Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 32

Chapter 32 Great Tang Imperial Palace
Overnight, the sparrow turned into a phoenix. Qin Mubai was promoted from a small seventh-grade lieutenant of the Prince’s Mansion to a fifth-grade Baiji messenger by the Emperor’s side. Naturally, the Qin Family members were extremely happy.

At noon, Qin Tong and Qin Bin specially went home to congratulate their third brother. The Qin Family held a family banquet and the Cheng Family and their father and son enjoyed drinking wine.

The happiest ones were naturally Mrs. Liu and Qin Shuang’er. The two of them had always regarded Qin Mubai as the core of their lives. Now that he had made a breakthrough, the two of them had a feeling that they could rely on Qin Mubai.

In the evening, the Qin Clan, which had been bustling for a whole day, finally quieted down. As usual, Qin Mubai went to the backyard to practice his spear archery, but he did not lose his composure because of his momentum.

Qin Shubao watched from the side and gave him some pointers. After practicing for two hours, it was already the time for the moon to shine and dew to descend. Only then did Qin Shubao tell him to stop.

“Saburo, you are going to the Imperial Palace to work tomorrow. Take a moment and go to the Prince of Wu first.” Qin Shubao said, “Although the emperor’s will is greater than the heavens, there is no need to ask for the consent of the Prince of Wu, but many people don’t blame you. It is always good for you to explain yourself. Come and go to understand, then you will be a great man.”

“I understand. I’ll change my clothes soon.” Qin Mubai cupped his hands and said.

“Also, there are two principles to be remembered when you are on duty beside the Emperor.” Qin Shubao raised his two fingers and said seriously, “First, listen more and speak less. Second, do more and speak less.”

“Yes.” Qin Mubai cupped his hands and said, “This child naturally understands the principle that if you speak too much, you will lose. When you work beside the emperor, there will naturally be more opportunities for you to ascend infinitely. However, accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger. Only by being careful will you be able to make the 10,000 Year Ship.”

The corner of Qin Shubao’s eyes flashed and he stroked his beard and nodded, “Very well … It seems that your knowledge has already surpassed that of some people of your age. You are overthinking things for your father.”

Qin Mubai’s heart tightened slightly. He cupped his hands and did not reply. He thought to himself, “Know your son, Mo Ruo Fu, I have undergone so many earth-shattering changes since I came back. Father has never doubted it in his eyes … Even though he is a martial artist, his mind is still very meticulous!”

After practicing martial arts, Qin Mubai changed his clothes and went to Prince Wu’s Mansion. It was Yuwen Hongtai who was on duty at the entrance of the palace. He danced happily when he saw Qin Mubai. It turned out that the news that Qin Mubai had been given the title of Baiji Envoy had already spread to Prince Wu’s Mansion.

Qin Mubai chatted with Yuwen Hongtai and the other brothers for a while before entering the manor to ask for Prince Wu. Li Ke neither enjoyed singing and dancing nor hid in his room to have fun with his concubine. Instead, he was sitting in the lobby, as if he was intentionally waiting for Qin Mubai.

“Mubai, I knew you would come.” Seeing Qin Mubai walk over, Li Ke smiled and stood up. He came forward and grinned at him, “As expected, you are indeed capable! The Emperor’s personal guard commander, the Hundred Cavalry Envoy … He is a celebrity by His Majesty’s side. Congratulations, Mubai!”

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Qin Mubai cupped his hands and bowed. “I came here to thank His Highness for his help and blessings today.”

“There’s no need to thank you, my brother. Do you still need to be so polite?” Li Ke chuckled and patted Qin Mubai’s back, “Let’s go!”

“Where to?”

“We’ll know when we get here!” Li Ke smiled mysteriously and waved his sleeve as he strode out. Qin Mubai could only follow.

Under the moonlight, the two of them walked to the stable in the backyard of the Wu Palace.

“Someone, bring that Ferghana BMW over!” Li Ke ordered a coachman to lead a majestic horse out of the stable.

Qin Mubai’s eyes were immediately attracted. He had never seen such a tall and robust BMW in a long time since he had arrived in the Great Tang!

Li Ke walked forward and smiled as he stroked the horse’s neck. “How is it, Mubai? This is the most valuable treasure in my palace. His Majesty the Emperor rode six BMWs under the heavens, known as the ‘Six Stallion’. One of them, named ‘Shivachi’, was a red BMW that was covered in flames.”

“Could this be Shi Fachi?” Qin Mubai asked in shock. Can the Emperor reward the Prince of Wu with the horse he rides?

“Of course not.” Li Ke smiled, “His Majesty loves horses very much, and he is also a master of horses. He wrote poems for six horses.” ‘Jun Gu drinks Changjing, gushes and sprays Luo Ying, fine lines spray out continuously, floating around the hooves. On the upper side of the water light saddle, horse shadow slides horizontally, turning into a heavenly lake, Teng Bo Dragon seeds are born’. How could His Majesty’s dragon steed fall here? In fact, Shivachi died of old age a few years after His Majesty ascended the throne. This horse is the descendant of Shivachi who crossed with an authentic Ferghana BMW. ”

“No wonder it’s so majestic!” Qin Mubai exclaimed. Xiangma, he had heard Qin Shubao say a few words. A horse with ears like a bamboo, eyes like a bird’s eye, and a long and strong neck was most likely a good horse. The horse in front of him was much taller and more robust than ordinary horses. There were also some thin stripes on his rear buttocks-this was the symbol of the pure-blooded Wildhorse of the Western Regions!

In an era like the Great Tang, horses were like modern vehicles. Such a pure-blooded sweat-blood BMW was worth almost as much as a limited edition Bugatti Veyron!

Moreover, even if they were rich, they might not be able to buy it!

To the generals, horses were of great significance. Lu Bu betrayed Ding Yuan for a red hare in the Three Kingdoms was one of the best proof.

“BMW gifts heroes. It’s such a pity that they are kept in my lifeless palace.” Li Ke patted the horse’s neck and turned around to smile. “It’s yours, Mubai.”

“What?” Qin Mubai was slightly shocked, “Your Highness, I don’t dare to accept such an expensive gift!”

“What, dislike?” Li Ke smiled and said, “When we return to the capital this time, everyone else is avoiding me. You also want to get rid of me and refuse to even take the gift I gave you?”

“No … I don’t mean that.” Qin Mubai knitted his brows and said, “However, since this horse was given to you by His Majesty the Emperor, how can I ride it easily? Isn’t this an arrogance?”

“The Emperor did not take the initiative to reward this.” Li Ke smiled and casually said, “Two years ago, I was ordered to quell a civil unrest caused by a grain shortage in a county of Yongzhou. His Majesty wants to reward me and give me money for the feudal city.” I was afraid that my fief would attract more jealousy than the other kings, so I declined and took the initiative to ask His Majesty for this horse as a reward. I’m afraid even the emperor doesn’t remember such a trivial matter after two years, so it doesn’t matter who I give it to. ”

“Your Highness is wise.” Qin Mubai cupped his hands and bowed. He thought to himself, Treefather always beckons the wind, so keeping a low profile is the best thing to do. Asking for rewards for meritorious service would not make the emperor suspect anything else about Li Ke’s intentions. Li Ke was indeed trying his best to hide his strength.

“Now that I’m an idle prince, it’s useless to bring such a good horse. I can only let it die in the stables in my backyard. Isn’t that a pity?” Li Ke smiled and said, “I’ve heard about today’s competition. At that time, Changsun Huan relied on his horse to almost snatch the credit from you. Isn’t this annoying? In the future, you will be Baiji. How can your mount be worse than his subordinate Changsun Huan’s? Take it, don’t refuse.”

“Then … thank you, Your Highness King Wu.” Qin Mubai could only accept it.

“This horse is extremely human. Its name is’ Fire Cloud ‘.” Li Ke touched the fiery brown fur on the horse’s neck and threw the reins to Qin Mubai. “From today onwards, you are its owner. Get on the horse and ride it for me to see!”

Qin Mubai took the reins, picked up the whip, and rode on the horse. The horse moved back and forth impatiently, its nose snapping, and continuously rubbing its head against Li Ke’s neck, seemingly rather uneasy and reluctant to part.

“Haha, I’ve raised this horse for two years, and we have a deep relationship. Look, Mubai, he knows that I gave it to you, so he’s a little reluctant to leave. He’s going to cry!” Li Ke held the horse’s head and gently stroked its cheek. He whispered, “Go, Fire Cloud, BMW with Hero, he is your best master!”

Huoyun brazenly raised his head as he exerted his strength and let out a long hissing sound.

Qin Mubai was surprised. Fortunately, she reacted quickly enough to not be dismounted.

“Your Highness, this horse has such deep feelings for you. I really can’t bear to rob others of their love!” Qin Mubai was about to jump off the horse.

“No. It’s yours.” Li Ke waved his hand and said resolutely, “It is because of its human nature that it is a truly good horse. If you miss our friendship, treat it well and write your legends side by side with it!”

With that, Li Ke suddenly waved his hand and slapped Huoyun’s horse butt.

Huoyun let out a long hiss and sprinkled his hooves before running away.

It was as fast as a shooting star and as fierce as thunder!

“What a good horse!” Qin Mubai’s heart trembled as he focused on controlling the horses.

“It’s getting late. You don’t need to get off your horse and run straight out of the palace to go home!” Li Ke laughed loudly.

“Thank you, Your Highness-”

Qin Mu’s white horse disappeared into the backyard of the mansion.

Li Ke raised his head and looked up at the moon with a smile, “BMW to hero, Huoyun ah Huoyun, you have finally met the most suitable owner … but Mubai, have you found your real Bole?”

The next day, dawn.

Qin Mubai woke up half an hour earlier than usual. He tossed and turned in his room for a long time before putting on his armor and battle robes neatly. Then, he hurriedly ate some breakfast that the servants had prepared beforehand and went to the stable to bring Fire Cloud to prepare to go to the Imperial Palace to work on the first day.

Qin Shubao also got up early. He practiced Taijiquan in the front courtyard. Seeing Qin Mubai leading the horse out, he gently stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes. “Li Ke gave it to him?”

“Yes” Qin Shubao saw through it at a glance, so Qin Mubai could only admit it.

“Oh … go, it’s getting late.” Qin Shubao nodded and said.

“Goodbye, child.” Qin Mubai led the horse out of the door. Qin Shubao’s eyes fell on the horse as if he was deep in thought.

The Emperor had told him yesterday that although Qin Mubai could officially become a Hundred Cavalry Envoy, there was basically no need for his personal guard to be punctual for the past month or two. The thing he needed to do during this period of time was to train his troops.

The 600 newly recruited Hundred Cavalry Soldiers were still raw jades that needed to be carved. Moreover, the other Hundred Cavalry officers were still uncertain. Qin Mubai had only entered the palace today to receive some instructions from the Emperor.

Qin Mubai rolled over and dismounted when he reached the Vermillion Bird Gate of the Imperial City. Seeing that many officials’ horses and official sedans were parked here, they showed their palace certificates to the guards one after another before entering the palace one after another.

There were also some officials, who were obviously known to the guards, or were of great origin, who directly walked in without a warrant from the examiner. However, no one rode in in a sedan chair or on horseback.

Qin Mubai walked in line to show his official certificate. The pawn first looked at Qin Mubai and could clearly feel that something was amiss. ‘”So it’s General Qin-His Majesty has issued an imperial decree. All hundred cavalry officers are free to ride in and out of the Imperial City without any restriction from the military. General Qin, please!” He said respectfully.

The other officials on the left and right hissed and turned their heads to look at Qin Mubai.

“Is he Qin Mubai? The one who was given the title of Hundred Cavalry Envoy by the Emperor yesterday?”

“I heard it’s Qin Shubao’s third young master. He’s actually so young? What a heroic junior!”

“Tsk tsk, the future is boundless!”

Qin Mubai was a little embarrassed by such a discussion. After retracting his official credentials, he led his horse into the Imperial City. Without thinking much, he mounted his horse and headed straight for the Imperial City’s Taiji Palace.

The Great Tang Imperial Palace was dominated by Taiji Palace. After entering the Vermillion Bird Sect of the Imperial City, it was the Chengtian Sect Avenue that led to Taiji Palace. On the left and right of the main street were the 12-guard military guard station, Shangshu Province, Taichang Temple, the Imperial Historical Stage, and the various yamens of the “Prefecture, Taiwan, and Temple of Supervision.”

At the end of Chengtian Gate Street was the entrance to Taiji Palace, Chengtian Gate. The Taiji Palace was the political center of the Great Tang. There were palaces for the emperor to discuss politics-Taiji Palace, Wude Palace, offices of the prime ministers of the provinces under his command and Zhongshu Province, Hongwen Library, who wrote books for the emperor’s think tank to discuss politics, and the dormitory, which provided backup talents and intellectual support for the central organization of the Great Tang Dynasty, and so on.

This place was equivalent to the brain of the entire Tang Dynasty.

Qin Mubai, the emissary of the Hundred Cavalry, was responsible for protecting the Emperor. In the future, if the emperor came to the Taiji Palace to discuss politics, he would lead a hundred cavalry to guard him from the side. In the past, the emperor was protected by the Golden Crow Guard. The emperor was elsewhere in the imperial city (for example, in Houwan), protected by guards; If they traveled far, they would be protected by the left and right guards. Now, the Emperor had a personal bodyguard force-Hundred Cavalry.

Today’s morning court was over, and the Emperor invited Qin Mubai to meet him at the end of the morning in the Hanyuan Palace of the Great Ming Palace.

Daming Palace was called Yong’an Palace a few years ago. It was specially built by Li Shimin for Li Yuan to provide for the aged. After Li Yuan’s death two years ago, this huge and gorgeous palace became a place for Li Shimin to rest. It was not used as a political palace to discuss politics.

In other words, the current Great Ming Palace was Li Shimin’s harem. Other than some eunuchs and palace maids, only people like Qin Mubai could enter.

Standing in front of the Dan Feng Gate of the Great Ming Palace, Qin Mubai couldn’t help but laugh. In the future, I will stay in the Great Ming Palace for a long time to protect the Emperor … as well as the beautiful ladies of the harem.

Three thousand Fen Dai’s spring is boundless. For a man like me, who is full of vigor and vitality, it’s really a great test!