HMIME Chapter 59: Lu Bu among the people

Although Bai Lu never explicitly agreed to marry him in the end, since they had already established the basic rules, Chu Ya roundly considered Bai Lu’s consent to marry him. Therefore, he began to prepare to support Bai Lu in ascending to the position of Empress.

First, according to the previous plan, Chu Ya assigned Bai Lu an impressive identity as a trusted imperial spy. Then, he embellished Bai Lu’s foolish act of following enemy assassins into their hideout into a heroic story of “a brave imperial spy infiltrating the enemy’s lair alone, gathering vital intelligence, and ultimately aiding the military in successfully wiping out the bandits.”

Chu Ya revealed this information in the court, causing quite a stir. Bai Lu, unaware of this development, continued his routine of changing into guard attire and patrolling the palace every day.

As he entered a certain grand hall’s courtyard, Bai Lu noticed a few young eunuchs nearby, sweeping and watering the flowers. He approached to greet them, but as soon as they saw him, they became nervous.

Their expressions turned respectful, their bodies straightened, and they bowed deeply, addressing him as “Daren.”

“Daren?”

Bai Lu was surprised by this unprecedented form of address. In the past, he was always referred to as “Master Bai.” Occasionally, someone might address him as “Captain Bai,” which was already a mark of respect. How did “Daren” suddenly come about?

One of the young eunuchs, holding a broom, looked at him with admiration and asked, “Daren, is it true that you are His Majesty’s spy, who once infiltrated the bandits’ lair alone and brought back top-secret intelligence?”

Before Bai Lu could respond, an older eunuch beside him slapped the younger one’s head and reprimanded him, “How dare you question Daren Bai Lu’s abilities? His Majesty himself confirmed it in court!”

“Wait a minute…” Another young eunuch whispered, “I heard that Daren Bai Lu single-handedly stormed the enemy’s camp and captured the bandit leader.”

Yet another young eunuch raised his hands dramatically and declared, “No, no! You all heard wrong. It was Daren Bai Lu who single-handedly infiltrated the bandits’ lair, fighting seven times in and out, striking decisively, and annihilating hundreds of bandits!”

Bai Lu: “???”

How did these rumors spread, and why were they becoming more and more exaggerated? While it was true that he had some martial arts skills, he was neither a deity nor a legendary warrior like Lu Bu or Zhao Yun. Where did this talk of fighting seven times in and out come from?

Chu Ya, the mastermind behind these rumors, was sitting in his study correcting memorials, paying no attention to how Bai Lu was being glorified as a hero in the palace. In fact, he deliberately contributed to spreading these rumors.

Chu Ya hoped to portray Bai Lu as a powerful and meritorious figure, thus diverting attention away from his past as a songstress in the pleasure quarters and preventing people from gossiping behind his back, accusing him of using his charm to gain favor.

Though this might be seen as an abuse of power, Chu Ya didn’t see anything wrong with it. Since he had taken his duties as emperor seriously, he felt obligated to protect Bai Lu using the power he wielded, shielding him from any harm.

As Chu Ya was thinking about Bai Lu, he looked up and saw him entering the study, dressed in a black guard uniform, gracefully parting the beaded curtains with one hand.

Chu Ya put down his brush and smiled, “You’re back early today. Feeling tired?”

Bai Lu didn’t feel out of place at all. He casually sat in a corner of the spacious dragon desk, picked up Chu Ya’s tea cup, took a few sips, and cleared his throat.

There was a plate of snacks next to the tea pot, divided into four compartments containing preserved fruits, dried nuts, pastries, and soft candies.

Chu Ya didn’t like these sweet snacks himself and hadn’t touched them at all. However, he always made sure they were available in case Bai Lu came to visit him in the study and wanted something to munch on.

Sure enough, Bai Lu picked up an almond pastry and popped it into his mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, then took a sip of tea, smacked his lips, somewhat dissatisfied.

Chu Ya chuckled, “You just had a snack and some tea, so the bitterness from the tea might linger. How about eating some fruit to freshen your palate?”

“Maybe later. I have something to ask you. Have you heard about the strange rumors circulating in the palace recently?”

Chu Ya pretended not to know, “What rumors?”

“Don’t pretend. You spread them during the court session, remember?”

Chu Ya remembered that he had indeed discussed this plan with Bai Lu before, so he quickly changed his tune, “Right, it was me. But it’s all for the sake of ensuring your smooth ascension to Empress. How have the rumors spread?”

Bai Lu snorted, “They’re making me out to be a deity now.”

Chu Ya tried to console him, “Isn’t that a good thing? With a greater reputation, people will respect and fear you more, and you’ll hear fewer idle gossip.”

“But it shouldn’t be exaggerated to this extent. It makes me feel uneasy. What if someone I provoke challenges me to a duel?”

Bai Lu paused for a moment, then continued, “Of course, I’m not afraid. Even in my past life, I could handle five opponents at once. But look at my small arms and legs now. Compared to ordinary people, I might be able to hold my own in a fight, but against trained fighters, I’ll be like a lamb to the slaughter.”

Lin Xiao’an’s delicate and graceful figure and charming face were the envy of women and the object of men’s pity. Admired as a top courtesan at the Moon Pavilion, Bai Lu was utterly disgusted. His slender arms and legs were useless for any heavy lifting or physical exertion.

Bai Lu dreamed day and night of regaining his six-pack abs, hoping they would return to him soon.

He had indeed tried to change, even setting up a daily exercise routine. But Lin Xiao’an’s body… how should he put it? It was like that of a natural songstress, no matter how hard Bai Lu trained, no matter how diligent he was, he just couldn’t gain muscle. At most, he became a bit stronger and more robust, no longer as frail as before.

No one even noticed these slight changes in his body. The only praise he received for his efforts was when Chu Ya said his backside felt good recently, very elastic.

At that time, Bai Lu immediately kicked him away, proving with force that not only were his back elastic, but his leg muscles were also strong and resilient, and his temper was fierce.

Awakening from his reminiscence, Bai Lu worriedly pinched his own arm and sighed, “How can a man’s arms be so thin? If I lose in a fight and end up injured and bleeding, it’s not a big deal, but losing face is.”

Chu Ya reached out and patted his hand, reassuring him, “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone have the chance to provoke you.”

This problem could be easily solved. Whoever wanted to challenge Bai Lu would first have to pass Chu Ya’s test. After dealing with them until they were half-dead, Chu Ya would then hand them over to Bai Lu. Surely, they wouldn’t be a problem then?

Chu Ya was extremely pleased with his brilliant idea.