“It’s a pity about Qing Ya Guniang; she passed away so young!”
Xia Qian followed behind Xia Chen, holding a fried dough stick in one hand and soy milk in the other, sighing with emotion.
As one of the three people who went to Qingya Abode with Xia Chen that day, Xia Qian had seen Qing Ya. Upon hearing the news of Qing Ya's death, he couldn't help but sigh with regret.
Xia Chen bit into the bun in his hand without turning his head, the savory oil exploding on his taste buds.
This dog-ignoring bun was indeed delicious, but to be honest, Xia Chen preferred rice noodles for breakfast.
Rice noodles blanched in broth, with some small ingredients, that was an absolute delicacy.
But unfortunately, it was rarely sold in the capital. Xia Chen had looked for a few places these past few days, but the taste always felt a bit off.
Xia Chen shook his head at the thought, then swallowed the bun in his mouth before speaking.
“Everyone has their own destiny. Some people, though dead, may still be alive, and some people, though still alive, may already be dead!”
Xia Qian scratched his head, clearly not understanding the profound words from Xia Chen.
A smile appeared on Xia Chen's lips, and he didn't explain.
He naturally didn't believe Qing Ya was dead. Although Qing Ya suffered a great loss at his hands, she was undoubtedly a smart person.
Such a major incident occurred in the capital, even causing Lu Li, the Commander of the Lantern Bearers and a powerful official, to fall from grace, and all of this was instigated by Xia Chen.
This naturally drew the attention of many people to Xia Chen. How did Xia Chen know the hidden identities and locations of the Surveillance Institute's secret agents in the capital?
Although Xia Chen and his group were very discreet and concealed that day, there were too many resourceful people in the capital, and Qingya Abode was very likely to be investigated.
Qing Ya naturally wouldn't take the risk. Therefore, a large fire completely erased this identity of hers.
“She’s quite bold, still lurking in the capital!”
Xia Chen silently looked at the System panel, where there was a small red dot marked.
This small red dot represented Qing Ya.
That day, Xia Chen lied to Qing Ya. His blood had no tracking function. He was currently a pure martial artist, not a sorcerer, and knew no magical arts.
But the Great Dao is simple.
Xia Chen had a System.
The System had a map function. These past few days, he had already explored the vast capital. Except for the imperial palace, the entire capital's System map was 95% complete.
That morning, Xia Chen used the System to tag Qing Ya.
As long as she was within his System map's range, there was nowhere to hide!
And now, the map showed that Qing Ya was staying in the Western District of the capital.
Currently, Xia Chen had no intention of looking for Qing Ya. As long as she remained in the capital, she could be found at any time and could not escape his grasp.
So, Xia Chen planned to find a late-night time next to give Qing Ya a surprise.
...
...
Yulin Guard Barracks!
As soon as Xia Chen entered his military tent, Qin Mu walked over mysteriously.
“Why did Commander Qin come personally!”
Xia Chen smiled but did not get up.
“Don't call me Commander. If you don't mind, just call me Old Qin!”
Old Qin's face was full of smiles, his wrinkles spreading. At this moment, he was completely unlike the serious and proper man Xia Chen first met.
Qin Mu sat down beside Xia Chen on his own accord and poured himself a cup of tea.
Clearly, after this incident, their relationship had become much closer.
“After this matter, you might be promoted directly to the position of Commander. Then we'll be at the same rank.”
Qin Mu took a sip of tea, exhaled a cloudy breath, and said with some emotion. A 17-year-old Commander! And he was already 35 this year, yet they would be at the same rank.
It was imaginable that Xia Chen's future prospects were absolutely limitless.
“Is there a result regarding the military defense map?”
Xia Chen immediately understood that this matter was about to be settled, and it was almost time to share the spoils of victory.
Otherwise, Qin Mu wouldn't be so excited.
“Although the Northwest military affairs have been the top priority these past few days, the various high-ranking officials in the court haven't forgotten about the military defense map. Our Yulin Guard's success in solving this case is a great merit. The rewards and promotions should be announced in the next few days!”
Qin Mu took a sip of tea, suppressing his excitement, and tried to calm his emotions.
“Congratulations, Commander!”
Xia Chen smiled and toasted Qin Mu with tea instead of wine.
“Haha, you are the chief contributor to this matter. Commander Li Wenzhong has already reported it. After this, you will at least be a Commander!”
Qin Mu sighed. If Xia Chen wasn't so young, with the merits of solving the military defense map case and destroying the Great Feng Surveillance Institute's intelligence network in the capital, he would definitely not just be promoted to the rank of Commander.
In fact, a 17-year-old fifth-rank Commander was extremely rare in the entire 800-year history of the Great Wu Dynasty.
Xia Chen smiled and did not continue the conversation.
“This time, Commander Li Wenzhong will likely be transferred to the Dragon Martial Guard to serve as the Dragon Martial Guard General. I might also go with him, which will free up a position for you!”
Qin Mu continued, in high spirits. Although the Yulin Guard and the Dragon Martial Guard were separate armies, their actual power was completely different.
The Yulin Guard had a strength of only 3,000 men and was only responsible for public order in the capital, but the Dragon Martial Guard had a strength of 6,000 men, all of whom were elites among elites, responsible for guarding the inner city of the imperial palace. When the Emperor traveled, the Dragon Martial Guard was personally responsible.
Although the Dragon Martial Guard General held only a third-rank official position, his power was immense. Above him, there was only one direct superior, Emperor Wen.
It could be said that if Li Wenzhong could indeed serve as the Dragon Martial Guard General, then he would have truly entered the Emperor's inner circle and the center of power of the Great Wu Dynasty.
“Is the news reliable?”
“Although the imperial decree hasn't come down, Commander Li Wenzhong has entered the palace twice in the past two days. It seems there will be no surprises!”
Upon hearing this, Xia Chen's mind raced. Changes in positions would inevitably lead to a reshuffle of power.
Being able to serve as the Dragon Martial Guard General indicated that Li Wenzhong was definitely Emperor Wen's confidant. His previous judgment was correct: Emperor Wen was behind Li Wenzhong.
“The former Dragon Martial Guard General was a bit close to the Crown Prince, so…”
Suddenly, Qin Mu looked around, then leaned close to Xia Chen's ear and whispered.
He didn't finish his sentence, but Xia Chen naturally understood what he meant.
The Dragon Martial Guard General was equivalent to Emperor Wen's bodyguard, and now this bodyguard was getting a bit close to the Empire's heir. This kind of signal was absolutely unacceptable to an emperor.
The relationship between the Emperor and the Crown Prince has always been quite complex since ancient times. It is both a Legacy and a competitor. The Crown Prince is the only one who can openly threaten the Emperor's power.
Xia Chen quickly recorded this information in his mind to extract useful insights.
The Emperor did not trust the Crown Prince, so he supported the Third Prince to create a balance, allowing the Third Prince to contend with the Crown Prince.
“This approach is not wrong, but it also lays the groundwork for the Third Prince's coup five years later!”
A sharp glint burst forth in Xia Chen's eyes. The political stage was dazzling and brilliant, and he… also wanted to step onto it and perform!
...