"Dusk, Yeting Hall led the horse, passing through the bustling streets of Yun'an City.
Having been in this world for eighteen years, Yeting Hall had an understanding of the situation here.
Da Wei was divided into twelve states, with a territory slightly smaller than that of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The emperor was an empress, but the geographical environment was very unfamiliar, with duplicate names of mountains and rivers, completely different from the Five Lakes and Four Seas in his memories from his previous life.
As for the national situation, Yeting Hall saw it as somewhat unstable. Everywhere was filled with unruly martial artists, there were many enclaves relying on natural barriers to claim kingship in the south, and in Liangzhou, beyond the pass, there was a North Liang eyeing covetously. Even in the Central Plains region, there were rumored to be many sinister forces hidden.
Yeting Hall used to live in a small town on the border, poor and closed off. Hearing about the surging undercurrents affecting the situation in the world, he naturally thought that Da Wei could not be considered prosperous.
But after truly arriving in the capital, he realized that he had underestimated the situation here.
The scale of the capital was quite large, with eight main streets, six vertical streets, and fourteen main streets branching out into thousands of alleys. The permanent population within was probably over a million, with infrastructure such as drainage and greenery quite complete. There were even "sidewalks" paved with blue bricks on both sides of the main streets for the convenience of the people. It could be said to be a large metropolitan area without neon lights.
The light rain had just stopped, the weather was cool, and many people were strolling on the streets. There were beautiful young ladies and gentlemen on both sides of the street, as well as young women and ladies walking hand in hand with their children. From the roadside stalls, one could occasionally catch enticing aromas and the shouts of the vendors:
"Authentic roasted chicken, ancestral recipe, not greasy..."
The fluffy big bird had never been on such crowded streets before and felt a bit timid. It obediently crouched on Yeting Hall's shoulder, staring straight at the golden roast chicken being cooked, lightly rubbing against Yeting Hall's cheek:
"Chirp chirp~"
Yeting Hall stopped and took out two taels of silver from his sleeve to look at. This was all he had, the pocket money left over from when he was the young master of the escort agency. He left behind no family property and gave it all to the Pei family.
Two taels of silver, not enough to rent a house in the bustling capital, let alone sustain himself in a cheap inn for eating and drinking for many days.
He was a millionaire in the morning, but by dusk, he had become a wandering vagrant with empty pockets. The drastic change couldn't help but make one feel emotional.
But no matter how hard it was, he couldn't let the bird suffer. As a man of seven feet tall, he thought about how to make money, not how to save money.
Yeting Hall raised his hand and rubbed the bird's head, then went to a roast chicken stall on the street, cut off a piece of roasted chicken, and casually asked:
"Shopkeeper, for outsiders coming to the capital, where do they usually make a living?"
"Oh! Young master is so handsome, it's obvious that you come from a distinguished background. Asking me is probably too much of an honor... There are many outsiders coming to the capital. When they first arrive and are looking for a place to settle down, they usually go to the Mingyu Building in the east of the city. The big households in the city all hire stewards, guards, and servants there. As long as the young master finds it suitable, finding a profession there is simple..."
"Thank you."
"Young master is too polite, take it, and take care..."
Yeting Hall held the roast chicken and went to a small tavern, ordered some food and wine, and enjoyed a meal with the bird. As the sun set on the mountain, he hurried to the Mingyu Building in the west of the city.
Yun'an City was a city that never slept. Before it got dark, the streets were already full of lights, and there were even more pedestrians on the streets than during the day.
Yeting Hall dismounted near the Mingyu Building, strolled along the street, and even encountered a black-painted gatehouse with no signboard at the entrance.
He initially thought it was some unknown government office, but after inquiring slightly, he learned that this gatehouse was the famous "Black Yamen" in the Jianghu - an office equivalent to the Six Ministries, with six chief constables inside, collectively known as the "Six Fiends of the Black Yamen," striking fear into the hearts of people in the Jianghu.
As a standard profession in the Jianghu, escorts were not afraid of the mountain bandits in the Jianghu, but feared the checkpoint set up by the officialdom disguised as tiger-skin officials.
Yeting Hall, out of professional habit, avoided walking directly to the "Yama's Hall" at the gate and instead went to the market square where talents were recruited.
Da Wei forbade the carrying of weapons, so people walking with swords and spears were everywhere on the streets, but they had to abide by the rules of "swords in their sheaths, bows unstrung". Anyone who unsheathed their weapon casually would be detained for fifteen days and fined five thousand wen.
Yeting Hall knew the rules, so he hung the sword passed down from his adoptive father by his waist and covered it with his outer robe to avoid alarming others.
However, he couldn't avoid others who lacked discernment affecting him.
Yeting Hall was leisurely strolling along the street leading his horse when suddenly he heard a sound from behind:
"Huh?"
A movement at his waist, someone reached out from behind and touched his sword hilt!
The sword was the means of survival for an escort. Once it was taken, the person basically had nothing left. To cultivate the instinct of a martial artist, Yeting Hall had often been "stealing swords" by his adoptive father since he was a child, enduring countless beatings.
In the instant of the movement at his waist, Yeting Hall's left hand had already lifted.
Clang!
In the brightly lit street, a cold light flashed!
The pedestrians behind, who were originally casually looking over, never expected a silver dragon to suddenly appear, bringing a crescent moon of cold light in the night.
The street fell silent for an instant.
So when the sound of a blade being drawn startled the people, they all turned their heads at once.
In the center of the densely populated street, a young black-clothed swordsman held an old sword.
The sword was three feet three inches long and two and a half fingers wide, with a straight blade. The hilt was wrapped in black rope, and the handguard was made of brass, carved with chi dragons.
The blade was not smooth like a mirror. The front half was covered with fine scratches. Anyone who knew their stuff could tell at a glance that this old sword had experienced many ups and downs in the Jianghu!
At this moment, the blade did not move, but was held against the neck of a person behind him.
The person
behind was slightly bent over, his left hand holding the sword scabbard, the sword only halfway out, his whole body stiff, his face pale, with a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.
Tick-tock...
Although the sweat bead was small, the sound could be heard throughout the street.
When the people on the street saw this scene, they showed expressions of shock, both amazed at Yeting Hall's lightning-fast skill and astonished at Yeting Hall's courage.
"This kid..."
"Good skill... it's just that his eyesight isn't great..."
Yeting Hall was touched by someone behind him, his eyebrows furrowed, but when he saw the figure behind him clearly, his anger dissipated in an instant. He quickly sheathed his sword and clasped his hands:
"Sir, it's a misunderstanding, please forgive me."
The quick apology was not because the person behind him was particularly powerful, but because he was wearing a black-blue robe, a gauze hat on his head, and an iron feather hanging from his waist - the distinctive equipment of the Black Yamen constables.
Different from ordinary constables, the Black Yamen dealt with people from the Jianghu, had the authority to arrest and interrogate people without questioning, and could even execute first and report later if necessary. No one from the Jianghu dared to defy them.
The constable behind him, judging from his appearance, was about thirty years old, slightly chubby, and had a beard.
Having just experienced a setback in his skills and feeling guilty, the constable wiped the sweat from his forehead and, realizing Yeting Hall's politeness, returned the gesture with a bow:
"Good skill, I was wrong just now. I am Wang Chihu, the chief constable of the Black Yamen. This sword of yours is not bad, it seems to have killed quite a few people, and your skill matches the sword quite well."
Yeting Hall faced the constable's suspicion, calmly replied:
"I am Yeting Hall, a person from Liangzhou, engaged in the business of an escort agency in my family. The sword was left by my father, and it's inevitable to have some bumps and scratches while traveling around."
As he spoke, he took out the "token" issued by his hometown yamen, which clearly stated his "place of origin, occupation, and age," with the official seal of the yamen.
Wang Chihu took the token and checked it, confirming that it did not seem to be forged, and his face eased slightly:
"I didn't expect such a good talent to come from a remote place like Liangzhou. It's said that deep mountains breed outstanding people..."
"Chirp~"
The bird standing on Yeting Hall's shoulder brightened up.
Only now did Wang Chihu notice the bird perched on Yeting Hall's shoulder and was slightly surprised:
"Oh! This bird is quite clever. It's common to see people traveling the Jianghu with falcons, dogs, or parrots, but... what exactly is this?"
"It's a bird from the northern frontier, considered a falcon, um... a fat-headed falcon."
"If you didn't say anything, I would have thought it was a neckless fat chicken. It doesn't look like it can fly very high..."
"Chirp!"
As Yeting Hall pressed down the fluffed-up bird, he casually conversed with Wang Chihu and walked towards a teahouse on the street:
"Does the sir have something to discuss with me?"
"Yeting brothers are the leaders of the escort, are you here to recruit escorts, or to make a living?"
"Making a living. Does Sir Wang mean to recruit me into the Black Yamen?"
Wang Chihu shook his head: "Being a constable is a lowly profession. It may seem glamorous, but once you take off this skin, you'll be chased by everyone. You are young and have good skills. If I were to recruit you into the Black Yamen, it would delay your future. I asked you to come here just to chat, to show you a path to wealth."
"Oh?"
Yeting Hall felt some goodwill towards Wang Chihu's straightforwardness and smiled:
"I would like to hear more."
Wang Chihu raised his hand in a fist and gestured to the imperial city at the end of his line of sight:
"The current emperor intends to choose a son-in-law for the Prince Jing. You, young man, look quite handsome..."
?
Yeting Hall's smile froze.
He had some understanding of the court. The current "empress" was said to have a strong and stern personality. She was originally just a regent, propping up the collapsing dynasty, but ended up deposing her elder brother and ascending the throne herself; not only did she become the emperor, but she also ennobled her younger sister as a prince.
Men mentioned in the presence of the empress or prince, Yeting Hall's first thought was "face first." He was confident in this profession, but he had no interest in it:
"Thank you for the suggestion, but I already have a family. I can't abandon my wife..."
"Prince Jing is martial-minded. If he really appreciates your appearance and skill, he won't mind having an extra pair of chopsticks in the house. If you are loyal to your wife, Prince Jing might even appreciate you more."
"?"
Yeting Hall knew that as a "face first," he might be "used" by the empress, prince, or even the empress dowager.
But the idea of being a "face first" with his wife in tow was the first time he had heard of it.
"From the tone of Sir Wang, does it mean that I have some connection with Prince Jing?"
Wang Chihu's eyes flashed with a hint of pride, indicating the Black Yamen in the distance:
"Prince Jing is the right-hand man of the current emperor. The Black Yamen is not under the jurisdiction of the Six Ministries. It has been assigned to the private guard of Prince Jing. Even the monthly salary is allocated from the Prince Jing's mansion. Naturally, I know him. I didn't mention Prince Jing's identity at first. I'm just talking about martial arts. Prince Jing's master is the 'Imperial Tutor' Xuanji Zhenren. You, young man, seem to be good at martial arts. If Prince Jing favors you,
I can recommend you to him. Learning martial arts with him can be a shortcut to success. Why don't you give it a try and seize a smooth path in life?"
Yeting Hall admired the famous name of "Xuanji Zhenren," the junior brother of Lv Taiqing, one of the "Two Sages," and ranked sixth in the world. He also dreamed of entering the palace to dig out the "Minglong Chart," but he hadn't fallen to the point of "selling his looks" to achieve his goal.
"I am just a wanderer in the Jianghu, a nobody. Where is there such good fortune..."
"Ah, I think you have a good chance, that's why I told you about this. With a bit of luck, you might skip sixty years of detours..."
...
Yeting Hall and the constable chatted in the teahouse, while on the rooftop of the Mingyu Tower in the distance, one could just see this place.
The Black Yamen existed since the founding of the country and belonged to the emperor's private guards. After the empress ascended the throne, it was assigned to Prince Jing because the "Green Bandits" had attempted to assassinate the king several times. The location of its office was also moved outside the Prince Jing's mansion.
The Mingyu Tower was built in the backyard garden of Prince Jing's mansion. Its five floors exceeded the height of the palace walls, which was extremely presumptuous. It was because of this that the people referred to this area as the Mingyu Tower.
As the sky darkened, the lights of the Mingyu Tower were on, and at the top of the tower, an Eastern Departure stood on the terrace, wearing a silver python robe, a jade crown on his head, and holding a gold pen in his hand, sketching the eyebrows of a handsome man on a piece of paper:
"Let Wang Chihu go and inquire about his background. I didn't expect this young man to have such good skills... The sword move just now bears some resemblance to the 'Eight Step Wild Blade.' Could this young man be a disciple of Zheng Feng?"
Behind the Eastern Departure was an old woman with long white hair, her figure elusive, like a shadow standing behind the Eastern Departure:
"I have seen Zheng Feng before, and his move wasn't as light as this. This young man seems to have good aptitude, but he lacks strength. He must have just happened to hit the move."
"It is said that Zheng Feng's master, Madman Ya, stole the 'Minglong Chart' from the palace in his early years. If this young man knows the 'Eight Step Wild Blade,' he must have some connection to this matter..."
The white-haired old woman asked, "Shall we send someone to test this young man?"
The Eastern Departure thought for a moment and shook his head: "The rumors in the Jianghu before the founding of the country are not worth the trouble. First, go and check his background. If this young man is innocent, when the portrait is finished, send it to the emperor for a look. With such a handsome appearance, the emperor might like it."
"Yes."