This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 4 The smell of fireworks in the world

"This is the third shift's house. You will live here from now on. Pick an empty room and come with me to get your clothes, hat, sword, and token..."

Old Liu led Xiang Yuan through a corridor of houses and told him the basic knowledge about the county government.

Different from the ancient common sense that Xiang Yuan knew, the three shifts here were not lowly yamen runners, but "clerks" with no rank, but with a system, and their coming and going were all approved by the court.

To put it simply, constables are not temporary workers.

A deeper look into the reasons has to do with the general martial arts environment of the world. This is true in Dezhou, in Western Chu, and all over the world.

The level of civilian military power is overflowing, and famous sects can even compete with the imperial court. Everyone shakes their heads when seeing the troubles in the martial arts world. Under such circumstances, the basic force for maintaining public security in each county, that is, the constables who walk the streets, cannot be recruited because of poor treatment.

Xiang Yuan nodded. It was indeed true. Just a few hundred dollars a month, what was the point of playing with that?
In Fengxian County alone, a newly recruited trainee constable like Xiang Yuan receives a fixed salary every month. Not only does he have his own independent hut in the county government office, but he can also receive elixirs for practice at the beginning and middle of the month. If he can arrest a wanted criminal or solve a case, the county government will report to the provincial government, and the court will give him additional rewards.

As long as you are ambitious enough and dare to fight, the court will not neglect meritorious officials.

"The three squads are divided into the soap squad, the strong squad, and the fast squad. The soap squad looks majestic when standing in the hall. When Lord Sima goes out on patrol, they are also responsible for clearing the way, interrogating, and caning..."

"The Zhuangban guards important positions such as warehouses, silver vaults, prisons, and the gates of government offices, or escorts government silver and prisoners. If there is a major riot, the civilians will be drawn to join the Zhuangban to assist the soldiers in defending the city..."

"Finally, we have our fast squad, the detectives. I'll tell you about this slowly."

"In short, the government office is not big, but it's not small either. The third shift alone has three pots. Don't walk around casually. If you accidentally enter the silver bureau and tax treasury, even Captain Liu can't save you!"

Old Liu said with a stern face.

"Don't worry, Old Liu. I'm an honest man. Honest people don't stir up trouble and are afraid of trouble. I won't bring any trouble to our express team." Xiang Yuan assured.

"Just remember it. I'll tell you about some of the bigwigs in our county government..."

Big shots refer to officials. When mentioning these people, Old Liu didn't dare to say anything in the county government office. He waited for Xiang Yuan to move daily necessities such as bedding and washbasins into the empty room, and received the black robe, sword, and constable token, then he led people out of the government office.

Xiang Yuan received the smallest black robe, which barely fit him. After he put on his sword, his clothes and appearance were exactly the same as Lao Liu's.

The new skin looked pretty good, and there was no "Capture" character before or after it. Xiang Yuan couldn't help but silently give it a thumbs up.

It's too shameful to be arrested. He is a fifteen-year-old boy and can't stand such stimulation.

"If the clothes don't fit you, go back and alter them yourself. It will restrict your hands and feet and affect your sword drawing."

Old Liu looked Xiang Yuan up and down and said teasingly, "You have a nice face, and you are almost taller than me even though you are still a teenager. This is not a good thing. Be careful and try not to walk at night."

"Ah, I'm a constable!"

Xiang Yuan was shocked. Is Ming Feng really so powerful?

"What's wrong with the constable? Fengxian County is connected to southern Xinjiang, and there is only one trade route that connects people from all corners of the country. The thieves knocked you out and put you in a sack. Who is going to look for you? Where are we going to look for you?"

What Old Liu said made sense and Xiang Yuan couldn't refute it.

The two walked out of the government gate, and Lao Liu turned into an alley and strolled along the riverside path: "Remember, County Magistrate Sima, County Magistrate Wu, County Lieutenant Qin..."

The county magistrate is a seventh-rank official in charge of county affairs. He is the core figure in the administrative system of Fengxian County and has the final say over all matters in the county.

The county magistrate is an eighth-rank official, the deputy to the county magistrate and the second-in-command of a county. He assists the county magistrate in handling administrative affairs, such as paperwork, warehouses, and financial management.

The county lieutenant is of the ninth rank and is the deputy of the county magistrate and the deputy of the county chancellor. He is the third in command of a county and is responsible for public security, investigating and arresting thieves, and other criminal work.

"Lord Qin is in charge of the third shift directly, but he has less competition. Lord Wu is appointed directly by the provincial government. Lord Sima is from the Sima family of Dezhou..." Old Liu's voice gradually became smaller. He stopped talking after mentioning the topic, and did not elaborate on the relationship between the three.

Xiang Yuan nodded slightly and understood what Lao Liu meant.

The county lieutenant seems to have power, but in fact he has already laid low. Now in Fengxian County, the county magistrate and the county assistant are fighting openly and secretly. The county magistrate comes from a noble family, while the county assistant is a person from the imperial court. They each have their own representatives and interests.

"Some things are good for you to know. They are all adults. If you encounter something you don't understand, tell me. If I don't understand, I will ask Captain Liu for help." Old Liu warned seriously. It doesn't matter if Xiang Yuan gets into trouble himself, but it's not good to involve him.

Xiang Yuan nodded repeatedly, sighing that although small, it has everything. Fengxian County is a microcosm of Western Chu.

but……

What kind of noble family is the Sima family? They seem so powerful, but the imperial court couldn't even compete with them in Dezhou.

Xiang Yuan was full of curiosity. Among the first-class forces that Lu Ming described, there was no Sima family.

He blinked his innocent eyes, looked around, and whispered, "Old Liu, is it worth mentioning that the county magistrate is from the Sima family?"

"Well, the Sima family of Texas is a heavenly figure."

Old Liu nodded affirmatively, and after a moment's silence, he said, "The Sima family's ancestral home is not in Fengxian County. The county magistrate has the support of his family in his official career. If we calculate the time, his term in Fengxian County may not be too long."

Can you calculate this?

Seeing Xiang Yuan's surprised look, Lao Liu guessed his thoughts and said mysteriously: "The court set up the Guanshan Road Grand Office, and King Zhao was in charge of all civil and military affairs in the eight states of Zhendian Prefecture, Dezhou, Puzhou, and Tongzhou. When King Zhao came, the world changed."

Xiang Yuan was stunned when he heard this. Who is King Zhao?
"Don't ask anymore. These things are too far from you. Let's talk about something more recent. I just forgot about another important figure in the county government."

Trouble comes from the mouth. Old Liu changed the subject smoothly: "There is another teacher in the county government, Mr. Wang, who has a scholarly air and a noble spirit. He doesn't like to compete for fame and fortune. He opened a school outside the city. Unless he has something to ask, he never sets foot in the government office."

The instructor was in charge of the imperial examinations and education. He was of the ninth rank and did not play a big role in daily work. His presence in the county government was extremely low, and Lao Liu had only met him a few times.

"Lord Wang is from Fengxian County. He has been in the capital for 20 to 30 years. Some say he worked as an aide to a high-ranking official and enjoyed wealth and glory. Others say he is just an ordinary teacher who wasted his life and returned to his hometown to retire."

Old Liu showed admiration on his face: "Lord Wang is indifferent to fame and fortune, and never mentions the past. I, Old Liu, have always admired him."

In just a few words, the image of a respected elder was sketched out for Xiang Yuan.

Xiang Yuan wanted to ask more, but Lao Liu took the initiative to speak and stopped in front of a restaurant: "It's time. You've traveled all the way here. Eat here tonight. I'll pay the bill. Remember you owe me a meal."

The two-story building is called "Xianglai Building" and has couplets written on the left and right:

The smell of fireworks;
It is most soothing to the hearts of ordinary people.

Xiang Yuan's heart shuddered. The vision of this couplet was condescending, as if looking down at the world. Could it be that the shopkeeper was a reclusive master?
The county detectives often hold team-building activities in Xianglailou. Lao Liu is very familiar with the place and coming here is just like going home. He quickly ordered all the dishes.

Xiang Yuan saw that he had ordered six dishes in a row and said with embarrassment, "Lao Liu, isn't it a bit too much for just the two of us?"

"Who told you it's just the two of us? I even called two girls over to have fun."

"It's not appropriate..."

Xiang Yuan's eyelids jumped. This meal should be charged to his account. No, what he meant was that money was not important, happiness was the most important thing. But he was fifteen and still a child.

How can you train new people like this?

Besides, the impact is not good!

As a newbie, it is not easy for Xiang Yuan to give advice to the old hand. Xiang Yuan made up his mind that when the girl comes, he will just concentrate on eating and won't even look at her.

A moment later, just as the food and wine were served, the two women that Lao Liu had called arrived, one big and one small. The big one sat on Lao Liu's left and was his wife, and the small one sat on Lao Liu's right and was his daughter.

"..."

Jiang is still the best, Xiang Yuan said he has learned something new.

(End of this chapter)