"What! You want to ally first and fight later? Absolutely not! I staunchly oppose it. That despicable rogue, I wish I could eat his flesh and drink his blood; colluding with him is something I will never agree to," Ma Xiaoda declared, puffing out his chest at me like a fighting rooster.

"That settles it then. Pang Dang has already noticed our presence. If we don't join forces with them, we'll just face their suppression. Can our five hundred Horse Guards really stand against tens of thousands of the Imperial Guards? I'm thinking of your best interests right now. Otherwise, I could just storm the Imperial Palace, snatch the escape pod, grab Cai Jingjing and Xu Chen, and skip town. After all, none of this concerns me; let the dog rogue and the donkey rogue sort out their own mess."

"What is a donkey?" In the Twin Cities, there were no donkeys. Ma Xiaoda, despite his martial arts prowess, still had the presence of mind to scrutinize vocabulary. Hearing I was planning to abandon him, he panicked. "No, Zhao Qian, if you don't help me, no one will. Even if someone did, they wouldn't possess your abilities. So, is there truly no other way besides allying first and striking later?"

"Perhaps there is, but I certainly can't think of one. Your Royal Highness, this isn't just about Pang Hu. If it were only him, the solution would be much simpler—kill him and consider the matter closed. But now, Pang Dang permeates the entire court. Even if you kill old Pang Hu, another, younger Pang Hu might emerge, and your father ignores their actions. If we don't feign deference for now, the Imperial Stables Directorate won't survive long under their full-scale attack. Today, Prince Dan offended Wan Lichai; I estimate he won't have an easy time henceforth. Just watch his fate to see how ruthless the Pang Party members are. I personally witnessed Zhang Shouren and his son take a head with a single stroke."

Ma Xiaoda waved a dismissive hand. "Killing a few slaves is no great matter. We don't need to worry about that." Having lived long in the Twin Cities, this sort of casual brutality seemed to have numbed even the young Ma Xiaoda. Such occurrences might have been commonplace in ancient Earth history as well.

"What!" I exclaimed loudly. "Aren't slaves people? If they dare to kill slaves today to intimidate us, tomorrow they will dare to kill commoners, perhaps even us! You've seen the flaws in the laws of the Twin Cities today. That so-called clear 'document' is merely a tool to maintain the powerful. Tomorrow, if someone forces you to sign a deed of servitude, can they just kill you then?"

Ma Xiaoda retorted loudly, "I am the Crown Prince! Who dares force me!"

"They treat you as the Crown Prince, so you are the Crown Prince. If they don't treat you as such, you are just an ordinary person! Outside the Flying Eagle Manor, you are the Prince, but what good did that do? You were almost captured by the horse bandits! A princely title cannot be eaten, nor can it be wielded as a weapon. In times of such chaos, you need your own strength. Without personal power, no one will regard you as anything! Even if they show you respect to your face, calling you Your Royal Highness, who truly respects you behind your back? They only see you as a good-for-nothing! A useless failure like Ah Dou! Do you remember the stories I told you about King Goujian enduring hardship or Han Xin suffering the humiliation beneath the crotch? This is not the time for sentimentality. To rise, you must endure; otherwise, you face total ruin."

My fierce reprimand quieted Ma Xiaoda. Head bowed, he mumbled, "You are right, Zhao Qian. They treat me as the Prince to my face, but who truly respects me behind my back? They all think that even if I ascend to the throne, I will only be a puppet for that despicable rogue. That's why they prefer to curry favor with Grand Tutor Pang rather than truly work for me. Only you dared to shake me awake and help me. Thank you, Zhao Qian. I will never forget your kindness. Perhaps one day I will fail everyone else, but I will never fail you."

I didn't want to embarrass Ma Xiaoda too much; after all, he was still a child. So I comforted him, "Forget it. Why are we friends for? Besides, I need strength myself to find the remaining three women. Moreover, the two I've found haven't truly returned to my side yet; how to bring them back is still a major issue. Thus, developing our power is also crucial for me."

"I will listen to whatever you say, whatever you decide. I know you won't harm me."

"Good. Then for now, we cannot clash with Pang Dang. Instead, we must flatter them to lull their hostility, buying as much time as possible for our development. We are low on iron for crossbows, but making another fifty sets shouldn't be an issue. I will use them to form a special operations unit. We still haven't found copper ore. Until a substitute for iron ore is discovered, we must shift our focus for weaponry. I observed that you lack gunpowder here."

"Gunpowder? What is that?" Ma Xiaoda inquired.

"It's a substance that undergoes rapid, controlled burning, generating a large volume of high-temperature gas. Like when damp wood sometimes splits during burning, gunpowder's combustion creates explosive force capable of harming people over a wide area. Of course, if developed further, we can create guns, allowing for precise harm."

Ma Xiaoda asked, "Like your laser gun?"

"The working principles are different, but the result is the same. In short, with gunpowder, our weaponry can vastly surpass the Imperial Guards and the horse bandits, putting us far ahead, and then we can do what we intend to do."

Ma Xiaoda grew excited. "Then, then, let's quickly make gunpowder! Tell me what you need; I'll sell everything I have to support you!"

"We can't rush this. Currently, we can only manufacture the most primitive gunpowder. Its primary ingredients require three things: saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. According to millennia of verification by the working people of our homeland, the optimal ratio is one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, and three parts charcoal—or rather, 75% potassium nitrate, 10% sulfur, and 15% charcoal. We have plenty of charcoal here, so that's not a worry. Potassium nitrate can be extracted from saltpeter, which I know you use as a medicinal herb here too. Natural saltpeter is primarily found in the dry soil of alkaline areas, mineral springs, and cave walls, formed by water constantly permeated with potassium nitrate. From now on, we must collect it extensively. As for sulfur, it should also exist in nature. The Twin Stars Continent is clearly volcanic in origin; eruptions bring underground sulfur to the surface. I'll have Ah Mao and Ah Gou send people out to search later. As for iron ore, I believe the Twin Cities certainly has it underground, but surface deposits haven't been found yet. Of course, asking me to mine hundreds of meters underground is unrealistic. We must look for surface iron ore or copper ore."

Ma Xiaoda rolled his eyes. "I don't understand any of this gibberish. I'll leave it to you. I just hope that by the time I take over the government, that despicable rogue will be dead. You must be tired; rest and have dinner. I've been out long enough and need to return to the palace. Plus, I should go see your two wives. As for the gunpowder you mentioned, go ahead with your plans. I trust you completely."

"It will take several years for the Crown Prince to ascend. By then, we will have developed to a point where no one dares provoke us. By the way, keep an eye out these next two days for that escape pod Prince Dan mentioned. Notify me immediately if it enters the Twin Cities."

"Don't worry. I'll be watching the West City every day for the next two days. To please Father Emperor, Prince Dan will certainly be the first to notify him. I'll call you then. Besides, you are the escape pod captain; this is technically your jurisdiction. It's proper."

After Ma Xiaoda left, Linglong and Yun Yao emerged from the inner hall. Yun Yao had heard the entire account from Linglong. "Big Brother Zhao, congratulations! Sister Jingjing is found too. I believe the remaining three sisters will be found soon as well."

"I hope so. Although Jingjing doesn't remember us, I'm relieved she is safe."

Linglong said sourly, "What a pity, Master. Such a living beauty is hidden away in the deep palace. Who knows when you two husbands and wives will reunite; it all depends on the Emperor's mood."

Yun Yao added, "Yes, Big Brother Zhao. Ma Da seems intent on manipulating you. Logically, he has known for a long time that Xu Chen and Cai Jingjing are your people. A single command could have them returned to you. As for Prince Dan, he wouldn't dare defy an imperial order either, but now..."

I chuckled. "Perhaps. Ma Da isn't a simple figure. Although Ma Xiaoda constantly resents him for favoring the Pang Party, I believe he has reasons he cannot avoid. The Pang Party's power has grown beyond Ma Da's control. He favors Pang Hu perhaps for the survival of the Royal Family. He can't just go around shouting about killing the dog rogue like Ma Xiaoda does, or Grand Tutor Pang would have already rebelled."

Linglong huffed, "If that's the case, what are we still doing here? We should just snatch the two sisters from the palace and flee. Let the Ma family sort out their own affairs."

"No. The Twin Cities is the largest and most prosperous metropolis. My earlier estimation was correct: if the remaining three women are also on the Twin Stars, they will eventually come to the Twin Cities too. So we must stay and wait for them."

Linglong said sarcastically, "Yes, Master is truly lucky. He can find his wives just by visiting a brothel and drinking flower wine. I truly admire that."

Yun Yao, having heard Linglong's remarks but not knowing what a 'flower wine' establishment was, asked, "Linglong, what did you say? A brothel?"

Linglong replied, "Sister Yun Yao, the 'Flower, Wine, and Festivities' is the biggest, most luxurious, and highest-class brothel in the Twin Cities. Tsk, tsk, Master is so blessed. Someone treated him, and in the Twin Stars Accompanying the Moon Hall no less! I wonder if he enjoyed himself there? Twin Stars—oh, I forgot, Master is now Three Stars Accompanying the Moon."

Yun Yao angrily turned and retreated to her room. "Hmph! With so many wives, aren't you satisfied yet?"

I glared at Linglong for her loose tongue. She stuck out her tongue. "Go placate her quickly! I'll go make dinner."

To maintain quiet and secrecy, the household employed no servants; the cooking was handled by the two women and the old housekeeper, while splitting firewood and fetching water was the job of Dali Wan.

I chased Yun Yao to her room, where she was sulking on the bed. I sat behind her and placed a hand on her slender waist. "Yun Yao, don't listen to Linglong's nonsense. She was relaying what Dali Wan misunderstood. I had no choice but to go there to deal with Pang Dang, didn't I? You know I never frequented such places on Earth. It's just that my superpowers are gone now, and I have to negotiate and deal with these people just to survive."

Yun Yao asked me, "Sister Jingjing was found there—is she alright?"

"Of course, she's fine. Heaven itself is helping us. I did spend time in that Twin Stars Accompanying the Moon Hall, but Wan Lichai cleared out all the ladies so we could speak privately to bring me into his fold. We had a proper meal and discussed matters, then rushed straight to Prince Dan's manor to demand her return. There was no possibility of anything else."

Yun Yao smiled. "I know Big Brother Zhao wouldn't lie to me. Then I require you to swear an oath."

I was secretly delighted; my original wife was so easy to placate. It was much harder with Xu Chen and Cai Jingjing, who were still distant. "What kind of oath?" I asked Yun Yao. "Tell me."

Yun Yao said, "I want you to promise me that on the Twin Stars, you are forbidden from flirting with any girl other than the eight of us. Otherwise, I will join Zhou Ni and Sister Susu to deal with you, and we'll report you back on Earth."

That was easy enough. I have no inclination to flirt with others now; my own wives are almost being poached away. "Fine, I swear. On the Twin Stars, I, Zhao Qian, promise to only flirt with my eight wives..."

"Oh, wait, that's wrong," Yun Yao suddenly exclaimed. "When did Sister Yuqing become your wife?"

I realized my slip too. "I didn't say that. You just said I'm forbidden from flirting with any girl outside of you eight."

Yun Yao said, "Start

What I need more right now are stonemasons and carpenters; ideally, I'd like to buy out their freedom in one go. I won't mistreat them; rather, I want them to work long-term at the Imperial Stables, partly for the secrecy of their skills and partly for more consistent production.

Carpenters, besides logging and crafting wooden items, bows, and javelins, can also manufacture firearms—things like the rockets and cannons used in antiquity. Building actual guns is a pipe dream; in an age where even a proper cooking pot is unheard of, how could one forge a gun barrel?

Stonemasons, aside from building structures, I mainly want them to first carve a batch of stone mines. As the saying in the land battles goes, "If you don't have iron mines, make stone mines." Iron is too precious now, so we’ll make stone mines. Once gunpowder is milled, filling them up and inserting a fuse will create the world's superweapons.

It would be even better if they could forge automatic flintlock mechanisms—a steel wheel striking pyrite under external force to create a spark that ignites the fuse. Of course, I can't do any of this myself; I can only hope to guide those craftsmen to complete these tasks for me.

The human market is not far from the East City Gate. I brought Linglong, Yun Yao, Dali Wan, and the fatty Gu Fei. He and Dali Wan each carried a large sack of iron coins. If there were suitable strong men, we would buy them, as no one here accepts credit; you absolutely need iron coins.

The human market in the Twin Cities has a history spanning several centuries. Although there aren't many displaced people due to the lack of warfare, the increasing centralization of land has forced too many farmers to leave their homes. When they can no longer beg for food, their only option to avoid starvation is to sell themselves.

Twin Cities is a large city, and its human market is much more bustling than in other places, with over a hundred transactions occurring daily. Women and children make up the majority. Since Twin Cities is no longer primarily agricultural, most people are bought to become domestic servants. Male slaves consume too much grain and are often inept at tasks like cooking and cleaning, making female slaves a more economical choice.

It is precisely for this reason that Shishan, built sturdy as an ox, has been posted for three or four days without a single inquiry. Though strong, the peace in the Twin Cities is excellent due to the prolonged absence of conflict, so no one wants him for guarding a residence. Shishan actually possesses a specialty; the exquisite stone implements displayed on the ground were carved by his own hand. He owns a chisel passed down through his ancestors, with which he could carve all sorts of objects. However, over the long years, that chisel has finally worn down, leaving less than an inch. Consequently, he can no longer carve stone implements to sell, nor can he afford a new chisel because iron is prohibitively expensive in the Twin Cities.

Originally, Shishan could have worked as a stonemason, but after a thousand years of development, the scale of the Twin Cities is established. Major construction projects are impossible now, and the work available for masons like him has dwindled, eventually leading many stonemasons to go hungry.

In truth, it wasn't that no one was interested, but rather that Shishan’s asking price was too high. He demanded fifty iron coins. Here, a fine female laborer is worth only ten iron coins, and an ordinary male laborer not more than seven. Fifty? Only a fool would pay that.

The human market is essentially a street. Anyone wishing to sell themselves hangs a sign and stands by the roadside. If someone is interested, they approach to inquire. Of course, many sales are fathers selling sons or daughters, and there are even dedicated slave traders who buy and sell slaves across regions to profit from the difference, sometimes engaging in wholesale or retail operations.

In front of Shishan lay a sign, written by someone else, that read: "Selling myself into servitude, price fifty iron coins." Behind Shishan, on a tattered blanket, lay a "person" who could barely be recognized as human—skin and bones from starvation. Messy hair covered her face, and she coughed occasionally. Even her voice was so weak it was almost inaudible. "Brother, can we stop selling?" The speaker was Shishan’s elder sister, Shiqing.

Shishan turned around. "Sister, is there any other way besides selling myself? In any case, I cannot let my second sister continue to be bullied in that awful place!"

Shiqing replied, "But isn't buying back your sister an even worse idea? Without you, how will the two of us survive?"

The weather was overcast, occasionally drizzling sparse raindrops. Shishan sighed, his eyes clouded. "I don't know, but I must save my second sister. Her master beats her every day. How can I, her brother, stand idly by?"

Shiqing said, "Brother, the Yu family is clearly making things difficult for us. When Father sold my second sister, she was only worth five iron coins. Now they demand fifty to ransom her back. Such a thing doesn't happen in the world! Second sister has only been sold for a year."

Shishan indignantly retorted, "There is no justice! But the Yu family is related to the Judicial Department of the outer city, so who dares to interfere? Even if the Yu family weren't connected to the government, Father signed the indenture contract for my second sister, so we have no choice but to redeem her as soon as possible for her release."

At that moment, a man came to inquire about the price. "Hey, are you sick or something? Are you selling a person or grain? Are you worth fifty iron coins? I’ll take you for five; I happen to need someone to carry loads, and you look strong enough."

Shishan stated firmly, "Fifty coins, not one less."

The man cursed, "Damn fool! Even with the sickling behind you, you aren't worth ten. If you manage to sell yourself, I'll walk backward for the rest of my life."

The man walked away, muttering curses. Shiqing said, "Brother, this way won't work. No one will want you. Let's think of another way," followed by a fit of coughing.

Shishan took off his coat and draped it over Shiqing. "Sister, even if I can't ransom my second sister, I need money to get you treated. And even without treatment, we need to eat. If you don't eat, you'll starve to death."

Shiqing touched the few raindrops on her hair ends. "I’m fine, Brother. I can hold on. It’s my fault; I’m dragging you down."

Shishan said with heartache, "Silly girl, taking care of you is my responsibility as your brother. You're so beautiful; maybe someday you’ll marry into a rich family, and I can benefit too."

Shiqing sighed sadly, "Brother, don't comfort me. I know I won't live long. Besides, look at me now—you still say I'm beautiful? I’m more likely to scare someone to death at night."

"No, Sister, in my heart, you are the most beautiful. You will be fine. I will find the money to treat you, and I will find the money to ransom my second sister."

"I hope so," Shiqing murmured. "I truly wish the three of us siblings could live together again, even if we were poorly fed and clothed, my heart would be content."

Another person approached to inquire about the price. "Hey, do you know how to carve stone implements?"

A look of joy crossed Shishan’s face; finally, someone appreciated skill. "Yes, I am a hereditary stonemason. These are stone cups and bowls I carved. Esteemed sir, are you looking to buy a stonemason?"

The man squinted, examining Shishan carefully, then stepped forward and pried open Shishan's mouth to check his teeth, as if this fellow had previously been traded like livestock. "Name your price. How much?"

"Fifty iron coins."

"What! Are you selling, or are you robbing? Just stay here and wait. If you manage to sell, I, this gentleman, will cut off my penis and feed it to the dogs, just like those fellows in the Academy," the man also cursed and walked away.

Shiqing, who had been lying on the blanket, suddenly said to Shishan with determination, "Brother, help me up."

Shishan looked confused. "What for?"

Shiqing struggled to sit up. "If we sell, we sell together. I’m done for anyway. Whatever we get is what we get."

Shishan immediately held his sister down. "No! I said I won't sell you, no matter what."

Shiqing shed tears. "Brother, don't be foolish. If I die like this, I won't be worth a single coin. Perhaps, perhaps some wealthy family will fancy me and offer a few iron coins. It's better than dying for nothing."

Shishan felt such pain he wanted to smash his head against a wall—a towering man of seven feet, utterly useless. Shiqing struggled to pull herself up. She brushed her messy hair back, revealing a delicate, beautiful face. Although thin and sallow from hunger, it was undeniably the face of a beauty. No wonder Shishan said his sister was lovely.

Although Shiqing was sitting on the tattered blanket behind Shishan, the moment her face was exposed, a young nobleman noticed her. This young nobleman was named Gong Ji. He usually frequented the human market, looking to buy female slaves—specifically those with charm—whom he would keep for a period to polish up before selling them at a high price to dignitaries. This method had made him quite wealthy.

Gong Ji stepped over Shishan and squatted in front of Shiqing, lifting her head. "Miss, how much are you selling for?"

"Not for sale!" was Shishan’s reply, but Shiqing stated firmly, "Fifty iron coins, and you can dispose of me as you wish."

Gong Ji shook his head. "Fifty coins? Not worth it. Ten at most, and that's only because I see you have some looks. An ordinary female slave, I wouldn't even bother with two."

As soon as Gong Ji finished speaking, a refined old man also crowded over. He glanced at Shiqing, who was sitting huddled on the blanket, and his expression showed excitement. "I offer eleven!"

Gong Ji looked up at the person daring to challenge him. "Damn it, Gui Qing, you’re disrupting me again! You look ready for the grave, yet you buy a young female slave to keep at

This bickering brother and sister were giving me a splitting headache. “Quiet! Quiet! Can you just wait until I finish asking my questions first?”

Seeing that I was angry, the siblings immediately hushed their mouths. Regardless of who they were being sold to, one of them would eventually have to defer to the master’s mood, so offending them was out of the question.

I snatched up a stone bowl and a stone cup and asked Shishan, “Are you a stonemason?”

Shishan nodded. “Yes, I carved these myself. If you like them, I can give them to you.”

I said, “I don’t want these two. I want more. Can you carve some for me? I can pay for your products or hire you. I certainly won't let you suffer a loss.”

Shishan seemed somewhat disbelieving. “You... you mean you need a stonemason, right?”

I nodded. “Yes, I need many stonemasons who can carve things like this. If you don’t want to sell yourself outright, I can hire you for three iron coins a month. This wage is just a starting salary. If you work diligently and show innovation, I can raise it—it could easily reach ten iron coins a month.”

The money was laid out clearly on the ground, making it impossible for Shishan not to believe me. He grabbed his elder sister’s hand and exclaimed happily, “Elder sister, I’ve found work! Neither of us needs to be sold. Once we save enough money, we’ll redeem the second sister. Quick, kowtow to this esteemed master!”

Seeing that the ‘skeletal spirit’ was impossibly thin and weak, I quickly stopped them. “Don’t. I detest kowtowing and bowing. I overheard you just now; it sounds like you need money to redeem your sister, right? How much is required?”

Shiqing froze, not understanding what I meant. Shishan replied, “Yes. I... I need fifty iron coins to redeem my sister. She is beaten daily at the Yu family home. Now that I have work, I will save diligently, and then we will go redeem her.”

I said, “I will advance you fifty iron coins now. Once you redeem her, find me outside the city at the Imperial Horse Bureau. My name is Zhao Qian. The Imperial Horse Bureau is easy to find; just ask around.”

With a thud, the kowtowing I didn't want to hear or see happened. The ‘skeletal spirit’ wept profusely. “Great Master, you are our benefactor. Shiqing kowtows to you.”

Shishan also knelt. “Thank you, Master Zhao, thank you, Master Zhao, you are a good man.”

Linglong and Yun Yao quickly stepped forward to help the two rise. I said, “Let me advance you sixty iron coins instead. It looks like you haven’t eaten in several days. And Miss Shiqing seems ill. Go see a doctor right away. If she recovers, she can also come to work at the Imperial Horse Bureau, earning one or two iron coins monthly, plus room and board.”

The siblings could never have imagined that such a windfall would drop onto them. Their gratitude was beyond expression. However, Linglong said to me, “Master, didn’t you just say you wanted this elder sister to come to our residence to help cook? The Imperial Horse Bureau is full of masters now; her going there right now might not be appropriate.”

I laughed. “You are indeed more thoughtful. Fine, you arrange it. I’m reluctant to make you all cook by hand; what if you get choked?”

Yun Yao and Linglong were dressed as men, and our conversation might have led to misunderstandings by certain onlookers. Daliwan handed the sixty iron coins to Shishan, who stared at the pile for a full ten minutes. Gu Fei squatted down with his stout body to help Daliwan load the coins on the ground into the pouch.

“Make way, make way!” A squad of Imperial Guards, carrying Xiuchun sabers, closed in. The leader was surprisingly Gong Ji, who had just left.

“Who is causing trouble in the human market? Arrest them first, confiscate their property, and we’ll question them at the East City Gate guard post before discussing anything further,” said a Baihu (Centurion) who looked quite similar to Gong Ji.

Gong Ji pointed at our group. “Brother, it’s them. They are disrupting the order of the human market and need to be taken back and properly disciplined.”

The Baihu gave a meaningful look, and seven Imperial Guards stepped forward to make the arrests. They usually guarded the East City Gate, which was close to the human market, so they often took the liberty of ‘managing’ public order there to skim some illicit gains.

Linglong was the closest, and her temper was the fiercest. She lashed out, kicking two of the guards trying to grab her to the ground. The remaining men saw that the little one was hard to handle, drew their Xiuchun sabers, and surrounded them. The situation became extremely perilous. Bystanders quickly backed far away; these Imperial Guards truly dared to cut people. Linglong, unarmed, was clearly at a disadvantage.

“Who dares harm her!” Gu Fei roared, grabbing his military staff and executing a sweeping move—One Staff Clears a Thousand Armies. Clang! Five Imperial Guards immediately fell. This chubby man, Gu Fei, possessed unmatched divine strength and respected no one, but he cherished Linglong, who had given him coins to buy food on the recruitment day, treating her like an ancestor. Upon seeing anyone threaten her, he drew his staff from behind and attacked.

Linglong was unappreciative. She stomped her foot. “Hey, Fatty Brother, I can handle this myself.”

Gu Fei rubbed the back of his head, his flesh wobbling. “I was worried something might happen to you. You are my benefactor; I must protect you.”

Linglong pointed at me. “If you keep making me angry, you should protect him. I can protect myself.”

The Baihu shouted, “Excellent! Attacking the Imperial Guards! Are you planning a rebellion? Brothers, swing your blades and hack them down!”

Shiqing and Shishan were so frightened they nearly fainted. Yun Yao comforted them. “Don’t worry, nothing will happen. They can’t beat us.”

Daliwan also picked up his large wooden club, standing on the left with Gu Fei to block the charging Imperial Guards. I instructed the two, “Do not take their lives; it will only cause more trouble.”

The two responded with light swings of their clubs, and within moments, over a dozen Imperial Guards were subdued on the ground. Linglong happily said to me, “See? One man can take on ten, and it seems fine. The combat capability of the Imperial Guards truly leaves much to be desired.”

I replied, “Have you considered the strength of these two? Which of the entire Horse Guard unit is stronger than them? Let’s leave quickly. We don’t have time to fuss with them. If more people gather, it will be hard to slip away. We still have over a dozen slaves to escort back to the Imperial Horse Bureau.”

Shiqing and Shishan had already witnessed the tyranny of the Imperial Guards. Moreover, they had encountered the Guards forcibly collecting transaction taxes twice in the human market recently. Shiqing advised me, “Master Zhao, it is best not to offend them. Their influence is vast. I know they are targeting me. Just hand me over to them; after all… I have nothing left to care for.”

I said to Shiqing, “I promised you the position of cook in my household just now, so you are under my protection. Handing you over now would be deliberately inviting a beating. I don’t think they will stop easily. You should all return to my residence with me. Redeeming your sister is not a matter of immediate urgency.”

Toot! Toot! A sharp whistle sounded. The Baihu Gong held a strange whistle in his mouth. When he blew it, it pierced the ears, and soon the sound of a large contingent of horses’ footsteps could be heard from a distance. That whistle was an alarm!

A wise person avoids conflict when outnumbered. If a real fight broke out, it might summon thousands of Outer City garrison troops. This was the territory of the Rear Guard. This was not Zhang Shouren of the Central Guard. It was better to retreat first and deal with them slowly later.

Gu Fei and Daliwan covered the rear, while I, Yun Yao, and Linglong led Shishan and his sister, along with the dozen slaves, to retreat from the other end of the street. The Baihu Gong and the few uninjured Imperial Guards cautiously followed behind, awaiting reinforcements. Before we had even left the street of the human market, reinforcements arrived from the opposite direction—about a hundred men surrounding us with crossbows and pudao sabers.

At that moment, a commotion arose behind us as well. Another group of Imperial Guards surrounded us, but the colors of their breastplates were different from those pursuing us. The soldiers of the Five Commands each had distinguishing colors on their uniforms for mutual identification. The team surrounding us from the rear belonged to the Left Command, while the team led by Baihu Gong was from the Rear Command.

Yun Yao asked me, “What now? It looks like we’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest. We’re surrounded front and back.”

I glanced at the Imperial Guards aiming their crossbows. “What else can we do? Tell them the truth: we are staff members of the Imperial Horse Bureau, sent out by the Emperor’s command to recruit troops. Anyone disrespectful to us is disrespectful to the Emperor.”

Yun Yao said, “They have the numbers now; we can only try to scare them. Otherwise, if a fight breaks out, these commoners will be in danger.”

The men of the Left Command shouted, “Halt, you people ahead! Commander Peng of our command is here! Who dares to act aggressively!”

Peng Tian, Commander of the Left Command of the Imperial Guard? If it was him, this would be easier. Last time, I scared him so badly that Bai Shi nearly wet himself. I figured I could scare him again this time. If we had to fight, Daliwan and Gu Fei would block the arrows from the front while we used laser guns to shoot from the middle. These Imperial Guards wouldn’t be enough to fight us, but that would mean falling out with Old Pang, and handling these slaves would also be difficult. It was better not to fight.

I called out to the men of the Left Command. “Have your Commander come out and speak. I am Zhao Qian of the Imperial Horse Bureau.”

Baihu Gong shouted from the other side, “Damn it! You beat my brothers! Kid, you are surrounded. If you know what’s good for you, surrender obediently, or our two Imperial Guard units will shoot you dead!”

The men of the Left Command immediately responded, “Is that really Officer Zhao from the Imperial Horse Bureau? Oh my, it seems we misjudged the situation! Immediately put down your weapons!”

The speaker was none other than Peng Tian. It seemed this fellow remembered that I was acquainted with the Crown Prince. He was giving me face today.

Peng Tian cheerfully stepped forward. Judging by his attitude, he treated me like his own father. Perhaps he didn't need to be so respectful toward the Crown Prince’s associates? At most, he should just greet us and let us go. The fact that some among those bowing to me had an issue was suspicious.

“Supervisor Zhao, I didn't expect to meet you here! Hurry, everyone, get a chair for Supervisor Zhao to sit on!” Peng Tian barked repeatedly.

I wondered if I had misheard, or if Peng Tian had let something slip. “Slow down, slow down, Commander Peng, what did you just call me? I am a Supervisor, a Supervisor of the Imperial Horse Bureau. You misstated my official title—are you not showing me respect?”

Peng Tian’s face changed. “My apologies, that was a slip of the tongue. Before today, you were a Supervisor of the Imperial Horse Bureau. From today onward, you are still a Supervisor of the Imperial Horse Bureau. However, I must congratulate Your Excellency: you now concurrently serve as the Supervisor-General for the Five Commands of the Imperial Guard, supervising the army on behalf of the Emperor!”

Baihu Gong from the opposite side was still yelling, “You little bastards, listen up! Make those two fat corpses drop their weapons immediately, or we’ll shoot arrows!”

Peng Tian’s expression hardened. He turned to the man beside him. “Deputy Commander, go immediately and tie up anyone who dares insult the Supervisor-General!”

I hadn't reacted yet. How did I become a Supervisor-General? No one had informed me beforehand.

Peng Tian noticed my confusion and explained with a smile. “Supervisor Zhao, you must thank Grand Tutor Pang profusely. When the Emperor suggested appointing someone from the faction leaders as Supervisor-General today, Grand Tutor Pang immediately vetoed it. After Pang Laoye’s strong recommendation, the Emperor finally agreed to appoint you as the Supervisor-General for the Five Commands of the Imperial Guard! This means that everyone in the Five Commands, except the Emperor himself, must obey your command! This is Grand Tutor Pang’s trust in you. The old man is looking everywhere for you, yet here you are, running to the human market to buy slaves.”

Baihu Gong had already been apprehended. He was just a minor Baihu, and he dared not resist when the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard came to seize him. “Why are you arresting me? We are all Imperial Guards; we shouldn’t fight our own! That kid is our common enemy! Gui Qing, damn it, why are you hiding back there? Where did that energy you showed when fighting my younger brother over the female slave go?”

Peng Tian’s face turned icy. He slapped the man across the face. “Damn you! Didn’t you hear me say Supervisor Zhao is here? Get down on your knees immediately!”