Chapter 7: The contract says so

"Don't throw the bowl over, there's soup in the bowl. I'm wearing a flying fish suit now, if I get it dirty, it's deceiving the Emperor."

Li Miao said.

In Li Miao's previous life, many people had the impression that the Embroidered Uniform Guard should wear flying fish suits and carry embroidered spring swords.

Actually, that's not the case.

Under the productive conditions of the feudal era, there was no ability to issue embroidered uniforms to groups other than officials.

In reality, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's uniform was an ordinary official uniform, and the tight-fitting outfits worn when handling business changed according to the shape of the Ministry of War at the time.

The flying fish suit was actually one of the rewards bestowed by the Emperor on meritorious officials and subordinates; whether one could wear it depended on whether the Emperor bestowed it.

The bestowed clothes recorded for Embroidered Uniform Guard officials included four types: python robes, flying fish suits, bull-fighting suits, and qilin suits. Like the flying fish suit Li Miao was wearing, it was bestowed by the current Emperor; let alone getting it dirty, even washing it was a crime.

Clothes bestowed by the Emperor like this were rarely taken out to wear.

Wang Hai putting this suit on Li Miao directly was because he had anticipated that Zhu Zai would do this to Li Miao and had defended against it in advance.

Sure enough, choked by these words, Zhu Zai put down the bowl he had raised.

It was just that he still stared at Li Miao fiercely, breathing heavily.

After a long time, Zhu Zai cursed angrily: "Look at you! Rotten mud can't be supported on the wall!"

Li Miao said without raising his head or opening his eyes: "My lord, I've been working under you for twenty years. I've long known I'm a piece of rotten mud; why are you supporting me?"

"You're always supporting me hard, the rotten mud is uncomfortable, and you're still angry. Why don't you just let me go like a fart, what do you think?"

"His mother—"

Zhu Zai was over fifty, from the imperial clan, a kind of old man who was temperamental but quite graceful. At this moment, he was also angered by Li Miao's dead-pig-not-afraid-of-boiling-water attitude and cursed his mother.

The hand holding the bowl had just been put down and was raised again, about to throw the bowl at Li Miao's face.

"Hey, hey—" Li Miao puffed out his chest, revealing the flying fish embroidered on his chest, pointing at it with his hand. It was to remind Zhu Zai of the bestowed clothes.

Slap!

Zhu Zai threw the bowl down hatefully, pointing at Li Miao's nose and cursing.

"Why can't you just strive for something, move around! How long have you been a Battalion Commander? Fifteen years, right!"

"In the seventh year of Jiajing, you were a Battalion Commander under me! In the twenty-third year of Jiajing, you're still a Battalion Commander! Do you want to be a Battalion Commander for a lifetime!?"

"How many times, how many opportunities have I given you? I haven't spent this much thought on my own son's official career! Can't you move your lazy bones and share some of the burden for me!?"

Zhu Zai looked at Li Miao, who was leaning in the chair with an indifferent expression, looking like he hated that iron wouldn't become steel.

"Why didn't you come back to report last night!?"

Li Miao replied: "I was sleepy. A few petty thieves, Wang Hai brought them back, so I went back to sleep."

"Who cares about those few petty thieves!? I'm asking you why you let Yan Xiaosheng go!?" Zhu Zai said. The few greenwood heroes brought back from Yan Xiaosheng last night had a few good hands who had made a name for themselves in the Jianghu, but in his mouth, they became petty thieves.

"This Yan Xiaosheng business, the profit is sufficient, everyone wants to grab it, why did I have to be the one to do it? Can you not understand?"

"I understand, I understand." Li Miao said.

"Isn't it that the Vice Commander of Money is about to step down, and Yan Xiaosheng has a background in the Ministry of War. You want me to get him back and hand him over to the Ministry of War to gain some favor. So they can raise their hands and let me take the position of Vice Commander of Money."

When the founding Emperor of Dashuo established the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he wanted to leave a secret service organization independent of the imperial court for later emperors, with personnel promotion and salary decided by the Emperor alone. Only in this way could the loyalty and reliability of this secret service organization be guaranteed.

But the rules are dead, and people are alive. After experiencing several emperors and the court's game, the current Embroidered Uniform Guard is no longer the Emperor's private army. The two Vice Commanders under the Commander are now recommended by the Ministry of War. It is equivalent to nails buried by the imperial court inside the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Zhu Zai's meaning was to let Li Miao use the pretext of cleaning up the capital to catch Yan Xiaosheng and make a deal with the Ministry of War, so he could justifiably promote Li Miao to the position of Vice Commander.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard, from top to bottom, is Commander, Vice Commander, Assistant Commander, Town-Pacifying Envoy, Battalion Commander, Company Commander. Li Miao, this Battalion Commander, is a fifth-rank official, and the Vice Commander is a third-rank official. This span is not small; it belongs to an extremely rare leapfrog promotion, which only occurs in special offices like the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If this opportunity were placed outside, it would probably be fought over.

But Li Miao just beat the person half to death, let him go, and let Yan Xiaosheng finish it himself. He also rambled a bunch of nonsense with Yan Xiaosheng.

Only by holding the handle in one's hand can one have the basis for negotiating conditions. He let Yan Xiaosheng go, which would only turn this matter into a tacit interest exchange.

He thought that in a few days, the Ministry of War would send a large sum of silver, but Zhu Zai's plan to let the Ministry of War mention promoting Li Miao to Vice Commander would be out of the question.

How could this not make Zhu Zai, who had racked his brains to find an opportunity, angry and furious?

He hated that iron wouldn't become steel and said: "You're not a reckless man whose brain is only filled with Wu Gong; you know this matter clearly in your heart! Why do you have to go against me!"

"How many years, how many times! Every time I want to promote you, you have to make a scene. You don't come for roll call, you don't go for protection. People grab credit, you sleep, people get promoted, you cheer!"

"Others work at sunrise and rest at sunset, you act like a young master every day and only do four hours of work. Fine, you have great ability, your Wu Gong is high, I'll endure you. But does promotion have anything to do with you!? Do you love being that fifth-rank Battalion Commander so much!?"

Zhu Zai was so angry his face turned red, walking back and forth in the room, cursing with every step, until his beard was messy and his clothes were wrinkled, losing all the demeanor of a high official, looking like an old man cursing his own unfilial son.

Li Miao saw Zhu Zai was truly angry, so he took his hand off his face, sat up straight, and took out a yellowed piece of paper from his bosom.

As soon as Zhu Zai saw that piece of paper, his momentum weakened, and he waved his hand impatiently: "Stop using this broken thing to talk!"

Li Miao ignored him and unfolded the paper he had taken from under the paperweight on his desk on the table.

On that paper, it vaguely said "Li Miao," "four hours a day," and other words, and other places were contaminated by dried blood, black and dark. Only a handprint could be seen at the bottom, seemingly someone's signature.

"This was exchanged for my life back then. The handprint you pressed on this was pressed with my blood." Li Miao said.

This was when Li Miao was twenty years old and still a Company Commander.

At that time, he did a life-threatening job for Zhu Zai and barely survived. Zhu Zai saved him at the time, supported the blood-covered Li Miao, and asked him what he wanted.

As a result, Li Miao took out a "labor contract" he had imitated from his previous life and coaxed Zhu Zai to press his handprint.

Zhu Zai only thought this was a joke Li Miao made at the time; who knew that from then on, he really only worked four hours a day. Every time Zhu Zai cursed him for being lazy, he would use this paper to block Zhu Zai's mouth.

And every time Zhu Zai saw this paper, thinking of Li Miao, who was covered in wounds and lying in his arms back then, he wouldn't make things difficult for him.

However, this time was different.

Zhu Zai was silent for a while and finally said: "Li Miao, this time is not a joke."

"The Emperor has shown signs of old age in recent years and is already building a mausoleum, planning for his passing and passing the throne to the Crown Prince."

"I, this Commander, won't be doing it for long."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 8 =====