Chapter Twelve: The Calm and Distant Uncle

  The leading general, Zhang Jiamu and Ren Yuan Yi took one look and recognized him: it was the cart driver who had been startled by horses in the town that day and had been rescued by Zhang Jiamu!

  Zhang Jiamu is fine, and Ren Yuan's mouth can already fit an entire salted duck egg!

  The former car husband smiled slightly at them and didn't say a word. He just nodded his head towards Gao Ping and smiled: "Lord Gao!"

  Although he shot with one hand and one arrow, his courtesy was not lacking at all.

  "General Li, what do you mean by this? I am in the middle of handling official business with these people. How can you not distinguish between right and wrong and drag them into this? Are your front guards allowed to act so recklessly?"

  Gao Ping's face turned pale, it was unclear whether he was frightened or angry, but he stood his ground and sternly questioned the other party.

  "General Li, calm down," said Li Chun, the commander of the vanguard of the Ming Prefecture's army, who was known as General Li. High Ping was furious, but Li Chun seemed to take it lightly and only said: "These two young friends are my old acquaintances, I'd like to take them with me, what do you think, Lord High?"

  "No way!" Gao Ping was so angry that he almost went mad. If Li Chun were to be arrogant, it would be fine, but this condescending and calm attitude made him unbearable. This is simply not treating him as a human being! He shouted: "These two are wanted criminals, I want to take them back to the Ducha Yuan for further interrogation. General Li, do you want to intervene in the imperial censor's investigation?"

  "I don't dare. However, there's a difficult matter at the Jingyuan Duke's estate and I'd like to ask this Zhang surname Jin Yiwei Colonel to go back and investigate. Lord Gao, let me take him away first and I'll send him over later, how about that?"

  "Jingyuan Bo's Mansion?"

  "Yes, Master Bo instructed me to bring the person here. I hope Lord Gao will be accommodating and consider it a favor owed to him."

  Gao Ping continued to speak in an official tone, while Li Chun glanced around and spoke evasively. After one round of questioning, Gao Yu Shi, who had been full of vigor just a moment before, was now calm and composed, his face pale and wan, stroking his goat-like whiskers, lost in thought.

  He naturally wanted to show off his style, and today he took out these two Jinyiwei small soldiers to make a move, also making preparations to offend people. However, in an instant, he provoked the Junwangfu's Front Guard Commander, and with the Jinyiwei's backlash, even if Gao Ping had intentionally stirred up trouble, he knew that this pot he couldn't stir up.

  "Alright," Gao Ping was furious, but there was nothing he could do. He said: "Today I'll give you face, these two will be put on record and registered, after things are settled with Master Bo, we'll talk again."

  "Alright, thank you, Lord Gao."

  Li Chun smiled slightly and waved his hand. Someone led two good horses behind him, Zhang Jiamu and Ren Yuan jumped onto the horses, both of them feeling extremely pleased in their hearts.

  Zhang Jiamu smiled kindly at Gao Ping and couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight of his disheveled appearance.

  Li Chun rode his horse ahead, heard him laugh out loud, couldn't help but smile too. However, he quickly turned to Zhang Jiamu and said: "Young man, be content with your successes, don't gloat over them; be calm in the face of failures, don't complain about them. Remember this, remember!"

  Zhang Jiamu's face was stern, indeed, he was a bit self-satisfied: "Yes, I lost my composure!"

  He smiled again: "However, I must thank you, sir."

  "No need to thank me, Gao Ping is really making a big fuss over nothing - it's just that Master Bo has something important to discuss with you. Don't think that I'm bringing up the time you pulled on the carriage reins again, that was one thing and this is another, unrelated to Master Bo, understand?"

  "Yes, I understand."

  Zhang Jiamu had a headache, originally thinking that Li Chun came today to repay the favor of pulling the horse carriage last time. As soon as Li Chun arrived, he recognized him, and this commander was indeed the coachman who drove the horse carriage that day. At that moment, he suddenly realized that it was no wonder that a commander would drive a horse carriage, thinking that the person inside must be from the Duke of Jingyuan's mansion. Unexpectedly, his own guesses were not correct at all, and Li Chun implicitly warned him that when they arrived at the Duke of Jingyuan's mansion, he should not mention what happened that day. This matter was indeed strange!

  Can't figure it out, no need to think about it anymore.

  Jingyuan Bo's mansion was also located in Zhengnan Fang, near the intersection of the Imperial Palace and the Southern Palace. The terrain was open and spacious, with hardly any households around. As one looked down the road, all the gates were adorned with crimson lacquer rings, a majestic sight that only the residences of high-ranking officials or nobles above the first rank could have!

  Ren Yuan and Zhang Jiamu were both a bit stunned, people with their status had no chance of coming to such a place. On the main street, you couldn't see any signs of people, ordinary civilians and lower-ranking officials didn't have a chance to get close, they were chased away at the entrance of the street.

  Arrived at the Bo Ye Fu front, two large stone lions opened their mouths and danced with their claws, as if they wanted to choose people to bite. In front of the gate, there were family soldiers standing on duty, carrying ritual swords, ritual halberds, green silk umbrellas, and paired plaques. Seeing Li Chun come over, several door officials came up: "Li Lao Ye, Bo Ye is waiting inside, has already urged several times!"

  It's no wonder that the Earl of Jingyuan, who rose to prominence through military merit, has a manor where even the gatekeepers seem to be former soldiers. Each and every one of them is dressed neatly and cleanly, with crisp and efficient movements, exuding an air of robust strength. When their eyes scan the surroundings, they shine brightly, striking fear into the hearts of onlookers.

  Li Chun had already sent his men away, leaving only a few attendants by his side. He dismounted and handed the reins to one of the Bo estate's servants, saying with a smile: "I've arrived, haven't I? Uncle Bo is still as stubborn as ever - once he gives an order, it must be carried out immediately."

  He is obviously familiar with everyone in the Bo Mansion, and he is also familiar with Jingyuan Bo, not being reserved at all, daring to make a few jokes behind his back.

  Settled, Li Chun's expression relaxed: "Little Zhang, the captain, your companion is waiting in the gatehouse, you follow me to see Master Bo."

  Zhang Jiamu felt a sudden surge of tension, he was just a small captain of the Brocade Guard, and just a few days ago, he was still a reserve soldier. The most important person he had ever seen was just a hundred households of the Brocade Guard, but suddenly, he was going to meet the Earl of the Great Ming, who held military power and commanded ten battalions!

  He was a jinshi in the fourth year of Yongle and served as a give-up, an imperial censor, with a strong and upright demeanor, already a famous minister during the Yongle period. Later, he was transferred from a civil official to a military official, serving as the Minister of War, going out of the pass to take up his post, with the emperor's permission to act at his own discretion, beheading the Commander-in-Chief An Jing!

  Later, the three armies used their lives to repeatedly defeat the Mongols on the border. Later, they changed from literary to military and became the top martial arts, sealed as Push Cheng Xuan Li Wu Chen, promoted to Rong Lu Da Fu, Shang Zhu Guo, Jing Yuan Bo Wang Jian!

  If the old man was just an ordinary earl and a military minister, the censor Gao Ping might not have given him face, but Wang Ji was a veteran of five dynasties and a senior scholar from the imperial examination system. The rules of the Ming dynasty's imperial examination were extremely strict, and juniors had to show respect to their seniors by performing the rituals of a junior brother. Gao Ping could afford to offend the Embroidered Uniform Guard and ordinary military ministers, but he did not dare to offend Wang Ji.

  The old man is nearly eighty years old, standing with his hands behind his back on the steps of the flower hall, still with a straight waist and back. Although he is only on the third layer of stone steps, looking down at people gives him an air of superiority!

  In front of such an old man, don't mention that etiquette should be followed. Even with this momentum, Zhang Jiamu couldn't help but bow his head and lower his head.

  "Good," Wang Ji, although old, had an exceptionally sharp gaze, staring at Zhang Jiamu for half a day, finally smiled and nodded in approval: "Not bad, tiger's back and heroic waist, looking at your wrists and the calluses between your fingers, you've been practicing martial arts for over ten years?"

  "This is the inquiry, Zhang Jiamu did not dare to slack off and hastily replied: 'Reporting to Master Bo, I am seventeen this year. I started practicing martial arts with my father at the age of five, and it has been twelve years now.'"

  "Oh, your father? I'm quite familiar with him!"

  Zhang Jiamu was greatly surprised, his father was just an ordinary Jin Yiwei Xiaowei, how could he have entered the eyes of someone like Wang Ji? This is really strange!

  Wang Ji didn't explain either, and simply said with a sigh: "Your father was indeed good material for martial arts training. What a pity that he didn't get to follow Yongle Emperor on his northern expedition; all that excellent martial skill went to waste."

  "Thank you, sir, for your praise. If my late father were aware of this, he would also be deeply grateful."

  "Haha, your father's character is very honest and down-to-earth." Wang Ji's eyes gleamed like lightning: "I heard that you did something very impressive in Zhengnan Alley? Kid, even if you want to make a name for yourself, you must do things with a clear conscience and not harm others' kindness."

  Is the old man speaking from his heart or is he testing? In the great Ming dynasty, having risen to a position like Wang Ji's, would one still have such political purity? If it were truly so, why bother bringing himself over!

  That day's design of grabbing people, saying Zhang Jiamu had no guilt was also fake. However, if he were to do it again, he would still choose to do so.

  The old man scolded, but Zhang Jiamu was not convinced. He steeled himself and asked boldly: "May I ask, sir, when you beheaded An Jing in the past, was it because he was afraid of the enemy and fled, and also embezzled military pay, or was it because you wanted to kill someone to establish your authority?"

  "How dare you!" Wang Ji's hair stood on end, and the nearly eighty-year-old man was truly awe-inspiring when he got angry. Not only Zhang Jiamu, but also Li Chun and the servants in the mansion, all knelt down with a thud!

  That year's affair, has always been considered one of the happiest events in my life. Others mention it and say that he was decisive and ruthless in eliminating evil, with great courage and wisdom, truly a magnificent feat.

  However, at midnight, when thinking back, what was the reason for killing Zheng Erpin's second product, Director An Jing, others didn't say it, but he himself knew very clearly.

  This young man is really reckless...

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