Chapter 96: Welcome to Ningzhuo 4 (1/2)
Just outside the border of Ningzhuo
Lu Yaozhu pulled her behind him and unsheathed his sword as he heard footsteps outside the tent. He held the sword tightly and raised it when a shadow appeared at the entrance of the tent. He swung the sword as the tent flap was pulled back, he stopped a breath distance from Yu Tao's jugular vein.
Yu Tao stepped back immediately and held his hands up, ”hold on young master, it is me!”
Lu Yaozhu pull the sword away and returned the sword into the scabbard, ”who just rode in?”
Yu Tao walked closer once the sword was sheathed, he gave Su Liya who stepped out from behind Lu Yaozhu an apologetic smile. ”That is why I came in, young master. The Magistrate and a few other officials came with some guards to escort you and our young madam into the city”.
”What” she glanced at the quiet Lu Yaozhu and asked, ”that is odd, did you inform them that you were at the city's borders?”
Lu Yaozhu shook his head ”not yet, I didn't want an elaborate preparation and was planning on firing them when we arrived”.
”If you didn't inform them, how come they are here right on time. Almost as if they planned it, I don't think the men who attacked us were bandits”
”I never thought they were, the attack was too organised and then there s the fact that the few that survived killed themselves before they could be questioned. They were death troupes, bandits are not trained to kill themselves when caught”
Su Liya nodded and said to Yu Tao, ”Help the general clean up, since the officials are here to speculate. We should put our best foot forward, I will get dressed into a more worthy armour”. She saluted Lu Yaozhu and left the tent. She kept her head down until she got to the new tent she was now occupying.
Yu Tai looked at his master and on receiving a nod he walked forward to complete the job Su Liya started and helped Lu Yaozhu get dressed. The servants had moved a box of the General's clothes that survived the fire into the tent while bringing the water and bandages earlier.
Yu Tao helped him into his purple dragon and Magpie official clothes. The official leather belt was toed lower because of the injury to his stomach. The leaves were freer and didn't rub n the slight burns on his arm, Yu Tao tied his head into a small upward bun and put on his black cap.
Yu Tao bent to help Him put on the black embroidered boots when he heard his masters usually steady voice ask ”how was the behaviour from the officials?”
”The magistrate was calm but the Secretary and the deputy were asking questions about the state of the camp. Young madam was right, they might have had something to do with the attack. The magistrate kept asking how you were fairing”, he said and stepped back.
”Was he? How amusing. Get me a came from my things in the carriage. Make sure to make it obvious who it is for on your way here. Since they want to play games, I will help them play along”.