At dusk, Ye Jingtang led the horse through the bustling streets and alleys of Yun'an City.
After coming to this world for eighteen years, Ye Jingtang has learned about the situation here.
The Wei Dynasty was divided into twelve states, and its territory was slightly smaller than that of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The emperor was a female emperor, but the geographical environment was very unfamiliar, and the mountains and rivers had the same names, but it was not at all like the all-encompassing world in the memory of the previous life.
As for the national situation, it seems to be unstable in Ye Jingtang. People in the Jianghu who are not willing to obey the rules are everywhere. There are many enclaves in Tiannan that rely on natural dangers to become kings. There is a Beiliang outside the Liangzhou Pass that is eyeing it. Even the Central Plains area is said to be
Hidden forces with ulterior motives.
Ye Jingtang used to live in a small border town, poor and isolated. When he heard about the undercurrents surging in the world, he naturally thought that the Wei Dynasty could not be said to be prosperous and prosperous.
But after I actually came to the capital, I realized that I had underestimated the world before.
The size of the capital city is quite large. There are eight horizontal and six vertical main streets, which are divided into thousands of streets and alleys. The permanent population is probably over one million. Infrastructure such as drainage and greening is quite complete. There are even paved green areas on both sides of the main street.
There are brick 'walks' for people to pass through. It can be said that it is a large city without neon lights.
The light rain has just stopped and the weather is cool. People are wandering around in the streets. On both sides of the street, there are young ladies and gentlemen in beautiful clothes, as well as young women holding childish children. From time to time, the tempting fragrance and the shouts of stall owners can be heard from the shops on the roadside.
:
"Authentic kiln-roasted chicken, ancestral recipe, oily but not greasy..."
It was the first time for the big fluffy bird to come to a street with so many people. He was a little timid. He squatted on his shoulders obediently, stared at the golden roasted chicken, and gently rubbed Ye Jingtang's cheek:
"Chiji~"
Ye Jingtang stopped, took out two taels of silver from his sleeve and looked at it - this was all his belongings, the pocket money left over when he was the young master of the escort agency, and left nothing of the family property, all given to the Pei family.
With only two taels of silver, renting a house in the prosperous capital city, staying in a cheap inn, and just eating and drinking, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to survive for many days.
In the morning, he was still a rich man worth millions, but in the evening he became a homeless man. The ups and downs are hard to avoid, which makes people feel emotional.
But no matter how hard it is, I can't bear to suffer. The dignified seven-foot-tall man thinks of how to make money instead of saving money.
Ye Jingtang raised his hand to rub the bird, went to the roast chicken shop on the street, cut a roast chicken, and asked casually:
"Shopkeeper, where do outsiders usually make a living when they come to the capital?"
"Oh! The young hero is so handsome, and he is from an extraordinary family at first sight. I'm afraid it would be too flattering to ask him... There are many outsiders in the capital. When new arrivals are looking for a place to stay, they usually go to Mingyu Tower in the east of the city.
Rich families all hire shopkeepers and nursing masters there. As long as the young hero likes them, it's easy to find a job..."
"Thanks."
"Young hero, you're welcome, take it and go slowly..."
…
Ye Jingtang took the roast chicken and went to a tavern to order some food and drinks. After having a hearty meal with Niao Niao, he rushed to the Mingyu Tower in the west of the city as the sun set over the mountain.
Yun'an City is a city that never sleeps. It's not dark yet and the streets are already full of lights. There are actually more people walking on the streets than during the day.
Ye Jingtang got off his horse near Mingyu Tower and wandered along the street. On the way, he encountered a large government office whose door and wall were all painted black, and there was no plaque hanging on the door.
He initially thought it was some unknown official office, and after some inquiring, he learned that this yamen was the famous "black yamen" in the world - it had the function of about six doors, and there were six chief arresters in it, so it was called the "black yamen".
"Six evil spirits", people in the world are frightened after hearing this.
Escorts are a standard profession in the martial arts world. They are not afraid of the kings of the martial arts standing in the way, but they are afraid of the officials wearing tiger skins.
Out of professional habit, Ye Jingtang found that he had reached the entrance of the 'King of Hell Hall', so he bypassed it and went to the market where talents were recruited.
The Wei Dynasty did not prohibit swordsmanship, so people walking with swords and guns could be seen everywhere on the streets, but they had to follow the rules of "sheathing the sword and unstringing the bow." Anyone who flashed the sword at will would be detained for fifteen days and fined five thousand coins.
The Night Terror Hall knows the rules, so the knife passed down from the adoptive father's hand is hung on the side of the waist and covered with the outer robe so as not to disturb others.
However, he is careful not to influence others, but he cannot avoid being influenced by those who are short-sighted.
Ye Jingtang was walking on the street with his horse when he suddenly heard a voice coming from behind:
"Huh?"
There was a movement at his waist, and someone reached out from behind and touched the handle of his knife!
Knives are what the bodyguards need to eat and protect their lives. If they are taken away, the person will basically be gone. In order to cultivate the warrior's "instinct", Ye Jingtang often had knives stolen by his adoptive father when he was a child, and he was beaten so many times.
The moment the unusual movement occurred in his waist, Ye Jingtang had already raised his left hand.
Choking——
On the brightly lit street, there was a flash of cold light!
Pedestrians behind were looking here casually, but they never imagined that a silver dragon suddenly appeared, bringing out the cold half-moon light in the night.
The street fell silent for a moment.
So everyone was stimulated by the sound of the blade being unsheathed, and all turned around.
In the middle of the crowded street, a young swordsman in black was holding an old sword upside down.
The knife is three feet and three feet long and two and a half fingers wide. The blade is straight, the handle is wrapped with black rope, and the tail ring of the guard is made of brass, both of which are carved with dragons.
The blade is not as smooth as a mirror. The front half is densely covered with tiny scratches. Anyone who knows the sword can tell at a glance how many ups and downs this old sword has experienced!
At this time, the blade of the knife was motionless, resting on the right side of the neck of the person behind.
The person behind him bowed slightly, holding the scabbard with his left hand. The knife could not come out more than half an inch. His whole body was stiff, his face was pale, and a bead of sweat could be seen rolling down his forehead.
Tick-tock——
Although the beads of sweat are small, the sound can be heard throughout the street.
When people on the street saw this scene, their eyes were shocked. They were astonished by Ye Jingtang's lightning-fast skills and also shocked by Ye Jingtang's courage.
"This kid..."
"Good skills...but poor eyesight..."
Ye Jingtang was touched by a knife from behind, and his sword eyebrows stood up, but the moment he saw the figure behind him, his anger condensed, he quickly put away the knife, raised his hand and cupped his fist:
"Sir, please forgive me for the misunderstanding."
The reason why he apologized so quickly was not because the person behind him was so powerful, but because he was wearing a black green robe, a gauze hat on his head, and an iron feather hanging around his waist - the iconic equipment of the black yamen police officer.
Different from ordinary police officers, the Hei Yamen deal with people who are in the world of Jianghu. They have the right to arrest people for interrogation without questioning. If necessary, they can kill them first and then report them.
The policeman behind him looked to be in his early thirties, slightly chubby and with a beard.
After walking away from the gate of hell, the policeman raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He was not as skilled as the others and was wrong. Seeing the night terror, he was polite and raised his hand to return the salute:
"Good skills, but I was mistaken just now. This is Chihu, the banner king of the Black Yamen. This little brother has a good knife. It seems that he has killed many people. His skills are worthy of this knife."
Faced with the suspicion of the detective, Ye Jingtang calmly replied:
"I am from Liangzhou, and my family runs a bodyguard business. The knife was left by my father, so it is inevitable that I will have some bumps in the road."
As he spoke, he took out the 'talisman plate' issued by his hometown's government office. On it, 'place of origin, occupation, and age' were written clearly, with the government's steel seal.
Wang Chihu checked the talisman card and confirmed that it was not forged, and his expression became three points calmer:
"I didn't expect that the remote and remote areas of Liangzhou could produce good seedlings like you. No wonder it is often said that the mountains breed beautiful birds..."
"Ji~"
Standing on Ye Jingtang's shoulder, Bird Bird's eyes lit up.
Only then did Wang Chihu notice a bird squatting on Ye Jingtang's shoulder, and was slightly startled:
"Oh! This bird is quite smart. It's common for people to travel around the world with eagles, dogs, and parrots. With... what on earth is this?"
"The birds outside the Great Wall are eagles, um... fat-headed eagles."
"If you didn't tell me, I would have thought it was a fat chicken without a neck. It doesn't look like it can fly very high..."
"grumble!"
Ye Jingtang held the fried-feathered bird down, and while chatting, he and Wang Chihu walked to a teahouse on the street:
"Sir, do you have something to do with me?"
"Brother Ye is a bodyguard leader. Are you here to recruit bodyguards or to make a living?"
"Making a living. Does Mr. Wang want to recruit me into the black office?"
Wang Chihu shook his head: "Being a police officer is a low-level job. It looks glamorous. If you take off this skin, everyone will shout and beat you. You are young and have great skills. Letting you work in the black office will delay your future. Shouting
Come and sit here, I will show you the way to wealth."
"oh?"
Seeing Wang Chihu being honest, Ye Jingtang also had a good impression and said with a smile:
"Appreciate further details."
Wang Chihu raised his hands and cupped his fists, gesturing to the imperial city at the end of his field of vision:
"Your Majesty is interested in choosing a son-in-law for Prince Jing. I see that your boy looks quite decent..."
?
Ye Jingtang's smile froze.
He knew something about the court. The 'empress' of the dynasty was said to have a strong and cruel personality. She was originally just a supervisor of the country, trying to keep the country from falling. She simply deposed her brother and ascended the throne herself. Not only did she become the emperor, she also made an exception for her compatriot sister.
Made him a prince.
When it comes to the Empress and the Queen's man, the first thing that comes to Ye Jingtang's mind is 'face-shou'. He is very confident in this profession, but has no interest at all:
"Thank you, Mr. Wang, for your advice, but I already have a family, and a poor wife will not go to court..."
"Prince Jing Shangwu really likes your appearance and skills. How would he mind having an extra pair of chopsticks at home? Since you have never left your first wife, Prince Jing may appreciate you even more."
"?"
Ye Jingtang knew that if he was killed in person, he might be 'rounded' by the empress, the queen, or even the queen mother.
But it was the first time I heard the statement about having his wife beheaded in front of him.
"Listening to Mr. Wang's tone, do you think that Youfei and Prince Jing are acquainted?"
Wang Chihu's eyes flashed with pride, and he motioned to the black office in the distance:
"Prince Jing is the right-hand man of the Holy Emperor. Hei Yamen is not among the six departments. He is assigned to Prince Jing's personal guard. Even his monthly salary is allocated from Prince Jing's mansion. I naturally know him. I won't mention Prince Jing's identity first, let's talk about martial arts. Prince Jing's master
, this is the 'Emperor Master' Xuanji Zhenren. You seem to be a good candidate for martial arts. If you win the favor of Prince Jing, I will help you introduce him. Martial arts can be said to be a step to the sky. Are you sure you don't want to give it a try and have a smooth life?"
Ye Jingtang has long admired the name of 'Zhen Xuanji', the uncle of Yuxu Mountain and the junior sister of Lu Taiqing, one of the 'Two Saints'. She is also ranked sixth in the world and can be regarded as the strongest woman in the entire world.
Although Ye Jingtang longs for strange people in the world, and also wants to enter the palace to dig up the "Crying Dragon Picture", he has not yet fallen to the level of "selling out his lust" to achieve his goal.
"I'm just a wanderer, a reckless person. How could I be so lucky..."
"Oh, I think you have a good chance, so I told you this. As long as you are lucky, you can avoid sixty years of detours..."
…
Ye Jingtang and the policeman were chatting in the tea shop, and the top of Mingyu Tower could just be seen in the distance.
The Black Yamen existed when the country was founded and belonged to the emperor's personal guard. After the empress ascended the throne, it was assigned to Prince Jing. Because the "Green Bandit" assassinated the king many times, the location of the Yamen was also moved outside Prince Jing's Mansion.
The Mingyu Tower was built in the garden of Prince Jing's back house. The five-story building was higher than the palace wall, which was extremely arrogant. That's why the people called this neighborhood Mingyu Tower.
The sky is getting dark, the Mingyu Tower is brightly lit, and in the study at the top, Dongfang Liren, wearing a silver python robe and a jade crown, is standing on the terrace, with a painting table in front of him, holding a gold pen, and sketching the eyebrows of a handsome man on the paper.
:
"I asked Wang Chihu to ask about his family background. I didn't expect that this boy's skills are pretty good... The sword strike just now was somewhat similar to the 'Eight-Step Crazy Sword'. Could this boy be Zheng Feng's apprentice?"
Behind Dongfang Liren is an old woman with white hair falling to the ground. Her figure is erratic, just like a shadow standing behind Dongfang Liren:
"I met Zheng Feng back then, and his attacks were not so light. He seems to have good bones, but he has 'form but no power', so he probably just happened to hit his moves."
"It is said that Zheng Feng's master, Kuang Yazi, stole the "Singing Dragon Picture" from the palace. If this son knows the 'Eight-Step Crazy Sword', he must have something to do with it..."
The white-haired old woman asked: "Do you want to send someone to try this thing?"
Dongfang Liren thought about it for a moment and shook his head: "There are rumors in the world before the founding of the People's Republic of China. There is no need to make a big fight about it. Let's check the background first. If this person is innocent, wait until the portrait is finished and send it to the Holy One for a look. He looks so handsome.