Chapter 32: The Great Tang Imperial Palace

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  Overnight, the sparrow turned into a phoenix. Qin Mu Bai was promoted from being a small seventh-rank officer in the Imperial Prince's Mansion to becoming a fifth-rank official serving by the Emperor's side. The entire Qin family was overjoyed.

  At noon, Qin Tong and his brother Qin Bin returned home to congratulate their third brother. The Qin family set up a banquet at home, and the whole family, along with the father and son of the Cheng family, drank and chatted merrily.

  The happiest ones are naturally Liu Shi and Qin Shuang'er. The two of them have always taken Qin Mu Bai as the core of their lives, now that he has made a name for himself, they feel quite proud and have a sense of reliance.

  In the evening, the Qin family, which had been bustling all day, finally quieted down. Qin Mubai went to the backyard as usual to practice his marksmanship and archery skills, and did not become complacent due to his sudden rise to power.

  Qin Shubao observed from the side and pointed out mistakes, practicing for two hours. By then it was already midnight with a bright moon and sparse stars, dew falling gently, when Qin Shubao finally told him to stop.

  "Sanlang, tomorrow you will be serving in the imperial palace. Take a moment to go to Wu Wang and inform him," said Qin Shubao, "Although the emperor's decree is greater than heaven, it is not necessary to seek Wu Wang's consent, but being polite doesn't hurt anyone. Being clear about coming and going is the way of a great man in dealing with the world."

  "Understood, I'll change clothes and go right away." Qin Mu Bai bowed his hands.

  "Also, when serving the Emperor, remember two principles." Qin Uncle Treasure raised two fingers and said seriously, "First, listen more and speak less; second, do more and say less."

  "Yes." Qin Mubai nodded, "The principle of 'many words lead to loss' is naturally understood by children. Serving the emperor comes with boundless opportunities for advancement, but accompanying the ruler is like accompanying a tiger; one must be cautious in order to ensure a safe journey through the ages."

  Qin Shu Bao's eyes flashed with a hint of brilliance, stroking his beard and nodding: "Very good... it seems that your insight has already surpassed some people of the same age as you, and I was worried for nothing."

  Qin Mubai's heart was slightly tight, and he nodded his hands without responding. In his mind, he thought: No one knows a son better than his father. This time I came back, so many earth-shaking changes happened, but my father has been watching from the side and never questioned me... Although he is a martial artist, his thoughts are quite meticulous!

  After practicing martial arts, Qin Mu Bai changed his clothes and went to the Wu Wang Fu. The guard at the gate of the palace was Yu Wen Hong Tai, who was overjoyed when he saw Qin Mu Bai. It turned out that the news of Qin Mu Bai being granted the title of Hundred Riders had already spread like wildfire to the Wu Wang Fu.

  Qin Mubai and Yuwen Hongtai and other brothers chatted for a moment, then entered the mansion to see King Wu. Li Xie today neither appreciated the singing and dancing nor hid in his room with his concubine, but was sitting in the main hall, as if deliberately waiting for Qin Mubai.

  "I knew you'd come." Seeing Qin Mubai approaching, Li Ke smiled and stood up, walking forward to grin at him. "As expected, you really have the ability! The highest officer of the Imperial Guard, the Hundred Riders... that's a red person by the Emperor's side. Congratulations, Mubai!"

  "Thank you, Your Excellency!" Qin Mu Bai bowed with his hands clasped together, "I owe my current status entirely to your support and good fortune, which is why I've come specifically to express my gratitude."

  "No need for thanks, we're brothers, do we still need to be so polite?" Li Ke chuckled and patted Qin Mu Bai's back, "Let's go!"

  "Where are you going?"

  "You'll know when you get there!" Li Ke smiled mysteriously, flapping his sleeves and striding out, Qin Mu Bai had no choice but to follow.

  Under the moonlight, the two of them walked to the vicinity of the horse stable at the back yard of Wu Wang Fu.

  "Bring the man, bring that sweat-blooded horse!" Li Ke ordered, a groom nodded and led out from the stable a magnificent stallion with a coat as black as coal.

  Qin Mubai's eyeballs were attracted at the first time. Having been to the Great Tang for a long time, he had never seen such a tall and sturdy Bao Ma!

  Li Ke walked forward, stroking the horse's neck with a hearty laugh, and said: "How about it, Mu Bai? This is the most valuable treasure in my royal mansion. The emperor has conquered the world on horseback, riding six precious horses, known as the 'Six Steeds'. One of them, named 'Shi Fa Chi', was a red horse with a body like flames."

  "Is this really what it means?" Qin Mu Bai asked in surprise. Can the emperor's horse also be rewarded to King Wu?

  "Of course not." Li Ke smiled, "Your Majesty loves horses and is also a master of horse selection. He even wrote a poem for the six fine steeds: 'The bones of the fine steed drink from the Long River, flowing freely with the reins loose. The fine lines are connected, the hooves tangled in the underbrush. The water shines on the saddle, the horse's shadow flows horizontally. It seems to be in the heavenly pool, the dragon breed is born.' How could the dragon steed ridden by Your Majesty possibly end up here? In fact, Shi Fa Chi died of old age a few years after Your Majesty ascended to the throne. This horse is actually the offspring of Shi Fa Chi and a pure-blooded Akhal-Teke horse."

  "No wonder it's so magnificent!" Qin Mubai exclaimed. As a horse connoisseur, he had heard Qin Shubao mention one or two things about this breed before. With ears like bamboo shoots and eyes like bird eyes, a long neck and a sturdy body, most horses with these characteristics were excellent ones. And the horse in front of him was even taller and more robust than ordinary horses, with some fine stripes on its hindquarters - this was precisely the mark of a pure-blooded Western wild horse!

  In the era of the Tang Dynasty, horses were like vehicles in modern society. A horse with such pure bloodlines as a sweatblood horse was almost equivalent to a limited edition Bugatti Veyron!

  And even if you have money, it's not necessarily something you can buy!

  For a general, the significance of a horse is even greater. During the Three Kingdoms period, Lü Bu's betrayal of Ding Yuan for a single Red Hare horse was one of the best proofs.

  "It's a pity to keep this fine horse cooped up in my dull and lifeless palace." Li Ke patted the horse's neck, turned his head and smiled slightly, "It's yours, Mu Bai."

  "What?" Qin Mu Bai was slightly startled, "Your Highness, such a precious gift, I dare not accept it!"

  "What's wrong, do you despise me?" Li Ke smiled and said, "This time back in the capital, everyone else is avoiding me from afar, are you also going to cut ties with me, not even willing to accept the gift I gave you?"

  "No... it's not that I don't want to. Qin Mu Bai furrowed his brow and said, "But since this horse was bestowed upon you by the Emperor himself, how can I possibly ride it? Wouldn't that be overstepping my bounds?"

  "This was not given by the Emperor of his own accord." Li Ke smiled and said casually, "Two years ago, I was ordered to quell a riot in a county in Yongzhou due to food shortages. The Emperor wanted to reward me with a fiefdom and grain. I was afraid that my fiefdom would exceed those of other princes and cause jealousy, so I declined and asked the Emperor for this horse instead as a reward. It's been two years, probably even the Emperor has forgotten such a small matter, so it doesn't matter who I give it to."

  "Your Highness is wise." Qin Mubai cupped his hands and bowed, thinking to himself: A big tree often attracts wind, so it's better to keep a low profile. If he has merit, he will be rewarded, and the emperor won't have any other suspicions about Li Ke's intentions. Li Ke is indeed hiding his light and biding his time.

  "Now I'm a idle prince, such a good horse is useless to me, it can only grow old and die in the backyard stable of my own home, what a pity?" Li Ke smiled and said, "I've heard about today's martial competition. At that time, Changsun Ran relied on his fast horse and almost snatched the credit from your hands, isn't this infuriating? In the future, you will be the commander of a hundred riders, how can your mount be inferior to that of your subordinate Changsun Ran? Take it, don't decline."

  "Then... thank you, Your Majesty." Qin Mubai had no choice but to accept.

  "This horse is extremely intelligent, named 'Huoyun'." Li Ke stroked the fiery brown mane on the horse's neck, and handed the reins to Qin Mubai. "From today on, you are its master. Mount up, let me see!"

  Qin Mubai took the reins and picked up the whip, then mounted the horse with a flip of his body. The horse was restless, shifting its hooves back and forth, snorting loudly through its nose, and kept nudging Li Ke with its head and neck, seeming quite uneasy and reluctant to part.

  "Hehe, I've raised this horse for two years, and our bond is quite deep. Mu Bai, look, it knows I'm giving it to you, and it's reluctant to leave, almost in tears!" Li Ke hugged the horse's head and gently stroked its cheek, saying softly, "Go, Huo Yun, a fine steed deserves a heroic master, he's your best owner!"

  Huoyun suddenly raised his head and let out a long, mournful howl with great force.

  Qin Mubai was startled and nearly fell off his horse, but fortunately reacted quickly enough to avoid being thrown off.

  "Your Highness, this horse is so dear to you, I really can't bear to take away something you love!" Qin Mu Bai was about to jump off the horse.

  "No, it's yours." Li Ke waved his hand resolutely and said, "It's precisely because it understands human feelings that it's a truly good horse. If you cherish our friendship, treat this horse well and write your own legend with it by your side!"

  Having said that, Li Ke suddenly swung his hand and slapped a palm on Huo Yun's horse buttocks.

  The fire cloud whinnied loudly and galloped away.

  As swift as a shooting star, as fierce as a thunderbolt!

  "What a fine horse!" Qin Mubai's heart skipped a beat as he focused all his attention on controlling the horse.

  "It's getting late, you don't have to get off your horse, just run out of the palace and go home!" Li Ke said with a loud laugh.

  "Thank you, Your Excellency—"

  The sound faded away, Qin Mu Bai and his horse disappeared into the wind, vanishing behind the Wang Manor.

  Li Ke's hands were clasped behind his back, and he took a few slow steps forward. He looked up at the moon with a hint of a smile on his lips: "A precious horse is given to a hero, Huoyun, you've finally met your most suitable master... But Mubai, have you found your true mentor?"

  The next day, at dawn.

  Qin Mubai got up half an hour earlier than usual, and after a long time of fussing around in his room, he finally put on his armor and battle robe. Then, he hastily ate some breakfast that the servants had prepared in advance, led Fire Cloud out of the stable, and set off for the imperial palace, ready to start his first day of work.

  Qin Shu Bao also got up early, and after practicing Tai Chi in the front yard, he saw Qin Mu Bai leading a horse out. He stroked his beard, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Is this the one Li Ke sent?"

  "It is..." was seen through by Qin Shubao at a glance, and Qin Mubai had no choice but to admit it.

  "Hmm... Alright, let's go, it's getting late." Qin Shubao nodded and said.

  "The child bids farewell." Qin Mu Bai led the horse out of the door, and Qin Shu Bao's eyes remained on the horse, as if deep in thought.

  The Emperor instructed yesterday that although Qin Mubai can officially take office as the Hundred Riders Envoy, he will not be used as his punctual and timely personal bodyguard for about a month or two. What he needs to do during this period is... to train troops.

  The six hundred newly recruited Baqi soldiers are still unpolished jade, needing to be carved. Moreover, the other Baqi officers have not been determined yet. Qin Mubai's visit to the palace today was just to receive some instructions from the Emperor.

  As they rode to the front of the Imperial City's Vermilion Bird Gate, Qin Mubai dismounted. Many officials' horses and sedan chairs were stopped here, showing their palace tokens one by one to the gate guards before proceeding into the palace in an orderly manner.

  There were also some officials who, apparently recognized by the gatekeepers or had a very big background, went in directly without showing their official identification. However, no one rode in on a sedan chair or horseback.

  Qin Mubai walked over in line, showing his official token. The small soldier first looked Qin Mubai up and down, apparently feeling unfamiliar. After checking the token, he suddenly became respectful and changed his expression: "So you are General Qin - His Majesty has already issued an edict, all military officers of the Hundred Riders are not subject to any military jurisdiction, and can ride horses or sit in sedan chairs freely entering and leaving the Imperial City. General Qin, please!"

  Other officials on both sides let out a low hiss and turned their heads to size up Qin Mu Bai.

  "Is he Qin Mu Bai? The one who was appointed as a commander of a hundred riders by the Emperor yesterday?"

  "I heard he's Qin Shubao's third son, and yet he's still so young? What a handsome and valiant young man!"

  "Wow, great prospects ahead!"

  An official from the capital who can enter the imperial palace to handle affairs, his rank is not low. Such discussions and evaluations made Qin Mubai feel a bit embarrassed in her heart. She put away the official token, led the horse into the imperial city, and without thinking much, she mounted the horse and headed straight for the Taiji Palace in the imperial city.

  The Grand Tang Imperial Palace, with the Taiji Palace as its main body. After entering the Zhuque Gate of the imperial city, it is a street called Chentianmen that leads to the Taiji Palace. On both sides of the street are the Twelve Guard Troops, the Ministry of War, the Taichang Temple, the Imperial Censorate, and the Directorate of Construction, among other "government offices".

  The end of Chentianmen Street is the entrance to Taiji Palace, Chentianmen. Inside Taiji Palace is the current political center of the Tang Dynasty. There are palaces for emperors to discuss politics, such as Taiji Palace and Wude Hall, as well as institutions where prime ministers work, such as the Imperial Secretariat and the Imperial Chancellery, and the Academy of Scholars who compile books and discuss politics, and the Imperial Academy which provides talent and intellectual support for the central government.

  Here is equivalent to the entire Tang Dynasty's brain.

  The responsibility of Qin Mu Bai, the commander of the hundred riders, was to protect the emperor without leaving his side. Later, when the emperor came to Taiji Palace for early morning court meetings, he would lead the hundred riders to guard him from the side. In the past, the emperor's ascension to the throne was protected by the Golden Guard; The emperor in other places of the Imperial City (such as touring the Hougong) was protected by the Gate Guard; If going out for a long trip, it would be protected by the Left and Right Guards. Now, the emperor had a personal bodyguard team that never left his side - the Hundred Riders.

  The morning court has just ended, and the Emperor summoned Qin Mu Bai at the end of Chen time to meet in the Tai Ming Palace's Hanyuan Hall.

  The Daming Palace was called the Yong'an Palace a few years ago, which was built by Emperor Taizong of Tang for his father, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, to spend his old age. After Emperor Gaozu's death two years later, this magnificent palace became the place where Emperor Taizong rested and did not use it as a political palace for discussion.

  That is to say, the current Daming Palace is Li Shimin's harem. Except for some eunuchs and palace maids, only people like Qin Mubai can enter.

  Standing in front of the Danfeng Gate of the Great Ming Palace, Qin Mubai couldn't help but smile: For a long time to come, I will have to stay in the Great Ming Palace, serving as a personal bodyguard for the Emperor... and also those beauties in the harem.

  Three thousand pink daisies with spring colors everywhere, for a straightforward and hot-blooded guy like me, it's really a great test!

  .??，！