Be Modest,My Master of Imperial Guards

Chapter 11 Eunuch Ming Lan

Gu Yunxi got up as soon as it was dawn.

Waking up, she lay flat on the bed with her eyes rolling for a long time. She pinched her thigh several times with her fingers.

It hurt.

When she got dressed and got out of bed, she opened the window and looked into the yard several times.

The scenery outside was completely different from that of Youzhu Garden. She could hear loud shouts in the distance. That was the sound of the Imperial Guards drilling on the training field.

Affected by the sound, Gu Yunxi was also cheered up. She finally believed that she was not dreaming at the moment. This was the Eastern Depot, a brand-new environment. She had left Youzhu Garden and stayed away from Nanny Gu and those who bullied her.

Breakfast was delivered by an attendant named Sun Bing, followed by a bowl of medicine, a purple uniform, and a pair of short boots.

He said the Master had told him to attend to her. She was asked to change clothes. The Eastern Depot usually did not accept girls. It would be convenient for her to be in men's clothes.

Gu Yunxi understood that. After the attendant left, she took medicine, closed the door, and changed her clothes.

She lived in the south courtyard of the Eastern Depot, where Leng Qingtang lived. He had his plan.

Leng Qingtang used to live alone in this courtyard. Now that Gu Yunxi had entered the Eastern Depot, it was impossible for her to live in the north or west yard with other males. The quiet environment in this yard was good for her recovery, and it is also convenient for him to take care of her at any time.

There was no difficulty in changing the clothes, but the combing of the hair did not seem going on well.

It was not difficult to make a side bun by herself and insert a hairpin at will. Now Gu Yunxi did not know how to comb a man's official bun. She held the comb with one hand and tried to collect the hair to the middle of the head with the other hand. But the smooth hair was not very obedient and slipped off halfway. She had to start all over again.

Having repeated several times, Gu Yunxi felt tired and sore in her arms. She let go of her hands gloomily. The thick black hair fell down. Gu Yunxi threw the comb away. She was so annoyed that she wanted to pick up the scissors and cut off the hair.

There was a knock at the door outside. It was the Master. Gu Yunxi was in a hurry. She looked into the mirror in a panic and ran hurriedly to open the door.

"Master..." She blushed.

Seeing the disheveled and aggrieved Gu Yunxi, Leng Qingtang was amused and comforted her softly, "Don't worry, take your time."

He made her sit down in front of the bronze mirror on the dressing table under the window and rolled up the full sleeves of his robe.

Seeing that he was going to help her comb her hair, she immediately jumped up, "Lord, this is not good!"

"Sit down... Don't move."

A pair of powerful hands pressed her back to the chair from the shoulders and began to adjust her head.

"The conditions here are a little harsh. There are only attendants but no maids. You have to rely on yourself for a lot of things. It doesn't matter if you don't know how to do it. Learn it slowly, and you will be practiced."

Leng Qingtang said softly, combing the hair, twisting it repeatedly on the top of Gu Yunxi's head, and tying it with a hairband. Soon, an official bun of the guards was formed.

He picked up the black hat on the tray and put it on her head. He smiled at the cute face in the bronze mirror, "Okay, it looks good."

Gu Yunxi also smiled happily. Suddenly, she saw a half of a handsome man's face in the bronze mirror. Her heart was filled with inexplicable feelings, inextricably intertwined, warm and peaceful.

Before she came to herself, Leng Qingtang had walked to the door. He turned to her and said, "See you later. I will send for you after breakfast."

A moment later, Xiao Xiaoshen, the Master's personal attendant, came in to see her.

"Yo, so you are dressed up?"

Seeing Gu Yunxi wearing the official uniform and black hat of the guards, Xiao Xiaoshen was pleasantly surprised.

"Brother Xiaoshen, what do you think of my dress?"

Gu Yunxi spread out her arms and made two whirls in the room.

"Good, of course it looks good! What a handsome... little guard!"

Xiao Xiaoshen came close, staring at her chest and grinning wickedly,

"I say, Yunxi, it's good that you are thin and short. Otherwise, even if you wear the uniform, people will know at a glance that you are a girl!"

"Why?" She asked, tilting her head in surprise.

"Haha... I mean, here. Fortunately, they're not too big..."

Xiao Xiaoshen pointed his hand at Gu Yunxi's chest.

"Ah! You... I beat you bad guy!"

Gu Yunxi blushed immediately. She grabbed Xiao Xiaoshen by the ear with one hand and beat him desperately with the other hand.

The two of them had made friends in the Garden. They often played together but never really quarreled with each other.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong. I came over to take you to the hall at the order of the Master. Now that you are ready, just follow me."

"Oh... Brother Xiaoshen, I... I'm a little nervous!"

Gu Yunxi looked at Xiao Xiaoshen pitifully, her arms folded across her chest, and did not dare to move.

"It's all right. There's nothing to be afraid of. Master is there!"

Xiao Xiaoshen took Gu Yunxi straight to the hall.

The main hall of the Eastern Depot.

Leng Qingtang, wearing a clear blue royal robe with the pattern of a four-legged python on it, was sitting at the main seat, next to him was Cheng Wanli, Chiliarch of Penalty. On the east and west sides of the hall stood eight guards in brown uniforms and round hats.

This was the first time that so many of the ten captains of the eastern squads had gathered together. Gu Yunxi was frightened by the scene in front of her as soon as she came in.

Leng Qingtang looked at Gu Yunxi in her outfit and smiled gently, waving to her.

"Yunxi, come over to me."

Gu Yunxi walked to Leng Qingtang, and following the example of Xiao Xiaoshen, saluted Leng Qingtang respectfully, "Master!"

Leng Qingtang nodded with satisfaction, helped her up, looked at the guards on both sides, and said loudly,

"My captains, this is Gu Yunxi. I mentioned her to you last night. He is my apprentice. Yunxi, come and meet the captains."

"Whatever their age, they are my people who have shared life and death with me and fought it out with masters. In terms of seniority, they are all your seniors."

"Greetings to all of you!"

With the Master by her side, Gu Yunxi felt much less reserved at the moment. She took a step forward and saluted the crowd.

A short, chubby man with a fat fair face laughed and went out of the team and returned greetings to Gu Yunxi,

"I am flattered. I am not worthy of the salute of Master's apprentice."

He looked again at Gu Yunxi from head to toe and patted her on the back of her thin hair with his fat palm,

"My goodness! Master is so lucky to have such a handsome apprentice. Let me introduce myself first. I am the captain of Squad Three, Zhao Wuji!"

"Hi, Captain Zhao."

They saluted each other again.

Leng Qingtang was sitting in his seat, smiling,

"Yunxi, let me introduce you to other captains. You have seen Chiliarch Cheng. The one next to him is the captain of Squad One, Ai Qing; captain of Squad Two, Lu Rong; captain of Squad Four, Bai Qiying, captain of Squad Five, Luo Zixun, captain of Squad Seven, Jiang Xiong, captain of Squad Nine, Lin Jinghe..."

Just as Leng Qingtang pointed to a handsome young man, he began to introduce himself,

"I am Yuan Qian of Squad Ten..." The red lips then closed tightly, and he smiled at Yunxi with a shy expression.

Leng Qingtang smiled, "Captain Yuan is only 16 years old, the youngest of all the captains. The heads of the sixth and eighth squads are away on official business and can't get back in time. I'll introduce them to you another day."

Gu Yunxi looked at them and saluted again,

"Greetings to all of you again. But I haven't remembered all your names for the moment..."

There was a burst of generous laughter.

Seeing her blushing embarrassedly, Leng Qingtang comforted,

"It's okay. You'll meet often in the future and get to know each other soon."

The head of Squad Ten, Yuan Qian looked at Yunxi and asked curiously,

"Is Yunxi your real name? It's like a girl's name."

Gu Yunxi looked at Leng Qingtang awkwardly, but he smiled calmly.

"You are all my brothers who have been with me for many years. I won't hide from you. Yunxi... is indeed a girl!"

Immediately, everyone in the hall became restless.

"What? A girl?"

"No wonder she is so pretty!"

"Master, did you accept a girl apprentice?"

"This never happened in Eastern Depot!"

Cheng Wanli coughed hard, and eight captains immediately quieted down.

Leng Qingtang got up from his seat and walked to the center of the hall.

"Yunxi is an orphan. I found her among the famine refugees and kept her in the Garden. Now she's grown up. I want to take her by my side and teach her some skills for survival. It would be awful for a person to be good for nothing. I am not convinced that women can be imperial guards, why can't they enter the East Depot?!"

"We support whatever your decision!" said the eight captains in unison.

"There's only one thing. It's just between us. There's no need to spread it outside."

Leng Qingtang said in a rumbling voice, looking around with a calm expression.

"We got it."

"Yunxi, come over."

Gu Yunxi stepped forward.

Leng Qingtang said to her seriously,

"Now, you are a member of the Eastern Depot. Although you are my apprentice, you must also abide by the rules here. If you commit an offense, I will punish you by the rules. "

"Yes, I got it."

Seeing Leng Qingtang's stern look, Gu Yunxi felt a little fear.

A guard ran swiftly into the hall and knelt to report,

"Master, Lord Ming from Yongning Palace is here!"

"Is he coming?"

Leng Qingtang murmured to himself, his expression slightly changed.

"Master Leng! Is Master Leng here today?"

Before the person arrived, the soft and gentle voice came into the hall first. Then, a dark red figure walked up to the hall.

The visitor was a few years younger than Leng Qingtang, with a long and thin body covered in a dark red robe with the pattern of a python on it. The patterns on the sleeves were black clouds, and in the center of the chest was the pattern of a standing crane. His movements were like the murmur of a stream, with a charming and enchanting air. The facial features can be described as "delicate".

The eyebrows were slender, the nose bridge tall, and the chin thin. The two eyes were as bright as obsidian, with a bit of glory in them. The beautifully curved pink lips were slightly lifted, exuding a bit of harshness and arrogance.

The person came to Leng Qingtang and stopped, shaking the dust in his hand and saluting,

"Greetings to you, Master Leng."

Ming Lan, who turned 20 this year, entered the palace at the age of seven. At first, he served as an attendant in the service center. Later, he won the favor of the Imperial Noble Concubine Wan Yuyao and was transferred to Yongning Palace. In the last two years, he served as her chief eunuch.

Leng Qingtang was still sitting in his seat, with a faint smile on his face,

"How are you doing, Lord Ming? What good wind blows you hither?"

Looking to the left and right, he waved to the captains and said, "You may go now."

"I'm leaving."

The eight heads walked out of the hall one after another, leaving only Cheng Wanli and Gu Yunxi.

Ming Lan smiled and said to Leng Qingtang,

"Her Grace sent for Master Leng several times the day before yesterday, but you were not in. It seemed you were too busy, so Her Grace sent me over to have a look..."

Leng Qingtang was looking after Gu Yunxi in Youzhu Garden those days, so he was not in the Eastern Depot. When he came back last night, he was told that someone from Yongning Palace had visited.

"Thank you for coming in person." Leng Qingtang raised a cup of tea, gently scraped the edge of the teacup with the lid, set aside the few green leaves that were floating on the hot water and replied wearily,

"I was out to inspect important cases, so I was held up for a few days."

"You work for the court with great merits..." said Ming Lan, turning his cunning eyes at Gu Yunxi, who was by Leng Qingtang.

"Yo, I see a new face here today!"