Ever since returning from Jiaosong County, Xiao Nanhui has been prepared to return to his previous "leisurely" life.
The duties of the soldiers were different from those of Subei, so their ranks were also different. But as far as the guards were concerned, their ranks were probably not much different from her previous position as a squad leader.
With a position like this, even in the camp, there wasn't much work to do. When would it be her turn to take on a job in the palace? Unless...
Xiao Nanhui's heartbeat was a little erratic, and she subconsciously wanted to escape. However, she knew she couldn't afford to offend anyone from the palace, so she changed into her guards' cloth armor, combed her hair, and went to the front hall.
Two men stood in the center of the antechamber. One wore a red robe and a black hat, with a jade pendant slung over his wrist. This was something only the emperor's attendants wore. The other wore a black robe and a jade crown, and was the emperor's eunuch, a Shan surnamed official.
The last time she saw him was in Jiaosong Palace. She was alone in a room with his precious master and even poked a bloody hole in his hand.
Xiao Nanhui sighed, his heart beating faster. He hesitated for a while before walking forward.
As soon as she left, she regretted it. She had been demoted, and the rules were different from before. Dan Jiangfei's status was no less than that of an ordinary eunuch. She didn't know how to greet him, but the two men had already heard the noise and turned around.
After not seeing each other for a few days, Dan Jiangfei still had a smiling face, as if he had long forgotten what happened in the palace, but Xiao Nanhui felt that there was something else in that smile.
Before she could figure out what that extra emotion was, the other party had already spoken first.
"No need to be so polite, Xiao Yingwei. We are here only to pass on a message for His Majesty and to hand over something."
After Shan Jiangfei finished speaking, he signaled the eunuch in red robes beside him to bring forward a wooden box.
"Your Majesty, remind Xiao Yingwei not to forget your oath."
Xiao Nanhui was stunned and paused before stepping forward to take the heavy box.
The purple-red square lacquer box has neither mother-of-pearl decoration nor patterns on it, but its mirror-smooth surface and texture determine that its quality is at least at the level of sacrificial expenses.
With a little force, she pushed open the lid of the box, and inside the box was the Ban sword that she had broken during the festival that day.
Xiao Nanhui was momentarily stunned and amused. She had just casually lied that day about finding a skilled craftsman to re-inlay the jade sword with gold and silver, but who could have imagined that today she would be grabbed by the neck and asked to fulfill her promise?
She also never knew that a person who had to review countless memorials and documents and deal with and decide on various matters every day would have the leisure to take care of such trivial matters.
After all, it was her own words that she said, so she couldn't blame anyone else.
She closed the lid with gritted teeth and said in a low voice with her head down.
"I must keep my promise to show my loyalty."
"That's great." Shan Jiangfei smiled broadly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes almost reaching his temples. He then waved his hand imperceptibly, "One more small matter. Could Guard Xiao come closer?"
Xiao Nanhui didn't understand what was going on, so he just moved closer.
The other party put his palm to his mouth and lowered his voice.
"Your Majesty intends to resume the spring hunt during the Shangsi Festival in March this year. The assessment for newly promoted military officers will be held a few days before and after that. As a result, the captains of each battalion are very busy, and we have had to dispatch qualified and experienced military officers to the palace to help with the preparations."
so what?
Xiao Nanhui blinked and looked at the mysterious eunuch again.
Shan Jiangfei coughed lightly and lowered his voice even more.
"Many people in the camp have recommended you to go. His Majesty has always valued the appointment of talented people, not seniority. Therefore, Xiao Yingwei, you have been given this task."
Wait, how did this become her job?!
It had only been about half a year since she took office and was transferred to Guangyao Camp, and almost half that time she had been alone in Lingxi. Aside from Su Pingchuan, there weren't many people in Guangyao Camp who could even call out her name. Who had nominated her?!
Besides, could this even be considered a small matter?! I'm afraid it's not a good thing.
Xiao Nanhui's expression was complicated, and the word "decline" was almost written on his face.
"This... maybe it's just a few polite compliments from the brothers in the camp, but don't take it seriously. Moreover, I am weak and insignificant, and I have just been dismissed from my post. I am afraid I can't take on such an important responsibility. If I fail to live up to your majesty's trust, wouldn't it be..."
"Hey!" Shan Jiangfei put on a look of disappointment. "Why is Xiao Yingwei so incompetent?! It's precisely because you lost your official hat that you avoided the military selection and this new assignment fell on you. You know, the military selection is an undercurrent every year, but the spring hunt is a leisurely job. As the saying goes, good fortune comes after misfortune, and peace comes after adversity. You must seize this opportunity."
The other party's rhetoric was very sophisticated. On the one hand, they claimed to be doing it for her own good, and every word they said was sincere and earnest. On the other hand, they also made their stance clear. If she continued to refuse, it would seem like she was ungrateful and deliberately mean.
Xiao Nanhui forced a smile and had to retreat in order to advance.
"I wonder where this so-called preparation work will take place? And what exactly will it entail?"
"Very well, very well. Hunting hasn't been conducted for many years, so many details must be communicated to Your Majesty at all times. This errand will naturally be in the city. As for the specifics of the errand, even as an outsider, I can't quite explain it, but it's probably about horses, bows and arrows, and the animals in the enclosure. Guard Xiao, there's really no need to worry too much."
The more the other party told her not to worry too much, the more obvious Xiao Nanhui's anxiety became.
When I thought about what happened in the Jiaosong Palace, a tremor and uneasiness ran up my spine.
Her intuition told her that there was a dark, bottomless whirlpool beneath the calm water ahead. If she moved forward, she would be trapped in it at any time, falling into the abyss and never see the light of day again.
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