Changsheng: My qualifications improve a little every day

The sound of breaking wood and the screams of the border troops successfully distracted their attention.

Fang Yue took the opportunity to wink at Zhu Linlang, and the two of them quickly slipped out of the back door of the inn and merged into the alley.

The alley was winding and narrow. The two men were agile and moved through it. They soon left the pursuing border troops behind and disappeared in a moment.

An hour later.

Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang stopped in a remote corner.

They looked around vigilantly, and only breathed a sigh of relief after making sure that no border troops were chasing them.

Zhu Linlang frowned slightly and said, "Although we have temporarily gotten rid of the border troops, our situation is still dangerous. We must find a way to find the mastermind behind this as soon as possible!"

Fang Yue nodded solemnly: "That's right, we can't stay passive all the time. But now there are few clues, and it's not easy to find the mastermind behind the scenes."

Zhu Linlang thought for a moment and said, "We can start with the abnormal actions of the border troops. Why did they suddenly appear and claim that we are fake? There must be someone behind this."

Fang Yue agreed, "Indeed, the appearance of the border troops is too strange. We must first find out who has the ability to mobilize the border troops and what their purpose is."

Zhu Linlang narrowed his eyes slightly: "Perhaps we can start with the generals of the border army and see who gave them the orders."

"That's right, but you don't have to go. Just leave this matter to me." Fang Yue said.

Zhu Linlang shook her head slightly: "No, this is too dangerous. I can't let you take the risk alone."

Fang Yue held Zhu Linlang's hand, his eyes firm: "Linlang, your current identity is too sensitive. Once discovered, the consequences will be disastrous. It is relatively easier for me to hide my identity. Believe me, I will act carefully and find clues as soon as possible."

Zhu Linlang looked at Fang Yue's determined eyes. Although she was worried, she knew that what he said made sense. She bit her lip and said, "Then you must be careful. If you are in any danger, I..."

Fang Yue gently patted Zhu Linlang's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Find a safe place and wait for my news."

After saying that, Fang Yue turned and left, heading towards the border army camp. He carefully avoided the patrolling soldiers and looked for an opportunity to get close to the general.

Fang Yue observed the camp for a long time and finally found an opportunity to sneak into the camp. A carriage carrying supplies was about to enter the camp, and Fang Yue took the opportunity to hide under the carriage and entered the camp with the carriage.

After entering the camp, Fang Yue carefully climbed out from the bottom of the carriage and hid in a corner to observe the surrounding situation. He saw a tent not far away, surrounded by soldiers and guards, and guessed that it might be the general's tent.

Fang Yue quietly approached the tent, using the surrounding obstacles to hide himself. As he approached the tent, he heard a conversation coming from inside.

"General, this mission is really strange. Why do we have to arrest those two people? Are they really fake?" came a soldier's voice.

"We just need to follow the orders from above. Don't ask any more questions." A deep voice answered, probably the general.

Fang Yue's heart moved. He knew that he had to find a way to hear more of the conversation in order to find clues.

He quietly went around to the back of the tent, looking for a place where he could eavesdrop.

Fang Yue walked around to the back of the tent and found that the tent cloth was slightly loose in one place. He approached there carefully and tried to listen to the conversation inside the tent.

"General, what if we really caught the wrong people? After all, they claim to be the empress and Fang Yue. What if..." There was a hint of worry in the soldier's voice.

The general snorted coldly: "Humph, since the higher-ups have given the order, there can be no mistakes. Even if we really arrest the wrong person, the higher-ups will back us up. We just need to follow the order."

Fang Yue thought to himself that it seemed that the general did not know who was behind the scenes and was just blindly following orders. He continued to listen, hoping to hear more useful information.

However, the conversation in the tent gradually turned to some daily military arrangements, and there was no more content about the arrest operation. Fang Yue was a little disappointed, but he also knew that he couldn't stay for long, otherwise it would be troublesome if he was discovered.

He quietly left the tent and began to look for other possible clues in the camp. He noticed that some soldiers were whispering to each other in private, and seemed to be full of doubts about this mission. Fang Yue decided to find an opportunity to approach these soldiers and see if he could get some information from them.

He pretended to be an ordinary errand boy, busying himself in the camp, looking for opportunities to interact with the soldiers. Finally, he saw a few soldiers chatting together during their rest time, so he pretended to pass by and approached them inadvertently.

"This mission is really confusing and I don't know what's going on." A soldier complained.

"Yeah, I find it strange too. Are those two really fake? They don't look fake to me." Another soldier echoed.

Fang Yue's heart moved, and he deliberately slowed down his pace, wanting to listen to what they continued talking.

"Who knows? Who dares to disobey the orders from above? But I heard that this order seems to have come from the capital." A soldier said in a low voice.

When Fang Yue heard this, his eyes lit up.

An order from the capital?
This shows that the mastermind behind this is most likely in the capital.

Fang Yue continued to listen to the soldiers' conversation calmly, hoping to get more specific information about the capital. However, the soldiers seemed to have only heard it from hearsay and had no further clues.

He knew he couldn't stay here for long, so he left quietly. Fang Yue quickly left the border army camp and returned to the place he had agreed to meet with Zhu Linlang.

Seeing Fang Yue return, Zhu Linlang asked anxiously: "Any new discoveries?"

Fang Yue told Zhu Linlang the news he heard in the camp.

Zhu Linlang pondered for a moment and said, "Since the clues point to the capital, we must return as soon as possible. But the capital must be full of dangers now, so we must be extra careful."

Fang Yue nodded: "That's right, we have to think of a safe way to sneak into the capital, and then secretly investigate the mastermind behind the scenes. As long as we don't show up and hide in the dark, then I believe the mastermind behind the scenes will definitely surface."

Zhu Linlang and Fang Yue looked at each other, with determination flashing in their eyes.

They know that the road ahead will be more difficult, but they also understand that only by uncovering the truth can they escape their current predicament.

"Let's find a place to rest first and then take action at night," Fang Yue suggested.

They all knew that it would be too easy to expose their whereabouts if they took action during the day, and the cover of night would bring them more security.

The two found a secluded place, ate some simple dry food, and began their plan.

It took several months and tens of thousands of miles to travel from the border to the capital of the Wei Dynasty. There were many mountains and numerous obstacles along the way. There were too many opportunities to intercept them.

Besides, we have to bring champion Hou Yangchan with us.

This undoubtedly adds more variables.

Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang knew very well that in order to safely reach the capital of the Wei Dynasty, they had to choose a more covert and less noticeable way.

Although disguising as a merchant traveler would slow down the travel speed, it could greatly reduce the risk of being discovered by border troops or other forces.

They began to prepare their attire and necessary items for the business trip.

Fang Yue found some ordinary merchant clothes, while Zhu Linlang prepared some clothes for women to dress up as men in order to better hide her identity.

As for Yang Chan, he became a servant of the caravan.

This man's vitality was sealed by Fang Yue, so he was not afraid of him causing trouble.

At the same time, they also purchased some common trade goods, such as silk, tea and porcelain, so that they would have a reasonable explanation if they were stopped along the way.

~~~~~~~~~
After everything was ready, they set out on a long journey disguised as a business trip. Along the way, they chose prosperous towns and main roads, which seemed adventurous, but in fact they had their own considerations.

In a busy place with many people, it is easier to hide your identity.

They blended into the bustling crowd and moved forward with other caravans.

Fang Yue kept an eye on the surroundings to see if there were any suspicious people following them.

During the journey, they encountered several checkpoints set up by garrisons from various places. Each time, Fang Yue relied on his calm mind and keen observation to lead everyone through the difficulties safely.

They arrived at a prosperous town, which was the only way to the capital. The garrison had set up many checkpoints and carried out strict inspections on passing merchants and travelers.

Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang felt nervous, knowing that the inspection would be more stringent this time. Fang Yue whispered to Zhu Linlang, "Linlang, we have to be more careful and not reveal any flaws this time."

Zhu Linlang nodded slightly, with a firm look in her eyes. They followed the caravan forward slowly, ready to be interrogated by the garrison.

When it was their caravan's turn, the garrison soldiers carefully checked the goods and personnel. Fang Yue responded to the soldiers' questions calmly and his answers were flawless. Zhu Linlang played the role of a taciturn servant and silently cooperated with Fang Yue.

However, just as the interrogation was about to end, a careful soldier suddenly noticed Yang Chan. He felt that Yang Chan looked a little strange, so he stepped forward to ask.

"Who are you and why do you look so nervous?" the soldier asked.

Yang Chan's vitality was sealed. Although he was dissatisfied at this time, he did not dare to act rashly. He lowered his head and did not dare to answer the soldier's questions.

Fang Yue saw this and quickly stepped forward and said, "This is our new recruit. It's his first time traveling far away, so he's a little nervous."

The soldier looked at Fang Yue and Yang Chan with doubt, and then looked at them carefully. Fang Yue was secretly nervous, but he remained calm on the surface.

At this moment, Zhu Linlang had an idea. She took out some precious tea from the cargo and quietly gave it to the soldiers.

"General, this is a small gift from us. Thank you for your hard work." Zhu Linlang said in a low voice.

The soldier hesitated for a moment, but finally accepted the tea. He looked at Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang, then at the other members of the caravan, and waved his hand, signaling that they could pass.

Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang breathed a sigh of relief. They led the caravan through the checkpoint smoothly.

After Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang led the caravan through the checkpoint smoothly, they continued on their way. However, when they arrived at a forest ahead, they were suddenly surrounded by a group of bandits.

The bandits were all ferocious, holding weapons in their hands. The leader shouted loudly: "Hand over all your property, or you will never leave here alive!"

The caravan was terrified and at a loss. Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang looked at each other and thought to themselves that it was not good. They knew that these bandits were not ordinary robbers, especially after learning that they were surrounded because of the collusion of the garrison troops, they felt that the situation was serious.

Fang Yue stepped forward and tried to stabilize the situation: "My fellow heroes, we are just an ordinary caravan, earning some hard-earned money. Please be merciful and let us go."

The bandit leader sneered, "Stop talking nonsense! You just came from the checkpoint, you must have brought a lot of valuables. Also, the garrison has already greeted us, don't think you can get away with it."

Seeing this, Zhu Linlang also stepped forward and said, "Aren't you afraid of being investigated by the government for doing this?"

The bandit leader laughed loudly: "Government? In this forest, we are the law! Hurry and hand over your property, or you will be in trouble."

Fang Yue was thinking quickly about how to deal with the situation. He looked around and took in all the bandits around him.

He even saw a familiar face among these bandits.

It turned out to be the soldier who had been demanding extortion at the previous checkpoint.

It turns out that officials and bandits are one family.

Fang Yue's heart trembled, realizing that this crisis was far more complicated than he had imagined. He quickly calmed down and thought about how to protect the caravan's safety while not exposing his identity.

He turned to Zhu Linlang and winked at her, signaling her to stay calm. Then he pretended to be calm and said to the bandit leader, "Good men, we do have some property, but it was all hard-earned. If we give it all to you, we won't be able to explain ourselves when we return. How about this, we are willing to give a portion as bribes, and only ask that you good men let us go."

The bandit leader narrowed his eyes, as if he was weighing Fang Yue's proposal. At this time, the familiar-looking soldier approached the leader and whispered something, and the leader's expression changed slightly.

"Hmph, you're sensible. But I need to see your belongings first before making a decision." The bandit leader waved his hand, signaling his men to come forward and check.

Fang Yue was secretly on guard, but pretended to cooperate on the surface, asking his men to open several boxes and display the silk, tea and other goods inside. When the bandits saw these goods, greed shone in their eyes.

"These things are not bad, but they are not enough." The bandit leader narrowed his eyes and said, "Unless you take out some more valuable things."

Fang Yue's heart tightened, knowing that he couldn't easily compromise this time. He pretended to be embarrassed and said, "My dear, this is all we have. If we take out more, we really won't be able to explain ourselves when we go back."

The bandit leader sneered, then looked at Zhu Linlang and said, "That's easy, just keep the one next to you, and don't take the rest of the property!" (End of this chapter)