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

Chapter 79: Zhu Wusi asked me to be the number one yellow character? [18]

The next day.

Jiang Xuan changed into a brand new white Feiyu suit, holding an embroidered spring sword, and went to the Northern Pacification Office to hand over some official business. Then he went straight to the Right Thousand Households Office in Dongcheng District.

During the two days he was away, the entire Northern Pacification Division and the Right Thousand Households Office were not peaceful, and many personnel positions were transferred.

After all, the pacification envoy and the right captain have been replaced, and some of their former confidants will definitely be taken away with them.

It is normal for Jinyiwei below the rank of Qianhu to be transferred here and there, especially between the five core offices and the Northern Pacification Office. In any case, they have to obey the orders of the Northern Pacification Office.

At this time, the right deputy captain and ten centurions, as well as all the general flags and small flags under them, were all present, waiting to welcome Jiang Xuan to take office.

Xu Longqing and Lu Jianxing, who had changed into black flying fish suits, were also among them.

Both of them still looked a little excited.

The former, since following Jiang Xuan, has risen from a small flag to a centurion in just over half a year.

The latter had been working in the Northern Division for several years but had never been promoted and his applications were rejected every time.

But after following Jiang Xuan, it has only been half a year and he has been successfully promoted to a centurion.

At this moment, both of them were very excited and had made up their minds that they would follow Jiang Xuan's footsteps no matter what.

As for the other eight centurions, their expressions were different.

Three of them had some expectations in their hearts. They had heard of Jiang Xuan, a legendary figure, for a long time. Therefore, they did not have any aversion to this captain who was younger than them. Instead, they hoped that they could also be promoted as soon as possible with Jiang Xuan, just like Xu Longqing and the others.

The other five people stood behind Hou Zhen, the deputy captain of the right base, with expressionless faces, and did not stand with Lu Jianxing and others. Even the main flag and small flags behind them were the same.

The people in one yamen were divided into two factions, each occupying one side, with a clear distinction between them.

This was the scene Jiang Xuan saw as soon as he walked into the Yousuo Yamen.

"Greetings, Lord Qianhu!"

Seeing Jiang Xuan enter, everyone saluted with respectful expressions, but the people headed by Deputy Captain Hou Zhen stood still, only Hou Zhen bowed symbolically.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly and walked straight towards Hou Zhen.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Lu Jianxing and others wanted to say something but hesitated, and in the end they didn't dare to open their mouths.

"Master Hou, do you have any objection to me?"

Jiang Xuan slowly walked up to Hou Zhen and spoke softly.

Since he came to work at the Right Office, he naturally knew some of the core figures of the Right Office.

"How dare I?"

Hou Zhen responded in a very calm tone.

"Since you have no problem with me... then why do you have such an attitude when you meet me?!"

Jiang Xuan's tone suddenly changed, and he stared at Hou Zhen coldly: "Deputy Captain Hou, you have such great authority!"

Hearing Jiang Xuan's deliberate emphasis on the word "deputy", Hou Zhen's face flushed red: "You..."

"What? Is there something wrong with what I said?!"

Jiang Xuan said coldly, "What etiquette should a subordinate follow when meeting a superior? Do you need me to teach you personally?"

Hou Zhen's face was grim. He gritted his teeth and bowed, "I am the Deputy Captain Hou Zhen. I pay my respects to the Captain!"

Jiang Xuan snorted coldly, slowly walked past him, and walked up to the five centurions and the general and small flags at the back, and said coldly: "Do you also have any opinions about this official?"

"I dare not! I greet the Master!"

Everyone's expressions changed slightly.

They were following Hou Zhen and had intended to give the newly promoted captain a warning today, but they had not expected Hou Zhen to bow his head so quickly. Now, how could they dare to continue to hold on? They all bowed and saluted.

However, Jiang Xuan had no intention of letting them go.

"If you don't dare, then why don't you bow to me when you see me?"

Jiang Xuan said coldly: "Lu Jianxing!"

"I'm here!" Lu Jianxing hurried forward.

"According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, what is the punishment for disrespecting superiors and committing crimes?" Jiang Xuan asked coldly.

Lu Jianxing was stunned for a moment, then replied truthfully: "Your Excellency, disrespecting superiors and committing crimes against superiors are serious offenses that will result in dismissal and investigation, while minor offenses will result in 10 to 100 strokes of the cane."

"Take them away and give each of them thirty strokes of the cane!" Jiang Xuan said coldly.

Everyone's expression changed. Are they serious?!

"grown ups!"

"Sir, please spare my life!"

The five centurions knelt down one after another, looking terrified, and some of them turned their gazes to Hou Zhen.

Hou Zhen's expression suddenly changed. He stared at Jiang Xuan intently, almost suppressing his anger as he asked, "Sir, is this... too much?"

Jiang Xuan's eyes turned and he stared at him coldly: "Isn't this the result that Deputy Captain Hou wanted?"

"Your humble servant...doesn't understand what you mean, sir!" Hou Zhen gritted his teeth.

Jiang Xuan sneered, turned around and ignored him, looked at Lu Jianxing and the others, and said coldly: "What are you waiting for? My words don't count, do they?"

"I accept my order from my humble position!"

Hearing this, Lu Jianxing and the others no longer hesitated and waved their hands. Someone immediately came in from outside the door and pulled out the five centurions and the general flags and small flags behind them.

"I know I'm wrong, please spare my life!"

"Sir, help me..."

Amidst wailing, everyone was dragged away, and the atmosphere in the government office suddenly became dead silent.

No one dared to take a breath.

After a while, screams were heard outside.

Everyone was terrified when they heard this. The three centurions who were not involved in this matter looked at each other with a look of relief in their eyes.

On the other hand, Hou Zhen's expression was not so good. He clenched his fists and stared at Jiang Xuan, wishing he could eat him, but he did not dare to attack.

Seeing his cowardly look, Jiang Xuan sneered.

With such little courage, you dare to offend him on his first day in office?

Although he didn't know where Hou Zhen got the confidence from, he understood what Hou Zhen meant just by looking at the scene when he first entered the door.

Without Hou Zhen's instructions, how could those centurions dare to be so presumptuous?

At this time, he didn't care who was standing behind Hou Zhen. If he didn't show his authority on the first day of taking office, it would be uncertain who would have the final say in this Qianhu Office in the future.

At the moment, it seems that the effect is quite good. The attitudes of the remaining centurions and generals are obviously much more respectful than before.

Jiang Xuan walked straight to the main seat, waved his sleeves and sat down, ignoring Hou Zhen who was standing there as if his father had died, and began to exercise his power as a thousand-householder.

"Jin Yichuan, Du Ziqi!"

"I'm here!" Hearing Jiang Xuan calling their names, Jin Yichuan and the others quickly stood up.

"You two have performed well in accompanying me to the south to handle cases this time, and you will be promoted to the general position." Jiang Xuan said lightly.

"Yes, thank you very much, sir!" The two were overjoyed and hurriedly expressed their gratitude.

"Ding Xiu!" Jiang Xuan continued to shout.

"I'm here." Ding Xiu, dressed in the uniform of a captain, walked out lazily.

"This time when we went south, you have made great contributions by killing the enemy, so raise the small flag." Jiang Xuan ordered.

Although Ding Xiu's identity issue has not yet been resolved, it is not difficult to resolve this matter given his current power and status.

As long as he reported for a position below the rank of centurion, his superiors would basically not ask any questions and would approve it directly.

As long as nothing goes wrong in the future, there will be no problem.

"Thank you very much for the reward, sir." Upon hearing the promotion, Ding Xiu immediately became excited and bowed with a smile to express his gratitude.

If you raise the small flag, you can receive more than twenty taels of silver every year.

No matter how small a fly is, it’s still meat!

Jiang Xuan waved his hand, signaling him to step back, and then took this opportunity to reward several people who had performed outstandingly in the process of suppressing Black Stone and going south to seize Rama's body, and promoted them all.

As for the rest, their merits will be accumulated, and they will be rewarded when enough merits are accumulated.

Naturally, these people would have no objections.

After all, each of them made a lot of money during this trip south, and Jiang Xuan also covered up the matter for them.

Regardless of whether they were promoted this time or not, they only felt gratitude and admiration for Jiang Xuan.

Hou Zhen and the others in the right office didn't dare to say a word. They all stood there quietly, watching Jiang Xuan promote his people.

The three centurions and the general flags, small flags and others behind them all had awe and envy in their eyes. At the same time, they were also more grateful that they did not make a fool of themselves like others today and did not leave a bad impression on the new captain.

Otherwise, the same fate will happen to those outside who are being beaten!
Thinking of this, they couldn't help but look at Hou Zhen in front of them, shaking their heads and sighing, they really couldn't see the situation clearly.

Look, I’ve hit a wall!

Being stared at by so many people, Hou Zhen felt like a monkey and was uncomfortable all over.

He previously worked for the former captain Cui Yingyuan, and was promoted by Cui Yingyuan.

Originally, after Cui Yingyuan left, this position should have been his, but unexpectedly, Jiang Xuan suddenly appeared and directly snatched his position.

He was so angry that he joined forces with several of his trusted associates, intending to collectively intimidate Jiang Xuan. However, he did not expect that they would become the ones being intimidated.

Hearing the screams coming from outside, Hou Zhen felt like his back teeth were about to break.

I am Lord Cui's man, how dare he?
How dare he do this!
……

"So he's Cui Yingyuan's man?"

Two hours later, Jiang Xuan was sitting in the government office, listening to Lu Jianxing's story, and suddenly sneered.

"He thinks that since Cui Yingyuan has been promoted to the pacification commissioner, I dare not touch him?"

Lu Jianxing bowed and said, "Sir, when Cui Yingyuan was still in the Right Office, he relied on currying favor with Cui Yingyuan to be promoted step by step. I heard that Cui Yingyuan had promised him that after Cui Yingyuan left, he would be promoted to the position of a thousand households. But now that you, sir, have taken his position, he is naturally unwilling to accept it." Jiang Xuan sneered and said nothing, not afraid at all.

Cui Yingyuan, like Xu Xianchun, is one of the five eunuchs. However, if we compare their abilities and status, he is not much worse than Cui Yingyuan at the moment. What he lacks is just some background and qualifications.

If he wanted to, he could go to the East Factory to flatter Wei Zhongxian every day like Tian Ergeng and Xu Xianchun did before. With his strength and ability, it would not take long for him to replace Cui Yingyuan and become the new core of the eunuch party.

What's more, everything he did in this matter was in accordance with the rules, so even if it was reported to the East Factory, no one would be able to find fault.

Does Hou Zhen really think that with Cui Yingyuan as his backer, he can suppress himself and replace his power and status in Yousu?

That is totally wrong!

"But sir, apart from those few centurions, most of the other general and small flags chose to do this out of helplessness. Isn't it a bit too much to punish everyone together today? I'm afraid they will all feel resentful..."

Lu Jianxing reminded carefully.

"Of course they'll be resentful!"

Jiang Xuan said coldly, "I want everyone to be punished together, but not Hou Zhen. And I want Hou Zhen to watch them being punished with his own eyes!"

"Only in this way will they know who will be in charge from now on, and whether a deputy captain can really protect them!"

Lu Jianxing was stunned for a moment, then immediately showed admiration: "I understand, your Excellency is so far-sighted, I admire you!"

"Apart from those five, have you checked the details of the other three centurions?" Jiang Xuan asked.

Lu Jianxing nodded: "We've checked everything. Like you, they all rose to prominence through their own abilities. They're not affiliated with any party and are very careful in their actions."

"I heard that Hou Zhen also contacted them yesterday and asked them to come together today to show your power, but they refused."

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, tapping the armrest of the chair with his fingers, as if thinking about something.

……

At the same time, in the dormitory.

All those who had been beaten with sticks were now lying in the house, waiting for the doctor to give them medicine.

If it were an ordinary person, these thirty blows would be enough to take half their life. However, they all had some martial arts skills, so a mere thirty blows would not hurt their bones, but it would definitely be painful, and they would not be able to get out of bed for at least two or three days.

"Hiss...be gentle, don't you have eyes?"

Everyone was grimacing in pain while applying the medicine.

Especially the five centurions, who were full of swear words at this time.

One person couldn't help but grit his teeth and said, "Damn it! This guy is so young, but he's so ruthless. No wonder he was promoted so quickly. He really has some skills!"

"Ugh……"

Someone nearby sighed, "I've already told you that we can't get involved in this, but you just wouldn't listen. Now you know who's stronger, right?"

“It’s really a fight between gods and mortals who suffer!”

"Isn't it Lord Hou's fault? He kept saying that everything was fine and that he would protect us if something happened? But what happened?"

"People are using us to show off their power right in front of him, and he doesn't even dare to fart!"

"With this little courage, you still want to be a captain? Pah!"

As soon as these words were spoken, resentment immediately rose in everyone's hearts, and they all echoed them.

"That's right, he clearly said he would protect us, but in the end we still got in trouble!"

"So what if I have Lord Cui's protection? He doesn't even give me face!"

"It's not..."

As they were talking, footsteps were suddenly heard outside. Everyone's eyes moved slightly and they quickly shut their mouths.

The door opened and a man walked in. It was Hou Zhen.

"Your humble servant greets you, sir!"

Everyone stood up and saluted, enduring the pain.

Looking at the miserable state of the crowd, Hou Zhen felt a little guilty. He said with a guilty look on his face, "Everyone, this matter is due to my inconsiderateness. You have suffered. Alas..."

"Your Excellency is too kind. It's all because of that Jiang who did such ruthless things. How could we possibly blame you?"

"Yes, sir, there is no need to blame yourself..."

Hearing this, Hou Zhen felt a little relieved. He then gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, I will never let this matter go. I will report this to the governor, and I will make this kid pay the price!"

"That's what my lord said."

"He's just a kid who's been working as an official for a little over a year. How can he compare to you, my Lord?"

Everyone agreed casually, all a little absent-minded.

Hou Zhen didn't notice anything was wrong either. He let out a long sigh and said, "In that case, you should all take good care of your injuries first. I will go to the Northern Pacification Office and ask Lord Cui to make the decision for you."

"Yes, sir, take care."

Everyone saw him off respectfully.

But as soon as Hou Zhen walked away, cursing broke out in the room again.

"The cat cries over the rat, what false sympathy! Bah!"

"Master Cui, are you still asking for my help? What the hell were you doing this morning?"

"You useless thing, if you listen to me again, I'll eat shit!"

"Me too, I'll eat a pound!"

"hiss……"

……

Jiang Xuan did not take the Hou Zhen incident seriously and quickly put it behind his mind.

After instructing Lu Jianxing and others to go out on the streets to patrol, he went to the government office to familiarize himself with the affairs of the right office.

After being promoted to a thousand households, he naturally would no longer do everything by himself as before. He mainly sat in the yamen to handle official documents, and just asked his subordinates to handle things when there was something to do.

After all, he is currently managing more than a thousand people.

We must always leave some opportunities for the people below to perform and make contributions.

At this time, Jiang Xuan was checking the personnel files of the Yousuo Yamen.

As the saying goes, before fighting against the outside world, you must first make peace with the inside.

If you can't even handle internal problems and your subordinates are all hypocritical, how are you going to get things done in the future?
What happened to Hou Zhen and others today was just a small punishment and a big warning.

If those five centurions still refused to repent, he wouldn't mind giving them some more shocking news. With his current power, it would be easy for him to deal with a few disobedient troublemakers.

After all, a higher-ranking official can crush a lower-ranking official. He had already felt this deeply when he was sent to the Jinglu Tunbu by Lu Wenzhao.

Jiang Xuan checked the information of the eight centurions one by one.

Suddenly, Jiang Xuan paused, his gaze fixed on a name: "An Jianqing?"

"Is that An Jianqing?" A hint of interest flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes, and he continued to read.

An Jianqing, born into a farming family, has lived in the capital for generations. He is married to Chu Yan and has a daughter, An Xiaohui...

"It's really him!"

Jiang Xuan was a little surprised.

An Jianqing, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in "The Sword of Blood and Valour", is a disciple of the famous martial arts master Chu Dadao. He is very skilled in martial arts and even married Chu Dadao's daughter and had a daughter, An Xiaohui. However, he eventually abandoned his wife and daughter for power and joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Step by step, he became the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and was highly valued by Emperor Chongzhen.

I didn't expect that now, he is still a small centurion in the right office?
"Interesting..." Jiang Xuan smiled slightly, circled his name, and continued to look at the next person.

……

Jiang Xuan spent the entire day in the yamen familiarizing himself with government affairs. It was not until Lu Jianxing and others came back from their street patrol to report on the situation that he put away his documents, stood up and stretched, and after taking the roll as usual, he leisurely walked towards home.

As for those disobedient centurions, they were also injured. We would leave them alone for two days and then decide how to deal with them depending on the situation.

It was almost dark at this time. Jiang Xuan was walking on the road in a white Feiyu suit. People on the road moved to the sides to avoid him, and from time to time, he was looked at with awe, jealousy, envy and even hatred.

Jiang Xuan didn't take it seriously and bought a sesame bun on the street. Under the shop owner's anxious gaze, he casually threw down a few coins and ate it before going home.

"Ok?"

But before he had gone far, Jiang Xuan felt something was wrong, as if he was being followed.

Jiang Xuan's eyes flickered slightly. Although he didn't know where the other party came from, since he could even detect him while being followed, he probably couldn't be that powerful.

With his current status and strength, he no longer needs to be as cautious as before in the capital.

He deliberately chose a less crowded road and walked until he reached the entrance of an alley. Jiang Xuan stopped and said calmly, "I've been following you for so long. What can I do for you? Come out and tell me."

There was a brief silence.

There was a noise in the alley, and a man in black came out with a sword.

This man was quite tall, about thirty years old, with a strong facial feature, thick eyebrows, and a strong aura.

Jiang Xuan turned around and looked, his eyes narrowed slightly, and said: "Origin, name, purpose."

The man was stunned when he heard this, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He then said, "The number one in Hulong Villa is Duan Tianya."

It's him?

Jiang Xuan frowned, feeling somewhat confused. What did that prince want to do with him?
"Is there something wrong?" Jiang Xuan asked directly.

Seeing Jiang Xuan being so direct and concise, Duan Tianya's mouth twitched, and for a moment he really didn't know how to respond.

But after thinking about it, he said bluntly: "The prince wants to see you."

"See me?" Jiang Xuan was even more confused. He was just a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. What could be worthy of Zhu Wusi's attention?

Duan Tianya was silent for a moment, then said, "Your martial arts skills are excellent, your aptitude is high, and most importantly, your background is clean."

"With your status, there is no future in joining the eunuch party."

"Are you interested in joining the Guardian Dragon Villa and becoming the number one secret agent?"

"What?" Jiang Xuan widened his eyes, thinking he had misheard.

Zhu Wusi asked me to be the number one secret agent in the palace?!

(End of this chapter)