Chapter 173: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, and the Black Shadow [Many thanks for everyone's support

In the room beside the horse stable,

Mosquito-repelling green smoke drifted about, while Seeing Qingcao diligently refilled the horse groom's cup with wine.

Meeting his master's single eye, Xu Xu Zaijing lowered his head, ate a few bites of food, then drained his cup in one gulp: "Master, if your disciple encounters someone who saved my life, what should I do?"

The horse groom glanced sideways at his own nephew and said, "Naturally, one must repay kindness with kindness."

"But what if it is a woman?"

The horse groom snorted with laughter and said, "You are the legitimate son of the Marquis's household; what woman could possibly have saved your life?"

"Uh, I..."

"You two stinky brats, if you have something to say, say it; if you have fart to let out, let it out."

Brother Qingyun glanced at his Young Master, then knelt beside him and kowtowed to the horse groom, saying, "Uncle, your nephew has found the benefactor who once gave me steamed buns and saved my life."

The horse groom sat up straight, holding his wine cup, and said, "Young Master Jing spoke of a woman, yet the person we searched for these past few years was a man!!"

He drained the wine in his cup in one gulp and said, "Could it be that the benefactor's family has female relatives needing your care? Just take some silver; why must you be so hesitant?"

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Master, you are truly a divine calculator... Brother Qingyun, he..."

"Let him speak for himself."

"Uncle..."

After listening to Brother Qingyun explain the matter in a few sentences, the horse groom's brows knitted together into the shape of the character 'river' as he asked:

"Did you tell the benefactor that you intend to marry her and ask her to wait?"

"No!"

"You fool! She is older, has a birthmark on her face, and has already received silver! She might even establish a connection with the Marquis's household. Think about it—will there not be people coming to propose marriage?"

Hearing these words, Xu Xu Zaijing immediately stood up and shouted, "Scarface, ride to the matchmaker's home and tell her to prepare to propose marriage tomorrow!"

"Yes, Young Master!" Scarface replied from nearby.

Brother Qingyun was left speechless by the questioning.

"You yourself have said that without the steamed bun that family gave you, you would be dead, and my Yin family line would have ended! You actually thought I would care about age and a birthmark!? You little whelp deserving a beating!"

Seeing the horse groom searching for something with his eyes, Brother Qingyun hurriedly handed the stool into the horse groom's hands.

Xu Xu Zaijing turned around and hurriedly pressed down on the wooden stool in the horse groom's hand, saying, "Master, Brother Qingyun was merely worried that you would be concerned about the Yin family lineage, which is why he overthought things. Please calm your anger."

"Hmph! Get up and eat."

Seeing Qingcao, standing nearby, also hurriedly stepped beside the horse groom, took the stool, and returned it to Brother Qingyun's side.

"Seeing Qingcao, since you are the one who has seen that Miss, quickly describe what she looks like."

"Yes, Young Master! Uncle, that elder sister is quite tall; I reckon she is about the same height as Brother Brother Qingyun, and she has an oval face!"

The atmosphere in the room became much more relaxed than before, and a slight smile appeared on Brother Qingyun's face; three quarters of an hour later, Scarface returned to the Xu residence and announced at the gate, "Young Master, the matchmaker says tomorrow is auspicious for visiting relatives and friends, but not for proposing marriage; the day after tomorrow is the auspicious day."

Hearing the shout,

Upon seeing this plainly dressed matchmaker, along with Brother Qingyun behind her and two rows of female servants carrying gifts, the common people in the alley hastily made way while whispering among themselves.

"A steward from the Marquis's household? Did I hear that correctly?"

"Look at this grandeur..."

"No wonder she looks familiar; isn't this the young gentleman who brought the Hua family's old maiden back the day before yesterday!?"

The two older women exchanged glances and hurriedly moved aside from the doorway.

In that single hour, the old woman in the courtyard had encountered more events than she usually did in an entire day.

Looking at Brother Qingyun, who had visited the day before yesterday, and the elderly nurse beside him, her face was filled with disbelief.

"Esteemed Da Niangzi, this humble woman is a nurse from the Marquis Marquis Yongyi's household; entrusted by the main mistress of the family, I have come specifically to deliver an invitation!"

Hearing the nurse's words, Hao Guan Pozi, whose face was as round as a silver platter, blinked her eyes repeatedly, then turned her head and whispered a few words into the ear of one of the young maids.

Watching the young maid depart, Hao Guan Pozi cast a disdainful glance at Matchmaker Sun, who was still standing there in a daze, and then said, "Elder Hua, since we are all neighbors and the Hua family has this joyous occasion, if there is anything you need help with, do not hesitate to speak up."

Hearing Hao Guan Pozi's words, the surrounding common people echoed their agreement one after another.

Very soon, neighbors brought tables and chairs from their homes, served tea and dried fruits, and even invited a Venerable for virtue and prestige from the alley to keep them company.

In less than two quarters of an hour, the Hua family courtyard was actually made to look quite presentable; Mother Hua, buoyed by the joyous occasion, could not do much work and could only remain in the courtyard constantly thanking everyone.

Seeing the appreciative and friendly look cast by the nurse from the Marquis's household, Hao Guan Pozi moved to the side and began chatting respectfully.

Hao Guan Pozi hurriedly explained the events of just now to avoid letting the young Manager Yin from the Marquis's household harbor any resentment.

"Elder Hua, when will your daughter return?" Hao Guan Pozi asked.

Mother Hua hurriedly replied, "Soon! She has merely gone to the Daoist temple to repay the medical expenses for her father's illness from before."

While conversations continued in the courtyard,

At the entrance of Old Crow Alley,

Seeing Hua Qing, still dressed as a man and covering half her face with an old cloth as she walked down the street, her gait no longer held the shrinking timidity she had displayed earlier at the gate of the Marquis's household.

She turned into the alley, looked ahead, and saw neighbors clustering around a doorway; looking closely at that small gate and earthen wall, was it not her own home?

"Mother!"

Sensing something amiss in her heart, Hua Qing hurriedly quickened her pace.

Just then, a child darted out from the crowd, looked at the approaching figure, and shouted loudly, "The bride is returning!"

This single shout caused the people gathered around the doorway peering inside to turn around one after another,

"Oh my, it really is the Hua family's ol... Miss Hua has returned!"

"Sister Qing, in the future, do not forget that I once held you..."

"Make way quickly, do not block the path!"

As they spoke, the people cleared a path.

Hua Qing entered the courtyard, looking at her somewhat different home and the crowd seated within, her face filled with confusion.

Brother Qingyun saw her, hurriedly stood up, and nodded.

Hua Qing's mother, feeling embarrassed, pulled her into the room.

Hao Guan Pozi was about to follow inside but was smilingly blocked by an elderly nurse from the Hou Fu.

Then the elderly nurse waved her hand, and two female attendants standing by followed her inside.

Inside the room,

"Mother, what is going on?" Hua Qing asked with a frown.

"That young man from the Yin family in the courtyard has come to our home to deliver an invitation."

"Ah? What kind of invitation?"

"A marriage invitation!"

Hua Qing lowered her head and said, "Mother, is it the widower from the Hou Fu, or someone else wanting to take a concubine?"

"Neither."

The one who answered was the elderly nurse who had followed in; she smiled, pointed at the neatly arranged clothes on the bed, and said, "Miss, please try on these clothes first."

It had just reached the hour of Xu (after seven in the evening).

Qu Yuan Street,

The Main Da Niangzi's Courtyard.

Xu Minghua returned from social engagements outside to the rear courtyard, where Sun Shi served him as he changed his clothes.

"How did matters regarding Brother Qingyun go?"

"The date is set for three months from now."

"What about the person?"

"Aside from having a birthmark and being somewhat tall in stature, the Miss has no other issues."

"That is good; Brother Yin can finally set his mind at ease."

"We have also arranged for the Miss to work in our family shop; keeping her under our very eyes will make it easier to look after her."

"The Da Niangzi thinks thoroughly. The Sheng Family Academy will not begin classes until July 1st; in the future, it is unknown how Zhang'er and Jing'er will fare on the path of scholarly pursuits, so during these days of military drills, I will take them to have a look."

"Mm, once you, my lord, are done with your busy work, we must prepare to deliver the detailed invitation to the Sheng family and settle Zhang'er's matters as well! The day for our eldest daughter-in-law is also approaching!"

"Da Niangzi, it is all joyful events!"

"It seems you are not the one worrying!" Sun Shi shot Xu Minghua a glance.

"Da Niangzi, you have worked hard."

"Go on, go on."

The second day.

Early morning,

Xu Xu Zaijing was sparring with Brother Qingyun, but Brother Qingyun occasionally let out a silly, dazed giggle, giving Xu Xu Zaijing goosebumps all over.

When their master, who was watching from beside the training ground, noticed this, he twisted Brother Qingyun's ear and dragged him into a nearby room.

"Smack! That's for letting your mind wander!"

"Ah!"

"Smack! That's for not focusing!"

"Ah!"

After a few screams, Brother Qingyun finally recovered his state.

After hastily eating breakfast, Xu Xu Zaijing rode out of the Xu Fu together with his spirited father and his two elder brothers.

They exited the city through the New Song Gate as before and soon arrived outside the Tianwu Army camp.

The last time Xu Xu Zaijing came was before the New Year; arriving at the Tianwu Army half a year later, he clearly felt the difference.

Even outside the camp, one could hear bursts of shouting and killing cries.

After entering the camp, Xu Xu Zaijing found the soldiers spirited and the order impeccable.

For today's military drill, so as not to appear conspicuous, Xu Xu Zaijing, Xu Xu Zaizhang, and Brother Qingyun had all changed into the armor of the Tianwu Army.

Over these past nearly half a year, since Marquis Marquis Yongyi Xu Minghua took command of the army, he had dismissed the old and weak, issued full military pay without deduction, did not embezzle soldiers' rations, and furthermore did not treat the soldiers as miscellaneous laborers to be driven and used at will.

Just the single benefit of issuing full military pay meant that when Xu Minghua replenished the troops after the dismissals, he was spoiled for choice in selecting men.

Although half a year's time could not be called a complete transformation, it could certainly be said to have achieved remarkable results.

And these few days of military drills were for Marquis Marquis Yongyi to see how effective the efforts of this period had been.

Aside from the soldiers standing guard and on duty outside the camp, nearly seven thousand soldiers gathered in the spacious Tianwu Army training ground.

It is often said that when numbers exceed ten thousand, they appear boundless.

In Xu Xu Zaijing's previous life, the military parade with the largest number of people he had seen at once was probably the scene after the formation assembly at the Zhurihe Grand Parade, with a headcount of twelve thousand.

Of course, this military drill of the Great Zhou Dynasty's Tianwu Army certainly could not compare to that of his previous life.

Moreover, it was not a high-specification parade like an imperial review by the Emperor, which required specific venues, armor, and security measures.

Although this was merely a parade of the two wings of the Tianwu Army,

having several thousand people standing in the training ground still possessed a great shocking power.

Marquis Marquis Yongyi Xu Minghua stood on the command platform, while Xu Xu Zaizhang and Xu Xu Zaijing served as the Marquis's personal guard officers, standing behind Xu Minghua.

Xu Zaizuan, having been in the army for a long time, stood within the ranks below the command platform.

The content of the drill was also not the same as that of a Grand Zhou Emperor's imperial review;

instead, they advanced or retreated following the sound of gongs and drums, and after forming arrays, changed formations according to the flags.

Xu Xu Zaijing did not know what his father's army was like before he took command, but looking at it now, it certainly had some proper form, for in the movements between officers and soldiers, there were no traces of carelessness, dragging, or delay.

Normally, such a military drill would require preparing some rewards, but this time the Tianwu Army had none.

The reason was that the military pay was fully issued.

The money was given in full; if you didn't do it, they would do you.

The large-scale martial drill in the morning ended,

and they ate lunch.

In the afternoon, Xu Xu Zaijing and his father and elder brother ascended the command platform once again.

But Xu Xu Zaijing always felt that when his father took the platform, the look in his eyes was somewhat different.

On the command platform, Xu Xu Zaizhang beside Xu Minghua waved a flag forcefully, and the soldiers below either banged their shields or struck their armor, shouting loudly, "Fight!"

Surrounding the command platform were one hundred of Xu Minghua's personal guards from his du.

Before the battle formations of the six armies,

five from each army,

thirty fully armed and elite soldiers soon walked out.

The scar-faced personal guard who had come with Xu Xu Zaijing, along with Zhu Zhu Qinghu and others, were all wearing armor; after patting Xu Xu Zaijing's armor, they walked forward.

Xu Xu Zaijing hurried to follow.

Soon, ten war blades were carried up onto the command platform; just by looking at their scabbards, one could tell they were meticulously crafted.

Xu Xu Zaijing, visiting the Tianwu Army for the first time in half a year, exchanged a puzzled glance with Brother Qingyun, who was equally confused.

The thirty soldiers who had walked out earlier had each selected a personal guard and were now standing face to face.

However, no one stood before Xu Xu Zaijing or Zhu Zhu Qinghu.

Then Xu Xu Zaijing was pulled by Zhu Zhu Qinghu to stand aside; Xu Xu Zaijing whispered, "Jing Biao Ge, what is this for?"

"It's Uncle's rule: a martial drill every two months, followed by a challenge against his personal guards. Winners of the first round become personal guards; defeated guards are eliminated. Winners of a second round are rewarded with a precious blade; three victories earn a position as a squad leader of ten among the personal guards. He learned this from the Western Army. It's starting!"

As soon as Zhu Zhu Qinghu finished speaking, the three pairs who had taken the field began fighting fiercely.

Fortunately, the blades were not sharpened, but being struck on the body or helmet was still extremely painful.

Shouts echoed continuously in the arena; falling to the ground meant defeat. In the clash of close combat, the thirty pairs quickly decided their victors.

Brother Qingyun stood aside, looking thoroughly unsatisfied.

"The one who just won was previously from our manor's personal guard team; he lost in the first trial. You should have seen how desperately he trained in martial arts afterward. That other one is a new face."

Following Zhu Zhu Qinghu's line of sight, Xu Xu Zaijing saw a burly man; he was not very tall, but his body was strong, and when he removed his helmet to celebrate his victory, his exposed neck was as thick as his head.

The personal guards, already familiar with each other, began mocking their fallen comrade who had been defeated by a newcomer.

"Yo~~~"

"Tsk~~~"

"Haha, Old Xu, why are you lying on the ground?"

This last remark came from the scar-faced man.

"This kid, his strength is truly great!" shouted the personal guard called Old Xu.

Of the thirty elite soldiers from the left and right wings, only twelve remained after the first round.

In the second round, a lucky new face stood straight before Zhu Zhu Qinghu, making Zhu Zhu Qinghu, who had come up just to handle matters, show surprise.

Moreover, after this choice was made, bursts of discussion erupted in the drill ground.

The scar-faced man stood aside and said, "Brother Tiger, even with characters tattooed on his face, he is far more handsome than you!"

Xu Xu Zaijing also looked carefully; indeed, the person challenging Zhu Zhu Qinghu was of similar stature to Zhu Zhu Qinghu, but had red lips and white teeth, extremely handsome and good-looking, with the only flaw being several characters tattooed near the corner of his eyebrow.

The burly man who had won earlier said from the side, "Brother, are you new? You should have picked an easy one! You could still win a precious blade! How dare you directly challenge Wei Xiao Zhu?"

"I just want to know Wei Xiao Zhu's strength; anyway, I've already joined the personal guard team!" said the handsome youth.

Soon, these twelve pairs of soldiers began fighting again.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, the burly man actually survived the second round and received one of the precious blades from the command platform.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhu Qinghu was still exchanging blows back and forth with that handsome youth.

Soon, gasps of shock filled the drill ground; Xu Xu Zaijing also showed surprise. Zhu Zhu Qinghu had feigned an opening, but unexpectedly, the handsome youth took the hit deliberately and still blocked his follow-up move.

Zhu Zhu Qinghu was grabbed around the waist and thrown to the ground by him.

"Hahaha, Old Zhu, so you have this day too."

laughed the Xu-surnamed personal guard who had fallen earlier.

The scar-faced man was also laughing uncontrollably.

Zhu Zhu Qinghu lay on the ground in a daze.

"Damn, brother, you are so skilled! I, Feng Feng Dabao, admire you!"

"I yield," said the handsome youth, extending his hand to pull Zhu Zhu Qinghu up.

"What is your name? Join my team, and I will guarantee you a promising future," Zhu Zhu Qinghu said.

"My name is Di Jing, thank you, Wei Xiao."

"But..." Saying this, Zhu Zhu Qinghu whispered a few words into the ear of the handsome youth, Di Jing.

By the third round, of the thirty vigorous soldiers from the six armies, only four remained.

The personal guards who had not yet fought continued to line up; Xu Xu Zaijing was naturally among them, and then darkness fell before his eyes as a figure stood in front of him.

There is one more chapter; I have written four hundred characters.

Everyone, don't stay up late waiting; read it tomorrow morning.

(`) Heart

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(End of Chapter)