Chapter 322 Troop Training
In the narrow alley under the cover of night, the masked man was cautiously exploring the way ahead, while Pao Ge and Er Dao were following behind.

Outside the alley, one could occasionally hear the sound of people running hurriedly. The bandits were searching the entire city, as if they wanted to turn the outer city upside down.

Erdao slowed down his pace and said in a muffled voice, “Brother, isn’t it too little for us to only take 10%?”

Brother Pao glanced at the masked man’s back and said, “I’m not afraid of getting too little, I’m just afraid of not getting a penny. This man doesn’t even know the way out of town, it’s unclear whether we can trust him.”

Erdao whispered, “Is there something wrong with him?”

Brother Pao hummed, “If he hadn’t said ‘I’ll help those who are in trouble’, I’d still believe him. But you’ve seen us all along the way, and there’s no one who’ll help those who are in trouble. I’d be lucky if I didn’t sell you by the pound.”

Erdao looked serious: “What should we do then?”

Brother Pao scratched his scalp with his little finger: “Run? No, we can’t lose our moral principles.”

At this time, there were fourteen or fifteen Heji gangs outside the alley, armed with weapons, passing through the entrance of the alley.

Someone shouted, “Go to the Fulai Inn in the east. Wang Dong, go to the Zhuangyuan Inn. Remember, be polite when you meet scholars coming to Beijing for the imperial examinations. Don’t mess with the future officials.”

The masked man took Pao Ge and Er Dao together and hid side by side in the shadow of blue bricks and gray tiles, waiting for He Ji’s stick to leave.

In silence, the masked man suddenly asked, “What were you two talking about just now?”

Brother Pao responded, “We were saying that tonight was extremely dangerous. If the benefactor hadn’t appeared, I’m afraid we two brothers would have died there.”

The masked man hummed and said, “Excuse me, brother Pao, where did you learn that wrestling skill?”

In the darkness, Pao Ge’s pupils shrank, but his expression remained unchanged: “I learned this from a master in my hometown of Yuzhou. My master is very good at wrestling.”

“Oh?” The masked man said nonchalantly, “Since he is an expert in wrestling, he must be very famous. I may have heard of his name.”

Pao Ge’s expression was hidden in the shadows: “Master is not famous, he is a hermit.”

The masked man said, “Then is it convenient for me to visit you? I am also interested in this.”

Brother Pao smiled and said, “He passed away.”

“Does this wrestling technique have a name?”

“Jitsu.”

“Why is it called jutsu?”

“Hmm… the art of using softness to overcome hardness.”

The masked man listened to Pao Ge telling lies with a serious face, but he did not expose him.

He turned around and glanced at the two of them: “Please tell me, how many sticks do He Ji and Fu Rui Xiang have, who is stronger and who is weaker now, and how many people are watching in the Eight Great Hutongs?”

Brother Pao leaned against the wall and introduced: “This outer city is divided into eight wards, Chongbei ward, Chongnan ward, Zhengbei ward, Zhengnan ward… Among the eight wards, four are in the hands of Heji, three are in the hands of Fu Ruixiang, and Chongnan ward belongs to the Cao Gang.”

Brother Pao continued, “Except for the Eight Great Lanes, the three most profitable places, Liulichang, Panjiayuan, and the Eight Great Hutongs, were singled out and the territory was determined by monthly wrestling. Heji employs 700 to 800 people, and Furuixiang employs 600 to 700.”

The masked man frowned: “So many?”

Pao Ge quietly observed the masked man’s reaction: “Benefactor, how many people do you have?”

The masked man casually responded, “More than 30.”

Pao Ge was startled: “These gangs have been entrenched in the capital for a long time. If you only have more than 30 people under your command, I advise you to get out of here as soon as possible.”

The masked man did not answer. He listened to the alley gradually becoming quiet, then he turned and left the alley, heading straight for Xuanwu Gate.

When they were almost at Xuanwu Gate, Pao Ge saw from afar more than 20 soldiers from the Five Cities Military Department standing guard in front of the vermilion gate. He called out, “Sir, we don’t have a household registration in the inner city, and we don’t have a government pass, so we can’t get in!”

But just as he finished speaking, he heard shouts from behind the three men with sticks. Pao Ge turned around and saw a flickering fire behind the continuous roof ridges, getting closer and closer. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow the masked man to Xuanwu Gate.

When they passed Xuanwu Gate, the soldiers of the Five Cities Military Department raised their halberds and said, “Inner City Household Registration, or Passenger Permit…Take off the cloth on your face!”

The masked man took out a badge and flashed it in front of him.

But the soldiers of the Five Cities Army changed their expressions, and quickly stepped aside without making any sound. Pao Ge and Er Dao looked at each other in surprise.

The masked man led Pao Ge and Er Dao to an inn, took out a piece of silver and stuffed it into their hands: “I think you can’t enter the inner city now, so you two can rest here today. Tomorrow at midnight, I will blow a whistle outside the inn, and then we will go to Li Shamao Hutong to set up a stick together.”

After saying that, the masked man turned around and walked away. Only after he had walked several streets away did Chen Ji pull down the mask and let out a long breath.

He rubbed his cheeks and sighed: “How did you come to this world?”

At this moment, Erdao stood in front of the inn and turned to look at Pao Ge: “Brother, should we wait for him?”

Brother Pao shook his head: “We can’t wait. He only has more than 30 people under him. Going to fight him would only lead to death… Let’s go.”

……

……

In the early morning, cocks crow.

When Xiaoman opened her eyes while holding the little black cat, there was no trace of Chen Ji on the bed. Only a note was left on the table: Borrow six carriages from the Zhang family.

Chen Ji walked out of the side door of Qinzheng Garden alone. In front of the door, Qi Chengzhu was leaning against the wall and yawning.

When he saw Chen Ji coming out, he immediately perked up and stepped forward to claim credit: “Master, I found the bamboo you wanted. It’s in the Governor’s Mansion.”

Li Xuan frowned and said, “Do you still need your master to praise you for doing such a small thing?”

Chen Ji said calmly, “I heard that there was a commotion in the outer city last night. Did you guys hear about it?”

Li Xuan shook his head. “I haven’t heard of it. Those fighting gangs are not respectable. They dare not make trouble in front of the officials in the inner city. If they really make trouble, the Five Cities Military Department will come out to suppress it, and many people will die.”

Chen Ji suddenly realized that it was no wonder that the gang was stopped when they arrived at Baishun Hutong.

Qi Chenzhuo asked stealthily, “Master, did you go to the Eight Great Hutongs last night? Why didn’t you call me?”

Chen Ji said casually, “I went to Tianqiao to watch the wrestling show yesterday. When I came back, I passed by Zhengyang Gate and happened to see people shouting and fighting inside. By the way, have you heard of Heji and Fu Ruixiang in the outer city? What are their backgrounds?”

Qi Chenzhuo shook his head: “Who would care about those low-class people?”

The three of them crossed the Taiping Bridge, and Li Xuan said, “I have heard that Hutchison is a time-honored brand. It also has some wine shops and brothels under its umbrella, but its main source of income is still from bullying and collecting peace money. But it was not like this in the early years. It started out as a guard and escort business.”

Turning into West Chang’an Street, Li Xuan continued, “Heji was originally famous for its loyalty and righteousness. The old gang leader was extremely loyal and righteous, and he was eager to help others. Whenever someone in the underworld got into trouble, he would help them out. He also hated evil and never interacted with bandits during his escort mission. He relied on his own skills to walk and cross bridges. It is said that a gangster he helped was attacked by bandits in Taihang Mountain. When he was escorting the caravan through Taihang Mountain for the thirteenth year, the horse bandit heard that he was going to pass by here, so he came down the mountain and waited by the roadside to offer him a bowl of wine. The old gang leader did not drink the wine, but killed the horse bandit himself, and asked many people to witness it. He distributed the money and goods in the mountain to the victims who were harmed by the horse bandits in the nearby county.”

Qi Chenzhuo’s eyes widened: “We were friends before, how can you kill him just like that?”

Li Xuan glanced at him and said, “What do you think of Taihang Mountain bandits? Any famous bandit has hundreds of lives on his hands, and has snatched dozens of women from the mountains. If someone in the village below the mountain gets married, the bride will be left to them on the first night. Why not kill such a person? In my opinion, it’s a good idea to kill him!”

Qi thought about it and smacked his lips: “That’s true.”

Chen Ji asked nonchalantly, “How did Hutchison become like this?”

Li Xuan shook his head: “I grew up in front of Zhengyang Gate in the outer city. I squatted outside the teahouse and listened to storytellers telling stories. This old gang leader is a frequent guest in the stories of the outer city storytellers, so I have heard of him, but I don’t know anything else.” Chen Ji asked again: “Who is behind Heji and Fu Ruixiang? Without connections, they can’t gain a foothold in the capital, right?”

Li Xuan shook his head again: “The people behind them are very mysterious. After all, everyone cherishes their reputation. No one wants to be associated with these low-class people. If it gets out, people will laugh at them.”

Chen Ji nodded, and the three of them walked along West Chang’an Street and turned into the Yulin Army Governor’s Mansion.

As soon as I entered the camp, I heard someone on the training ground shouting, “Qi Zhuanzhuo, quickly get your two bamboos to sweep the floor. Your bamboos are just the right size for this floor of dust.”

Qi Zhuozhuo angrily yelled, “Stop talking nonsense here. If you have nothing to do, just get out of here. You have ruined the reputation of the Yulin Army!”

Chen Wenren had just changed into armor and came out of the Governor’s Mansion. He lowered his head to adjust his arm guard and said slowly, “Qi Chenzhuo, don’t think that you are so great just because you went to Guyuan. As far as I know, you didn’t kill any enemies in Guyuan.”

Qi Chenzhuo’s expression changed.

Chen Wenren adjusted his arm guard and glanced at Qi Chenzhuo: “What? Do you really think that others can’t see the battle reports or memorials?”

He waved his hand, and someone threw a copy of the cabinet’s imperial edict into the middle of the training ground. With a snap, the hinges of the imperial edict fell apart.

Chen Wenren sneered, “When the Tiance Army attacked the prince, you hid on the roof of the Longmen Inn. Later, you took refuge in a well. Someone kidnapped the prince, but you didn’t protect him to the death. Instead, you were captured. Qi Zhuozhuo, all the Yulin soldiers around the prince died in the battle, and you were the only one alive. Tell me, who ruined the reputation of the Yulin Army?”

Qi Chenzhuo’s expression darkened.

Chen Wenren kicked the memorial with red ink in front of Qi Chenzhuo and said, “Practice the ceremonial guards with your axe and halberd well, and don’t think about those messy things. You have nothing to do with making achievements. Your brother-in-law is your brother-in-law, and you are you. Sooner or later, he will join the Wansui Army to pursue his career. Who in the Yulin Army will be able to protect you by then? You haven’t even killed anyone, so don’t pretend to be powerful all day long.”

Qi Chenzhuo didn’t dare to say a word, causing all the Yulin soldiers beside Chen Wenren to laugh: “Don’t practice the troops, Lord Qi, practice your courage first!”

Chen Ji glanced at them, then without saying a word pulled Qi Chenzhuo into the yamen to put on armor.

When changing into armor, he lowered his head to tighten the straps of the front armor and said casually: “Arguing is the most useless thing in the world. Practice the formation well, and there will always be a day when you can hold your head high and be proud of yourself.”

Qi Zhuozhuo took a deep breath and said, “Master, I understand… How do we practice? Should we use the bamboo? I’m afraid they will laugh at us again.”

Chen Ji looked back at the training ground. Chen Wenren was leading more than 200 Yulin soldiers to practice ceremonial weapons with axes and halberds. He said calmly, “Close the door. We will practice in the corridor of the building.”

Qi Chenzhuo was puzzled: “Practicing in the building of the Governor’s Mansion? The corridor of this building can only accommodate three people. It is so narrow that we can’t practice.”

Li Xuan seemed to be thinking: “Chen Ji, where exactly is the Mandarin Duck Formation you mentioned suitable for use?”

Chen Ji stood in front of the door, closing it with both hands, blocking the sunlight and gazes outside. Only a faint light came in through the white paper window.

Chen Ji turned around and stood in the dark Governor’s Mansion: “Flat ground. Street fighting.”

Qi Chenzhuo asked curiously, “Practice in this Governor’s Mansion?”

Chen Ji said calmly: “Practice in the Governor’s Mansion during the day, and I will lead you to practice with real swords and guns at night.”

……

……

At the hour of You, the sun sets in the west.

The sound of drums came from the bell and drum tower. Eight hundred evening drums beat from slow to fast, beating out the last bit of heat and warm light.

On the parade ground, Chen Wenren glanced at the tightly closed gate of the Governor’s Office and frowned, “These people have been stuck in there for a whole day. What are they doing?”

Someone sneered, “Master Qi is too embarrassed to see anyone, so he just hides inside and takes a nap. Master, don’t worry about them. It’s their turn to be on duty tonight anyway. Let’s go to Qipan Street for a drink, shall we?”

Chen Wenren glanced at the Governor’s Mansion again, turned around and walked out: “Let’s go.”

When the Yulin Army Governor’s Office became deserted, the gate of the government office was still not opened, and the lights were not on. Only the occasional faint shouts and screams from the building proved that there were still people inside.

It was not until the sun completely sank behind the city and the night watchman struck the midnight bell that the gate of the Governor’s Mansion was opened.

The Yulin Army came out one after another carrying weapons, shields and bamboos. Six carriages were parked quietly in front of the gate, but the coachmen were nowhere to be seen.

Li Xuan was puzzled: “What is this?”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone lifted the curtain from the carriage. Zhang Zheng said with a smile, “When I heard Xiaoman say that you wanted to borrow six carriages, Axia was sure that you were going to do something big again. How could we be absent from such an event? Let’s join in the fun.”

Chen Ji looked into the carriage, only to see Xiao Man and Zhang Xia sitting quietly in the carriage. Zhang Xia glanced at the weapons in their hands and thought for a moment: “Hutchison? Fu Ruixiang? Sanshan Society?”

Chen Ji smiled and said, “Hutchison.”

Zhang Xia thought for a moment. She did not persuade Chen Ji not to go. She just told him, “If you can’t win, run away.”

Chen Ji agreed: “Okay!”

More than thirty Yulin soldiers squeezed into six carriages, with two people driving each carriage. The wheels pressed on the blue bricks and rumbled towards Xuanwu Gate.

Inside and outside the car, the soldiers of the Yulin Army uniformly took out a piece of gray cloth and covered their faces.

Zhang Zheng was surprised: “What is this for?”

Qi Chenzhuo shook his head: “I don’t know, Master told me to do that.”

Zhang Zheng looked at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji said sincerely: “I’m afraid I’ll be embarrassed if I can’t win.”

Zhang Xia casually tore off the hem of Zhang Zheng’s shirt and split it into three strips: “Let’s cover ourselves too.”

The carriage arrived in front of an inn on Xuanwumen Street. Chen Ji signaled Qi Shenzhuo with his eyes. Qi Shenzhuo put two fingers on his tongue and whistled.

But after waiting for half an incense stick, Pao Ge and Erdao did not show up.

Zhang Xia asked curiously, “Did the person we were waiting for run away?”

Chen Ji leaned against the carriage and whispered, “Wait a little longer.”

Zhang Xia asked curiously again: “Who is it?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, “Someone from the underworld.”

Xiaoman muttered quietly: “What kind of answer is this?”

The next moment, someone knocked on the carriage.

Chen Ji lifted the curtain and looked over, and saw Pao Ge and Er Dao standing outside the car, panting: “Are you not too late?”

Chen Ji smiled and said, “It’s still midnight, not too late, but I thought you wouldn’t come back.”

Brother Pao grinned and said, “We always keep our word and keep our promise. We, the brothers of Pao, will never do anything.”

Chen Ji lowered the curtains: “Get in the car.”

(End of this chapter)