Chapter 31: Granting Seals and Appointing Officials

  。

  The gun is like a poisonous dragon, swift and fierce!

  Wei Chi Bao Yun narrowed his tiger eyes and let out a loud roar as he raised his gun to meet the attack. Clang! He blocked it perfectly.

  "It's just average, but that's it!" Wei Chi Bao Yun was about to smile when Qin Mu Bai's spear suddenly wrapped around his gun like a water snake, and with a sly movement, it stabbed straight at his chest and abdomen.

  The genius martial artist Qin Shubao combined Tai Chi Fist and his own spear technique to create the new Tai Chi Qin Spear. When encountering hardness, it becomes soft; when encountering softness, it becomes hard. Hardness and softness complement each other, borrowing force to counter force, with numerous changes and unpredictable movements!

  "Ah——" Wei Chi Bao Yun let out a miserable cry, and fell off his horse. Although he wasn't shot in the head and killed, this bullet hit him straight in the solar plexus, leaving him breathless for half a day, only able to curl up and roll around on the ground.

  The remaining three riders exclaimed in unison, reining in their horses and retreating as they stared at Qin Mu Bai's cold smile and the long spear he held horizontally.

  "My goodness, Bao Yun is the most skilled in martial arts among us, yet he was knocked off his horse without even making a move..."

  Chang Sun's face had turned white, his fingers grasping the long spear were pale and stiff, making a cracking sound with each movement, as he sucked in cold air and glared furiously at Qin Mu Bai.

  Qin Mubai raised his eyes: "Young Master Changsun, am I qualified to own this carved bow?"

  Cheng Huaiyi excitedly came over: "Qin San Ge, great! I didn't expect your martial arts to be so powerful!"

  Chang Sun Bian gritted his teeth tightly, making a cracking sound, and a flash of sharpness flickered in his eyes. Suddenly, he swung the long spear in his hand and shouted loudly: "Fellow brothers, Qin Mu Bai is so arrogant, let's join hands and strike him together!"

  The other strong men who were watching from the side looked at each other in dismay, although some of them seemed eager to move forward, but only a few people really came up.

  Qin Mubai burst into loud laughter: "Young Master Changsun, this move of yours won't work. Everyone here is a competitor, why would they let you use them? Even if they all gang up and attack me, defeating me, the final dragon flag will still only fall into your hands. Since that's the case, why bother going to such great lengths?"

  "You!......" Zhang Sun Yan was speechless for a moment, and could only glare at Qin Mu Bai with anger, his body trembling slightly.

  The other strong men are not fools either, and they all know that the competition for the Dragon Flag is only between Chang Sun Wan and Qin Mu Bai. These people, no matter which side they help, will only end up as cannon fodder, and it's impossible for them to get a share of the spoils or compete for the Dragon Flag.

  Why bother with this, it's better to sit back and watch the fight between the tiger and the mountain. Maybe in the end, you can even benefit from their struggle like the fisherman who gains from the dispute between the snipe and the clam.

  So everyone held their breath and waited with bated interest.

  Chang Sun's arm waved and the response was zero. This extremely sentimental loud cry unexpectedly didn't get a single response, his face turned even paler.

  Qin Mu's mouth curled up, he raised his long spear and pointed at the sky, shouting: "Dragon Flag, I've made my decision! Anyone who doesn't agree can come forward to challenge me! ——Chang Sun Gongzi, do you want to give it a try?"

  "Ah...!" Zhang Sunyan was openly provoked, and his anger suddenly flared up. He shouted loudly and rode his horse to kill - "Look at the gun!"

  "Hmph..." Qin Mu Bai sneered coldly.

  Flower fist and embroidered leg.

  "Huh——" In the brief moment of a white horse crossing a gap, Qin Mu Bai didn't make a move, but with quick eyes and hands, he slightly shifted to the side and lightly dodged Long Sun Ruan's full-force fierce strike.

  When Le Ma turned his head, Zhang Sun's heart had already cooled down by half and was completely disappointed.

  Everyone is an expert, no need to make things clear. Zhangsun Rang's heart was very clear - Qin Mu Bai's martial arts had already surpassed his by more than ten times!

  If he were only skilled in martial arts, it would be fine, and at most, the crowd would gather to attack him and defeat him; but this person is clever and cunning, and it seems unrealistic to use any strategy against him.

  Qin Mubai smiled and nodded slightly at Zhang Sunyan: "Thank you, Young Master Zhang, for sparing my life."

  Chang Sun's face was as white as a sheet, and he didn't dare to move an inch. He forced a smile on his pale face and returned Qin Mu Bai's courtesy with a bow: "Well said, well said. Brother Qin's martial arts skills are indeed extraordinary."

  Qin Mubai smiled slightly and patted his horse, advancing slowly towards the dragon flagpole.

  Those strong men simultaneously pulled their horses aside to avoid him. The circle that had originally surrounded them opened up a path, allowing Qin Mu Bai to walk through.

  Qin Mubai strode proudly on his horse, gun held horizontally as he walked slowly past everyone. Although some people glared at him with extreme resentment or seemed to be itching for a fight, in the end no one dared to make another move against him.

  Li Shimin smiled under the yellow umbrella: "In the midst of a group of enemies, he rode alone and no one dared to move. Qin Mubai, that little brat, is indeed wise and brave, and has some of his father's domineering aura from back in the day!"

  "Your Majesty, are you planning to appoint him as a commander of a hundred horsemen?" Li Junxian asked.

  "Then do you see anyone more suitable than him?" Li Shimin asked with a smile.

  Li Junxian glanced at the side and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, is it Changsun Gan..."

  "I know. He is my nephew-in-law, the son of Changsun Wuji! Emperor Taizong smiled and said, "But the competition has its established rules. Since I have set them down, even I must follow them. If I were to appoint Changsun Gan just because he is my nephew-in-law, wouldn't this martial selection be superfluous? Without laws to follow, how can we convince the masses?"

  "Your Majesty is absolutely right... Your Majesty has always abided by the law and taken responsibility for it, I am a minor official who spoke out of turn."

  In the center of the arena, Qin Mu Bai bent his bow and shot an arrow, hitting the flag rope with one arrow. The high-flying red dragon flag slowly fell down.

  "Good archery!" Many of the Imperial Forest Army officers and soldiers present cheered. Those young men who had participated in the competition all lost their temper, could only hold their breath, and stared wide-eyed as Qin Mu Bai flipped over and dismounted his horse, jumping up to receive the dragon flag under everyone's watchful eyes.

  "Good——" Three thousand soldiers cheered in unison, their voices thundering with approval.

  Qin Mubai was also delighted in his heart and let out a long sigh. He took the wooden pole from the hands of a general and raised the dragon flag high.

  "Good! It seems that there is already a result." Li Shimin stroked his palm and smiled, "Summon Qin Mubai to come forward and listen to the decree!"

  "Proclamation: Qin Mu Bai is summoned before the throne for an imperial edict!"

  Qin Mubai held the flag and ran to the emperor's presence, paying his respects. The imperial attendant came forward and took over the flag, Li Shimin laughed and said: "Qin Mubai, you are wise and brave, surpassing everyone else in obtaining the dragon flag, I hereby grant you the title of fifth-grade hundred-ride commander, directly under my command."

  "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Qin Mu Bai bowed in gratitude, a huge weight lifted off his mind.

  Finally succeeded!

  Li Shimin personally granted the amnesty and at the same time, the imperial craftsman next to him was urgently engraving the seal. With skilled craftsmanship, it was done in one stroke. Immediately, Qin Mubai publicly received the Hundred Rider Envoy's large seal with his name engraved on it, a set of bright red armor bestowed by the Emperor, a set of apricot-yellow battle robes used exclusively by the Imperial Guard Commander, as well as a sword, official robe, and official boots, all complete.

  As a person on duty beside the emperor, there is no equipment that is not extremely luxurious and expensive, it's all eye-catching.

  "Qin Mubai, you are now a Baiqi Shi. Tomorrow, you can come to the inner palace to take up your post. From today on, you will be my personal bodyguard. The 600-strong Baiqi troops will be under your command. My safety is entirely in your hands." Li Shimin declared publicly.

  "We will definitely not disappoint Your Majesty's mission!" Qin Mubai took this batch of things and retreated to stand under the emperor.

  "As for the remaining hundred riders, they will be jointly elected by these three thousand armored soldiers and you gentlemen who have come to observe today, and then I will make the final decision." Li Shimin said with a meaningful smile, "What I want to say is that all of you young men who came to participate in the selection today are very good. In the end, no matter who gets selected or not, no matter whether the official position is high or low, there is no need for anyone to be proud or discouraged. Each and every one of you, I have remembered in my heart. In the future, there will be opportunities for all of you to show your worth."

  "Thanks to Your Majesty's heavenly grace!" The strong men all cheered and thanked, their eyes involuntarily turning to Qin Mu Bai standing beside the Emperor, their hearts inevitably filled with envy and jealousy.

  Chang Sun Bian and Wei Chi Bao Yun looked as if they had swallowed a green fly, their faces extremely unsightly, and didn't know how to endure until the end when the Emperor announced the end of today's selection, only then did they silently leave.

  "Chang Sun, we've got a score to settle with this Qin fellow now. He's so arrogant!" Yu Chi Bao Yun cursed in anger, rubbing his chest, which still hurt a bit.

  "Hmph..." Long Sun Mo let out a cold hum and didn't say another word, casting a glance at Qin Mu Bai in the distance before striding away.

  The emperor had Qin Mu Bai stay behind to discuss some matters for tomorrow's "work", and also let him go back to report the good news to Qin Shu Bao.

  Qin Mubai came out with a pile of things in his arms and bumped into Cheng Huaiyi, who was laughing loudly.

  "Congratulations, Qin San Ge! This is the general expectation, and the Emperor also appreciates you very much!" Cheng Huaiyi's eyes were greedy as he looked at the Yì Jiǎo Bǎo Dāo that Qin Mu Bai was holding, his mouth watering.

  "I'm just lucky, and if it wasn't for your help, I wouldn't have succeeded!" Qin Mu Bai smiled and said, "Come on, let's go to my place for a drink!"

  "Alright! My father also entrusted me to go and pay respects to Second Uncle Qin." Cheng Huai responded brightly, walking shoulder to shoulder with Qin Mubai.

  Out of the palace, Cheng Huaiyi said in a low voice: "Qin San Ge, this time you have made enemies with Zhangsun Jian and Wei Baoyun!"

  "What's there to be afraid of?" Qin Mu Bai raised the corner of his mouth indifferently, "Fair competition, the skilled one wins, and I didn't cheat. They insist on being petty and resenting me, but I can't do anything about it."

  "It's true, if you hadn't come up with the idea of using war horses to break through the formation, none of us would have been able to enter the battlefield, let alone compete for the dragon flag." Cheng Huaiyu rolled his eyes a few times and shook his head, "But Changsun Yan is the son of Changsun Wuji, and Changsun Wuji is currently the most powerful eunuch in the imperial court. And then there's Yu Chigong, his father Yu Zigong is also one of the emperor's most trusted generals. Changsun Wuji, Yu Zigong, along with Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, are the four great heroes of the Zhenguan era appointed by the emperor himself. Our dads wouldn't dare to provoke them!"

  Qin Mubai slightly raised the corner of his mouth and smiled, patted Cheng Huai's shoulder: "Brother Cheng, that's something from the previous generation, why bother with it? I only know that in the future, even if Long Sun Ruan and Wei Chi Bao Yun enter the Hundred Riders, they will still be under me. If they dare to be naughty, then they should prepare to not leave unscathed."

  "Haha, Third Brother is right!" Cheng Huaiyu smiled and said, "I wonder if I have any hope of entering the Hundred Riders?"

  "There must be," Qin Mu Bai said, "You are the only one who has accompanied me in using the war horse to charge into battle, the Emperor can't help but notice. Moreover, your martial arts skills were already not bad, and with the prestige of Uncle Cheng added on, it's no problem."

  "Heh heh, I hope so! It's great to be able to work with Qin San Ge!"

  The two young men returned to the Qin residence and found that Cheng Zhi Jie was also there. It seemed that his information was quite timely, and he had already told Qin Shu Bao about Qin Mu Bai's victory.

  Qin Shubao burst out laughing as soon as he saw Qin Mubai and the other enter: "Good! My son hasn't disgraced the Qin family, good!"

  Qin Mubai and Cheng Huaiyi hastily stepped forward, each paying their respects.

  Cheng Zhijie burst out laughing: "Qin Ergou, I told you so! This kid of yours is a rare talent. With just a bit of guidance, he'll become a great instrument! He's far better than that useless fool of a son I have at home!"

  Cheng Huai'er rubbed his head and chuckled: "Dad, give me some face..."

  Qin Mubai smiled and said: "As expected, Huai Bi will also become one of the deputy envoys."

  "It shouldn't be a problem." Qin Shubao stroked his beard and laughed, patting Cheng Zhi's shoulder, "Your son is also a good fellow, Liang'er is right, this envoy position should have been his turn too."

  "It's hard to say." Cheng Zhijie snorted, put his hands on his waist and took a few deep breaths, saying, "The Emperor only appointed Mu Bai as the commander of the Hundred Riders, but as for the deputy commander, brigade commander, and team leader positions, they will be evaluated by the 3,000 soldiers and officials who participated in the assessment. I say, what kind of 'evaluation' is this? The Emperor clearly intentionally left some favors to be done for certain people!"

  Qin Mubai nodded, thinking to himself: Anything involving politics is impossible without unwritten rules and behind-the-scenes operations. The Emperor didn't publicly announce the appointment of other generals, of course, in order to give himself room for maneuver and thought.

  As for who would be the deputy envoy, who would be the traveling commander and who would be the team leader, it ultimately depended on the emperor's consideration of the candidates' family background. To put it simply, he wouldn't eliminate the son of Liang Shouyu or only let Wei Baoyun be a small ninth-grade team leader.

  The emperor's thoughts, who else isn't as transparent as a mirror? After selecting and choosing, apart from the position of prime minister which requires fair competition to decide, other official positions are ultimately determined by family background and reputation.

  Qin Shu Bao stroked his long beard and chuckled, "Old Cheng, what are you worried about? Although I didn't go to the scene to watch the battle, I know that among the candidates, the most outstanding one is your third son, plus Chang Sun Bian and Wei Chi Bao Yun. If these three people are not elected as deputy envoys, it would be truly strange."

  "It's indeed...” Cheng Zhijie nodded in deep agreement. Changsun Gan, the son of the first minister of Zhenguan, and Wei Baocun and Cheng Huaiyu, famous generals with great reputations, were also skilled in martial arts and had remarkable abilities. According to the unwritten rules, it was possible for the Emperor to make such an appointment.

  "But...it's hard to say!" Cheng Zhijie hesitated for a moment, looking at Qin Shubao with suspicion, and said, "Qin Ergou, do you think the Emperor will because of that thing from a few years ago..."

  "It shouldn't be." Qin Shubao smiled calmly, "The Emperor's heart is not that narrow. At any time, his eyes are always bright. So many years have passed, I believe he should also forget that matter which was originally unrelated to us."

  "I hope so..."

  .??，！