Sunset over Xishan, in an inn in the east city of Chengtian Prefecture.
The window of the room facing the street on the second floor was open, and Ye Jingtang stood at the window, looking at the red sun that was about to set on the top of the mountain.
At the table not far behind him, Fan Qinghe was holding a cotton ball in his hand, wiping his fair little arms with distressed eyes:
"Girls, what's wrong with learning? Learn martial arts from outsiders. Look at the one who was beaten, all bruised and purple..."
"Ah owe-"
Zhe Yunli was wearing a black chivalrous dress, and her body was covered with gray dust, covered with lime powder that had not been cleaned off. The bamboo hat was hanging on her back, and there were some spots on her hair that was tied up. Her eyes could be opened because they had been cleaned, but
The circles under my eyes are still red, and I sneeze from time to time and complain:
"The Jianghu people in Beiliang really don't care about martial arts. They are all masters. They even spread lime and add chili powder in it. They can't lose their price..."
Because when fighting Zhao Dong, the thin knife was not suitable for receiving heavy blows from the big knife, so he could only resist the blow with the back of the knife. Zhe Yunli's arms with rolled up sleeves also had a few bruises from the back of the knife, although he was not afraid of night terrors.
The doctor said it was harmless, but it still looked shocking on a little girl.
Niao Niao stood on the table, and she was quite sensible at this time. She rubbed her head against Zhe Yunli's shoulder, probably meaning 'it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt'.
Being cared for like a little girl by Aunt Fan and Niao Niao, Zhe Yunli was quite embarrassed, so she held her head high and said:
"No need to apply any medicine. I practiced bathing in fire, and it went away on its own after an hour."
"Then it hurts for a while. Besides, the picture of bathing in fire is not made out of nothing. Healing the injury consumes energy and energy. It is more troublesome to make up for it than buying medicine. If you can't use it, don't use it..."
"Oh, I can't stand this little pain. Why are I still wandering around in the world? I only earn a total of ten taels of silver..."
…
Ye Jingtang watched at the window for a while. When the officers and soldiers of the brigade ran outside the city, he closed the window and turned around to interrupt:
"When I fight against others in the future, even if I'm facing a hero with unparalleled benevolence and righteousness, I must treat the opponent as a villain in my heart. After all, as long as I can kill my opponent, even if I use some dirty tricks, not many people in the world will know about it."
"Ah, cut -"
Zhe Yunli sneezed again and then said:
"Every time you learn, you gain wisdom. This is the first time I fought against a grandmaster. Who would have expected that my martial arts skills are so high and I would carry such a ghost thing with me. When I encounter an opponent in the future, even if it is a martial saint, I will be on guard... I'm surprised."
Has your cousin ever suffered a loss before?"
"The place in Liangzhou is famous for its lack of martial ethics. When I was four or five years old, I got into a fight with a town kid and was thrown into the sand. I was beaten by my adoptive father when I returned home. From then on, I have a long memory."
Ye Jingtang said this, and looked at Zhe Yunli's skirt. It could be seen that there was an obvious crease on the side of the black breast, which was caused by the bow string. Then he said:
"Is your chest okay?"
When Fan Qinghe heard this, his heart tightened, and he raised his hand to hook Yunli's collar:
"Your chest is hurt too?"
Zhe Yunli's face turned red and he quickly held down his collar:
"It's nothing. I just didn't pay attention when I opened the bow and my chest collapsed."
Only then did Fan Qinghe remember that Ye Jingtang was standing beside him, and turned around and said:
"Jingtang, you go out and buy some medicine and come back."
Naturally, Ye Jingtang had no intention of standing by to check for injuries. He immediately turned around and went out, but as soon as his mind moved, he remembered another thing:
"Huo Fengzhai also introduced me to a job, saying that I would work as a bookboy in a wealthy family, and I would be able to go with him to Yanjing and study with him at the Imperial College."
Fan Qinghe sat up a little straighter: "Book boy?... Those who can go to the Imperial Academy are all famous families here. When they go to the capital, they will definitely be able to contact the powerful people. This status is quite suitable. But how can you be a book boy with your appearance?"
Zhe Yunli also nodded: "I'm pretty good at disguising myself as a man, but I'm surprised, cousin, that you, a majestic and fair-skinned beauty, can stand in front of a wealthy young master and make him look like a follower. How dare he want you?"
Ye Jingtang has practiced bathing in fire and everlasting green, and his wife helps with daily maintenance. He is young and his skin is indeed very good.
When he went out to travel around the world, he had actually taken care of himself. He wore ordinary clothes and put some common 'sunscreen' on his face to make his skin look yellow. Otherwise, Situ Yanfeng could tell that he was not an ordinary person.
.
Ye Jingtang didn't want to be a book boy, but the purpose of this trip was to sneak into the palace. It was better to have multiple choices than to wait blindly in the room. Seeing that the two people felt that the image was not suitable, he simply went downstairs.
I asked the waiter in the shop to borrow an old robe that was barely wearable, then ran to the woodshed and fluttered about it twice, then untied my tied hair and deliberately let down a few strands.
After cleaning up, the dusty Night Terror Hall came up again, leaning against the door with his arms folded:
"What now?"
Zhe Yunli looked up and down and nodded:
"There are more arenas than before, almost the same as when we first arrived at Shuanggui Lane, but...well..."
“A bit chic.”
Fan Qinghe quite liked the dress of Ye Jingtang, the prodigal son of the world. He stood up and looked back and forth:
"Don't look so serious, be more frivolous."
Ye Jingtang was originally from a low-level martial arts background, so he knew how to act like a knight. He casually inserted the sword wrapped in black cloth into the back of his waist, then turned and walked downstairs:
"Okay, I'll go take a look first and come back later."
Fan Qinghe watched Ye Jingtang go downstairs, then ran to the window to check, and found that Ye Jingtang was really into the show. When he got to the street, he looked left and right, then he picked a grass stalk and held it in his mouth to blend in with the crowd. A young woman passed by.
, and even looked back a few times, eliciting a cry:
"Hey~ What are you looking at... He looks quite handsome..."
Zhe Yunli also came to the window and looked at his natural-looking cousin Jing. He wanted to praise him, but in the end he frowned and said:
"Cousin Jing, are you just pretending, or are you showing your true colors?"
Fan Qinghe was not sure, after all, Ye Jingtang was even more perverted on the bed, but it was not good to speak ill of the husband behind his back. Ye Jingtang heard it, and had to punish her to move at night, so she still closed the window:
"You must be pretending. You don't know how decent your amazing cousin is...come and sit down and treat your injuries, Bird Bird, go and watch, don't let anyone touch you..."
"grumble."
…
————
The sun has set, the sky is getting darker, and there are gradually more and more people on the street.
Ye Jingtang strolled down the street, walking from the inn to the center of the city, casually looking at the beautiful beauties on the street, and unknowingly arrived near an academy.
Chengtian Mansion is regarded as the gateway to the capital city, and there are many aristocratic families gathered here. The quality of the schools here is naturally not low, occupying an entire block, and many of the surrounding shops are chess clubs, piano workshops, etc. opened by major aristocratic families.
Yuelai Bookstore is located on the main street at the main entrance of the academy. It is a library where students can study and exchange for free, and can also rent and buy. Although the store is purely losing money, it can raise the reputation of the Hua family among literati.
A public welfare shop to accumulate reputation.
Ye Jingtang came to the main street of the academy. After searching for a while, he found the location of Yuelai Bookstore. It was a three-story high-rise building. It was quite large. There was a guard standing at the door and two belts.
The young warrior with weapons was chatting at the door:
"We came all the way here, let us go in and give it a try..."
"Hey, haven't you already said all the requirements? You must have good looks and strong martial arts..."
"Aren't we both honest?"
"Aside from being handsome, what else do you two have? You can't even lift a stone lock. From now on, should you serve the young master and the young lady, or the young master and the young lady serve you?"
"This stone lock weighs one hundred and twenty pounds and can be lifted with one hand. Who would want to be a book boy?"
…
Ye Jingtang looked up and saw two young men who were estimated to be in their early twenties. They were both young men. They seemed to be well-educated and good-looking, but a little thin. He came nearby and interjected to ask:
"It was Head Situ of Huofengzhai who introduced me here. Are we looking for people here?"
The guard at the door heard this and took a look at Ye Jingtang - he was a head taller than the two crooked melons and jujubes at the door, and his face was more straight, but a little slovenly.
But this is the case for all rangers, and the guard didn't care, and motioned to the stone lock at the door:
"I can rest assured that Master Situ will handle the matter, but the process still needs to be carried out. You... uh..."
Phew~
Ye Jingtang raised the stone lock with a tip of his toe, took it in his hand, chewed the straw and said:
"Okay?"
The guards were stunned. They felt that what Jianghu Sect introduced was indeed different, and they immediately turned around and let them go:
"Please come in."
Seeing this, Ye Jingtang put the stone lock into the hands of the two young men next to him and carried it up the steps.
The two young students, seeing Ye Jingtang and Tak Tak Tak Tak Tak Tak Ball, apparently had the illusion that it was 'not heavy' and subconsciously raised their hands to catch it. As a result, both of them stumbled and almost hit their toes:
"Hey! You..."
"One after another, it's about to fall..."
…
Ye Jingtang ignored the nonsense behind him. He came to the bookstore, turned around the entrance door of the lobby, and saw six warriors already standing in the backyard. All of them had broad shoulders and well-proportioned backs. They were obviously
They are Lian family members, and the age difference is quite big. The youngest is in his early twenties, and the oldest is almost fifty.
Under the eaves of the courtyard, there was still a steward standing, talking:
"It's not easy for you all to come from afar. Although there is only one person today, since you have entered the door, whether you succeed or not, you will be covered for your round trip expenses, and the master will give you another red envelope..."
"Mr. Hua is grand..."
"yes……"
…
Ye Jingtang frowned slightly when he heard 'Master Hua', but he did not know the specific location of Hua Qingzhi's hometown beforehand. Before he could find out more, he saw the steward under the eaves waving to him:
"Here comes another young hero. Come here quickly. The screening will begin soon. What is your name?"
Seeing this, Ye Jingtang walked to the side of the six people and responded:
"Huangmei County, Shaba Village, Zhao Si."
"Zhao Si...Okay, can I bring the talisman with me?"
"Give……"
…
At the same time, the window of the room on the second floor of the study room.
Hua Junchen sat on the tea couch and looked down at the situation in the yard. When the ranger named "Zhao Si" came in, his eyes visibly moved, and he felt that the figure behind him seemed a bit familiar.
But last time at Tianlang Lake, Hua Junchen was several miles away from the battlefield, and could only see a vague outline. He was separated by a wall in the prison, and even the voices were indistinguishable from male to female. At this time, Ye Jingtang's clothing and temperament also changed too much.
It's really not that easy to recognize.
For this reason, after Hua Junchen looked at it for a few times, he just touched his chin and nodded:
"This young man just came in. He seems to be pleasing to the eye, but he doesn't know how to do kung fu."
Opposite Hua Junchen, who works as a master in the Washington Mansion, he is specifically dealing with the recruitment of guards today. He said to this:
"I just heard from the people below that they were introduced by Huofengzhai. Situ Yanfeng has always been reliable in doing things. People who are not confident will not send them here. His martial arts must be good.
"It's getting dark, and everyone is probably here. Do you want to invite the lady over and look for her personally?"
Hua Junchen said: "That girl is playing chess with Miss Liu, the prefect's family. She should be here soon. Let's start first."
Seeing this, the master nodded slightly, said nothing more, and looked down:
"let's start."
In the courtyard, the middle-aged man dressed in charge got the order and stepped aside, asking the servant to get an erected sign with a chess game on it and said:
"The seven people who will be serving you from now on are young ladies from Washington. They are good at playing chess, calligraphy and painting. In this game of chess, it is Black's turn to make a move. Which move do you think is better?"
The six warriors standing with their backs upright were not necessarily proficient in chess, but they still knew a little about the rules, because the Hua family's treatment was really good, including food and accommodation for life, as well as marriage and retirement. They all started to think about it at the moment.
The Night Terror Hall did not prepare anyone to be present. We came here just to have a look. At the moment, we were secretly thinking about finding an opportunity to inquire about the exact work arrangements and see if there was any chance of contacting the prince of the capital and entering the imperial city.
But it was really hard to say this. Before Ye Jingtang could come up with a reasonable way of saying it, he heard the sound of wheels "gurgling, gurgling~" coming from the study hall at the back, as well as two women chatting:
"Miss Liu's chess skills are still so bad. I can't stand it anymore because she's so arrogant..."
"There are very few people in the world who can compete with me..."
…
?!
This sound...
Ye Jingtang was shocked all over, and secretly thought that something was wrong. He knew that he had come to the wrong place.
He didn't look back, he just looked around with his peripheral vision, paying attention to the eyes of the people around him, thinking of a way to disappear into thin air.
But with more than a dozen servants around him watching, he suddenly disappeared in front of everyone. If the news spread, it would definitely cause alarm to those who were interested. Now he was in a bit of a dilemma.
And at the door.
The purpose of Hua Qingzhi's trip was to choose a bodyguard. She had just returned from a nearby chess club and was pushed into the hall of the bookstore by Luzhu.
Originally, Hua Qingzhi wanted to be carried directly to the second floor, but when she reached the top of the stairs, from the corner of her eye, she saw seven warriors standing in the backyard with their backs to each other, taking the exam. The figure on the far left looked a little inexplicable.
Familiarity.
"Eh?"
Hua Qingzhi was stunned for a moment, turned around and looked carefully, and felt that the figure on the back was very familiar, but the temperament and clothes had changed too much, so she didn't dare to feel it, so she wheeled her wheelchair to the door of the backyard and walked in
Look at.
Hearing the noise behind them, the servants and housekeepers in the backyard all looked back, and those who knew them quickly saluted:
"Miss..."
Hua Qingzhi walked in and took a closer look. The more she looked, the more he looked like that man. However, she was in Chengtian Mansion and she didn't dare to confirm it directly. She immediately said:
"This young knight wearing a bamboo hat, can you turn around?"
"..."
Ye Jingtang didn't expect Hua Qingzhi to have such vicious eyesight. Seeing that the other party had already determined his identity, there was no point in hiding it, so he said:
"Sir, if I find the solution, can I join Washington as a guard?"
The steward was looking at the young lady, and when he noticed that Ye Jingtang was asking a question, he said inexplicably:
"Are you deaf? The lady is calling you."
"Um?"
Ye Jingtang acted as if he just heard it, then slowly turned his head and looked at the hall behind:
"Who is this lady?"
"hiss……"
Lv Zhu, who was standing behind the wheelchair, was so surprised that she secretly took a breath when she saw the familiar face.
Hua Qingzhi was also shocked. She didn't expect that what was standing in the backyard was actually the Night Terror Hall.
However, she was smart and knew that Ye Jingtang's identity would be revealed, which would alarm the entire family, so she did not dare to say anything nonsense at the moment.
Hearing that Ye Jingtang wanted to come to Washington to work, Hua Qingzhi couldn't figure out the reason behind it, but she still responded:
"I am a young lady from the Hua family. I am hiring a guard this time. Are you here to apply?"
On the second floor, when Hua Junchen saw his daughter talking, he also peeked out of the window and looked down:
"Qingzhi, do you know this person?"
Hua Qingzhi's expression was a little nervous, obviously because she was afraid that her father would recognize him. Seeing his calm and calm appearance, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"I don't know him. I just think this ranger is very pleasing to my eye. How about I choose him?"
Hua Junchen also felt that this ranger was pleasing to his eyes, but he was looking for a guard, not a son-in-law. Just being pleasing to his eyes was definitely not enough, so he looked at the Night Terror Hall below with a majestic expression:
"Zhao Si, how is your kung fu?"
Ye Jingtang and Hua Qingzhi looked at each other, feeling quite embarrassed, but they still followed the words:
"My kung fu is not bad. I should be able to serve as a guard."
"It's not enough. I have to protect the safety of the young lady in the future. If you don't have the skills of a first-class master, you won't be able to take on the big responsibility. Come and take my three moves..."
As Hua Junchen spoke, he was about to jump down from the second floor to give some guidance to this young junior.
?!
Hua Qingzhi didn't expect her father to be so brave. Maybe she was afraid that her father would be stabbed to death with a finger, so she quickly stopped her:
"Dad, he is so young, so he is no match for dad. Let him work in the house first, and then slowly train him until he is older..."
Hua Junchen always felt that his daughter was a little close to Zhao Si. He thought about it for a while, frowned and said:
"Qingzhi, you didn't choose him just because he's handsome..."
"father!"
Hua Qingzhi was a little annoyed when she heard this and turned her head:
"Whether it's a guard or a maid, you have to be pleasing to yourself first, and then consider your ability. If dad doesn't like her, then just don't hire this guard."
In fact, Hua Junchen also felt that the young people below him were unreasonably pleasing to his eyes. He just wanted to find an opportunity to test his depth and see if he could take in a disciple and foster him.
Seeing that his daughter was unhappy, he had no choice but to give up the idea of giving advice and said:
"That makes sense. Then you can stay. The other six warriors, I'm really sorry. The government has prepared a generous gift. You can go to the steward to receive the reward. It's getting late, so go back and rest early."
The eyes of the remaining six warriors were obviously full of envy. After all, Miss Hua didn't look like she had fallen in love with a guard. As long as she was smart, she might become the uncle of the Hua family in the future.
But 'Zhao Si' is indeed sunny and handsome. The six of them are really hopeless. It is a worthwhile trip to get a big red envelope in the hands of Washington. They don't say much at the moment and just take it from the steward.
After receiving the red envelope, they bowed their hands and left one after another.
Ye Jingtang just came to take a look, but he was already confirmed, and he was still a little hesitant. After all, he wanted to sneak into the imperial city to cause trouble, so it would be troublesome for him to cause trouble for the Hua family.
But these matters could only be communicated to Hua Qingzhi privately, and she still said:
"Mr. Xie Hua."
Hua Junchen touched his chin and nodded. He originally wanted the steward to take Ye Jingtang down to change clothes and arrange a place to stay, but after thinking about it, he said:
"The name Zhao Si is really too common. When you work under the young lady, you will meet all the princes and nobles in the capital. The name still needs to be changed. The young lady has a bodyguard named Hua Ning. From now on, you will be partners. Peace and tranquility.
Geely, from now on you will be called..."
Hua Qingzhi might be afraid that Ye Jingtang would be wronged, so she interjected:
"Hua Ning has been at home since he was a child, so he has adopted the family name. The man does not change his name when he is in the family, but he does not change his surname when he comes to work as a guard at home. There is no reason to change his name. From now on, just call him Shiro."
"Shiro..."
Hua Junchen felt that he was calling his son Xianggong, but since his daughter said so, he couldn't change the name randomly, so he continued:
"Silang, you go to pick up your clothes with Manager Wang first. If any family members come back and say hello, you will have to leave for Yanjing in two days, so make some preparations in advance."
Hua Qingzhi ran away because she was afraid of the night terror, and added:
"After changing his clothes, bring him to me and I will teach him some daily rules."
To be honest, Hua Junchen was really afraid that this guy below was a craftsman sent by the Wang family to serve as a slave to the cabbage.
However, it is better for a girl to like someone than not to marry someone, so she didn’t say much at the moment and turned around and entered the room...