The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 91: Promoted three ranks in quick succession, now extremely sought-after!

Zhang Zuo spoke at length, appearing heartbroken and indignant.

He grew up in the palace from a young age, rising from an unknown eunuch in charge of clothing to a close attendant to the emperor. Over several decades, court etiquette and the concept of hierarchy had become ingrained in his very being.

Now that he learned that there was such an extraordinary person as Shen Lang in this world, he was greatly shocked!

What he found most frustrating was that despite his dedication and loyalty, he was still punished from time to time.

Yet Shen Lang, who disregards rules, shows no respect for superiors, and even dares to defy imperial orders, is still alive and well.

This made him feel extremely unbalanced.

"On his very first day reporting to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, this man openly insulted his superiors, relying on his martial arts talent to disregard the law and military regulations!"

"After his report, he became even more arrogant, falsely claiming to be a confidant of the garrison commander, abusing his power to bully his colleagues, and even humiliating his subordinate centurion to the point of madness, with a crooked mouth and distorted eyes!"

"This servant has thoroughly investigated this man's case file and discovered that he is a repeat offender. He behaved similarly even when he was a constable in Lin'an County!"

"Now that he has arrived in Yujing, he has not only failed to restrain himself, but has become even more outrageous. In less than a month since he began his term of office, he has offended all the powerful officials in the court, including even the Embroidered Uniform Guard under his command."

"This boy is arrogant, lacks common sense, acts entirely on his whims, and knows nothing of rules or etiquette. In short..."

""

Zhang Zuo launched into a tirade, but Jia Jing's eyes grew brighter as she listened. She interrupted, "Eccentric personality, lacking in social skills—and in just one month, you've offended everyone?"

Jiajing slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "This is great news!"

Zhang Zuo was stunned and couldn't react for a moment until he met Jia Jing's scrutinizing gaze, at which point he suddenly snapped out of it.

Jiajing asked with great interest, "What talents does he possess?"

"Tell me in detail!"

Zhang Zuo respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, this young man has exceptional talent in martial arts. At only twenty-one years old, he has already reached the level of an eighth-rank martial artist."

Jiajing was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this: "Ordinary martial arts are ultimately not worthy of being called elegant. What is the point of distinguishing between superior and inferior among ants?"

'

Zhang Zuo flattered, "Your Majesty has shed your mortal body. An eighth-rank martial artist is nothing special among ordinary people, let alone worthy of Your Majesty's attention."

"However, besides martial arts, this young man also has considerable insight into solving cases. During his time as a constable, he solved hundreds of cases without ever making a mistake."

"Regarding Qi Yan, Lu Yu ordered his men to investigate secretly for nearly a month, but they found no clues whatsoever."

"And Shen Lang, all alone, found out the truth in just a few days."

Jia Jing laughed heartily, "No wonder Lu Yu values ​​him so much; he's a master detective!"

"Excellent, excellent."

"I never imagined that our Great Ming Dynasty would have such a talented person."

"The pillars of the nation, the pillars of the nation!"

Jiajing seemed to be in a very good mood. He placed his hand in front of his chest with his fingers forming a sword gesture and immediately began to take small, quick steps inside the hall.

After a while, he asked again, "What is his position now?"

Zhang Zuo said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, I hold the position of Colonel, but I am not yet of rank."

Jia Jing pondered for a moment and said, "Draft an imperial edict to first appoint him as a centurion, Dangdang."

Zhang Zuo was shocked: "Your Majesty, how can this be allowed!"

"This boy has committed a grave error. If he is promoted three more ranks, the court will likely descend into chaos!"

Jiajing snorted angrily, "You dog of a servant, do you think I did something wrong?"

Zhang Zuo trembled and quickly kowtowed, saying, "This servant wouldn't dare! This servant only wanted to share Your Majesty's burdens!"

Jia Jing narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Do I need to consider other people's opinions when making decisions?"

"Do Yan Shen and Zou Nanpu think they'll lose face if this man doesn't die?"

"That's right!"

"I will tear off their faces!"

Zhang Zuo bowed his head and kowtowed, not daring to utter a sound.

Jia Jing paced back and forth, leaving behind a series of eerie afterimages in the hall. His voice became ethereal as he said, "Do you know why Yan Shen and Zou Nanpu have always been unable to defeat Lu Yu?"

"This servant does not know."

Zhang Zuo said tremblingly, looking at the afterimages of crying or laughing, he felt an instinctive fear.

It was as if the emperor before them was no longer human.

"Because Lu Yu is very clear about his position."

"Over the years, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has become increasingly powerful. Fearing that I would feel uneasy, he took the initiative to stick his neck out and let me cut him down."

"By protecting that captain and breaking ties with Yan Shen and Qingliu, he is showing me that he is willing to voluntarily relinquish his power and become merely a tool in my hands!"

"Since that's the case, I'll grant his wish. The court has indeed been too peaceful for too long and needs some change!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Zhang Zuo kowtowed and shouted.

Jia Jing stopped in his tracks, and the afterimages vanished one after another.

He exhaled to finish his practice and said in a deep voice, "Take Shen Lang to the Imperial Observatory and use the Pearl of Illusion to examine him and find out what he is pursuing!"

"If there are no problems, bestow upon him a Qilin and Flying Fish Robe, a seventh-rank embroidered spring knife, a thousand taels of gold, and a thousand bolts of silk, and proclaim this to the world!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zuo's body trembled, his face filled with disbelief!

The Qilin-patterned flying fish robe is a fourth-rank bestowed robe, second only to the bullfighting robe and the python robe. Even among the chiliarchs who have made great contributions, very few are qualified to wear it!

But now, His Majesty actually intends to bestow it upon a mere captain?!

Even if he passed the test of the Pearl of Truth, he was still only a centurion. What merit or ability did he have?

And that seventh-grade Embroidered Spring Blade is even more extraordinary!

Officials below the seventh rank could execute first and report later; this was an absolute symbol of power!

With just this one knife, he could become the most sought-after newly powerful figure in the capital city!

Such a reward cannot be described as merely "the Emperor's boundless grace"; it is an act of absolute favor!

"Your Majesty, how should this servant assess this person? I beg Your Majesty's guidance!" Zhang Zuo composed himself and asked with unusual caution.

Although he had served Jiajing for many years, he believed he understood the emperor's heart.

But this matter is of great importance. His Majesty values ​​this person so much. If he messes things up, I'm afraid even eight heads wouldn't be enough to chop him off.

Just to be on the safe side, we need to double-check.

Jiajing said, "I will absolutely not employ someone who is not greedy for wealth, power, lustful, or prone to forming cliques for personal gain!"

"If he is truly incorruptible and wholeheartedly devoted to the people, wouldn't he end up opposing me every day?"

"This servant understands!"

Zhang Zuo readily agreed, saying that the so-called "no problem" did not refer to whether Shen Lang's character was reliable.

On the contrary, Shen Lang must have questionable character; he must be a vulgar opportunist to gain such imperial favor!

Jia Jing pondered for a moment, then suddenly narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Zhang Zuo.

Zhang Zuo's heart skipped a beat, and he said anxiously, "Your Majesty, what's wrong...?"

'

Jia Jing said, "You dog of a servant have been doing a good job lately. The Eastern Depot is very efficient at gathering intelligence."

Zhang Zuo respectfully replied, "It is thanks to Your Majesty's excellent teaching."

Jiajing said, "From this day forward, you will be appointed as the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial and concurrently the Director of the Eastern Depot."

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"To oversee the Six Ministries, the Censorate, and the common people's seditious rumors and plots against the emperor."

"They can sit in on the joint trial of serious cases by the three judicial departments and record the testimonies directly to the Emperor."

"Establish a private prison exclusively for the Eastern Depot, which would grant them the power to detain and interrogate people on the spot."

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