Chapter 49 Holding her in my arms, I'll ask her properly.
Lu Jinlan has been in this male-oriented, gender-swapped novel for almost half a year and has already integrated into its world. In this matriarchal society, she has learned to accept that almost all important events are led by women, including the power struggles and battles between various factions.
As for the men, they shouldered mundane and often overlooked tasks: cooking, sewing, providing entertainment, bearing and raising children, and so on. When she realized the assassin was a man, she was taken aback, thinking: "Why are you standing on the historical stage at a time like this?"
The newcomer was knocked back six or seven steps by her palm strike, crashing into the tables and chairs inside the room with a muffled groan. Hearing her surprised question, he gritted his teeth and said, "None of your business! Prepare to die!"
In an instant, the room was filled with the glint of swords and the clash of blades. Five assassins rushed forward, and Lu Jinlan immediately engaged them in battle.
The noise alerted those outside. As soon as Zhao Zhiyu opened the door, Lu Jinlan tossed over an assassin whose arm she had broken, instructing, "Leave him alive!"
Upon realizing they couldn't succeed that night, the man who had been hit by Lu Jinlan shouted "Retreat!" and the men in black fled through the windows.
At the same time, Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin also arrived upstairs.
Yan Wuxin was furious when she saw the man in black she had caught. "Are you guys ever going to stop this all night? If you're a woman, don't run away. If you can't beat someone, just run away. What kind of woman are you?"
Lu Jinlan said, "He is a man."
Everyone was startled. Xiang Ruzhen pulled off the man's mask, touched his Adam's apple, looked at his flat chest, and said in a deep voice, "He really is a man."
Zhao Zhiyu picked up the longsword from the ground and placed it against his neck. "Tell me, who sent you?"
The man stared at her, bit down hard on the poison hidden in his mouth, and said nothing, only blackish-red blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
"Tsk." Yan Wuxin sighed, "We finally caught one alive, and he committed suicide."
Xiang Ruzhen reviewed the situation and said, "So it was a man. No wonder they seemed a bit light-handed when we fought. But for a man to reach this level is truly remarkable. He must have started training from birth."
Zhao Zhiyu asserted, "It must be a professional assassin secretly raised by some powerful family. They've been carefully trained for over a decade, and they even chose men who wouldn't easily be suspected, all so they could catch us off guard and be used at crucial moments. It's a pity that one of them was crippled by us today."
Zhao Zhiyu turned to Turing and said, "Take him away and thoroughly examine him for any other clues."
"Yes." Turing led his men to carry the body away.
Lu Jinlan sniffed. "Can you smell anything?"
Yan Wuxin: "What's that smell? The smell of blood?"
"No." Lu Jinlan sniffed around, and only when she raised her hand to think did she realize that the faint, special fragrance came from her palm.
"Smell this."
Everyone, like police dogs, grabbed her hand and pressed their noses against it to smell. Xiang Ruzhen didn't usually use fragrances, and Yan Wuxin had never smelled this scent before. Only Zhao Zhiyu said confidently, "It's agarwood. The elderly in the palace often use it to calm the nerves and help with sleep."
Lu Jinlan nodded. She remembered that her slap earlier had been quite forceful, and it had probably caught the man's scent. He was used to wearing incense, and the scent of agarwood was very soft and subtle; he probably hadn't even noticed it himself.
At this moment, Turing returned to report, "Your Highness, the assassin's clothes had the number 'eleven' embroidered on the inside. Apart from that, there was nothing unusual. Also..."
Zhao Zhiyu: "What else? Speak up, don't beat around the bush."
Turing lowered his head and said, "Also, he still has the chastity mark, so he's a virgin."
Zhao Zhiyu rolled her eyes at her. "What's there to say? The person behind this is raising assassins to kill, not for their own amusement. Of course he's a virgin. Or is he a married man?"
Seeing that the atmosphere inside was a bit tense, Yan Wuxin changed the subject, saying, "It's strange, how did these assassins end up in Jinlan's room? Could they have mistaken her for someone else?"
Lu Jinlan shook her head. "It doesn't seem like it. Judging from the tone, it sounds like it's coming for me."
Yan Wuxin: "At your expense? Why?"
Lu Jinlan joked, "Who knows? Next time I'll hold them in my arms and ask them properly."
*
After leaving Tingfeng Inn, she did not see the assassin from that night again, but Lu Jinlan was still uneasy, feeling as if countless eyes were watching her from the shadows.
Half a day's journey from Beizhou, the group stopped to rest. The surroundings were desolate, filled with forests and wild grass. Lu Jinlan suddenly said to Zhao Zhiyu, "Your Highness, I would like to borrow your precious horse."
Lu Jinlan mounted the First Princess's Akhal-Teke horse and turned around to rush into the dense forest. She arrived incredibly fast, and the group in the forest fled in panic, completely unprepared.
Lu Jinlan shouted, "Stop! What are you doing?"
A familiar face peeked out from behind the tree. "Young Master, please don't be angry. It's me."
Ping Xiyu was commissioned by Lu Jinzhao and spent a lot of money to hire some thugs to follow them all the way. A few days ago, they only dared to follow from a distance, but now that they were almost at Beizhou, Ping Xiyu was afraid that something might go wrong, so she led her men to chase them for half a day, getting closer. Unexpectedly, Lu Jinlan discovered them so quickly.
After listening to Ping Xiyu's words, Lu Jinlan was speechless. "Isn't this ridiculous? My mother is really something. Isn't this a waste of money? My current martial arts skills are enough to protect myself. She doesn't need to worry at all, especially with the imperial guards here. My mission this time is to escort the disaster relief funds. You don't need to come with me. Go back."
Manager Ping hurriedly said, "It's alright. These heroines are all strong women personally selected by the owner and me. They are all incredibly tough. If anyone tries to steal the disaster relief funds, we can help you get them back. They are all skilled at loading the carts, even more capable than our dockworkers."
As she spoke, the thugs stood up, revealing the muscles on their arms. Each one was as strong as a mountain, comparable to wrestlers at the Naadam Festival.
Lu Jinlan didn't know how skilled they were, but judging from their size, if they encountered robbers, they could sit on the boxes and make them very difficult to move. She sighed helplessly, "Whatever."
She rode back, and Yan Wuxin asked her, "Where have you been?"
Lu Jinlan waved her hand, "Don't mention it, let's get going first, we'll talk about it later."
Before long, the escort team entered the territory of Beizhou and passed through a canyon with towering mountains on both sides, making it a good place to set up an ambush.
The three men, mounted on horseback, were alert and vigilant. As a boulder rolled down, shouts of battle erupted all around them. The three men quickly shouted, "Prepare to meet the enemy!"
A group of thieves dressed in black and wearing black masks rushed up, wielding cold blades, and instantly engaged the guards in a fierce battle.
This group was quite large, numbering at least seven or eight hundred. Their numbers were several times greater than theirs, and their objective was clear: they were heading straight for the silver transport vehicle.
The three men drew their swords and charged forward. With swift strokes, the seal on the white paper with black writing was instantly stained with blood.
We can't spare anyone right now; let them be, we'll just kill them first.
Just as Lu Jinlan slit someone's throat, a horse neighed. Taking advantage of the chaos, the men in black pulled away a silver transport cart. Xiang Ruzhen shouted from the encirclement, "Guard the disaster relief silver!"
Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin: "I'm going!"
Lu Jinlan had only taken a few steps when another car was towed away. She had no choice but to hand it over to Yan Wuxin and turn around to chase after the other car.
At this moment, Zhao Zhiyu was still in the carriage. Turing, along with nineteen imperial guards, surrounded the carriage to protect the safety of the eldest princess and Minister Cui.
Zhao Zhiyu couldn't sit still any longer and was about to get up when Cui Mingfei said in a panic, "Your Highness, there are three special envoys outside who are ready to fight. If anything happens to you, this old minister will not be able to explain to His Majesty."
Zhao Zhiyu's eyes were cold and sharp, his expression ruthless: "I'd like to see who dares to hurt me?"
Turing was still fiercely guarding the carriage, while Zhao Zhiyu had already fought his way out. Cui Mingfei shouted anxiously, "Protect the Emperor! Protect His Highness!"
The melee involving nearly a thousand people was utter chaos.
Just as Lu Jinlan had finished off four car thieves, he saw another car being dragged away by men in black.
This gang of thieves was very experienced. After stealing the silver transport vehicle, they didn't run in one direction, but in all directions, making it impossible for the police to concentrate their forces to pursue them.
Just as Lu Jinlan was about to spur his horse to give chase, he suddenly saw the group of men in black retreat. A group of strong women, wielding various weapons, gave the cart thieves a good beating and pushed the silver-carrying cart back.
Yan Wuxin, standing on the silver transport cart, witnessed this scene. She pulled her phoenix-shaped longsword from the corpse and asked in surprise, "Where did these helpers come from?"
Lu Jinlan: "Uh, it should be someone my mother sent."
As they spoke, a dozen or so more men in gray joined the battle, swords in hand, and began slashing at the men in black.
This time it was Lu Jinlan's turn to be surprised. "Where did these helpers come from?"
Yan Wuxin wiped the blood from his face. "Judging by their skills, they seem to have been sent by my mother."
Having helpers is a good thing, but with so many enemies, this number of people is still a stretch.
After a few more moments of fighting, the sound of horses' hooves approached. Lu Jinlan glanced to the side and saw that the newcomers were in red helmets and armor, numbering about two or three hundred, carrying banners with the character "Song" on them. The young general in white robes leading them shouted, "Where did these bandits come from? Surrender at once!"
Seeing that they were outnumbered, the men in black retreated in panic, leaving behind a field of corpses.
The young general in white robes, who appeared to be in his early twenties, dismounted and glanced at the faces of the young men for a moment before bowing and asking, "May I ask which of you is Lord Lu Jinlan?"
Lu Jinlan: "I am, and you are..."
The man respectfully replied, "I am Yue Chan, the deputy general under General Song. General Song estimates that Lord Lu should arrive in the next couple of days, so he specifically ordered us to secretly meet him here in case of any unforeseen circumstances."
Lu Jinlan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks to my mother-in-law's meticulous arrangements. By the way, Her Highness the First Princess is here. Let me introduce you."
Before even reaching Beizhou, more than a dozen elite soldiers had died, and over fifty were wounded, but fortunately, all the silver was saved. Zhao Zhiyu, her breathing still catching in her throat, sat on the silver transport cart, leaning on her sword with a grave expression. The howling north wind blew the hair at her temples, and blood streamed down her feet.
Upon seeing her, Yue Chan hurriedly said, "This humble general, Yue Chan, was unaware that Her Highness the Crown Princess was here. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Zhao Zhiyu took a deep breath. "Rise. Thank goodness you arrived in time, otherwise we don't know how long we would have fought."
As Zhao Zhiyu spoke, he couldn't help but get angry and said, "What is Yu Jifang good for? In her territory, bandits are so rampant. I'm going to punish her for dereliction of duty in a bit!"
The incident occurred only thirty miles from Beizhou City. Yue Chan, leading a small contingent of Song family soldiers, escorted them ten miles outside the city. She then said to Lu Jinlan, "Lord Lu, our Song family army is stationed in the neighboring Lingzhou. We entered Beizhou territory without orders and had no choice but to do so. If the Ling family army finds out, friction is inevitable. Beizhou City is not far ahead. Please inform His Highness that we may take our leave."
When Lu Jinlan told Zhao Zhiyu, Zhao Zhiyu said, "Alright, don't panic if we're discovered. Just say that I sent someone to Lingzhou to ask for help."
Yue Chan accepted the order and left. Turing looked at the bloodstains on Zhao Zhiyu's face and body and advised, "We're about to enter the city. There should be someone to greet you there. Your Highness, why don't you change your clothes and wipe your face?"
"No! I want to see people like this. I want Yu Jifang and the people of Beizhou to see who risked their lives to protect the disaster relief funds."
Zhao Zhiyu leaped onto her Akhal-Teke horse, shouting, "Let's go, into the city!"
Yu Jifang led officials and commoners from all thirteen counties of Beizhou to kneel at the city gate to welcome Her Highness the Crown Princess!
Zhao Zhiyu reined in his horse. "I was sent here by the Empress Dowager, along with Minister Cui of the Ministry of Revenue and three special envoys, to deliver disaster relief funds. Unexpectedly, we were ambushed outside the city."
"Huh?" Everyone looked up in shock, only to find that many people in the group were injured. Even the eldest princess was covered in blood.
Zhao Zhiyu suddenly smiled, "However, thanks to His Majesty's protection, we fought valiantly and repelled the thieves. The disaster relief funds are still available. Tonight, please have Lord Yu have someone prepare the household registration booklets, and tomorrow, the funds will be distributed for disaster relief!"
Upon hearing this, many people were so moved that they burst into tears on the spot.
"The Great Princess Saint Ming!"
"The people of Beizhou have finally been waiting for you!"
"Long live Your Highness! You are our living Buddha!"
Surrounded by the crowd, Zhao Zhiyu entered the residence of the Governor of Beizhou. As soon as the gate closed, Zhao Zhiyu's face darkened. "Yu Jifang, get in here!"
Yu Jifang seemed to have expected this, and immediately responded, running after him inside.
There were only two people inside the room. The imperial guards stood outside the door, while Lu Jinlan and her two companions, along with Minister Cui and a group of officials from Beizhou, stood in the courtyard, listening to Lord Yu being thoroughly berated inside.
Xiang Ruzhen said in a low voice, "I'll go check on the warehouse where the silver is stored. We've gone through so much trouble to get it here, we can't let it fail at the last minute."
Lu Jinlan thought that Zhao Zhiyu had been holding back her anger all the way and wouldn't be able to vent it all in a short time, so she said, "Then let's go and settle in first, and we'll come to meet you later."
The three of them informed Lord Cui and then went their separate ways. Although the governor's mansion in the northern prefecture was dilapidated, the preparations were quite thoughtful.
Seeing that there was hot water in the room, Lu Jinlan simply took a bath. Her tense mind had barely relaxed for a moment when a faint scent of sandalwood wafted into her nostrils.
Lu Jinlan sighed inwardly: This assassin really doesn't know when to stop. Can't he let people rest for a while?
She lost her patience, thinking that if he attacked now, she would break his neck. So she pretended to be drowsy, resting her head on her arm against the edge of the bathtub, revealing a section of her slender neck, luring him into her trap.
However, the acquaintance hesitated to make a move, and Lu Jinlan felt the water was getting cold, so she pretended to wake up again. As she grabbed a towel and stood up, a slight noise came from somewhere on the beam.
Lu Jinlan's lips curled into a smile, and she suddenly lunged towards that direction. The situation inside the room changed abruptly; the person on the beam was caught off guard and was pulled down by her.
The two tumbled to the floor, and Lu Jinlan seized the opportunity to grab his arm and pin him down from behind.
The assassin, once again dressed in black, spoke through his mask, his voice laced with a chilling hatred: "Despicable!"
Lu Jinlan chuckled softly in his ear, "You came to assassinate me, and you even started cursing me? But I'm curious, why didn't you make your move when you had such a good opportunity just now?"
The assassin glanced at her disheveled clothes and said disdainfully, "Taking advantage of someone in distress is the act of a despicable person. I spared you from dying naked because of your talent."
"Wow!" Lu Jinlan was quite shocked. "You assassin are quite sophisticated."
She gazed intently at his phoenix eyes, visible beneath his mask; those eyes were strikingly clear and bright. It was rare to find such a killer with a hint of pity in his deep-set eyes.
The man's breathing grew heavier. "What are you looking at?"
Lu Jinlan smiled, "Why are you so nervous? You seem like a good person to me."
The man angrily turned his head away, "I really regret it. I should have killed you with one blow just now, you arrogant little man."
Lu Jinlan said with a half-smile, "It's too late to regret it now. You're in my hands. What do you say we do now?"
She deliberately moved closer, her warm breath brushing against his ear, causing him to gasp for breath.
"You came to kill me, why didn't you investigate my reputation beforehand? I'm notorious for my womanizing ways. You've delivered yourself to my doorstep, how could I let you go?"
The man clearly believed her, his voice trembling as he asked, "What...what do you want to do?"
Lu Jinlan leisurely observed his frightened appearance and asked with a smile, "What do you think?"
She touched his waist. "Tsk, with such a muscular physique, it's a shame he's an assassin."
The man trembled slightly, but gritted his teeth. "A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated. Kill me if you want, but don't even think about taking liberties with me."
Lu Jinlan sniffed his neck, "That's not up to you."
Just as the man was about to say something, footsteps approached from outside the door, and Lu Jinlan quickly covered his mouth.
"who?"
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Author's Note: Writing six words a day is too difficult! I'll start with 4,700 words today, and aim for 6,000 tomorrow! [Crying emoji]
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