In the Thousand Household Office, Yan Yi and Liu Chunfeng, who had just arrived to join the excitement, encountered Zheng Xiaoqi, who was rushing over with an eagle.
"Subordinate Zheng Changmin of the Yingzui Cliff Guard Station, pays respects to the Thousand Household Master."
"Zheng Xiaoqi, what's wrong with you?" Thousand Household Lei Heng asked in surprise, seeing the panting Zheng Xiaoqi.
"Thousand Household Master, please take a look at this eagle."
Lei Heng looked at the eagle that Zheng Xiaoqi handed over, habitually observed its size, and then stretched out its wings, saying with satisfaction, "We don't often see eagles this large around here. Did Qi Yuanshan send it to me as a snack?"
Zheng Xiaoqi thought: *Can Thousand Household Master have some foresight? Why does he always think of snacks when he sees an eagle?*
But he dared not say these words, and instead, he awkwardly explained the whole incident.
"You say this eagle fell from the sky, but you couldn't find the arrow that shot it?"
"Yes, Thousand Household Master."
After hearing Zheng Xiaoqi's words, Lei Heng felt that this joke was not funny at all.
His rough, calloused hands turned the eagle over and over several times, concluding, "This eagle was shot twice. One arrow pierced both eyes, and another struck the throat."
Finally, Lei Heng didn't forget to praise, "This kid has good archery skills. If we find him, send him to me. Next time those scoundrels come to rob our grain, I'll have him squat on the city wall and shoot heads for me while I stand by and count."
Yan Yi stood silently by the side, watching for a long time. Seeing that Lei Heng had finally put the eagle down, he reached out and took it.
"Cousin?" Liu Chunfeng, who was following Yan Yi, couldn't help but ask when he saw him silent for a long time.
"..."
After another while, on such a hot day, Liu Chunfeng seemed to smell a foul odor before Yan Yi finally put down the eagle's corpse in his hand.
Unable to help it, since this person was his cousin, Liu Chunfeng, with some disgust, pulled out a white silk handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it over.
Yan Yi took the handkerchief, smiled faintly, wiped his hands, and then slowly said, "This is a very small crossbow, extremely lethal. Because it is small and easy to carry, this type of crossbow is more suitable for use as a hidden weapon or by women."
"What? Used by women?" Lei Heng was somewhat disbelieving. "Which woman can have such accuracy? Even among men, it's rare."
"Thousand Household Lei, don't underestimate wo…girls." Liu Chunfeng originally wanted to say women, but suddenly remembered that little dark girl who was skilled at fighting. She was only seven or eight years old, so saying "women" felt a bit disrespectful to her, so he changed his words at the last minute.
However, he now really wanted a crossbow like the one his cousin had just described. "Cousin, can you get me one too?"
"Get one what?"
"The crossbow you just mentioned."
"The crossbow I just described is not registered in the official records."
"Cousin, then what were you just...?" Liu Chunfeng really wanted to ask if his cousin was making things up out of thin air, or just imagining things.
But some harmless jokes could only be told when it was just the two of them, cousins. With outsiders present, he would never babble words that would damage his cousin's image.
Yan Yi glanced at Liu Chunfeng, a faint smile reappearing on his face. "I also really want to see how amazing that crossbow is."
After speaking, Yan Yi said to Zheng Xiaoqi, "Zheng Xiaoqi, lead the way."
"Yes, my lords."
Zheng Xiaoqi did not expect that he had only come to the Thousand Household Office to report an eagle, but he had attracted the attention of these two troublesome ancestors.
Lei Heng saw that it was somewhat inappropriate and said, "Lord Yan, Young Master Liu, wait a moment. After I give some instructions to my subordinates, I will accompany you to the Yingzui Cliff Guard Station."
"Alright, we'll wait for you outside." Yan Yi said, and then walked out first.
Zheng Xiaoqi immediately followed. Towards these living Yama Kings from the Imperial Guard, even seasoned soldiers dared not confront them head-on.
As Zheng Xiaoqi cautiously looked back, wanting to see if the Thousand Household Master was following.
Honestly, he still felt a little uneasy facing these living Yama Kings alone.
Just as he was nervously wondering why the Thousand Household Master wasn't coming out yet, he saw a dark red spirited horse galloping from a distance.
"My Lord." Before the dark red horse could stop, the Jin Yi Wei on horseback, also wearing a flying fish suit, leaped down and bowed, "My Lord, the Emperor's secret letter."
Yan Yi did not speak, but reached out and took the secret letter sealed with wax.
Reading a hundred words at a glance, he quickly finished the contents. Although his expression remained unchanged, Liu Chunfeng, who knew him well, saw his cousin frown.
"Cousin?"
"We're returning to the capital."
"Ah?" Liu Chunfeng really wanted to say that he hadn't had enough fun yet.
However, his cousin's deep frown made him swallow all the words he was about to say.
"Mount your horses and return to the capital." With Yan Yi's command, a team of people disappeared in an instant.
When Lei Heng finished giving his instructions and came out, the only people at the entrance of the Thousand Household Office were two guards and Zheng Xiaoqi.
He looked around and asked, "Where did they go?"
Zheng Xiaoqi stepped forward, and Lei Heng looked at him suspiciously, "What are you up to, kid?"
"Thousand Household Master, speak."
"If you have something to say, say it. It's so hot today, why are two grown men always crowding together?"
"My Lord, this matter can only be told to you alone, in a whisper." Zheng Xiaoqi was afraid that if he spoke too loudly, Imperial Guard spies would overhear and punish him.
The two guards quickly pretended not to see, their eyes constantly straying elsewhere.
Thousand Household Lei thought of the nature of the Imperial Guard, whose faces were sourer than a dog's, and who could change their mood in an instant. He stopped dodging and urged Zheng Xiaoqi to speak quickly.
Zheng Xiaoqi then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Thousand Household Master, Lord Yan just received an imperial secret letter. Lord Yan only said two words: 'Return to the capital.' Then Lord Yan and his party rode away."
"They left?"
"Yes, they left."
"Then I won't go to your guard station. It's so hot, I'd rather stay cool under a tree." Thousand Household Lei finished speaking and turned back.
Zheng Xiaoqi thought: *I'm also hot. I know it's cool under a tree, but it's no use. I have to go back to the guard station.*
As he led his horse, dejectedly leaving the Thousand Household Office, before he could even mount, he heard someone call him.
"Zheng Xiaoqi?"
Zheng Xiaoqi turned around and immediately grinned, "Xiao Linzi. This is great, we'll have company on the way back."
"Zheng Xiaoqi, why did you come to the Thousand Household Office?"
"Mount your horse, we'll talk on the way back."
"Alright."