Liu Xin arrived in time, which surprised Liu Licheng and also inadvertently resolved some of his embarrassing situations. Then Kou Gang did not continue to be aggressive. After the three hundred households under Liu Licheng finished describing the investigation that night, Liu Xin also understood what happened between the lines.
"This case has been investigated so far, and all the clues have been revealed. Dingwen, seal the scene." Kou Gang knocked on the table, and after listening to everyone's narration, he spoke slowly.
"Yes!" Meng Dingwen, a Qianhu household in the Inner West City, responded casually.
Kou Gang continued: "Licheng, this case is related to the Imperial City. His Majesty takes it seriously. You have to investigate it carefully. However, these people under your command have been busy all night, so don't tense up too much. Go back and have a good rest." The sword never misses the woodcutter!"
Kou Gang's tone was not strong, but Liu Licheng, Liu Xin's immediate boss and Qianhu from the Qianhu Office in Neidong City, looked slightly unnatural at this time. However, Liu Xin didn't know what was going on at this time. He only felt that he This boss, Cheng Fu, is a little too shallow. These changes in his expression are so obvious. This is not a good performance in officialdom.
Kou Gang said a few more words briefly, arranged some tasks, and then let everyone disperse. Liu Xin naturally followed Liu Licheng back to the Qianhu Office in the Inner East City.
Liu Licheng first led Liu Xin to get the Jin Yiwei's fish dragon suit and saber. Liu Xin pulled out the saber and saw that it was a brand new Xiuchun Dao. This was the first time he had seen the rumored Jin Yiwei saber. He couldn't help but stretched out his index finger and flicked the blade, making a crisp clang sound.
The captain who brought Liu Xin here and the clerk guarding the warehouse looked at Liu Xin with some surprise.
Because ordinary people cannot produce such a crisp sound.
Liu Xin is still satisfied with this Xiuchun knife. It is a good knife, at least it can be made of steel.
Returning to Liu Licheng's duty room, I heard the conversation in the duty room from a distance through my good hearing. It was a hundred households under Liu Licheng's command named Gong Kexin.
The three hundred households under Liu Licheng's command are all his confidants, and they are all disciples of Emperor Wu City. Of course, there are also many disciples of Emperor Wu City in the Thousand Households in the Inner East City. It is a pity that although Liu Licheng has worked very hard to run the Inner East City Thousand Households Institute, he cannot easily break through the hundreds of years of imperial uniform guard system. Within the Inner East City Thousand Households Institute, there are captains, small flag officers, and chief flag officers. , there are more than 600 people in one hundred households, and Liu Licheng can really trust no more than 40% of the people.
Just like that Liu Baihu was actually the last hard nail under Liu Licheng's command who had not yet surrendered. After Liu Licheng became a Qianhu, he removed three Baihus and handed them over to his close disciples from Emperor Wu City. And this Liu Baihu was the last one. He was originally honest, but Liu Licheng put him in the last position. Unexpectedly, he was very tough. Not only did he not submit to Liu Licheng, he also seemed to be incompatible with him.
If Liu Baihu hadn't suddenly contracted an emergency and the doctor told him he wouldn't survive for a few days, Liu Licheng would have waited patiently. Unexpectedly, Liu Baihu had a nephew in another province. According to Jinyiwei's regulations, a close relative must succeed him three days after his death. Otherwise, the hereditary vacancy can be arranged by the Shangguan. Liu Licheng thought that Liu Baihu's nephew would not be able to come in a short time, so he forced himself to wait for some time.
However, Liu Xin still came, and Liu Baihu unexpectedly survived the arrival of his nephew. Liu Xin's arrival made Liu Licheng's plan come to nothing, but he probably still had some expectations.
But Liu Xin had to let his expectations come to nothing.
Gong Kexin's voice was loud. He was a typical martial artist, tall and thick-set, with a beard. At this time, his complaints were clearly transmitted to Liu Xin's ears through the door wall.
Liu Xin smiled helplessly. This guy actually didn't shy away from outsiders. There was a mixed bag of people in the Imperial Guard. You didn't even know whose spy someone below him was, yet he dared to speak like this. It seemed that Gong Kexin didn't have the right mind. Not very useful.
"Brother...uh...oh...my lord! That Kou Gang deliberately handed over this matter to us. Everyone knows that Dongchang is responsible for the eunuch's case and asked us to investigate. Isn’t it just for us to have a relationship with Dongchang?”
"What Ke Xin said is not unreasonable. Sir, if we offend Dongchang Fanzi too much, it will be detrimental to our future actions." The voice sounded extremely calm when he spoke, and the same was true for his behavior. Cheng Guotao is also one of the 100 households in the inner east city, and he is also Liu Licheng's most capable assistant.
There is also a man from Baihu named Wu Hao. When Liu Xin first met him, he could roughly tell that he was an ice pimple, cold, and had a stiff face to everyone.
When he arrived at the gate of the check-in room, Liu Xin did not hesitate. Several people in the room were also experts, so they naturally heard the movement here.
After entering the duty room, he bowed and saluted, then stood there, straightening his back.
At this time, Liu Licheng's face seemed a little tired. When Liu Xin stood still, there was no special look on his face, and his tone was gentle:
"Liu Baihu has a good nephew, but Liu Baihu was seriously ill before, and he never told us about your situation. I heard that you have been in your hometown, are you studying or practicing martial arts?"
Liu Xin replied respectfully: "I also studied some books in my hometown, but because my uncle is a soldier, he trained me in this direction since I was a child, so I also learned some martial arts."
"Oh!" Liu Licheng sat upright for a moment, but the other three hundred households looked at Liu Xin silently. Among them, Wu Hao was naturally cold, with a little scrutiny in his eyes, but no other unnecessary meaning. On the contrary, Gong Kexin had a hint of disdain and hostility in his eyes, while Cheng Guotao smiled slightly, unable to see clearly what he meant. However, Liu Xin, with his extraordinary sixth sense, was still able to read Cheng Guotao's words. Feel the prodding in your smile.
Liu Licheng picked up the tea cup on the side, took a sip and said very casually: "It's a bad time for you to come. It is probably difficult for Liu Baihu to speak in these last days. I wonder if you know some of the rules in the Wei?"
Of course Liu Xin knew about it. It was just a test of teaching. Liu Licheng probably had the intention of making a fuss about it. If they are the descendants of ordinary Jin Yiwei, this test is just a fuss. After all, they are pro-army. Although they have to do some arrests, they are not Qiu Ba after all. Some martial arts are enough, as long as they are not the kind of hands-free. Just the power of a chicken.
Although he knew it in his heart, Liu Xin still pretended to be confused and said: "I don't know much about it, so please give me some instructions from Liu Qianhu."
Liu Licheng showed an expression that was indeed true, and then looked at Cheng Guotao.
Cheng Guotao understood and continued: "Since Liu Baihu doesn't know the rules of Weili, I will explain them to you."
Liu Xin's face showed gratitude: "I have thanked hundreds of households."
Cheng Guotao nodded, and then said: "This Jin Yiwei is His Majesty's personal army, but its responsibilities are different from those of other personal guards and retinues. Our duty is mainly the power of false investigation. This is the headquarters of Jin Yiwei in the imperial capital. As for this detailed division of labor, I won’t tell you about it for the time being. The main responsibility of my Inner East City Thousand Household Office is to protect the inner city and be responsible for the investigation of cases in the inner city."
After a pause, Cheng Guotao glanced at Liu Xin, who was pretending to be listening attentively, and then continued:
"As you saw this morning, we were busy last night. But on weekdays, the security in the inner city is still good, and there are no cases. But once a case occurs, it is a big case. You should have been there last night, otherwise you The Hundred Households are leaderless, and things are always not thorough enough. However, because you are new and you don’t know the rules of this guard, and in addition to the affairs behind the death of Old Liu Baihu, you are also quite busy, so naturally Mr. Liu will not The blame lies with you. But since the matters behind Lao Liu Baihu’s death have been settled, Liu Baihu will also officially join the Baihu Institute.”
Liu Xin listened attentively with a respectful look. When he arrived, he first raised his hands to Liu Licheng to express his gratitude, and then nodded to Cheng Guotao:
"I understand, thank you hundreds of households for their advice."
Cheng Guotao smiled and shook his head and said: "You're welcome, this is what I should do. I think I and Lao Liu Baihu were also close friends back then. It's a pity that Lao Liu Baihu died so young, which is very sad."
"but..."
Cheng Guotao hesitated for a moment, as if the next words were difficult to say. Liu Xin sneered in his heart. Cheng Guotao's real purpose was about to be revealed.
Sure enough, although Cheng Guotao hesitated for a moment, he still said it firmly the next moment: "However, the rules in the guard are that although the pro-army is hereditary and the soldiers are not replaced, there are long-standing rules. Anyone who enters the guard must go through Assessment. Otherwise, if you don’t have enough ability to complete my duties as a royal guard, that would be a big deal."
Liu Xin had expected it a long time ago, but now he still looked confused and nervous.
This nervous look fell in Liu Licheng's eyes, but he felt that although things were a little more troublesome, they would eventually go according to his wishes.
He had inquired about Liu Xin a long time ago. He heard that he was a poor scholar in his hometown. Although he also practiced martial arts, he only used some of the training methods taught by the old Liu Baihu when he went back occasionally. What kind of high strength can be achieved by following this method? Liu Licheng didn't believe in martial arts.
Cheng Guotao probably had similar thoughts to Liu Licheng's, so the smile on his face became softer and he continued:
"Liu Baihu, don't be nervous. This is a rule, but it is not harsh. The assessment method is also simple. Find a school captain and you will practice together. Let us see if your skills are qualified. At the same time, we understand Let’s take a look at your abilities. Mr. Liu is very good at teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. Please give me your support in the future.”
Liu Xin showed a grateful smile, then nodded, and the nervousness in his eyes seemed to fade a little.
"Then let's get started without further delay. The case over there is very urgent. Finish it quickly so that we can rest for a while. We have to go to work on the case after noon!" Seeing that Liu Xin had fallen into the trap, Gong Kexin hurriedly urged , In fact, he has long been impatient. He is very dissatisfied with Cheng Guotao's meek way of doing things.
Cheng Guotao heard the dissatisfaction in Gong Kexin's words, but he didn't feel any displeasure at all. He followed the flow and said:
"Ke Xin is right, sooner rather than later, what do you think, Liu Baihu?"
"It's all up to Mr. Liu's arrangement." Liu Xin said to Liu Licheng.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Liu Licheng also showed a smile on his face. He originally thought that if Liu Xin didn't get enough oil and salt, he wouldn't be able to make things worse. But now Liu Xin doesn't seem to have enough brains and has fallen directly into their arrangement, so don't blame them.
In fact, for this kind of thing, Liu Licheng originally thought that the old Liu Baihu was also a good person, so it was not difficult to guess their plan. If Liu Xin had been warned in advance, they would have no choice but to delay the assessment at this time. After all, the assessment is for ordinary captains. Even if you are the successor of a small flag officer, you can ignore this step. After all, being an official always comes with certain privileges.
Cheng Guotao began to arrange the assessment. The location was in the martial arts field behind Qianhu Institute. This was a huge open space where Qianhu Institute usually practiced.
The large open space is surrounded by weapon racks and some stone hammers, cultivation objects within the stone slabs.
At this time, there were nearly a hundred people in the martial arts arena. They had just returned from the imperial city this morning. A large part of these people gathered here after hearing some inside information. Otherwise, they would have gone home or found a place to rest. went. Several hundred households have been busy all night, and they will only become more tired.
Of course, less than half of these hundred people are the small flags, general flags and school captains of the hundred households where Liu Xin is located. They didn't know the inside story here, because they were originally under the command of Lao Liu Baihu, and they were on the same level as the other three Baihus. At least they had no contact with each other until they died. Now they are also curious about the new Baihu who will take over in the future. What does the household look like?
Liu Xin followed Cheng Guotao to the center of the martial arts field, while Liu Licheng and two other hundred households were watching from a distant attic. The matters here were left to Cheng Guotao, and Liu Licheng trusted him very much.
"Liu Baihu, our assessment is also simple. You are a Baihu, so of course you can't find a school captain to practice with you. That would be too disrespectful to you, and it would also be difficult to convince the public. So let's find a chief flag officer!" Cheng Although Guotao was still smiling, his words were no longer as polite as before.
What does it mean to look down on him too much? This assessment was originally quite strict, but that was when Emperor Wuyang restructured the Imperial Guards. Now two hundred years have passed. This rule is still there, but it exists in name only.
Rules that were rarely used in daily life were now applied to him, and he found the chief flag officer. Liu Xin knew it. Although the chief flag officer of Jinyiwei was not as powerful as those in the border army, he was still a good player. .
If he really just came from the countryside and practiced casually for a few years, he might not be a match for this general banner.
"Tian Ba! Come here!" Cheng Guotao naturally saw the hesitation and slight anger on Liu Xin's face, but he didn't care about it at the moment. He waved from a distance, and a chief flag officer named Tian Ba trotted over. This man has a strong build and a dark complexion. At first glance, he looks like a strong man. If you look carefully, you can see the deep calluses on his palms and the thick skin on the back of his hands...
"My subordinates have seen hundreds of households!" When Tian Ba arrived in front of the two of them, he did not say hello to Liu Xin. Liu Xin estimated that this man had known for a long time that he was going to practice with Liu Xin, and he knew that Liu Xin would probably be kicked out of Jinyiwei. , naturally there is no need to be polite.
"Okay! This is the chief flag officer under Ke Xin. He is a little older than you and the youngest among all the chief flag officers. Do you think Liu Baihu is okay?" Cheng Guotao asked Liu New, but the tone didn't sound like a discussion.
Liu Xin naturally would not object and just nodded.
Then Cheng Guotao said to Na Tianba: "Practice with Liu Baihu, don't embarrass me Qianhu, don't deliberately withdraw your strength just because Liu Baihu is new. This is disrespectful to people." , will also make Liu Baihu unable to convince the public!"
"Yes! I understand, please don't show mercy to Liu Baihu!" Tian Ba's eyes were very cold, and his tone was not very kind when he looked at Liu Xin.
Liu Xin just nodded and said calmly: "Of course, I will do my best!"
Later, more and more onlookers gathered around the martial arts arena because word spread about the incident. Many of them couldn't help but whisper when they saw that Liu Xin was going to fight Tian Ba.
"Liu Baihu is new, and he actually has to fight against Tian Ba. He was recruited from the border town. He is very powerful. He is the most powerful among the general banners. I think Liu Baihu will be embarrassed!"
"Not only is it embarrassing, you may also lose your position in these hundreds of households!"
"Ah, how could it be? I heard that he is Liu Baihu's nephew!"
"So what, Liu Qianhu wants him to leave, and it doesn't matter that he is Liu Baihu's son!"
...
There were more and more Jin Yiwei watching, and the voices of their conversations were getting louder and louder. However, they were all gathered together, so the two people in the center of the martial arts arena could not hear clearly.
At this time, Cheng Guotao had retreated not far away. Tian Ba and Liu Xin were dozens of steps apart, which was not very far away. Tian Ba cupped his hands towards Liu Xin and shouted in a low voice:
"Liu Baihu, be careful!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tianba had already rushed out. His body was very low, like a ferocious leopard. Because of the momentum of a dive, Tianba had already picked up speed in an instant, and was getting faster and faster!
He had never practiced martial arts properly, but because of his cruelty, he had been honing his skills in the border town for several years, and his skills were quite good. His Shangguan was from Emperor Wu City, so he recommended him to come to the imperial capital and join the Jinyi Guard. In the past two years, he has been exposed to formal martial arts, and his skills have become even more powerful. If he had not missed the best time to open up the meridians, as long as he could open up the meridians and enter the realm of Xiaocheng, he could even be qualified for the responsibilities of a hundred households. .
However, despite this, his strength is already on par with the warriors of Xiaocheng Realm. After all, the skills are honed in life and death. The explosive power and lethality in an instant are extremely terrifying, far beyond the comparison of ordinary warriors.
Tian Ba rushed over the distance of dozens of steps in just two or three breaths. He expected that Liu Baihu might not have reacted at this time. If so, then give him a good time!
Spreading his hands into claws, Tianba looked at Liu Xin who was very close at hand, and launched a fierce blow!
Then...it gets dark!
Tianba felt that the sky suddenly turned dark, and the next moment, he lost consciousness.
In the martial arts arena, it suddenly became quiet. Everyone was stuck on the actions of the previous moment. Some people opened their mouths...
what happened? what happened!
This question appeared in everyone's mind.
Just now, Tianba pounced ferociously, and everyone else felt the chill and fierceness from this pounce. If it were him, he might be timid before fighting. Some people have begun to speculate whether Liu Xin can block this attack. hit.
But the next moment, Liu Xin just turned sideways slightly without making any movement, and Tian Ba slid past him, took two steps forward, and then fell heavily to the ground!
By the looks of it, he was already unconscious!
Just when everyone was confused, Cheng Guotao stepped forward quickly. His expression was solemn and he couldn't laugh at this moment. Even he didn't see clearly what just happened.
In the distant attic, Liu Licheng's originally smiling face suddenly turned cold, and then his eyes narrowed.
"Brother, what's going on!" On the side, Gong Kexin's tone was full of doubts. Tianba is his subordinate, and Gong Kexin knows his ability well. If he can compete with the warriors of Xiaocheng Realm, Even he himself couldn't defeat Tianba with one blow.
Privately, Liu Licheng, Gong Kexin and other three hundred households are called brothers. They are all disciples of Emperor Wu City, but Liu Licheng's status is higher than the other three, but because they work together, they naturally have to have a good relationship. , so they became brothers.
Because of the distance, although Liu Licheng had some guesses, he was not completely sure. His cultivation was naturally the highest among Qianhusuo, not even a little higher, but because of this, he felt a coldness gathering in his heart.
If this Liu Xin is really a master, it will turn from trouble to disaster.
"Let Guotao come back to my place once. I want to ask what happened." Liu Licheng left a cold sentence, turned around and went down to the attic. He didn't know where he went.
Cheng Guotao had already checked Tian Ba's injuries and confirmed that he was just knocked unconscious, so he stood up slowly, with a look of shock, confusion, and other emotions on his face. He looked at Liu Xin for a long time and then calmed down. He said slowly:
"Liu Baihu, you are...not showing your face!"
Liu Xin chuckled, showing his white teeth and said:
"Lucky, lucky!"
"You..." Cheng Guotao was speechless for a long time.
A moment later...
When Cheng Guotao rushed to Liu Licheng's check-in room, before Liu Licheng could ask, Chen Guotao asked with shock in his tone:
"Brother, where did Liu Xin come from? I asked him where such strong martial arts came from, and he actually told me... He said... that year, an old monk came to the family... "
Liu Licheng was pretending to drink tea calmly, but he was shocked by the last part of Cheng Guotao's words. Then he spit out a mouthful of tea with tea foam, and violent coughs resounded throughout the room.
