Xia Chen put on his military officer's uniform and walked out of the small courtyard.
Xia Qian was already standing at the entrance waiting, and behind him were three men brimming with Qi and blood.
Xia Chen instantly recognized that these three were not ordinary people; Evil Qi enveloped their bodies, and just standing there, a fierce aura emanated from within them.
"Young Master!"
The four men spoke in unison.
Xia Chen was not surprised to see these three; they were the Zhendong Marquis Manor's private soldiers. Every Zhendong Marquis Manor scion who came of age would be assigned a few private soldiers, partly to act as guards and partly as their Foundation, to help the Zhendong Marquis Manor scion quickly gain control of the army.
"Let's go!"
Xia Chen nodded, saying nothing more. The five of them quietly passed through the Zhendong Marquis Manor and exited through a side gate.
The Zhendong Marquis Manor stood in the most Central part of the capital, very close to the Imperial Palace. Stepping out, one was immediately on Central Avenue. This street was constructed 800 years ago during the founding of the dynasty. Though called a street, it was more like a plaza, wide enough to accommodate 12 carriages abreast.
Although it was still early morning, the street was already bustling. Various vendors stood on both sides of the road, making a living.
Pedestrians and carriages flowed like a river, and some horse-drawn carriages were also moving. With the arrival of dawn, the vast capital city began to operate rapidly like a machine.
Xia Chen took Xia Qian and the others, grabbed a quick breakfast by the roadside, and then headed straight for the Yulin Guard Barracks.
Because the Yulin Guard was responsible for the capital's safety and sometimes had to act as escorts for the Imperial family, they were not stationed outside the city; they had a fixed Barracks within the inner city.
"Stop! Who goes there!"
Xia Chen arrived in front of a rather imposing Barracks near the Imperial Palace and was stopped as soon as he approached.
Fully armed soldiers in armor immediately stepped forward, but their attitude was still polite.
"Xia Chen, here to assume my post today!"
Xia Chen did not waste words, nor did he intentionally conceal his identity to pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger, staging a scene of a Young Master feigning weakness to slap faces.
He was here to get things done!
"Captain Xia!"
The soldiers at the gate instantly became respectful and quickly saluted.
They had already received news that a Captain had been parachuted into their Yulin Guard.
This Captain had an astonishing background; he was the legitimate son of the Zhendong Marquis Manor.
Xia Chen nodded, his expression still serious, giving off an unapproachable aura.
"Captain, I'll lead you in!"
A small squad leader standing in front quickly walked to Xia Chen's side, bowing humbly, his face full of smiles, and personally escorted Xia Chen inside.
Watching Xia Chen's figure disappear through the Barracks entrance, the remaining soldiers finally breathed heavily and began to whisper among themselves.
"My goodness, when has our boss ever been so full of smiles? His face is all wrinkled from smiling."
The Yulin Guard had very strict selection criteria; most were hereditary, or children of meritorious officials, and a small portion were exceptionally fierce individuals from various Military Camps who could enter.
Moreover, they were the Emperor's personal army.
Therefore, everyone had a certain level of confidence. Normally, let alone a Captain, they often saw Generals. For a regular Captain taking office, while they would be polite, they would never be so humble.
But this time, the situation was truly different.
"Nonsense, you don't even look at who's coming. Although he's a famous good-for-nothing in the capital, his status is undeniable!"
"This time, being parachuted into our Yulin Guard, I wonder if it's a good thing or a bad thing!"
"Haha, our Yulin Guard is full of hidden talents and famous Young Masters. This time, it's just one more legitimate son of a Marquis Manor. Let's just watch the show!"
A soldier said with a smile, a look of anticipation in his eyes as he spoke.
...
"Captain, this is the Military Camp!"
Li Xi led Xia Chen into the backyard. Though called a backyard, it had its own Yin and Yang within, extremely vast, like a Military Camp.
At this moment, on this plaza, a team was drilling.
"Where are my men?"
Xia Chen asked calmly. He was new and unfamiliar with the place and needed a guide. This small squad leader who led him in was excellent and perceptive.
"Captain, over there, but at this time..."
Li Xi gritted his teeth, his face showing hesitation. Xia Chen frowned and inquired, but Li Xi refused to say anything more.
"Captain, you'll know if you go and see for yourself!"
Xia Chen said nothing, nor did he press further.
He lifted his leg and walked towards the depths of the Military Camp.
In the back right of the Military Camp, as soon as Xia Chen approached, he heard loud laughter.
"Hahaha, I won again! Today at noon, I'll treat my brothers to drinks at Deshun Restaurant!"
Xia Chen stood outside the tent, hearing clapping sounds and loud laughter, a gathering for card games!
Xia Chen instantly understood in his heart that this world had character cards, which were one of the few recreational activities, but the Military Camp strictly prohibited such activities, especially when money was gambled.
However, no expression showed on his face, which secretly startled Li Xi, who was observing from the side.
This newly arrived Captain's thoughts were a bit inscrutable.
He naturally knew the situation here and why it was so. Originally, he had intended to watch the show, but now, he saw no sign of anger on the new Captain's face.
"It seems this Captain has no Qi either; he just had a good birth!"
Li Xi secretly shook his head.
"I'll go call them!"
Xia Qian, standing behind Xia Chen, couldn't bear it. His face was full of anger. Early in the morning, while other teams were doing morning exercises, this team was openly playing character cards.
"I'll go!"
Xia Chen stopped Xia Qian. His gaze had already penetrated the thick tent, seeing the scene inside the tent.
When he woke up this morning, he had discovered the special change in his eyes; he could capture some special things.
Things like his gaze directly penetrating ordinary objects were even easier.
Xia Chen directly lifted his leg and pulled aside the tent. Suddenly, a cold gust of wind chilled the two soldiers guarding the tent entrance awake. They shivered, their faces full of anger.
When they saw a stranger walk in, they even shouted loudly.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Military Camp!"
The two soldiers had just been dozing off, and their minds were still not clear. They had seen everyone in the Imperial Guard, which was why they dared to shout loudly.
The voices of these two soldiers instantly attracted the attention of others inside the Military Camp tent. The groups of people gathered around playing cards immediately stood up.
"Xia Chen!"
Xia Chen remained calm, and then his voice rang out again.
"Who is in charge here!"
The Military Camp instantly fell silent. Some immediately knew who the newcomer was, their faces a bit nervous, quickly hiding the character cards in their armor, but others were indifferent, smiling, showing no reverence at all.
"Oh, it's Young Master Xia. Young Master Xia is quite impatient; the appointment only came down yesterday, and you've already rushed to take office today!"
At this moment, a Yin and Yang voice sounded from within the military tent, completely unafraid of Xia Chen!
...