Can't a girl be a traitor like Cao Cao?

Seeing this, the young man smiled again and looked at the fat man, saying, "We've been chatting for so long, haven't I yet asked for your esteemed name, brother?"

The fat man waved his hand and said, "Oh, my name is Guo Shentong. I am a clerk in the Ministry of Rites. If you have time, go to the Ministry of Rites to find me. I am very free there. If you have time, you can invite me to listen to music in the brothel."

The boy couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this, "Prodigy Guo... What a nice name. I'll remember it."

Then the fat man remembered that he hadn't asked the other person's name yet, so he said, "Hey, I haven't asked you which noble family you are, or what your name is."

"Oh, my surname is..."

Just as he opened his mouth, a solemn and resounding bell rang out from inside the palace gates.

The palace gates, which had been closed for many days, were finally opened at this moment.

Chapter 25 All Spicy!

The bell rang, and all the officials stood in solemn silence.

Those present quickly stopped whispering and bowed respectfully towards the palace gate.

Then, the palace gates were opened wide.

Several soldiers of the Zhenbei Army, dressed in the uniforms of the Imperial Guard, stood solemnly on both sides of the palace gate.

As usual, he stood at the gate with other ceremonial officials to welcome the officials into the court.

They then checked the identification badges one by one to verify the identity of the person.

The line of officials entering the palace was very long, and it would be a long time before it was their turn.

The fat man stood solemnly for a while, then felt somewhat uneasy.

Unable to resist, he struck up a conversation with the boy again, "Hey, young man, have you ever met the commander-in-chief of the Northern Garrison, Chi Junlin?"

The boy didn't answer, but instead asked, "Have you seen it before?"

"No, not at all," the fat man said. "I heard that although the commander-in-chief is a woman, she is highly skilled in martial arts and proficient in military strategy. Moreover, she is able to subdue many military generals despite being a woman."

Although she was a woman, Guo still held such a heroic figure in the highest esteem.

The boy gave a noncommittal "hmm".

But that wasn't what the fat man wanted to say. He quickly put on a gossipy expression and said, "And I heard that Chi Junlin is ugly and terrifying. Because he has been practicing martial arts for many years, he is as strong as a man, with a beard and is over nine feet tall! He is really scary."

The boy was taken aback, then couldn't help but ask curiously, "Who told you that?"

“Rumors are circulating outside.” The fat man curled his lip, then showed off his well-informed nature, “I heard that someone saw her on the day the imperial city garrison surrendered.”

Moreover, it is said that the Crimson King has an extreme fondness for handsome men, and is even bisexual.

"Young man, be careful. Don't let her take a liking to you, or you might be kidnapped and taken as a male concubine. You'll have no one to blame but yourself."

The boy couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this, and replied, "It's alright, Her Highness the Princess will protect me."

Upon hearing this, the fat man immediately revealed an expression of "I knew it," and continued, "That's true. With the power of the Princess, even Chi Junlin has to give her some face... But better safe than sorry. You should be careful, young man. Stand behind me and I'll block Chi Junlin's view for you."

"Okay, thank you." The boy nodded and smiled.

The fat man then said that since they were all brothers, "You still have to treat me to music at the brothel, so I can't be kidnapped by Chi Junlin."

The boy nodded, then looked at the fat man and teased, "But you should be careful too. Maybe Chi Junlin has unique tastes and prefers your type?"

"Oh no?"

The fat man paused, seemingly considering the possibility.

Then, a look of horror quickly appeared on his face as he covered his chubby face and said, "No way..."

The boy laughed and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Hahaha, how could that be!"

The fat man then realized that the young man was joking with him and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

At the same time, he felt that the boy had a lot of strength in his hands, and thought to himself that he was indeed a descendant of military merit, as he could capture people with the heroic spirit of the military.

As they chatted, the procession heading to the palace gradually came to an end.

The boy and the fat man walked into the palace gate together, and under the guidance of the etiquette officer, they walked to the examination corridor at the palace entrance.

Then, under the watchful eye of a dignified imperial guard captain, they began to verify their official status.

The fat man took out his ivory tag and placed it on the table. An official then looked at the tag and carefully examined the fat man's flabby face to discern the details of his identity.

However, the boy did not walk to the empty examination station.

Instead, he looked at the troop leader and gave him a meaningful look.

The captain was taken aback when he saw the handsome young man in white with a sword at his waist, seemingly not expecting him to appear here.

But seeing his gestural hint, I understood what he meant.

He nodded to him and politely escorted the young man into the palace.

Before long, after verifying his identity, the fat man caught up with the boy, panting heavily.

With an admiring expression, he said, "Hey, young man. You actually know people from the Zhenbei Army. You've got some skills."

"I'm telling the truth, why would I lie to you?" The boy looked at him with an innocent expression.

The fat man wanted to say something more.

However, at this time, the roll call had ended, and an official in charge of ceremonies had come forward to record the officials' words and actions.

The court fell silent as officials lined up in orderly rows and walked silently into the main hall.

Accompanied by the officials in charge of rites, the officials then crossed the Shuntian Gate and Dayi Gate within the palace grounds.

Ahead lies the Qianyang Hall, a magnificent structure situated within the imperial palace, used for court affairs and ceremonies.

At this time, the imperial guards surrounding the main hall had all been replaced by the Zhenbei Army, creating a solemn and murderous atmosphere from afar.

The fat man couldn't help but whisper, "It seems that Chi Junlin has really seized power. This is going to be interesting."

Upon hearing this, the boy's expression remained serene, and he said nothing.

At this time, only officials of the third rank or above were qualified to enter the main hall.

Therefore, the other officials of the third rank and above stood solemnly in the square outside the palace not far away, waiting to hear the imperial edict.

Officials of the third rank or above, dressed in purple robes, ascended the steps of the main hall and solemnly stepped into the hall.

Just then, the young man straightened his clothes and sword and casually said to the fat man, "Alright, it's about time I went in too."

It was quite enjoyable chatting with you. I hope I'll have the chance to invite you to a music festival sometime in the future.

The fat man was taken aback upon hearing this, and asked the boy, "Aren't you a martial artist of rank below the third grade?"

"no."

"Then you..." The fat man was stunned, realizing that he had never figured out the other party's identity.

Unable to resist a cautious expression, he asked, "May I ask your surname, young man?"

"My surname is Chi."

After speaking, Chi Junlin pressed his hand on the long sword at his waist.

Under the watchful eyes of the surrounding officials, he strode confidently and nonchalantly toward the main hall.

The expressions of the surrounding officials were exactly the same as those of the fat civil official Guo Shentong, who thought that this kid might have gone mad.

Without any proof or even a waist tag, how did "he" dare to wear a sword to court and enter the main hall?

Just when everyone thought the boy was about to be captured by the Imperial Guards of the Zhenbei Army.

A line of imperial guards standing solemnly outside the main hall suddenly knelt down and saluted the young man.

And every few steps he took forward, a row of guards knelt down.

From the square to the main hall, there are three steps, a distance of nearly a hundred steps.

As the Crimson Lord departed, the imperial guards knelt on the ground.

Finally, when she reached the gate of Qianyang Palace, Zheng Gaoda, who was standing outside the gate wearing armor, cupped his hands in greeting to Chi Junlin.

He greeted the Commander-in-Chief with a "Greetings!"

The officials outside the palace were all stunned.

At this moment, Guo Shentong saw the imperial guards saluting her and calling her Commander-in-Chief.

She also said that her surname was Chi.

Guo Shentong immediately understood her identity and who she was.

Who else could it be but Chi Junlin, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Garrison?

And then I thought about all the things I'd said to her along the way...

Guo Shentong had only one thought left in his mind.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no...

Chapter 26: Wearing sword and shoes in the palace, not bowing when entering the court, and not using one's name when praising and worshipping!

Chi Junlin entered the palace through the main gate of Jinhua Gate on this trip, not because he wanted to dress as a man and deliberately make fun of civil and military officials like Guo Shentong.

However, after arriving in the capital, her clothes, sword, and other belongings were left at the Princess's residence, and she never went to retrieve them.

However, for this grand court assembly, wearing heavy armor and women's attire were both too flamboyant. Neither was suitable for facing the civil and military officials.

That's why I returned to the Princess's residence early in the morning, changed into men's clothing and put on my sword.

As for being approached by Guo Shentong, that was just an accident.

Originally, she only wanted to follow behind the officials and see what it was like to attend the grand court assembly from the perspective of a low-ranking official.

As for what Guo Shentong had said before, she naturally didn't take it to heart.

As the commander-in-chief of the Zhenbei Army, who already holds great power and controls the entire capital, she wouldn't be in this position if she didn't have this much tolerance.

However, Guo Shentong, this mere registrar of the Ministry of Rites, will likely live in fear for quite some time.

Meanwhile, inside the main hall...

Officials of the third rank and above already filled the entire court.

Those present were all high-ranking officials, including the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, as well as the heads of the various ministries and departments of the Three Departments. Each and every one of them was a powerful and influential figure in the imperial court.

At this moment, the court officials looked up at the magnificent imperial throne, where Jiang Hao was already firmly seated.

The officials breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

However, there were several eunuchs with tense expressions beside Jiang Hao.

And a group of Imperial Guards, each wielding a golden sword, were scrutinizing the civil and military officials in the main hall.

They were clearly all from Red King's Landing.

Sitting on the throne, Jiang Hao looked gloomy, because at this moment he was not even qualified to communicate freely with his ministers.

Any out-of-line behavior would be met with a warning look from the guards beside him.

The officials below the stage all noticed this, but out of respect for the dignity and authority of the royal family, no one dared to speak out and expose the matter for the time being.

But everyone was only curious about one thing.

That is Chi Junlin, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Garrison. Why isn't he in the main hall?

Where did she go?

Just then, from outside the main hall, a woman dressed as a man, wearing white robes and carrying a sword, appeared.

The fact that she was able to come to this place, dressed in ordinary clothes, and not be stopped by the Zhenbei Army shows that she is no ordinary person.

Therefore, the officials would not truly regard her as a handsome and beautiful young man.

At this point, one can naturally guess her identity.

Who else could it be but Chi Junlin?

At this moment, Chi Junlin was no longer as amiable as he had been in the outer arena.

Although his expression remained unchanged, an air of domineering arrogance naturally arose within him.

She walked past everyone in the hall and stood before Jiang Hao's throne beneath the Golden Palace.

Although Chi Junlin was dressed as a man at this time, he was indeed distinguished by his appearance and looked majestic.

The officials couldn't help but marvel inwardly, thinking, "If there were another son like him, what would I have to worry about?"