CH 70: Nominal Guards

Yang Feng rushed to the front courtyard, with the Du grandfather and grandson guarding the Weary Marquis behind him. The eunuchs and palace maids who lived in the front courtyard heard the shouting, and several of them poked their heads out, only to be chased back by Yang Feng.

The shouting outside the door grew louder and even included insults.

Yang Feng stood behind the door and asked loudly, “Who is making such a ruckus here?”

The person outside angrily replied, “We are Yulin Guards on official business. Why are you asking so many questions? Open the door for us immediately.”

Yang Feng looked back and saw that the Weary Marquis was protected by the Dus. He nodded and said to the people outside, “This is the Manor of the Weary Marquis, and we have no business with you Yulin Guards.”

The Imperial Guards was a general term which including eight armies, one of which were the Yulin Guards. They were stationed at the north gate, and their most important task was not to guard the palace, but to serve as ceremonial guards during grand court ceremonies. They usually led a leisurely life.

The men outside banged on the door, “Whether you have business with us is not for you to decide. Open the door and receive the imperial edict!”

Yang Feng snorted, becoming more convinced that these people were impostors. He said, “Stand at the door, and let me see if you are really Yulin Guards.”

The men outside cursed, but still agreed, “I’m standing right here. Come and have a look.”

“Alright.” Yang Feng slowly drew his sword, aimed it at the door gap, and said, “Stand closer; I can’t see clearly.”

“Hey, you…!”

Yang Feng thrust his sword out and quickly pulled it back. A scream followed by a torrent of curses came from outside.

Han Ruzi was startled by Yang Feng’s action, while the young Du Chuanyun commented critically, “Oh, you didn’t use enough force. They’re wearing iron armor, and you probably didn’t even cause a minor injury. Listen to their increased vigor.”

Yang Feng’s intent was not to kill. He spoke sternly to them, “I am the former Palace Attendant Yang Feng. If you have the guts, tell me your name. Tomorrow I shall go to the Yulin Guards and ask them since when was it their responsibility to deliver imperial edicts?”

“Damn eunuch, if you’re so capable, why don’t you go have a son…” The people outside cursed even louder, but they refused to reveal their names.

Du Chuanyun said to his grandfather, “Those from the imperial palace really know how to curse. Listen, they haven’t repeated a single insult yet, much more impressive than us folks in the pugilist world.”

Du Motian nodded, “That’s because you haven’t seen much. I’ve seen people who can curse even better.”

Han Ruzi blushed a little. Although he was no longer an emperor, he still felt that the people outside were disgracing him, “They may not be Yulin Guards. They might be impostors.”

Yang Feng replied, “They are Yulin Guards. No one else would wear such ostentatious attire, except for the Yulin Guards.”

“But I haven’t offended the Yulin Guards,” Han Ruzi said in surprise.

“There are quite a few noble descendants among the Yulin Guards; perhaps someone instigated them.” As Yang Feng suddenly sidestepped, a blade pierced through the door gap and moved up and down.

Du Motian leaped forward in one step and grabbed the back of the blade. Despite his age and thin appearance, he had a strong grip, holding the blade firmly in place.

“Hey, the damn eunuch is quite strong. What do you want with my blade? Were you not cleanly cut? Let go…”

Du Motian released his grip, and footsteps and an angry curse were heard from outside. The Yulin Guard had apparently fallen, followed by even more cursing. There must have been dozens of Yulin Guards who came.

“The emperor’s guards don’t seem that impressive,” Du Chuanyun said, somewhat disappointed. He asked the Weary Marquis, “Did you rely on these people for protection before? No wonder a group of pugilist heroes could break into the palace.”

Han Ruzi shook his head, “There were elite guards in the palace. And those who broke into the palace were not heroes, but a group of rebels.”

“Those who dare break into the palace are heroes” Du Chuanyun was not one who would curry favor with an Emperor, let alone a deposed one, “Would you dare break into the imperial palace now that you aren’t Emperor? You certainly wouldn’t dare, so you are not a hero.”

“Would you dare?”

Du Chuanyun raised his eyebrow and was about to speak when Du Motian came back and patted his grandson on the head. “Enough idle talk. Go take a look around, lest someone sneaks in from the back.”

Du Chuanyun rubbed his head, “Old man, why don’t you go? I’m your only grandson…” Though he said this, he still went to the backyard to check the situation.

Han Ruzi found the situation both awkward and amusing. The relationships he had with his family members were varied, some containing warmth, some indifference, and some hatred, yet they all lacked the carefree spontaneity that existed between these two grandfather and grandson.

“Marquis Juan, do not mind. My grandson has been adventuring in the pugilist world with me since he was young, and he does not understand proper rules of conduct.”

“I would say that I’m the one who doesn’t understand the rules of the pugilist world,” Han Ruzi laughed and then asked curiously, “How did you get to know Yang Feng?”

The old man sighed, “We went to assassinate him, but in the end, we owe him our lives.”

Han Ruzi was taken aback, not understanding the meaning of this statement. Du Motian had already walked away and said to Yang Feng, “Is the door bolt sturdy enough? It seems they are planning to ram the door.”

Yang Feng nodded. He had already checked it during the day and had deliberately added an extra bolt to the main gate. The side door was also locked and bolted. Unless the other party brought specialized equipment, it would be impossible to break down the door.

Bang! Indeed, the men outside started to ram the door.

Bang, bang, bang… The ramming sounds came one after another, interspersed with a series of groans. The Yulin Guards were clearly using their bodies to ram the door.

If this were an ordinary household, they would have been frightened by now. However, Yang Feng was not bothered by them and even occasionally mocked them.

Following Yang Feng’s lead, Han Ruzi was not afraid and only found the group of Yulin Guards laughable. Turning his head, he saw Zhang Youcai sneaking out. He waved at him, gesturing for him to go back.

Suddenly, there was a cheer from outside the door, “The Tiger Guards have arrived! They are the smart ones, thinking to bring a ladder.”

Yang Feng nodded to Du Motian, who understood. His fame was not for nothing. He climbed up a pillar, swung himself under the eaves, and then flipped over, easily reaching the roof without making a sound.

Yang Feng came to Han Ruzi’s side, “Marquis Juan, it is cold here. Why don’t you go and rest? I will take care of the situation here.”

Han Ruzi shook his head. He did not want to hide in the room and wait for the outcome. He had grown thoroughly tired of that kind of life in the Imperial Palace. “Who would be able to mobilize both the Yulin Guards and the Tiger Guards to kill me?”

“I suspect these people are merely nominally palace guards, having their names on the nominal roll without actually having any responsibilities. They use the uniforms of the two Guard units to bolster their stature in society.”

“Oh, are there many such nominal guards?”

“Almost half of the guards.”

“That many!” Han Ruzi was taken aback, and then he remembered that he was no longer an emperor and that there was really no need for him to care about such matters.

“It can’t be helped; there are too many offspring of the nobility. Only a very few can enter the palace as attendants, while the others…”

A shout came from the roof, and it was evident that Du Motian had started a fight with someone.

At the same time, a crisp shout from Du Chuanyun came from the backyard. Du Motian had guessed correctly: while they were openly shouting and cursing at the front door, someone had sneaked into the backyard.

Yang Feng drew his blade to protect the Weary Marquis, but he only knew some rudimentary martial arts and was not confident in fending off the assassins. He shouted loudly, “Du Chuanyun, come back!”

The sounds of weapons clashing in the backyard continued for a while. Du Chuanyun ran from the back gate to the front courtyard, “Don’t worry, it was just a lousy fellow. I drove him away.”

Yang Feng was about to speak when he saw a figure jump down from the porch and stab at Du Chuanyun with a blade.

Han Ruzi saw it too, but the incident happened so suddenly that both of them were unable to issue a warning in time.

Du Chuanyun, who had been wandering the pugilist world with his grandfather since childhood, was quite experienced. He sensed something was wrong and immediately leaped backward while swinging his sword to counter the attack, “Dammit, you dare ambush…”

Du Chuanyun was forced back into the backyard, and another person in black clothing, covering their face, leaped down with a blade, heading straight for the Weary Marquis.

Yang Feng knew he was no match. He held his blade in his hand, and shouted loudly, “Du Motian!” A response came from the roof, but he did not appear immediately. Du Motian was evidently entangled.

Yang Feng swung his blade to fight, but the attacker saw that Yang Feng’s steps were unsteady and that he was not a martial arts expert. Without slowing down, the attacker raised his blade to strike.

As the two were about to clash, the attacker’s feet mysteriously slipped, and he fell forward. The blade in his hand also lost its aim, and Yang Feng easily dodged, chopping down at the attacker’s head. Unfortunately, Yang Feng’s swordsmanship was indeed quite average, and though his strike was powerful, his aim was as poor as the stumbling assailant’s, missing the attacker’s shoulder by a hair.

Even so, the attacker was greatly surprised. He rolled over, fell to the ground, and scrambled several times before getting up and running towards the second courtyard, shouting, “There’s an ambush! Retreat!”

“Meng…” Han Ruzi stopped himself just in time, not uttering another word.

Yang Feng chased for a few steps and then returned to the Weary Marquis’s side, “Who were you calling?”

“No one,” Han Ruzi shook his head, not wanting to cause trouble for Meng E.

Du Motian jumped down from the roof, “It seems that reinforcements have arrived. Those guys ran away so fast that they didn’t even take their ladder.”

Du Chuanyun also returned, “They came quickly and ran away quickly as well. What was that  about an ‘ambush’?”

Yang Feng shook his head and walked to the door to peek through the crack.

The sound of horses, shouting, and clashing weapons came from the street, as if two groups were fighting. The eunuchs and palace maids who were resting inside could no longer contain themselves and quietly came out one by one, standing next to the Weary Marquis, listening anxiously.

The noise on the street disappeared, and after a while, someone knocked on the door, “This humble servant, Cai Xinghai, requests to see the Weary Marquis.”

The eunuchs and palace maids cheered in unison. Yang Feng turned back and looked at them, frowning deeply, and asked, “How many of you?”

“Uh, more than thirty… I can enter alone.”

“Let him in. Cai Xinghai is a familiar face,” Han Ruzi said.

Only then did Yang Feng reluctantly unlock the door and lift the latch, opening the side door slightly. Cai Xinghai hesitated before entering from outside. Seeing the Weary Marquis, his eyes lit up, and he ran over in a few steps, kneeling down and kowtowing. As he knelt, the eunuchs and palace maids also followed suit and knelt down.

The Dus were not accustomed to this scene, so they stepped back and stood aside with their arms folded.

“Get up quickly, Cai Xinghai. What rank are you holding now?”

Cai Xinghai respectfully kowtowed three times before standing up, “Thanks to Your Majesty… I mean, Your Lordship, the Empress Dowager has rewarded me with the position of a military commander.”

Han Ruzi didn’t know whether military commander was a high or low rank, so he smiled and said, “Congratulations, Commander Cai.”

The eunuchs and palace maids also got up and congratulated him. Zhang Youcai said, “I thought you had already taken up your post. Since you are still in the city, why didn’t you come earlier?”

“I should have taken up my post three months ago. I asked for many favors to delay it until now, just to see the Weary Marquis one more time. I didn’t expect to encounter some trouble today, which caused the delay.”

Yang Feng came over and ordered everyone to return to their rooms. After they dispersed, he asked Cai Xinghai, “How did you know that the Weary Marquis would be besieged?”

Cai Xinghai replied, “That’s the trouble I encountered today. I heard in the camp that someone wanted to take revenge on the Weary Marquis, so I asked some of my brothers to come and help, but we were a little late.”

“Not late at all, you came just in time.” Han Ruzi was very grateful to this eunuch, and then asked in confusion, “Who wants to take revenge on me? I haven’t offended anyone… Could it be Prince Donghai? The Empress Dowager hasn’t let him become the emperor yet, has she?”

Cai Xinghai shook his head, “I only heard rumors, and I’m not sure who it is specifically. Please rest assured, Your Grace, even if I have to disobey military orders, I will ensure your safety.”

“With Yang Feng here, I am safe.”

Yang Feng used to be a high-ranking eunuch, while Cai Xinghai was just a low-ranked eunuch, and their status was quite different. Even after becoming a military commander, he didn’t dare to be arrogant and bowed, “I am just here to help according to Lord Yang’s arrangements.”

Yang Feng had been observing Cai Xinghai and said at this moment, “Just say what you have to say. Since I have left the palace, I am the same as all of you like, completely loyal to the Weary Marquis.”

Cai Xinghai’s face turned red, and he turned to look at the Dus, only to find that they had already left. He then looked at the Weary Marquis.

“In front of Lord Yang, you may speak freely.” Han Ruzi indeed trusted Yang Feng.

“Has Your Lordship heard about the situation with the Empress?”

Han Ruzi was taken aback. He had been concerned about Empress Cui Xiaojun, but since learning that he was to abdicate, his worries had faded. He believed that the Cui clan would want the Empress to keep her position, meaning that they would no longer be together.

“What happened to her?”

“She asked me to seek help from you.”