"You'll be a Grand Scholar soon, won't you?" Li Shimin asked, nodding in satisfaction.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"After the New Year, the imperial court will send troops to recover Shuofang," Li Shimin said calmly.
Qin Mu looked at Li Shimin in astonishment, not understanding why he was telling him these things. Was he going to send him to the battlefield? That seemed impossible; it was definitely not his turn.
"The recapture of Shuofang is no problem at all. What I'm considering is how to govern it after its recapture. My dear minister is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and the Six Doors have done a great job. I would like you to go and help them." Li Shimin saw Qin Mu's doubt and explained.
"What! I'm going to govern Shuofang? That's not a good idea. I'm so young, I'm afraid I won't be able to win people's hearts in the local area." Qin Mu then realized that Li Shimin had taken a liking to his business acumen, including the resettlement of people through the renovation of the market towns, which was exactly what the recovered areas lacked.
"What are you thinking? I'm just sending you to head a branch of the Six Doors, to offer some advice." Li Shimin rolled his eyes at Qin Mu.
"Ah! Your Majesty thought you were going to promote me," Qin Mu said, rubbing his nose, somewhat embarrassed.
"Chief Constable of the Six Doors of Shuofang, a fourth-rank official, isn't that enough?" Li Shimin looked at Qin Mu with amusement. At this moment, he felt that Qin Mu was more like a young man than usual.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, but I need a few people," Qin Mu said with a smile.
“Yes, that’s easy. Apart from Ma Zhou and Chang Ning, you can choose any other member of the Six Doors.” Li Shimin nodded slightly.
"What!" Qin Mu was dumbfounded. He didn't expect that Li Shimin would not allow him to bring either of the two people he most wanted to bring. Princess Changning was fine, after all, she was a princess, and Li Shimin was not comfortable with her going so far away. But he didn't expect that Li Shimin would also take a liking to Ma Zhou.
"Alright, alright, but I still need to bring two hundred constables," Qin Mu said somewhat dejectedly.
Li Shimin smirked and asked smugly, "Is that your military formation?"
"Yes, even with all my might, I can only create a military formation for two hundred men using the Five Elements Formation," Qin Mu said, somewhat frustrated. The Five Elements Formation plate and runes require many materials, and indeed, they couldn't find any more.
"Okay, go ahead and get busy." Li Shimin nodded, then began to shoo people away.
Qin Mu thought Li Shimin would ask about the Five Elements Formation, and before he could explain his reason for refusing, he was let go. From a corner of Chang'an to the palace, he wasn't even allowed a cup of tea before being kicked out—very Li Shimin-like.
What could Qin Mu do but leave, pondering his future all the way. Li Shimin hadn't expected him to send him to Shuofang, as Shuofang wasn't yet part of the Tang Dynasty, so it wasn't something he had anticipated.
Shuofang is very close to Longyou. The Northwest region is the most complex in terms of power dynamics, and since I used to control the Six Doors, it was inevitable that I would have to deal with these forces.
Now, there is an urgent need to increase one's own strength. Among the people to be taken this time, Xi Junmai is the most suitable. Cheng Huaimo and others have relatively high status. Entering the Six Doors is, frankly speaking, just a transition. If something happens while they are taken to Shuofang, I will not be able to explain it to the families.
Huang Sanjian and Zhang Yi can ask for their opinions. Xiangli Yanran is too young and her strength is too low, so it's inconvenient to bring her along. However, taking two people from the Xiangli family is not a problem. As for Han Chen, it also depends on his opinion, since he is only a guest.
Although leaving Chang'an would mean parting ways with Princess Changning, Qin Mu was at ease. Two days ago, Li Gang visited the Li family again to help Qin Mu finalize the marriage. In these times, once a marriage was arranged, there were almost no changes, unlike in another world where infidelity was commonplace.
The Six Doors raided numerous brothels and gambling dens, seizing not only money but also a considerable amount of medicinal herbs and other materials. The Five Elements Array Plate for two hundred people is still under construction, and Qin Mu is working diligently on its completion. The most crucial task, however, is training those two hundred constables.
With the infusion of Five Elements Pills and Body Tempering Pills, their strength increased rapidly.
"Third Uncle, are you really determined to go to Shuofang?" Zhang Yi asked.
"You don't want to go?" Huang San asked without turning his head.
"How could I? Brother Qin is such a good friend. He's short-handed, how could I not go? I can't be so disloyal!" Zhang Yi said, glancing back at the Six Doors' gate with wide eyes.
"Since you've already made up your mind, why are you asking me?" Huang Sanjian raised his hand and shook it.
"I'm just respecting your opinion, Third Uncle! Where are you going, Third Uncle?" Zhang Yi chased after him and asked.
"I'm going to save those girls who have gone astray; without me, they might go hungry again," Huang Sanjian said.
"Third Uncle, take me with you. I'm willing to contribute my share." Zhang Yi's eyes lit up as he put his arm around Huang Sanjian's shoulder.
"No, you're too young," Huang Sanjian said sternly.
“Isn’t it about paying money? What does age have to do with it? Uncle, you often go to help them, it’s so hard for you, so it’s only right that I help.” Zhang Yi said sincerely. Actually, he didn’t really want to help; he was just curious because his uncle always sent him away.
"Get lost!" Huang Sanjian shouted at Zhang Yi and hurriedly left. He didn't care about the money; he was mainly worried about his nephew, as it wouldn't look good if word got out.
The first year of the Zhenguan era passed just like that. Busy with cultivation, Qin Mu finally felt a strong sense of belonging to this world. He had a loving father, a decent aunt, younger siblings, and his cousin's family—everyone got along well. Most importantly, he had a group of friends he could play with. Although they initially became close because of family ties, they were now truly good friends.
Businesses like Guilou (a restaurant chain) selling liquor, vegetables, and other products were booming, allowing everyone to make a fortune and enjoy a prosperous New Year.
After the New Year, the most lively time is the Lantern Festival. On this day, the commercial street of Fuxingfang also officially opened. Because Qin Mu started construction in advance and had experience, the other two markets and four streets have not yet been completed.
In addition to the festival, the commercial street of Fuxingfang was also very lively. Although the zoo in Banzhengfang was not completed, it was open to the public for the festival. So when the three markets were connected, it was even more lively than the most bustling Zhuque Avenue in previous years. If it weren't for the large number of Wuhou constables maintaining order, it would probably have caused a stampede.
One commercial street focuses on food, while the other on clothing. Having taken the lead, they established a strong reputation, leaving those who missed out filled with regret. Even established businesses still in the planning stages couldn't help but feel envious. Unfortunately, they could only watch others reap the rewards, and could only accelerate their construction and planning, hoping to get a share of the profits.
Shortly after the Lantern Festival in the second year of the Zhenguan era, Chang'an… no, the entire world, was shocked by a piece of news: The Tang Dynasty had captured Shuofang, and Liang Shidu had been beheaded.
No one expected that the Tang Dynasty would send troops at this time, and swiftly recapture Shuofang. Not only outsiders, but even the common people of Chang'an were unaware that the court had dispatched troops. Only those like Qin Mu, whose family members were on campaign, knew that war had broken out. Even so, no one could have imagined that the war would end so quickly.
Qin Mu was also surprised. He thought Qin Qiong was just doing preparatory work. After all, a large-scale war requires more than just preparations in a few days.
It can only be said that Li Shimin was too well prepared and his plan was ingenious, which caught everyone off guard.
Chang'an was in an uproar. The imperial court ordered a three-day celebration. Qin Mu knew that his time to leave Chang'an was fast approaching.
Having only been back in Chang'an for half a year, Qin Mu was already leaving again. He didn't want to, but he couldn't disobey the imperial decree.
"Brother Qin, you're going to make a name for yourself on this trip, and you'll be back in less than two years. It's not time to get married yet, so just bear with it," Huang Sanjian said with a sly laugh.
Recalling the taste of last night, Qin Mu felt a moment of disorientation. He had lived two lives, only to taste the flavor of life before he had to leave.
A mix of reluctance and ambition surged within him, the feeling of a young man leaving home for the first time resurfacing. This time, unlike when he first arrived in this world, filled with confusion and uncertainty, his formidable strength gave him confidence.
"Brother, take care on your journey!" Cheng Huaimo said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
“That’s right, Brother Qin, go with peace of mind. We’ll keep an eye on things for you. If anyone dares to lay a finger on the princess, I’ll beat them to death.” Yu Chi Baolin raised his fist and said.
"Pah!" Upon hearing Yuchi Baolin's words, Qin Mu couldn't help but roll his eyes and silently spit out his own words. No matter how he heard them, he felt uncomfortable.
"Thank you all for your kindness, brothers. I'm off!" The young man wasn't too sad about parting. Qin Mu clasped his hands in return and then jumped onto the ox's back. He wasn't surprised that the person he most wanted to see wasn't there. After all, he had been seen by a group of unscrupulous friends that morning, and girls are always a little shy.
The group followed Qin Mu onto his mount and headed off into the distance.
On the city wall of Chang'an, a beautiful figure, her lips tightly pressed together, watched the departing figure, tears streaming down her face.
Three days ago, the Six Doors received an imperial edict from Li Shimin.
"...Qin Huaidao, the patrol officer of the Six Doors, is hereby appointed as the Chief Constable of the Six Doors of Shuozhou, with the official rank of fourth grade, and is in charge of all affairs, large and small, of the Six Doors of Shuozhou. You shall obey this order!"
Memories surfaced in his mind, and Qin Mu glanced back at his friend beside him, a confident expression on his face.
Han Chen, a fifth-rank patrol officer;
Huang Sanjian, a fifth-rank patrol officer;
Zhang Yi, a fifth-rank patrol officer;
Fifth-rank patrol officer Xi Junmai;
All of them were people he knew well, so they would be easy to use. His retainers included the Bu brothers, two men from the Xiang family, and three hundred constables. This was the entire force he would use to establish the Six Doors in Shuozhou. Originally, Qin Mu only wanted two hundred men, but Li Shimin generously allowed him to take three hundred with him.
Everyone knew that this trip to Shuofang wouldn't be easy, but no one was afraid; everyone was ambitious and eager to make a name for themselves.
The snow on the road had not melted, and the further north you went, the thicker the snow became. The biting cold wind seemed to foreshadow the arduousness of the journey.
"Woo!" A horn sounded.
"Something's wrong!" The group of people walking forward stopped.
Qin Mu also saw it; there were many dark figures in the distance rushing towards them.
"They're coming for us!" Huang Sanjian said sternly.
“They’re faster than warhorses; we can’t outrun them,” Han Chen continued.
"Form ranks! Be on alert!" Qin Mu ordered.
"Click! Click!" Everyone sprang into action, some moving inwards and others outwards, all drawing their weapons.
The shadowy figures arrived quickly, making everyone's faces turn very grim, because these people were all riding huge wolves.
“Beastmen!” Huang Sanjian said coldly.
"Hahaha! Hahaha! Qin family brat, why aren't you running?" The wolf pack stopped, baring their teeth as they looked at the crowd. A figure took off his cloak and burst into loud laughter.
“Wang Jun!” Qin Mu said, his eyes narrowing.
“That’s right, it’s your grandfather from the Wang family! You didn’t expect that, did you?” Wang Jun said smugly.
"The Wang family of Taiyuan, what audacity! They actually colluded with the beastmen, became traitors, and murdered court officials," Qin Mu sneered.
"Pah! The Wang family wouldn't stoop so low as to collude with the beastmen; our cooperation is merely temporary," Wang Jun spat.
"No matter what, it can't erase the fact that your Wang family is allied with the beast race," Han Chen said coldly.
“Kill you all, and no one will know. Qin Huaidao, do you have any last words?” Wang Jun said, drawing his sword as a fierce glint in his eyes.
"I don't know what to say, so let me wish you a belated Happy New Year. I hope that on this day next year, someone will offer you incense!" Qin Mu stroked his chin and said earnestly.
"Bah! Still being stubborn even when death is imminent! Kill them!" Wang Jun brandished his sword and gave the order.
"Woo! Woo!" The wolf pack howled and charged forward, carrying the knight.
As the billowing smoke and blood-red aura rushed towards them, everyone remained unmoved. Xi Junmai slapped his left arm, then raised his longsword and shouted, "Ready!"
With a loud "boom," a surge of blood and malevolent energy rose into the air.
"Kill!" Xi Junmai shouted, leading his men to meet the enemy.
"How is this possible!" Wang Jun's expression changed, and he exclaimed in disbelief. Judging from the blood and murderous aura erupting from Qin Mu's men, most of them were actually martial masters. It should be noted that even elite soldiers were only martial artists, while a martial master was already a backbone general in the army.
Not only that, Xi Junmai swung his longsword, and a bloodthirsty aura ten feet long swept out, cutting several wolf riders and their knights in two and falling to the ground.
Things had completely gone beyond expectations. Two thousand elite beastmen, along with their mounts, were equivalent to four thousand skilled fighters, and they were supposed to be able to easily kill more than three hundred people. But in this situation, it didn't seem like a sure thing at all.
"It's alright, there's still a chance," Wang Jun thought to himself, then turned around and said, "Everyone, it's up to you now!"
Behind Wang Jun, four tall figures rushed out without a sound.
Although the group remained silent, the overwhelming aura emanating from them was undeniable, and Qin Mu naturally noticed it.
"Kill!" The Bu brothers shouted, their hands on the curved swords at their waists, and charged forward.
"Hmph!" Qin Mu snorted coldly, his body soaring into the air, his righteous aura erupting, making him like a dazzling sun. Then, as if it had a life of its own, the righteous aura descended upon his own people, one for each of them, no more and no less.
70
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