Chapter 987
Chapter 987 Everyone Knows
“I…”
Qinghu, who had always been eloquent, had to look at the girl in front of him helplessly as if he had lost his tongue. After all, he had a guilty conscience.
“Stop arguing! Hall Master is awake.”
Finally, Shi Bupo found Lin Mengya, who had just opened her eyes.
Several people immediately rushed in front of Lin Mengya, with deep worry on their familiar faces.
Especially Baisu, whose eyes were red and swollen. It was obvious that she had been crying for a long time. She looked so pitifully.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. Don’t blame Qinghu. I told him not to say it. But it’s good that everyone knows it now. You have to be obedient. If my child is unhappy, you will have to be responsible.”
They immediately nodded and looked at Lin Mengya’s belly with extremely complex and gentle eyes respectively.
Lin Mengya felt a little uncomfortable, but she knew that they were just too worried about her.
“Well, hurry up and get her something to eat.”
With a simple word, Qinghu sent away the few people who were looking at Lin Mengya affectionately.
Lin Mengya, who had just recovered, breathed a sigh of relief. It took her more energy to appease several people who sincerely cared about her than to deal with her enemies.
“Is your body really okay?”
After the others left, Qinghu was deeply concerned again. Lin Mengya did not know whether to laugh or cry.
She shook her head gently. The child in her belly was much stronger than she had imagined.
“The child is fine, and so am I. Um, I was not bleeding, was I?”
Qinghu finally breathed a sigh of relief because he knew that Lin Mengya would never hide anything from him.
Lin Mengya’s body conditioning had always been taken care of by top-skilled doctors. It was a remote place here. In case they met a quack, it would hurt her and the child in her belly.
“No, you were not. No worry. I know what to do. You don’t have to worry about others. It won’t be too late to do anything else after you get recovered.”
Lin Mengya wished to say that she could even skip and jump about now, but she knew that neither Qinghu nor Baisu would believe her.
“Okay. Keep an eye on the survivors of Fort Naratha. Xia Bin is a nearly crazy man. Since he can blow up his base without hesitation, naturally, he won’t let us go so easily. Those are his men after all. Even if he has abandoned them, he still has the influence. We have to be cautious.”
Qinghu nodded with a serious look. At that time, they were in a panic because Lin Mengya suddenly fainted. Fortunately, Shi Bupo had arranged for everything in advance.
Xu Shan had been guarding outside. He was responsible for the safety of Lin Mengya and the others, and he also assisted the people of the other four mountain forts to watch the captives of Fort Naratha.
With Xu Shan guarding outside and Shi Bupo inside, Lin Mengya would not fear even if Xia Bin came back.
Lin Mengya had been lying on the bed for a whole day and night, even Xu Shan, who had always been slow, couldn’t help running in and giggling at Lin Mengya’s belly.
Lin Mengya rolled her eyes, thinking, “Have these guys become foolish by the explosion?”
The aftermath of the explosion was very serious. Fort Naratha had been razed to the ground, and even that road had to be cleaned up again to barely pass.
The good thing was that they had plenty of manpower.
Except for those who were badly injured and couldn’t move, the others all went to clean up the road.
The road would be cleared by tonight at the earliest.
With several eyes firmly kept on her, Lin Mengya, who had repeatedly guaranteed to keep herself and the child in her belly safe, was allowed to get up eventually.
However, Qinghu, Baisu, and the other two firmly protected her in the middle, which made Lin Mengya a little unaccustomed to the surprised eyes of the people outside.
“Hall Master Lin, are you getting well now?”
In the hall, Chang Hu and the other three mountain bandit chiefs had various expressions on their faces, but they all looked grave.
After retreating from Fort Naratha, they came to the nearest mountain fort, which was the territory under Sun Zhuang’s control.
Lin Mengya did not reveal her real identity but only used the name of the Hall Master of Sanjue Hall in the underworld. However, Chang Hu and the others knew very well that Lin Mengya was probably a benefactor who was out of their reach in their lives.
Although they had been bandits for years, they lived a life that was no big difference from that in the army.
Their subordinates were well-behaved and even kept the spirits of soldiers as before.
And to Lin Mengya, the Hall Master of Sanjue Hall, they were extremely respectful towards her.
“Yes, I am fine. I see that you have almost recovered from your injuries. So, let’s get down to business.”
They had wasted a lot of time recently. By the time they arrived at Lieyun, it would probably be beyond the appointed time.
Lin Mengya was afraid that something unexpected would happen if they were late. Moreover, she didn’t know how Xiaoyu was at present. The key point now was to end up this matter here quickly.
“Well… Hall Master Lin, we are all ears.”
Chang Hu couldn’t figure out what Lin Mengya was thinking, so he had to let her speak first.
Without further ado, Lin Mengya took something out of her pocket and placed it in front of Chang Hu.
“I know what you four buddies are thinking. There are two options for you right now. One, stay here and do shady businesses. I’d like to remind you that the new emperor has a different character from the former emperor. As you know, every new emperor brings his own courtiers. In case anything happens, you guys will be the first to be abandoned.”
Except for Sun Zhuang, the other three bandit chiefs, looked a little surprised at Lin Mengya’s words, but their eyes were equally serious.
They naturally knew that they were playing with fire.
“We… We had no choice. We’ve been tired of such a dangerous life.”
Chang Hu was the eldest of the four, and he could speak on behalf of the other three.
Lin Mengya nodded and then shifted her eyes to the plain-looking iron plate.
“I know you four want to serve the imperial court, but your identities… If you wish to get a legal identity again and not be suspected by anyone, you can be my guards first. If you have the luck to come back alive from Lieyun, you can do whatever you want. No one will doubt your former identities, As for your men, whoever wants to live a good life can come with me. You have my word.”
Lin Mengya had made her plans earlier. In addition to the special examination given by the emperor, people who want to realize their ambitions had to be recommended by aristocratic families in the Jin State.
Back then, Baili Wuchen lost out because he had no family background. Even though he was excellent at plotting, he could only be a domestic servant in the end instead of becoming an official justifiably.
Without a prominent aristocratic family as a background, Baili Wuchen ended up being ostracized and depressed, not to mention the four bandit chiefs.
It was easier said than done to start over.
But Lin Mengya was different. She knew what Long Tianyu was thinking, and she also knew that the new blood of the Jin State would gradually wither if they only rely on aristocratic families.
Therefore, she would bring a brand new model to the Jin State, so that the sons of humble families and the children of aristocratic families could have an equal opportunity to change their fates.
At present, the aristocratic families were suppressed, and they were in decline.
Once the 500 elites and the people from the Mount Five Heroes returned from the Lieyun Empire, she would have every reason to make them the pillars of the imperial court in the near future.
To save the world, this glory was enough to impact the old system of recommending talents.
Moreover, apart from going to Lieyun with Lin Mengya, they probably would not have any other good opportunities to show their skills.
It was good to have ambition, but it should be with matched ability. Otherwise, it would just be a pipe dream.
Chang Hu and the others were stunned. Obviously, they did not expect Lin Mengya to be so frank.
They had been used to being suppressed and exploited by the local officials. Sometimes, they had even to suffer and send their men to their deaths.
They had been tired of such a wretched life for a long time.
Chang Hu could make decisions for himself and his three buddies, but he had to think it over for those brethren outside.
Lin Mengya understood Chang Hu’s thoughts, so she motioned for Baisu to take out a stack of bank notes.
“I know you’re in a dilemma. Here are banknotes for 3,000 taels of silver. It’s not much, but it’s a token of my appreciation. Those who are willing to go to Lieyun can go with my men, and those who don’t want to go can take the money and settle down. After all, everyone has his family. It is normal and human. Don’t be against their wills.”
Looking at the 3,000 taels of silver in front of him, Chang Hu, a brave man in battle, almost shed tears.
Chang Hu did not say much but just took the money, bowed deeply to Lin Mengya, and then strode out.
The other bandit chiefs were also a little excited. Only Sun Zhuang sat there in a daze. No one knew what he was thinking.
Lin Mengya noticed that the two buddies of Chang Hu and Sun Zhuang also wanted to go out and comfort their men, but they were very worried about Sun Zhuang.
Lin Mengya looked at Sun Zhuang thoughtfully. On the way here, Baisu mentioned the grudge between Sun Zhuang and Xia Bin to her.
Although it was just a few words, Lin Mengya already understood why Sun Zhuang had such a reaction.
After waiting for so long, Sun Zhuang finally had a chance to kill his enemy.
Unexpectedly, Xia Bin managed to escape, and Sun Zhuang lost many of his men.
How could Sun Zhuang accept this?
Sun Zhuang had always been a strong-willed man. Now, he was probably even bitterly remorseful and at a loss about what to do.
After thinking for a while, Lin Mengya had to say.
“Brother Sun Zhuang, your late wife would be deeply gratified if she knew what you have done for her. However, Xia Bin and I are sworn enemies. You will meet him sooner or later if you become one of my guards.”
Lin Mengya knew that she was suspected of dragging Sun Zhuang into the water.
However, whether it was the old grudge between Qinghu and Xia Bin or the new hatred now, what Lin Mengya said was true.
In short, Xia Bin would not let her off, and likewise, she wanted to take Xia Bin’s life.
“Do you mean that I can kill him with my own hands if I follow by your side?”
Sun Zhuang, who had been in a daze from the very beginning, did not respond until he heard the name of Xia Bin, whom he hated to the core.
It was just that his facial features had been distorted because of hatred.