Chapter 434: Chapter 429: A Groom Every Night, Conquer in My Stead
White Jade City.
Six Gates.
"Master, when are we heading to Yu State?"
A constable from the Six Gates looked at the chief constable beside him and asked.
"We’ll go when we get our orders from above!"
"You’re just a low-ranking constable. What’s the rush? Are you that eager to make a name for yourself, or are you in a hurry to get yourself killed?"
The Six Gates chief constable, a Copper Token hanging from his waist, clapped the other man on the shoulder and spoke irritably.
This time, with the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty going to war with the Jin Meng Empire, even the powers within White Jade City were required to provide support, and that included the Six Gates.
During the previous war between the two nations, Divine Constable Jin Feihua of the Six Gates had personally led a team to the front. It was said that they experienced brutal fighting in Lan State Jinyun City, and the Six Gates constables she brought with her suffered heavy losses.
These individuals had not participated directly on the main, fierce battlefronts, but rather clashed in the dead of night.
All sorts of ambushes, assassinations, and the like were clashes that took place in the darkness.
Now that the two nations were clashing once more, someone had to fight the war in the shadows. The most suitable candidates were the agents personally trained by the Six Gates, who were extremely sensitive to every clue and could uncover hidden problems.
Participating in such shadowy confrontations was, of course, extremely dangerous. One might leave today and be nothing but a corpse by tomorrow—or worse, not even leave a corpse behind. It was a truly brutal affair.
It is human nature to seek advantages and avoid harm, so naturally, some did not want to participate. However, the Old Emperor had issued a direct order: even those who did not wish to go, must go. To refuse was to defy an imperial decree, and the consequence was the execution of one’s entire clan.
They couldn’t defy the order, but as long as the command to depart hadn’t been given, they could remain in White Jade City. There was no need to rush.
"Old Xing, Yan Xiaoliu, there you are! The Divine Constable has issued an order: we head to Yu State tomorrow night. If you have any goodbyes to say, make your arrangements now!"
A man, also with a Copper Token at his waist, spotted the two and hurried over to relay the Divine Constable’s order.
As soon as he finished speaking, the man leaped away again to notify others of the Divine Constable’s command.
"Ah, Xiaoliu, you’re the only son in your family. You should have listened to your master. If you’d married a woman before the new year, you could’ve had a healthy baby boy by now. Sigh!"
Chief Constable Xing sighed. This trip to Yu State was likely a one-way journey.
"Master, I’m still young. I’ll make it back alive."
"Besides, if I married a woman and didn’t come back, wouldn’t I just be handing my property over to another man? And letting another man beat my kids!"
"It’s not worth it!"
"These days, it’s too hard to find a faithful woman, especially here in White Jade City. You have to coax them every day, or they won’t even let you into bed. It’s a pain!"
A simple smile appeared on Yan Xiaoliu’s face, as if he had seen through it all.
"Besides, Master, you haven’t taken a wife yourself. You spend all your time at the Spring Pavilion Building with the wives of officials, living a carefree life. Why are you trying to push your apprentice into a pit of fire?"
"If you don’t get married, you can be a new groom every night. It’s a free and easy life!"
"And if one day I’m gone, I’ll have no attachments holding me back!"
Beneath Yan Xiaoliu’s simple expression was a man who had seen the ways of the world.
"What ’new groom every night’? Are you the one paying for it?"
"When we get back from Yu State, I’ll take you to the Hongxing Building. I’ll show you what true wealth is and let you have a taste of a juicy peach!"
Chief Constable Xing rapped Yan Xiaoliu on the head, as if to stop him from slandering his good name, then changed the subject and made a pact with him.
"Master’s treating? That’s a rare occasion! This apprentice is going to make you spend a fortune!"
Yan Xiaoliu laughed his simple laugh.
But both of them knew it was hard to say if they would make it back alive.
Still, it was always better to have no attachments.
Similar scenes were playing out across the various regions of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, as people received orders to head for border territories like Yu State.
...
Imperial Palace.
Taihe Hall.
"Your Majesty, the men from the Six Gates have begun to depart for the border."
Grand Tutor Helian Guang reported the situation to the Old Emperor.
The Six Gates was, to some extent, an independent entity, but certain individuals still held jurisdiction over it. Grand Tutor Helian Guang possessed this authority, though he rarely interfered.
When the Emperor had an order, it was often relayed through Grand Tutor Helian Guang. The command to gather at the border had been issued through him, so now he had naturally come to the Imperial Palace to report its completion.
"Mm."
The Old Emperor nodded and then fell silent.
"Is there anything else Your Majesty requires of this old subject? As long as it is within my power, I shall not refuse."
Grand Tutor Helian Guang knew the Old Emperor, Yang Yu, extremely well. This kind of behavior meant he had a task to assign—and likely an unpleasant one.
Otherwise, the Old Emperor would have either spoken plainly or dismissed him. His apparent silence was actually a way of waiting for Helian Guang to speak first.
This was one of the Old Emperor’s usual tactics.
"The borderlands require a high minister to oversee them. It is a pity my dear minister is so advanced in years... a true pity!"
Old Emperor Yang Yu glanced at Grand Tutor Helian Guang and spoke slowly.
When these words reached Helian Guang’s ears, his body trembled. He had never imagined the Old Emperor would want to dispatch him to the borderlands.
As the Grand Tutor of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, he had always remained neutral, favoring no faction. He was the Old Emperor’s man. When the Old Emperor, Yang Yu, had made his move, Helian Guang had played his part, revealing his cultivation as a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster at the critical moment and personally slaying Peng Kang, who had secretly sided with Crown Prince Yang Qian.
From any angle, he was a man loyal to the Emperor. He had never acted arrogantly or abused his favor, had always been diligent and conscientious in his duties, and had never overstepped his bounds. He was, in short, a quintessential royalist.
He truly could not have imagined this outcome.
"This subject is willing to go to the border personally and repel the villains of the Jin Meng Empire!"
Grand Tutor Helian Guang slowly bowed, accepting the order directly. He did not dare to look up, for his eyes were filled with a complex mixture of confusion, resentment, and doubt.
It was impossible for him to regain his composure in that instant.
"My dear minister, do not overthink it. I am not sending you to your death. The borderlands simply need someone with the authority to keep things in check. I had originally intended to lead the campaign myself, but it is not a good time for me to leave personally, so I thought to send you instead."
"You will be going in my stead to oversee the border and stabilize the army’s morale."
"I place great importance on this campaign. And it is not just me; the Old Ancestor is also watching closely."
"If the situation becomes critical, the Old Ancestor will personally intervene."
"Therefore, you need not worry. I see your loyalty, my dear minister, and I would certainly not send you to your death!"
Old Emperor Yang Yu spoke at length, all to put Grand Tutor Helian Guang’s mind at ease.
"This humble servant understands. I will not disappoint Your Majesty!"
Grand Tutor Helian Guang replied, his head still bowed, not daring to look up.
What he was truly thinking at that moment, no outsider could possibly know, let alone comprehend.
"It is good that you understand. In that case, you shall travel with the men from the Six Gates. I will also place the Six Gates under your command to intercept the villains of the Jin Meng Empire."
"I am aware of your capabilities, my dear minister. I trust you will not disappoint me."
Old Emperor Yang Yu watched the bowing Grand Tutor Helian Guang, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. His own thoughts remained inscrutable.
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