“Aren’t you really curious?” Monkey Head probed.
“Not curious. What I should know, I’ll naturally know. What I shouldn’t know, there’s no point in knowing.” Chen Ping’an said calmly.
Oh my goodness! I was supposed to have him under my thumb, but how did I end up being the one under his thumb?
Chen Ping’an’s indifferent demeanor made Monkey Head feel incredibly stifled.
“Ping’an, your Heart-Nature really is…” Monkey Head was at a loss for words. After thinking for a long time, he couldn’t come up with any suitable words of evaluation.
In the end, he only managed to blurt out: “Extravagant!”
Seeing Chen Ping’an’s complete lack of reaction, the stifled Monkey Head could only honestly tell him what had happened.
It turned out that the reason it was so lively and the atmosphere so good early this morning was because a new Yamen Runner had arrived at the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office. Like them, he was an unregistered temporary Yamen Runner.
Normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal. The Nanquan Lane Garrison Office did occasionally take in temporary Yamen Runners. However, this new temporary Yamen Runner had a special identity; he wasn’t brought in through ordinary connections.
The new temporary Yamen Runner was named Zheng Shiyong, and he was the nephew of Zheng Chatou, who worked at their Nanquan Lane Garrison Office.
This wasn’t some distant nephew or a nominal one. He was a true, biological nephew.
Who was Zheng Chatou?! He was the Chief Constable with the most renown and power among the five Chief Constables at their Nanquan Lane Garrison Office!
With this connection, many Yamen Runners from Nanquan Lane naturally flocked to him, wanting to curry favor.
“Monkey Head, this Zheng Shiyong. Since he has such a strong connection, why is he still an unregistered temporary Yamen Runner?” Just as Monkey Head was explaining to Chen Ping’an, Da Shan, who was nearby, unexpectedly interjected and asked.
“What? Da Shan, you’re interested too! That’s rare.” Monkey Head teased him, then explained the reason.
Among the few of them, he had served the longest at the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office and knew the most about its affairs and rules.
It turned out that unless one had exceptional talent or their martial arts cultivation reached the Qi Blood Second Realm, they could be specially recruited by the Zhenfu Division and become a formal Yamen Runner upon entry.
Otherwise, to join the Zhenfu Division, one could only start as an unregistered temporary Yamen Runner.
Such were the rules of the Zhenfu Division; no one was exempt. Though it was said no one was exempt, that might not be entirely true. Whether a Squad Leader could bypass it was unclear, but at least Zheng Chatou’s level couldn't.
“I see.” Da Shan nodded.
“Monkey Head, you know so much.” Da Shan added this remark at the end.
Despite being praised by Da Shan, Monkey Head wasn't happy at all. Looking at Chen Ping’an’s calm expression, his desire to show off was unfulfilled, and that feeling was truly unbearable.
Anyone who experiences it knows!
As the few of them chatted, time gradually passed. Finally, several important figures began to arrive.
Zheng Chatou, Huang Chatou, Stern, Li Chatou.
Four of the five Chief Constables of the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office had arrived today. This was truly rare.
As the Chief Constables entered, the groups of Yamen Runners gradually dispersed, taking their respective positions. It was also at this moment that Chen Ping’an finally got a clear look at the new Yamen Runner named Zheng Shiyong.
Zheng Shiyong looked young, probably only sixteen or seventeen, with a sturdy build and a hint of wildness on his Face.
To the Yamen Runners, this Zheng Shiyong was also a second-generation Yamen Runner in the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office!
With Zheng Chatou covering for him, his path ahead would likely be extremely smooth. He would probably only need to stay for a few more years, accumulate enough seniority, and then he could easily become a formal Yamen Runner, a position most people yearned for but couldn’t attain.
No wonder so many people went to curry favor and establish good relations with him in advance.
Even the formal Yamen Runners were extremely polite to Zheng Shiyong.
Indeed, no matter where you are, having connections at the top makes doing your job easier—this statement is always true.
Today’s regular meeting was still led by Zheng Chatou, who spoke about and introduced some broad and empty topics. These mostly concerned the situation in the Nancheng Suppression Office, the surrounding lane garrisons, and the upcoming key directions.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Chatou’s speech today lasted less than a quarter of an hour, unlike usual.
“We’re about to be free!” Monkey Head whispered.
They thought the pre-duty meeting would end there, but unexpectedly, Stern also added a few words. While speaking, he specifically mentioned the new Yamen Runner colleague who joined today, Zheng Shiyong.
“Come, Shiyong, come up and stand, let everyone get to know you!” The usually Stern Stern now appeared amiable.
Zheng Shiyong showed no timidity. Upon hearing Stern’s words, he immediately walked onto the platform.
“Greetings, fellow colleagues. I am Zheng Shiyong. I have just joined our Nanquan Lane Garrison Office today. I ask for your continued guidance in the days to come.”
“Good!”
“Welcome, welcome!”
“.......” After Zheng Shiyong finished speaking, the Yamen Runners below responded enthusiastically, giving him ample Face.
“Alright, very good, Shiyong. I hope to hear news of your meritorious deeds in the future. Now, you can go down and get acquainted with your colleagues.” Stern patted Zheng Shiyong’s shoulder as a sign of encouragement.
“Thank you, Stern.” Zheng Shiyong responded, then stepped down from the platform with a proud and self-satisfied expression.
After this was over, Stern casually spoke a few more words, then concluded the pre-duty meeting.
With the meeting concluded, it was time for everyone to receive their assignments and begin today’s street patrols.
Today, Chen Ping’an, Monkey Head, and Da Shan’s mission was to patrol Baishi Alley in Nanquan Lane.
Baishi Alley mostly consisted of residential homes, with not many shops or vendors. Correspondingly, the number of ruffians was also greatly reduced, and the patrol pressure was not as great as the previous two days.
Of course, to be fair, the pressure from the previous two days wasn't really that high either!
For Yamen Runners of the Zhenfu Division, as long as there were no tricky cases or operations, most of the time, life was quite comfortable.
“Let’s go, Monkey Head, Da Shan.” Today’s patrol mission was signed off by Chen Ping’an. After receiving his saber and waist token, he spoke to Monkey Head and Da Shan.
He noticed that both of them were staring fixedly at a spot not far away.
Chen Ping’an’s gaze followed their line of sight. He saw a dense crowd of people gathered there.
“What’s wrong?” he asked them.
“Sigh, comparing people just makes you angry!” Monkey Head grumbled.
“I’m so envious,” Da Shan also said, which was rare for him.
It turned out that just now, several Chief Constables had specifically come over to encourage Zheng Shiyong. That would have been fine, but Zheng Shiyong was clearly a new temporary Yamen Runner. According to their past experience, he should have started with the most arduous tasks.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Shiyong didn’t even have to patrol today; he only needed to follow Stern as his personal attendant.
After listening to Monkey Head’s explanation, Chen Ping’an understood.
It seemed that among the Chief Constables, Stern and Zheng Chatou had a good relationship. Things Zheng Chatou found inconvenient to do, Stern did for him, whether it was the introduction just now or the actual assignment arrangements.