In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 717: Xijun grows wings and transforms into a fish in the North Sea
Two days later, on Qixian Street in Daning City,

It's almost 7 PM now.

The sky had long since turned dark, and there were only a few pedestrians on the street, a far cry from the bustling atmosphere of the daytime.

At Bao Cui Xuan, the manager, Tao Xuan, stood at the door, seeing off the last noblewoman.

The woman had a graceful figure and a slender waist.

Her buttocks trembled slightly when she walked.

She exudes both elegance and allure, instantly arousing desire in anyone who sees her.

Tao Xuan was no exception; his eyes burned with fire.

He stared intently at the woman's round, pert buttocks, as if he wanted to pounce on them.

However, when the woman turned to say goodbye to him,
Tao Xuan's eyes instantly regained their clarity, revealing the refined elegance of a gentleman.

"Manager Tao, thank you very much for today."

"If you come across any more of these novel items in the future, please remember to come and inform us."

The woman's voice was soft and gentle, which made Tao Xuan's breathing quicken.

"Tao Xuan has noted it down. Madam Wang, please take care."

The woman nodded arrogantly at him, then turned and got into the sedan chair.

As the sedan chair slowly drove away, Tao Xuan's warm smile vanished instantly.

It turned cold, with a hint of mockery:
"She's just a centurion's wife, spending her days squandering money."
How much money does the man in your family earn to live on? He'll win you over sooner or later.

Tao Xuan clenched his fists.

He was a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in charge of all affairs in Daming, which was incomparable to a centurion of a garrison.

However, the business he is now engaged in...
Almost anyone could get involved, making him wish he could escape this place immediately.

The more Tao Xuan thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.
Looking north, it seemed as if the view pierced through countless streets and reached the Mi family's mansion on Yiren Street.

The city has been rather unsettled these past few days, so Yueyao hasn't been coming often.
He was filled with lust with nowhere to vent it, which made him even more frustrated!

It's absurd that a dignified commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard can't find a woman.

But he still didn't dare go to brothels.
If word gets out, the image he has painstakingly maintained will completely collapse, and Bao Cui Xuan's reputation will be ruined.

Amidst a multitude of complex thoughts, Tao Xuan sighed.
I walked to the side, ready to pick up the door panel and close the shop!

But as he lifted the first door panel, he saw a note tucked into the crack between the door panel and the wall.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he held his breath.

The previous annoyance vanished instantly, replaced by excitement.

New mission? Or new intelligence?
Tao Xuan calmly picked up the note and put it in his pocket, continuing to close the door.

After all the doors were sealed, Tao Xuan blew out the candles in the main hall, rushed up to the second floor, and eagerly opened the note.

[Early midnight tonight, dead mail box at No. 6 Zishi Street, important]
Almost instantly, Tao Xuan was filled with fighting spirit!

"finally come!"

Ever since he made contact with the city magistrate, he had been waiting for a reply and for further instructions.

But alas, that person seemed to have forgotten him, and didn't contact him for months.

Today, the letter finally arrived!

Tao Xuan moved the oil lamp over, looked at it one last time, and then placed the note on the candlelight.

It was left to be consumed by flames, and black ash scattered.

Tao Xuan quickly changed into a black outfit and smeared his face with black paint.

This is so that when operating at night,
To conceal one's body and face to the greatest extent possible.

After doing all this, Tao Xuan sat quietly at the table, waiting for midnight to arrive.

During this time, he considered countless possibilities.

Perhaps the investigation into Lu Yunyi's military cargo transport incident some time ago has yielded results.
Or perhaps a reply has arrived from the capital.

Or perhaps it's the investigation into the many upheavals that have been happening in Daning these past few days.

Finally, Tao Xuan recalled the rumors circulating in the military headquarters two days prior.

The commander of the Daning Vanguard was arrested, and all the generals and soldiers associated with him were also arrested.

Although no concrete information was received, the commander never admitted it.
But judging from the tense atmosphere in the city, it's pretty much a done deal.

Regardless of the news, Tao Xuan felt he could accept it.
He was simply fed up with this monotonous, ever-changing routine.
He was so bored that even the slightest change could excite him.

The waiting time always seems exceptionally long.
Tao Xuan was somewhat agitated, his breathing heavy.
This condition persisted until the last quarter of an hour before he finally felt better.

He was very familiar with this time of day; he always felt that this time passed in the blink of an eye.

But today, even time that used to seem short now feels incredibly long, and every breath feels like torture.

A strange thought suddenly popped into Tao Xuan's mind:

"If only it were always like this, so long and drawn out, it would keep countless noble ladies in the city in hiding."

Amidst these wild thoughts, the night watchman's gong finally rang out!

Tao Xuan's thoughts snapped back to reality, and he abruptly stood up.

With a stern expression, he walked to the window, opened it, and dashed out!
As May approached, a cold wind was still blowing through Daning City.

Especially in alleys like the back gate of Zishi Street, the howling wind almost drowns out all other sounds.

Tao Xuan found No. 6 Zishi Street with ease.

Looking at the brickwork, the dead mailbox was located at a glance.

He pulled out the bricks and stones.

Looking inside, a look of intense joy flashed in his eyes.

A thick envelope was neatly placed inside.

He looked around, took the envelope out and put it in his pocket.
With a slight sense, I could tell there were about a dozen pages inside.

He restored the dead mailbox to its original state and even grabbed a handful of soil from the ground and threw it forcefully into the crack to cover up the traces of disturbance.

After doing all this, Tao Xuan flashed away and quickly left Zishi Street.

All of this could be clearly seen from a recessed area at the back gate of the mansion across the street.
In the back hall of the Liu residence, Liu Heiying was sitting in a chair.

Ya Rong, dressed in a gauze dress, massaged his shoulders from behind, a happy smile on her lips.

"General, is Ortai capable of being a good official?"

Liu Heiying, interrupted in his thoughts, wasn't angry; instead, he laughed.

"What's wrong with being a centurion?"
Qu Qingfeng's arrest has implicated many people.
Two vacancies for commanders of a thousand households have opened up, and I originally intended to have him directly appointed as a commander of a thousand households.

However, since several officers in the Commandery had their eyes on these two vacancies, I couldn't force them to fill them.

After all, we should give others something in return.

Ya Rong opened her mouth slightly and quickly said:

"General, Ortai can only be a centurion; a chiliarch would have to manage a thousand people, which is too much."

“Things are different now, Asu, do you know? He was the former deputy commander.”

Liu Heiying spoke calmly:
"This time I plan to make him the commander, which can also be seen as a way to balance the power within the city."

Although the status of you Northern Yuan people within the city has improved, achieving complete fairness is still difficult.

A balance also needs to be struck between the military and officials.

This way, they can see the possibility of promotion and feel much more secure.

When Asu served as a deputy commander, he always kept a low profile and was very disciplined.

He was also often advised by the Yuan people in the north of the city that he was very suitable.

There shouldn't be any major problems if Ortai works under him.

As for the position of commander of a thousand, he can be promoted later when it becomes vacant or after he has gained more experience.

I'll also talk to Brother Yun'er; they're family.

Ya Rong smiled gently:
"I will do as the general says. You can make the arrangements."

She was secretly delighted; her son was merely a guard in the Northern Yuan royal court.

I never expected that coming to the open world would allow me to become a centurion.
It will be a prestigious thing to talk about in the future, at least in terms of finding a wife, it will be a great advantage.

She knew that many women from the grasslands would only marry men from the Ming Dynasty.
I just want to become a Ming dynasty person in the future, so I won't have to go to the grasslands to blow sand anymore.
At this moment, hurried footsteps interrupted her thoughts, as did Liu Heiying's.

Hu Xiaowu hurried in and said in a deep voice:
"Sir, the letter has been taken."

Liu Heiying narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded gently: "Understood, you may leave."

"Yes!"

After Hu Xiaowu left, Liu Heiying closed his eyes slightly:
"Xiao Rong, are your people ready?"

Ya Rong's expression turned slightly colder, as if she had reverted to her decisive and ruthless manager persona.
"General, the arrangements have been made. You can make them die however you want."

"The plan has changed; I will send you a list daily."
These are Tao Xuan's downlines and members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; your people are responsible for dealing with them.

Tao Xuan waited for Brother Yun'er to return.

I will have my officers and soldiers openly and honestly charge in and frame him for plotting military intelligence.

For some reason, the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned cold as soon as the words were spoken.

Ya Rong was somewhat surprised. Lifting her skirt, she came to Liu Hei Ying's side. Her gauze skirt fluttered, revealing her long, shapely legs. Her beautiful face was filled with surprise as she whispered:
"My lord, let me make the arrangements. Let them die quietly."

"This is a deterrent. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has overreached. This is to curb their arrogance. From now on, there can be no Embroidered Uniform Guard personnel in Daning City!"

On the second floor of Bao Cui Xuan, the window was slowly opened with a creaking sound.

A figure jumped in from outside; it was Tao Xuan, who had rushed back.

He was breathing rapidly and didn't have time to straighten his clothes.

He sat down at the table with the envelope in his hand and examined it by the dim candlelight.

Upon opening the envelope, the first sheet of paper prominently displayed several large characters.

[This matter is top secret and was sent to the capital through clandestine channels.]
Upon seeing this line of text, a sharp glint flashed in Tao Xuan's eyes.

He took out the letter and looked at it.
The room fell silent, save for the rustling sound of papers turning.

The dim candlelight illuminated Tao Xuan's greedy face, which also held a hint of restless desire.

The letters before him contained mostly secrets of the military command, and the more Tao Xuan read, the more alarmed he became.

He never expected that there would be so many twists and turns in the seemingly peaceful city of Daning.

Soon, Tao Xuan saw the last sentence on the last page.

This made him frown, a hint of absurdity flashing in his eyes.
The funds for repairing the roads outside the city have been raised.
"Collect them all? What kind of business is so profitable?"

Tao Xuan's expression was strange.

He inquired with merchants throughout the city.

It has been almost confirmed that the road construction project is still short by nearly 100,000 taels of silver.
The taxes collected in Daning City had long since been depleted.

If the commander doesn't find new sources of funding, the road might be abandoned halfway.

How come you suddenly have all of them?
Tao Xuan frowned, suddenly remembering something.

Lu Yunyi of the Commandery has been missing for several months and has not returned since the last time the army delivered goods.

Could it be that he has discovered a new source of income?

Tao Xuan thought it over and over and concluded that Lu Yunyi must have made some progress.
Otherwise, the commanders wouldn't have been able to plug such a large gap all at once.

Tao Xuan held the letter and fell into deep thought.
What could possibly be worth 100,000 taels of silver?
Suddenly, Tao Xuan was startled, his eyes widened slightly, and a flash of shock crossed his face:

"ordnance?"

The image of those hundreds of trucks flashed through his mind.
Although rumors were rampant outside, saying that the Mi family business had purchased a set of supplies...
However, the possibility of feigning one move while secretly making another cannot be ruled out.

Having figured this out, Tao Xuan felt the current situation was much clearer.

The reason why Lu Yunyi never returned is now clear.

Tao Xuan resealed the letter and placed it under his pillow.
The plan is to send it to the capital through a clandestine channel tomorrow.

Along with it, he also sent the information he had gathered over the past few days, as well as the movements of the military command.

However, he did not know that

What changes will these letters bring to the commander?
It's unclear whether he'll be given a chance to leave the military command.
Tao Xuan lay half-reclined on the bed, staring blankly at the dark ceiling, and let out a long sigh.

The night always seems to pass so quickly.
As the months progressed, dawn broke earlier and earlier in Daning City.

At dawn, Tao Xuan, who hadn't slept all night, opened the heavy door of Bao Cui Xuan.

The dark clouds dispersed, and the sun shone brightly.
The warm sunshine that greeted him instantly lifted his spirits.

He stood at the doorway, watching people come and go on the street.

Since the weapons workshop, cement workshop, and textile workshop began to recruit workers on a large scale,
Tao Xuan felt that the city was much more lively; at least there were more people and vendors in the morning.

A hazy, warm mist filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere.

Even he had to admit,

After Lord Lu arrived, the lives of the people in the capital underwent a qualitative change.

Just as Tao Xuan was preparing to return,
A luxurious carriage slowly approached from a distance and came to a smooth stop in front of Bao Cui Xuan.

The character "米" (rice) is clearly visible on it!

Upon seeing the carriage, Tao Xuan's heart instantly burned with fervor, his eyes blazing with lust, and his breathing became noticeably heavy.

The carriage curtain was opened.

A beautiful figure peeked out; it was Yueyao, whom we hadn't seen in a long time.

She was wearing a fine silk brocade robe.

He wore a fine, soft black fox fur coat over his clothes.

The worldly air of a courtesan had gradually faded from her, replaced by an air of nobility.
She resembles a well-bred young lady who has been immersed in a scholarly family for a long time.

She saw Tao Xuan standing in front of the door, and a flash of joy crossed her eyes.

But he walked down slowly and deliberately.

She addressed the coachman who had followed her:

"I ordered some pastries from Sanminglou in the north of the city. They are all the master's favorites. Go and bring them back."

"Yes, madam."

The coachman drove the carriage slowly away from Bao Cui Xuan, while Yue Yao stepped inside.

Upon entering the house, having just passed a four-cornered area,
Tao Xuan's hand came up and wrapped around her, caressing her slender waist freely.

"It's been a while since you last came. Has something happened?"

Yueyao rolled her eyes at him:
"He's busy preparing for the wedding. Mi Bin has been preoccupied with business with the grassland people lately and hasn't had time for his family."
Mi Chen doesn't like me, so I have to do it myself.

Tao Xuan helped her up to the second floor, smiling as they went:
"You really are a hopeless romantic. Are you really planning to become the second wife of the Mi family?"

"What else can I do? I won't marry you? You'll marry me then?"

Yueyao's bright eyes kept moving.
The allure of the woman of the night surged up again.

"Marry you? We'll have to leave Da Ning first."

"You are now the well-known Mrs. Mi in the city, what would it mean for me to marry you?"

After saying that, Tao Xuan bent down, picked her up, and lewdly glared at her.

"It's fine if she gets married, it won't cause any problems. She can have a son and let Mi Bin raise him."

"You look like a jerk."

Yueyao blocked Tao Xuan's neck and glared at him.

Fifteen minutes later, the two, dressed neatly, sat at the table in the room.

Despite the romantic atmosphere in the room and the blush on their faces, both of them looked somewhat solemn.

Yueyao pursed her lips and said in a deep voice:

"I don't know what's wrong with Mi Bin these past two days; he's been leaving early and returning late every day."

He took away boxes and boxes of silver from the house and exchanged them for goods.

My guess is that business in the north is going well, and they might be preparing for a second collaboration.

Tao Xuan suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. They were now locked in a perfect match!

Did he mention whether his first business deal went well or not?

Yueyao shook her head:

“I don’t ask about such things; he never tells me.”

"Well, it's better not to ask, so as not to arouse his suspicion."

Has he done anything unusual in the last two days?
I've discovered that something seems to have changed within the military command.

Tao Xuan's expression was solemn.

Yes, he's been a bit excited lately.
After meeting Lord Liu yesterday, he rushed home excitedly and told me that the house in Yingtian had been secured.

I suspect they've landed a bigger deal.
Therefore, the first business deal should have gone very smoothly.

Yueyao's voice was soft and gentle, her tone low, and a hint of struggle flashed in her eyes.
But Tao Xuan failed to notice this hint of inner conflict.
Instead, he quickly took notes, a look of delight on his face:

"Yueyao, to be honest, I recently received a piece of intelligence from an official in the city, instructing me to send it to Yingtian through a secret channel."

The above matter is closely related to our efforts over the past two months.
I believe that once the superior sees this, he will grant us a great merit.

Maybe we can get back inside the pass and start over!

Yueyao looked somewhat uncomfortable, her lips slightly pursed.
"My lord, actually Daning City is not bad either. At least there is no one to disturb you, and it is quiet."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible, because Tao Xuan's face had turned extremely gloomy.

Tao Xuanteng stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with ferocity:

"What do you know! We have no way out in Daning. We have to go back! We have to go back!"

Tao Xuan stepped forward, grabbed Yueyao's hair tightly, and asked fiercely:
"Do you want to stay here and be Mrs. Mi?"
Have you changed your mind when faced with wealth and luxury?
explain! "

Yueyao looked at his ferocious face.

The image of Mi Bin's constant caution and warmth towards her flashed through her mind.
A tremendous conflict and entanglement arose in her heart.

"explain!!"

Tao Xuan's expression grew increasingly ferocious, and he let out a roar.

No. No.

Yueyao shook her head helplessly, her bright eyes already blurry.

(End of this chapter)