The Ming army had different standard knives according to different arms. The back of each knife was engraved with the unit number and the fire seal of the founding yamen.
The Ming Dynasty had strict regulations on standard weapons, including bows, crossbows, swords, armor, etc.
Ordinary people are not allowed to hide long knives, long swords, armor, helmets, and hard bows in their homes.
High-ranking officials and noble families may have imperial soldiers, but the number is strictly regulated, and the use of standard weapons must be registered.
Only those with a fifth rank as a military general and a third rank as an honorary officer or above are allowed to wear swords or swords when going out.
Anyone who possesses prohibited weapons or armor will be punished for treason.
Therefore, the fact that soldiers and gatekeepers are allowed in the house shows that the official status of the owner is not low.
Generally, only residences with third-grade officers and second-grade officers or above are allowed to carry standard weapons.
Xu Qin walked up the high steps and looked up at the inlaid plaque, which read 'Jingyuan Villa' in block letters.
Yes, this is it.
"Who are you looking for? Do you have a greeting card?" A guard came forward and asked.
"Please inform the owner of your village that a member of the Xu clan from the capital has come to pay homage to the owner."
Xu Qin said, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Then... Master, please come in first."
When the gatekeeper of the villa saw that Xu Qin didn't even have a greeting card, he began to want to refuse.
But after hearing that he had come all the way from the capital, and that he was of extraordinary bearing, he hesitated for a moment and let Xu Qin in alone.
Xu Sanlang took the horse and found a quiet place outside the village to wait.
"Thank you!"
The guard of the villa took Xu Qin directly into a courtyard, "Sir, please rest here for a while and let me know when I come in."
"Excuse me." Xu Qin saluted with his fists clasped.
The guard hurried in.
Xu Qin did not go into the house to rest, but began to ponder and look around in this huge villa.
The professional habits of archeology in his previous life made him start to look at the mysterious villa in front of him like a spy.
He came here because of his fame.
The structure of this villa is very different from ordinary buildings in the Ming Dynasty.
First of all, the foundation of this villa is very high and paved with huge stones.
From the main entrance of the villa to the front hall, you must first go up the steps about three meters high.
From a construction point of view, the foundation is built so high that it is either waterproof or contains underground fortifications.
Huai'an is the capital of canals, with abundant waterways. The high foundation may have been built to prevent the intrusion of river water or water from nearby valleys.
This villa covers an area of hundreds of acres, and the foundation building alone is a huge investment.
Looking at the buildings on the ground of the villa, there are wide beams and brackets supported by thick wooden pillars below. The space is very large, like a solid palace.
However, the furnishings inside are very simple, and there are no people around. The entire villa looks very tall and empty.
"Who are you? How did you get in?"
Behind Xu Qin, who was looking around, a young man's voice suddenly came.
Xu Qin turned around suddenly and saw a young man wearing brocade casual clothes, a sword inlaid with gems on his waist, and a black cloak walking over, looking domineering.
He is about 20 years old, tall and strong, with fair skin, slender eyes like peach blossoms, golden hairpins, and a dark look between his eyebrows.
Behind him were six strong young men in warrior attire with wild goose feather swords hanging on their waists.
Seeing the young man's attire and imposing manner, Xu Qin estimated that he was the young master of this villa, or some other important role.
Xu Qin hugged his fists, stepped forward and bowed, saying:
"If I may excuse you, my surname is Xu. I am from the capital. I have made a special trip to pay homage to the owner of your village."
For reasons of caution, he could not give his name directly and could only be vague.
"The surname is Xu...the capital master..."
Unexpectedly, this young man didn't react at all.
Clearly he was not an insider.
It turned out that a few days ago, someone went to the Wei Guogong Mansion and handed in a greeting card saying that he wanted to meet Xu Huizu.
Xu Fu took the invitation to Xu's ancestral hall to report to Xu Huizu.
But Mr. Xu only glanced at the greeting card and refused without much thought.
Afterwards, the man shook his head and left in disappointment.
That night, Xu Fu told Xu Qin about the incident.
There were only a few words on the greeting card: Jingyuan Villa, Huai'an Prefecture.
Xu Qin frowned after hearing this.
Just over a month after Huai'an returned, someone came to deliver the letter.
Anyone with a discerning eye knows that Jin Yiwei's spies are all around the capital, and the area around Xu Mansion is no exception.
Who is this Jingyuan Villa? It dares to blatantly come to the house to ask for an audience with the head of the Xu family.
You should know that Xu Huizu is still the person appointed by the emperor to bear the crime.
Is this a deliberate frame-up, or is there another hidden agenda?
Xu Qin happened to take advantage of the opportunity to sign a contract at the Zhuqiao Town Salt Mine and turned from Shanyang County to Huai'an Fucheng without anyone noticing.
Come and explore this quiet villa in person.
His intuition told him that this villa was not simple.
Just as he was about to continue explaining, the guard who had just brought him in came over, clasped his fists and saluted the young man in robes:
"Report to the Young Master, this young master was brought in by me. He said he came from the capital..."
"However, my father has an order and cannot allow strangers to enter Jingyuan Villa at will."
The young owner of the village was a little unhappy. He interrupted the doorman very rudely, with an expression that said he would not sell anything to anyone.
"Even guests who hand in name cards should wait in the living room next to the main door. This is a forbidden area and strangers are not allowed to break in at will!"
The young owner of the village not only scolded the kind-hearted guard, but his tone of voice was obviously contemptuous and suspicious.
It's just a dilapidated villa that looks like a secret unit or a military fortress.
Of course Xu Qin was unhappy.
Damn it, I’m not here to apply for a job, I’m still a guest.
Even if the backstage of this villa is very tough, it cannot be so arrogant.
"This young owner of the village, the doorman just now was kind-hearted and asked me to wait here while he went in to report. How do you call it random intrusion?"
"This villa has no way of hospitality?"
"If that's the case, I'll just leave."
With that said, Xu Qin walked towards the door with an angry tone.
"Be bold!"
"Now that we've broken in, how can we just leave?"
"Then our Huai'an Prefecture, Jingyuan Villa, is too casual."
The young village owner snorted coldly.
He saw that although Xu Qin was dressed like a young man, he was only sixteen or seventeen years old.
Just now I was looking around at Thief Xi, who didn't look like a prominent figure in the world at all.
Maybe he was also a charlatan.
Xu Qin already understood that the other party was doubting his identity.
This is normal and reasonable.
But it would be too much to restrict his freedom.
Besides, he is the eldest son of the Duke of Wei, and he is from the East Palace.
The young village owner's unreasonableness and toughness further aroused Xu Qin's indignation.
I saw him sneer and say:
"I want to leave, no one can stop me!"
As he spoke, the figure moved towards the door.
"Bold maniac!"
The young owner of the village is probably used to being domineering.
There should be no one in this villa or even in the entire city of Huai'an who dares to stand up to him.
