Chapter 143 A Storm is Brewing; This Journey May Be...
Fu Yun's heart stopped, and almost without thinking, he shouted urgently, "Zhilan, be careful!"
As he gave the warning, he had already dashed off towards where Zhilan was standing.
Upon hearing Fu Yun's warning, Zhi Lan's steps faltered, and she almost instinctively turned to the side, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow to her chest. The arrow grazed her arm, barely tearing a gash in her imperial robe.
Fortunately, no flesh was injured.
The next moment, a palace servant cried out in a shrill, panicked voice, "Assassins! Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"
"Quickly, someone come and protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!"
As they screamed in panic, they immediately stood in front of Zhilan, clearly intending to use their bodies as a human wall to block the arrows.
Guard Zhang reacted exceptionally quickly, grabbing the running Fu Yun and pulling him into the air, swiftly landing at Zhi Lan's location.
As soon as the two landed and stood still, they saw many more arrows flying towards them.
In the blink of an eye, Guard Zhang drew his longsword and cleanly cut the approaching arrow in half.
She then swiftly drew a dozen throwing knives from her side and hurled them in the direction from which the arrows had come.
Several muffled groans were heard, and then several figures fell to the ground from behind the eaves or pillars where they were hiding.
Standing before Zhilan and the palace servants, Zhang, the guard, single-handedly withstood the constant barrage of arrows, displaying an imposing presence that seemed to defy all odds.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. By the time Fu Yun realized what was happening, Zhi Lan had already grabbed his wrist, pulled him over, and shielded him behind her.
Just as the flying arrow pierced the pillar of the palace corridor, the guards who were originally standing guard around reacted instantly, swarming over and surrounding Zhilan and Fuyun in an instant, forming an impenetrable protective circle.
Seeing that Zhilan was finally out of danger, Fu Jun breathed a sigh of relief, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, returned to its place.
After calming down, he inexplicably felt some discomfort in his back, a sticky feeling. He belatedly realized that it was probably the layer of cold sweat that had broken out on his back during the panic.
His fingertips were still trembling slightly, and he felt a wave of fear. If Zhilan had been shot in a vital spot, he didn't know what would have happened to him.
Zhilan had recovered her senses by now, her gaze fixed intently on Fu Jun's face, her tone stern: "Didn't I tell you to wait for me to return? What are you doing here? Don't you want to die?"
Although Fu Yun was scolded by Zhi Lan, his heart softened completely. He looked at her steadily and said, "You haven't been back for so long. I was worried about you, so I had to force Guard Zhang to bring me here to find you."
Zhilan was unsure whether to be angry or touched, and roughly rubbed Fu Jun's head: "Are you stupid! With so many guards, what could possibly happen to me?"
Fu Yun said solemnly, "I can only be completely at ease when I see with my own eyes that you are alright."
Zhilan was slightly taken aback, a tender emotion appearing in her eyes. She held Fu Jun's hand tightly with one hand and wrapped her other arm around his waist, gently patting his back and whispering reassuringly, "Don't be afraid, we'll all be alright."
Fu Yun hummed in agreement, hugged Zhilan back, and reminded her in a low voice, "It's dangerous here, we have to leave first."
Upon hearing this, Zhilan released Fu Jun and held his hand tightly as they walked together, entering a palace under the cover of guards and palace servants.
After escaping the chaos outside, Fu Yun looked around the palace he had temporarily entered and realized that it was the imperial study where Zhi Lan usually handled government affairs.
The two stared at each other for a moment, their eyes swirling with emotion, their hearts beating faster.
Fu Yun asked, "What do you plan to do about the rebels?"
Zhilan raised her eyebrows slightly, somewhat surprised: "Zhang Wan told you everything."
Fu Yun shook her head and explained, "He didn't tell me on his own initiative; I forced him to tell me."
Zhang Shiwei's loyalty to Zhilan was evident to all, and he could not allow Zhilan to misunderstand him.
Zhilan sighed, somewhat helplessly: "There's no need to plead for her, and I didn't intend to punish her anyway."
Fu Yun breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. She is actually very loyal to her master."
A deep meaning flashed in Zhilan's eyes, but she said in a calm tone, "You don't need to speak up for her. I know her personality very well, otherwise I wouldn't have sent her to follow you."
Fu Yun nodded and changed the subject: "I've spoken with Guard Zhang, and those assassins who betrayed you don't seem to be the group of secret guards you trained. Guard Zhang said their behavior is different from usual. We all suspect that they are disguised agents from other unknown forces, with the aim of disturbing your mind."
Zhilan stared at Fu Jun for a moment, then a smile curved her lips: "I already know about this matter. The reason I didn't retaliate in time was simply to turn the tables and lure out the person behind the scenes."
Fu Yun stared at Zhi Lan, her eyes gleaming: "You already have a plan?"
Zhilan nodded, her tone mysterious: "Not only will I not fight back, but I will also let them catch me, to lure them out of their hole."
Fu Jun's expression changed slightly, and he objected almost without thinking: "No, this is too dangerous. We absolutely cannot risk your life."
Zhilan chuckled and took two steps forward, tilting her head slightly as she whispered something in Fu Jun's ear.
Fu Yun's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly as she asked, "Can doing this guarantee that everything will be foolproof? Will it cause you any harm or disadvantage?"
Zhilan didn't seem to care much, and said frankly, "There are risks in making any decision, but if you hesitate, there are no possibilities, including whether you can control the situation well or badly."
Fu Yun remained silent for a moment, but ultimately chose to respect Zhi Lan's decision: "You're right. No pain, no gain. Every hurdle is difficult, but we'll overcome them all."
He had calmed down now and asked, "Is there anything you need me to do?"
Zhilan bluntly stated, "With Mu Xin leading the Nong Kingdom to declare war on our country, the spies who have infiltrated Lingzhou City will inevitably take advantage of the war between the two armies to make their move. At that time, with their combined efforts from within and without, Lingzhou City will inevitably be engulfed in a chaotic battle, and the people in the city will suffer the most."
Her expression turned solemn, and she said, word by word, "I need you to do your utmost to persuade the people stranded in Lingzhou City to move into the air-raid shelters and settle them in, so that they can be spared the suffering of war."
Fu Yun knew that Zhi Lan's arrangement showed her boundless trust in him and affirmed his abilities through her actions. Although he was very worried about Zhi Lan's safety and did not want the two of them to be separated at such a critical moment, Zhi Lan, as the monarch of a country, had inescapable responsibilities. All the major decisions of the country had to be made by her, and she could not abandon everything and hide away just for her own safety.
Moreover, now is not the time for sentimentality. Lingzhou City is currently beset by internal and external troubles. If the people are not evacuated, even if Zhilan fights the enemy head-on, she will be hampered by the people in the city and will not be able to take them down in one fell swoop. Only by eliminating this worry can she increase her chances of winning.
Fu Yun stopped thinking about it and nodded in agreement: "I understand. I will do my best to get everyone away so that you can catch us like turtles in a jar."
Zhilan's eyes were filled with emotion as she opened her arms and hugged Fu Yun tightly: "Thank you for your help. I am very grateful to God for letting us meet. Since I met you, I feel like I have the courage to overcome all difficulties."
Before Fu Jun could respond, she whispered very gently, "Please promise me that no matter what happens next, your first priority is to protect yourself and not put yourself in danger, understand?"
Fu Jun's heart burned with love: "I know, so do you. No matter how foolproof the plan is, you have to be careful, careful, and careful again. I don't want to experience what happened today a second time. If something happens to you, I will never have peace for the rest of my life."
Zhilan was both moved and helpless, but said in a doting voice, "Alright, alright, I promise you, I won't gamble with my own safety again."
After saying that, she stopped lingering and got back to business: "Alright, time is of the essence right now. We can talk about everything else after this is over. I'll take you back to the secret passage first."
Fu Yun nodded and left the Imperial Study through the back door with Zhi Lan. They then avoided the chaotic crowd and took a shortcut back to Zhi Lan's palace.
After entering the screen, Fu Yun changed back into his original clothes and, under Zhi Lan's affectionate gaze, opened the mechanism to the entrance to the secret passage.
He stepped into the secret passage, turned back to gaze at Zhilan behind him, and said, "Well... I'll be going now."
Zhilan gazed intently at him, her beautiful eyes filled with intense love: "Go! Be careful."
"Hmm." Fu Yun reluctantly withdrew his gaze, took a deep look at Zhi Lan after entering the secret passage, and then slowly closed the door.
After entering the secret passage, he took a deep breath, suppressing all the reluctance surging in his heart.
He strode through the secret passage, unlocking one mechanism after another until his legs ached and the soles of his feet went numb, finally reaching the main position of the air-raid shelter.
As soon as I stepped into the stone cave passage leading to my dwelling, two swords were held to my neck: "Who goes there? State your name."
Even though there were torches to light the way in the cave, the light inside was poor, so they naturally couldn't see the faces of the people who came. Fu Jun knew that these two must be guards that Fang had arranged to guard the various passages, so he answered very cooperatively: "I am Su Fu Jun."
Upon hearing this, the two guards immediately withdrew their swords and exclaimed with delight, "It's you, Young Master Su! You've finally returned!"
One of the guards said, "This subordinate will go and inform Lord Fang that you have returned safely. Lord Fang was almost frantic with worry for you."
Fu Jun nodded: "Thank you for your trouble. Please ask her to come quickly. I have something very important to discuss with her."
"Yes." The guard bowed and left.
Another guard bowed slightly and respectfully made way for him.
Fu Yun nodded politely to her and walked straight toward the stone cave where he lived.
As soon as he entered the cave and sat down, Xiao Jingzi came running over, sobbing, and knelt down in front of him, complaining aggrievedly, "My lord, where have you been? Do you know how scared I was when I saw you were gone?"
He knelt down and circled around Fu Jun, checking him over and over, asking with concern, "Are you alright?"
Fu Jun held his arm and pulled him up, saying, "I'm fine. Get up first. The ground is covered in dust and dirt."
Xiao Jingzi was pulled to her feet, her tone tinged with resentment: "Next time you want to go out, can you at least give me a heads-up? Otherwise, how can I explain it to His Majesty?"
Fu Yun said, "I understand, I understand. Where is Guard Fang? Is he still on this mountain?"
Xiao Jingzi immediately replied, "Yes, she's on her way to see you."
He had barely finished speaking when Guard Fang's voice rang out behind Xiao Jingzi: "Oh! Young Master Su has finally decided to come back?"
Fu Yun touched his nose and said apologetically, "I'm sorry to have troubled you. The reason I returned here is because His Majesty gave me instructions."
Upon hearing this, Guard Fang composed himself and glanced at Xiao Jingzi: "Go and stand guard outside the door."
"Yes." Xiao Jingzi obediently walked out of the stone cave and stood motionless outside the door.
Fu Yun briefly told Guard Fang what Zhi Lan had told him, and also mentioned the changes that had occurred in the palace.
After hearing what Fu Yun said, Guard Fang immediately summoned several men in black.
Fu Yun could tell from their aura that these were all highly skilled bodyguards.
Guard Fang introduced to Fu Yun: "These women are all top-notch members of the secret guards. There are many civilians settled here, and they need reliable people to guard them. We can't transfer all the guards away, so the next operation can only be handled by a few of us. This trip may be life or death. Young Master Su, have you thought it through and are you sure you want to come with us?"
Fu Yun stared at the several guards present, her expression resolute: "Only I can crack the mechanisms in the secret passage, so of course I'm going."
Upon hearing this, Guard Fang said no more: "In that case, let's set off immediately."
Fu Yun nodded, quickly packed up her bow and arrows and slung them over her shoulder, then took out a dagger from the cabinet for self-defense.
Let's go!
Fang, the guard, summoned five people. Including Fu Yun and Fang, the temporarily formed team consisted of seven people.
Xiao Jingzi originally wanted to follow, but after Fang Shiwei shot him a cold and sharp look, he dared not utter another word.
Fu Yun led this elite team towards the secret passage leading to the Su residence.
Having successfully arrived at the study in the Su residence, Fu Yun had just opened the secret door when a tense and wary young man's voice came from inside: "Who...who's there?"
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