EFB Chapter 36: Selection of Imperial Guards
Chapter 36: Selection of Imperial Guards
That evening, at Fuxianglou Restaurant.
Instead of a private room, the banquet was held in the main hall on the second floor, where more than a dozen tables were set up and the hall was bustling with people. Without exception, all the guests were Liu Baoze's subordinates.
As the deputy commander of Waqiao, Liu Baoze is now enjoying immense prestige. He spends a whopping three hundred taels of silver on a single meal, making the occasion incredibly lively.
Wu He had just been promoted to captain and ranked seventh under Liu Baoze, but Liu still managed to pull him to his side, bypassing the six people in front of him, and even putting aside the three military commanders under his command.
"Gentlemen—"
Liu Baoze, his face flushed with drunkenness, stood up, and the noisy banquet suddenly fell silent. He patted Wu He's shoulder forcefully, his deep voice resonating.
"Today is not only a joyous occasion for this commander, but also a great blessing for Brother Wu!"
"General Guo personally approved his promotion to captain. Looking at the entire garrison, he's the only one of his kind who has reached captain in such a short time since joining the army!"
"Come on! Everyone, come and offer a toast!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the guests stood up one after another, brought wine to Wu He, and showered him with flattery.
Although he is currently only a captain, with military commanders above him and squad leaders of various ranks below him, his military rank is neither high nor low. However, everyone knows that Wu He was personally recruited into the Zhenguan Army by Guo Guiyuan, and it is rumored that he is also the apprentice of the once famous battlefield warrior Li. This makes him a force to be reckoned with.
The battle at Black Mountain truly demonstrated his remarkable strength. He took down eight bandit leaders, more than half of whom were at the Body Refinement Realm, and there was even a shaman at the mid-stage of Body Refinement. Such a record was truly impressive.
In four words, his future is limitless.
Wu He accepted all the offered drinks without hesitation. Fortunately, the alcohol content was low, and he could expel the alcohol through his blood and qi, so he wouldn't get drunk no matter how much he drank, only maintaining a slightly flushed face.
After finishing the round of drinks, my stomach felt a bit bloated.
"Xiao Wu."
Liu Baoze placed his large hand on his shoulder, his thick beard glistening with oil.
"How come I heard you're still living in a brothel? You can't be so reckless at such a young age. A martial artist should know when to be restrained."
Wu He chuckled and said, "Lord Liu, you misunderstand. I stay at the Desire Immortal Pavilion simply for peace and quiet."
"Haven't you thought about getting a yard?"
"without."
"Short of money? No problem, I'll take care of it for you. You don't need to worry about the money."
"Thank you for your kind words, sir. I think it's better for me to stay at the Desire Immortal Pavilion."
Wu He now has nearly a thousand taels of silver in hand, and he had indeed thought about buying a courtyard and moving out of Yuxian Tower.
But then I thought better of it. My fixed expenses for martial arts training each month are over two hundred taels of silver, so I should be more careful with my money.
And most importantly, it was Li Bo who was unwilling to leave the Delightful Immortal Pavilion.
He didn't say the reason, but Wu He guessed it was probably because of money.
After all, his life was too simple; he wore the same cotton-padded coat all winter. No one knew where all the money Xu Niang gave him each month went.
"Fine."
Upon hearing this, Liu Baoze did not insist further, but instead said earnestly, "Since ancient times, people have strived for higher positions, while water flows downhill. Xiao Wu, what are your plans for the future?"
"I don't have any ambitions, I'm just happy to serve you," Wu He said politely.
"Hehe, my career path has come to an end, there's not much room for promotion, but you're different."
Liu Baoze exhaled a long breath of alcohol and said in a low voice, "After this year's autumn harvest, the court has been recuperating for a long time. His Majesty will most likely still lead the Northern Expedition to completely recover the sixteen prefectures including Yan, Yun, and You."
"General Guo once said that there would be a selection of Imperial Guards before this, Xiao Wu, you must seize this opportunity."
"After all, the difference in treatment between our border troops and the Imperial Guards is like heaven and earth. It's not just about the silver and military pay, but also the resources for martial arts training, and all kinds of advanced martial arts. If you can be selected, you will truly be considered to have made a leap over the dragon gate."
Selection of Imperial Guards.
Wu He's eyes darkened upon hearing this.
The imperial army usually consisted of three forces: miscellaneous troops such as surrendered soldiers and local militia, regular border troops stationed in various places, and elite imperial guards directly under the imperial court.
For example, the current Xiongzhou Town Guard Army is composed of these three forces. The surrendered soldiers and local militia are scattered in various remote corners and villages, and their daily work is mainly to suppress bandits and guard the gates. They are a motley crew.
The regular border troops, led by Guo Guiyuan, were the largest in number and guarded important cities throughout Xiongzhou, serving as the mainstay of the defense.
The Imperial Guards, under the command of Zhao Guangyi, were deployed in the rear camps and directly connected with the imperial court. They were the strongest and held the highest status.
Just like Du Jianlian, although his strength was only at the early stage of the Body Refining stage, because he was a member of the Imperial Guard, no one in the Waqiao Camp dared to provoke him.
Status was secondary; what truly attracted Wu He was the cultivation resources.
When I wasn't practicing martial arts, I didn't realize how big the difference was, but now that I've achieved some success in martial arts, I realize how important it is.
Especially martial arts!
With the Book of Heavenly Inquiry, as long as one has the opportunity to come into contact with any martial arts, one can pre-draw a portion of the power.
The martial arts of the Imperial Guards were a field that even his adoptive father had never been able to access.
I'll have to give it a try.
Wu He made up his mind. Just as Liu Baoze said, people strive to go higher, and water flows downhill.
After the banquet ended, Wu He was about to return to Yuxian Tower when a figure hurriedly came looking for him.
"My lord! My lord!"
It was Sun Lin, the former leader of the scout team, who was considered one of his more flexible subordinates. So an hour ago, Liu Baoze asked for permission to appoint Sun Lin as the tenth general of the Bing-character scout team.
This will save you a lot of trouble.
He stepped forward and lowered his voice: "The brothers just spotted a few suspicious Khitan spies in Broken Shoes Alley in the south of the city. What do you think, should we take them down?"
"several?"
"There are at least eight!"
Sun Lin continued, "Recently, with the opening of spring markets around here, many Khitan spies have infiltrated disguised as merchants. I just staked out the area, and there are at least eight such hideouts!"
Kaichun City, as the name suggests, is a market held at the beginning of spring. There were many places in Xiongzhou where people interacted with the Khitan Liao people.
It is said that this was a proposal from a newly appointed top scholar to guard the border, and the effect was quite good, easing the border situation to some extent.
However, this also means that some spies will infiltrate, making it more difficult to eliminate the enemy within the country.
However, for a radical officer like Wu He, this is a good thing.
After all, the progress of mastering five hundred Splashing Blade Techniques was still weighing heavily on his mind.
He circulated his internal energy and blood, then exhaled a long breath, gathering the remaining alcohol fumes.
"take!"
……
Broken Shoes Alley.
It was a concentration of low-class brothels in Xiongzhou, filled with fat, chubby, and aging women, most of whom were diseased. It was nothing like the Delightful Immortal Pavilion.
But as the saying goes, times are tough, and ordinary people don't care about these things. They throw their spare money into this, regardless of whether it's clean or not.
For them, whose lives are precarious and who may never see the sun rise again, what does it matter if they get sick?
But you have to be alive to be ravaged by the disease.
So at night, Broken Shoes Alley was extremely lively, with shouts and noises never ceasing, and the men who spent money wanted to rip off as much as they could.
This is probably why that group of Khitans chose to stay here.
When Wu He arrived, several members of the Dingzi scout team, who were squatting down, came forward to report.
"Sir, six more spies have just come in."
Wu He looked in the direction he pointed and saw several low, dilapidated thatched huts standing side by side.
At least fourteen people.
That's quite a large scale.
He glanced behind him. He had brought twenty skilled men with him, which should outnumber the enemy, but capturing the enemy couldn't be calculated that way.
We need at least twice the manpower.
"Don't make a move yet."
Wu He pulled Sun Lin aside: "Go to Commander Yu and borrow some men. At the very least, they should be martial artists."
"Yes, I'll do it right away..."
"Stop thief!"
Sun Lin had just agreed and hadn't even moved when a sudden shout shook the night sky.
Wu He slightly clenched his teeth, thinking, "What a bastard!"
Following the sound, a dozen armored figures leaped into the air, one of whom was Du Jianlian.