At dusk, Ye Jingtang led his horse and walked through the bustling streets of Yun'an City.
Having been in this world for eighteen years, Ye Jingtang had learned about the situation here.
The Great Wei Dynasty was divided into twelve prefectures. Its territory was slightly smaller than that of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The emperor was an empress. However, the geographical environment was very unfamiliar. Although there were places with the same names as in his previous life, they were completely different from the lakes and seas he remembered.
As for the national conditions, in Ye Jingtang's opinion, it was not very stable. There were countless martial artists in the martial arts world who refused to be controlled. In the south, there were many enclaves where people relied on natural barriers to claim sovereignty. Outside the pass of Liangzhou, there was the Northern Liang eyeing covetously. It was even said that there were forces with ulterior motives hidden in the Central Plains.
Ye Jingtang used to live in a small border town, which was poor and secluded. Having heard about the turbulent situation in the world, he naturally thought that the Great Wei Dynasty could not be considered a prosperous and flourishing era.
But after really coming to the capital city, he realized that he had underestimated the world before.
The capital city was quite large. There were fourteen main streets, eight horizontal and six vertical, which divided into thousands of streets and alleys. The permanent population inside was probably over one million. The infrastructure such as drainage and greening was quite complete. There were even "sidewalks" paved with blue bricks on both sides of the main streets for the common people to walk on. It could be said to be a large city without neon lights.
The light rain had just stopped, and the weather was cool. Many common people were strolling on the street. There were young ladies and gentlemen in beautiful clothes on both sides of the street, as well as young women and ladies holding young children. From the shops along the roadside, an alluring fragrance would occasionally waft out, along with the hawking of the shopkeepers:
"Authentic kiln-roasted chicken, with a secret recipe passed down through generations. It's greasy but not cloying..."
The fluffy big bird was coming to such a crowded street for the first time. It was a bit timid and crouched obediently on Ye Jingtang's shoulder, staring straight at the golden-roasted chicken and gently rubbing against Ye Jingtang's cheek:
"Jiji~"
Ye Jingtang stopped, took out two taels of broken silver from his sleeve and looked at it. This was all his belongings, the pocket money left over from when he was the young master of the escort agency. He had given all the family property to the Pei family without keeping a single cent.
Two taels of broken silver. Not to mention renting a mansion in the prosperous capital city, even if he lived in a cheap inn and only spent the money on food and drink, it probably wouldn't last many days.
In the morning, he was still a rich young master worth millions, but in the evening, he became a penniless wanderer. Such great ups and downs inevitably made people feel emotional.
However, no matter how hard it was, he couldn't let the bird suffer. As a man of seven feet, he should think about how to make money rather than save it.
Ye Jingtang raised his hand and rubbed the bird. Then he went to the roast chicken shop on the street, cut a roast chicken, and casually asked:
"Shopkeeper, where do outsiders usually go to make a living when they come to the capital city?"
"Wow! Young master, you're so handsome. You obviously come from an extraordinary background. Asking me might be too flattering... There are many outsiders in the capital city. When they first arrive and look for a place to settle down, they generally go to Mingyu Pavilion in the east of the city. The wealthy families in the city all hire shopkeepers, courtyard guards, and stewards there. As long as you're interested, it's easy to find a job..."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, young master. Take it, and have a nice day..."
...
Ye Jingtang took the roast chicken, went to a small tavern and ordered some food and wine. After having a good meal with the bird, he arrived at Mingyu Pavilion in the west of the city when the sun was setting behind the mountains.
Yun'an City was a city that never slept. Before it was dark, the streets were already full of lights, and there were even more pedestrians on the street than during the day.
Ye Jingtang dismounted his horse near Mingyu Pavilion and strolled along the street. On the way, he also passed by a large yamen whose walls and doors were all painted black, and there was no plaque hanging at the door.
At first, he thought it was some unknown official office. After making some inquiries, he learned that this yamen was the renowned "Black Yamen" in the martial arts world. Its function was roughly equivalent to that of the Six Gates. There were six chief constables inside, collectively known as the "Six Fiends of the Black Yamen", and martial artists in the martial arts world were terrified of them.
The profession of an escort guard was a standard one in the martial arts world. They were not afraid of bandits in the mountains blocking the way, but they were afraid of government officials in power setting up checkpoints.
Out of professional habit, when Ye Jingtang found himself at the gate of the "Hall of the King of Hell", he directly bypassed it and came to the market where talents were being recruited.
In the Great Wei Dynasty, weapons such as knives and spears were not prohibited. Therefore, it was common to see people walking on the street with knives and guns. But they had to follow the rules: "The knife should be in the sheath, and the bowstring should be loosened." Those who showed their knives casually would be detained for fifteen days and fined five thousand wen.
Ye Jingtang knew the rules. The knife passed down from his adoptive father was hung on his waist and covered by his outer robe to avoid alarming others.
But although he paid attention not to affect others, he couldn't avoid being affected by those who didn't have good judgment.
Ye Jingtang was strolling on the street leading his horse when he suddenly heard a voice from behind:
"Hmm?"
There was a movement at his waist, and someone reached out from behind and touched the handle of his knife!
A knife was an escort guard's means of making a living and protecting their life. Once it was taken away, they were basically doomed. In order to cultivate the "instinct" of martial artists, Ye Jingtang's adoptive father often "stole" his knife when he was a child, and he didn't know how many times he was severely beaten.
The moment there was a movement at his waist, Ye Jingtang's left hand had already raised.
Qianglang—
On the street as bright as day, a cold light flashed!
The pedestrians behind had been casually looking at this side. They didn't expect a silver dragon to suddenly appear, bringing a half-moon of cold light in the night.
The street instantly fell silent.
Everyone was stimulated by the sound of the knife coming out of the sheath and turned their heads in unison.
In the middle of the crowded street, a young swordsman in black held an old knife upside down.
The knife was three feet and three inches long and two and a half fingers wide. The blade was straight. The handle was wrapped with a black rope. The guard and the tail ring were made of brass, both carved with dragon patterns.
The blade was not as smooth as a mirror. The front half was densely covered with tiny scratches. Those who knew about weapons could tell at a glance how many storms and hardships in the martial arts world this old knife had experienced!
At this moment, the blade didn't move at all and was placed on the right side of the neck of the person behind.
The person behind was slightly bent over, with his left hand resting on the scabbard. The knife had only come out half an inch. His whole body was stiff, his face was pale, and a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Dida—
Although the bead of sweat was small, its sound could be heard all over the street.
The people on the street were shocked when they saw this scene. They were both amazed by Ye Jingtang's lightning-fast martial arts skills and shocked by his courage.
"This kid..."
"Great martial arts skills... but his judgment is not good..."
Ye Jingtang's sword-shaped eyebrows stood upright when someone touched his knife from behind. But the moment he saw the figure behind, his anger froze. He quickly sheathed his knife and raised his hand to clasp his fists in salute:
"Sir, it's a misunderstanding. Please forgive me."
The reason why he apologized so quickly was not that the person behind was extremely powerful, but that he was wearing a black-green robe, a gauze hat on his head, and an iron feather hanging from his waist—the iconic equipment of a constable of the Black Yamen.
Unlike ordinary constables, the Black Yamen dealt with martial artists in the martial arts world. They had the right to arrest and interrogate people directly without asking questions. In case of necessity, they could act first and report later. No martial artist in the martial arts world was not afraid of them.
The constable behind looked to be in his early thirties, slightly chubby and with a beard.
Having narrowly escaped death, the constable raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Since his skills were not as good as Ye Jingtang's and he was in the wrong, when he saw Ye Jingtang being polite, he raised his hand and returned the salute:
"Great martial arts skills. I was mistaken just now. I am Wang Chihu, the chief flag of the Black Yamen. Little brother, this knife of yours is good. It looks like it has killed a lot of people. Your martial arts skills are worthy of this knife."
In the face of the constable's suspicion, Ye Jingtang calmly replied:
"I am Ye Jingtang, from Liangzhou. My family is in the escort business. This knife was left by my father. It's inevitable that it has some scratches from traveling far and wide."
As he spoke, he took out the "token" issued by the local yamen. It clearly stated his "native place, occupation, and age" and had the official seal of the prefectural yamen.
Wang Chihu took the token and checked it. After confirming that it didn't seem to be forged, his expression became a bit more amiable:
"I didn't expect that such a good talent could come out of the remote and poor Liangzhou. No wonder they always say that beautiful birds are raised in the mountains..."
"Jiji~"
The bird perched on Ye Jingtang's shoulder had its eyes lit up.
Only then did Wang Chihu notice the bird crouching on Ye Jingtang's shoulder. He was slightly taken aback:
"Wow! This bird is quite smart. It's common to see people in the martial arts world bringing eagles, dogs, or parrots. But what exactly is this thing?"
"It's a bird from beyond the Great Wall. It can be considered an eagle, um... a chubby-headed eagle."
"If you hadn't told me, I would have thought it was a fat chicken without a neck. It doesn't look like it can fly very high..."
"Jiji!"
Ye Jingtang pressed down the angry bird. While chatting, he and Wang Chihu walked towards a teahouse on the street:
"Sir, do you have something to talk to me about?"
"Brother Ye is an escort head. Did you come here to recruit escort guards or to seek a livelihood?"
"To seek a livelihood. Does Sir Wang want to recruit me into the Black Yamen?"
Wang Chihu shook his head: "The job of a constable is a humble one. Although it seems glorious, once you take off this uniform, you'll be chased and beaten by everyone. You're young and have excellent martial arts skills. Asking you to work in the Black Yamen would be a waste of your future. I asked you to come and have a chat to show you a path to wealth."
"Oh?"
Seeing that Wang Chihu was quite honest, Ye Jingtang also developed a bit of good impression of him and said with a smile:
"I'd like to hear the details."
Wang Chihu raised his hand and clasped his fists in salute, indicating the imperial city at the end of the sight:
"The current emperor intends to choose a husband for Prince Jing. I think you're quite handsome..."
?
Ye Jingtang's smile froze.
He had some understanding of the imperial court. The current "empress" was said to have a strong and strict personality. She was originally just overseeing the country. After saving the country from collapse, she simply deposed her elder brother and ascended the throne herself. Not only did she become the emperor, but she also破例 made her own younger sister a prince.
When it came to the men of the empress and the princess, the first thing that came to Ye Jingtang's mind was "male consorts". He was confident in this profession but had no interest in it at all:
"Thank you for your guidance, Sir Wang. But I already have a wife. I will not abandon my wife..."
"Prince Jing values martial arts. If she really takes a fancy to your appearance and martial arts skills, how could she mind having one more mouth to feed in the family? If you're loyal to your wife, Prince Jing might even appreciate you more."
"? "
Ye Jingtang knew that being a male consort might mean being "shared" by the empress, the princess, and even the empress dowager.
But this was the first time he had heard the idea of being a male consort with a wife.
"From the way you speak, Sir Wang, do you know Prince Jing?"
A trace of pride flashed in Wang Chihu's eyes. He indicated the Black Yamen in the distance:
"Prince Jing is the right-hand man of the emperor. The Black Yamen is not within the Six Ministries and is under the private guard of Prince Jing. Even our monthly salary is allocated from Prince Jing's mansion. Of course, I know her. Let's not mention Prince Jing's status first. Just talking about martial arts, Prince Jing's master is the 'Imperial Tutor', True Person Xuanji. You seem to be a good candidate for learning martial arts. If you gain Prince Jing's favor and I help you with the introduction, you can make great progress in the path of martial arts. Are you sure you don't want to give it a try and strive for a smooth life?"
Ye Jingtang had long admired the name of "True Person Xuanji". She was the martial sister of Lü Taiqing, one of the "Two Saints", and was also ranked sixth in the world. She was considered the most powerful woman in the whole world.
Although Ye Jingtang yearned to meet the extraordinary people in the martial arts world and also wanted to enter the palace to find the "Minglong Tu", he had not yet fallen to the extent of "selling his looks" to achieve his goals.
"I'm just a martial artist wandering in the martial arts world, a commoner. How could I have such good fortune..."
"Alas, I'm telling you this because I think you have a great chance. As long as you're lucky, you can save sixty years of detours..."
...
Ye Jingtang was chatting with the constable in the teahouse, and the top of Mingyu Pavilion in the distance happened to have a view of this place.
The Black Yamen had existed since the founding of the country and was a private guard of the emperor. After the empress ascended the throne, it was assigned to Prince Jing. Because the "green bandits" had assassinated the prince and attempted to kill the emperor several times, the location of its office had also been moved outside Prince Jing's mansion.
Mingyu Pavilion was built in the back garden of Prince Jing's mansion. It was five stories high and had already exceeded the height of the palace walls, which was extremely presumptuous. That's why the common people called this block of streets Mingyu Pavilion.
As it was getting darker, Mingyu Pavilion was brightly lit. In the study on the top floor, Dongfang Liren, dressed in a silver python robe and wearing a jade crown on his head, stood on the terrace. There was a painting table in front of him. Holding a golden pen, he was sketching the eyebrows of a handsome man on the paper:
"I asked Wang Chihu to inquire about his family background. I didn't expect this young man to have good martial arts skills... That saber strike just now was somewhat similar to the starting move of the 'Eight Steps Frenzy Saber'. Could this young man be Zheng Feng's disciple?"
Behind Dongfang Liren was an old woman with white hair that reached the ground. Her figure was erratic, just like a shadow standing behind Dongfang Liren:
"I met Zheng Feng in the past. His strikes were not so light. This young man seems to have good bones, but he has 'form without momentum'. He should have just coincidentally used the same move."
"It is said that Zheng Feng's master, Kuangyazi, stole the 'Minglong Tu' from the palace in the past. If this young man knows the 'Eight Steps Frenzy Saber', he must have some connection with this matter..."
The old woman with white hair asked: "Should we send someone to test this young man?"
Dongfang Liren considered for a moment and shook his head: "The rumors in the martial arts world before the founding of the country are not worth making a big fuss about. First, go and check his background. If this young man has a clean background, after the portrait is finished, send it to the emperor for a look. With such a handsome appearance, the emperor might like him."
"Yes."
...