Ambition

"How outrageous! Simply outrageous!"

The clamorous shouting once again shattered the peace at the East Side Entrance of Dali Temple.

The gate guards had long since grown used to it. Too lazy even to step forward and watch, they merely stood at a distance, coldly observing a middle-aged official cross Dali Temple's threshold, surrounded fore and aft by several yamen runners.

Their expressions seemed to say: Serves you damn right for docking my salary!

Someone in the gate passage, however, folded his arms and hunched over to scrutinize the visitor's official robes. With a sigh, he remarked, "No wonder his voice is so much louder than the last one's. Turns out he's a fifth-rank official."

Though his tone sounded admiring, it was more gloating than anything else, as if he took pride in it himself.

"Chief Huang!"

"Brother Bin!"

Just then, another commotion broke out before the gate, far louder than the one before.

It turned out Huang Bin had returned escorting suspects. Those distant from him hurried forward to greet him as "Chief Huang," while those usually close to him gathered around warmly, calling him "Brother Bin."

Huang Bin had grown accustomed to such shifts in human warmth and coldness lately.

But in the past, they had always carried a trace of hypocrisy. After summoning the Ministry of Revenue officials today, though, their feelings seemed considerably more sincere—ever since the "unpaid wages" uproar began, everyone at Dali Temple had long despised the Ministry of Revenue.

Huang Bin answered each greeting with a smile, then raised a hand on the steps before the gate and said, "This way." Several grim-faced "men of refinement" entered in single file, surrounded by the other yamen runners.

Only after the last person in the procession vanished into the night did the smile on Huang