National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

"It’s all been taken care of, but I’m still deeply worried."

Gao Liceng frowned, her tone pessimistic. "These people from the Dark Holy See are like rats in the gutter. It’s impossible to guard against them completely.

Every atrocity they commit is more horrifying than the last.

If we can’t pull the entire Dark Holy See up by the roots and eradicate them,

I’m afraid they’ll just make a comeback and stir up trouble all over again.

After all, the Great Xia Empire is vast, its territory immense,

and the common people are the foundation and core of the Great Xia Empire.

Expecting ordinary citizens to defend themselves against a Dark Holy See with supernatural abilities is pure fantasy. It’s absolutely impossible."

"That’s why I’ve decided to establish a brand-new department called the Jinyi Guard."

Chu He said with a solemn expression, his eyes filled with resolve and determination.

"The Jinyi Guard... that’s a renowned organization from history.

It was established on the sixteenth day of the fourth month in the fifteenth year of the Hongwu Emperor’s reign, and its predecessor was the Yiluan Bureau.

It was distinguished by its comprehensive official system.

The powers of the Jinyi Guard were largely solidified during Ming Xianzong’s Chenghua Period.

Back then, the primary duties of its high-ranking officers were arrests, interrogations, and urban administration.

Guarding the Emperor was actually a secondary concern."

Gao Liceng, who had only recently graduated from high school,

knew the origin of the name ’Jinyi Guard’ like the back of her hand.

She was, after all, a naturally gifted top student,

with a deep and abiding interest in all sorts of knowledge, and she could recite historical facts as if they were family treasures.

"The Jinyi Guard I’m planning to establish is merely borrowing the name,"

"Its authority will be on par with the Defense Team’s.

The two will check and balance each other, providing mutual oversight.

If one discovers a problem, it can report the other.

You led the team on this latest mission,

so you must have noticed how the Defense Teams in many places have become corrupt and depraved,

rotten to the core.

If this continues, it’s tantamount to self-sabotage,

eroding the very foundation of the Great Xia Empire.

It’s possible that the Empire’s future decline will be triggered by the decay within the Defense Team."

Chu He frowned slightly. "The reason things have gotten this bad

is that the Defense Team has held a monopoly on power for too long, without any effective supervision or restraint.

And this situation isn’t unique to the Great Xia Empire. It’s a difficult problem that’s common all over the world."

"Does this have something to do with me?"

Gao Liceng slowly sat down across from Chu He, her eyes glinting with curiosity as she asked softly.

She truly hadn’t expected

to be given full responsibility for leading such an important mission.

The responsibility and pressure were, of course, immense.

"The Jinyi Guard... I plan to put you in complete charge of it. Are you willing?"

Chu He looked directly at Gao Liceng,

his gaze holding a hint of anticipation and appraisal. "If you agree,

Her Majesty the Queen will send specialists to teach you the relevant knowledge and skills to help you get up to speed quickly.

At the same time, you’ll also have to keep up with your Martial Arts training.

This means the burden on your shoulders will be extremely heavy. It might be exhausting."

"I’m willing! Of course, I’m willing!"

Gao Liceng blurted it out without a second thought,

her resolute expression speaking volumes about her inner determination and conviction.

"Punishing evil and promoting good is my personal creed.

While leading the team to clean up the atrocities committed by the Dark Holy See across the Great Xia Empire, I discovered that some local Defense Teams were genuinely kept in the dark,

unaware of the Dark Holy See’s schemes and conspiracies.

But they still spent their days idling about, slacking off and doing nothing.

"In other places, however, Defense Teams were secretly colluding with the Dark Holy See, acting as their willing accomplices.

The Dark Holy See used vast amounts of precious resources and huge sums of money as bait

to lure in the high-ranking officers of those local Defense Teams.

Forgetting their duty in the face of profit, they readily agreed and joined in the wrongdoing.

"This matter has already drawn the serious attention of the Defense Team headquarters, and they’ve dispatched inspection teams to investigate.

When I learned of this, I was filled with indignation, but I felt powerless,

since I didn’t have the authority to handle it.

"But if I become the head of the Jinyi Guard, I’ll have the legitimate authority to step in directly, bring these black sheep to justice, and restore peace to the Great Xia Empire."

Gao Liceng clenched her fists, her voice filled with righteous indignation and her eyes blazing with the fire of justice.

"Very good.

Then today, you will come with me to a crucial meeting.

My proposal to create the Jinyi Guard has been met with strong resistance from some high-ranking officials within the Great Xia Empire.

Today, they’ve called a meeting to decide the matter with a vote by a show of hands."

As Chu He said this, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly,

revealing a cold smile filled with disdain and mockery for these officials.

"Anyone who resists this has to have a guilty conscience."

Gao Liceng mirrored his cold smile,

as if she could already see through the hypocrisy and selfishness of those officials.

...

At nine o’clock in the morning,

sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, spilling into every corner of the city.

Liu Yuzhu was personally driving a black sedan,

slowly pulling up to Chu He’s residence to pick him up for the crucial meeting.

Chu He and Gao Liceng were already waiting by the roadside. Once the car came to a stop,

the two of them quickly got in.

The car’s interior was filled with the faint scent of leather,

mixed with the fresh morning air, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Liu Yuzhu gently pointed to a file folder on the seat and said, "The ones attending the meeting today

are all influential figures from the four great families."