Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 195 Am I being too polite to you?
Guest room in the west courtyard of the government office in Xi'an.

"Zhu Wushi fought against Xiong Ba?"

Jiang Xuan held a letter in his hand, his face showing surprise.

He sent Cheng Shifei and a few others to Tianchi in secret to bring back Suxin, partly to avoid attracting attention, especially since Tianshan was still the territory of the Tianxia Society.

Jiang Xuan was still quite wary of Xiong Ba at the moment, and he didn't want to get involved with him unless absolutely necessary.

But the main purpose was to lure Zhu Wushi to Xi'an.

He wanted to use Zhu Wushi's feelings for Su Xin to keep Zhu Wushi in Xi'an as a backup trump card, thus ensuring that the fight against the rebel army and the Ming Cult would not be out of his control.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Shifei and his group still managed to alarm Xiong Ba.

Fortunately, Zhu Wushi arrived in time.

Otherwise, Cheng Shifei and the others would also be in danger this time.

"Master, I heard that in the battle of Tianchi, Senior Brother Cheng and the others were also injured. However, Zhu Wushi was the most seriously injured. It is said that Xiong Ba sent his most outstanding disciple Bu Jingyun with people to hunt them down. Now their situation is very dangerous."

Lin Pingzhi stood to the side, his expression very solemn.

Jiang Xuan didn't seem to care much about this.

He smiled and said, "It's alright. As long as Xiong Ba doesn't take action himself, Bu Jingyun alone is no threat to them."

"It's surprising that Zhu Wushi was able to injure Xiong Ba. It seems I underestimated him before..."

Xiong Ba had already entered the ranks of Grandmasters twenty years ago and had begun to make a name for himself in the Northwest martial arts world.

Twenty years have passed, and he certainly can't still be standing still.

It was quite unexpected that Zhu Wushi could fight him without being defeated.

"However, as long as the person is brought back, that's fine."

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Xuan instructed, "Just in case, send someone to meet them and bring them to Xi'an City first."

Lin Pingzhi nodded, then hesitated, "But Zhu Wushi is with them. What if Zhu Wushi doesn't come to Xi'an?"

"Don't worry, with Su Xin here, he will definitely come." Jiang Xuan's expression was calm; he had already grasped Zhu Wushi's personality.

This Iron-Blooded Marquis, no matter how ambitious or skilled in martial arts he was.

But as long as you grasp his weakness, you'll be invincible.

No longer concerned about that matter, Jiang Xuan changed the subject and asked, "What's the latest news from the rebel army?"

Mentioning this matter, Lin Pingzhi's eyes became serious again: "Our informants have received information that in recent days, a large number of Ming Cult members have entered northern Shaanxi to join forces with the rebel army. During this time, the rebel army has also been scavenging for food and supplies everywhere and actively preparing for war. They may soon head south and attack Xi'an!"

"However, major sects such as Shaolin and Wudang have also formed an alliance and have already set off, heading towards Xi'an City. They should arrive in about twenty days at most!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

The various sects, including Shaolin and Wudang, were also an important part of his plan to deal with the Ming Cult.

Otherwise, with his current strength, he really wouldn't be able to deal with the Ming Cult, which has a large number of people and many experts.

It's good that you're here; everything is under control...

Tread...  

Just then, a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard strode in: "Reporting to the Commander, Commander Lu and the men from the Western Depot have arrived!"

The main characters have all arrived; the grand show is about to begin!
Jiang Xuan stood up: "Let's go and greet them."

Soon, Jiang Xuan led his five commanders out to greet them. They saw Lu Xiang Sheng and his men, with Yu Hua Tian, ​​who was serving as the military supervisor, also following behind.

"Master Jiang!"

"Commander Lu!"

The two sides greeted each other and then entered the government office.

"Lord Jiang, you said in your letter that the rebels' target was Xi'an City? Is this confirmed?"

Since the two sides were already quite familiar with each other, Lu Xiang-sheng didn't exchange many pleasantries and immediately started discussing business.

Jiang Xuan nodded: "It's confirmed. Recently, Li Zicheng has sent many spies to infiltrate Xi'an, spread rumors, and cause panic. If he didn't want to attack Xi'an, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths."

Lu Xiang-sheng's expression turned serious, and he sneered, "This traitor is truly ambitious. Xi'an is an important town in Shaanxi and the place where the Qin Dynasty established its capital. It has the aura of a dragon. I'm afraid Li Zicheng is attacking this place because he wants to establish his capital here and declare himself emperor, and fight a protracted war with us."

Lu Xiang-sheng truly lived up to his reputation as a top-notch general. Even though he had not yet fought against the rebel army, he immediately understood Li Zicheng's thoughts.

Of course, this is not hard to guess.

By this time, the rebel army had already occupied northern Shaanxi. Faced with the encirclement and suppression by the imperial army, they could have used northern Shaanxi as a base and taken advantage of the terrain to maneuver against the imperial army and wage guerrilla warfare.

If they wanted to launch an attack, they could simply advance eastward and take the capital directly from Shanxi. There was no need to go through the trouble of continuing south to attack Xi'an.

It should be noted that there were quite a few troops garrisoning Xi'an, and Lu Xiangshan had also led a large army there, so it was impossible for Li Zicheng not to have received the news.

Furthermore, in city siege battles, the attacking side is generally at a disadvantage.

But Li Zicheng did it anyway, so his purpose is not hard to guess.

Jiang Xuan nodded: "The rebel army swept through northern Shaanxi under the slogan of 'equal land distribution and tax exemption,' and marched south. If they really captured Xi'an and declared themselves emperor, I'm afraid there would be quite a few people who would support and follow them. At that time, they would have the moral high ground, and it would be very difficult to deal with them."

Lu Xiang-sheng said coldly, "This rebel is simply delusional. With me, the Grand Coordinator, stationed here, I will never let him succeed!"

Jiang Xuan smiled and did not doubt Lu Xiang-sheng's confidence. He continued, "I have received news that the Ming Cult has infiltrated from Qinghai and joined forces with the rebel army. They should be heading south to attack soon. It's good that Commander Lu is confident."

"Mingjiao?"

Lu Xiang-sheng frowned slightly, his expression becoming more serious, and looked at Jiang Xuan, asking, "Does Lord Jiang have any plans for this battle? Especially regarding the Ming Cult, are you confident in dealing with them?"

Just as Jiang Xuan was about to speak, Yu Huatian, who had been sitting quietly to the side, interjected. He picked up his teacup, gently stirred it, and said calmly, "Supervisor Lu, Lord Jiang's mission is to deal with these Jianghu rebels from the Ming Cult. With Lord Jiang's strength, dealing with a group of Jianghu rebels is a piece of cake. Why should Supervisor Lu worry?"

"As for military matters with the rebels, Lord Jiang doesn't understand these things, so why should Commander Lu make things difficult for him?"

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Lu Xiang-sheng looked somewhat embarrassed. He naturally understood Yu Hua-tian's meaning: he didn't want Jiang Xuan to get involved in the war against the rebel army and share the credit.

After all, Yu Huatian is the military supervisor. If Jiang Xuan is allowed to interfere in everything, who will get the credit in the end?
However, this eagerness to claim credit before the battle has even begun truly angered Lu Xiang-sheng.

But Yu Huatian represented the Emperor, and he was powerless to do anything about it, so he could only give Jiang Xuan a helpless look.

Jiang Xuan waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to take it to heart, then looked at Yu Huatian with a calm expression and said, "Am I giving you too much face?"

Everyone was stunned.

Yu Huatian was momentarily stunned, and frowned as he looked at Jiang Xuan: "What do you mean by that, Lord Jiang?"

"literal meaning."

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "Did I warn you before? Before you have the absolute strength to compete with me, your only source of confidence is the Emperor's favor. But in front of me, you'd better keep a low profile. It seems you haven't taken a word of my words to heart. Or is it that the West Depot's power has been expanding over the past six months, making you think you're all that again?"

Yu Huatian's face stiffened. He suppressed his anger, stared at Jiang Xuan, and gritted his teeth, saying, "What I said is all reasonable. Lord Jiang's purpose in coming here is to deal with this group of Jianghu rebels. Does Lord Jiang have any objection to the Emperor's decree?"

"Look, here you are again." Jiang Xuan shook his head, looking at him as if he were an idiot, sighed, and said, "In the past six months, I have not interfered in the affairs of the court, allowing your Western Depot to grow bigger, simply because I am too lazy to care. But that does not mean that I really dare not touch you. Otherwise, even with the Emperor's protection, it would be no different for me to crush you than crush an ant."

"Once we leave the capital, do you still dare to use the Emperor to intimidate me?"

"What makes you think that I, the Emperor, would really allow you to challenge my bottom line step by step and climb over my head to act arrogantly and domineeringly just because of the Emperor?"

Although Jiang Xuan's tone was calm, the atmosphere in the yamen instantly became extremely heavy.

Yu Huatian stared intently at Jiang Xuan, his face grim, almost unable to contain his anger. Yet, looking into Jiang Xuan's calm gaze, he felt a sudden, inexplicable fear.

He had no doubt about the truthfulness of Jiang Xuan's words.

This guy actually doesn't respect the Emperor at all; he really dares to kill him!
How dare he? !
Yu Huatian roared inwardly, his fists clenched so tightly beneath his wide python robe that they cracked, but he held back his rage.

At this moment, Ma Jinliang, who was standing to the side, could not hold back any longer. He stepped forward, blocking Yu Huatian's path, looked at Jiang Xuan, and angrily rebuked him: "How dare you, Jiang Xuan! In front of Governor Lu, you dare to be so rebellious! Do you want to rebel?!"

Jiang Xuan glanced at the loyal dog protecting its master, and without even bothering to say another word, he slapped Ma Jinliang across the air. Ma Jinliang let out a scream and flew out of the yamen.

Everyone was immediately stunned.

Yu Huatian's face grew even uglier. Behind him, Tan Luzi, Ji Xueyong, and An Jianqing, who had originally wanted to step forward to protect their master, were now standing there in horror, not daring to move.

"You have no respect for elders."

Jiang Xuan withdrew his gaze, looked at Yu Huatian, and said indifferently, "You have no right to speak here. Take your men and get out."

Humiliated in public like this, Yu Huatian's face turned red with anger, but he still dared not retaliate. He stared at Jiang Xuan for a moment, then turned up and strode away.

The members of the West Depot felt deeply humiliated, but they dared not utter a sound. Instead, they breathed a sigh of relief and fled with Yu Huatian as if their lives depended on it.

Seeing this, Xu Longqing and the others felt extremely pleased.

In the past six months, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has been neglected by the Emperor, while the Western Depot has become an object of patronage for powerful officials in the court. Although the people of the Western Depot dare not provoke them and the two sides keep to themselves, there is nothing they can do. They can only watch helplessly as the Western Depot grows bigger and its power gradually reaches its zenith, which makes them feel very aggrieved.

But now, this head of the Western Depot was being lectured like a grandson in front of their superiors, not daring to utter a single word, and slunk away with his tail between his legs. They couldn't have been happier.

Beside him, Lu Xiang-sheng and his generals were both shocked and deeply moved.

They had naturally heard about the situation in the central government over the past six months.

I thought the Western Depot had replaced the Embroidered Uniform Guard and become the new henchmen of the court, but I never expected that this Lord Jiang would not take Yu Huatian seriously at all and would act as domineeringly and forcefully as ever.

Even more outrageous, his words were so blatantly disrespectful that he didn't even respect the Emperor!
But when they came to their senses, everyone kept their eyes down and pretended not to have heard anything.

This involves factional strife within the imperial court; it's not something they can interfere with.

Otherwise, the slightest mistake could result in utter destruction!

Only Lu Xiang-sheng glanced at Jiang Xuan with a complicated expression and sighed, "Lord Jiang, some things cannot be said casually. Yu Huatian will definitely not let this matter go, and will surely report to the Emperor. When that happens, how will you deal with yourself, Lord Jiang?"

"It's alright, I have my own way of dealing with the Emperor."

"As for this Yu Huatian? He's nothing but a clown; I've never taken him seriously!"

"Doesn't he even know his own limitations? He wants to be the next Wei Zhongxian? Does he even deserve it?"

Jiang Xuan was utterly disdainful and didn't even bother with Lu Xiang Sheng. In front of everyone, he glanced at Xu Long Qing and the others and casually said, "After this battle with the rebel army, let's find a way to make him disappear."

Everyone was shocked.

Immediately, Xu Longqing and the others replied excitedly, "Yes, Commander!"

The group of men were incredibly audacious, showing no regard for the consequences of their actions. Instead, they were extremely excited, finally able to kill these eunuchs!

Lu Xiang-sheng and the others were horrified.

"Lord Jiang, you...you don't mean to kill us all to silence us, do you?" Lu Xiang-sheng smiled bitterly. "You should at least be a little more discreet. Are you going to kill one of the Emperor's trusted and favored ministers right in front of us?"

Jiang Xuan smiled and said, "What? Does Lord Lu think I'm a pity for such a person and would report me to the Emperor?"

Lu Xiang-sheng smiled wryly, but to be honest, he really didn't have a good impression of these eunuchs. Their deaths would actually reduce the trouble in the court.

But only someone like Jiang Xuan would dare to think and do something like this.

This guy is incredibly audacious!
Lu Xiang-sheng was filled with emotion.

Jiang Xuan didn't take this little incident to heart, looked away, and said nonchalantly, "Let's get down to business."

the other side.

Upon returning to the Western Depot's encampment, Yu Huatian could no longer contain himself. With a backhand slap, he smashed a row of storage shelves in front of him to pieces. His eyes were bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth, growling, "Jiang Xuan, you dog, you've gone too far! You've gone too far!"

Beside them, the people from the Western Depot remained silent, their faces equally grim, yet none dared to utter a sound.

In the past six months, the Western Depot has wielded immense power. Relying on the Emperor's favor, they have acted with impunity in the court. Even cabinet ministers have to be respectful in front of them and dare not offend them in the slightest.

After enjoying their arrogant lifestyle for more than half a year, they all developed a spoiled and domineering personality.

But today's events were like a blow to the head, instantly bringing them back to reality.

They are arrogant, but there are people even more arrogant than them; they are wild, but there are people even wilder than them!
That commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is truly audacious; he doesn't even put the Emperor in his eyes!

They thought he was just a god descending the mountain, but they never expected that he had always stood proudly on the mountaintop and had never come down. That was just what they thought.

Ma Jinliang's face was deathly pale, and there was even blood on his chest. Although Jiang Xuan's palm strike did not seriously injure him, it was still quite painful.

At this moment, his expression was furious, not much better than Yu Huatian's. He gritted his teeth and stepped forward, saying, "Chief Supervisor, Jiang Xuan has gone too far! Not only did he publicly humiliate you, Chief Supervisor, but he also disregards the Emperor. This man is utterly rebellious! We must immediately send a letter to the Emperor and ask him to make a decision!"

"Your Majesty, and then what?"

Yu Huatian calmed down slightly. His eyes were cold, and his expression was uncertain. He said, "Since he dared to humiliate me in public today, it means he has already made preparations for a response. He is not afraid that we will report this matter to the Emperor..."

"So... what does the Supervisor mean?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

Yu Huatian gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "He... wanted to kill me!"

Everyone was shocked.

"He...how dare he?!"

"The Chief Supervisor is the Imperial Depot's Director, personally appointed by the Emperor, and he possesses the Imperial Sword. How dare he be so rebellious?!"

"If he didn't dare, he wouldn't have dared to say such treasonous things in front of Lu Xiang-sheng and the others today!"

"This guy has gone mad; he's harbored rebellious intentions for a long time!"

Yu Huatian took a deep breath, his eyes flashing, and gritted his teeth, saying, "No one can help us now. If we wait any longer, we'll only face death!"

"Strike first and you'll be in trouble; if you strike later, you'll suffer. We can't wait any longer!"

"I must... strike first!"

A chill flashed in Yu Huatian's eyes.

(End of this chapter)