Guarding the border: I am sanctified in the flesh

Chapter 98 The reward is in hand, a surprise

Under the eyes of everyone, Li Chengan stood on the competition stage.

He faced the stands and stretched out his hand to signal the crowd to be quiet.

"Hi everyone, I am Li Cheng'an, the commander of the Dragon Shadow Guard of the Royal Forest Army."

"So far, the contest has come to a successful conclusion."

"Everyone here has witnessed today's finals with their own eyes, and they have also seen the many young talents of our Dragon Shadow Guard."

"The strength they have shown is really surprising and admirable."

"It's much stronger than I was back then."

Speaking of this, Li Chengan laughed at himself, "I am really ashamed as a leader."

"Okay, not much to say."

"Next, I will announce the rankings and rewards of each contest."

"Mu Yan, boxing method No.3, I got a copy of the seventh-level martial arts, with 10000 combat achievements and a reward of 100 taels."

"Sui Yang, Boxing No.2, obtained a copy of the eighth-level exercise, 15000 combat achievements, and a reward of 200 taels."

"Lu Fan, boxing No.1, obtained a copy of the ninth-level kung fu, with 20000 combat achievements and a reward of 500 taels."

……

……

"Ye Wuchen, No. 3 in the comprehensive martial arts competition, won a copy of the eighth-level kungfu, 15000 combat achievements, and a reward of 200 taels."

"Yan Qing, No. 2 in the comprehensive martial arts competition, won a copy of the ninth-level kungfu, with 20000 combat achievements, and a reward of 500 taels."

"Lu Fan, No. 1 in the comprehensive martial arts competition, won a book of human-level exercises, 30000 combat achievements, and a reward of 1000 taels."

When Li Chengan said this, bursts of applause and cheers erupted from the stands.

"it is good!"

"Lu Fan!"

"awesome!"

Many people stood up, applauded vigorously, and shouted.

They were really happy for Lu Fan.

"Everyone, don't be impatient."

Li Chengan smiled, "I haven't finished yet."

Everyone quickly quieted down.

"Pass down the emperor's oral order!"

Li Chengan looked around at the crowd and said loudly: "In view of Lu Fan's outstanding performance in this competition, Lu Fan is specially awarded the title of Unparalleled National Scholar and a mansion for Lu Fan."

"From now on, Lu Fan will be exempted from bowing down."

Speaking of this, Li Chengan glanced at Lu Fan, "Don't thank you yet?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Lu Fan bowed his hands in the direction of Li Tianrun.

"Excuse me."

Li Tianrun raised his hand slightly.

"Yes."

Lu Fan stood up straight, unable to hide the surprise in his heart.

Whether it's a bounty or a mansion, it doesn't matter to him.

But he was the first in the dynasty to be awarded the title of Unrivaled Scholar.

Not only is it rare, but it is also a supreme honor.

What surprised him even more was that he was exempted from kneeling and worshiping.

As a modern person who has traveled through time, even if he was asked to kowtow to the emperor, he would find it difficult to accept it.

Let alone other people.

This solved one of his major problems.

From now on, he can not kneel down to anyone!
"Please invite the contestants who have won the ranking to come on stage."

Li Chengan's voice sounded again, "I will distribute rewards to everyone."

"it is good!"

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the top three contestants in this contest took the stage one after another and received their own rewards.

Lu Fan can be considered to have gained a lot.

……

……

in the afternoon.

Post house dining room.

All the Dragon Shadow Guards were sitting together, eating and drinking, talking and laughing loudly.

The atmosphere at Lu Fan's table was the most lively.

In this competition, the most important competition is undoubtedly the competition of comprehensive strength, and Zhennan Army Long Yingwei won two rankings at once.

As a member of the Longyingwei of the Zhennan Army, everyone felt that their faces were honored.

Especially Li Yongtai, smiling from ear to ear.

"Lu Fan, congratulations. Not only did you win the first prize, but you were also awarded the title of Unparalleled Scholar. It seems that the emperor appreciates you very much."

Cao Ning looked at Lu Fan enviously.

Meng Ran answered, "There is still a mansion."

"Yes."

Song Yu said with a smile: "Lu Fan will have the opportunity to live in the imperial city, and find a good girl to settle down with, and he will become an upstart in the capital."

Everyone congratulated Lu Fan and said compliments.

They all knew that although they were both Dragon Shadow Guards, they had distanced themselves from Lu Fan from this moment on.

Regardless of status or strength.

"Commander Li, congratulations."

Liu Feng, the commander of the Dragon Shadow Guards of the Southeast Army, brought all the Dragon Shadow Guards under him to congratulate, "And Lu Fan and Ye Wuchen, congratulations."

"Thank you."

Li Yongtai stood up with everyone to return the gift.

"We will leave the capital in three days."

Liu Feng raised the wine bowl in his hand and said with a smile: "Here, I offer you a bowl of wine, and wish you all a bright future in the future!"

"it is good!"

"cheers!"

Everyone raised their wine bowls at the same time to respond.

After getting along for several months, they are already very familiar with each other.

Some even became friends.

They are very reluctant to part with each other soon.

"You guys drink slowly."

Liu Feng left with his men.

Several other commanders also came to toast.

We exchanged a few pleasantries.

After they left, Cao Ning asked, "Master Commander, when shall we return to Zhennan Pass?"

"I'm afraid it will take a few days."

Li Yongtai thought for a while, and said: "Tomorrow, I will bring Lu Fan and Ye Wuchen to the palace to face the saint. It will not be too late for us to make a decision after the emperor's order comes down."

"Is there such a good thing?"

Cao Ning was very envious, "You have the opportunity to meet the Holy Majesty, maybe you will be rewarded by the Emperor?"

"That's natural."

Li Yongtai smiled and said: "The emperor must have given Lu Fan and Ye Wuchen another important task. I am afraid they will not go back to Zhennan Pass with us."

"what?"

Song Yu was startled and said, "Lu Fan and Ye Wuchen won't be members of our Zhennan Army anymore?"

"correct."

"We won't see them in the future?"

Everyone was surprised, and at the same time a little uneasy.

After all, the Long Yingwei of the Zhennan Army pointed to Lu Fan and Ye Wuchen to support the facade. If they were not there, what would be left?
"how come?"

Li Yongtai understood everyone's concerns, and explained with a smile: "The emperor said that both of them will retain their military status in the Zhennan Army. After the task is completed, they will still return to the Zhennan Army. It's just that their identities will change at that time, and they may become your immediate superiors."

"That's fine too."

"no problem."

"We are all convinced."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and expressed their opinions one after another.

"it is good!"

Li Yongtai picked up the wine bowl and said with a smile: "Take this opportunity, let's respect Lu Fan and Ye Wuchen again, and wish them a successful mission and return to Zhennan Pass as soon as possible."

"cheers!"

"cheers!"

Everyone raised their wine bowls in response.

Eating, drinking, talking and laughing, time passed quickly.

The jars of wine on the table had bottomed out, and the dishes were almost finished.

At this time, there were slight footsteps outside the dining room.

After a while, Li Chengan and Yan Qing walked in side by side.

"congratulations!"

With a smile on his face, Li Chengan kept bowing his hands to Li Yongtai and Lu Fan.

The smile on his face looked genuine, not fake.

Yan Qing even had a smile on his face, not at all the frustration of a loser.

He also cupped his hands in congratulations, "Congratulations!"

"Oh, Commander An, why are you here?"

Li Yongtai stood up and returned the salute, and said with a smile, "It's a great honor for us to thank you."

"Should be."

Li Chengan nodded slightly, "We are all Dragon Shadow Guards, we are a family, so you don't have to be polite."

"makes sense."

Li Yongtai was polite on the surface, but he was cursing inwardly, this old fox!Do you remember being a family now?What did you do early?
"Also, since Lu Fan is a member of the Dragon Shadow Guard, he represents not only your Zhennan Army, but all our Dragon Shadow Guards."

Li Chengan said with a smile: "As a commander, I also have a bright face, so I should come here to congratulate."

"That is."

Li Yongtai really couldn't refute, so he could only perfunctory.

"Actually, not only Lu Fan, but also Yan Qing and Ye Wuchen are the most outstanding talents of our Dragon Shadow Guards."

Li Chengan glanced at the three of them, and continued: "It's really gratifying to have such a talent in our Dragon Shadow Guard."

"Yes."

Li Yongtai also recognized this.

No matter Lu Fan, Ye Wuchen, or even Yan Qing, they are all extremely rare geniuses.

With geniuses of their age and strength, it might not be possible to find ten of them in the whole week.

Now there are three out at once, and they are all in the Dragon Shadow Guard.

It can be seen that the Dragon Shadow Guard is prosperous.

"Lu Fan, congratulations."

Yan Qing came to Lu Fan on purpose, and smiled at him, "I'm really happy for you. However, our competition is not over yet. Although I lost to you twice, it's only three times. I will definitely win you next time."

"Then work together."

Lu Fan responded with a smile: "We are more motivated when you chase after me."

"it is good!"

Li Chengan nodded in satisfaction, "That's how it should be."

"Don't stand and talk, sit down."

Li Yongtai turned his attention to Li Chengan and Yan Qing, "You two came just in time, let's sit down and have a good drink."

"No."

Li Chengan waved his hand, "The reason why I came here was to take Lu Fan to his mansion besides expressing congratulations. This is something His Majesty specifically told me. How dare I neglect it?"

"That's right."

Li Yongtai nodded slightly, "Then I won't keep you."

"Farewell!"

Li Chengan clasped his fists at everyone, then looked at Lu Fan, "If it's okay, why don't you come with me now?"

"Row."

Lu Fan agreed.

After saying goodbye to everyone, he left the post house together with Yan Qing and Li Chengan.

A carriage was waiting at the door of the post house.

"Please!"

The three got into the carriage, and the coachman drove away.

The carriage quickly entered the imperial city, passed through several streets and alleys, and came to a house.

The high gate compound looks like a wealthy family at first glance.

There are four big characters written on the door plaque: Guoshi Wushuang!
A group of people were waiting at the gate.

There are men and women, and they are dressed like servants.

When Lu Fan got out of the carriage, everyone surrounded him and bowed to him, "I've seen you, my lord."

"You are?"

Lu Fan glanced at everyone.

"Back to the son."

The middle-aged man at the front said: "My name is Zou Ping, and I am your housekeeper."

"Oh."

Lu Fan understood that these people were his servants.

"Young master, my name is Zhiqing, and I am your personal servant girl."

Beside Zou Ping was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl. She was quite handsome, even though she was thin and not tall.

"Ah."

Lu Fan nodded.

The rest of the people made their own introductions.

There are four or five little girls who are Lu Fan's maids.

There are also several women who are responsible for shopping and cooking.

Then there are doormen, servants, servants, grooms, nurses, gardeners and the like.

There are servants of all kinds.

"please."

Li Changan made a gesture of invitation, with an extremely polite attitude, "Go in and have a look at your mansion."

"it is good."

Lu Fan stepped into the house.

As soon as you enter the door, there is a big screen wall with flowers and birds engraved on it.

Going further inside, there are rockery and strange stones, surrounded by various greens.

There are green trees, flowers and green bamboos.

Not far away is a small lake with a long corridor leading to the center of the lake.

There is a small pavilion in the middle of the lake.

Dozens of weeping willows surround the small lake, which is extraordinarily green under the reflection of the clear water.

There is also a hill on the other side. Although it is not big or high, it is full of trees and lush.

There is a pavilion at the foot of the mountain, three stories high.

From a distance, it is not new, but very elegant.

Lu Fan could tell that this was not a new house, but it was well maintained, delicate, clean, and full of freshness.

I think it took a lot of thought when building the house back then.

I just don't know whose mansion this used to be?

"how?"

Li Chengan asked with a smile: "I wonder if you are satisfied with this mansion?"

"pretty good."

Lu Fan nodded, but he couldn't help feeling a little bit in his heart.

As a small soldier, he actually has such a big house in the capital, surrounded by many servants.

He was full of compliments from everyone, and countless people wanted to make friends with him.

He also gained the admiration and even admiration of many young people.

All this stems from his strength.

But it's not enough!

He still can't relax.

Continue to improve your strength until you become the strongest in this world.

"The emperor values ​​you very much."

Li Chengan pointed out: "You must not disappoint the emperor's trust in you."

"That's natural."

Lu Fan said seriously: "I never dare to forget."

"please."

Li Chengan and Yan Qing walked around with Lu Fan before taking their leave.

Lu Fan didn't hold back.

He knew that Li Chengan was deliberately showing his favor to him, so naturally he would not be cold-faced, but he would not be overly enthusiastic either.

Not alienated, not close, just keep a certain distance.

In a place like the capital, it's better not to stand in line easily.

If you want to stand, you can only stand on the side of the emperor.

Otherwise, you may bring disaster to yourself because of others.

With Lu Fan's current strength, he still can't be unscrupulous.

It's always good to be careful.

"My lord, what would you like to eat tonight?"

Zhiqing came over to ask for instructions, "I'll order someone to do it."

"Just look at the arrangement."

Lu Fan was sitting in the living room at this time, drinking tea, with a leisurely expression, "From now on, you will help me take care of it. If you can make the decision, you can make the decision yourself. If you really can't make the decision, you can discuss it with the housekeeper. If there is nothing important, you don't need to ask me."

"Yes."

Zhiqing bowed and stepped back.

Not long after, there were slight footsteps outside.

Ok?
Lu Fan was taken aback, he recognized who it was.

Ye Wuchen?
How did you find this place?
As he was thinking, Ye Wuchen walked into the living room with a smile on his face.

"How did you come?"

Lu Fan asked in puzzlement.

"You have moved into a new house. As a friend, I have to celebrate for you anyway."

Ye Wuchen came to sit next to Lu Fan, poured himself a cup of tea, and said with a smile: "The most important thing is, I have lived in the post house enough, and I want to stay with you for a few days, but I don't know if you welcome me or not?"

"That's daring."

Lu Fan pointed around and said, "In such a big house, it's really too sloppy for me to live alone. You came just in time. There are plenty of rooms here. You can choose according to your own needs."

"Okay, choose after dinner."

Ye Wuchen said with a smile: "Let's drink tea and chat first."

"By the way, I was just about to ask you."

Lu Fan remembered something and said, "You are well informed, do you know what the emperor will call us for tomorrow?"

"Of course it's to encourage, and then observe us by the way."

After a short pause, Ye Wuchen continued: "If he thinks it is appropriate, he will reuse us."

"Oh."

Lu Fan remembered his previous guess, and it coincided with it.

Long Yingwei is indeed related to the Great Zhou Emperor.

He tentatively asked: "Doesn't that mean that the establishment of the Dragon Shadow Guard is the meaning of the emperor? The martial arts competition is also to select suitable talents to serve the emperor?"

"exactly."

Ye Wuchen nodded, "Otherwise, why would so many children from aristocratic families come to participate in the Dragon Shadow Guard, all for the sake of taking this opportunity to stand out? If you can get the emperor's reuse, not only can you take advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune, but even the families behind you will be able to follow suit."

"But I still don't understand."

Lu Fan asked the question in his heart, "What kind of talents are there around the emperor? Why do you have to go through so much trouble and do not hesitate to use high-level exercises to select talents?"

"you are wrong."

Ye Wuchen sighed: "The emperor really has no one available, so he came up with this method."

"Ok?"

Lu Fan was stunned: "No one is available? How come?"

"You do not know."

Ye Wuchen explained: "The emperor has been on the throne for less than three years. He was not a prince, nor did he expect to become emperor, let alone fight for the throne."

"When he was the prince, he always kept his duties and did not fight or grab."

"There is neither talent nor military power in his hands, and he has never even expressed his ambition, and has been living cautiously."

"But things don't last forever."

"A court battle a few years ago pushed him to the position of emperor."

"This caused him to have no one available around him, so he came up with such a solution as a last resort."

Speaking of this, Ye Wuchen picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and then continued: "It seems that he did the right thing."

"Oh."

Lu Fan understood, "So, those court officials, including the commanders of the armies, generals, and even the city lords, don't actually have the same heart with the emperor?"

"That's right, this is also the reason for restricting the age of the Dragon Shadow Guard. After all, people at this age have purer thoughts and are more likely to be loyal to the emperor."

Ye Wuchen put down his teacup and said in a low voice: "Maybe you have also heard that many court officials are students of Liu Xiang, so they can be regarded as Liu Xiang's people."

"Yeah, I did hear some."

Lu Fan thought of his relationship with Liu Zhi, and suddenly felt a headache.

Will it put him in a dilemma in the future?

Thinking of this, he tried to analyze: "Since Liu Xiang has retired, does it mean that he has given up the struggle for power? How about staying at home for the elderly?"

"how is this possible?"

Ye Wuchen shook his head lightly, "How can a person who is used to a high position easily give up the power in his hands?"

"Ok."

Lu Fan also knew that it was impossible. The reason why Liu Zeming resigned from office and stayed at home was not necessarily because he wanted to give up his power, but it might also be because he retreated as an advance, and it would be more calm to hide himself in the dark.

"After you stay in the capital for a long time, you will naturally know."

Ye Wuchen said: "The relationship in the capital is complicated, not only Liu Xiang's faction, but also the major families are involved. If we want to gain a firm foothold in the capital, we must not only deal with various forces, but also stay close to the emperor and stand on the emperor's side."

"Yes."

Lu Fan and Ye Wuchen thought of going together.

Since they were chosen by the emperor, they naturally wanted to serve the emperor.

Even if someone wants to win over them, they must stick to their hearts and remain unmoved.

After all, the emperor has imperial power in his hands, he is the supreme ruler of the Great Zhou in name, and he has the support of the royal family behind him.

If the emperor is wise enough, he will definitely take back those powers that originally belonged to the royal family.

The process of taking back the imperial power will inevitably be accompanied by struggle.

The person who has the last laugh is likely to be the current emperor.

Relatively speaking, it is not as reliable as following the emperor to take refuge in any one of the forces.

Especially when the emperor is in such an urgent need for talents.

They will be reused to maximize the benefits they want.

Including status, money, power, and martial arts, etc., everything they can think of.

This is also the reason why Ye Wuchen joined the Dragon Shadow Guard.

It is undoubtedly a big gamble.

Bet that the current emperor is wise enough to overcome all obstacles in the future and become the sage master with real power.

If the bet wins, Ye Wuchen will soar into the sky.

But even if he loses the bet, with the backing of the Ye family, he may not be unable to stand up in the future.

While there is a certain risk involved, the rewards are huge.

In short, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and it is worth a try.

Another very important point is that Ye Wuchen is well-informed and knows what kind of person the Holy Majesty is today, which prompted him to make this choice.

Lu Fan's thoughts gradually became clear.

What Ye Wuchen said just now may not be a reminder to him.

Remind him not to stand on the wrong team.

So as not to cause disasters in the future, thus ruining your bright future.

Thinking of this, Lu Fan asked, "How long are we going to stay in the capital?"

"It depends on what the emperor wants, it's not easy to guess."

Ye Wuchen shook his head lightly, "But in my estimation, it is impossible for the emperor to allow us to stay in the capital forever. After all, our final destination is the Zhennan Army."

"Oh I see."

Lu Fan had completely figured it out this time.

The reason why the emperor selected people from various armies was to control the general power in his hands.

These Dragon Shadow Guards will gradually be promoted through the accumulation of military merit.

After returning to various armies, he will also become an officer.

After a long time, it will naturally be in a high position.

Of course it won't work with just one or two people, but there are so many Dragon Shadow Guards.

If they all become military officers, over time, military power will be firmly in the hands of these people.

Correspondingly, the emperor also had military power in his hands.

After all, they are all Dragon Shadow Guards, who were single-handedly picked up by the emperor.

And between them, the Dragon Shadow Guards have also established an unbreakable relationship through the big competition and various tasks.

This relationship, together with the leaders of each branch of the Dragon Shadow Guards, and the captains as connections in the middle, and the support of the emperor behind them, formed a net.

What's more, Long Yingwei not only has good strength, but also has an unusual background.

Perhaps the net will be unbreakable, unbreakable.

Of course, this is an idealized idea.

In which direction it will develop in the future, it is still unknown.

But at least it's an idea.

At this moment, Lu Fan finally understood the emperor's intentions.

Really well played chess!
It seems that this emperor has a lot of ambitions!

……

……

(End of this chapter)