Emperor Lin was completely unaware of his daughter's stunned expression. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this title was so appealing. It was full of charm and delightful to say— it was simply beautiful!
As expected of me!
Lin Feilu watched helplessly as Emperor Lin was about to draw up a decree before she hugged his arm in fright, "Father Emperor, wait!"
Emperor Lin smiled and said, "You don't have to refuse, this is the honour you deserve."
Lin Feilu, "…"
She forced out a very sincere smirk and asked suspiciously, "Father, although this title sounds beautiful, don't you think it doesn't have a good meaning?"
Emperor Lin said, "What do you mean by that?"
Lin Feilu said in a deep voice, "Although green tea is truly beautiful, it is easy for it to fade and wilt away…"
When Emperor Lin heard it, he thought that was indeed true! Little Lu was in her 'flowering season', so it would be too unlucky to use this title.
Thinking of this, he could only reluctantly give up and withdrew his hand that was holding the pen, "Someday I'll ask the people from the Ministry of Rites to come up with several titles so you can choose for yourself."
Lin Feilu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The two chatted a bit more before Emperor Lin asked, "You just came back from the Qi Residence? How is your eldest brother's health?"
Lin Feilu's eyes darkened and her tone became dull, "Although the eldest Imperial brother is awake and his body is improving day by day, his mental state has still not improved by much. Imperial doctor Meng said that depression is a problem in the heart, so it is difficult to treat it with medicine," Her eyes gradually turned red and she choked on her words,"He also said that if this continues, the eldest Imperial brother may fall unconscious and never wake up again."
Emperor Lin thought that Lin Ting would be alright once he woke up, but his expression suddenly became solemn.
Lin Feilu sat down a little and hugged his arm before she placed her small head on his shoulder. It looked as if she was a child again, depending on her father when she was troubled.
Emperor Lin sighed and touched her head, listening to her whispers, "Father Emperor, I want to take the eldest Imperial brother out for a walk."
Without waiting for him to speak, she continued, "I have read several medical books in the past few days. It was recorded that although depression cannot be treated with medicine, it can be solved by changing the living environments to relax the body and mind. Eldest Imperial brother has been living in the capital since he was born, so it might be a lot better for him if he moved to another place and looked at other sceneries."
Emperor Lin merely watched his eldest son get to where he was today.
He also praised his gentleness and kindness. But in the end, he was the one who also took advantage of this loving quality of Lin Ting's.
Occasionally, when he recalled that day in the King Qi Residence, he remembered how Lin Ting was teetering between life and death as a trace of guilt flashed in his heart.
Now that he heard Lin Feilu say this, he continued and asked, "Then where do you want to take him to?"
Lin Feilu had thought about it for a long time before she looked up and said, "The Wutai Mountain! We can start from the capital and travel all the way to the Wutai Mountain just to visit Grandmother Empress Dowager. Since the eldest Imperial brother is saddened, perhaps practising the art of Buddhism in the Wutai Mountains would do him some good."
This was not that bad of an idea.
Emperor Lin pondered for a while and said,"But with you two going out of the capital, if you encounter any sort of danger…"
Lin Feilu said, "At that time, we will hide our identities. Besides, Father Emperor can arrange for guards to protect us secretly," She smiled sweetly again, hugging his arm and acting like a spoiled child, "Besides, the Great Lin Empire under Father Emperor's control is relatively safe and secure, so how could there be any sort of danger?"
Emperor Lin was comforted by this flattery.
The Empress Dowager had left the palace and returned to Mount Wutai after the Crown Prince's wedding. If these two children went to visit her, she would surely be very happy.
Emperor Lin had already made a decision in his heart, but he did not agree to it immediately. After Lin Feilu left, Meng Fuji and the few imperial doctors, who diagnosed and monitored Lin Ting's condition, were summoned over as the Emperor wanted to inquire about his son's current state. The statements of several imperial doctors were generally consistent with what Lin Feilu said, and they all advised King Qi to go out for a walk.
So on the second day, Emperor Lin summoned the Commander of the imperial guards. He stated that the 5th Princess and the eldest Prince would be going to Mount Wutai. Then, Emperor Lin asked him to pick two skilled guards from the imperial guards and escort them the entire way. Also, he was asked to deploy a team of men to secretly guard them as well as nothing should go wrong.
After the Commander of the imperial guards received the decree, he quickly chose subordinates for the job.
There were two selected. These two were twins, taken from the Sixteen Guardians of the Capital, as their fist skills were very agile. Because one of their names had the word 'white' and the other had the word 'black' in them, everyone in the army used to call them the Impermanent Brothers.
While Emperor Lin was arranging the guards, Lin Feilu had also begun preparing for this mountain trip.
The sword that Noble Consort Xi gave her, which was said to have cut off the 3000 soldiers and horses of the Yong Kingdom, had been shelved in the utility room, and now she has found it. The unremarkable scabbard was covered with a layer of ash, but the blade was still able to slice through iron as if it were mud. Lin Feilu gave the sword one or two tryouts in the yard, feeling quite comfortable with how the weapon was holding up.
She patted the precious sword and said with a smile, "Since you look so ordinary, then I will name you Gu Zai(2)."
(T/N: Gu means 'ancient' and zai is a way for the seniors and adults to call someone younger as 'kid')
Since they would have to venture through rivers and forests, these palace costumes could no longer be worn. A batch of spring silk brocade arrived at the Imperial Embroidery Workshop, and Xiao Lan had made a few dresses for her overnight. They were both light and beautiful.
Lin Zhanyuan didn't know what it meant to have an adventure, but he only knew that his sister was going out to play. However, he also knew that she was going to go for a long time before returning, so he had made a fuss about wanting to tag along. Lin Feilu coaxed him for several days and finally promised to bring a monkey back, to which he reluctantly agreed.
The fact that the 5th Princess and the eldest Imperial Prince were going to leave the palace was not widely publicised. Only a few people close to them knew about the trip.
Recently, because of the retreat of the Ruan clan, the situation in the previous dynasty had changed, and Lin Qing threw himself into taking personally charge of the leftover confrontation. It was not until the day before Lin Feilu left the palace that he caught wind of her trip.
It was always Lin Feilu who went to the Eastern Palace to find him, so he rarely ever came to the Mingyue Palace. As soon as the little eunuch saw the Crown Prince, he immediately knelt down and wanted to report his arrival, but Lin Qing reached out his hand to stop him.
When he entered, Lin Feilu was practising swordsmanship in the yard, using the sword given by Noble Consort Xi.
While she was practising, Lin Zhanyuan clapped and applauded vigorously. If anything, it was rather amusing to see him behave that way.
Lin Qing stood under the porch for a while before Lin Feilu noticed him. When she drew her sword and ran towards him, there were beads of sweat on her nose. The girl was dainty and beautiful, bright and radiant. She was someone that he watched grow with every passing year. Over the years, everyone had changed— including himself. But only in her could he find the innocence and warmth that he was familiar with in his childhood days.
Lin Feilu raised her hand to wipe off the sweat before she asked him with a smile, "Why did brother Crown Prince come here?"
Lin Qing also smiled, "I heard that you are leaving the capital?"
She looked flustered for a moment, and her body trembled involuntarily, but she covered it up in a flash. Trying to keep her tone light, she answered, "Yes, I plan to go to the Wutai Mountain to visit Grandmother Empress Dowager."
Lin Qing was much taller than her. When he stood in front of her and looked down at her, he felt a sense of oppression as his tone was also heavy, "Little Fifth Princess, were you afraid of me just now?"
The smile on the girl's face seemed to be unable to remain on her face. Her eyes glanced to the side with a guilty conscience, not daring to look at him.
Lin Qing didn't know whether he should be angry or feel amused, "You have never been afraid of me before."
She didn't speak for a while as her fingers dangled from her side and ruffled her clothes, a clear sign of nervousness.
Lin Qing squeezed his fists tightly, but finally just said in a deep voice, "You don't have to be afraid, I won't do anything to you and eldest brother."
Lin Feilu turned her eyes a little bit as the tip of her nose was a little red. She looked rather aggrieved, but asked in a meek voice, "Really?"
Lin Qing knew that she was smart since she was a child.
She seemed innocent and carefree, but in her heart, she was very clear about the battle between him and Lin Ting. Once he overheard her secretly talking to the 4th Prince, asking him why couldn't the two brothers be as harmonious as before. She also asked exasperatedly if the throne was something worth that much trouble.
Lin Qing didn't know how good the throne was, but what belonged to him could not be taken away by anyone.
Now, because Lin Ting was seriously ill, the Ruan family was obviously planning to give up the seizure of power. However, Lin Qing couldn't let them retreat from the throne battle completely without repercussions. He intended to clear up every single one of the grudges built up over the years with them.
This settlement, however, did not include Lin Ting in the grand scheme of things.
But even if he wanted to do something to him, now was not the time.
Lin Qing nodded, "Really."
Lin Feilu seemed very happy as the corners of her lips curved up, but for some unknown reason, her eyes reddened gradually, and tears fell unexpectedly. She covered her eyes with the back of her palms, but somehow she cried even more sorrowfully as she could not help herself.
Lin Qing seldom saw her cry, so the Crown Prince who had decisively sentenced many people to death to ensure his position, was stupefied to the point where he didn't know what to do for a while.
While he was at a loss, he heard her stutter whilst crying, "Eldest Imperial Brother al-almost died… H-he ingested poison, and he nearly died…"
Lin Qing froze for a moment.
He hadn't the slightest idea about it.
The matter of Lin Ting's attempted suicide was carefully concealed, so everyone who knew of the subject merely mentioned that Lin Ting had fallen seriously ill. After all, it concerned the matter of an Imperial Prince committing suicide by taking poison. If word spread out, a huge disturbance would be caused, and the future generations would criticise this act.
(Editor's note: PSA: hold your pitchforks fellas. Let's just say that is the custom of the people of the land, alright? If you know somebody showing tendencies to attempt suicide, please contact your nearest helpline and help them to seek help.)
Lin Qing had always thought that his brother was seriously ill. After all, Lin Ting had lost much weight over the past two years, and there was an air of frailness evident in his frame.
He and Lin Ting have been estranged for many years.
Lin Qing didn't know what kind of person Lin Ting had become now since Lin Qing had always regarded his brother as an enemy. Even if he knew that Lin Ting might not have the intention to seize the throne, the Crown Prince's position would always continue to be threatened, and thus he had no choice but to take drastic actions to protect himself from further harm.
However, he didn't expect Lin Ting to attempt suicide.
Lin Feilu's cries gradually subsided, and the two remained silent.
After a long time, Lin Qing said in a low voice, "Be vigilant when you leave," Then, he took off his jade pendant and passed it to her, "Take this, just in case."
The jade pendant was engraved with the Crown Prince's seal. In the event of anything unsavoury or an unfavourable situation, it would be better to utilise the jade pendant as a leverage than solely relying on Lin Feilu's status as a Princess.
Lin Feilu reached out to take the jade pendant as she continued sniffing in tears and snot and rubbed the cuffs of her sleeves, "Brother Crown Prince is the best."
Lin Qing laughed and patted her head, "Please don't let the Fourth Prince hear this again."
Otherwise, the brothers were going to have an argument once more.
He instructed Lin Feilu with a few more words before leaving, and as soon as Lin Qing left, Lin Zhanyuan, who was in hiding, ran out of the house. He didn't have much interaction with Lin Qing. Compared between Emperor Lin and Lin Qing, Lin Zhanyuan was more afraid of this serious and mature young man more.
Noticing that the tears from the corners of Lin Feilu's eyes have yet to dry up, he asked nervously, "Is my sister crying? Were you bullied?"
Lin Feilu looked at the jade pendant in her palm and smiled with her lips sealed together, "Your sister used a crying show to exchange for a talisman; am I not amazing?"
Lin Zhanyuan couldn't understand what she was talking about, but he still applauded, "My sister is amazing! My sister is the best!"
Compared to the bandits in the city, this trip away from the capital was actually going to be more dangerous because of the Crown Prince's faction.
As long as supporters of the Crown Prince still harboured intention to kill the Eldest Imperial Prince, once Lin Ting left the capital, he would undoubtedly be in danger along the way. Even if Lin Qing didn't do anything, he couldn't guarantee that the people under his command wouldn't 'share their Master's worries'.
But after today, Lin Qing would definitely send out an order and prevent them from making any moves.
The biggest threat towards their plan has been removed.
Lin Feilu went to the Royal Astronomy Supervisors a few days in advance to find out the good and the bad days while consulting the almanack. After consulting, It was advisable to go out today itself and travel far and wide!
She hadn't woken up this early in a long time and she practically stayed up all night. She finally fell asleep at dawn and had a very complicated dream. She dreamt that she was fighting with Zhou Zhiruo and Zhao Min over Zhang Wuji, but in the end, she couldn't get him, so she slashed Zhang Wuji's arm with a sword(1)…
(T/N: This is an actual historical wuxia series named The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre. Reviews said that it's pretty good)
She was truly fascinated.
On this trip, apart from the personal bodyguards, The Wuchang Brothers(2), they did not bring anyone else to accompany them. Songyu cried all night; her eyes were so swollen that she couldn't open them when dressing her Princess.
(T/N: A duo of brotherly warriors who are tasked to protect the royal family)
Lin Feilu was carrying her baggage, and she also held her sword. She felt that she really had the temperament of a chivalrous woman.
When they got to the palace gates, The Wuchang Brothers were already waiting there in a carriage.
The physique of the two of them did not seem to belong to the kind of strong men who were sturdy and bulk. The two brothers looked almost exactly the same, and Lin Feilu couldn't tell who was who. Either way, she finally suggested, "In a while, each of you will buy some clothes— Xiaobai will only wear white clothes from now on, and Xiaohei will only wear black clothes from now on. How about that?"
The two replied simultaneously, "We will act according to the Princess's instructions."
They even have the same voice, Lin Feilu was very much convinced.
The carriage went all the way to King Qi's mansion. Even before she actually entered the residence, her voice could be heard from afar. It was full of joy like a bird that discovered the return of spring, "Eldest Imperial Brother, we are ready to depart!"
Lin Ting came out from inside wearing a long blue coat, making him resemble even more like a white jade. It's just that this time, since he ingested some poison and harmed his body, he couldn't hide his frail and sick parlour. He had also packed up his baggage but there was nothing much for him to bring, so he merely brought a few change of clothes.
His servant sent him all the way to the mansion's gates, wiping his tears and reminding the Eldest Imperial Prince to take care of himself.
Lin Feilu followed him to the door as the Wuchang Brothers stood by the carriage and looked at his luggage, "We greet His Highness King Qi."
Lin Ting said with a smile, "We are going out now, so from today, you two needn't remain so formal."
The two said at the same time, "Yes."
Lin Ting gave Lin Feilu a confused look. Lin Feilu understood his feelings in seconds and quickly took out a piece of silver before handing it to them, "It's not too late. Go buy yourselves some clothes!"
The two accepted their orders to leave and returned very soon. This time, with differently monotoned outfits, their identities were finally clear at a glance.
The carriage finally staggered toward the outskirts of the capital.
Lin Feilu and Lin Ting were sitting in the carriage. As they looked at each other, they both laughed.
She made a stretching posture, and her tone was pleasant, "I'm so happy."
Lin Ting nodded, "I'm also thrilled," He paused and said softly, "I haven't been this happy for a long time."
Lin Feilu took out two pieces of dim sum from the bag and handed one to him. She asked while eating, "Brother, we are going to start roaming around the world from now on, so as to avoid revealing our identities, why not give ourselves a stage name?"
Lin Ting, "Wasn't it Ultraman and the Little Monster?" He asked seriously, "Is my name the Little Monster?"
Lin Feilu laughed hysterically and exclaimed, "You are not a little monster! You're more like a little fairy!"
Lin Ting realised something and looked a little helpless. After he finished laughing, he said, "Lin is a national surname, so naturally, we can't use it anymore. Why don't you use your mother's surname?"
Lin Feilu immediately retorted, "No! They don't deserve it!" She thought about it and said happily, "I want to be called Huang Rong."
Lin Ting still remembered the story she narrated to him, so he burst out laughing, "What about me?"
Lin Feilu said, "Huang Rong's elder brother is called Qu Lingfeng, so you should be called Huang Lingfeng!"
Lin Ting recited it again and said with a smile, "It's an elegant name."
Lin Feilu felt that her entire body portrayed the temperament of a Beggar Gang leader as she stuffed the dim sum into her mouth in seconds and said, "Brother, let's go and find out if there have been any exciting incidents in the area or some grand events. Perhaps we can also see what kind of martial arts competitions have been held?"
Lin Ting naturally followed her intentions, "Okay, but where should we go to find out?"
Lin Feilu said excitedly, "Of course I'm going to the Beggar Gang(3)! The Beggar Gang disciples are all over the world, and there is nothing they don't know!"
(T/N: In Chinese dramas, the Beggar Gang is a martial arts clan that specialises in information breaking but are also highly loyal to the gang. Known to be good in martial arts, they dress as beggars to avoid drawing attention while getting information)
Lin Ting, "…Where should we find them then?"
Lin Feilu squeezed her eyes at him and half-opened the curtains of the carriage. At this time, the carriage had already left the capital and was traveling on the official road. Occasionally, pedestrians would pass by on both sides of the road, but mostly rural households lived in the mountains on the outskirts of the city.
After walking for a while, she saw a ragged beggar begging on the side of the road. Lin Feilu suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
The driver was Xiaohei, who stopped the carriage steadily and respectfully asked, "Miss, what happened?"
Lin Feilu dragged Lin Ting out of the car and went straight to the little beggar.
The little beggar suddenly saw two richly dressed nobles approaching and immediately greeted them with his own vacant bowl. He said, "Can these nobles offer some change?"
Lin Feilu threw a piece of silver to him and asked with a smile, "Let me ask you, are you a disciple of the Beggar Gang?"
The little beggar picked up the piece of silver and put it in his mouth, biting it with his teeth. Without thinking, he nodded, "Yes, yes, this humble one is indeed a disciple of the Beggar Gang."
Lin Ting had a stunned expression on his face.
Lin Feilu was very excited, "Then let me ask you, what sort of large incidents have happened in the area recently?"
The little beggar glanced at her and placed the broken silver into his dirty arms before saying, "The little one has always been begging for food on this road, so I don't know very well."
Lin Feilu was not discouraged, "Then where is your superior? Some kind of Elder or something."
The little beggar scratched his head, obviously not understanding what she was asking. But he was afraid that if he was not able to answer, the silver would be taken back, so he had to say, "Go ahead for another twenty miles. There is a Temple of the City God, and there are many beggars in it. The seniors there are also higher in position, so you can ask them there!"
Lin Feilu nodded solemnly before she got back on the carriage and instructed Xiaohei to go to the Temple of the City God.
While in the carriage, she briefly told Lin Ting of the heroic deeds of the Beggar Gang, focusing on the legendary life of Qiao Feng and Hong Qigong(4).
(T/N: Also characters in a particular Chinese wuxia drama)
Lin Ting was stunned for a moment before he finally said with yearning, "I didn't expect the Beggar Gang to be such a chivalrous gang. If you can see this generation's leader, you must have a drink with him."
Lin Feilu said triumphantly, "Huang Rong is Hong Qigong's disciple, but he was also the Master for a while."
Lin Ting couldn't help but laugh as he bowed to her, "Well, greetings to Gang Master Huang."
Lin Feilu's martial arts obsession was greatly satisfied as she was so happy that her little feet began to kick about.
The carriage quickly traveled to the Temple of the City God. As the little beggar said, there were indeed many beggars here. The temple had long been in ruins, and it had obviously become a gathering place for beggars to shelter themselves from the wind and rain.
As soon as Lin Feilu went over, the beggars around them immediately gathered around, some handing out their empty bowls and others reaching out. All of them were dirty and covered in filth, exuding an unpleasant smell.
Xiaobai and Xiaohei blocked their way in front of her. Looking like they were not to be provoked, the beggars backed away in fear, and Lin Feilu asked aloud, "Who is the boss here?"
Everyone looked at one another before the last beggar with thick and dark skin walked forward. His body was sturdy and he looked the part as well, so he usually had the final say in their matters. He bowed before smiling and asked, "It's this humble one, what is your noble order to me?"
Lin Feilu asked, "What's your status in the Beggar Gang?"
The strong beggar let out a 'hiss' and said, "Probably the Gang Master?"
Lin Feilu, "?"
You?!
Are you that capable?!
Seeing that the Imperial Princess was slightly angry, Xiaobai pointed at the strong beggar with his sabre sword and said coldly, "No roundabout cunningness; you better give me a proper answer!"
The strong beggar kept begging for mercy, "Noble hero, please spare this humble one's life. I just want to make sure that I have food to eat! Or… if this Young Miss agrees, I will be willing to give up the position of the leader of the Beggar Gang. As long as I get two steamed buns daily- no, just one steamed bun is enough!"
Lin Feilu, "…"
She turned her head and saw that Lin Ting was trembling with laughter to the point where he was almost unable to stand up straight.
Seeing her look over, he smiled and shouted, "Guild Master Huang?"
Lin Feilu, "…"
She was going to cry.
After returning to the carriage, Lin Feilu stopped talking as she sulked with her hands buried in her hair.
Lin Ting poked her side bun, holding back a smile as he comforted her, "Little Fifth Princess, these people are definitely not real Beggar Gang disciples. We have just left the capital, so maybe after a while, we might encounter them."
Lin Feilu covered her face with her hands and said, "No need to console me, I already understand that TV shows are all made up of falsifications and lies."
The carriage continued its journey until evening as it came to a small town where they could rest. At this time, the land was a far cry from the prosperity of the capital and there were a bunch of merchants all around. Lin Feilu no longer had any expectations to meet any martial artists from the TV dramas she watched, but when they were eating, she heard two merchants at the adjacent table talking about the recent major events in Jinling City.
"There are a lot of people in Jinling now. If we go there to set up a stall, we will definitely make a lot of money!"
"Although there are many people, it is also dangerous. I heard that there are a lot of people from both black and white(1) who are going there. It's too chaotic."
(T/N: Black and white refers to the illegal sites, like the black market, and white refers to the official sites like the highly known clans)
"It's their problem whatever the wealthy encounter! Besides, they are all just rushing to get the Lu family's sword manual, so what does it have to do with us? Let's just sell our stuff!"
Lin Feilu's dejected expression suddenly regained its radiance.
Lin Ting knew what she meant at first sight, "Do you want to go?"
She nodded frantically.
Lin Ting smiled and said, "Let's go tomorrow then."
Early the next morning, the four of them set off for Jinling City. Lin Feilu and Lin Ting lived in the palace for a long time, so they knew very little about the affairs of the townsfolk.
The level of prosperity there was not lower than that of the main city, and because the Royal Palace was far from this place, the atmosphere here was much more liberating than what it was in the capital.
The carriage travelled for two days, and on the third day, they had to travel by water.
The Wushuang Brothers went to exchange their carriage for some silver, and then, the four of them went to the riverbank to board the boat.
While they were going over, a boat happened to be parked by the riverbank. A woman wearing a bamboo hat and a mink robe was on it and she greeted them, "Crossing the river?"
Lin Feilu said, "We are going downstream, around the Anchun Region."
The boat lady said, "Okay, it'll be a tael of silver, so get on the boat."
Lin Feilu happily said to Lin Ting, "It's quite cheap."
The boat was neither big nor small, and it was just right for the four of them to sit there. Lin Feilu laid on the side of the boat and admired the scenery of the river for a while. When she turned his head, she saw a white egret with slender wings perched on the roof of the boat. Before she could take a closer look, she saw that the boat lady had stretched out her hand. She didn't know what she threw out, but the egret immediately fell down.
The water was flowing downstream, so the boat lady put away the long pole and came over to pick up the animal. She said to herself, "Seems like I will eat some roasted egret tonight."
Lin Feilu stood up abruptly and made her way to the boat lady. She said excitedly, "This heroine is very skilled! Dare I ask if the hero is an incognito martial artist in the area?! Where did this Master come from? A particular sect?"
The boat lady, with the egret in her hand, turned her head to look at the girl and said gloomily, "Hand over all your belongings! Otherwise, I will throw you into the river to feed the fish!"
Lin Feilu, "?"
Five minutes later, the boat lady was pushed to the ground by Xiaohei.
Lin Feilu, "You, go down to the river and feed the fish."
The river bandit kicked the iron plate(2). She never thought that these two guards, who didn't really seem to be that formidable, were actually so powerful. She repeatedly begged for mercy, "Honourable nobles, please spare my life! This boat is hard to control. If I'm thrown into the river, no one can take you to shore!"
(T/N: Kicking an iron plate would cause you pain, similarly, it means encountering an unfortunate situation even though it normally wouldn't happen)
Lin Feilu too, thought about it for the same reason and instructed Xiaohei, "Keep an eye on her and escort her to the governing body after we get ashore."
Lin Ting squatted aside and held the egret, looking a little sad. This boat lady was still a bit capable. The hidden weapon tied to the egret's neck only showed itself slightly as the rest engraved itself deeply into the egret's body. The animal's life was impossible to save.
In the end, he could only sigh and throw the egret into the water.
He never thought that he would meet robbers on a boat, so he wasn't sure if it was thanks to a stroke of good or bad luck.
Lin Feilu sighed, "I've completely woken up— this is not the martial arts world that I imagined at all."
The only similarities were probably the 'evil and sinister deeds over both river and land'…
Her excitement of entering the martial town for the first time had been completely destroyed. From now on, she would abandon the expectations she had from the martial arts novels she read since childhood and re-explore this strange copy of the world!
An hour later, the boat sailed to the Anchun Region.
Their surroundings were very lively as there were more boats on the river. The town on the shore was called Feifeng City. She heard that a certain generation's Empress was from this city, but she didn't know if those were merely baseless stories.
As soon as they landed, Xiaohei and Xiaobai tied up the boat lady and wanted to send her to the authorities.
This person was so skilled in the robbery business that they didn't seem to know how many lives she had taken. According to the Great Lin Dynasty's law, she should directly ask for the lady's execution. But for some reason, the closer they got to the governing body, the more relaxed the lady's expression became.
Lin Feilu originally planned to let Xiaohei send her there before going to the inn where they stayed. But upon seeing that expression, she decided that they would go along with her.
When they arrived at the local government office, the two officers at the door looked fierce and wicked. They held their sabres as if they were about to draw them at any time, "Who goes there?!"
Lin Feilu said with a smile, "Two big brothers, this is the river robber we caught just now. We have specially sent her here for you to handle."
The two Yamen(3) looked at each other before one of them said, "Got it, you can bring her here, so go back."
(T/N: A term for Chinese officials that guard an officials residence/ office)
Lin Feilu put on a curious look, "Let me ask how are you going to question this murderer? How many people have she killed? And how can she be convicted?"
The Yamen suddenly said angrily, "Too much nonsense! When was it your turn to talk about our affairs? Why don't you just scram!"
Lin Feilu made a 'hiss' sound and nodded thoughtfully. She looked at the boat lady with a smile on his face and asked the Yamen with a smile, "I see, your family of officials are in kahoots with bandits?"
The Yamen immediately drew his sabre, "How dare you talk nonsense here. I think that you truly don't appreciate our kindness while we're being nice, so we'll just have to use force!"
As soon as the blade was pulled out, it was kicked back by Xiaohei who was next to him. The Yamen was kicked to the ground by Xiaohei as he couldn't believe that this person was being so arrogant just now. Before he had time to make a sound, Lin Feilu had already walked up to the Drum of Injustice(4), picked up the drumstick and struck it vigorously three times.
(T/N: Back then, if anyone felt like they were wronged or framed, they could strike a drum three times that would summon court officials to precede over their case. Normally, people wouldn't do it unless they were confident that they could win or if there was no other choice since this court 'hearing' would be carried out in front of everyone.)
As soon as the Drum of Injustice sounded, the government officials had to go to court. Since the two Yamen were afraid of the Xiaohei and Xiaobai behind her, while running inside, they did not forget to leave them with harsh words, "You dare to despise the Yamen's government and make a scene in the court, the officials will never forgive you lightly! "
Lin Ting sighed in a low voice, "I didn't expect that there would be such collusion between officials and bandits under the governance of the Father Emperor."
Lin Feilu said in her heart that he was still too pure. She had seen her fair share of these situations in TV dramas.
A few people walked up to the court and on both sides stood a row of Yamen with intimidating spears. All of them looked at the small group with a fierce look.
It might be the first time for them to have seen such daring and brave scoundrels. The man in the official uniform came over quickly, and as soon as he sat down, he slapped the gavel and said angrily, "Who is in the hall? Hurry up, kneel down and state your name!"
Before Lin Feilu spoke, Xiaobai sneered next to him, "Kneeling to you? Are you worthy of it?"
Lin Feilu, "…"
In just a few days of getting along, Xiaobai had already been influenced by her to this extent?
The government office was furious as he slapped the gavel heavily and instructed the officers on both sides,"If you are going to be disrespectful in front of me, you should be punished with 20 large board spankings first!"
After that, the Yamen on both sides were about to come to get them, but Lin Ting was very angry at the Yamen's attitude, "Is this the way the Yamen tries cases now? Instead of dealing with the criminals, they try the people who report to the officials? Who gave you such prestige?!"