thousand soldiers lined up in front of the pass. They cupped their hands and said, "Please bring the travel documents, Grand Commandant. Our emperor will surely approve them within three months. If approved, I will naturally allow you to pass through."
Yan Wuxin gritted his teeth in anger, "Why don't you say three years instead of three months?"
Lu Jinlan frowned and whispered to Yan Wuxin, "There's no need to waste words with the Wucang people. How dare they put on airs with me when they're just a tiny Wucang Kingdom? Let's just attack them. Although the northern frontier is desolate, it wouldn't hurt to expand our territory along the way."
Xiang Ruzhen leaned closer, somewhat worried, and said, "We only have three thousand men. If Guan Shanyue finds out we've already chased them out of the pass, he'll definitely bring reinforcements. Should we delay for a day or two until the main force arrives before we make our move?"
Lu Jinlan said, "No need. We have elite troops at our disposal. It's enough to take down a small country like Wucang. Their numbers are nothing to fear."
Xiang Ruzhen hesitated for a moment, "Then... let's try diplomacy first, then resort to force."
Lu Jinlan then spurred his horse forward and said loudly, "I don't have a pass, but I'm here in person. If you don't let me through, I'll fight my way through."
The Wu Cang garrison commander was taken aback. When Yan Wuxin introduced herself, she had not mentioned that the Emperor of Hua Kingdom was also among them. She hesitated for a moment, trying to stall for time, saying, "This... such an important matter is beyond my ability to decide. Please ask your Emperor to wait a few days, and I will give you an answer after reporting to my Emperor."
Lu Jinlan snorted and gave Yan Wuxin a meaningful look. Yan Wuxin immediately said, "You, the garrison commander of Wucang! How dare you speak to the Emperor of our dynasty without dismounting! Such disrespect for the imperial authority is outrageous! How can we tolerate this? Soldiers, follow me!"
The garrison commander of Wucang had no idea that the enemy's forces were so small and would actually dare to fight. He panicked and said, "Grand Commandant, please allow me..."
"I'll let you have your way!" Yan Wuxin ignored him completely, picked up his Phoenix Cry Longsword, and led his troops into battle.
Xiang Ruzhen hurriedly said to the guards around her, "You few protect the Emperor, I'll go... I..."
She was taken aback. "Where is the Emperor?"
The person next to her hurriedly said, "Your Excellency, the Emperor said she didn't want you to stop her, so she took her people to go around to the back without saying goodbye. If you ask, let me tell you."
Xiang Ruzhen looked closely and saw that Lu Jinlan was already fighting in the formation.
At her command, "Soldiers, follow me to kill the enemy," a group of soldiers immediately surrounded her, baring their teeth in excitement and looking quite pleased.
Xiang Ruzhen sighed and quickly led her people to chase after them.
Guan Shanyue watched from afar as the two groups clashed. Through the blur, he could see a figure amidst a dense encirclement, bravely fighting the enemy. He leaped up and down on horseback like a dragon soaring and a tiger leaping, slaughtering all in his path.
She squinted and examined him closely, then hurriedly asked the scout who had come to meet her, "This man is so brave, which general is he?"
The scout hurriedly replied, "That's the Emperor."
"Ah!" Guan Shanyue exclaimed in alarm, shouting urgently, "Quick! Protect the Emperor!"
The reinforcements charged into the enemy lines at breakneck speed and captured the city gate in no time. Lu Jinlan led his army northward, winning every battle and advancing with unstoppable momentum.
You Xiu and the others were chased around like they'd stirred up a hornet's nest. They had hoped that everything would be fine once they entered the territory of Wucang Kingdom, but they didn't expect Lu Jinlan to become so ruthless and attack Wucang Kingdom as well.
Wucang Kingdom was a small country and could not withstand a powerful enemy. In the end, the Wucang emperor urgently submitted a letter of surrender to save his life.
However, the kingdom was destroyed, and Wucang Kingdom became Wucang Prefecture.
Lu Jinlan quelled the rebels, unearthed a treasure in the far north, finally venting his anger, and set off to return to the capital.
When passing through Xinping Prefecture, Zhang Siyuan was in charge of receiving the emperor and took the opportunity to report on his recent work before the emperor.
Lu Jinlan nodded in satisfaction. "It's nothing. Prepare to be reinstated. After I return to the capital, I will have Ji Yun Tieshu take over your position."
Zhang Siyuan was overjoyed; her bumpy career was finally back on track. She quickly expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Lu Jinlan added, "I left the pass in haste and didn't have time to settle Yuanzhen. He didn't cause any trouble, did he?"
Zhang Siyuan smiled and said, "I heard that he originally refused to go to the capital and wanted to wait for Your Majesty to return before making a decision. Later, General Zuo brought back news that Consort You had passed away, and Your Majesty was not in a good mood. So Ji Yunshi did not say anything more and returned to the capital with Xu Fushi and a few others."
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "I'll go back to the palace and comfort him. Hopefully, he'll have forgotten about his antics with me."
Zhang Siyuan said, "There is one more small matter. The jailer Zhang Tiezhu brought a jar of braised meat to present to the Emperor."
Lu Jinlan nodded repeatedly, "This is what I asked her for, so please give it to her on my behalf. Give the braised meat to Ximo, I want to take it back to the capital to enjoy."
Zhang Siyuan agreed, then stammered, "There...there is one more small matter, but I don't know whether I should mention it."
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "I've already told you about the braised pork and pickled vegetables, what else is there that makes you hesitate?"
Zhang Siyuan swallowed nervously. "Your Majesty, I heard that the Crown Prince of Jiang Kingdom brought his princess to visit relatives in our Hua Kingdom a few days ago. They must have arrived in the capital by now. This is just a casual remark, which I brought up to amuse Your Majesty. I have no other intentions, Your Majesty, please do not misunderstand. I have absolutely not believed any rumors."
When Chi Li brought the child to the capital, Lu Jinlan was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Pass down the order: rest for one night, and set off for the capital immediately tomorrow morning."
Seeing the joy on her face, Zhang Siyuan was secretly alarmed: It seems the rumors are true, the Holy Man of Jiang Kingdom really is having an affair with our emperor!
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Author's Note: You Shun is wonderful, but the Emperor has no time to grieve. These men keep coming one after another, I can't keep up! I'll take a break tomorrow to organize the outline for the rest of the story. Please check back the day after tomorrow. I anticipate several more appearances, including a saintly man, a high-ranking monk who runs away with his child, and a pure and honest man. If I'm not satisfied with writing them all, I might add a few more. Feel free to leave a comment about what kind of men you'd like to see. Some readers mentioned wanting a forum-style version; I'm already researching it. I'll write it once I figure it out, and if I don't, I'll put it in a bonus chapter to save you the trouble. Thank you as always for your support, readers! *bows*
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