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Chapter 316 A Far Apart [Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets]

Although the order was given quite readily, Lu Zhang subconsciously glanced at Lu Qing while speaking, and seeing that Lu Qing did not seem to show any disapproval, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhu Yu saw all of this clearly from the side, and couldn't help but recall Lu Qing's previous evaluation of Lu Zhang.

Although it was common knowledge that Duke Yan and Lu Qing were irreconcilable enemies, Lu Qing was never close to Lu Zhang, but he was never annoyed by him either. He often said that Lu Zhang was a spineless person who was easily influenced. He had become so used to being lectured by Duke Yan that he was unaware of being controlled by someone with invisible strings.

Looking at it now, Lu Zhang really is as Lu Qing said, too deeply influenced by the Duke of Yan. He is usually very prestigious in the capital, but in reality, he is a person who has no backbone at all.

The ambitions and aspirations that outsiders perceive as his own are more accurately attributed to his maternal grandfather than to him.

Zhu Yu had never seen Lu Zhang when he was alone, so she didn't know much about him. She could only see that whenever there was a clear-headed and assertive person around him, Lu Zhang would subconsciously seek their opinion and follow their arrangements.

This is not the instinctive reaction of someone who wants to become the ruler of the world.

Zhu Yu secretly glanced at him and couldn't help but recall the ink paintings that Lu Zhang had agonized over before leaving the Shuo Wang Mansion, but ultimately couldn't bear to part with and had taken with him in his bosom.

Zhu Yu is not someone who particularly appreciates calligraphy and painting, but even so, she can still see the spirituality embodied in those paintings.

That kind of liveliness is not only a manifestation of painting skills, but also shows that Lu Zhang, on his way out on inspection, actually had a heartfelt appreciation and love for the surrounding mountains and rivers.

He is not lacking in talent, and he also has the eyes to discover the beauty of nature.

However, all of this was far removed from how he had previously presented himself in front of the Duke of Yan.

This is probably why Lu Zhang was so troubled by those paintings. It's likely that the Duke of Yan wouldn't allow Lu Zhang to show such a "weak" side that was unsuitable for becoming a hegemon.

Zhu Yu sighed quietly.

Those born into or raised in imperial families truly have it tough. They can't be without ambition, nor can they be with ambition alone; they'll be disliked if they lack ability, and they'll be feared if they're too capable.

It is said that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; no matter what you do, you're bound to get into trouble.

The doctrine of the mean that Lu Qing once told me about truly contains great wisdom.

After hastily burying the bandits, the group rested briefly before continuing their journey. After about another day's travel, they crossed the valley and arrived at a relatively flat area.

We're closer to the Lan Kingdom here, and the air is more humid.

Along the way, Lu Zhang continued to use Lu Qing's previous method, having his subordinates disperse and not closely follow them.

Runes and talismans are also elusive and their whereabouts are unpredictable.

By the afternoon of the second day, Zhu Yu couldn't help but mutter to herself that if they didn't encounter any more bandits, they would soon be entering Lan Land, and she began to doubt whether Lu Zhang's men had received accurate information. Then, as if to prove the banditry was real, they encountered another group of people in a relatively open grassland.

This group was relatively larger than the previous one, and their attire was also slightly different.

Compared to the previous group, this group had as many as forty or fifty people, with a small portion riding horses and the majority following behind.

Those standing on the ground were dressed in a mixed style, while those on horseback wore relatively light leather armor, and many of them carried bows and arrows on their backs.

These men all had imposing beards, and compared to the band of mountain bandits in front, they certainly deserved the title of "bandit soldiers" more.

While Lu Qing and Lu Zhang were talking quietly in front, Zhu Yu gave Yan Shu a wink: "Does that outfit look good?"

“You know what…” Yan Shu frowned deeply, looking quite puzzled, “These people’s leather armor really does look authentic, at least from this distance, it does look authentic.”

This time, the two sides met in a vast grassland, which meant that Lu Zhang's subordinates could not hide themselves properly and follow secretly as previously arranged, but instead it turned into a close standoff between the two sides.

Having learned from the previous experience, Lu Qing didn't give the other party a chance to react this time. Taking advantage of the moment when the two sides met and the other party was still a little confused about where they came from, Lu Qing quickly waved his hand.

The talisman master was the first to receive the order. He shouted loudly, drew his sword, and charged out on his horse.

Seeing this, Lu Zhang's soldiers quickly followed.

Upon seeing this, the bandits opposite, who appeared to be wearing Jie leather armor, turned their horses around and fled at high speed, leaving only the lowly lackeys without horses, who were caught up by Lu Zhang's men in a state of near bewilderment.

After a chase of about half an hour, most of the bandits who had fled on horseback escaped. The few who were captured immediately bit into the medicine pouches hidden in their mouths, and in a moment they fell off their horses and died.

Of the more than thirty henchmen without horses, more than a dozen were injured or trampled to death by horses in the chaos, while the remaining twenty-odd were captured alive.

Strangely, none of these captured henchmen showed any sign of attempting suicide. Upon closer questioning, it was discovered that these men were simply idle and down-on-their-luck locals, petty thieves, gamblers, and drunkards—in short, scoundrels or ruffians. They had been "recruited" by the mounted bandits, who claimed they would establish their own gang and lead them to a better life. That's why they had eagerly followed them.

As for where those people came from, they didn't know. They only knew that they followed them around robbing and harassing the neighbors. Although they didn't see them steal anything valuable, at most they just disturbed the peace of the neighborhood and made people panic. But those people were indeed very generous to them.

This is also why these people followed that group of bandits so wholeheartedly, causing chaos everywhere.

Zhu Yu listened to their questions for a while, then turned his head and saw Yan Shu sitting alone on a large rock beside him, resting his chin on his hand, deep in thought, as if pondering something.

So she quietly moved closer and asked, "What are you thinking about so intently?"

Yan Shu came to her senses and looked at Zhu Yu: "I saw it clearly just now. The leather armor those people were wearing was indeed the style only seen in the Jie army. But if I told you that they weren't Jie people at all, would you believe me?"