Logging into the Game World Early and Starting with a Royal Marriage to the Empress - Chapter 13

Xia Chen put on his military officer’s uniform and walked out of the courtyard.

Xia Qian was already waiting at the gate, and behind him stood three robust men with vigorous energy.

Xia Chen could tell at a glance that these men were no ordinary individuals; they were surrounded by an aura of ferocity, and just standing there, they exuded an imposing presence.

“Master!” the four men spoke in unison.

Xia Chen was not surprised to see these men. They were the household soldiers from the Marquis’ mansion. Every legitimate heir from the Marquis’ family was assigned several household soldiers, who served both as bodyguards and as a foundation to help the young master quickly gain control of the troops.

“Let’s go!”

Xia Chen nodded, without much further conversation. The five of them quietly made their way through the mansion and exited through a side gate.

The Marquis’ mansion stood at the very center of the capital, extremely close to the imperial palace. Upon exiting, they were immediately on the Central Avenue, a street that had been constructed 800 years ago when the nation was founded. It was more like a plaza than a street, wide enough to accommodate twelve carriages side by side.

Though it was still early morning, the avenue was already bustling with activity. Vendors lined both sides of the road, plying their trades. Pedestrians and carriages streamed by, and as dawn broke, the vast capital city began to operate like a well-oiled machine.

Xia Chen and his companions had a quick breakfast by the roadside before heading straight for the headquarters of the Imperial Guards.

Since the Imperial Guards were responsible for the safety of the capital and also served as the royal family’s bodyguards during outings, they were stationed within the inner city, not outside the walls.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

As Xia Chen approached a rather grand headquarters near the palace, he was immediately stopped.

Fully-armored soldiers stepped forward, but their demeanor was still polite.

“Xia Chen, here to take up my post today!”

Xia Chen wasted no words and did not hide his identity. He was not here to play games or put on a show of arrogance. He was here to get things done.

“Commander Xia!”

The soldiers at the gate immediately stood at attention and saluted.

They had already been informed that a new commander was being assigned to the Imperial Guards, and he was no ordinary person—he was the legitimate son of the Marquis of Zhen Dong.

Xia Chen nodded, his expression still stern, giving off an air of unapproachability.

“Commander, let me show you in!”

A junior officer quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and led Xia Chen inside with a beaming smile.

As Xia Chen’s figure disappeared into the headquarters, the remaining soldiers let out a sigh of relief and began to whisper among themselves.

“Goodness me, when have we ever seen our boss smile so much? His face was all wrinkled from grinning!”

The selection criteria for the Imperial Guards were extremely strict. Most were from hereditary families, some were children of meritorious officials, and a few were exceptionally fierce warriors from other military camps.

As the emperor’s personal guard, they had a certain amount of pride. Normally, they would be polite to a new commander, but they would never show such a subservient attitude.

But this time was truly different.

“Of course, you don’t know who this person is. Although he’s known as a ‘waste’ in the capital, his status can’t be ignored!”

“Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing that he’s been assigned to our Imperial Guards remains to be seen!”

“Haha, our Imperial Guards are full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. We have plenty of famous young masters. This is just another one from a marquis family. Let’s just watch the show!” One soldier laughed, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

…

“Commander, this is the barracks!” Li Xi led Xia Chen into the backyard, which, despite being called a backyard, was actually a vast space, like a military camp. At that moment, a group of soldiers was drilling on the square.

“Where are my troops?” Xia Chen asked calmly. As a newcomer, he needed a guide, and this junior officer was quite perceptive.

“Commander, they’re over there, but right now…” Li Xi hesitated, biting his lip. Xia Chen frowned and pressed for an answer, but Li Xi still wouldn’t say anything.

“Commander, you’ll see for yourself when you go over there!” Xia Chen said nothing more and did not continue to press the issue. He simply walked deeper into the camp.

As Xia Chen approached the rear-right side of the camp, he heard loud laughter.

“Hahaha, I won again! I’ll treat everyone to drinks at De Shun Building at noon today!”

Standing outside the tent, Xia Chen heard the sound of cards being slapped down and the loud laughter of men gambling.

He instantly realized that this world had a form of playing cards, which was one of the few recreational activities, but it was strictly forbidden in the military camp, especially when money was involved.

However, Xia Chen did not show any emotion on his face, which made Li Xi, who was quietly observing from the side, feel a sense of unease.

This new commander seemed to have an unfathomable mind.

Li Xi naturally knew the situation here and why it was happening. He had intended to watch the drama unfold, but now he did not see any sign of anger on the new commander’s face.

“It seems this commander doesn’t have much backbone. He’s just born into a good family!” Li Xi shook his head inwardly.

“I’ll go and call them out!” Xia Qian, standing behind Xia Chen, could no longer contain his anger. It was early morning, and while other troops were doing morning drills, this group was so blatantly playing cards.

“I’ll handle it!” Xia Chen stopped Xia Qian. His eyes had already penetrated the thick tent and seen the scene inside. That morning, he had discovered the special change in his eyes, which allowed him to perceive certain extraordinary things. Piercing through ordinary objects was effortless for him.

Xia Chen simply lifted his leg, flung open the tent, and a gust of cold wind immediately woke up the two soldiers guarding the tent entrance. They shivered and looked annoyed. Upon seeing a stranger walk in, they shouted loudly.

“Who are you, daring to intrude into the military camp!”

The two soldiers had just dozed off and were still not fully awake. They did not recognize Xia Chen, so they dared to shout at him.

The voices of these two soldiers instantly drew the attention of the others in the tent. The groups of men playing cards quickly stood up.

“Xia Chen!” Xia Chen remained calm, and his voice rang out again.

“Who is in charge here?”

The camp fell silent immediately. Some people immediately recognized who had arrived and nervously hid their cards into their armor, while others did not care and smiled, showing no respect at all.

“So it’s Young Master Xia. You are quite eager, Young Master Xia. The appointment was only announced yesterday, and here you are today!” At this moment, a sarcastic voice rang out from the tent, completely unafraid of Xia Chen!