New Appointment

The sun had just passed noon.

Yet the sky gradually darkened. At some point, black clouds had blanketed the heavens, and a fine, unending drizzle began to fall.

There were immediately far fewer pedestrians on the road. By the time Chen Mu arrived at the City Guard, the plaza outside was already a messy scene of stalls being packed away, and his constable's uniform had been soaked through in several places.

Fine rain scattered over the eaves of the City Guard Office, slowly dripping down through some cracks that had gone unrepaired for years.

Though it was raining, Chen Mu's mind had never felt clearer. The dense clouds did not affect him in the slightest. The moment he entered the City Guard Office, he saw it packed shoulder to shoulder with people.

The chaotic crowd numbered roughly one or two hundred. It seemed that all three shifts of Yamen Runners from the entire Nine Stripes Ward Guard Office had assembled, cramming beneath every eave and gatehouse to shelter from the rain.

"Chen Er!"

Liu Song and Li Tie were mixed in with the crowd as well. Sharp-eyed Li Tie spotted Chen Mu entering through the main gate at once and immediately called out to him, waving. "Over here!"

Chen Mu had originally intended to go straight to find Min Baoyi. But seeing all three shifts gathered in the City Guard Office, he vaguely understood something. He headed farther inside, passing Liu Song, Li Tie, and the others.

"Why are you only getting here now?"

Liu Song gave him a somewhat reproachful look.

He and Li Tie had been called back in the middle of patrol. Though they still did not know what this was about, gatherings involving all three shifts happened only a few times a year at most, and they were almost always major matters. If someone was singled out for being absent without cause, that would be no small thing.

After waiting so long without seeing Chen Mu, the two had both been somewhat worried. Fortunately, Chen Mu had made it in before the Head Runners. If he had only arrived after the Head Runners were all present, it would have looked quite bad.

"Something held me up."

Chen Mu knew Liu Song and Li Tie were worried out of kindness, so he smiled at them. Yet he did not stop, instead continuing inward along the somewhat congested gatehouse passage.

"Hm? Where are you going?"

Liu Song immediately showed a strange expression.

But the nearby crowd was packed tight and noisy, so he did not hear Chen Mu's reply. He only saw Chen Mu's back vanish into the crowded mass of Yamen Runners, disappearing from sight.

Liu Song turned to exchange a glance with Li Tie, then shrugged. As long as Chen Mu had reached the City Guard Office in time and would not be caught by the higher-ups on some minor fault, nothing else mattered.

Chen Mu did not return.

Nearly half an hour passed, yet Liu Song and Li Tie still did not see Chen Mu come back. They were both puzzled about what he had gone off to do, but with so many people mixed together, it was not appropriate to go looking. Besides, all three shifts had been summoned here and made to wait for so long, and they had no idea what was happening.

After waiting a little longer, a stir arose from the gatehouse at the main entrance of the City Guard Office.

"Lord Qin!"

"Lord Zhao!"

The congested crowd parted at the gatehouse, opening up a path and revealing three figures walking in from outside.

At their head were head runner Qin Bei and Zhao Zong, who was stroking his beard, with Ren Yan following beside them. All three seemed faintly tipsy, as though they had just finished drinking and hurried over upon receiving the notice.

Qin Bei's cheeks bore a slight post-drinking flush. He swept his gaze over the crowded City Guard Office, his eyes showing a trace of puzzlement. Summoning all three shifts had to be a major matter, yet he, a head runner, had not been informed in advance. Although he had been out drinking with Zhao Zong and Ren Yan, they should still have told him beforehand what this was about. But the person who had gone to notify him had only told him to return quickly.

"Brother Qin, this..."

Ren Yan also looked at Qin Bei with some hesitation.

The way he addressed Qin Bei had changed from "Captain Qin" to "Brother Qin." Clearly, after one drinking session, their relationship had grown considerably closer.

Qin Bei stroked his chin and said, "Either something happened suddenly, or it concerns Old Zhao and you... but that seems a little too early. No need to worry. I'll go inside and ask, then I'll know."

It was probably some sudden incident, leaving no time to tell him the details. He only needed to go in and ask the Runner Office Lord.

Zhao Zong also nodded slightly from the side. "Little Ren, stay here for now."

With that said.

The two headed together toward the main hall of the City Guard Office.

All the Yamen Runners along the way hastily stepped aside and respectfully saluted.

At the same time, they looked toward Ren Yan behind Qin Bei and Zhao Zong, their eyes revealing traces of envy. In this City Guard Office, Ren Yan was now the only one with such close ties to both Head Runners.

Qin Bei and Zhao Zong walked all the way to the entrance of the main hall. Just as they were about to enter, they saw someone walk out to meet them.

Hm?

Qin Bei paused slightly. He recognized the man as one of the Yamen Runners under his authority.

"Chen Mu?"

Not knowing why Chen Mu was coming out from the inner hall, Qin Bei's eyes flashed with confusion. He called out to stop him, intending to question him first.

The previously chaotic exterior had quieted considerably with Qin Bei and Zhao Zong's arrival. At this moment, the many Yamen Runners were all looking this way. Liu Song and Li Tie included, they too saw Chen Mu emerge from the main hall, and were somewhat puzzled.

However.

Just as Qin Bei was about to question Chen Mu.

Three more people came out from the inner hall, each wearing blue runner uniforms. They were the other three Head Runners of the Nine Stripes Ward Guard Office. Two of them were Wang Gong and Zhong Chang, who had previously gone out with Min Baoyi.

"Old Zhao, Old Qin, you're both here."

Upon seeing Qin Bei and Zhao Zong approaching from outside, Wang Gong immediately greeted them with a smile.

Zhong Chang also chuckled. "Where did you go drinking? Why didn't you invite your little brother here?"

Qin Bei was slightly taken aback.

Gathering all three shifts should have meant something important, yet Wang Gong and Zhong Chang did not seem to be treating it as a major matter. They even had the leisure to greet him and joke around. Qin Bei found this strange. He no longer had the attention to spare for Chen Mu and turned to Wang Gong, cupping his hands. "I was delayed on the way and arrived late. May I ask why the Runner Office Lord summoned everyone?"

"This? You'll know soon enough."

Wang Gong said with a smiling squint, but offered no explanation.

Now not only did Qin Bei furrow his brow, feeling puzzled, even Zhao Zong beside him found it strange. As he pondered it and prepared to go inside to ask, he saw a figure emerge from the inner hall with measured, square steps.

The man wore a Dark Green Yamen Uniform. He was broad and imposing, his gaze stern and authoritative. It was none other than Runner Office Lord Min Baoyi.

"Runner Office Lord."

Qin Bei, Zhao Zong, Wang Gong, and the other Head Runners all bowed slightly toward Min Baoyi in salute.

Meanwhile, the large group of Yamen Runners below the steps and beneath the gatehouse corridors behind them all bowed in unison and dropped to one knee, voices rising as they paid their respects.

Chen Mu stood beside Qin Bei, Zhao Zong, and the others. He too cupped his hands toward Min Baoyi, but the form of address that came from his mouth made Qin Bei, Zhao Zong, and several nearby Yamen Runners nearly stumble.

"Brother Min."

The instant that form of address came out, Qin Bei's gaze almost immediately shifted from Min Baoyi to Chen Mu. His eyes widened slightly, filled with utter shock.

Brother... Min?

How dared he address Min Baoyi like that? Even he, a head runner, did not dare put on such airs!

Not only Qin Bei—apart from the few people such as Wang Gong and Zhong Chang, Zhao Zong beside him also stared blankly at Chen Mu. The nearest Yamen Runners kneeling on one knee nearly had their jaws drop to the ground.

Then.

Something even more astonishing happened. Not only did Min Baoyi fail to become angry at being addressed this way, he even nodded to Chen Mu with a genial smile. He then swept his gaze across the entire gathering and spoke in a deep voice.

"Head runner Zhao Zong is advanced in years and no longer able to handle the various affairs of the office. This office has now approved, following review by the Chief Constable, Zhao Zong's retirement. The post of head runner shall not be abolished for now, but all affairs under his jurisdiction shall be temporarily managed by the newly appointed head runner, Chen Mu."

The moment those words fell.

The entire place went dead silent.

Countless gazes converged on Chen Mu in unison—shocked, stunned, disbelieving, and utterly confused!

Liu Song, Li Tie, and the others who knew Chen Mu especially had their eyes bulge wide, so shocked their jaws nearly shattered across the floor.

Meanwhile.

At Butcher Zhang's home.

Having finished lunch, Butcher Zhang was sitting in the courtyard with his belly sticking out, basking in the sun. Chen Hong was sweeping the courtyard some distance away, but her eyes remained full of worry. From time to time, she glanced outside, waiting for word from Zhang Hai.

Finally, after a while longer, Zhang Hai's round, fat figure came in through the gate. He looked utterly dazed and lost. As he entered, he nearly tripped over the threshold, staggering several times and almost falling flat on his face.

"So careless and restless! What kind of behavior is that?"

Butcher Zhang, who had been squinting in the sunlight, looked over at the sound and barked a reprimand.

Yet Zhang Hai seemed not to hear him. He continued walking inward in a muddled daze.

"Little Hai?"

Chen Hong set down her broom and hurried over, asking anxiously, "How did it go over there? Did anything happen?"

Zhang Hai continued walking forward in a haze and nearly knocked Chen Hong over. Only after bumping into her did he stop in a dazed manner.

Looking at Butcher Zhang, who had sat upright and was frowning at him, at the worried Chen Hong, and at Zhang Youying in the western side of the courtyard washing clothes and curiously pricking up her ears, Zhang Hai's lips moved, but no sound came out.

He seemed not to know where to begin. His face still carried the expression of someone trapped in a dream.

Only after Butcher Zhang barked at him several more times did Zhang Hai haltingly recount what he had just seen in a tone that still could not comprehend it. Chen Hong was left stunned, Butcher Zhang blankly stared, and Zhang Youying in the distance felt as though she were listening to heavenly scripture.

This...

What in the world was all this?

How could the City Guard's Runner Office Lord stand up for Chen Mu, and even call him brother?

Zhang Youying stood with her mouth open, staring at Zhang Hai in disbelief. If not for his muddled, soul-lost appearance, her first reaction would have been that he was talking nonsense and deliberately making a joke.

But...

Wasn't Chen Mu merely a penniless low-ranking constable?

Never mind the dignified Runner Office Lord—even if a head runner called Chen Mu brother, that would have been astonishing enough. He could not possibly have been so poor.

"Brother Hai, did you really see it clearly? Was it truly the Runner Office Lord?"

Zhang Youying still could not believe it.

The flesh on Zhang Hai's face bunched together as he said, "I... I didn't see clearly, but in times like these, who would dare impersonate the Runner Office Lord...?"

Indeed.

In Nine Stripes Ward, even in the entire South District, who would dare impersonate the Runner Office Lord to swindle others? That would be like an old birthday star hanging himself—thinking his life was too long.

After hearing that, Zhang Youying was also somewhat lost.

Just as the courtyard fell silent, Butcher Zhang slammed his hand against the armrest with a bang and snapped at Zhang Hai with a dark face, "This is a good thing. Why are you wearing such a funeral face? Get out of the way!"

Then he turned to Chen Hong and said solemnly, "I told you long ago that your nephew was a dragon and phoenix among men. Making him an ordinary yamen runner was burying his talent. Given even a little opportunity, he would soar step by step into the clouds. Tomorrow, bring a few jin of pork and a few jin of soft bones. I'll go with you to offer congratulations at his door."

At those words.

Chen Hong finally gradually came back to herself and gave a response.

Zhang Hai and Zhang Youying beside her still wore utterly bewildered expressions.