Imperial Guards Outrank Officials by Three Grades

Huang Shaojie followed the steward to Cao Manor.

Cao Renqi, his chest wrapped in bandages, received Huang Shaojie in the reception hall.

"Imperial Guard Battalion Commander Huang Shaojie greets Lord Cao."

Huang Shaojie cupped his hands to Cao Renqi.

Although the Imperial Guard was said to outrank officials by three grades when meeting them, Cao Renqi was, after all, a Fourth Rank Military Official—six full grades above Huang Shaojie, a Principal Seventh Rank Battalion Commander.

Cao Renqi hurriedly returned the salute. "Battalion Commander Huang is too courteous. Please, take a seat."

He then ordered the maidservants to serve tea.

After taking a sip of tea and exchanging a few pleasantries, Huang Shaojie asked, "Lord Cao, tell me everything that happened when you were attacked last night."

Cao Renqi was somewhat disappointed that Niu Ren had sent only a Battalion Commander.

The Imperial Guard might be filled with masters, but no matter how skilled a Battalion Commander was, how powerful could he possibly be?

Besides, this Battalion Commander Huang looked barely over twenty. He was just a green youngster—without experience, and likely only having just stepped into the Xiantian Realm at most.

Sending such a green youngster to catch the assassin was clearly just a perfunctory gesture on Niu Ren's part.

Cao Renqi's heart immediately ached over the three hundred taels of gold he had given away.

Though deeply disappointed, he still said:

"Last night, around the third watch, I was in my room coupling with a maidservant when that assassin suddenly shot a flying dagger through the window, straight at my heart. Fortunately, I reacted quickly and shifted slightly, so it did not strike my heart."

Cao Renqi recounted everything about last night's assassination attempt, up until the assassin escaped.

Holy shit, you were still fooling around with maidservants in the dead of night. You're living quite the comfortable life!

Huang Shaojie cursed inwardly.

Then he asked, "So this assassin is highly skilled, then?"

Cao Renqi was a commandant officer, so his martial arts presumably were not weak. The guards and protectors in his residence must also have been experts.

Yet this assassin had come and gone as freely as if no one were there. His skill was obvious.

Cao Renqi nodded. "Judging from our exchange last night, his martial arts are no weaker than mine. If he had not caught me off guard, I would not have been struck by his flying dagger. Last night, I would certainly have captured him."

Cao Renqi was not boasting. Had he not been so focused on his business, it would have been difficult for that assassin to injure him. With him personally taking action and leading his guards in an encirclement, the assassin likely would have found it hard to escape last night.

Huang Shaojie asked, "May I ask what realm Lord Cao's martial arts have reached?"

Cao Renqi said, "First Rank Grandmaster Stage."

Huang Shaojie said, "Then this assassin's martial arts are likely at the First Rank Grandmaster Stage as well?"

He immediately had a measure of the situation.

A First Rank Grandmaster—he was still confident he could handle one.

Cao Renqi nodded slightly. "That assassin has at least entered the Grandmaster Stage, but he probably has not reached Second Rank Grandmaster."

After saying that, he glanced at Huang Shaojie and deliberately asked, "I wonder whether Battalion Commander Huang is confident he can deal with this assassin?"

Cao Renqi was deliberately mocking Huang Shaojie. What he meant was: the assassin's martial arts had already reached the Grandmaster Stage, so a mere Battalion Commander should not blindly meddle. Even if he encountered the assassin, he would only be delivering himself on a platter.

Huang Shaojie smiled faintly and said noncommittally, "Lord Cao need not worry about that. Since Commander Niu sent me to help Lord Cao capture the assassin, I will certainly complete the task Commander Niu assigned me."

Hearing this, Cao Renqi could not help laughing inwardly. This little Battalion Commander might be young, but his words were certainly grand.

An assassin with Grandmaster-level martial arts, and he actually dared claim he could complete the mission?

Could it be that his martial arts had entered the Grandmaster Stage as well?

Heh, impossible.

Though Cao Renqi felt some contempt, he did not dare show it openly, lest he offend Huang Shaojie.

Even though he was a Fourth Rank Military Official, he did not dare offend a seventh-rank Imperial Guard Battalion Commander.

Cao Renqi took a sip of tea and smiled. "Then Battalion Commander Huang's martial arts must certainly surpass that assassin's. In that case, I can rest easy."

Though there was not a trace of overt mockery in those words, they carried a hint of teasing.

Huang Shaojie also took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Lord Cao need not probe into my martial arts cultivation. You only need understand one thing: since Commander Niu dispatched me to help Lord Cao capture the assassin, he must have had his reasons. Does Lord Cao not trust Commander Niu?"

There was a hint of gunpowder in those words.

Huang Shaojie knew that, as an Imperial Guard Battalion Commander, he still found it difficult to suppress Cao Renqi, a commandant. Thus, he brought up Niu Ren, the Imperial Guard Commander, to put some pressure on Cao Renqi.

Niu Ren was the highest commander of the Suzhou Imperial Guard, equivalent to an imperial envoy dispatched by the Emperor to supervise Suzhou's officials.

Not to mention Cao Renqi, a Principal Fourth Rank commandant—even the Principal Third Rank provincial governor treated Niu Ren with utmost respect and did not dare offend him in the slightest.

If Huang Shaojie returned and embellished a few bad words about him before Niu Ren, then Cao Renqi would likely be in deep trouble.

Cao Renqi hurriedly cupped his hands. "Battalion Commander Huang, you misunderstand. This subordinate has no intention whatsoever of distrusting Commander Niu. If I said anything improper just now, I ask Battalion Commander Huang to be magnanimous."

Seeing the fellow become so obedient, Huang Shaojie felt secretly delighted!

Working for the Imperial Guard really was impressive. No matter how high-ranking an official you were, if they did not like the look of you, they could snap right back at you—and you would not dare provoke the Imperial Guard lightly.

"I merely spoke casually. Lord Cao need not be nervous."

Huang Shaojie took a sip of tea and smiled.

Cao Renqi immediately sighed in relief and smiled along with him.

"Lord Cao, which people from the martial world have you offended?"

Huang Shaojie asked.

Cao Renqi thought for a moment and shook his head. "I have dealt with people from the martial world and had some minor frictions with them, but nothing amounting to deep-seated hatred. They should not risk coming to assassinate me."

Huang Shaojie asked again, "Then have you offended anyone in official circles?"

Cao Renqi said, "Naturally, I have some political rivals in officialdom, but official struggles generally do not resort to assassination. They seek ways to impeach and bring down their opponents."

Huang Shaojie nodded slightly.

It seemed this assassin most likely came from an enemy seeking revenge.

It was only that Cao Renqi probably could not remember exactly whom he had offended—or rather, whom he had killed.

After all, Cao Renqi was a commandant who commanded over ten thousand troops. There should have been quite a few lives lost at his hands.

Huang Shaojie rose and paced about in thought for a while. Then he stopped and said:

"Lord Cao, since this assassin failed this time, he will certainly come to assassinate you again. During this time, I will remain by your side and pose as your personal guard."

Cao Renqi cupped his hands. "That would be excellent. Then I must trouble Battalion Commander Huang."

Huang Shaojie waved a hand. "It is nothing. However, having failed this time, the assassin will likely be even more cautious and will not come to assassinate you so easily again."

"How about this? Lord Cao can post notices seeking famous physicians to treat your injuries. When the assassin sees them, he will surely believe your injuries are severe. He may disguise himself as a famous physician and come to examine you, then seize the opportunity to assassinate you."

"That way, I will be able to capture this assassin."