Accidentally dressed as an empress

Chapter 228 Negotiation

The sky was covered with dark clouds, like a heavy lead stone, making it hard to breathe.

After hearing the news from the high priest, Reuni hurried back to the inn and found Ji Yun.

His forehead was covered with sweat, but his eyes showed a hint of joy. He said anxiously: "Young Master, I have contacted the high priest. We will set off now."

Several guards of the Lu family followed behind. Ji Yun and Liu Ni rode out of the city on horseback. Liu Ni followed the marks they left behind and walked all the way to the Line Sky.

The cliffs on both sides are steep and towering into the clouds, as if they were split by a giant axe of the gods, leaving only a narrow gap that is barely wide enough for one person and one horse to pass through.

The sunlight was blocked by the cliffs, and only a few rays of light struggled to squeeze in from the cracks in the rocks, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground. A gust of wind blew, and the dry grass on the cliff rustled.

Ji Yun tightened the reins and looked around vigilantly. The steep mountain walls stood on both sides like giants, with jagged rocks.

She said solemnly, "The terrain here is dangerous. We need to be extra careful."

Reuni nodded slightly, his hand on his sword, and looked around vigilantly.

The Lu family's guards were also fully focused, carefully controlling their horses and maintaining a tight formation, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

The horse's hooves stepped on the gravel ground, making a dull sound that echoed through the valley.

Time slipped slowly in this suffocating tension, each moment seeming infinitely long. Finally, the road ahead opened up, and a ray of light shone through.

The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves gradually settled behind them as they passed through this dangerous area with caution.

The moment they completely walked out of the narrow gap, everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and their tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

Ji Yun reined in the reins, looked back at his companions, and solemnly warned, "The journey to the Northern Di tribe is long and the situation is uncertain. Everyone must be extremely alert and proceed with caution. The customs of the Northern Di tribe are very different, and their hearts are unpredictable. We must not take it lightly."

The guards looked at each other, nodded slightly, and replied in unison: "Master, don't worry, we understand and will not act rashly."

After a brief rest, the group set out on their journey again.

Soon, a well-organized camp appeared in their sight. That was the Beidi United Tribe.

The tribe was surrounded by a fence made of rough and simple logs, which looked mottled and worn.

At the door stood a tall and mysterious totem, which was carved with strange animal patterns. It swayed in the whistling wind, making a creaking sound.

Ji Yun took a deep breath, rode his horse forward first, and led everyone slowly towards the tribe.

The dull thud of horse hooves on the dry earth drew the children of the tribe to the fence, who gazed curiously at them, their eyes gleaming with innocence yet a hint of strangeness and wariness...

Ji Yun walked with his head held high and chest puffed out in this unfamiliar land. The land was dry and hard, and the dry grass under his feet rustled. There were tents scattered in the tribe, and the tents were patched with animal skins.

People were wearing rough animal skins and looked at the scarred Ji Yun with either doubtful or wary eyes.

That gaze was like an icy arrowhead, making Liu Ni feel uneasy. He leaned close to Ji Yun and whispered, "Young Master, they are always wary of outsiders. We'd better find the high priest as soon as possible."

Ji Yun replied softly, "Yes, I understand."

Just then, Yu Xi appeared in their sight pushing a wheelchair.

The wooden wheels of the wheelchair creaked as they left a shallow mark on the ground.

Cui Ti's face in the wheelchair looked a little pale, and she looked even weaker in the gloomy sky, but she still couldn't hide her former grace, sitting quietly in the wheelchair.

Ji Yun sneered in his heart, Cui Ti finally had this day.

But now, she had to cooperate with them, "Let's go in and talk."

The curtains slowly closed behind them, completely isolating them from the noise from the outside world.

Ji Yun took a deep breath and was the first to break the oppressive silence. She straightened her back, looked at Cui Ti firmly, and said in a decisive voice: "Since our goals are the same, let's get straight to the point. I can provide the Lu family with weapons."

Cui Ti narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and then she regained her unfathomable expression. She opened her thin lips and asked coldly, "What are the conditions?"

Ji Yun subconsciously clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "Send me to Lingyun City."

She still has one crucial thing to do, which is to take revenge with her own hands.

A faint smile played on Cui Ti's lips. That smile revealed a bit of calculation, as if everything was under control. "What a coincidence! We had the same idea. The Empress is about to give birth. The palace will be busy and the security will be relaxed. We can take advantage of the chaos to enter Lingyun City."

Ji Yun nodded.

The situation was urgent at the moment, so Ji Yun immediately asked, "When do you plan to attack Beiling? What is your plan?"

Cui Ti looked at Yu Xi, who said in a low voice, "The plan to attack Beiling has not yet been fully determined. We are still waiting for the best opportunity. We need to ensure that all parties are involved. When they are unable to take care of themselves, then we will take action."

Ji Yun frowned, listened carefully to Cui Ti's words, and thought to himself, "So what are your plans now? You can't expect me to hand over the Lu family's weapons easily with just a few empty words." There was a hint of scrutiny and questioning in Ji Yun's tone.

Yu Xi turned around, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

He walked to the table, picked up a map, spread it out, and slowly moved his finger across it, pointing out the passes and important roads: "We have secretly deployed troops in the surrounding areas and have reached a tacit understanding with some forces that are dissatisfied with the Queen.

Once the time is right, we will launch a surprise attack from the flanks of Beiling, dispersing their forces, and then concentrate our elite forces to attack their vital points. Simultaneously, we will have support from within the city, and only by combining our internal and external forces can we capture Beiling in one fell swoop."

Ji Yun approached the map and carefully examined the area Cui Ti pointed at, gaining a general understanding of their plan. She knew the outcome of this war was unpredictable, but now she had no way out.

"Your plan seems comprehensive, but war changes rapidly and you will lose everything if you are not careful. How can I believe that you have enough ability to successfully implement this plan?" Ji Yun looked up and asked Cui Ti.

Cui Ti sneered, her eyes revealing confidence. "We naturally have our own methods and trump cards. Besides, you don't have a better choice now, right? If you want to enter Lingyun City, you must cooperate with us. Otherwise, you won't even be able to enter the palace gate on your own."

Ji Yun gritted his teeth. Although he felt uncomfortable with Cui Ti's words, he knew that she was telling the truth.

Ji Yun was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Okay, I can provide some weapons as a token of my sincerity. But you must promise that once you capture Beiling, you will immediately send me to Lingyun City."

"Of course." Cui Ti nodded slightly.

"Wait..." Ji Yun asked, "How can I be sure that you can really enter the palace? I remember that all the palace servants have been replaced. Who is the contact person in the palace?"

Cui Ti's face darkened, a hint of displeasure in her eyes: "Yun Ji, don't push your luck. These are our secrets, how can we share them so easily?"

Ji Yun smiled faintly: "The Lu family's weapons are not so easy to obtain."

The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense, the air seemed to freeze. Sparks flew as the two sides exchanged glances.

After a long pause, Cui Ti gritted her teeth and said, "I'm sorry I can't tell you who the contact is now, but I can tell you one thing: he's someone who holds an important position and is loyal to the Queen but has two hearts."

Ji Yun pondered the pros and cons in his heart. Although it did not completely meet her requirements, it was also a small concession. "Okay, I will believe you for now."

Yu Xi said: "We still need to discuss the location and method of handing over weapons. We cannot make any mistakes during our attack, otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous."

Ji Yun nodded slightly. "Of course. We will arrange an elite team to secretly escort you and your weapons to the designated location. During the handover, we will use code words and tokens to confirm your identities to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Yu Xi extended his hand to Ji Yun and said, "It's a pleasure to work with you."

Ji Yun still had doubts in her heart, but under the current circumstances, she could only choose to trust Yu Xi and Cui Ti.