Chapter 93 Taking the Handsome Living Widow Away
"Shh!" Lu Jinlan told him to lower his voice first, "Don't worry about who I am, I'm your savior, I'll get you out first."
The man paused slightly, "Save me?"
“Yeah!” Lu Jinlan asked with a laugh, “Haven’t you had enough of this lousy place? If you lie down any longer, you’ll get rheumatism.”
The man sat up, and Lu Jinlan hurriedly said, "Slow down, don't move! Do you see the poisonous snakes and scorpions next to you? Be careful they don't bite you, don't startle them."
The man remained calm, sitting there slowly straightening his clothes. The poisonous creatures around him docilely lingered, not attacking him.
In fact, he lay here every night, as if this was the only place in the vast palace where he could feel peace and tranquility.
A small house with its doors and windows tightly shut, damp soil, and a starry sky that you can look up at as soon as you open your eyes.
However, tonight is a little different.
The room was originally airtight, with only a skylight for ventilation. But now, a strange woman appeared there, claiming she would rescue him.
The suppressed thoughts in my heart are stirring, yet I am unable to let go of a myriad of distracting thoughts.
He hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly, "I don't know who you are, and you don't know who I am. I don't know what you're doing here, but you're definitely not here for me. Go do what you need to do, I won't bother you, let's just pretend we never met."
Lu Jinlan asked, puzzled, "Why? Do you like it here? Are you addicted to prison? Do you plan to be a prisoner for life?"
The man shook his head repeatedly, “I don’t like it here, but I can’t get out. This is how I’ve been stuck all my life.”
Lu Jinlan: "Nonsense! How could there be no way? Are you paralyzed or have a leg injury?"
The man gave her a reproachful look and muttered under his breath, "You're the one who's paralyzed."
Lu Jinlan chuckled, "You have legs and feet, how could you not get out? Besides, aren't I here? I'll take you out."
"You?" The man was suspicious, but instead of asking "Why do you have the right to take me out?", he asked, "Why do you want to take me out?"
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "You don't know this, do you? I am the number one philanthropist in the world, and I love helping those in distress."
Lu Jinlan held out her hand to him, "Come on, give me your hand."
The man gazed into her resolute eyes, unsure of how he had become bewitched, only feeling an irresistible allure from the hand reaching out to him.
His mind was still not clear, but his body seemed to be under a spell, and he reached out and grasped her hand in a daze.
A warm and strong hand instantly enveloped his cool and pale knuckles. The man's heart trembled, and his voice shook slightly, "My name is Chi Li. Are you really going to take me out?"
Eating pears? Why not call it eating apples?
Lu Jinlan muttered a couple of complaints to herself, then smiled and said, "I'll take you out to eat pears."
With a slight exertion, Lu Jinlan lifted Chi Li up instantly, making him feel lighter.
He quickly grabbed her tightly with his other hand, afraid she would fall.
Chi Li wasn't heavy. Lu Jinlan lifted him up from the skylight without feeling anything, but Chi Li was so nervous that his breathing became erratic.
The two sat side by side on the roof. Lu Jinlan said, "You sit here and rest for a while. I'll go down for a bit and come back up to pick you up later."
Chi Li hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?"
Lu Jinlan: "I need to get something done. I'm going to the emperor's bedchamber to find something."
Chi Li glanced at the huge bundle behind her. "Didn't you already find a lot of things?"
"These are just side projects; I haven't found what I'm really looking for yet. By the way, is the emperor's sleeping quarters down there?"
Chi Li shook her head. "No, the area below is the Emperor's bedroom."
"You've got the wrong one again!" Lu Jinlan frowned. "The Imperial Consort? You mean the Holy Man of the Meizu?"
Chi Li replied in a muffled voice, "Yes."
"Oh, I didn't see anyone in the hall just now. Where did he go? Did he go to serve the emperor?"
Chi Li immediately replied, "The holy man must remain chaste and never serve the emperor."
"Really? Does that mean he'll be a virgin for life? Getting married but living like a widow, that's so tragic."
After Lu Jinlan finished speaking, she noticed that Chi Li's face was gloomy and said unhappily, "If you speak disrespectfully again, I won't go with you."
Lu Jinlan said strangely, "I didn't say you, you...you..."
She suddenly realized something, "You wouldn't happen to be the Holy Man, would you?"
Chi Li lowered her head, her long, thick eyelashes fluttering slightly with her breath, like butterfly wings.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "If you regret it, you can send me back now. It's not too late."
Lu Jinlan's mind raced; it was such a terrible coincidence. Such a handsome man was actually a holy man of the Holy Sect.
If he were an ordinary man, it wouldn't matter, but he happened to be the man the Emperor of Jiang married into the palace.
Knowing full well that he shouldn't be touched, he still married him to be the emperor's consort. This shows that this person has important political significance to the emperor of Jiang Kingdom. He is not an insignificant figurehead, but a powerful tool for the emperor to manage the followers of the Holy Sect.
Taking him away wouldn't be a loss for Hua Kingdom; in fact, it might be beneficial. The prerequisite is that Jiang Kingdom is unaware that she was behind it all.
But things got complicated after he was taken away, and the Emperor of Jiang Kingdom had to pursue him relentlessly.
Lu Jinlan's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, somewhat hesitant.
To be honest, if she had known he was the Emperor's consort before he came up, she definitely wouldn't have pulled him up.
But he's already up here, sitting right next to me, so close.
Lu Jinlan used to not believe in the concept of "the impact of beauty." When she first met Lin Cheng, he was so stunning, but she was only slightly stunned.
But Chi Li was different; he was incomparably beautiful, possessing a beauty that transcended that of humans.
Looking at him up close like this, I can't help but get distracted when I talk to him. How could I bear to send him back?
Fine! Lu Jinlan gritted her teeth and decided to take the handsome widow away.
She said generously, "Regret what? I, Lu Jinlan, have never even known how to write the word 'regret' in my entire life."
Chi Li was taken aback. "You're Lu Jinlan?"
"Yes! You've heard of me, haven't you?"
"I've heard of him; Lord Lu's name is renowned far and wide."
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "You seem to have quite a good network of information in this deep palace, but don't believe everything you hear. I just gave your Jiang Kingdom army a crushing defeat, so they won't spread any good rumors about me."
Chi Li pursed her lips and said calmly, "There were good things and bad things said, but now it seems they were all true. I understand now why you saved me."
He subtly moved a little further away. Lu Jinlan sighed helplessly. Without asking, it must be that the rumors about her were that she was a lecherous womanizer who coveted beauty and had affairs everywhere.
"Yes, I'm happy to help handsome men, and I do have a few men around me. But I swear, I've never forced anyone; it's all voluntary. Look at you, so good-looking, have I ever forced myself on you?"
Chi Li glanced at her warily and replied, "Not yet."
Lu Jinlan gritted his teeth, "Fine, this time I'll be a complete gentleman and I will never take liberties with you, my pure and innocent saint. I'll take you out safely, but once we're outside, you'll have to apologize to me."
"Okay," Chi Li readily agreed. "Then when shall we leave?"
"I'm going to the emperor's bedroom to find a letter. I'll leave once I find it."
Lu Jinlan thought for a moment that Chi Li and the Emperor of Jiang were not on the same side, so she told him about Zhao Mincheng's request for her to find evidence.
“I’ve heard that the Marquis of Dingbei of our dynasty has written several letters to your emperor. I’d like to try my luck and bring those letters back with me.”
Ultimately, this is a matter for the Hua Kingdom, and not a big deal for the Jiang Kingdom. A used letter is of no use to them. If things are done discreetly, she might steal it for half a year without them finding out.
Chi Li thought the same thing, and said, "This is not difficult, I will go and find it for you."
*
The palace servants in charge of the emperor's bedchamber were preparing to close the door and turn off the lights when they suddenly saw a rare guest arrive outside the palace.
He hurriedly put down what he was holding, knelt down and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Rise, where is the Emperor?"
"Your Majesty's timing is unfortunate. His Majesty is staying with Consort Meng tonight. If you have urgent business, you may wish to go there to find her. At this hour, His Majesty should not have retired yet."
Chi Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "No need, there's nothing urgent. His Majesty asked me to refine pills before, but I couldn't figure out the method. Today, I finally refined a pill and came to present it to His Majesty."
He held up the box in his hand and said, "I will place this by the Emperor's bedside. You may leave."
The palace servant hurriedly said, "This servant will put it in for you."
"No need," Chi Li refused coldly. "This item is precious, and only the Emperor and I can touch it. If a third person touches it, it might spoil the scent. Moreover, the placement of this item is quite particular. Since you don't understand, I'll have to do it myself."
The palace attendant quickly withdrew his hand, saying, "Then I'll trouble you, Your Majesty."
Chi Li entered the emperor's bedroom alone, immediately closed the door tightly, casually placed the pills on the bedside table, and then went to the desk to look for letters.
He was illiterate, but Lu Jinlan had just written him a note with the three characters "Ling Zhijing" on it. He then went to the envelope to find the exact same characters as the note.
There were several stacks of letters in the drawer of his desk. He searched anxiously, and soon a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Just then, the head palace servant knocked on the door. "Your Majesty, is it not done yet?"
Chi Li said urgently, "It'll be quick. Wait a little longer. This is of great importance. Don't disturb me."
"But..." The palace servant wanted to say something more, but suddenly there was a commotion outside.
Someone was shouting, "Assassin! Catch the assassin!"
The palace attendant hurriedly said, "It sounds like the head guard's voice. I'll go ask them what's going on. Your Majesty, please be careful and don't come out yet."
An assassin? Could it be that Lu Jinlan has been discovered?
Once the palace servant was out of sight, Chi Li frantically searched again and finally found two letters written by Ling Zhijing.
He quickly put the letter away, tidied up his desk and restored it to its original state, and left hastily when no one was around.
Just as I rounded a stone bridge, someone suddenly covered my mouth from behind.
"Shh! It's me!" Hearing Lu Jinlan's voice, Chi Li finally stopped struggling.
He quickly handed her the letter, "Take a look, is this it?"
Lu Jinlan nodded. "That's right, this is it. We can go now."
Chi Li hesitated, then said, "They've already discovered you, so it won't be easy for you to leave. I don't know martial arts, so it will only make things more difficult for you if you take me with you."
Lu Jinlan raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say?"
Chi Li said helplessly, "I just thought about it again. If I just leave, the Emperor will not let my family and clan go. I can't leave."
He lowered his eyes in frustration, his eyes slightly red. "I really want to go with you, I really want to see the outside world. But I can't, you should go."
Lu Jinlan chuckled and sighed, "How do you think I was discovered?"
Chi Li shook his head and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Lu Jinlan said, "I deliberately got discovered. I just thought about it for you. Of course, it would be troublesome if you left on your own, but if you were kidnapped, then you can't be blamed. I've already made a mess of your bedchamber, so it makes perfect sense for me to kidnap you when you go out alone."
Chi Li was stunned for a moment, "But...but I just went to the emperor's bedchamber, and something was missing from there..."
"That's right, someone saw you go to the emperor's bedchamber, but no one saw you leave. If something is missing from the bedchamber, it's not necessarily because you stole it; it's possible that the thief bumped into you and stole you as well."
"Besides, things weren't just stolen from the bedchamber tonight," Lu Jinlan said, pointing to the bundle on her body. "This is gone, that is gone, so losing a beauty isn't unreasonable, is it?"
Chi Li stared at her blankly, utterly incredulous.
He had heard that she was a woman of great courage and bravery, daring to assassinate enemy generals amidst a vast army.
He had also heard that she was incredibly intelligent and resourceful, able to turn the tide in times of crisis, and persuade the Qu Kingdom to form an alliance with her silver tongue, thus turning the tide of war into victory.
He had heard many stories about Lu Jinlan, but he never imagined that such a famous and powerful heroine would waste her time on a mere insignificant man in the palace.
He was deeply moved and had to admit that she did indeed have the ability to captivate people, even though they had only just met.
He thought that what she had just said was probably true. Those men were all there voluntarily.
Seeing him in a daze, Lu Jinlan waved her hand in front of his eyes and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Even a saint can have worldly feelings? You wouldn't have fallen in love with me, would you?"
Chi Li immediately denied it: "I didn't, Lord Lu, don't be so presumptuous. Since you've already gone to the trouble for me, let's go now."
Lu Jinlan nodded and said seriously, "Alright, but there's one more thing you need to do before we leave."
Chi Li hurriedly asked, "What is it?"
Lu Jinlan pointed to her face, "Give me a kiss."
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Author's Note: Waaah, my "Ruzhen" and "Wuxin" have come looking for me. I might be late or not updating at all for the next couple of days, so please keep an eye on the announcements. She's going back on Monday, and I'm going to be with her as a special forces soldier.
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