robbers
After a satisfying meal, the innkeeper had originally planned to arrange a room for He Lin and Jiang Yi, but then a large group of镖客 (bodyguards/escorts) entered the inn, and the inn was short of rooms. So they had to ask for their opinions to see if they could make do with one of their rooms for the night.
"Sirs, I'm really sorry, but could you please make an exception? Our inn simply doesn't have any extra rooms."
At this moment, a bearded man came up to the second floor and walked straight toward them. He clasped his hands in a fist and said politely, "Gentlemen, I apologize for disturbing you. It is getting late. My brother and I were just passing by and were thinking of continuing our journey early tomorrow morning. However, the inn does not have many rooms left. We heard from the innkeeper that you two know each other, so we came to ask if we could do you a favor. Oh, I can give you double the original price."
Upon hearing that the price was double, Jiang Yi's eyes lit up. Before He Lin could speak, she coughed lightly and lowered her voice: "Ahem, alright, it's not easy for anyone when they're away from home. I'll just have to squeeze in with my brother for one night."
The head镖师 nodded slightly and then turned his gaze to He Lin.
Jiang Yi nudged him with her elbow: "Brother?"
The meaning couldn't be clearer, and He Lin finally nodded in agreement, pursing his lips.
The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) bowed to the two of them, saying, "In that case, thank you both very much."
After saying that, he looked deeply at Jiang Yi, his eyes flickering strangely. He Lin stepped forward without making a sound, stood in front of Jiang Yi, and frowned. After the head镖师 (bodyguard) came to his senses, he nodded to him and turned to leave.
In the room, the candlelight flickered a few times. He Lin went over and closed the window. Jiang Yi stood by the bamboo bed and looked around before shifting her gaze to He Lin.
"What's wrong?"
"I was careless, He Lin, this bed seems a bit small."
He Lin glanced at it casually and said, "You should rest."
"And what about you?"
"I can sleep sitting in a chair."
"How can that be? There's no charcoal fire to keep warm, and we still have to travel tomorrow. What if you catch a cold at night?"
He Lin said nonchalantly, "It's alright."
Jiang Yi turned to look at him: "How about we squeeze in together?"
He Lin turned to leave, but Jiang Yi quickly grabbed his sleeve: "Wait a minute, why are you being so shy like a little girl? You won't lose out by sleeping in the same bed with me, so stop talking nonsense and hurry up."
He Lin raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure?"
Jiang Yi hissed, about to lash out, but then she thought that she was indeed a bit of a restless sleeper, and she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't touch him inappropriately. She wasn't sure if she would suffer the consequences...
"You go to sleep first, I'm going out for a walk."
"Hey, where are you going in the middle of the night...?"
Before Jiang Yi could finish speaking, He Lin had already opened the door and left, making sure to close it behind him before he left. Jiang Yi pouted and said, "Tch, sleep if you want, don't sleep if you don't want to!"
In the woods, a chestnut horse paced back and forth a few steps. Beside it, a man in black leaned against a tree, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth. With each breath, wisps of white vapor could be faintly seen, indicating that the weather had undoubtedly grown colder after nightfall.
Before long, footsteps grew closer, rustling on the dry leaves. The man in black made a move, but merely smiled slightly and teased, "Oh, instead of staying in your boudoir, you've actually come out here?"
He Lin stopped a few steps away from him: "What do you want?"
While talking to Jiang Yi at the inn, He Lin heard a few bird calls coming from the southwest outside the window. It was a special signal, so he didn't suspect anything. He Lin made up an excuse to come out, but he didn't expect that the person who came was Yin Zhaobai.
“You…” Yin Zhaobai shook his head and clicked his tongue twice: “Forget it, you really have no sense of humor at all. I don’t know how Jiang Yi has put up with you for so long.”
He Lin pursed his lips and got straight to the point: "The spies haven't come. What happened in the capital?"
Yin Zhaobai dropped his nonchalant demeanor, spat out the wild grass in his mouth, and said, "Shangguan Dehui has made a move. His followers have been making frequent visits lately, preparing to jointly petition to transfer your good elder brother to the Northern Desert. Once He Yu leaves, the Crown Prince will be completely isolated and helpless. You should understand what this means."
He Lin didn't react much after hearing these words; his expression was extremely calm, as if he had already guessed it.
Where is Qi Junxu?
"Just like always, we'll cause Qi Junyuan some trouble every now and then to annoy him, just waiting for him to retaliate so we can find something to complain about."
“He hasn’t improved at all over the years. You continue to keep a close eye on Shangguan Dehui. If there’s any sign of trouble, have the Imperial Guards send a message to me immediately.”
Yin Zhaobai nodded: "I know. Be careful on your trip south this time. The scouts have reported that that old fox Ma Zhang is investigating Yu Ling Pavilion."
He Lin gave a cryptic sneer: "Let him investigate."
Yin Zhaobai let out a soft sigh and said, "Yu Ling Pavilion works for His Majesty. Even if he finds something, I doubt he'd dare to take action. The key is that he's investigating who the Pavilion Master is. Once he finds even the slightest clue, do you know what will happen..."
He Lin patted the person opposite him on the shoulder, "Alright, Zhao Bai, I know what I'm doing. This trip south is to meet him."
Ma Zhang, personally appointed by His Majesty as the only non-royal prince of Daliang, was already given a privilege of occupying a dominant position in Lingnan in consideration of his meritorious service in defeating the northern barbarians in his youth. However, he now shows no gratitude and dares to harbor rebellious thoughts, secretly trading weapons. He truly has no sense of death.
"Don't speak so soon. Lingnan is Ma Zhang's territory. You're all alone, and you're even bringing Jiang Yi with you. I'm worried you'll run into him."
"If I had this concern, I wouldn't have come."
Yin Zhaobai rubbed his face: "Alright, be careful in everything you do. The day the poison takes effect is fast approaching. Jiang Yi will definitely find out then. How do you plan to explain it to her?"
"No explanation is needed; she knows."
"She knows about your poisoning?"
"Um."
Yin Zhaobai looked at He Lin with a strange expression, and gradually, a smile spread across his eyes and brows.
He Lin asked, puzzled, "What are you laughing at?"
"Isn't it something to laugh about when a thousand-year-old iron tree blooms? He Lin, I finally know what you like about her. She is indeed different from others."
He Lin was slightly taken aback. He liked her? He liked her?
Upon hearing this thought, He Lin frowned, a mix of emotions welling up inside him. But the most obvious emotion he felt first was anger. He didn't know if this anger was directed at himself or the embarrassment of having his secret exposed, but he managed to suppress it all.
"Who told you I like her?"
Yin Zhaobo didn't answer directly. He nimbly mounted his horse in a few steps, tugged at the reins, and laughed, "How do you know that the 'she' we're talking about is the same person? Admit it, He Lin, stop being so stubborn. You just like her. Let's go."
The clatter of hooves sounded particularly jarring in the silence. He stood alone for a long time before turning around and walking towards the inn.
...
"Young Master He, is your brother feeling better? There's still quite a journey to Lingnan. If he's not feeling well, I think it would be better to find a place to rest up ahead. Health is important."
He Lin rode alongside the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), glanced back at the carriage, and replied loudly, "Thank you for your concern, he is perfectly fine."
"That's good. It's normal for the young master's body to be a little tired during his first long trip. He'll get used to it."
"Yes, she was too pampered before, it's good for her to suffer a little."
The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) laughed heartily: "Hahahaha, the young master is spoiled because you pampered him. You must not want him to suffer even the slightest hardship at home, right?"
He Lin's lips twitched: "..."
"If you ask me, it's better for boys to develop their physique and courage. Otherwise, if they become effeminate, which girl will want to marry them? I think your trip south to find relatives is a good opportunity. Young Master He can also broaden his horizons. Don't you think so?"
Upon hearing this, He Lin immediately realized that there was something more to his words. It seemed that he had already seen through Jiang Yi's true identity as a woman. These people were experienced and knowledgeable in the martial arts world. Jiang Yi's little trick of disguising herself as a man was nothing to them. It was perfectly normal for them to see through it.
"What you said makes some sense."
The镖头 (镖头 is a term used to describe a skilled镖师, often implying someone is in charge of security), laughed a few times, tightened the reins and spurred his horse, then turned and headed towards the back of the column.
He Lin had originally intended to find a carriage for Jiang Yi before continuing their journey, but just then, the group of镖客 (bodyguards/escorts) came out of the inn. The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) overheard his conversation with the innkeeper and warmly invited them to travel together. The group had extra carriages, and it was on their way. Besides, the镖队's journey wasn't very fast; they would travel at a leisurely pace, stopping frequently along the way, which Jiang Yi could adapt to. He Lin had no reason to refuse, so he agreed, only telling others that he and his brother were going to Lingnan to find relatives...
There was no movement inside the carriage. He Lin guessed that Jiang Yi had fallen asleep again. The road was rugged and bumpy, and she was quite unique in being able to sleep so soundly under such conditions.
The road ahead widened and widened, and soon they arrived at a valley.
The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) was very vigilant, his sharp, hawk-like eyes scanning his surroundings. He was always the first to notice any disturbance.
"Those behind, follow up. You few, come over here..."
He Lin felt something was off; it was too quiet, abnormally quiet, and his intuition was right.
Even though this place is sparsely populated, you can always encounter two or three pedestrians along the way, either villagers from the mountains or hunters who make a living by hunting. But after walking for so long, I haven't seen a single person. It's really strange.
"Jiang Yi, wake up!"
He Lin rode his horse close to the carriage and called her softly a few times. Then the curtain was lifted from the inside, and Jiang Yi peeked out, rubbing her eyes and yawning: "What's wrong? Have we arrived?"
"No, something's not right here. Don't sleep."
Upon hearing He Lin's words, Jiang Yi immediately sat up straight, her mind clearing considerably. She looked around and confirmed that it was a valley.
She swallowed hard and asked anxiously, "Won't... there be robbers?"
He Lin glanced at her: "It's hard to say."
"Oh? Then, what should we do?!"
"..."
As the two were talking, they heard a rapid sound of hooves mixed with sleazy shouts coming closer and closer. The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) shouted for the caravan to stop immediately and form a circle.
He Lin frowned. Jiang Yi leaned halfway out of the car window toward the source of the sound. In the swirling dust, a group of men on tall horses could be vaguely seen rushing toward the convoy, each wielding a large knife—the robbers had indeed arrived.
Jiang Yi slapped her mouth and spat, "My damned jinx!"
He Lin reached out and pushed her back: "Sit still, don't come out."
"And what about you?"
"Don't worry, nothing will happen."
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