Chapter 123: Borrowing Another's Spear

  "Is that so? Come on, let's talk in the hall."

  Luó Jiàn patted his shoulder intimately, his large sleeves fluttering as he walked ahead, with an air of elegance and refinement, truly a humble gentleman, warm and gentle like jade. Xiao Qiān Yuē followed behind him in a docile manner.

  In the hall, tea is being brewed. Although the tea-making process has been continuously improved, and high-quality tea can be directly brewed with good color, fragrance, and taste, Luo still likes to use traditionally-made tea leaves and brew them in a cooked way.

  The furnishings in the study were very simple, with only a few pieces of stationery on the desk, but no piles of documents waiting to be dealt with. On the wall hung a four-foot-wide and one-and-a-half-foot-high painting, its colors bright and vivid. As soon as Luo Xian entered the room, he habitually pulled out a fine white handkerchief made of Songjiang cotton from his sleeve and walked over to gently dust the painting.

  This is his treasure, every day he spends a lot of time on this painting, carefully dusting it off, not allowing it to be stained with a single speck of dust.

  This painting depicts a scene of the current emperor's inspection tour, but the emperor is not visible in the painting. However, the yellow canopy in the middle of the painting naturally implies that the Son of Heaven is below. Nearby are several officials wearing hats adorned with goose feathers, carrying embroidered spring knives, and wearing flying fish robes, who are Jin Yiwei officers. Further outside are soldiers wearing small flag iron helmets, draped in golden armor with paired closures, hanging palace forbidden gold plaques from their waists, and holding golden melon-shaped axes, who are Jin Yiwei Tianwu generals.

  Luó Jiàn Shì gazed at it with a distant and yearning expression, his thoughts seemingly immersed in the painting. His face underwent subtle changes, sometimes sad, sometimes joyful, impossible to describe. Xiao Qiān Yuè stood quietly by his side, knowing that the figure on horseback wearing a white hat and embroidered robe was Luó Jiàn Shì's father.

  "At that time, my father was still a small official in the Imperial Guard. For nearly thirty years, the imperial court has experienced ups and downs, with the Imperial Guards rising and falling. Several commanders of the Imperial Guards have met with misfortune one after another, until now when I, the commander of the Imperial Guards, have lost all power and am just a figurehead... Alas..."

  The room fell silent for a moment, as both of their thoughts seemed to be immersed in memories because of this painting.

  In the first year of Hongwu, the Imperial Guard was reorganized into the Department of Ceremonial Affairs, which was in charge of palace etiquette, imperial sacrifices, suburban temples, outings, banquets and inner court supplies. From then on, many loyal guards in the Department of Ceremonial Affairs disappeared one by one.

  A few small pawns in the Imperial Guard, regardless of life or death, how could high-ranking officials outside care? From then on, these disappeared Imperial Guard soldiers embarked on a difficult path. Some went to the northern deserts and became merchants or herders on the grasslands, taking root in that harsh place to gather military intelligence for the Ming dynasty. Others became servants or slaves of high-ranking ministers, monitoring their every move, preventing them from colluding with external enemies or engaging in corruption...

  The Embroidered Uniform Guard is a sharp sword in the emperor's hand, and when this sword kills, it is scolded by people all over the world. No one goes to investigate who actually controls this sword - its master. Everyone scolds it as a hawk dog, a corrupt official who destroys the pillars of the imperial court. Perhaps the high-ranking officials of the Embroidered Uniform Guard fabricated countless wrongful cases for personal gain and to cater to the emperor's will. However, it is undeniable that among these "inferior classes", there are also a group of loyal and dedicated Ming dynasty ministers who sacrificed everything and spent their entire lives executing the mission entrusted by the emperor with loyalty and dedication.

  This secret team, from the very beginning, was controlled by Luoke's father, and every member was personally selected by his father. Countless years have passed, and the once glorious Jin Yiwei is now in name only, but the Luo family has spared no effort to maintain this secret force, even when the Jin Yiwei was at its most difficult time, they ensured that the team's funding was guaranteed.

  Mao Ji, the first commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was originally a military officer. He accumulated merit and was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards. He followed Zhu Yuanzhang from the beginning, and was promoted to Commander. When Dengzhou's Duan Shiying rebelled, Mao Ji led troops to quell the rebellion. Later, he was ordered to go to Zhejiang to attack Japanese pirates, and achieved great success, accumulating merit and being promoted to Deputy Commander-in-Chief. He then took charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and supervised the imperial prison. On the emperor's orders, he single-handedly directed the case of Hu Weiyong's rebellion plot. Later, in order to placate public anger, Zhu Yuanzhang had him beheaded as a scapegoat for Hu Weiyong.

  The second commander was Jiang Zhen. This guy ended up the same as his predecessor, under the emperor's ear and face command, he planned the Blue Jade rebellion case with one hand, and after killing this arrogant and proud but also victorious general, he was settled by Old Zhu with a cup of poisonous wine.

  Because both of the previous commanders died suddenly, there was no normal handover, so the succeeding commander had completely forgotten about these secret agents who belonged to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and had been stationed outside for many years. However, Luo Ke Di, the commander's deputy, did not forget; he succeeded his father's position and also took over this secret force.

  The sentimental mood only lasted for a moment, his eyes sharpened up, like two treasured swords out of their sheaths. He turned around and sat down, saying: "What has this Yang Xu done again? Tell me."

  Xiao Qianyue hastily said: "Yes. I was ordered to follow him all the way, and when we were passing through Fengyang..."

  Xiao Qianyue recounted to Luo Ke all the things that Xia Liu had encountered on his way south, including the "not leaving a single chicken or dog" incident of last night. Luo Ke listened quietly, nodding slightly: "This person has his own plans, it seems he also sees that if he overthrows the King of Qi, he won't be able to escape either. This person is very clever."

  He took a deep breath, stood up, and paced slowly in the hall with his hands behind his back.

  He took a step forward and said, "From the news brought back from Zhudong, this person must have a significant relationship with the deaths of Feng Xihui, Zhang Shisan, and Liu Xu. From his opportunity to escape the turmoil in Qingzhou, it can be seen that he is also involved. Although An Litong said that the murderer has already confessed, I still have doubts in my mind."

  "After a moment of silence, he said: 'However, this doesn't matter. If these things were really done by him, I would rather use him instead. I want to use him, and even if he escapes, he won't be able to get away.'"

  He turned around, looking at Xiao Qianyue and said: "My brothers in the Imperial Guard have died for the country, now that the emperor has put down his sword, the Imperial Guard is no longer glorious. The imperial prison is now infested with rats. My Imperial Guards, from top to bottom, have once again become small people who have to bow their heads to any king or minister. Those secret agents who were arranged in distant places, busy running around with their lives on the line for many years, can't even get enough money to support their families."

  He took a deep breath and continued, "We were abandoned, forgotten, but this shouldn't be the end of the Qingzhou affair. Although Feng Xihui and others have passed away, Yang Xu has fled to Jiangnan, fortunately they still completed the final step. Next, I will wait for an opportunity to speak to the imperial court. However... the current emperor is most fond of his sons, if I were to speak to him, I would certainly be severely punished for the crime of sowing discord. The only one I can rely on is the Crown Prince. But the Crown Prince has not yet taken power, so I still have to wait."

  Xiao Qianyue said: "Yes, then what about this Yang Xu?"

  "This man is not stupid, not even a bit. He's not the kind of reckless person who acts impulsively and does foolish things. Don't bother with him for now, just observe from a distance. I believe he must have his own way."

  By this time, the water had already boiled. Lu Jiuyuan elegantly picked up the kettle and quietly poured the water into the cup.

  His life is like the cup of tea in front, boiling water and a calm heart. A few leaves, a teapot, one person, slowly savoring, letting go of worldly vanity, like the mist rising from the surface, swirling, lingering, drifting away.

  "This person's actions are somewhat deliberate and calculated, just like I was when I was young. Even when faced with unexpected situations, he has a lot of quick wit. He is an unpolished gem with great potential for development."

  Xiao Qianyue's handsome face showed a hint of discontent, Luo Jian didn't raise his head, but seemed to have already seen his expression, and chuckled: "Don't be unhappy, whether it's Qingzhou or Beiping, this person isn't relying on luck. If he relied on luck, he would have died countless times by now. This person is low-key, doesn't like to show off, it's just his personality, not like a banner that can't stop in the wind, or a gourd that can't be pressed down in water, no matter what, he can't calm down. In this aspect, he's also very similar to me."

  Xiao Qianyue's eyes flashed with a hint of jealousy as she said, "But this time, he was extremely showy."

  "So, he still needs to be tempered. No one is born a genius. Moreover, being low-key doesn't mean being incompetent. The capital of being low-key is having the ability to be high-key at any time. Let's see how he solves this matter. If he really can't hold on when the time comes, I'll step in and help him out. This person is someone I need."

  The tea was ready, but Luo Qian Shi didn't drink it. Instead, he gently pushed it in front of Xiao Qian Yue, then stood up and left with a gentle smile, leaving behind an elegant back view that made people admire him endlessly.

  Eighteen sheets of paper were handed over, and Xia Jiu, who was directing the reconstruction of his home, immediately received a summons from the yamen and rushed to the prefectural government with the yamen attendants. The outside of the prefectural government was already packed with people, mostly Yang family members who came to watch the trial, but also many outsiders from the town.

  Xia Fu wore a green robe, strode into the hall, and Jiangning County Magistrate Wu Wanli slapped his desk, shouting: "You dare to be so insolent! Why didn't you kneel when you saw me?"

  Xia Fu made a long bow and said in a loud voice: "Student Yang Xu, a scholar from Qingzhou, has honors and fame to his name. According to the great Ming dynasty's laws, when meeting an official, he is exempt from kneeling."

  The hall was suddenly quiet, and the Yang family members still didn't know that he had actually passed the imperial examination. Yang Yu slightly furrowed his brow, thinking to himself: "Fortunately, I have a hold on him, otherwise, with his status, it would be difficult to deal with him."

  The county magistrate of Jiangning heard this and immediately calmed down. What does "zhong gong ming" mean? Zhong gong ming means having the opportunity to become an official. Today, a small scholar, do you know if he can become a jinshi in two years? This is a potential colleague, or even a future superior, everyone is a scholar, what's your hometown, who's your teacher, which year did you pass the imperial examination, after some twists and turns, they can always find some complicated relationships. Official business needs to be handled, but there's no need to create unnecessary grudges.

  Then Wu Zhixian smiled and said: "Since you are a scholar, you don't have to kneel, just stand aside."

  "Thank you, sir." Xia Yu walked calmly to one side and stood still with a composed expression.

  Wu Zhi County did not slam his gavel this time, but only asked: "Yang Shengyuan, now that your family has eighteen households, I ask you, have you been accused of slaughtering nine head of cattle?"

  Xia Han glanced at Yang Yu with a cold smile in his heart: "A group of 600-year-old bumpkins, competing with me in magic?"

  He raised his hands slightly and calmly asked in return: "May I ask the elder, when laws and regulations conflict with one another, which takes precedence?"

  At 3 am, asking for a guaranteed monthly vote in August, kick it off with a good start.