Before Lu Zhenghai could answer, Princess Mingzhu smiled playfully, "You are Lu Zhenghai, aren't you?"
Immediately, Lu Zhenghai had a bad premonition.
As expected, Princess Mingzhu continued, "It's well-known that Mu Wan and I are best friends, closer than real sisters. And you are the man Mu Wan publicly acknowledged. Lu Zhenghai, just for Mu Wan's sake, you wouldn't be so shameless as to ask me for a reward, would you?"
Lu Zhenghai's Face darkened… Damn it!
Princess Mingzhu was being shameless!
What, being pretty makes her special? Being pretty means she can bully people?
Lu Zhenghai: "If the Princess is willing to give a reward, I'll definitely take it, after all, I'm poor."
Princess Mingzhu: "But I'd be embarrassed to give it. If I gave you a reward, wouldn't I be questioning my friendship with Mu Wan? Or are you, Lu Zhenghai, not Mu Wan's man?"
Lu Zhenghai was silenced, sighing inwardly: People shouldn't scheme too much.
See? I schemed too much, meticulously planning to become Princess Mingzhu's savior.
And then, I got nothing.
Qiu Hen's eyes widened. She scrutinized Lu Zhenghai, extremely excited: "Pr-Princess, is he the Embroidered Uniform Guard who was holding Young Miss Pei's hand at Luoshui Tower last night?"
"He's not bad-looking, but... but he's so greedy!" Summer Lotus also commented softly.
"Farewell!" Lu Zhenghai said nothing, turned, and left.
Damn it, what bad luck.
Next time, even if it's saving a dog, he wouldn't save Princess Mingzhu.
Staring at Lu Zhenghai's angry retreating figure, Princess Mingzhu's mood inexplicably brightened.
Of course, it was impossible for her to truly not reward Lu Zhenghai.
After all, he was her genuine savior, and the debt of gratitude was immense.
But she just didn't want to give money!
On one hand, even if she could produce 1 million taels of silver in a short time, it would still be a bit of a strain.
On the other hand, she had already decided what specific reward to give him.
She was certain that, for Lu Zhenghai, the reward she would bestow would absolutely far exceed 1 million taels of silver.
But Princess Mingzhu didn't say it on the spot, deliberately letting Lu Zhenghai mistakenly believe she didn't want to give a reward.
She just wanted to see Lu Zhenghai annoyed, angry, and even broken.
Who told Lu Zhenghai to quietly steal her best friend's heart? She was displeased.
Who told Lu Zhenghai to show his side of seeking reward for kindness and being extremely greedy?
Heh, don't you know how petty women can be? Even if she is a Princess, she is still a woman.
"Princess, what do you think Young Miss Pei saw in him? He even dared to make such an outrageous demand in front of you." Qiu Hen was indignant.
Princess Mingzhu's smile faded: "What? Is my life not worth 1 million taels of silver?"
"The Princess is joking. Even 10 million taels of silver cannot compare to a single strand of your hair, Princess."
A hint of a smile returned to Princess Mingzhu's exquisite Face: "The strike he used to save me earlier was a Heaven-Grade Martial Skill. That strike posed a fatal threat even to ordinary First Layer Grandmaster Realm Martial Artists. I always said that Mu Wan's taste is very, very high. How bad could the man she fancies be?"
That strike was very interesting!
"Princess, should we still investigate Lu Zhenghai's information?"
"Investigate, investigate thoroughly. He should have no connection to the assassination, but it's very strange that he seemed to know in advance that I would be assassinated. Interesting. Also, immediately write a memorial to my Imperial Father, asking the Imperial Guards to surround the entire Puyun Temple."
"Yes."
As Princess Mingzhu spoke, she subconsciously reached into her embrace again... wanting to stroke Snowball!
Unfortunately, Snowball was lost.
For a moment, Princess Mingzhu felt a sense of loss. Snowball, where are you?
...Lu Zhenghai left Puyun Temple, quickening his pace, returning to the Imperial City, and heading directly to the Garrison.
Upon entering the Garrison.
Flattering voices and respectful gazes came in a rush.
"Brother Lu, impressive!" Huang Xiu came forward, his Face full of smiles and a hint of reverence.
Huang Xiu felt a bit dazed.
Not long ago, in his eyes, Lu Zhenghai was still the most useless among the several Squad Leaders under him.
In a blink of an eye, Lu Zhenghai could single-handedly kill Centurion Wang and even win over Pei Muwan.
This feeling was like his good brother, a year ago, was still begging with him... and then, a year later, he was still begging, while his good brother was already worth tens of billions and the richest man in the province.
Huang Xiu didn't even have the heart to be jealous; he wasn't even qualified to be jealous anymore.
"Elder Brother Huang, have you found a Grandmaster Realm expert to accompany me to investigate the Escort Agency case?" Lu Zhenghai asked about the main business.
He thought that if Huang Xiu hadn't found anyone, it wouldn't matter, as he would be going to Tianmu Bamboo Sea to investigate the case soon anyway.
Times had changed.
He now had Aunt Yan, a hidden Sixth Layer Great Grandmaster, by his side, so he didn't need any accompanying Grandmaster Realm experts.
Huang Xiu, however, looked at Lu Zhenghai with a complicated expression: "Brother Lu, Centurion Wang is dead, freeing up a Centurion position. If you make another great contribution by investigating the Escort Agency case, you can truly be promoted directly to Centurion."
It felt like a series of interconnected schemes, as if planned.
Lu Zhenghai: "Elder Brother Huang, whether I can solve the Escort Agency case is still a question mark!"
"You are Lu Zhenghai, the divine detective among divine detectives, you will definitely solve it, Brother Lu. Perhaps it won't be long before I truly call you Centurion Lu."
"Elder Brother Huang is joking." Lu Zhenghai certainly had to be modest.
"I have indeed found a Grandmaster Realm expert for you. They will meet up with us when we head to Tianmu Bamboo Forest."
As they spoke, Huang Xiu and Lu Zhenghai walked into Centurion Song's office.
Centurion Song was looking at a scroll.
Seeing Lu Zhenghai walk in, Centurion Song put down the scroll and sternly reprimanded, "Lu Zhenghai, you're going to scare me to death one day! Is there anything you dare not do? Do you know what the Embroidered Uniform Guards in the entire Garrison say about you?"
"What do they say?"
"They say you, old man, are a 'friendly fire' killer! From Zheng Qu, an ordinary Captain, to Luo Wang, a Squad Leader, to Lü Tianyang, a Banner Commander, and then to Wang Shanhe, a Centurion—are you really going to kill them one by one, level by level? What? Next, are you going to kill a Thousand-Household Lord?!" Centurion Song grew angrier with each word.
"Sir, Centurion Wang secretly attacked me, and I counter-killed. I'm not wrong."
"If you were wrong, you'd already be in prison!" Centurion Song said, exasperated: "Come on, follow me to see a Sir right now!"
"Ah?" Lu Zhenghai was a little confused.
"Ah what? Not only are you going to see this Sir, but tonight, the Thousand-Household Lord will also take you to Deputy Commander Yu's house for a visit." Centurion Song cursed and walked outside: "You dared to provoke Pei Muwan? Is she someone you can afford to provoke? You don't know how many people secretly hate you to death!"
Leaving the Garrison.
They got into a carriage.
Lu Zhenghai and Centurion Song sat facing each other.
Lu Zhenghai: "Centurion Sir, who are you taking me to see?"
Centurion Song's emotions had stabilized a bit: "You must have guessed that I have some background, right?"
Lu Zhenghai nodded.
Without a background, how could Centurion Song suddenly be parachuted into the Embroidered Uniform Guard and get a Centurion position?
A Centurion, after all, was a genuine official of the sixth rank with real power.
Centurion Song:
"I was originally a Jianghu person, serving as a family retainer in the Huo family in Jiangnan."
"Seven years ago, in the Jiangnan region, I met an old man. The old man was injured at the time, and I saved him."
"At first, I didn't know who the old man was. Later, I found out he was Hong Qingtian, the former Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
"He went to the Jiangnan region to perform a secret mission for the Emperor but was ambushed by several top Jianghu experts, which is how he got injured."
"To prevent me from being retaliated against by those experts for saving him, and to repay me, he personally negotiated with the Huo family in Jiangnan, offering some benefits to help me leave the Huo family."
"I followed Elder Hong to the Imperial City, and under his recommendation, I was directly parachuted in as an Embroidered Uniform Guard Centurion."
...Lu Zhenghai listened intently, shocked internally.
There was such a secret history?
Lu Zhenghai: "Elder Hong, why didn't he continue to be the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Why did he step down?"
Centurion Song smiled:
"Every Commander is at least a Grandmaster Realm expert. Some Commanders have even touched the Heavenly Human Realm."
"A Great Grandmaster's Lifespan can reach 300 years. If every Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard served until the end of their Lifespan, would the Imperial Family agree?"
"Moreover, constantly occupying the position would also block the progress of those below."
"Basically, every Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard only sits in that position for 30 to 50 years before stepping down on their own."
...Lu Zhenghai then asked: "And after they step down, they..."
"After stepping down, they still secretly perform secret missions for the Emperor. As far as I know, there are dozens of living former Commanders and Deputy Commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Lu Zhenghai's scalp tingled a bit, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "The power of the Imperial Family is truly strong."
"The Great Yu Dynasty is an Imperial Dynasty where imperial power and Sects coexist. Think about it, some of those Sects have Legacies spanning tens of thousands of years, like the Six Great Buddhist Sects and the Six Great Dao Sects. Who knows how many old monsters are hidden among them? If the Great Yu Imperial Family were that simple, could they, with their own strength, share the world with all the Sects under heaven?"
Just then.
[Ding, intelligence has been refreshed.]
Hearing the prompt, Lu Zhenghai immediately refreshed the intelligence.