Chapter 54 Are you not sleepy?
Ah Qi: "Master."
The master's face darkened. "Come with me."
Carrying the pile of things, Ah Qi followed his master into a quiet alley with a heavy heart.
The master frowned as he looked at the red mark on his face. "How did you get beaten? Didn't I tell you to obey her?"
Ah Qi hurriedly said, "It wasn't Lu Jinlan who hit me, it was the First Princess. They suspected my identity and interrogated me early this morning. They noticed the calluses on my hands and almost kicked me out."
The instructor hurriedly asked, "So, did you pass the test?"
Ah Qi said, "Fortunately, Lu Jinlan protected me, and I also tried my best to cope, and barely passed the test."
The master nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. You have no experience, and I was afraid you'd slip up and ruin everything. By the way, did you share a room with Lu Jinlan last night?"
Ah Qi's face flushed, and she said awkwardly, "No."
"How can this be? Lu Jinlan is such a lustful woman, yet she hasn't even touched you. This means she doesn't completely trust you at all."
The master was in a panic, but Ah Qi just gave up and said, "If she doesn't want to, there's nothing I can do."
The master glared at him. "I remember now. Yesterday, the master specially sent a secret letter from the capital. The letter said that he had learned an important piece of information from various sources in the capital: Lu Jinlan likes proactive men. Don't wait around like an idiot. You need to learn to take the initiative, understand?"
Ah Qi sighed, "Yes, disciple understands. If Master has no other instructions, I will go out first to avoid arousing her suspicion."
"Wait a minute!" His master circled around him, touched the fabric in his arms, and warned, "I must remind you, don't forget your identity. She's nice to you now because she sees you as an innocent young master. If she knew you were a spy who had tried to assassinate her and was lurking around her, she would strangle you without hesitation."
Ah Qi stood there, a chill running down her spine, feeling as if someone had doused her with a bucket of cold water in the dead of winter. Her good mood vanished completely, replaced by an inexplicable and indescribable sorrow.
Why wake me up when I'm happiest? Indeed, for the humble, even sweet dreams are a luxury.
He felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on his heart, making it hard to breathe. "Disciple dares not forget his identity."
The master was adept at using both soft and hard tactics, and said gently, "You must remember that it was the master who raised you, provided you with food and clothing, and taught you martial arts. Now the master is in a difficult situation, and you are our only hope. You must not let the master down."
Ah Qi hurriedly replied, "I will forever remember the kindness of my master in raising me and the guidance of my teacher."
The master patted him on the shoulder. "Yes, that's right. I know you're a good boy. But you've never been with a woman before. Lu Jinlan is a veteran in the world of romance, and innocent young men like you are easily deceived. Don't think that just because she buys you gold and silver, she's being nice to you. The Lu family is incredibly wealthy; money is nothing to her. She might treat every man the same way."
"She just met you and is only spoiling you because it's new. A woman who became famous at a young age has plenty of men to choose from, why would she be interested in you? Once she leaves Beizhou, new and old lovers will flock to her, and she won't even remember who you are. You must never fall in love with her, understand?"
Ah Qi nodded with difficulty, "I know."
*
When Lu Jinlan arrived, A Qi was walking out of the alley looking dejected.
When Ah Qi saw her, he quickly forced a smile and asked, "Have you finished shopping?"
Lu Jinlan asked with a smile, "Guess what I bought?"
Ah Qi's mind was still a mess, and he couldn't muster any interest. "I'm stupid, I can't guess."
"Look!" Lu Jinlan took out a crystal-clear candied hawthorn from behind her back and handed it to him with a smile.
Ah Qi stared at her blankly, forgetting even to force a smile.
Lu Jinlan took the things from his hands and stuffed the candied hawthorn into his hand, "Try it, there's a long line outside this place, it must taste really good."
Ah Qi took a bite blankly, and it was indeed delicious. The taste was like the first candied hawthorn he ate as a child; one bite and he knew he would love this taste for the rest of his life.
The outer syrup is so sweet it makes you forget the bitterness you've tasted, and the hawthorn inside, with its seeds removed, is just the right amount of sour.
But for some reason, Ah Qi took a bite, felt a lump in her throat, and tears fell down her cheeks without warning.
Lu Jinlan hurriedly asked, "Why are you crying?"
Ah Qi held the candied hawthorn skewer, his hand trembling slightly. He wanted to ask her if she was this attentive to every man? Even if she didn't like a man, could she remember his preferences?
But he didn't dare ask, and in the end he could only say, "I thought you didn't hear me last night."
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "I'm not deaf, of course I heard everything."
Lu Jinlan wiped away his tears. "Don't cry anymore. Look, there's a target covered with candied hawthorns at the entrance of the alley. Go and pick it up."
Ah Qi looked closely and sure enough, there was a bunch of unattended candied hawthorns standing there.
He couldn't help but advise, "We don't know who bought it, it's not right to just take it away for nothing."
Lu Jinlan raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know who bought it?"
Ah Qi shook his head.
Lu Jinlan said in a serious tone, "Your parents bought it for you."
The air froze for a moment, then Ah Qi's tears stopped instantly, and she began to grind her teeth, "Lu Jinlan, you're making fun of me!"
Lu Jinlan laughed and ran away, "Quick, take this, let's go home."
The two returned to the governor's mansion in the north with smiles on their faces, handing out candied hawthorns to everyone they met.
Yu Jifang's three children, one in each hand, excitedly surrounded the two of them.
The Yu family's daughter took Lu Jinlan's hand and asked, "Sister Lu, why did you buy so many candied hawthorns?"
Lu Jinlan pinched her little face. "You'll understand when you grow up. This is called winning a handsome man's smile. Your sister Lu even got a scolding for this candied hawthorn."
Ah Qi hurriedly asked, "Who insulted you?"
"They were queuing up to buy candied hawthorns. They were supposed to get theirs soon. But I bought the whole bunch, so they have to wait for the owner to make new ones, which will take a while. I've walked quite a distance, and I can still hear people jumping up and down and cursing: 'So what if you have money?'"
Everyone burst into laughter. Yan Wuxin walked over and coughed, "Jinlan, His Highness requests your presence for a meeting."
Lu Jinlan put down her things and was about to go with her when she saw Yan Wuxin give her a wink. She turned back, picked a few candied hawthorns, and said, "Lord Cui likes sweets, so I'm passing by to give them to her."
Poor Lord Cui has caught a cold these past few days and is eating such a bland diet that he doesn't even dare to add much salt. He's afraid that eating a bite of candied hawthorn would make his throat cough up. How could he dare to eat this?
Of course, Lu Jinlan wasn't bringing them for Lord Cui. She was just too embarrassed to say that her friends were still in their adolescence and loved sweets.
The four of them, each with a candied hawthorn skewer, munched on them while discussing national affairs.
Zhao Zhiyu: "We've been searching around Beizhou City like headless flies, making quite a show of it, but we can't get any information from the Ling family. I'm afraid they'll soon realize we have no leads at all."
Xiang Ruzhen sighed, "There's nothing we can do about it. Since the Emperor doesn't allow us to act rashly, we can't just lead our men to the Northern Prefecture camp, arrest all the commanders, and interrogate them one by one."
Yan Wuxin said, "If only there were a way to get the people from the Northern State Camp and the Garrison into this, it would be best if they couldn't refuse and couldn't find fault with us, but they would be trembling with fear, afraid that we would find something out."
Lu Jinlan tilted her head. This line sounded familiar, as if she had heard it in her past life.
She rubbed her temples, trying hard to remember what an older colleague had told her: during the anti-gang campaign that year, all departments were summoned for questioning...
Lu Jinlan slammed her hand on the table and exclaimed excitedly, "I've got it!"
The three men hurriedly asked, "What's your idea? Tell us quickly!"
Lu Jinlan said, "Let's not bring up the two thefts of disaster relief funds. Let's find another pretext to summon all the officials in the Northern Prefecture camp, the garrison, and all the government offices, big and small, for a talk."
Yan Wuxin: "A meeting? I've never heard of that."
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "A meeting is also called an invitation to tea. It seems like a casual affair, but it's enough to stir up a storm. I'll write an article about the wonderful uses of this meeting later. In the future, when imperial envoys arrive in a place, they can hold a meeting first. No matter how the meeting goes, as long as the news gets out, those who are guilty will be terrified, some will hang themselves, and some will jump off buildings."
Zhao Zhiyu nodded slightly, "A meeting is fine, but under what pretext can we involve the military and government departments?"
Lu Jinlan smiled, “This excuse is readily available. Didn’t we encounter robbers before entering the city? Let’s talk about this… This robbery in the Beizhou territory has led to suspicions of negligence and dereliction of duty in various departments. Your Highness, you should take the lead and form a temporary investigation team. The team must include a few people who love gossip the most. No matter which government office we go to, they can ask them questions for a long time.”
"The truth will definitely not come out by asking, but we need to create a deterrent effect. We need to make everyone terrified of this investigation team, feeling that if they go in for a talk, their ancestors for eighteen generations will be dug up."
"Before the meeting, Your Highness, please issue an official document to all relevant departments. Inform them that you intend to rectify the security situation in Beizhou and, regarding our robbery and other illegal or irregular matters, require all departments to conduct self-examinations and self-corrections and proactively provide clues."
"In addition, no one is allowed to leave their posts during this period. The investigation team will visit them soon, so they should be prepared to be interviewed at any time. The wording can be harsh to create a sense of tension for them. But it should not be targeted at any individual or department; it should be a large-scale interview involving the entire northern state."
"Remember! Never tell anyone the specific date of our meeting. Let those who have done something wrong panic, be afraid, and anxious, like ants on a hot plate, unable to sleep at night. When we question them, those with poor mental resilience might break down on the spot. We might even get some unexpected benefits while we're at it."
Lu Jinlan paced back and forth in the room, becoming more and more excited as she spoke. When she turned around, she found the three of them staring at her in shock.
Lu Jinlan: "What's wrong? Is this trick not working?"
Zhao Zhiyu nodded, "Okay, you could say it's brilliant. But I've discovered that you're really quick-witted. If you want to mess with someone, you can always come up with a bunch of ideas that no one else would ever think of. Luckily, we're on the same side. If we were on opposite sides, you would definitely be a major threat to me."
Lu Jinlan chuckled twice. "Your Highness, I am your trusted confidant and will not become a major threat."
Yan Wuxin immediately joked, "People like Lu Jinlan must stand with us; she's incredibly wicked. If she were on the enemy's side, I'd have to sleep with one eye open. Your Highness, why don't you reward her with something? You shouldn't use such a talent, and you absolutely cannot let someone else snatch her away."
Everyone laughed, and Xiang Ruzhen laughed again: "This is a good idea, but I feel like I haven't finished speaking yet, have I? We're testing the waters and making an example of them. The Ling family army may not necessarily collapse. They are all people who have been through the battles and are used to life and death. They are not so cowardly and will not confess on their own initiative."
Lu Jinlan said, "Those who know me are like Zhen. I've only told you the first move, I haven't told you the second move yet. You all say I'm wicked as hell, then I don't dare to tell you any of my other wicked ideas."
Zhao Zhiyu said helplessly, "Speak quickly! Don't worry about whether it's immoral or not. They steal disaster relief funds every year and kill so many people in Beizhou. They're not afraid of being immoral. It's no big deal for us to use some means to find out the truth. Just tell me. If this matter is successful, I'll ask the Emperor for any reward you want."
Lu Jinlan said happily, "Then I'll be frank. I've always admired Your Highness's Ferghana horse. If this matter comes to fruition..."
Zhao Zhiyu decisively replied, "If it succeeds, I'll reward you."
Lu Jinlan chuckled, "Then I'll tell you. The brilliance of my idea lies in the follow-up move. At first, we just made them anxious and uneasy, summoning them one government office after another without any order or pattern, leaving them completely confused. Until one day, we summoned them to the Northern Prefecture Camp and the Garrison Command. At these two places, we will definitely spend more time than at any other government office."
Xiang Ruzhen understood. "Let them think we've gotten the real information?"
Lu Jinlan: "That's right. We talked to them until late at night before releasing them. Think about it, these were all individual talks, and apart from us and the people we talked to, no one else knew what we said. With so much time going on, wouldn't Cheng Yuanqing and Ling Xia have become suspicious?"
Zhao Zhiyu said, "They might be suspicious, but after all, they've been subordinates for many years, so they probably trust them more."
Lu Jinlan said, "Then let's make it impossible for them not to suspect anything. After we finish our talks with the Beizhou camp and the garrison, we'll stop the talks. No matter how many other government offices are left, Your Highness, you must tell them that the talks are over."
Yan Wuxin clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Brilliant! In this way, Cheng Yuanqing and Ling Xia will definitely think that we have obtained what we wanted from them, and they will definitely suspect all the subordinates who participated in the meeting."
Lu Jinlan curled the corners of her lips. "That's right, but it's just suspicion. Now we'll use our most brilliant move to maximize the effectiveness of this counter-espionage scheme."
Xiang Ruzhen thought for a moment, "Do you mean to tell them that someone in the Ling family army has betrayed them?"
Lu Jinlan shook her head slightly, and said smugly, "If I tell them, they probably won't believe me. But if it's one of their own people who takes the risk to tell them information that's hard to find out, do you think they'll believe it?"
Zhao Zhiyu immediately stood up. “I will give you another pair of warm jade saddles. I believe this plan will definitely succeed. I will have someone make the arrangements now. The official document for the interview will be issued today. From this day forward, all officials and generals of Beizhou, including those in all government offices, the Beizhou military camp, and the Beizhou garrison, will be prohibited from taking leave or leaving Beizhou. They will all be waiting for the investigation team to come and interview them.”
She threw away the half-eaten candied hawthorn and strode out the door.
The remaining three looked at each other. Yan Wuxin said, "I don't care. You got the Ferghana horse, so lend it to me for two days."
Xiang Ruzhen gave her a disdainful look. "You're so spineless. Things haven't even been accomplished yet. Don't be in such a hurry to celebrate."
Xiang Ruzhen then turned to Lu Jinlan and said, "You must keep that A Qi in check; he is now the most important part of the plan."
Lu Jinlan said confidently, "Don't worry, I have a secret weapon that will definitely keep him calm."
Yan Wuxin hurriedly asked, "What secret weapon?"
Lu Jinlan smiled mysteriously, "I won't tell you."
*
Lu Jinlan returned to her room, where Aqi sat by the window tidying up her things.
Lu Jinlan quietly went inside and hugged him from behind, asking, "What are you busy with?"
Ah Qi was taken aback, then laughed and said, "You have too much stuff here. If you don't keep it tidy, you won't even know if something gets lost."
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "I haven't had a man with me these past few days, so who's going to take care of me? But you're so virtuous, so I'll leave it to you. Take your time, I'm going to change my clothes."
Just as Lu Jinlan stepped behind the screen, the steward knocked on the door from the outside and said, "Lord Lu, there is a letter for you."
Lu Jinlan casually said, "Qilang, go and bring it in for me."
Qi Lang? Ah Qi's face flushed, and his heart skipped a beat.
He brought the letter in with a smile, and then Lu Jinlan asked, "Who wrote this letter to me?"
Ah Qi hesitated for a moment, then said, "There are two."
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "Don't all letters need to have names and surnames? I'm asking you who wrote them."
"Yes...yes..."
He stammered, and Lu Jinlan, buttoning her clothes, came out from behind the screen. Aqi said awkwardly, "I can't read."
"Oh." Lu Jinlan took the letter and looked at it. "This is a family letter, written to me by my fiancé and my maid."
Ah Qi hummed in agreement, then said sourly, "They're quite impressive, they can all write. I heard your fiancé is General Song's only son, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and his looks are one in a million."
“His martial arts…” Lu Jinlan originally wanted to say, ‘His martial arts can’t compare to yours,’ but she almost blurted out the truth. Realizing that she had almost let something slip, she quickly said, “He learned martial arts to defend himself.”
Ah Qi then asked, "I also heard that you had an affair with a courtesan. What happened to him afterward?"
“I redeemed him from his servitude.”
"You've been redeemed? Do you still remember what he looks like?"
Lu Jinlan smiled, "Am I not at the age where I'm forgetful yet? He's doing very well now, married to someone else, has a child, and is currently pregnant."
Ah Qi was startled. "I thought a man who was once devoted to you could never belong to another. He seems to be quite open-minded. But you saved him, and he turned around and married someone else. Aren't you angry?"
Lu Jinlan beckoned to him and whispered in his ear, "I'm not angry, because the person he married is me."
Ah Qi was startled again, thinking to herself: No wonder everyone says Lu Jinlan is unrestrained and does whatever she pleases. She can even marry a courtesan; she truly is unconventional. It's just a pity I'm not as good as that courtesan. He can redeem himself with money; if I wanted to, I'd have to risk my life.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Lu Jinlan squeezed his hand. "If you want to learn to read, I'll teach you. Do you want to learn?"
"Yes." Ah Qi quickly rolled up his sleeves and moved a chair over.
Ah Qi was truly a person with a thirst for knowledge; Lu Jinlan hadn't seen such a thirsty man in a long time. Lu Jinlan first taught him how to write, then wrote some commonly used characters to teach him, and Ah Qi learned them all in no time.
Although his handwriting was crooked and messy, he could recognize all of it when asked. He quickly finished writing on the stack of papers on the table, then ran out to buy more paper and calligraphy practice books. When he came back, he sat by the window and kept writing.
After the two finished dinner, he returned to his desk. He lit the lamp and studied diligently through the night.
After taking a shower, Lu Jinlan wandered around the room, wondering, "This isn't an academy, so why is he studying so endlessly?"
She gave his waist a suggestive pinch. "Qilang, it's time to rest."
Ah Qi didn't even look up. "You go to sleep first. I'm not sleepy yet."
Lu Jinlan gritted her teeth, thinking to herself: Go ahead and learn, you'll forget your mission altogether. Others use spies to showcase their skills, but you've come here for further training.
Forget it, you can't force things. Lu Jinlan didn't insist and went back to bed to sleep.
She was groggily woken up by Ah Qi in the middle of the night.
Ah Qi's eyes widened, and he excitedly held up a piece of paper. "I wrote your name on it, look!"
Lu Jinlan rubbed her eyes and saw that he had written: Lu Jinlan.
She smiled helplessly. "Only the surname is correct."
Ah Qi hurriedly asked, "Then how do you write your name? Teach me."
Lu Jinlan sighed, "Aren't you sleepy?"
Ah Qi simply said, "I was a little sleepy, but after taking a shower I feel refreshed and can write another calligraphy book."
"Then don't bother with calligraphy practice books."
"ah?"
Lu Jinlan pulled open his nightgown, her warm hand stroking his firm chest. "Let's do something else."
Ah Qi paused for a moment, then took the initiative to lower the bed curtains. In the darkness, a burning hot body pressed against her.
-----------------------
The author says: "Rounded up, it equals six thousand." The author whispers.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
