sbdcsierra Chapter 733 Let’s talk?
Chapter 733 Let’s talk?
Perhaps because Lin Wuji was too focused, Lu Yangyang noticed something was wrong and looked up.
Seeing Lin Wuji standing there alone, she raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Lin Wuji then snapped out of his reverie, "Sorry, I was daydreaming."
Lin Wuji pulled himself out of his complicated thoughts, walked over, and asked softly, "I've come to see if there's anything I can help you with."
That is certainly necessary.
Lu Yangyang couldn't let this big money-maker slip away for nothing, especially since the matter of suppressing bandits needed to be done under the guise of the Salt Gang.
Time was of the essence, so Lu Yangyang quickly discussed the next steps with Lin Wuji. Before they could finish speaking, Jing Chao returned to report that they could set off.
Lu Yangyang arranged for Hongyu and the others to leave first. Before leaving, she specially retrieved the remains of Huang Sumu's young son. Fearing that Chen Rong'er would not be able to accept it, she handed them over to Doctor Huang for safekeeping.
After seeing them off, Lu Yangyang changed into men's clothing and joined Sheng Junyao and Lin Wuji's group.
After leaving the caravan's territory, they traveled for about an hour and, as expected, encountered He Jingze.
He Jingze appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a resolute and angular face. He wore armor and carried a red-tasseled spear, leading approximately three hundred men. Upon seeing Sheng Junyao, He Jingze spurred his horse forward, pointing his red-tasseled spear at Sheng Junyao. "General Sheng, you are stationed in the Northwest by imperial decree. What is the meaning of your presence in Tongzhou?"
Sheng Junyao remained expressionless, his voice cold and icy. "The Northwest is bitterly cold, and the soldiers haven't seen any vegetables all winter. So I asked my younger brother to bring some vegetable seeds from the capital. I was worried about something going wrong, so I came to pick them up. Who knew they would be robbed by bandits at Huangsha Ferry? It took me a lot of effort to find them. I never expected that the bandit leader would not only rob the caravan but also kidnap Young Master Lin. It was thanks to Young Master Lin's help that I was able to get my younger brother out."
"I'd like to ask General He, Huangshadu is only a day's journey from Tongzhou, so how come the bandits are so rampant that they even robbed me when I asked someone to transport a few boxes of vegetable seeds? General He has three thousand soldiers under his command, can't you even handle a few hundred bandits?"
He Jingze's expression changed instantly, and he sneered, "General Sheng makes it sound so easy. I bear the safety of the entire Tongzhou. These three thousand soldiers are no match for General Sheng's hundreds of thousands of troops! These bandits are always elusive; how can they be so easily dealt with?"
“In that case, General He must thank Young Master Lin properly for helping him resolve this major concern. General He, rest assured, if necessary, I will certainly write to His Majesty on your behalf to clarify this matter,” Sheng Junyao said.
He Jingze gripped the spear tightly, his eyes fixed on Sheng Junyao, utterly helpless.
Now that the caravan has been wiped out, if he doesn't take this opportunity, he'll suffer the same fate once Sheng Junyao reports it to the higher authorities, especially since this matter involves Lin Wuji, the leader of the Salt Gang.
In the past, He Jingze would not have cared about a Salt Gang, let alone Lin Wuji, a figure in the martial arts world. However, since the rumors spread in the capital, coupled with his father-in-law's letter, he was determined to protect Lin Wuji if they encountered him.
He had heard rumors that this young master Lin was his father-in-law's illegitimate son who had been living away from home, but somehow he had become the illegitimate son of Crown Prince Chongwen. But no matter what the truth was, Lin Wuji could not touch him.
If he doesn't run into them, that's fine; but if he does, he can only accept it with a heavy heart.
He Jingze remained silent with a sullen face, but Su Fengqu, who was riding his horse behind him with a nonchalant attitude, shouted: "I say, General, since we're all here to suppress bandits, why do you care who's doing it? We've already done it, it's a great achievement, why not just report it to the imperial court directly?"
He had this arrogant, spoiled attitude, like, "Hurry up, I'm going back to sleep."
He Jingze almost lost his composure and said coldly, "In that case, I thank General Sheng and Young Master Lin for helping me get rid of this major threat. I have prepared wine in my residence, and I would like to invite you both to have a chat."
Sheng Junyao declined: "Thank you for your kindness, General He, but I have military duties to attend to and cannot continue our conversation. The bandits are all here, and the spoils we seized are also here. I will take my few boxes of vegetable seeds with me, but I will leave the rest to General He. I will not disturb you."
After Sheng Junyao finished speaking, he rode his horse aside and said with a slight smile, "Please."
Since Sheng Junyao was so polite, He Jingze could not retaliate and could only raise his hand to signal someone to take over.
The two groups handed over their positions, and the rest of the group stepped aside. Su Fengqu's gaze lingered on Lu Yangyang for a while before he finally couldn't resist running over and looking at her with a puzzled expression.
Lu Yangyang was just about to find an opportunity to visit Su Fengqu when he unexpectedly arrived. Before Su Fengqu could speak, she winked at him affectionately, "Brother Su, long time no see! Shall we chat?"
Su Fengqu raised an eyebrow, then followed her a short distance away.
After making sure no one could hear, Su Fengqu lowered her voice, "You are... Lu Yangyang?"
Su Fengqu could forget anyone but Lu Yangyang. From Lu Yangyang's dark and thin appearance when she first arrived in the capital to her radiant beauty when she came of age, even though she always wore a mask, those eyes were unforgettable to anyone who knew her.
Just now, Sheng Junyao said that he was his younger brother, but Su Fengqu recognized at a glance that it was not Sheng Junye.
Lu Yangyang nodded, "It's me, long time no see."
Su Fengqu's eyes widened. "You, you're not... what are you doing in the Northwest?"
Lu Yangyang: "It's a long story. There's something I'd like you to help me with. Shall we talk?"