Ping Zhao Lu

Chapter 132: Promotion Too Slow

Pei Mansion, East Garden Study.

Pei Nanchao walked quickly to the door of the study, reached out and pushed it without hesitation. The heavy wooden door creaked, breaking the silence.

The sudden noise woke up the man who was dozing in the chair.

His body trembled, and his eyes, which had been tightly closed, suddenly opened, with a trace of confusion and astonishment on his face that had not yet dissipated.

After seeing who was coming, he sat up straight instantly as if waking up from a dream, and looked at the boy who was standing steadily in front of him with a dazed look.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?" The man frowned, looking displeased, with a hint of reprimand in his tone.

This person is Pei Nanchao's father - Pei Qi.

Facing his father's questioning, Pei Nanchao remained calm and took out a token from his arms that symbolized his status as a court judge. He threw it casually, and the token flew in the air like a light butterfly, landing accurately on the desk in front of Pei Qi.

"Father once promised that if I could successfully capture the recent human traffickers, you would allow me to join the Imperial Court for the assessment. Now, I have captured all of them and they are bound and locked in a secret room. Father, please go and inspect them yourself."

Pei Nanchao crossed his arms, raised his chin slightly, and looked directly at Pei Qi with a firm and confident look.

When Pei Qi heard this, he was stunned at first, then he quickly reached out and picked up the token to examine it carefully.

When he confirmed that the token was indeed his, a look of shock appeared on his face.

"I see... I was wondering why I hadn't seen you these past few days. So you've been busy running around because of this!"

As Pei Qi spoke, he slowly stood up, then walked around his son several times with great interest, looking him up and down.

After a moment, Pei Qi nodded with satisfaction and praised with a smile, "Not bad, not bad. At such a young age, you were able to complete such a difficult task without any damage. It seems that you really have the potential to become an excellent court guard!"

Hearing his father's praise, Pei Nanchao secretly rejoiced in his heart, but on the surface he remained calm and asked calmly, "Then, father, are you willing to fulfill your promise and let me enter the Imperial Court and participate in the assessment as I wish?"

Pei Qi paused in his tracks after hearing his son's words. His previously calm face instantly darkened, his brows furrowed tightly as he said in a deep voice, "That place isn't a good place. If you're not careful, you could lose your life."

Pei Nanchao ignored his father's warning. He curled his lips and retorted, "Wasn't father the boss there before? Why is he saying such depressing things now?"

Facing his son's questioning, Pei Qi smiled helplessly and explained with a wry smile, "Silly boy, that's a high-risk job! Look, even I, your father, had to leave that troubled place in the end."

Pei Nanchao was clearly unconvinced. He snorted heavily, crossed his arms, and said with a determined look, "I don't care! Since my father has already promised me something, he absolutely cannot go back on his word! I'm determined to win this Imperial Guard selection. It's just a competition among a hundred people, and I believe I can definitely stand out among them!"

Seeing his son so confident, Pei Qi couldn't help but throw his head back and burst into laughter. His laugh was hearty and heroic. "Hahahaha, you kid, you really have a lot of the demeanor of your father back then! Your arrogance and conceit are even worse than mine back then!"

Hearing his father's teasing, Pei Nanchao became a little impatient. He widened his eyes and asked anxiously, "So, do you agree to let me participate in this court guard selection?"

Pei Qi put away his smile and answered without hesitation: "No!"

"Why?" Pei Nanchao was immediately furious when he heard this, and he raised his voice and asked again.

Pei Qi slowly turned around, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze deep into the distance as he spoke slowly, "Even if your father agrees to your participation, your great-grandfather and great-grandmother will definitely not agree to it!"

"Why is this happening?" Pei Nanchao was completely confused and couldn't understand the reason at all.

Pei Qi sighed, "You'll understand later. Not only that, you won't be chosen as the Crown Prince's study companion."

Hearing this, Pei Nanchao's tender little face flushed crimson instantly. He clenched his tiny fists tightly and retorted firmly, "I don't care about being the Crown Prince's tutor. The Imperial Court is where I want to be. I want to be like you, fighting against evil, helping the weak, arresting corrupt officials, and getting rid of corrupt officials!"

Looking at his son's determined expression, Pei Qi couldn't help but feel relieved.

He nodded, expressing his approval of Pei Nanchao's ambition, but at the same time shook his head slightly and advised earnestly: "Then you can take the imperial examination and go to the Censorate like your uncle, where you can also impeach officials."

"No." Pei Nanchao refused without hesitation, "Promotion is too slow."

*

In the woods on the outskirts of the city, a carriage was rolling along a winding path, the wheels turning rapidly, raising a cloud of dust, and its speed kept increasing, as if something terrible was chasing it from behind.

Inside the carriage, Feng Que had a solemn expression and was extremely nervous.

From time to time, he would look out of the car window, and in the faint moonlight, he would check out the scenery on both sides of the road, as if he was looking for something or guarding against something.

The guards surrounding the carriage also remained on high alert.

"Master, I think the lady and the others have already left the city."

The butler sitting on the side whispered comfortingly.

Feng Que frowned and shook his head, saying, "Leaving the city isn't enough. We have to be at least a thousand miles away from the capital..." Then he changed the subject, "We still have to speed up. If we're unlucky enough to run into the Imperial Court's men..."

"Feng Que!"

Before he could finish his words, a cold voice suddenly rang out.

Feng Que and the housekeeper's heart skipped a beat and their bodies trembled.

At the same time, the carriage that was galloping suddenly stopped.

The coachman and the guards around him looked warily at the group of people appearing in front of them.

All the people who came were wearing brocade robes and black gauze hats on their heads. The leader's brocade robe was purple, which was obviously of the highest grade compared to the other colored brocade robes behind him.

Shang Jiuliang drew his sharp blade and pointed it at the driver. "I advise you not to make any unnecessary moves, otherwise..."

Before he finished speaking, the sharp blade in his hand flew out of his hand, quickly passed over the driver's head and flew into the carriage, heading straight for the interior of the carriage.

With a muffled "puff" sound, the sharp blade firmly pierced the wooden board above Feng Que's head. The sword body was three inches into the wood, leaving only the hilt outside, trembling slightly.

Feng Que, sitting in the car, was terrified by this sudden change. He shuddered and slid off his seat, kneeling on the ground, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

The butler standing by was already frightened out of his wits. He hugged his head tightly, curled up into a ball, and didn't even dare to breathe.

A hint of sneer flashed across Shang Jiu's indifferent expression. He waved his hand to signal the court guards behind him to bring up a group of elderly, weak, women and children.

"Your family is in my hands right now, where do you want to escape to?"