Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 19: Lu Xiaofeng's Mission, the Weight of the Secret Guard's Golden Order

As a prince of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Jinzhen naturally knew the intelligence of other royal palaces.

There are only a few who can pose any threat.

One is the Palace of Prince Nan, one is the Palace of Prince Nanping, one is the Palace of Prince Ning, and the last one is the Palace of Prince Taiping.

"I am not satisfied with this answer."

“Too general.”

"It is impossible for me to go to every royal palace to ask for punishment."

Zhu Jinzhen shook his head: "Lu Xiaofeng, I'll give you one month to give me a satisfactory answer."

"If you can accomplish this, I can give you benefits you can't imagine."

"If you can't do it..."

Lu Xiaofeng's heart was in his throat.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Jinzhen's lips curled up in a light arc: "Don't worry, I won't take your life, but I will announce to the world that you, Lu Xiaofeng, coveted power and wealth, and voluntarily joined the East Factory, and are now a eunuch."

"I believe Cao Zhengchun will definitely welcome Master Lu to join us."

Lu Xiaofeng: “.”

Ximen Chuxue's icy face rarely broke into a smile.

Hua Manlou even covered his mouth and laughed.

They were the people who knew Lu Xiaofeng best. They knew that besides liking to meddle in other people's affairs and join in the fun, what he loved most were fine wine and beautiful women. If Prince Su really spread the word throughout the world that Lu Xiaofeng had become a eunuch.

Then Lu Xiaofeng would have no need to stay in the martial arts world anymore.

Don’t even think about beautiful women.

"It seems that I really have no choice but to risk my life this time." Lu Xiaofeng sighed helplessly. He had known that this was a tough job, but he didn't expect it to be difficult on both ends.

"Well, it's not that serious."

After Zhu Jinzhen finished joking, he said seriously, "I know that this matter is of great importance. Therefore, for your safety, Sikong Zhaixing will fully cooperate with you. At the same time, two teams of secret guards will temporarily obey your orders and assist you."

"Secret Guard?"

Lu Xiaofeng's eyes lit up and he looked delighted.

"Someone is coming."

At Zhu Jinzhen's command, more than twenty people quickly filed in from outside the door.

"The Secret Guards are a mysterious force under my command. They're small, only a few hundred strong, with teams of twelve, corresponding to the twelve Earthly Branches." Zhu Jinzhen pointed at the black-clad, masked Secret Guards and said, "Don't underestimate them. Although there are only twelve of them, if you don't have a special skill, you'll need to be at least at the Vajra Realm to be selected."

Twelve Earthly Branches and two teams of secret guards?
Lu Xiaofeng was completely moved and looked at the people in front of him in shock.

Zhu Jinzhen threw out two tokens and said, "These are the golden tokens of the secret guards. They only recognize the tokens, not the people. Without the golden tokens, no one can command them except me."

"Hiss!" Sikong Zhaixing suddenly gasped and said in a lost voice, "Secret Guard Jin Ling?"

"Aren't you also a secret guard? Why are you making such a fuss?" Lu Xiaofeng looked at Sikong Zhaixing curiously. He knew there must be another hidden story, but he still pretended to despise him for being naive.

Sikong Zhaixing gnashed his teeth: "What do you know?"

However, Lu Xiaofeng waited and waited, but there was no further news from Sikong Zhaixing.

"Your Highness."

Sikong Zhaixing ignored Lu Xiaofeng's inquiring gaze, but bowed to Zhu Jinzhen and asked first.

"It doesn't matter. Since the Golden Order has been issued, he will definitely know about it."

"Yes."

"Then I have overstepped my authority." Sikong Zhaixing bowed and turned around, straightening his back with a sacred look on his face, which left Lu Xiaofeng dumbfounded.

"The Secret Guard's Golden Token is the highest-ranking token in the Secret Guard. In addition to the twelve Earthly Branches assigned to you by His Highness, it can also mobilize the Heavenly Stems within the Secret Guard in times of crisis."

"The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches? Could it be..."

Lu Xiaofeng's heart trembled, and he revealed an incredible expression, obviously guessing something. "That's right, Tiangan has another title in the Secret Guard, Tianxiang."

Sikong Zhaixing nodded solemnly, lowering his voice and saying with envy, "Now you know what the two gold warrants for the Secret Guard awarded by His Highness mean, right?"

The Grand Master of Astronomy.

Don’t look at it in Jiayuguan. In Prince Su’s Palace, the Grand Master of Astronomy seems to be nothing.

But in the Ming Dynasty, in the whole world, the Grand Master of Celestial Phenomenon is a peerless figure who can drink up all the romanticism in the world. He is beyond human power and stands at the pinnacle of martial arts, second only to the immortals on land.

The number of grand masters of astronomy in the Ming Dynasty's martial arts world and the imperial court combined is probably only a little over two dozen.

However, the secret guard golden order in Lu Xiaofeng's hand can mobilize the ten heavenly stems in times of crisis.

"If it is really as Sikong Zhaixing said, doesn't it mean that Lu Xiaofeng has almost the entire top strength of the Ming Dynasty martial arts world?" Hua Manlou shuddered, frightened by this thought.

But if you think about it carefully, it seems to be the case.

The ten Heavenly Stems represent the ten great masters of celestial phenomena. The two teams of secret guards made up of the twelve Earthly Branches are uneven in quality, but each has their own unique skills, and only those who are at least at the Vajra Realm can be selected into the secret guards.

This means that among the twenty-four Earthly Branches Secret Guards, perhaps half of them are Zhixuan Masters?

Ten great masters of celestial phenomena and twelve great masters of the mysteries of the finger?
When Lu Xiaofeng thought of that scene, his heart surged, and for the first time, he felt the feeling of a hot potato. He looked at Zhu Jinzhen in embarrassment: "Your Highness, this..."

"If you don't want it, I can take it back."

Zhu Jinzhen seemed to see the tangled feelings in Lu Xiaofeng's heart and said with a smile, "It's just that this matter involves me and concerns the safety of the Ming Dynasty. The mastermind behind this is very powerful. With your mere initial entry into the Zhixuan realm, I hope I don't hear about it one day and throw it to someone else."

"Then I, a humble commoner, would like to thank Your Highness for your kindness."

Lu Xiaofeng stopped hesitating for a moment, and hurriedly retracted his hand, putting the two gold coins firmly into his arms.

He still cherishes his life.

"That's right."

Zhu Jinzhen picked up the tea with a smile, took a sip, and the fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth.

"The common people resign."

Seeing this, Lu Xiaofeng immediately bowed.

Ximen Chuxue and Hua Manlou also bowed slightly.

"Ah."

Zhu Jinzhen nodded calmly.

Just as Lu Xiaofeng and his companions were about to step out of the Tiance Mansion hall, Zhu Jinzhen's voice was heard.

"When the storms meet, all the monsters and demons will come out."

"Everyone thinks they're the pawns making their grand entrance, yet they've already been destined to be discarded from the start. Isn't that right, Lu Xiaofeng?"

Lu Xiaofeng was stunned for a moment, then turned around to look at Zhu Jinzhen, who was holding a cup and smiling faintly, not understanding what he meant.

But after thinking for a while, he replied: "Your Highness is right."

Zhu Jinzhen laughed loudly: "Hahaha, Lu Xiaofeng, you are indeed a wonderful person. Goodbye."

……

By the time the soldiers from Tian Ce Mansion came back to report, Lu Xiaofeng and others had already left.

Zhu Jinzhencai smiled and tilted his head to Zhu Jianqiu and said, "Did you write down all the people and forces that Lu Xiaofeng just mentioned?"

"Your Highness, I've noted it all down."

"Well, if there are any shameful things happening in the future, they will be blamed for it."

"Yes."

"Also, Lu Xiaofeng likes to meddle in other people's affairs and is a troublemaker, but if used well, this smart person can play a significant role. He can be recruited into the secret guards as appropriate."

"Yes."

(End of this chapter)