Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 317 - 316: Worlds Apart

Even though this command was given quite decisively, Lu Zhang couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Lu Qing while speaking, and seeing that Lu Qing seemed to show no sign of disagreement, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhu Yu watched all of this clearly from the side, and couldn’t help but recall Lu Qing’s previous assessment of Lu Zhang.

Though the relationship between Duke Yan and Lu Qing is famously antagonistic, Lu Qing has always maintained a neutral stance towards Lu Zhang — neither close nor harboring dislike. He often remarked that Lu Zhang was easily swayed, accustomed to Duke Yan’s constant guidance, to the point of being oblivious to the invisible strings controlling him.

Now that she’s looking, Lu Zhang indeed seems as Lu Qing described, deeply influenced by Duke Yan, glorious in the Capital but in reality, lacking a firm backbone.

The ambition and aspirations perceived by outsiders are more those of his grandfather than his own.

What kind of person Lu Zhang is when alone outside, Zhu Yu has never seen, so naturally, she’s unclear. She can only see that whenever there’s a clear-headed and strong-willed person around, Lu Zhang instinctively seeks their opinion and listens to their arrangements.

This isn’t the instinctive reaction of someone intending to become the Sovereign of the World.

Zhu Yu stole a glance at him, remembering how indecisive Lu Zhang was before leaving Prince Shuo Mansion, eventually reluctant to discard several ink wash paintings he stuffed into his chest to take along.

Zhu Yu is not someone who particularly appreciates artwork, yet she could see the spirit embedded in those paintings.

Their vitality wasn’t just a testament to painting techniques but also demonstrated Lu Zhang’s genuine appreciation and love for the surrounding landscapes while patrolling.

He doesn’t lack talent and possesses eyes that discover the beauty of nature.

Yet all this is far removed from the image he portrays before Duke Yan.

This likely explains why those paintings were worth Lu Zhang’s lengthy dilemma—his grandfather probably wouldn’t permit him to exhibit such "weakness" unsuitable for becoming a great hegemon.

Zhu Yu sighed quietly.

People born and raised in imperial families have a strenuously challenging life; ambition isn’t enough, yet having ambition might not suffice; lacking capability brings disdain, while excessive capability breeds suspicion.

As the saying goes, serving a monarch is like serving a tiger; either way, something could go wrong, constantly courting trouble.

The centrist philosophy Lu Qing once shared with her does contain significant wisdom.

After hastily burying the mountain bandits, the party made a brief rest and continued their journey. After another day’s travel, passing through valleys, they reached a region with relatively smoother terrain.

This place is closer to Lan Country, the air slightly heavier with moisture.

Throughout the journey, Lu Zhang still employed the tactic suggested by Lu Qing, letting his men disperse and not closely follow them.

Runes and talismans appeared unpredictably, their whereabouts uncertain. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

By the afternoon of the second day, Zhu Yu couldn’t help but mutter that if they encountered no more mountain bandits, they’d soon enter Lan Country, leading her to doubt whether Lu Zhang’s subordinates had received accurate information.

Then it seemed as if to prove the bandit problem truly existed; they encountered another group on relatively open grassland.

This group, larger in number and differently dressed compared to the previous bandits.

This troop had forty to fifty people, with about half riding horses and the rest following behind.

Those standing on the ground wore mixed attire, while those on horseback donned lighter leather armor, many with bows and arrows slung on their backs.

These were robust men with bushy beards, befitting the title "robber soldiers" more than the previous mountain bandits.

While Lu Qing and Lu Zhang whispered ahead, Zhu Yu signaled to Yan Shu, asking if the attire seemed off.

"You might be right..." Yan Shu frowned deeply, his expression bewildered, "These people’s leather armor looks genuine from afar, at least."

This time, the encounter was on a boundless pasture, preventing Lu Zhang’s subordinates from hiding as planned and stalking secretly but instead leading to an unavoidable close confrontation.

With previous experience, Lu Qing gave no room for response, seizing the moment when their origins puzzled the opposing side, and quickly signaled.

The runes and talismans instantly obeyed, shouting fiercely while brandishing swords and riding out.

Lu Zhang’s soldiers quickly followed suit.

The opposing bandits suspected of wearing Jie Country leather armor, seeing this, swiftly turned to flee, leaving their unattached followers in bewilderment, soon pursued by Lu Zhang’s men.

After about half an hour of chasing, most fleeing bandits escaped, while a few captured instantly bit and crushed hidden poison pouches in their mouths, quickly falling dead from their horses.

Of those without horses, over thirty, the chaos led to self-injury or accidental trampling by horses, killing over ten, while the remaining twenty were captured.

Curiously, none among the captured attempted self-harm; upon questioning, it was discovered these were local vagabonds, thieves, gamblers, and drunkards recruited by the horse-ridden bandits under the promise of establishing their own ranks for better lives, eagerly following them.

As for the origins of those people, they were unaware, merely knowing they looted and harassed neighbors without significant gain, merely spreading unrest and fear, though those people treated them generously.

That’s why they stuck steadfastly with the bandits, through chaos.

After listening to the questioning, Zhu Yu turned to find Yan Shu alone sitting on a large rock deep in thought, seemingly pondering something.

She quietly moved over and asked, "What are you thinking so seriously about?"

Yan Shu, coming to his senses, glanced at Zhu Yu: "I clearly saw just now; the leather armor those people wore is indeed the Jie people’s military style, but if I told you that they’re not Jie people, would you believe it?"