Xiao Ming quickly walked out, only to see ten soldiers dressed in blue armor standing outside the door.
The leading officer was extrely tall, nearly three ters, a height that should have made him look thin. However, this person appeared sowhat plump, with arms wider than his waist, almost broad enough to run a horse through!
Xiao Ming had never heard of this Marquis Longwu, but just by looking at him, he seed troubleso. Beside him, a young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes exuded an extraordinary aura, standing there like a sword planted in the ground.
The eight soldiers behind them all stood with heads held high and chests out, their breaths heavy. Despite the crowd watching and pointing around, they remained unmoved, staring straight ahead.
"This humble official is Xiao Ming, the principal of East Dragon Inn. I did not know Marquis Longwu would arrive; I apologize for not welcoming you sooner, please punish ," Xiao Ming ran over and bowed, expressing his reverence.
"Mr. Xiao, let ask you, is Marquis Yuan Rang, Zhao Xing, the Left Deputy of Twin Island Dragon Horse Supervisor, staying at your inn?" Bai Zhengyang inquired.
He announced Zhao Xing’s title and rank to avoid any confusion with others of the sa na.
So, they were indeed looking for Zhao Xing?
Xiao Ming was taken aback for a mont before quickly putting on a smile. "Yes, Marquis Yuan Rang is here."
Hearing this, Bai Zhengyang showed a shift of joy on his face. "Take to him quickly."
Xiao Ming bowed with clasped hands. "Please, General, allow to inform Marquis Yuan Rang first."
Bai Zhengyang waved his hand dismissively. "No need, just lead directly."
Xiao Ming hesitated, "If Marquis Yuan Rang has gone out..."
Bai Zhengyang laughed, "No problem, I will have my n stand guard at his door and wait for his return."
Xiao Ming was secretly startled, becoming even more curious about Zhao Xing. Who was he to be valued so highly by a Marquis?
By now, the adjutant had found Zhao Xing’s registration information, and he communicated it. "Sir, we’ve found it. Marquis Yuan Rang, Zhao Xing, the Left Deputy of Twin Island Dragon Horse Supervisor, is staying in the Listening Rain Pavilion in the North Courtyard. He registered at 12:00 AM the day before yesterday for a month, accompanied by a cat, a dog, and a sheep."
"I also inquired a bit earlier. This Marquis Yuan Rang recently achieved a stunning performance in the competition hosted by Great Zhou."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming imdiately understood.
"Marquis, please follow ," he said.
...
Zhao Xing was just about to visit Prefecture Lord Fan Hongyi, Minister of Agriculture Supervision and Dragon Horse Supervisor Wang Xuan Yi. However, as soon as he stepped out, two clerks hurriedly ran over to greet him.
"May I ask, are you Zhao Xing, the Left Deputy of Twin Island Dragon Horse Supervisor?" one clerk asked.
"I am," Zhao Xing nodded.
"Sir, you have a distinguished guest," the clerk reported.
"Oh? Do you know the identity of this guest?"
"It is Marquis Longwu, Bai Zhengyang, a commander of the Azure Dragon Army," the clerk said. "He is already on his way to the North Courtyard."
"I understand. You may go back now," Zhao Xing instructed.
"Yes, sir," the clerk said, bowing and departing.
"Bai Zhengyang is here, so Long Xiao must be here too," Zhao Xing thought aloud and decided to wait at the door.
Bai Zhengyang was Bai Mingchuan’s younger brother, the seventh son of Bai Yunwu.
After the competition, Long Xiao had sent him a ssage, saying that soone from the Bai family would co to find him, but he kept the reason a surprise.
"Marquis Longwu, Bai Zhengyang—the na sounds familiar," Zhao Xing closed his eyes.
"Oh, so it is him."
Bai Zhengyang died during the upheaval when Prince Liang rebelled; he was the highest-ranking general to die in the Eastern Sea during his previous life.
In his prior life, Zhao Xing had joined Prince Liang’s camp. One of his missions was to accompany the heir of Prince Liang to the Eastern Sea to incite the Water Clan Tusi to join their cause.
The Eastern Sea had four prominent Water Clan Tusi who were granted the surnas Bai, Tang, Ao, and Hong by Great Zhou, as the Water Clan had only given nas.
Additionally, their nas were peculiar, often including the nas of their grandfathers, fathers, and sotis even mothers.
Even after receiving surnas, they retained this custom. There was once a naval officer whose grandfather was nad Zhang Yunhai, his father took the na Feilong, and his own na was Ze.
Thus, his full na in the governnt registry was Zhang Yunhai Feilong Yufei Ze.
Why the extra na Yufei? That was his mother’s na.
This naming tradition left the officials of Great Zhou in dire straits when registering these nas.
It wasn’t until the period of Emperor Wen, after more than a thousand years of assimilation, that the Water Clan Tusi’s naming culture began to be replaced by the culture of Great Zhou.
Of course, there were still so Water Clans who had not surrendered, and they retained their traditional naming practices. In his forr life, when Zhao Xing fought the Water Clan, it felt like recording scenes from "Journey to the West" with them.
Kill one Sun Xingzhe, and another Xingzhe Sun would appear.
He even found that the Water Clan people looked quite similar to one another, causing him to redo tasks, sotis indistinguishable from the previous ones. This left Zhao Xing confused and questioning his sanity.
Among the four surnas that had submitted, the Bai family was the earliest to surrender. During the Grand Ancestor period, they pledged allegiance along with Primordial Monarch Bixia, the grandmother of Princess You Ruo.
The Tang and Ao families surrendered during the period of Emperor Wen, while the Hong family was the last to offer their submission.
Zhao Xing rembered Bai Zhengyang because, during the mission to incite the Water Clan to revolt, the traitor’s pledge of loyalty was secured by presenting Bai Zhengyang’s head.
And this traitor was none other than Hong Yuanshou, the younger brother of the current commander of the Eastern Sea Army, Hong Yuanba.
Initially, Hong Yuanshou intended to kill Bai Mingchuan but failed. In the end, he settled for killing Bai Zhengyang.
The Hong family had been late to submit, having finally surrendered during the period of Emperor Jing.
Now, with his younger brother rebelling and having killed a Marquis, among other cris, there was no way back.
Emperor Jing was not Emperor Wen; under his rule, the punishnt for rebellion was complete extermination of one’s family, varying only in the thod of execution.
Since death was certain, Hong Yuanba had no choice but to join Prince Liang’s treacherous sche, hoping to seize a chance at survival.
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