Mercenary Princess - Chapter 59
"Constables?" The two constables exchanged a glance and burst into laughter: "Kid, you want to be a constable? You'd better wait until you're weaned! Hahaha..."
The laughter abruptly stopped at the same moment. They remained standing there, mouths agape, eyes darting around, completely bewildered as to what had just happened.
Brushing aside the sharp, long spears, Rongyue clapped her hands, glanced at the two men, and strode towards the government office.
"Who goes there!" As soon as she entered the government office, more than a dozen yamen runners suddenly appeared from all sides. They surrounded Rongyue, brandishing gleaming swords and glaring menacingly at her, who was now completely surrounded.
What a mess! It looks like she came to cause trouble!
Shrug helplessly, Rongyue explained, "I'm here to apply for a government service job..."
"But the government office has not issued any notices for conscription of yamen runners recently! You audacious scoundrel, trespassing on the government office, what is your purpose! Confess now!"
What's her purpose? What purpose could she possibly have! She just wants to make a living, why are they so paranoid?
"I didn't..."
"Still trying to deny it! I think you're up to no good, maybe even an accomplice of those thieves who broke into the prison last time! Brothers, charge! Don't let this arrogant bastard get away!"
Good heavens, this is truly an injustice! When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems...
The clanging of swords outside disturbed Tuoba Jie's peaceful sleep. He got out of bed, grabbed a fox fur cloak from the screen, loosely draped it over his shoulders, and stepped into the outer hall.
"What's going on? Why is it so noisy outside?" The county magistrate, dressed in a gray long gown, stared at him with narrow phoenix eyes, his tone full of dissatisfaction.
The county magistrate, his face filled with panic, hurriedly bowed his head and said, "This humble official was also wondering, which reckless scoundrels dared to cause trouble in the government office and disturb the Prime Minister's sweet dreams! Prime Minister, please calm down, this humble official will go and severely punish those troublemakers..." This Prime Minister, who had only taken office three months ago, was a favorite of the Emperor. It was said that the Emperor's favor towards him even surpassed that of the two princes of the court! Originally, he had planned to take advantage of the Prime Minister's secret visit to curry favor with this extremely popular figure, but why did these damned scoundrels have to cause trouble at this critical juncture of all times?
He lazily wrapped his open cloak tighter around himself: "I'm also very curious to see just who these reckless guys are?"
Although his tone was gentle, the magistrate sensed a chill in his voice.
Not daring to be negligent, the county magistrate bowed slightly and respectfully made way, saying, "Your Excellency, please."
Volume Two: The Resolute Heroines, Chapter Two: The Jade-Buying Incident
Hook kick, side kick, dodge, jab! The "Wild Geese Descending on the Sand" palm strike, the "White Snake Spits Its Bud" rapid-fire punch! Weaving through the burly, strong men, Rongyue handled the situation with ease. Using her past life's fighting tactics, while not entirely effortless, she took down most of these seemingly useless but actually impressive men without expending much energy.
Seeing the constables lying on the ground, with only a few still able to stand and hold their spears, the constable who seemed to be the leader glared angrily with his tiger-like eyes, gripped his spear tightly, swung it in a circle in the air, shouted loudly, and then swung his spear fiercely at Rongyue!
Her incredibly resilient body arched backward swiftly, her hands bracing the ground, almost forming a complete bow! At the same moment, her feet left the ground, catching the hard spear held across her abdomen in mid-air. Using the momentum, she leaped into the air, her feet barely touching the ground before, before he could react, Rongyue's hands struck his fleshy face with lightning speed! The leading constable only saw a blur before his eyes, the figure already gone, then was stunned by the excruciating pain on his face, his hand jerking as he released the spear. With a flip of her left leg and a powerful kick of her right, the red-tasseled spear was hurled horizontally into the air! Her body quickly coiled, gathering her energy, and with a powerful backward somersault, she performed a fish-like leap and roll before landing abruptly on the ground, her knees slightly bent to cushion the impact, before clapping her hands and standing upright. The entire process was completed in the blink of an eye; her agility astonished everyone present!
With her clothes billowing in the wind, Rongyue crossed her arms and looked at the leader opposite her, who was still staring in disbelief with his mouth agape: "Hey, I'm saying, you even got your weapon kicked away, and you're still going to keep fighting and arguing?"
Before the leader could answer, a clapping applause unexpectedly broke in: "Good!"
Following the sound, a dazzlingly handsome, sinister face came into Rongyue's view. Seeing Tuoba Jie, draped in a dark purple fox fur, casually and languidly descending the stone steps, Rongyue was suddenly startled: It was him!
Walking towards Rongyue, Tuoba Jie looked down at Rongyue, who only reached his chest, and a faint smile appeared on his cold and charming face: "I didn't expect that you, a young boy, would be so skilled! Boy, I find your martial arts strangely powerful. May I ask where you learned your skills?"
Staring intently at Tuoba Jie, who appeared at the county government gate, Rongyue blurted out her suspicion: "Are you the county magistrate?"
Seemingly displeased with Rongyue's irrelevant answer, Tuoba Jie raised his handsome, dark eyebrows in displeasure. He lifted his phoenix eyes, scrutinizing Rongyue from head to toe, before a sudden thought arose in his mind—this kid looks strangely familiar…
"Have we met somewhere before?"
Tuoba Jie's question immediately made Rongyue's face turn stern: "You really have a bad memory! You seem to have forgotten everything that happened before, but I remember it clearly. You still owe me a full twenty taels of silver!"
Twenty taels of silver? Looking suspiciously at the familiar silhouette, Tuoba Jie carefully searched his memory…
"Give me my money! Not a single copper coin less than twenty taels of silver!"
"Do you know how many taels of silver your soiled clothes are worth?"
"It's just a piece of clothing, how could it be worth a few dollars..."
...
Oh, it's him! The little beggar who dirtied his clothes and then asked him for money! Surprisingly, after washing up, the little beggar actually looked quite pleasing to the eye… but why did he feel like he'd seen this kind-looking boy a long time ago…?
Before Tuoba Jie could think it over, Rongyue's voice rang out: "Forget it, I'm not a stingy person. Consider those twenty taels of silver as a good deed for the day, a donation to Buddha!" Glancing at Tuoba Jie, whose thoughts were unclear, Rongyue continued: "It seems you're the county magistrate? Um, let me clarify beforehand, I'm here today to apply for a constable position, not to cause trouble! Nor am I some kind of rebel trying to break someone out of prison! So, you absolutely cannot wrong an innocent person, or imprison kind commoners without distinguishing right from wrong. A county magistrate like that is not a benevolent and upright official who stands up for the people!"
"A constable?" Tuoba Jie savored the two words with amusement, his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes narrowing upwards. "You want to be a constable?"
Unsure of his intentions, Rongyue pondered for a moment before nodding slightly, though a hint of wariness and vigilance remained in her almond-shaped eyes.
Rongyue's cautious demeanor amused Tuoba Jie, who smiled and curved his lips into a smile. With a gentle wave of his hand, the county magistrate standing behind him hurriedly leaned forward, asking, "What are your orders, Your Excellency?"
"From this day forward, he will be a constable in your government office. Do you understand?"
Somewhat surprised, the magistrate glanced at Rongyue, who was still in shock, and hurriedly nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, I understand."
With a slight upturn of his lips, Tuoba Jie stepped forward and patted Rongyue's shoulder with his large, well-defined hand: "I have always valued talent. Boy, you're lucky to have met me today! However, I think that with your skills, isn't being a constable a bit of a waste?"
Recovering from the shock of learning that the man was the Prime Minister, Rongyue composed herself and, after a moment's thought, replied: "Your Excellency is too kind. I am but a humble man with only a little martial arts skill for self-defense. Being able to serve as a constable and receive a government salary is already a great blessing. How can this be considered a waste of my talents? Moreover, I believe that in every profession, there are outstanding individuals. As long as one works hard, regardless of the industry, those who excel will eventually rise above their circumstances! Of course, this is merely my humble opinion. If there is anything inappropriate, I hope Your Excellency will not take offense."
"Every profession has its top achievers?" Tuoba Jie repeated the phrase in a low voice, then lowered his head again to carefully examine Rong Yue, who had a calm and collected expression. "What you said is strange... but it seems to make some sense... Ha, now I understand why that beautiful woman was willing to follow a nobody like you who has no power or influence!"
After letting out a meaningful laugh, he turned and strode away, his steps steady and agile. If he wasn't mistaken, this lad was no ordinary person; he was destined for greatness! Kid, don't let me down!
After taking a few steps, Tuoba Jie suddenly stopped, turned around, and gave a cold, charming smile: "Boy, what's your name?"
A name? Her mind raced. "Mistress." Back in the mercenary group, because she was the third oldest, she was also known as "Mistress"...
A mistress? He remembered! His phoenix eyes flickered, and he turned and strode away. Behind him, the obsequious county magistrate jogged up to catch up, close behind...
As she watched the imposing figure gradually disappear from sight, a hint of doubt appeared in Rongyue's eyes: This figure seemed somewhat familiar...
From that day forward, Rongyue officially became a junior constable in the yamen. Dressed in a dark blue constable's uniform, wearing a neat square constable's hat, and carrying a bronze ancient sword that she had specially commissioned to be modified—seemingly imposing and cumbersome, but actually light and easy to use—Rongyue stood tall and patrolled the densely populated East Street of Yangcheng with an imposing air.