Chapter Twenty-Four: Storming into the East Depot

  Wang Ji collided with the nail at the same time, Zhang Jiamu pulled Cao Yi to make a wild dash for the road, chasing in the direction of Dongchang.

  After a while, they chased all the way but couldn't find anyone. On the other hand, when the common people on the road saw a Jin Yiwei lieutenant with a murderous look running by, they immediately scattered and ran away in fright.

  The office of the Eastern Depot was located just outside the Dong'an Gate of the Imperial City.

  Later, as time passed, it gradually formed a hutong, which people in Beijing called Dongchang Hutong.

  As soon as Cao Yi saw the temple top of Zhenwu Temple in Dongchang Hutong from afar, he would rather die than leave!

  "Sir," he said with a sob, "I really dare not go!"

  Zhang Jiamu knew that bringing him along would be useless, so he thought for a moment and ordered: "You go back and find Xue Baozi, Zhuang Xiaoliu and the others, think of a way to get a car over here!"

  He suspected that Ren Yuan was already under arrest, and if they were to rush in and rescue him, they would have to take him away immediately by car. Otherwise, how could they still move around freely in the Dongchang area with such a cumbersome burden like Ren Yuan?

  Zhang Jiamu had already made up his mind to be tough, while Cao Yi was somewhat kind-hearted. At first, he happily agreed, but then worried about Zhang Jiamu and advised: "Sir, the men from the Eastern Depot are all tigers and wolves, you'd better not confront them head-on."

  He swallowed his saliva, looked around with a fearful gaze, and when he saw that there was no one nearby, he continued to speak in a more relaxed tone: "I may not be worthy of your attention, but I must say it anyway - you should also be careful not to get yourself killed! And if you were to fight with those foreigners, even if you are in the right, what would happen if someone got killed? No matter how you look at it, you would have to take responsibility for that!"

  Although he is a rascal, what he said is not wrong at all.

  Who did the people from Dong Chang talk to about reason? If they weren't afraid of having a falling out with Jin Yi Wei and arresting Ren Yuan, then they would have had to stir up the upper levels on both sides, going back and forth several times before it was possible to release Ren Yuan.

  Another outcome is that the Eastern Depot will not release anyone, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard will either swallow their anger or take the case to the imperial court, or think of a way to secretly arrest an Eastern Depot guard, and once arrested, they won't be released, and will be tortured to death.

  No matter which way, Ren Yuan is doomed anyway.

  The upper levels of the Embroidered Uniform Guard would not really care about the life or death of a small military surplus, the Northern Pacification Commission and the Southern Pacification Commission, every day, the number of officials and civilians killed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard is unknown, no one will take the life or death of a small military surplus seriously.

  Even if it's just a matter of face, it's still about maintaining the dignity of Jin Yiwei, after all!

  These words don't need to be explained clearly to Cao Yi, but Cao Yi's words still make some sense.

  Zhang Jiamu hesitated for a moment, and Cao Yi thought he had changed his mind, so he waited quietly on the side. Unexpectedly, as soon as Zhang Jiamu opened his mouth, he startled him: "What you said is true, I think using a knife isn't very good either."

  Then he ordered Cao Yi: "Go, find me a suitable stick!"

  Poor big sky white day, it's also the winter solstice season. Cao Yi's nose tip was covered in sweat: This young master, isn't your courage a bit too exaggerated?

  Then Zhang Jiamu looked at the situation on the east side of the factory, and Cao Yi went to find a stick with an unlucky face.

  After searching for half a day, Zhang Jiamu was getting impatient. Just then, Cao Yi came running over with a thick wooden stick about one foot long in his hands.

  "What is this?"

  "Answering the master," Cao Yi said with a sorrowful face, "I really couldn't find any suitable stick, so I cut this one from the gate of a nearby household. Please make do with it, sir!"

  It turned out that the wooden door latch of a wealthy family was taken down by this guy, and in the midst of panic, he still had such quick wit, which is not bad at all.

  Zhang Jiamu looked at the scoundrel with a approving gaze: in his thirties, with a sly and cunning appearance, short and small in stature, with a yellowish complexion, it was unclear whether he was frightened or malnourished, but his beady eyes kept darting back and forth, revealing a crafty glint.

  He waved his hand and said, "Hurry up and do as I say - let me make it clear to you beforehand: if you dare to run away and not come back, even if I'm dead, there will still be people who will catch all of you and flay your skins!"

  Cao Yi originally still had the idea of running away, but was suddenly enlightened by Zhang Jiamu's words. He was shocked and could only say: "The affairs entrusted to us by the school lieutenant, we have never dared to discount them, sir, you can rest assured!"

  "Go ahead!"

  Zhang Jiamu smiled slightly and waved his hand for the scoundrel to leave.

  He gripped the wooden door bolt tightly in his hand, although it was not as long as a club, but it was just the right size for his hand, and the door bolt was made of iron pear wood, heavy and solid, feeling substantial in his hand, and it really fit well.

  It's almost dawn now.

  On a winter day, the sun sets early, and under the light of the setting sun, only one tall and handsome young man wearing brocade clothes can be seen, standing upright with pride, walking with an air of confidence, but what he holds in his hand is just a wooden door bolt!

  Cao Yi stood far away, staring blankly as Zhang Jiamu walked further and further away. He wasn't walking slowly, but his back seemed like a mountain range. Cao Yi had an inexplicable feeling in his heart, a strange one. A surge of heat rushed into his eye sockets, and for no reason at all, he shed a few tears.

  "Unripe goods!"

  Cao Yi slapped himself several times: "Let's hurry up and find someone, we can't let the adults look down on us!"

  ……

  Zhang Jiamu walked into the East Factory compound with a swagger, and at first no one paid attention to him. Later on, when they saw his strange appearance, a group of thugs began to gather around him.

  Someone asked him: "What's wrong with you, wearing a flying fish robe without a sword, and holding a door? This is the East Factory, not your Jinyiwei's place to run wild!"

  Zhang Jiamu smiled: "Aren't you a Brocade Guard?"

  The man was suddenly speechless, choked by him for a moment and couldn't say a word.

  The eunuchs of the Eastern Depot were all selected from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Of course, only the most talented and capable ones were chosen. Those who were not ruthless and cunning enough could not be selected.

  Time has passed, although the descendants are from the Imperial Guards, they still consider themselves as Imperial Guards, but none of them exist anymore.

  Everyone was speechless for a moment, Zhang Jiamu smiled again and asked the nearest barbarian: "Excuse me, may I ask, has anyone brought someone back from Zhengnanfang today?"

  "So that's what it is?" The onlookers' eyes lit up, and the man who spoke first said, "That's right, you're asking the right person." He said, "We took those military leftovers, one person two horses, they're all inside now. What do you want to do about it?"

  "Nothing to do." Zhang Jiamu played with the large door bolt in his hand, and smiled: "Looking at you, it's just a 'doer', when you go out to handle things, there must be a 'role leader' leading the team. Please call him out, I want to talk to him."

  "Hey, you little scamp!"

  The onlookers immediately blew their tops, as they were used to bullying others and had never been topped like this before. Even the civil and military officials of the Ming dynasty would have to be polite to them.

  Today, this little school lieutenant's intention is actually to fight all the way to the East Factory's gate!

  "Take him down and give him a good punishment, let him know that the East Factory is not something to be trifled with!"

  －－－－－－－－－－－－

  Zhang Jiamu came out of the East Factory, and Cao Yi hurriedly ran over from the street corner with a timid look.

  "The adults have ruined everything!"

  Zhang Jiamu looked around and indeed didn't find what he was looking for, so he flew into a rage and hit Cao Yi with the door bolt, leaving his face covered in bruises: "Where's the ticket? Didn't you say the readers had cast quite a few votes? Have you 'floated' them all away?"

  －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

  Let me make a small joke... I sincerely ask readers to recommend votes. No matter how hard the author writes, seeing the collection clicks and recommendations increase will always bring joy to my heart.

  Please don't close the window after finishing reading the book. Instead, go to the book's homepage and choose "Recommend this book" to cast your recommendation vote before leaving.

  This way, you will have a pleasant read, and I as an author will also be happy, which in turn will enable me to write even better chapters for everyone.

  Also, this book has reached a certain part, written up to now, it feels like I've put in some effort, please everyone use your recommendation votes to support me a bit, thank you!

  Starting point. Welcome, book lovers! The latest, fastest and hottest serialized works are all on the starting point of original works!