Chapter 23 It was as dazzling as a white rainbow.
Li Bi raised his voice: "Commander-in-Chief Mei Xuewu, Mei Xuewu?"
Jiang Linzhou took a deep breath, stepped forward from the crowd, and said with a forced smile, "Your Excellency, Young Master Mei is ill and requests my permission to take leave for you."
Ji Chengnin gave a cold laugh, exuding a strong sense of oppression. "Weren't all the people present just now?" He added, "Commander Mei's illness came at just the right time, precisely when training began."
Jiang Linzhou chuckled and said, "People's fortunes can change in an instant; it's beyond human control to predict."
Ji Chengning clapped his hands, "Well said!" The man was so frightened that his shoulders trembled, "Someone, bring me my horse."
The horse was tied to the railing, and everyone was puzzled when they saw it earlier, but now they suddenly realized that the young marquis had made preparations in advance.
Lü Zhong hurriedly led his horse forward.
"What a coincidence! I have always admired Commander Mei, but I regret that I cannot meet him. Since he is ill, I will go and visit him."
Upon hearing this, several guards' expressions changed drastically.
"grown ups!"
"Your Highness, actually Commander Mei told him..."
Ji Chengnin gave them no chance to explain, mounted his horse, and swiftly rode off.
Jiang Linzhou exclaimed in alarm, "This is bad! Quickly, go and inform the commander!"
"Even if the young marquis wants to visit the commander, he should go to the princess's residence to find him. What are we afraid of? Does Ji Chengning dare to offend Her Highness the Eldest Princess?"
"Regardless, let's follow him and see what he's up to!"
Ji Chengnin, however, did not intend to go to the Princess's residence.
Firstly, he wasn't crazy enough to force his way into the Princess's residence; secondly, Mei Xuewu wasn't even at the Princess's residence.
Ji Chengnin's bright red lips curved upwards, forming an arrogant and smug smile.
They rode their horses all the way to Zhangtaifang.
In less than a quarter of an hour, a simple and elegant courtyard came into view. From the outside, it was no different from an ordinary house, except for two pink lanterns hanging at the entrance.
Ji Chengnin pushed open the door and entered.
The courtyard was small, and you could see almost everything from the entrance. Under the wooden corridor stood a boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old, who was holding a copper basin and splashing water out. Hearing the noise, he looked up and was startled by Ji Chengnin bursting in. The copper basin in his hand fell to the ground with a thud.
Who are you?!
Ji Chengning gave the boy a very handsome smile and waved his token, "Light Guards, search! I heard you're harboring deserters?"
The boy had never seen such a handsome man before; he was amazed, but also a little afraid.
Dark clouds loomed over the city, and the morning was damp and cold. Most of the flowerbeds in the small courtyard were in bloom, and the air was filled with mist, making the excessively handsome man appear to stand in the white fog.
Like a monster that drinks human blood and digs out people's hearts.
The boy stammered, "Officer, only my brother and I live in this courtyard. We are a respectable person. Please don't listen to those scoundrels who slander our innocence."
As he spoke, he reached into his sleeve to take out money, but before he could even pull out his purse, Ji Chengning reached out and pulled open the half-open window, then swiftly pushed off the wall and pounced into the bedroom like a hungry tiger.
"Sir!"
"ah!"
Although Mei Xuewu heard the argument outside from inside the house, she paid no attention to it.
It was common for the Imperial Guards and their ilk to extort money from these young actresses. Mei Xuewu lazily opened his eyes on the bed, put his arm around the beautiful woman whose shoulders were trembling, kissed her, and teased, "What are you afraid of? When he comes in, I'll make him kowtow and apologize to you."
Before Mei Xuewu could kiss her again, everything suddenly went black.
Something he didn't know flew in and landed squarely on his bed.
For Mei Xuewu, a beautiful woman throwing herself into his arms should have been a joyous occasion, and it would have been even better if the woman hadn't been eyeing him with lustful intent.
Mei Xuewu had never seen such a bold Imperial Guard before. He was about to get up and reprimand them without even having time to put on his trousers, but Ji Chengning was faster than him.
Mei Xuewu felt the cushion sink in with a thud. The audacious bastard, wearing military boots, swept his leg, and with a gust of wind, he was kicked back onto the bed. Ji Chengning pressed down on him, his knee slamming into Mei Xuewu's lower abdomen, pinning him against the headboard.
"Creak—"
Mei Xuewu seemed to hear the sound of her ribs breaking, and was so badly hit that she almost coughed up blood.
"Help! Someone come quick!" the pretty girl cried out in a panic as she put on her clothes.
Ji Chengnin's smile was quite handsome, but it sent chills down Mei Xuewu's spine. She used the token to lift his chin and asked knowingly, "Are you Mei Xuewu?"
Mei Xuewu was good-looking. After all, his father had married a prince because of his good looks. Mei Xuewu resembled his father and was naturally very handsome. However, he was obviously worn down by wine and women. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his gaze was wandering and listless.
Mei Xuewu's vision blurred with pain, but upon hearing this, he forced a cold laugh despite the agony, saying, "Now that you know it's me, you'd better let go!"
Ji Chengnin asked with a smile, "Do you know who I am?"
"I don't care who you are!" Mei Xuewu's handsome face twisted into a ferocious expression. "I'm your grandfather!"
"Smack!"
Ji Chengning casually grabbed the token and slapped him across the face.
The thick, black iron token pressed against the person's soft skin, making a crisp snapping sound.
Mei Xuewu was so dizzy from the beating that he saw stars. He first felt a burning pain, and then shame. "You, you actually dared to hit me!"
Mei Xuewu was, after all, a scion of a prominent family. Unlike Xu Jing'en, a rising star whose father had promoted him midway through his career, the biggest difference was that Mei Xuewu was even less resilient to a fight than Xu Jing'en.
With a single strike of the token, the young master's fair cheek immediately swelled up, revealing an incised "Ji" character.
“Say it again.”
Mei Xuewu had lived for twenty years, and this was the first time anyone had dared to hit him, especially right in the face. His blood boiled, and he immediately cursed, "I'm your ancestor! You wait, if my mother finds out, I'll kill your whole family!"
Ji Chengning slapped him again with his other hand.
He wasn't annoyed, and still smiled, saying, "Say it again."
Mei Xuewu's face was jerked to the side by the blow, his mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood. The pain was excruciating, so intense it made his nose sting. "A scholar can be killed, but not..." he stammered.
Before he could finish speaking, the token was swung with great force. Mei Xuewu instinctively closed his eyes, and the pain he had imagined arrived as expected. He was slapped to the ground and fell limply onto the pillow.
Ji Chengnin sneered, "Pah! Coming out to solicit male prostitutes while on duty? You dare call yourself a gentleman?"
Mei Xuewu's eyes were filled with stars, and she was too weak to resist. She could only glare at him hatefully.
The young beauty sobbed, "Young Master Mei and I are deeply in love. We are not as despicable and filthy as you say."
Ji Chengnin raised his hand.
The pretty girl immediately shut her mouth, biting her lower lip tightly, her eyes filled with sorrow.
"Who exactly are you," Mei Xuewu spat out a mouthful of blood, "?
Ji Chengning scoffed. This bastard had never even been to the government office once. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he was about to throw the token at Mei Xuewu's face again.
Mei Xuewu felt a gust of wind, carrying with it the coldness of iron and the metallic smell of blood dripping from the corner of his lips.
"Director!"
The guards who finally caught up were all filled with horror.
How did Ji Chengnin know where Meixuewu was?
Mei Xuewu looked at Ji Chengning in disbelief.
He is the heir apparent to the Marquis of Yongning?
Is this some kind of thuggish, vicious bastard?
"My lord," the arriving guards were stunned by the chaotic scene inside. The young beauty knelt on the ground, tears welling in her eyes. Seeing so many people, she frantically covered her face with a green veil. Mei Xuewu lay half-dead on her back, half her face covered in blood. The young marquis had one leg pressed against Mei Xuewu's chest, slowly waving a black iron token. "This is..."
What happened?
Ji Chengning laughed and said, "Commander Mei realized that he had broken the order and was too ashamed to face anyone, so he kept banging his face against my token. He even asked to go home to reflect on his actions and was fined half a year's salary. Commander, don't you think so?"
Mei Xuewu, who had been pampered and adored since childhood, had never suffered such humiliation before, and her eyes turned bloodshot with anger.
Upon hearing this, he glared venomously at Ji Chengnin, then slowly and almost imperceptibly nodded.
To be fair, Mei Xuewu's so-called request for punishment was Ji Chengning's way of dealing with her. Mei Xuewu had openly violated the rules, lied and was caught red-handed by her superiors. Such punishment was actually not severe.
The guards secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this decision.
As expected, no matter how arrogant and domineering Young Master Ji was, he still had to consider the face of the royal family.
Seeing him nod, Jiang Linzhou quickly stepped forward.
Ji Chengnin got up, making a move to get out of bed.
Mei Xuewu's eyes suddenly sharpened, and she accurately pulled out the dagger she had taken from under her pillow to defend herself, and stabbed it fiercely into Ji Chengning's back!
"Click!"
When metal and stone meet, sparks suddenly flash.
Ji Chengning seemed to have anticipated Mei Xuewu's actions. He turned around abruptly and, in the blink of an eye, used his token to block Mei Xuewu's dagger. With a twist of his wrist, he knocked the dagger away.
“Okay.” Ji Chengning smiled brightly.
Mei Xuewu's shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
He had already shown leniency out of consideration for their relationship, but Mei Xuewu herself didn't want it—not only did she not cherish the opportunity he gave her, but she also dared to assassinate an official of the imperial court.
Ji Chengning almost burst out laughing.
He grabbed Mei Xuewu by the collar and dragged her off the bed. "Assassinating an official of the imperial court is an even more serious crime."
Mei Xuewu, her eyes bloodshot, growled, "If you have the guts, then kill me!"
Ji Chengning laughed, "Kill you? Why would I kill you?" He casually pulled the rope hanging from the waist of the guard beside him and kicked Mei Xuewu in the lower back.
Caught off guard, Mei Xuewu suddenly lunged towards the ground.
"Wu Lang!" the little beauty cried out in pain.
Ji Chengning took the opportunity to tie his hands behind his back with a rope, then wrapped the end of the rope around his own wrist.
Seeing Mei Xuewu's disheveled appearance, the crowd couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow. After all, sleeping with prostitutes wasn't a big deal, especially since Mei Xuewu hadn't actually been to a brothel, but had only stayed one night in a private brothel without being caught by the officials. Why make such a fuss?
Just as the guards were about to dissuade him, Ji Chengnin's smile vanished instantly, and he shouted, "Return to the government office!"
These words were spoken with such force that they even revealed a hint of murderous intent. The men trembled, and seeing the miserable state of Young Master Mei, they recalled the "heroic reputation" of the young marquis for beating Xu Jing'en in the street half a month ago. They weighed their own family background, which was not as noble as these two, and dared not say another word.
Ji Chengning stuffed Mei Xuewu into the carriage and took her back to the government office.
This time was different from the past. As the carriage approached, the main gate of the Qingluwei government office was already packed with people, and whispers could be heard from time to time.
"Have you heard? Director Ji went to see Young Master Mei in person."
“Then Mei Xuewu’s mother is,” one person gestured upwards with a meaningful look, “even if Director Ji is as impartial as he is, he still has to think twice.”
"Heh, we should show mercy to those of noble birth, but people like us from poor families must be careful lest we be caught by the new Director and severely punished, even killed..."
The sarcastic tone abruptly stopped.
Ji Chengning lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down from it.
Seeing him return alone, the guards showed a hint of disdain in their eyes, thinking that he was just using them to show off, and that Director Ji was nothing special.
Then, they watched as Ji Chengnin tightened his wrist, the carriage curtain trembled, and a person rolled out from it!
He was a disheveled man with a face swollen like a pig's head.
The guards were startled. Upon closer inspection, they realized that the person who had been keeping his head down, looking so ashamed and angry that he wished he could bite his tongue and commit suicide, could only be Young Master Mei Xuewu.
Director Ji actually managed to bring Mei Xuewu back!
Everyone was terrified. For a moment, the government office was completely silent, not even a breath could be heard.
Ji Chengning pulled Mei Xuewu inside, saying, "To the martial arts arena."
No one dared to delay and hurriedly followed.
A low platform was set up in the middle of the training ground, with a railing on one side, precisely to deal with guards who violated the rules, as a warning to others.
Ji Chengning ordered Mei Xuewu to be tied up.
Everyone gathered, and the huge training ground fell silent for a moment.
Ji Chengning said coldly, "I previously ordered Lü Zhong to read the Qing Lü Wei Law, and you all listened. Mei Xuewu knew the law, yet still broke it. You have desecrated the law. If I do not punish you, how can I face the Emperor?"
He was clearly a handsome young man with a face like a peach blossom, yet his aura was so terrifying.
"According to the law, engaging in prostitution during official duties is punishable by twenty strokes of the cane, unexcused absence is punishable by twenty strokes of the cane, and assassinating a superior is punishable by fifty strokes of the cane. Multiple offenses will be punished concurrently. Guards, bring the cane, and the offender will be punished with ninety strokes of the cane!"
Ji Chengning knew perfectly well that Mei Xuewu's actions were a test and provocation, to see if the new director had a soft or hard temper.
To knowingly commit a crime is an unforgivable offense.
"My lord, my lord," Jiang Linzhou cried, his face deathly pale, "how could Mei Langjun, who has been flogged ninety times, possibly survive?"
Ji Chengnin said coldly, "What a fine example of camaraderie! You'll take forty percent of his burden, how about that?"
Jiang Linzhou's face turned ashen, and he dared not utter another word.
Ji Chengnin raised his hand without allowing any argument, "Execute them!"
Seeing that there was no way to change the situation, the two burly judges each picked up a cane and strode forward, whispered "excuse me," raised the cane, and brought it down hard.
"Slap, slap, slap..."
The sound of striking continued.
After only ten blows, blood and flesh flew everywhere. At first, Mei Xuewu could still curse Ji Chengning for being reckless and that he would report to the Princess and make sure he died without a complete corpse. But then her voice grew lower and lower until it was just a faint whisper.
Mei Xuewu could no longer hold on, her body leaned forward, and she was tightly gripped by the rope on her wrist, hanging from the wooden railing.
The stench of blood permeated the air.
A multitude of pale faces lingered, faces filled with fear, shock, and... a barely perceptible glimmer of hope.
Ji Chengning is ruthless and fearless of the royal family and high-ranking officials. Some people wonder if he is really different from those incompetent directors in the past.
No one expected that this young master, who was known for his wastrel and incompetence, would be so ruthless. He didn't even flinch when he saw such a terrifying scene.
"Chief, Young Master Mei has fainted!"
Ji Chengnin half-opened his eyelids, "How many canes are left?"
The executioner said anxiously, "Sixty-five remain."
Ji Chengning knew that Mei Xuewu would be beaten into a pulp after ninety strokes of the cane. "Take him away for treatment, and continue the beating once he's recovered."
Still want to fight?
One of the guards stared wide-eyed. If you heal him and then beat him, and then beat him again and then heal him, you might as well just die!
Two attendants came up and carried Mei Xuewu away.
Blood gushed down from the wound on his back, staining the yellow sand along the way.
Ji Chengning said coldly, "If anyone violates the law again, this will serve as a warning to others."
He paused, glanced at the pale faces of the crowd, and continued, “Your families have all received the grace of the country for generations. As officials, you should live up to the expectations of heaven and earth and be worthy of the people. Therefore,” the hearts of everyone in the Qinglu Guard were in their throats, “starting today, the Qinglu Guard will be divided into groups of five, and will patrol outside every morning and evening. In addition, every two days, they will have to train for a whole day.”
A voice came from the crowd, "Chief, we patrol and drill every day, so what are you doing at the government office?"
One stone stirs up a thousand waves.
“Good question,” a smile suddenly appeared on Ji Chengnin’s icy face, and he said decisively, “I will go with you!”
"If anyone is afraid of hard work, they can tell me directly to resign, and I will never stop them."
The banners fluttered in the wind, and beneath the dark flags were the faces of young people, full of vigor and high spirits, which stirred the heart in others.
What if Ji Chengning is truly different from any of the previous directors of the Qing Lüwei?
Someone thought to themselves in a daze.
Many of these sons of officials have fallen on hard times and have no titles to inherit. They are able to serve as guards thanks to the protection of their fathers and grandfathers. Are they really destined to live out their lives in mediocrity?
An opportunity to make a name for yourself may be just around the corner.
The young man standing under the banner was proud and dashing, his eyes shining like a white rainbow.
The feeling of sealing the wolf's lair and leaving a mark on the Lingyan Pavilion is too good, too alluring, and even if it is just a mirage, they would be willing to give it a try.
Li Bi stepped forward from the crowd, "I am willing to obey the Commander's orders!"
In the blink of an eye, a resounding cry that could shake the world echoed throughout the entire training ground: "We are willing to obey the Commander's orders!"
A note from the author:
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Honey, I cut my hand while cooking QAQ It really hurts. Posting today's draft.
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