My father is a Confucian sage, but the system forces me to be a crude warrior

Chapter 428 Zeng Anmin: No going back on a move!
The next day.

Zeng Anmin was preparing to go to the yamen (government office).

As soon as I stepped outside, I frowned upon seeing the scene before me.

"When did those two get together?"

Before his eyes, two burly men, each nearly nine feet tall, walked arm in arm from the street toward the gate of the Duke's mansion.

"Brother Chun, I'll see you off here."

"Alright, Brother Wujia, I'll hurry into the manor. If I get back late and the young master finds out, I'll definitely be in trouble."

Da Chun glanced around furtively, then waved goodbye to Wu Jia with reluctance.

……

Da Chun?

shortage?
What's going on between them...?

"Big spring!"

Just as Da Chun was about to enter the mansion through the side gate, Zeng Anmin's voice rang out.

Da Chun's body trembled violently.

Then he opened his mouth wide and turned to look at Zeng Anmin:

"Young...Young Master? You haven't gone to your duty yet?"

Zeng Anmin squinted: "Where were you gallivanting around last night instead of sleeping with your wife?!"

His voice was stern.

The Duke's mansion now has quite a few servants.

Da Chun's status naturally rose accordingly, and he became the head of the many servants.

In addition, Da Chun has also gotten married, and recently he has been more involved in managing land taxes within the mansion.

Therefore, Zeng Anmin did not have many opportunities to meet him.

Who would have thought that after only one meeting, he would see Da Chun mingling with that barbarian prince...

He thought about it instantly.

Could it be a conspiracy against me?

After all, what kind of status does the Barbarian King's Crown Prince have? Even if the barbarian tribe is poor, it's not something a servant in Da Chun's mansion can associate with.

"I...I didn't mess around...I just had a few drinks," Da Chun stammered, then looked pleadingly at Zeng Anmin.
"Could you please not tell my wife?"

Zeng Anmin glanced at him sideways: "If I'm not mistaken, that person just now should be the prince of the barbarian tribe, right?"

Da Chun was taken aback.

He then waved his hand and said, "Wujia! You've misunderstood. He's the pageboy of the barbarian prince."

……

Zeng Anmin's lips twitched slightly.

Well, it seems that Wu Jia is still hiding his identity when he interacts with Da Chun.

"What pageboy? He's just trying to fool you!"

Zeng Anmin scoffed, "Who in that barbarian land would be literate?"

Uh.

Da Chun's face froze slightly.

What the young master said makes sense!
Where did the barbarians get their books?

"Alright, I'm reminding you, don't do anything foolish and don't let yourself be used as a pawn."

Zeng Anmin waved his hand, hurried to the yamen to report for duty, gave Da Chun a warning, and then headed towards the capital.

He had always trusted Da Chun's loyalty.

Moreover, Da Chun may be a bit muddle-headed, but he's definitely not stupid.

This kid knows what he's doing, so he won't be led by the nose.

"Young master, please take care!"

Da Chun watched Zeng Anmin's retreating figure, his thick eyebrows furrowing.
"Wujia isn't a pageboy? Wujia is the crown prince?"

"If I see him again tomorrow, I absolutely have to ask him what happened!"

…………

"uncle!"

Upon seeing Zeng An enter the yamen, Sima Nan immediately ran over and respectfully bowed:

"As you instructed, our Nan Ti Du Yuan has now assembled all the prepared ti (a type of ti).

"Oh?"

Zeng Anmin raised his eyebrows, his face immediately showing interest.

The selection of candidates is of utmost urgency for the current Southern Examination Hall.

On a trip to Xiliu, Guan Tiansheng killed 150 tizi with a single palm strike.

The missing 150 positions are causing numerous administrative problems for the Nantidu Academy.

Even within the area now under the jurisdiction of the Southern Tidu Academy, quite a few troublemakers have emerged.

So as soon as he returned, Zeng Anmin sent Sima Nan to replenish the number of tizi (a type of grain) in the Southern Tiduyuan.

But replenishing the grapes is not an easy task.

We need to find martial artists of the eighth rank or above from respectable families.

This was extremely harsh within the capital city.

Fortunately, the Imperial City Guard had a reserve institute.

The preparatory school, as the name suggests, consists of children selected from the common people and trained from a young age, with the aim of cultivating them into qualified tizi (a type of official).

However, the conditions for selecting these grapes are extremely harsh.

Nobody sees these children as human beings.

What they do every day is train, then sleep and eat.

Once they become eighth-rank martial artists, they will be selected by the Tidu Academy.

"Let's go, let's take a look at the preparatory school."

Zeng Anmin and Sima Nan headed deeper into the Imperial City Guard.

……

"Snapped!!"

"Keep your lunge steady!"

"Snapped!"

"Are you practicing your swordsmanship??"

"Snapped!"

"It's blocked!"

"Bang!!"

"This punch, imbued with thirty years of internal energy, how can you possibly block it?"

"Practicing martial arts without internal cultivation is a waste of time in old age!"

……

As soon as Zeng Anmin stepped into the preparatory school, he heard an extremely harsh voice.

He wasn't surprised to hear these sounds.

I have long heard that the selection process for the Imperial City Supervisory Office is extremely brutal.

When he actually stepped into the courtyard, he was still somewhat surprised.

Many of the equipment pieces were covered in bloodstains.

There were about three hundred men and women in those courtyards.

Some of these people are already adults, while others are less than three feet tall.

Without exception, they all had scars on their bodies.

"Zhao Laoliu! The Emperor has arrived, hurry up and pay your respects!"

Sima Nan's stern voice rang out.

Upon hearing this, the children in the courtyard did not hesitate at all.

"Bang!!"

They all knelt down, like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

They didn't even look up.

"I've met Zengtidu!!"

Zhao Laoliu, who was searching for someone in the courtyard, heard the sound and looked over. When his eyes met Zeng Anmin's face, he immediately became extremely respectful.

The arrogant demeanor he had displayed when facing those children vanished completely.

He stood there respectfully and bowed to Zeng Anmin.

"Greetings, Zengtidu!"

Those who were preparing grapes all respectfully followed Zhao Laoliu's lead.

"Hmm." Zeng Anmin nodded expressionlessly: "How many people can use the yard now?"

"Around seventy," Zhao Laoliu said respectfully.

"What about the rest?" Zeng Anmin asked casually.

"The rest are all below the eighth rank."

"Oh."

"All those of the eighth rank, raise your heads."

Zeng Anmin looked at the people in the courtyard.

He finished speaking.

Many people looked up from among the prepared grapes in the courtyard.

But they dared not look at him, instead focusing their gaze on their own noses.

Zeng Anmin looked at it carefully.

These children who looked up were mostly adults.

"Alright, take all these people with you for now."

Zeng Anmin glanced at them briefly, then waved his hand, looked at the remaining children in the yard, and casually asked Zhao Laoliu:

"Why train them like this? Aren't you afraid they'll suffer hidden injuries that will hinder their future missions?"

Zhao Laoliu gave a wry smile: "Most of these children were obtained from brokers, and many of them have some congenital defects. If we are not strict with them, they will be even worse off outside the Imperial City Guard."

Zeng Anmin remained silent.

indeed so.

Many of the seventy people he selected had missing hands or wrists.

This is why there are rarely any other candidates from other institutions to select people for the preparatory school.

If it weren't for the fact that the Southern Metropolitan Court is currently in dire need of manpower, Zeng Anmin wouldn't want these things either.

"Take it away."

Zeng Anmin shook his head and sighed.

"Yes!" The grapes that were chosen all beamed with joy!
"Farewell, Master Zhao!!"

Before leaving, all of them kowtowed deeply to Zhao Laoliu.

"Alright! Stop with the nonsense! From now on, work hard under Zeng Ti!"

"Remember what I said, practice your skills regularly! Don't slack off!"

…………

Nantiduyuan.

"Boss, we're still short of a chief clerk."

Sima Nan hesitated for a moment and said to Zeng Anmin, "When the disaster relief was carried out in Xiliu, Chief Clerk Zhuang also did not survive."

"I already have someone in mind."

Zeng Anmin looked at Sima Nan and said, "Go to Qilin Academy and ask Dean Shi for someone. His name is Lou Tong. From now on, he will work for me."

Lou Tong?
Sima Nan paused for a moment, then remembered the name, and bowed to Zeng Anmin:
"My subordinates will do it now."

"Ah."

…………

"Power Advisor!!"

Lou Tong soon arrived at the South Tidu Temple.

Sima Nan only asked three questions at Qilin Academy before Lou Tong immediately put down his book and ran over.

Upon seeing Zeng Anmin, he wore an extremely friendly smile.

"Brother Lou."

Upon seeing Lou Tong, Zeng Anmin couldn't help but smile: "I've missed you terribly these past few days!"

"I heard you're lacking capable assistants, so I rushed here without stopping. Please don't look down on your elder brother," Lou Tong said with a very humble smile.

"Not at all, please have a seat. The Southern Metropolitan Court has a lot of official business to attend to..."

"You treated your brother like a donkey from the very beginning..."

"The capable should do more work!"

…………

Lou Tong.

The current Governor of Fengqi Road, Lou Yingqi's only son.

It was because he was poisoned by snake venom that Zeng Anmin saved him, which led to Lou Yingqi being taken in by his father as a capable assistant.

He returned to his own bedroom.

The smile on Zeng Anmin's face slowly disappeared as he looked at the empty bedroom.

His eyes deepened, and he murmured almost imperceptibly:

"Master Xu..."

"Emperor Jianhong..."

"I've already made this first move..."

"Next, we will move on to the second move."

…………

Xuanzhen Division.

This was Zeng Anmin's first visit to this place since his trip to Xiliu ended.

"uncle!!"

Tiger was playing in the courtyard of the company when he looked up and saw Zeng Anmin. He rushed over in a panic, a happy smile on his face.

"You've come to see me??"

"Well... that's right."

Zeng Anmin patted his head and asked:

"Where is Master Xu?"

Tiger paused for a moment, then cautiously whispered in Zeng Anmin's ear:

"What's that old man up to at the Celestial Master's Mansion?"

Old man?

Zeng Anmin chuckled to himself.

"I have some business with him. You stay here and wait for me."

"Oh~"

Hearing Zeng Anmin's words, Hu Zi was a little unhappy, and nodded with a droopy face.

"obedient."

Zeng Anmin asked with a smile, "If your aunt complains to me that you are naughty, I will definitely tell your mother that she will not let you off the hook."

Uh.

Tiger's face stiffened slightly.

They fled from this place as if escaping.

……

"coming?"

As Zeng Anmin stepped into the Celestial Master's Mansion, he heard the voice of Celestial Master Xu.

Although no one was visible, Zeng Anmin's expression immediately turned serious upon hearing the voice:
"Master Celestial Master, it's been several days, why is there still no sign of what you promised me last time?"

"How can I entrust my life to you if you act like this?"

He trailed off.

There was a moment of silence in the main hall.

"Shh!"

Xu Tianshi appeared, looking at him expressionlessly.

"Forehead……"

When Zeng Anmin saw Master Xu, his expression became extremely interesting: "What's wrong with you??"

The Celestial Master Xu standing before me looked extremely haggard, with sunken eyes.

He looked like someone who was nearing the end of his life.

“The dragon vein is showing unusual activity, and the nation’s fortune is temporarily away from me. I have been cultivating my spiritual power for the past two days.”

A sharp glint flashed in Master Xu's eyes:

"Emperor Jianhong and Wang Dong are already making preparations."

"What should we do then?" Zeng Anmin frowned.

"Wait." Master Xu glanced at him.

"Wait? How long do we have to wait?"

"Twenty-six days."

……

Zeng Anmin paused for a moment.

Four days ago, Master Xu met with me and said I had to wait a month.

It's four days from now, and you'll have to wait twenty-six days.

There is nothing wrong with that.

"I am not here to wait for you."

Zeng Anmin's gaze turned somber: "If the concerns about the future are not resolved, then I will probably have to break my promise."

"What's the rush?" Master Xu raised an eyebrow. "Isn't there still twenty-six days left?"

"Come on, Emperor Jianhong and Wang Dong are definitely keeping an eye on you right now. What good ideas do you have?"

Zeng Anmin crossed his arms.

A sharp glint flashed in Master Xu's eyes: "It's just a matter of moving a few people."

"Actually, I have a good idea."

Zeng Anmin winked at Master Xu.

"Oh?" Master Xu raised an eyebrow slightly: "Tell me about it."

"The Xuanzhen Division exchanged academic ideas with Confucian and Taoist disciples."

"The location is set on Nanshan Mountain outside Beijing."

"I have a good relationship with Dean Shi, so I should be able to persuade him," Zeng Anmin said with a smile.

"This academic exchange will surely attract a lot of attention, and we will then head to Shouyang Mountain on the other side to stop Wang Dong."

"Just think about it, Qilin Academy and Xuanzhen Division, their reputations alone are enough to attract the curiosity of the masses."

"What do you think?"

Master Xu frowned first.

Then it slowly unfolds.

“Nanshan is located just outside the capital, neither too far nor too close. The Qin family are all Confucian and Taoist people, so they will definitely go there to observe. As for the Zeng family, since Hu’er is in the Xuanzhen Division, it is also reasonable for them to go to Nanshan to observe… It will not arouse suspicion.”

As Zeng Anmin spoke, his face showed seriousness:

"Once this matter is settled, I will return directly to Nanshan and lead the Qin and Zeng families south all the way to Qinghai Bay."

Master Xu stared intently at Zeng Anmin.

Zeng Anmin looked at it carefully.

The two stared at each other for a long while.

"Is that all?" Master Xu's voice was somewhat enigmatic.

"Otherwise what?" Zeng Anmin looked at Master Xu blankly.

"Ah."

Master Xu's eyes gleamed brightly: "Then so be it!"

…………

"The Martial Arts Conference?!"

"A minor deity from the Xuanzhen Division is exchanging ideas with those Confucian and Taoist geniuses from the Qilin Academy?!"

"What?! The Xuanzhen Division has challenged Qilin Academy to a duel?!"

"What?! The Xuanzhen Division and Qilin Academy are fighting?!"

"The Imperial Preceptor and Shi Yasheng are fighting??"

The rumors are getting more and more outrageous.

Whether in the capital or outside the city, almost everyone's curiosity was piqued by this "Archaeological Confucian Conference".

Hear the news.

Zeng Anmin sat in the courtyard of the Duke's mansion.

A strange smile played on his lips.

"The second move has already been made."

(End of this chapter)