Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 130 Giving Yu Dayou a Chance to Make a Name for Himself (Third Update)

"The sword is too light; it's not for a true hero. How about we compare our swordsmanship?"

"can."

"I'm not comfortable using this knife. How about we have a marksmanship contest?"

"can."

"This gun... damn it, we're bare-handed, let's try again!"

"can."

The backyard of the British Society.

Lu Bing lay on the ground, looking at Yu Dayou, who was not even out of breath, and then at Hai Yue, who was smiling beside him, with a look of shock: "Where did you find such a fierce warrior?"

He was confident that his martial arts skills were definitely no less than Haiyue's. Their contest during the Guangzhou Prefecture period was evenly matched, but in reality, he hadn't gone all out, since some killer moves were not suitable for use in sparring.

But when facing Yu Dayou, Lu Bing had a direct feeling that he was really inferior to his opponent, and the gap was obvious. Even his most proud wrestling and grappling techniques were completely broken.

The opponent was proficient in all eighteen martial arts, and was only seven or eight years older than him. How could his martial arts skills be so formidable?

Haiyue smiled and pulled him up: "When I came last time, I could tell at a glance that this man was as brave as ten thousand men, so I let Wenfu witness it. Wasn't it exhilarating?"

Lu Bing rolled his eyes: "This is what you call exhilarating? But you know what, it was a really satisfying fight. You are truly the bravest warrior I have ever seen in my life! My apologies for not respecting you!"

"Don't dare!"

Yu Dayou was somewhat reserved. He did not yet know Lu Bing's true identity, but he knew that the young man in front of him was Hemingway, who had recently become famous in the capital and had been personally bestowed a name by the Emperor. Naturally, the person who could chat and laugh with him was also a powerful figure in the capital.

This is somewhat contrary to the natural order. In terms of closeness, Hai Yue can't compare to Lu Bing, who is the emperor's maternal uncle. Fortunately, Lu Bing quite likes the other party's ruthless bravery in fighting despite knowing his background, and repeatedly asks for advice: "Brother Yu, how did you learn this skill?"

"That's it... keep doing it... it's not difficult!"

Yu Dayou was not at all stingy with his knowledge, but his instruction only made Lu Bing more aware of the difference in talent.

He finally understood what it meant to be a born genius!
Haiyue also expressed similar sentiments.

If this world were entirely in the style of martial arts, Yu Dayou would basically be a born war god like Xiao Feng. Even the most ordinary martial arts skills could be transformed into something magical in his hands.

However, perhaps due to his focus and talent in martial arts, Yu Dayou was clearly lacking in political acumen. He experienced many ups and downs in his official career and suffered many hardships. If it weren't for his outstanding military abilities and achievements, he probably wouldn't have had a good end.

Lu Bing liked this straightforward man, and after asking him some questions, he liked him even more. The three of them sat side by side on the edge of the martial arts arena, leaving the space for the other men from the Yinglue Society to chat: "I heard from Mingwei that Brother Yu is planning to participate in the martial arts examination next year?"

Yu Dayou replied, "Yes."

Lu Bingdao asked, "Did Brother Yu's father hold any official positions?"

Yu Dayou said, "My late father once served as a centurion in Quanzhou. I have inherited the position of centurion. However, to be honest, I have no soldiers or official rank, so I would like to seek a real command of troops through the military examination."

"With your bravery and martial prowess, if you don't become the top martial arts champion, those examiners would be utterly despicable!"

Lu Bing said directly.

Historically, Yu Dayou ranked fifth in the martial arts examination. It should be noted that he was not a late bloomer in martial arts. He studied under many famous teachers when he was young, and his martial arts skills were already superb. At the age when he was at the peak of his physical strength, he could only rank fifth. Either he performed poorly, or no matter how well he performed, he would not have been able to be in the top four.

Now that Lu Bing has made his promise, he can guarantee that as long as Yu Dayou takes the exam normally and shows his true abilities, he will definitely become the top martial arts scholar.

But compared to the prestige of becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination, the title of "military champion" is just so-so. Lu Bing pondered, "Even if you become the top military champion, you'll only be promoted to a commander of a thousand men, responsible for guarding a prefecture or county. With Brother Yu's martial arts skills, it's really a waste of his talent. He should be on the battlefield making a name for himself!"

A burning desire shone in Yu Dayou's eyes: "To achieve merit on the battlefield is exactly what I desire!"

Lu Bing laughed and said, "Then you've come at the right time. It won't be long before you have this opportunity!"

Yu Dayou rose to prominence in history thanks to the Yan Uprising, the Li people's uprising that swept across Hainan. In that year, Yu Dayou was almost fifty years old.

It wasn't that he wasn't valued when he was young; the main reason was that there hadn't been any major wars during the Jiajing reign. The only plan to recover the Hetao region was abandoned due to infighting among the high-ranking officials.

Now that history has taken a wrong turn, discussions about the situation in Annam have long been a focus of attention from all sides, both in government and among the public.

At such a delicate juncture, the Emperor bestowed upon her the name Mingwei, and Princess Fanglian, Li Yuying, who also had the merit of protecting the Emperor, inevitably makes people think a lot.

His Majesty wants to attack Annam!

The two sides, who had initially argued fiercely, were actually trying to persuade the emperor. Now that the emperor's attitude has become clearer, the number of opposing ministers has decreased sharply, and the pro-war faction is gaining more and more momentum.

Yu Dayou was unaware of court affairs, but there was talk of it among the common people in the capital, so he quickly asked, "Is it the rebellion in Annam, the outer vassal state?" "That's right!"

Lu Bing nodded: "Do you dare to go? You should know that there are many mountains, forests, waterways and swamps there. It is difficult for our Ming army to carry out large-scale operations. The enemy often takes advantage of the mountains and dense forests to maneuver. Once we are trapped in a predicament where there is no way to pursue and no food to garrison, and we are also at a disadvantage due to the lack of water and soil and the frequent outbreaks of plague, even if we have a large number of troops, we will inevitably suffer defeats!"

This is by no means an exaggeration. The Yongle Dynasty had already conquered Annam once, and at that time it encountered all sorts of difficulties, and the process was not smooth.

Not to mention that if it is just a simple military conquest, without the support of cultural subjugation and economic reciprocity, it will eventually be unable to escape the fate of "easy to occupy, difficult to rule".

The situation may be different now. After all, war is raging in Annam, and the strength of the Ming army is far inferior to that during the Yongle reign. Both sides have weakened, and no one can say for sure how the war will develop.

"I, Yu, dare to go!"

Yu Dayou did not make any boastful claims. He was from Fujian and was familiar with Guangdong and Guangxi as well as Annam, but he could not say he was very familiar with them. So he cautiously said, "However, Annam has changed in terms of customs and people in recent years. I have not yet thoroughly investigated its mountains and rivers, and the dangers and ease of its roads. I really dare not say that it is superior!"

Yu Dayou was by no means a military man. He was also a diligent student with a wide range of interests. He was very knowledgeable in the Book of Changes and extremely proficient in military strategy. He certainly kept in mind the principle of knowing yourself and your enemy and never being defeated.

Lu Bing's eyes revealed his approval: "Excellent!"

Haiyue watched with a smile.

If Yu Dayou could really be sent to the front lines for the upcoming campaign against Annam, that would be quite interesting. After all, attacking Annam and pacifying Hainan are similar in nature. Historically, Yu Dayou rose through the ranks by quelling internal rebellions, and now his campaign against foreign vassals would undoubtedly be even more significant.

Of course, Yu Dayou is currently inexperienced and would only be a junior officer if he went to the front lines. He would not be qualified to command a large army. However, his early achievements could pave the way for his future promotion.

Although Yu Dayou still had some doubts about Lu Bing's promise, feeling that the man's tone was too arrogant, he couldn't help but imagine the scene in the future and left with great excitement.

As Lu Bing watched his retreating figure, he couldn't help but sigh, "If only everything were so clear and straightforward—practicing martial arts, killing enemies, and achieving merit on the battlefield!"

Haiyue glanced at him: "Wenfu, what's wrong with you these days?"

"Ah!"

Lu Bing gave a wry smile: "To be honest, I have been having some troubles lately..."

To outsiders, the case of the Hidden Cloud Society was over, but to those in the know, especially after Mr. Wang Zuo learned of the existence of that secret society, Lu Bing devoted himself to finding the real culprit behind the scenes.

The result wasn't exactly a complete lack of progress, but rather a complete loss.

The three prisoners from the Hidden Cloud Society have been interrogated countless times, but they still insist that the wrong person was killed. Now, the Imperial Guards are the ones who are hesitant to act, fearing that if they really die from forced confessions, they won't be able to explain themselves.

As for Yan Ling, who escaped, he has completely disappeared without a trace. So many days have passed, he has either escaped from the capital and is nowhere to be found in this vast world, or he was silenced by his accomplices. In any case, he cannot be caught.

As for the sandalwood bed in the princess's palace, the seller has long since disappeared, and the relevant witnesses have been arrested, but they are all outsiders, and the clues have also been completely cut off.

If it weren't for the downfall of the Zhang brothers and Empress Dowager Zhang's house arrest, which diverted the attention of the people and the court, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would have been a complete failure this time. They were almost led by the nose by the other side throughout the entire process, so it would be strange if Lu Bing was in a good mood.

Although Haiyue was unaware of the existence of the secret society, she knew that the previous case could not possibly have been orchestrated by a mere illusion troupe, and thus became equally serious.

He and Li Yuying are key figures in this case. Now that the Emperor has bestowed a title upon them, everyone knows it. The thief who escaped may very well return to seek revenge. For the safety of himself and those around him, he cannot let his guard down: "Wenfu, I have an idea that might give you some inspiration."

Lu Bing raised his thick eyebrows: "Speak up! Why are you being so polite with me?"

Haiyue took out a list and handed it over.

Lu Bingzhan looked at it and asked in surprise, "The list of ingredients for Tianma Powder?"

Haiyue said, "This is what I asked Yan Donglou and Gui Sanlang to check. It's definitely not complete, but it's all about taking Tianma Powder on time recently."

"I know about Tianma Powder. It's Li Shaoting's secret recipe, which he kept hidden from others. Now that he's dead, has someone else sold it? It seems this secret recipe isn't unique after all!"

Lu Bing clearly lacked awareness of the harmful effects of Tianma Powder and didn't care much, but he still put the list away: "Don't worry, I'll investigate this matter!"

Hai Yue had this in mind. The people on the list were all wealthy and powerful, and it would be impossible to investigate them without the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Once the harmfulness of this drug was exposed, he would naturally make them take it seriously.

Lu Bing's eyes flickered, as if he were thinking of what that person had said, and he said, intentionally or unintentionally, "I heard that Mingwei founded the 'One Heart Society'?"

Haiyue said, "Yes, Wenfu, would you be interested in discussing Journey to the West together?"

"There are some!"

Lu Bing nodded repeatedly, then coughed lightly: "However, I heard that there are only a handful of people in the association now, so discussions aren't very lively! We could appropriately expand the number of members, but we shouldn't just choose any people. We still need to ensure that they are talented and loyal. What does Mingwei think?"

(End of this chapter)