Li Qingxian said, "What exactly do the higher-ups mean by this? No evidence, no leads, and they just send us here. Isn't this sheer nonsense?"
"If they had evidence and leads, would it be our turn to drag ourselves out here in the dead of night? They'd have acted long ago," Jing Guan asked.
"That makes a lot of sense. What do we do? With over two hundred people, discreet inquiries are out of the question. Now the Patrol Bureau has spread out in every direction, and I hear the Ministry of Justice has started moving too. The rebels and conspirators must have gotten word already," Li Qingxian said.
"Indeed."
"What do you usually do in situations like this?" Li Qingxian asked.
"The truth?"
"The truth."
"The respectable ones go through the motions: they arrive with cloth and leave with bundles on their backs. The less respectable ones send chickens flying and dogs jumping, scraping the ground three feet deep. This is Northchang County, after all. Its powers are tangled together, and nobody knows which mighty ancestor they might offend. So when palace officials come here, they generally choose to be respectable."
"What about the assignment?"
"Making people like us, seventh rank at best, catch rebels and conspirators-is that any way to treat a human being? Qingxian, not to lecture you, but the Patrol Bureau's primary duty is investigation and apprehension. We have to investigate before we can apprehend," Jing Guan said earnestly.
"You've successfully persuaded me," Li Qingxian said.
Jing Guan said, "Still, His Majesty's milestone birthday is our highest priority. Since discreet inquiries aren't possible, we should make a bigger splash. You're good at that."
"What am I good at?" Li Qingxian looked a little bewildered.
"We're all friends here. Stop pretending. Others might not know how you