Then if you wanted to usurp the throne, would I have to stake my entire fortune and life to help you too?
Ye Liuyun straightened up again, poured himself another cup of wine, and drank by himself.
"Brother Ye, don't misunderstand!"
Had she been discovered? And from the sound of it, she had been found out long ago.
After hesitating for a moment, Yan Shuzhu finally raised her hand and pulled the hairpin from her head.
Her jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
It had to be said that when Yan Shuzhu dressed as a man, the heroic air between her brows was impossible to conceal.
Yet in her current feminine appearance, she was instead exceptionally captivating.
"I had no intention of concealing it, and what I intend to do is absolutely not usurping the throne."
She was the emperor to begin with. How could she possibly usurp her own throne?
"I know that Brother Ye is loyal to the core and upright beyond reproach. I never thought that among the Brocade Guard today, there would still be someone like Brother Ye, with such a chivalrous heart."
"..."
The moment those words came out—
Si Nan and Shi Sheng, who had both been wearing serious expressions, nearly lost their composure.
No, were you serious?
But when they noticed Ye Liuyun casting them a sidelong glance, the two immediately settled down obediently.
Ye Liuyun could see it now. Yan Shuzhu did possess some cunning and means, but she was still far too shallow.
"Ahem. I did not become a Brocade Guard because I wanted to be anyone's tool."
"I know. Everything Brother Ye does is for the people of the Great Qian Dynasty."
Without Ye Liuyun needing to say anything, Yan Shuzhu had already found an explanation for him herself.
"Rest assured, everything I do is also for the Great Qian Dynasty!"
As she spoke, Yan Shuzhu looked at Ye Liuyun with a serious expression.
Her imperial father had not been in seclusion for long, so Yan Shuzhu felt that she still had time to recruit capable people.
Although Ye Liuyun did not agree outright, neither did he reject her.
For some of the questions Yan Shuzhu raised, he also offered answers based on his own insights.
Before they knew it—
More than an hour had passed, and they had drunk nearly enough wine.
Seeing that Yan Shuzhu was already a little tipsy yet still wanted to keep asking him all sorts of questions—
Ye Liuyun immediately raised a hand to stop her.
"It's about time. I still have roll call tomorrow, so I'll be heading back first!"
"Brother Ye is leaving already?"
Seeing that Ye Liuyun was about to leave, Yan Shuzhu felt a little regretful, but it truly was getting late.
She could only stand and watch Ye Liuyun leave. In the end, she could not help sighing.
"Brother Ye truly is a great talent!"
So many questions that had left her baffled—Ye Liuyun could think of answers to them almost immediately. Moreover, his angle of looking at matters was clearly different from hers.
That only made Yan Shuzhu feel even more that Ye Liuyun was a rare and invaluable talent.
"Then why didn't Your Majesty tell him that you are the emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty?"
Supporting Yan Shuzhu's slightly swaying body, Lü Lan asked casually.
Yan Shuzhu had only revealed that she was a woman, but she had not said that she was the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty.
"Let's wait a little longer!"
There was a distinction between ruler and subject.
Yan Shuzhu worried that once Ye Liuyun learned she was the emperor, would he still dare speak to her in such a manner?
They were all martial artists.
Not long after leaving the Imperial Brothel, the drunkenness on Ye Liuyun and the others' faces had been swept away without a trace.
"My lord, what do you think that person was planning?"
Shi Sheng had initially thought Yan Shuzhu had come specifically to recruit Ye Liuyun. Yet she offered no benefits at all and instead kept pressing him with all kinds of questions. It was the first time he had seen anyone recruit someone like that.
"I think that person may have taken a fancy to our lord!"
Walking on the other side, Si Nan rubbed his chin with one hand and began analyzing the matter seriously.
"Really?"
Shi Sheng looked at Si Nan in surprise. He clearly truly believed it somewhat.
"Would I lie to you? Let me break it down for you!"
"..."
Seeing Si Nan and Shi Sheng huddled together and whispering, Ye Liuyun shot them an irritated look.
He was just about to say something.
But then—
Bang!
A palm imprint formed from inner force suddenly came hurtling toward Ye Liuyun.
Ye Liuyun frowned and looked over. With a casual wave of his hand, he shattered the palm imprint.
Si Nan and Shi Sheng no longer had any mind for gossip. They hurried to Ye Liuyun's side, guarding him from the left and right.
"My lord, are you all right?"
"I'm fine!"
He waved a hand dismissively, then frowned toward a certain direction.
It was already night. They had been walking for some time since leaving the Imperial Brothel, and there was no one left on the surrounding streets apart from Ye Liuyun's group.
"It really is you!"
The next moment, a deep voice rang out.
A figure tore through the night and landed before Ye Liuyun.
At the same time, more than a dozen people dressed in brocade appeared around the street, surrounding Ye Liuyun's group on all sides.
They had clearly come prepared.
Si Nan and Shi Sheng warily watched the people around them.
As for Ye Liuyun, his attention was fixed on the first person to appear.
Target: Guan Bao. Realm: Acquired Realm martial artist. Talent Traits: Bloodthirsty (Blue), Bronze Skin and Iron Bones (Purple), Bloodthirsty (Blue): The more injuries one suffers, the greater the power one can unleash.
He did not have many talents, but this blue and purple combination was quite excellent.
And he was an Acquired Realm martial artist. Within the imperial capital, he was certainly no obscure nobody.
"Who are you?"
Guan Bao first bared his teeth in a grin, then respectfully cupped his hands toward the direction of the imperial capital.
"I am Guan Bao, adopted son under Lord Eunuch!"
Lord Eunuch?
"Guan Bao!"
While Ye Liuyun was pondering this, Si Nan suddenly cried out upon hearing Guan Bao's name.
"You know him?" Ye Liuyun looked over curiously.
"I've heard a little."
After first joining the Brocade Guard, Si Nan had begun investigating the murderer who had slaughtered his entire family.
At the same time, through this, Si Nan had gathered information on many figures within the Great Qian Dynasty.
"Lord Eunuch has taken in many godsons, but only three are the most famous: He Long, Yun Hu, and this Guan Bao."
"The three Dragon Tiger Leopard brothers are immensely powerful. Their eldest brother, He Long, is even an Innate Realm expert, while Guan Bao ranks third."
Simply put, he was powerful, and his backing was no small matter either.
"You certainly know quite a lot!"
Guan Bao glanced in Si Nan's direction. Rather than denying it, he gave a light laugh.
That saved him the trouble of continuing his introduction.
He turned to Ye Liuyun.
"Originally, I wasn't sure, but since you could disperse my palm force, you truly have the ability to kill Lu Quan!"
Before, he had not been certain whether Ye Liuyun possessed that level of strength. Now, he was certain.
"..."
So it really was because of Lu Quan.
Ye Liuyun had thought Chieftain Wan would come knocking for revenge. He had not expected him to be so decisive.
He had directly reported the matter to Lord Eunuch.
Before you continue