Sharp words caused the six men's faces to pale, and they remained silent for a long time.

Finally, Zhang Mu, the leader, spoke first, smiling wryly, "Young Master Jiang, to be honest, although we six brothers come from humble backgrounds, we still have a chivalrous heart."

"When we roamed the martial world, we intervened in many affairs, which offended many local tyrants. Having nowhere else to turn, we came to the Imperial City to seek a new life."

"If you mind these past events, you can just say so. We brothers can understand..."

As Zhang Mu spoke, the bitterness on his face deepened.

No one likes subordinates who are entangled in trouble. If Jiang Chen refuses their allegiance because of this, he won't complain, but he will inevitably feel disappointed.

However, he wouldn't regret his previous righteous actions because of this.

Looking at Zhang Mu, who was being so honest, Jiang Chen appreciated him even more.

Despite his difficult situation, he still acted with integrity. Such a sincere heart was rare.

He clapped his hands and laughed, "Good, since Brother Zhang is so frank, then I won't hide anything either. To tell you the truth, Jiang Yan's identity is just a disguise for my private visit."

"My real identity is the current Emperor!"

As soon as he said this, the six men on the ground widened their eyes instantly and froze in place. Perhaps the news came too suddenly, and the bitterness on their faces hadn't faded yet, coupled with their shocked expressions, it was indescribably comical.

They completely lost the demeanor of chivalrous warriors they had moments before, instead resembling the foolish son of a landlord, making Jia Yao'er, who came to serve tea, laugh out loud.

The silvery laughter startled the six men who were lost in a dream.

Ignoring the mocking gazes of those around them, they looked at Jiang Chen with fiery eyes, their bodies trembling slightly, their mouths opening, hesitating several times, but ultimately not daring to speak.

Finally, Zhang Mu, the leader, took the lead and said in a trembling voice, "Cough, Young Master Jiang, are you, are you really that one?"

He pointed to the sky with a reverent expression, "You can't joke about this. If it spreads, your whole family will be exterminated!"

Although he hoped that Jiang Chen's words were true, he also knew that the possibility was too small.

To meet the Emperor by simply walking down the street in the Imperial City was like being hit by a gold ingot, completely impossible!

Looking at the suspicious Zhang Mu, Jiang Chen couldn't help but smile and rubbed his forehead, "Feng Jin, bring my waist tag and show it to them."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

While answering, Feng Jin took out a palm-sized token from his sleeve and handed it to Zhang Mu, the leader.

He respectfully took it and carefully examined it, discovering that the token was engraved with two dragons playing with a pearl, and on the back was the current Emperor's name and title. The carving was exquisite and couldn't be made by ordinary craftsmen, so he took a deep breath and confirmed Jiang Chen's identity.

No one dared to imitate such taboo items, and they were too poor to be framed. The Jiang Yan in front of them, no, Jiang Chen, was undoubtedly the current Emperor!

After passing the waist tag to his brothers to read, Zhang Mu bent his back and kowtowed three times heavily to Jiang Chen, trembling, "Commoner, pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"I didn't know Your Majesty's identity just now and neglected you. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Jiang Chen smiled and helped him up, "Ignorance is bliss. I'm traveling incognito because I don't want to be recognized. You can still call me Young Master Jiang."

"By the way, you said you wanted me to recruit you. Now that you know my identity, do you still want to?"

As he spoke, his majestic gaze swept over the six men, with a hint of scrutiny.

Being watched like this, the six men, who were in a state of excitement and fervor, instantly calmed down and pondered the deeper meaning of Jiang Chen's words.

What does His Majesty mean? His identity is the Emperor, but that doesn't affect recruiting us, does it?

Could it be that there is something dangerous that needs to be avoided by the court and the royal family, and needs us, people from humble backgrounds, to complete?

Looking at their thoughtful expressions, Jiang Chen smiled faintly and spoke again, "It seems that you have guessed some of the inside information, so I will be frank."

"As the Emperor, I don't lack capable people, but what I lack are people with clean backgrounds and a chivalrous heart! The reason I revealed my identity to you is because I think you meet these two conditions."

"If you are willing to serve, the tasks I assign to you in the future will be very dangerous, but of course, the rewards for completing the tasks will also be very generous."

"If you can accept it, I will accept you now. If you don't accept it, I will also escort you away and protect you from being retaliated against by the Duke of Ding."

As soon as he finished speaking, the six men on the ground nodded without hesitation.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to be at your disposal, and I will never regret giving my life!"

A true man is born into this world and must make achievements to live up to his eight-foot body.

What is there to fear from life and death?

This great opportunity to be appreciated by the Emperor must be seized! Otherwise, they won't be able to rest in peace even in death!

Seeing the determination in the eyes of the six men, Jiang Chen nodded in satisfaction, "Good, since you have this determination, I will accept you."

"I only hope that you will not forget your original intentions, and that when you perform tasks in the future, you will not forget today's oath and your loyalty to me."

Hearing this, the six men on the ground were shocked and were about to express their loyalty, but Jiang Chen stopped them.

"I don't like nonsense. If you want to prove yourselves, the best way is to take action."

"I have two tricky things to entrust to you. If you do well, you will be immediately promoted to an official and truly become my confidants. If you don't do well, you will most likely lose your lives."

"You still have a chance to regret it now. If you are afraid, you can leave directly, and I will escort you safely out of the capital."

The six men didn't hesitate and said decisively, "Please give us your orders, Your Majesty!"

Jiang Chen tested them several times and found that they remained firm, and couldn't help but feel gratified. He said, "I want you to divide into two teams, one team to lurk in the South and find out the movements of the Zhenhai Jiedushi (military governor)."

"The other team will go to the Western Regions, infiltrate the Fire Worship Cult, and send back all the information about this cult organization to the Central Plains."

"Of course, I will provide you with support when necessary, but not too often, so as not to be exposed. In other words, you have to go through most of the traps yourselves. Can you handle it?"

After hearing this, the six men's expressions were still as firm as at the beginning, without any intention of retreating.

They said in unison, "We are willing to serve Your Majesty and do our best to accomplish this!"

Jiang Chen saw their determination and didn't say any more. He made a decision, "Good, since you have accepted the task, let's set off now."

"After you divide into groups, follow Feng Jin. He will give you the information, travel expenses, and the way to contact the dark guards."

"These two tasks are not simple. If you complete them, you will be meritorious officials of Da Wei. At that time, I will not be stingy with rewards!"

Hearing this, the six men were shocked, and their eyes lit up with flames, looking at Jiang Chen intently...