Li Chen's "work" was quite easy. Rather than standing straight at the entrance and inspecting people one by one like an ordinary soldier, he had been assigned to a rest area furnished with a table and chairs beside the gate passage. It was grandly called "coordination and command," but in reality, he simply leaned back in his chair and watched the soldiers on either side bustle about.
His idle manner stood in stark contrast to the scions of noble families who at least put on a show even when they had only come to gild their credentials. It immediately drew sidelong glances and resentment from the surrounding soldiers and junior officers.
In particular, the tall, skinny officer who had taken a dislike to Li Chen yesterday was now making snide remarks with several companions nearby:
"Tsk, see that? That's our lord and master from the Imperial Capital! We're freezing our asses off checking people, while he's come here to enjoy himself!"
"Keep it down. He was born lucky-knew how to pick the right womb! If you had a good father, you could sit there too!"
"Hmph! An embroidered pillow with nothing inside! If anything actually happened, he'd probably piss his pants! One rat dropping spoiling the whole pot of soup!"
Amid these whispers, a sudden commotion broke out at the South Gate!
A lavishly decorated carriage had been stopped by the gate guards, who demanded to inspect a large wooden chest aboard it.
The driver was a well-dressed young man with an arrogant bearing. At their demand, he flew into a rage and viciously slapped the soldier who had stepped forward to ask him to open the chest, shouting:
"Are your damned eyes blind? I'm from the Chu Lineage in the Imperial Capital! I'm already giving you people at Cold