THE DEPUTY COMMANDER OF JINYIWEI 1

Zhu Su was soon agape as he heard the unexpected statement spoken by Zhu Yunwen. So did the Team of Wellbeing members. For a split second, the color drained out of their faces as though they were just attacked by a group of ghosts.

"Yes, maybe two to three days later. After I finish selecting people to meet with him." Seemingly the Goddess of Fortune was willing to protect them, Zhu Yunwen was not aware of their shocking faces. "I expect a lot from that physician. I hope that he is as great as the rumors say. And, I hope that he will be different from what I've heard. Because rumors say that the physician has a weird nature; he doesn't like government officials, and the higher the officials' rank who want to meet with him, the more certain he would reject them. I just hope that he will make an exception for me."

Zhu Su was indeed very selective in choosing his patients, since he was fearful of accepting the government officials and the nobles to be treated. But what actually happened was that, he was selective with the officials' intentions, and not with their status. He only accepted those who were sincere and would not throw him into the den of death. While the officials with higher status was usually closer and more loyal to the emperor, Zhu Su thus did not dare to accept them. But sometimes he would accept one or two high-ranking officials with sincere heart, and although they were immediately aware that "The Outstanding Physician of Mount Laojun" was actually Zhu Su, it did not reach Zhu Yunwen's ears. They were willing to lock this secret tightly.

"Yes, I also hope the same, Your Majesty," Chen Xinyi replied with a polite smile. "I am sure, you will always get the kindness."

Zhu Yunwen stood up. "Well! I find that you are not seriously ill, it seems that the news I get is a bit exaggerated. I'll leave now. I hope that you can return to the palace quickly. There are some cases I must investigate, and I need your help."

"As your wish, Sire." Chen Xinyi also stood up.

Zhu Yunwen stepped out of the room. Everyone immediately saluted reverently while hailing, "We are escorting Your Majesty!"

Chen Xinyi kept waiting until Zhu Yunwen had totally left his residence, and when he was one hundred percent sure that they were safe now, he quickly called Zhu Su, "Your Highness... the Emperor has gone... it has been safe for you to go out."

Slowly, Zhu Su and Wu Qi came out from their hideout.

Chen Xinyi's residence soon turned boisterous. Everyone was busy sighing with relief, as well as commenting on Chen Xinyi.

"Mr. Chen! Why didn't you say that you'll have a meeting with the Emperor today?!" Wu Qi bursted out all of his complaints. "You know, you almost harm His Highness, and you know it very well that His Highness has been very kind to you!"

"I was worried that the Emperor would recognize me and Liu Changshi, but fortunately he didn't," Li Heng commented.

"I'm really sorry! I didn't expect that the Emperor will be so considerate of me!" Chen Xinyi said with a miserable face.

"What kind of position do you hold in the government, anyway?" Zhu Su asked.

"I am only the Deputy Commander of Jinyiwei Left Division! Such a strange thing if the Emperor cares with me?"

Zhu Su suddenly felt his blood ran cold. He twitched to surprise once again. "You are... Jinyiwei Commander?!"

"Only deputy commander, Your Highness! Just an insignificant one!..."

Zhu Su kept staring at Chen Xinyi, even without blinking. He could feel his hair stood up on the edge. Horror crept on him.

"That's right... Mr. Chen... now I realize why I feel that I am familiar with you... maybe twelve years ago, it was your team who was assigned to arrest me from Kaifeng Palace?" Zhu Su asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Th... that's... impossible, Your Highness, impossible!..."

But, maybe he didn't... nevertheless, this Chen Xinyi doesn't look like Jinyiwei at all! Or maybe he is lying? Because I've never heard of Jinyiwei with a coward mentality. Aren't they a bunch of heartless, cruel, and sadistic people?

"Well, Mr, Chen. Why are you afraid of me instead? It should be me who is afraid of you. You're the Deputy Commander of Jinyiwei Left Division, you are powerful to arrest and punish me right at this moment," Zhu Su said sarcastically.

"N... no! I won't do that towards my savior!"

"What if I change my mind, that I won't give you a help?"

Not only Chen Xinyi and Teng Shuo, but now all Team of Wellbeing members also stared at Zhu Su with wide eyes.

"Y... You must be kidding, right?" Chen Xinyi asked again with forcing a smile.

"No. I am serious. Because I don't want to deal with Jinyiwei."

Zhu Su now turned around, ready to leave.

"Your Highness... you are really unwilling to help Mr. Chen?" Li Heng and Wu Qi asked for confirmation.

"Yes. Come on, let's return to Yunnan. We still have a lot of patients to be treated," Zhu Su said coldly as he stepped out of the room.

***

"Your Highness, why do you refuse to help Mr. Chen? We will get much power by helping him, won't we? Just like we always do all this time, that's why the mayors of Jingzhou, Guizhou, and Suzhou respect you and then are willing to help you in your fight?"

They were in the horse carriage at this moment, crossing the arid desert on their way back to Yunnan. Wu Qi, who could no longer bear his curiosity towards the mysterious behavior of Zhu Su, made up his mind to ask.

Zhu Su took a deep breath. "You know, having a business with Jinyiwei is different from dealing with ordinary officials, they are very dangerous."

"Anyway, what is Jinyiwey, Your Highness?"

Oh yeah, that's right, the commoner knows nothing about Jinyiwei. Only powerful nobles and imperial family know about them. If a commoner find out about Jinyiwei, he must have become a pile of corpses lying on the streets. "Jinyiwei is the secret police whose duties are to serve the Ming Emperors. It is created by my father, and given the right to arrest, interrogate, and punish anyone, even including the nobles and the emperor's relatives. Their famous slogan is "Execute first, ask later." They have tremendous power, and no one ever knows what they are actually thinking of. If there are piles of corpses lying on the street of a sudden, then that is definitely Jinyiwei's job. Even blameless people are very afraid of Jinyiwei, because if somebody gets trapped into their grasp, it won't be the right or wrong which will determine their fates, but instead the swords in their hands."

Wu Qi swallowed his saliva. "Even you, the Ming Prince, are afraid of Jinyiwei... now I understand why you refuse to deal with Mr. Chen."

"Especially at this time, when I'm no longer a prince."

"But Your Highness, now you refuse to help Mr. Chen, will it instead provoke him? And the situation will be even more dangerous for you?"