Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 70 If you don’t abandon me, I will be your hawk! [9]

It was getting darker and night was falling.

Jiang Xuan left the East Factory and walked on the road, unable to help but let out a long sigh of relief.

After all, he is facing an existence who is second only to the emperor and above everyone else in the Ming Dynasty.

It is also said that this person has a violent and capricious personality. In recent years, countless high-ranking officials with great power have had their entire families executed.

It's impossible to say that I'm not nervous.

However, when he thought about the gains from this trip, Jiang Xuan felt that all the risks were worth it.

As long as he gets the upper half of the body and then retrieves the lower half tomorrow, he can first figure out the secret of Rama's internal energy and then hand it over to Wei Zhongxian.

In addition, given Wei Zhongxian's status, he should not go back on his word.

As long as you can successfully retrieve the intact body, you can be promoted to a thousand households in the core five institutes.

He is a captain of the fifth rank, and a captain with real power in one of the five core institutes. There are only five such captains in the entire Jinyiwei. It can be said that he has reached the sky in one step!

Of course, the higher you stand, the greater the risk.

Once he is promoted to a thousand households, he will most likely be wooed by the East Factory.

Like Pei Lun, he was labeled as a eunuch from then on.

If there is a change of government in the future and the new emperor wants to purge the eunuch party, I wonder if I will be implicated...

Thinking of this, Jiang Xuan felt a little worried.

The main reason was that he did not expect that his return to Beijing would coincide with the discovery of Rama's body, and Wei Zhongxian attached so much importance to this body.

Since he had the ability to seize the body, he naturally would not give up the opportunity for promotion.

"Well, let's take it one step at a time. However, the establishment of a killer organization must be put on the agenda."

"I must control a power that belongs only to me. No matter what happens in the future, I will have a way out..."

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Xuan shook his head and continued walking forward.

Hoof-clack, hoof-clack...

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from the front.

Jiang Xuan frowned and stopped to look. He saw a carriage coming from the street on the left and stopped at the intersection, blocking his way.

"Master Jiang, my master invites you."

The curtain of the carriage window was lifted, revealing a familiar face. It was Wang Chengen, the steward of Prince Xin's Mansion, whom he had met once before.

Prince Xin wants to see me?

Jiang Xuan's eyes moved slightly, and after a little thought, he understood what Prince Xin meant.

Obviously, he also learned that he had retrieved Rama's body and went to the East Factory today. He was worried that he would become a member of the eunuch party and revealed that he had wanted to recruit him before.

So you want to win me over before the eunuch party does?
To go or not to go?
Jiang Xuan was lost in thought.

……

In a hidden courtyard in Dongcheng District.

The fire was burning brightly, but only one candle was lit. The candlelight flickered, sometimes brighter and sometimes dimmed, reflecting the worry on the face of a young man in fancy clothes beside the fire.

This person was none other than Prince Xin Zhu Youjian.

Just as Jiang Xuan said.

After his spy in the Jinyiwei reported today that Jiang Xuan had captured the Black Stone killer and recovered Rama's body, Zhu Youjian felt more worried.

Zhu Youjian didn't care about Wei Zhongxian's search for Rama's body.

But the person who retrieved the body was Jiang Xuan.

This made him both happy and surprised.

The good news is that Jiang Xuan's abilities are so outstanding, which proves that he was not wrong about him.

The reason why he was shocked was that Jiang Xuan's ability was too outstanding. If he was valued by Wei Zhongxian and became the core of the eunuch party, his previous attempt to win over Jiang Xuan would be exposed.

Moreover, it would be a great loss for such a capable man if he became a member of the eunuch party.

Afterwards, Xu Xianchun took Jiang Xuan directly to the East Factory, which further confirmed his guess.

This made him even more anxious.

After much thought, he was still worried and decided to contact Jiang Xuan in person tonight and try to win him over again.

It would be a shame for such a talented person to become a member of the eunuch party.

At this moment, there was a middle-aged man in a red robe standing next to him.

This person was none other than Xu Panxing, the captain of the rear guard, and also the core spy planted by Zhu Youjian in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Seeing Zhu Youjian's changing expression, Xu Panxing couldn't help but speak: "Your Highness, although this person is very capable, relatively speaking, it is more important for Your Highness to inherit the throne. Why are you so persistent?"

"If the prince comes in person tonight and he still doesn't know what's good for him..."

Xu Panxing's eyes flickered as he said, "I have already arranged enough swordsmen around the courtyard. No matter how skilled he is in martial arts, they are enough to kill him!"

"At that time, Your Majesty, please consider the overall situation first!"

"Otherwise, with this man's ability to solve cases, if he becomes the core of the eunuch party, he will definitely be a serious threat to the prince's succession!"

Zhu Youjian looked hesitant.

After a long moment, he sighed deeply and nodded, saying, "Don't rush into action. Wait for me to mediate with him."

"With his abilities, he will sooner or later enter Wei Zhongxian's sight and become a core figure in the eunuch party. If we can persuade him to defect in advance, even if he becomes a core figure in the eunuch party in the future, it will be a great help to us."

Xu Panxing nodded slightly: "I understand."

Just then, there was a noise outside the door.

"coming."

Zhu Youjian's eyes flashed, and he whispered, "You step aside for a moment."

"Yes." Xu Panxing disappeared into the side room next door.

Soon, the door opened.

Wang Chengen walked in first.

And behind him, there was another person following, it was Jiang Xuan.

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian felt relieved.

As long as people come, there is something to talk about.

"Your Highness, Lord Jiang is here." Wang Chengen walked forward and said in a low voice.

Jiang Xuan looked at the handsome young man sitting by the fire, feeling somewhat emotional. He had met so many important people today.

One is the Nine Thousand Year Old Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the other is the future Emperor Chongzhen.

"I am Jiang Xuan, your humble servant, here to pay my respects to His Majesty." With a long sigh, Jiang Xuan collected his thoughts and stepped forward to pay his respects.

"Master Jiang, please don't be polite."

Zhu Youjian smiled and stood up to help Jiang Xuan up. He then looked at Jiang Xuan carefully and said with emotion, "Sir, you are indeed a young talent. Over the past six months, I have heard of your name and have admired you for a long time."

Seeing Zhu Youjian lowering himself so low, Jiang Xuan felt even more uneasy. He said, "Your Highness, you are too kind. You are the true young talent. I, a humble official, do not dare to be compared with you."

"Hey... coming from a humble background is not a shame."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand and said, "Lord Jiang was able to go from being a hereditary lieutenant to repeatedly solving serious cases in just over half a year, and was promoted to a centurion of the Northern Pacification Division. This is enough to show Lord Jiang's ability."

Jiang Xuan could only respond with an awkward smile.

Zhu Youjian smiled slightly and said, "Alright, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Lord Jiang, do you know why I invited you tonight?"

"I don't know, I hope Your Highness can tell me clearly." Jiang Xuan pretended to be stupid.

"No, you know."

Zhu Youjian looked deeply at Jiang Xuan: "With Lord Jiang's intelligence and talent, how could you not understand what I mean?"

"I wonder what choice Master Jiang will make?"

Jiang Xuan was silent.

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian sighed deeply, pretending to be sad, and said, "Back when Taizu founded the country and the Ming Dynasty ruled the world, we occupied almost half of the territory of China and were feared by the world. What a glorious time it was back then."

"Since the Tianshun era, eunuchs have monopolized power, disrupted government, and harmed the country, resulting in the loss of countless territories. Especially after Wei Zhongxian came to power, he exploited the emperor's favor, deceived the emperor, and monopolized power, killing countless loyal ministers and causing unrest throughout the country, bringing great suffering to the people."

"The Ming Dynasty is currently plagued by internal and external troubles. Internally, bandits are violating laws and unrest is raging everywhere. Bandits in the northwest are growing stronger. Externally, other nations are eyeing us covetously, especially the Mongols in the north and the Qing army in Liaodong, who have long coveted our territory."

"Yet the eunuch party controls the government, squandering and extorting power wantonly, ruining the fate of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Thinking about the 200-year history of the Ming Dynasty, it is now in jeopardy and in imminent danger."

"If we don't take countermeasures, our Ming Dynasty will sooner or later be destroyed by these eunuchs!"

Or when talking about painful points, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but burst into tears, his eyes were full of sadness and resentment, and his words were full of hatred for the eunuch party.

Jiang Xuan shook his head secretly and didn't want to comment on it.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty declined and became so corrupt was certainly due to the eunuchs' autocracy and the threat from enemy countries, but the most important reason was that each emperor was inferior to the previous one.

Looking back at past history, even if Chongzhen came to power, you would still end up with the country's fortunes broken and you hanging yourself to death.

Suddenly, Zhu Youjian wiped his tears, grabbed Jiang Xuan's hand, and said with a scorching gaze, "This prince also wants to destroy the eunuch party and continue the destiny of our Ming Dynasty. My dear minister, can you lend me a helping hand?"

"I swear here that if the next king inherits the throne, it will be the day of your rise to prominence, and I will never let you down!"

Jiang Xuan sighed inwardly.

Knowing that I have already caught the eunuch party's attention, he still dared to take such a risk to win me over.

It is obvious that he has made up his mind to let me play Infernal Affairs.

Looking at Zhu Youjian, whose eyes were filled with earnestness, Jiang Xuan's ears twitched slightly, as if he had discovered something. However, he still managed to break away from Zhu Youjian calmly, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, I am sorry for the trouble you have caused me."

"I have received the Emperor's grace and shall serve the Ming Dynasty with all my heart and soul until my death. Your Highness is the first heir to the Ming Dynasty, so it is only natural that I should serve Your Highness."

"If Your Highness does not abandon me, I am willing to be your hawk and dog."

……

Half an hour later.

"Your Majesty, can we trust him?"

Xu Panxing walked out of the side room, looked at the figure walking away outside the door, and said in a low voice.

Zhu Youjian's face returned to calm, no longer showing the previous look of grief and anger. He shook his head and said, "Now, I have to believe it even if I don't want to. Wei Zhongxian is watching me more and more closely. I don't know why, but I always feel uneasy. I don't know what this old dog is planning."

"We don't have many people in the eunuch party, and there is no one who can penetrate the core of the eunuch party. Wei Zhongxian doesn't even trust you." "At this time, we can only take a risk."

"I hope he lives up to my expectations, successfully infiltrates the eunuch party, and does something for us."

Zhu Youjian sighed.

Xu Panxing nodded slightly and said, "Your Highness, please be at ease. I will keep an eye on him."

"Ah."

Zhu Youjian nodded and asked, "How's the investigation going on for you?"

Xu Panxing understood and nodded, "We're already investigating. In Hangzhou, in order to build a shrine for Wei Zhongxian, members of the eunuch clique have been amassing wealth and falsifying accounts, causing widespread public outrage. Once I get to the bottom of the accounts, I'll be able to hold him accountable."

Zhu Youjian's eyes turned cold as he said, "This matter is very important. We must get the evidence. We already have a lot of evidence of his crimes. If we add this to our evidence, we will be able to get rid of the eunuch party with justification in the future!"

"Yes, Your Highness." Xu Panxing leaned forward slightly.

……

"I didn't expect this guy to value me so much. He's worthy of being an emperor. He's flexible and adaptable. He's really admirable."

Thinking of what happened in the courtyard just now, Jiang Xuan felt a little emotional.

If he had not noticed the ambushes around him, he would have almost believed Zhu Youjian's tearful performance.

"This little bastard is indeed a cruel and ruthless person."

"If I don't agree tonight, I'm afraid you'll turn hostile and have me killed, right?"

Jiang Xuan sneered.

He did not agree to Zhu Youjian's recruitment because he noticed that there were people lying in ambush around.

If Zhu Youjian really dared to take action, no matter how many people he had placed in that room tonight, he would be able to escape unscathed.

After all, Zhu Youjian was just an ordinary man who was powerless and he could kidnap him and escape at any time.

But not necessary.

No one can predict how the situation will change in the future.

Perhaps Wei Zhongxian would seize power, or perhaps Zhu Youjian would succeed in taking the throne, or even the Ming Dynasty might be destroyed and the world would be in chaos.

After all, this is a world of comprehensive martial arts.

There is more than one dynasty in the Central Plains.

At present, I do not have the ability to compete with these forces. It is always good to bet on multiple parties and have multiple escape routes.

Although a bit risky.

But risks always coexist with benefits.

Even if Zhu Youjian succeeds in taking power in the future and then turns against him, he will not allow himself to be bullied.

Jiang Xuan is not like Lu Wenzhao and Ding Baiying, who are brainless guys.

"Since I can't stay out of this, I'll take the initiative to join in from now on!"

"Even if I fail, the worst that can happen is I'll just give up this Flying Fish Suit, dive into the sea like a dragon, and live a different life!"

Jiang Xuan murmured softly, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Once you are in this situation, you have no choice.

But he can't be someone else's pawn all his life.

Who can tell what will happen in the future?
In the future, it remains to be seen who will be the chess piece and who will be the chess player!
……

at the same time.

In the west of the city, in a remote courtyard behind the house.

The room was brightly lit by candlelight, and a light scent of oil was faintly emitted.

Sitting behind the desk was a fat middle-aged man, holding a pen and paper, concentrating on writing something down. From time to time, he would reach out to tease the parrot in the birdcage on the desk, looking very leisurely and comfortable.

At this time, a breeze came, the candlelight flickered twice, and a figure wearing a dark red linen cloak suddenly appeared in the room. The hooded cloak even covered the head, so the face could not be seen clearly.

The obese middle-aged man looked up, slightly startled, and quickly stood up, bowing respectfully: "Boss."

The figure pulled down his cloak, revealing a slightly aged and gloomy face. He looked at the obese middle-aged man and said in a hoarse voice, "Didn't you say that you searched the entire capital and couldn't find Xiyu? Then what happened today? Why did she end up in the hands of the Jinyiwei?"

The obese middle-aged man shuddered and said quickly, "Boss, I did send people to search everywhere, even those Jianghu people checked, but there is indeed no trace of her."

"After all, I never imagined that she would play dirty tricks, relying on a monk as a cover, and hiding in the southern suburbs..."

"I don't want an explanation, I want a result!"

The man said coldly: "Now she has been captured by the Jinyiwei, and the remains of Rama in her hands have also fallen into the hands of the Dongchang."

"She knows everything about the gang. If she joins forces with the Royal Guards to deal with us, what do you think we should do?"

The fat middle-aged man's face changed slightly, his eyes rolled, and he whispered, "We also have people in the Jinyiwei. Otherwise, should we have someone kill her?"

"Just do as you say, the sooner the better!"

The man said coldly, "It's best to act tonight. Otherwise, if she reveals something, I won't have to do anything, and I don't think you will survive for many days."

"Yes Yes!"

The obese middle-aged man repeatedly said, "I will arrange for the operation tonight."

"Where is the other half of Rama's body?" the man asked hoarsely.

"Some say it's in the hands of the Kongtong Sect, while others say it's in the hands of Zhang Dajing, the richest man in Nanjing."

"Find out as soon as possible."

The man's eyes flickered. "The body of Rama in Xiyu's hands has been seized by the East Factory. It won't be easy to get it back. The only way to get it back is to find the other half of the body and start something new. Maybe there will be a chance."

"I understand." The obese middle-aged man nodded.

……

Midday on the moon.

Fusi, the northern town, was ordered to prison.

As the exclusive prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it is a place that has terrified countless civil and military officials and even various gangsters. It is a place where water and fire cannot penetrate, and the air here is filled with the smell of plague.

In the eerie and damp torture chamber, various instruments of torture such as finger pinchers, clamps, skinning instruments, tongue clamps, spinal axes, finger-breaking knives, heart-piercing needles, and pipa locks were neatly arranged. Some of the instruments even had unwashed blood stains on them, which was shocking.

As for the prison cells, there are usually very few people there.

Because all the prisoners who can be sent here are criminals with serious sentences. Many of them die after not being able to withstand a few tortures. Some of them can't stand it and confess voluntarily, and they will eventually be sent to the Three Courts for trial and execution.

Therefore, the cells in the imperial prison are very quiet most of the time.

But at this time, two people were imprisoned for the first time.

The two jailers in charge of guarding the imperial prison sat outside the cell, bored, eating melon seeds and chatting.

One of the jailers glanced at the two figures in the cell, sighed, and said, "It's rare to send two people here, but they won't explain anything and won't let us torture them. What do you think the higher-ups are thinking?"

Another person casually said, "These two guys were captured by our newly promoted Captain Jiang from the Northern Division. I heard they're connected to the recent murder of the family of Zhang Haiduan, the cabinet's chief minister. They were brought here too late tonight. Perhaps there will be an order from above tomorrow."

"What a pity. I haven't been tortured in a while, so my skills are a little rusty."

The jailer on the left glanced at the monk in the cell with some regret and said, "This is the first time a monk has been sent to this imperial prison. I wonder if this monk will be skinned differently from others..."

Lu Zhu in the prison cell heard the conversation between the two jailers and couldn't help feeling a little frightened.

He had only heard of the name of the Northern Pacification Prison before.

I thought it was just an exaggeration, but I didn't expect it to be so dangerous.

Even the jailers inside were so nonchalant when talking about these tortures. The way they looked at him was not like looking at a human being, but like looking at a pig to be slaughtered.

Would these two guys really skin him alive?

Lu Zhu was a little worried.

Xiyu in the next cell noticed his expression and sneered, "What? Are you afraid too? Don't you like ferrying people across? Why don't you ferry these two guys across now? Let them release us?"

Lu Zhu's mouth twitched, thinking that not everyone can be saved.

Xiyu sneered, as if gloating over someone else's misfortune.

If Lu Zhu hadn't kept pestering her, how could she have ended up in such a situation?

But soon, she couldn't laugh anymore...

The jailer who had just said he wanted to skin her gave her a malicious look, swallowed, and said, "This woman is pretty, but it's a pity she's a murderer. She's going to die anyway, so why don't we... have a taste of her first?"

"This..." Another jailer was also tempted when he heard this.

This kind of thing is very normal in the imperial prison. Many female prisoners have been sent there before. Not only them, but even other people in the yamen would come here occasionally to try their hand before they die.

Seeing the lewd expressions on both of their faces, Xiyu suddenly panicked.

"What... do you want to do?!"

"I want to do it!"

The two jailers looked at each other, stood up at the same time, and walked over with a grin.

Xiyu looked flustered and shouted coldly, "Get out! Get out!"

Lu Zhu's expression changed drastically, and he quickly shouted, "Two Shi... Two little brothers, you are still young, the Buddha will bless you, you must not commit such a sin."

"Fuck you, Buddha. If you keep talking nonsense, I'll kill you too!"

The two men snorted coldly and opened the cell door, not afraid that Xiyu would resist and escape.

All prisoners had their acupoints blocked by special personnel before they were sent in. Some vicious guys would even directly lock the scapula to disable their martial arts and ensure that they couldn't exert any strength at all.

Although Xiyu and the other man did not have their scapulas locked, their hands and feet were chained and their acupoints were sealed. At this moment, they were no better than ordinary people, so they were not afraid at all.

Seeing the two jailers walking into the cell with lustful looks on their faces, Xiyu shrank into the corner, with nowhere to retreat, and a hint of despair appeared in her eyes.

She was injured by Jiang Xuan during the day and her injuries had not healed yet. Her acupoints were blocked, so she couldn't even commit suicide.

"Lock it to the railing and unlock the chains on your feet."

The two jailers prepared to take action as they spoke, their movements extremely skillful.

"Hey? Are you busy, you two?"

At this moment, a calm voice suddenly came from the door.

The two jailers paused, looked back, and a hint of panic suddenly appeared in their eyes. They quickly turned around, stepped forward and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Xiyu also looked up at the door, and when she saw the familiar black flying fish suit, a glimmer of hope suddenly arose in her heart.

(End of this chapter)