Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

At this point, nearly half of the two Imperial Guard squad leaders had been killed or wounded. Without any orders, the remaining guards spread out and used their bows and arrows to fight back.

No one dared to step forward and directly stop this notorious bandit.

Fortunately, "Ghost Fear" was also eager to escape and did not intend to get entangled with these Imperial Guards. While dodging and parrying arrows, he rushed out of the warehouse gate along the only path.

However, after only a few steps out of the courtyard gate, the person retreated back into the courtyard!

Immediately afterwards, several Ming soldiers clad in iron armor, holding shields in their left hands and knives in their right, poured in from outside the door.

. . .

What's going on?

Lu Chen, who had finally arrived at the outskirts of the warehouse, looked at the battlefield before him, his heart filled with doubt.

The sounds of battle cries echoed through the warehouse, indicating a fierce fight was taking place.

The problem is that the fighting force is not the twenty Imperial Guards led by Shen Zhui and Gao Ruopu, but an elite Ming army in full armor and carrying shields.

How come there's another Ming army here?

"Qin Fang, go in and take a look."

Lu Chen turned his head and gave the order.

"Summon Shen Zhui and Gao Ruopu to come out and give a reply."

. . .

Lu Chen has finally arrived!

After listening to the report whispered in his ear by the Eastern Depot's secret agent, Sun Dexiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

One hundred elite Ming soldiers, clad in armor and armed with shields, quickly reversed the course of the battle.

Just as they retreated back into the warehouse courtyard, "Ghost Fear" also killed several Ming soldiers. However, the soldiers who rushed in afterward were not like the Imperial Guards, who retreated in fear because their comrades had died in battle.

Under the relentless and fearless attacks, "Ghost Fear" quickly became unable to hold on and had to retreat while fighting.

As more and more soldiers poured in, they formed small battle formations in groups of several and gradually approached "Ghost's Bane".

At this point, the notorious bandit had been driven into a corner.

If Lu Chen doesn't arrive soon, this charade will have to go on.

"The Eastern Bureau of Investigation has been ordered to apprehend the notorious bandit 'Ghost-Fearer'! Surrender now!"

Sun Dexiu spurred his horse forward, and from a distance of seven or eight steps, he shouted sharply at "Ghost's Sorrow," who was already deeply surrounded.

"If you continue to be so stubborn, today will be your death day!"

. . .

"My lord, it's the Eastern Depot, and a hundred-man squad from Pingshan Guard."

Gao Ruopu, supporting the injured Shen Zhui, whispered in front of Lu Chen's horse,

"They also came to capture 'Ghost's Sorrow,' and now they have surrounded this notorious thief."

"This humble officer is incompetent; he lost seven captains and almost allowed this scoundrel to break through and escape."

"I underestimated this person."

Lu Chen dismounted.

"Send Shen Zhui back to heal his wounds first. The rest of you come in with me to meet the people from the Eastern Depot."

. . .

That evening, in a luxurious private room at Lanyue Tower.

"I never imagined that I would meet Brother Sun again in this situation."

Lu Chen raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"We made a promise that when we meet again, we'll drink to our hearts' content and drink until we're completely drunk!"

"I was on confidential business that day and could not reveal my identity."

Sun Dexiu also picked up his wine glass.

Please forgive me, Brother Lu.

"Brother Sun was busy with official business that day, and I am not the kind of person to be bothered by trivial matters."

Lu Chen waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care at all.

"I never expected that Lord Lu and Lord Sun would be old acquaintances."

A military officer, dressed in the everyday uniform of a Ming dynasty officer and appearing to be around thirty years old, also raised his wine cup to Lu Chen and Sun Dexiu.

"Mr. Chen would also like to offer a toast to the two of you."

"General Chen's military leadership is truly remarkable; I have been greatly impressed today."

Lu Chen refilled his glass and raised it to the other person, saying...

"This cup must be offered to General Chen."

"Lord Lu, you flatter me. Ru Bai is just a low-ranking border guard officer, without any official rank or grade."

Previously, he only commanded a hundred-man border garrison in Guyuan Town. Now, he's been seconded to Pingshan Guard, but only as an instructor.

Chen Rubai quickly waved his hand and said,

"I am truly unworthy of the title 'General'."

"It's worth it."

Sun Dexiu glanced at Lu Chen and also raised his glass to Chen Rubai.

"Lord Chen's troops are disciplined, brave, and fearless in battle. I have never seen such a strong army before."

I dare say that Lord Chen will surely become a true general in the future.

Hearing Sun Dexiu's words, Lu Chen nodded secretly.

To be honest, Lu Chen really admired this border guard officer.

After entering the warehouse in the afternoon, Lu Chen found that the soldiers were in neat rows, advancing and retreating in an orderly manner, and had completely surrounded "Ghost's Sorrow".

There were still sixteen corpses lying in the courtyard. Seven of them were his own Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), and the other nine were soldiers that Chen Rubai had brought from Pingshanwei.

These are garrison soldiers!

According to Chen Rubai himself, it was the commander of Pingshan Guard who requested the Ministry of War to transfer an experienced military officer from the border army to serve as an instructor, which is why he was temporarily transferred from Guyuan Town.

He had only been in Pingshanwei for a month.

This hundred-man squad was composed of elite troops drawn from various thousand-household units of Pingshanwei and trained by him.

In just one month, the garrison soldiers were transformed; this is something that not everyone can do.

Now that they've met, Lu Chen is quite willing to make their acquaintance.

Therefore, when hosting a banquet for Sun Dexiu at Lanyue Tower, Lord Chen was also invited to join them.

"Sun was transferred to Linqing as a foreman after completing the secret mission assigned by the factory director and returning to Beijing to report on his work."

Sun Dexiu put down his wine glass and smiled at Lu Chen.

"Since Brother Lu and I are both officials in Linqing, we should definitely visit each other more often in the future."

"That's natural."

Lu Chen also laughed.

"On that day in Wadian Town, I truly admired the character of Brother Sun."

Including today, we have fought side by side against the enemy twice.

"I was so blind that day that I didn't realize Brother Sun was a palace official."

Lu Chen was quite surprised to discover that the leader of the Eastern Depot at the warehouse was the same chivalrous man who had helped him at the casino in Wadian Town that day.

For a fleeting moment, Lu Chen even felt that what happened in Wadian Town that time was not a coincidence.

However, this idea was quickly dismissed.

At that time, I was just an ordinary person traveling with Ma San Kui, and there was really nothing about me that a high-ranking official of the Eastern Depot would want to scheme against.

After Ma San Kui's death, when this man stepped forward to fight the gambling den's thugs, he was unaware that he was a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Lu Chen had deliberately used his mental power to investigate this point when the inspector and his men knelt before him.

The man's expression at the time was one of genuine surprise, and it was definitely not an act.

Since it wasn't a premeditated act, it must have truly been a chivalrous act driven by a sense of justice.

As a time traveler, Lu Chen would not have any prejudice against the other party just because he was a eunuch.

"Since 'Ghost's Sorrow' is a wanted criminal whom Brother Sun is ordered to apprehend, he should naturally be escorted to the capital."

After several rounds of drinks, Lu Chen clasped his hands in a fist salute to Sun Dexiu and said...

"I also have a case to ask this person. Perhaps I could examine it first?"