Chapter 62 - 58: East District Constable

At five in the morning, Zhao Lin and Liang Song arrived at the Receiving and Issuing Office, where roll call was taken.

A long table was set up at the entrance, with the Room Officer seated behind it. Beside his hand was a pile of bamboo slips, and on the ground was a bamboo basket.

People came one after another for roll call. The Receiving and Issuing Official would pick up a bamboo slip with a name on it and toss it into the basket. This method of taking attendance saved paper; any slips not in the basket belonged to those who were late or absent.

"Zhao Lin, constable captain of the Swift Class; Liang Song, constable of the Swift Class."

Since it was Zhao Lin and Liang Song’s first day, the Receiving and Issuing Official took two blank bamboo slips, wrote down their names and positions with a brush, and tossed the slips into the basket.

After roll call, they waited for the County Magistrate to hold court and assign the day’s duties.

The open space in the middle of the main hall was already filled with people.

High-ranking officials like the County Captain and various clerks stood in the front rows. Behind them were ministry clerks, patrol inspectors, bailiffs of the Three Classes, scribes, head jailers, coachmen, night-watchmen, medical officers, and all sorts of other personnel.

Zhao Lin and Liang Song found their places in the constables’ ranks.

Most constables came from martial sects or fighting gyms, or had inherited martial arts techniques. Ordinary people wanting to work in the yamen could only join the Standing and Strong Classes of the bailiffs.

Seeing two new faces, the other constables turned to look.

"Hey, the new constable captain."

"So young. Probably got in through connections."

"Don’t underestimate him. He’s at the Bone Training Stage."

"Tch, so what if he’s at the Bone Training Stage? There are plenty of constables at that stage. What gives him the right to be a captain right off the bat...?"

Zhao Lin overheard them and thought, ’If I’d known being a constable captain was this much trouble, I would have just stayed an ordinary constable.’

But since he was here, he might as well make the best of it. There was no need to worry.

He wasn’t just representing himself; he was the face of the Liuhe Sect. If he couldn’t even handle being a minor constable captain, then what hope did he have of wiping out the bandits and reuniting with his family?

"Quiet!"

A man at the front of the ranks, wearing a winged official’s cap and a black robe, turned and barked coldly.

The constables fell silent instantly.

’Li Qiuyuan.’ The name flashed through Zhao Lin’s mind.

According to Zhen San, Qinghe County had about a hundred constables, and the chief constable was Li Qiuyuan, a master at the Third Layer of the Qi Realm.

Under him were four constabulary chiefs, each responsible for one of the city’s four districts: north, south, east, and west.

Each constabulary chief had several constable captains under them, and each captain led a number of constables.

’Constable, constable captain, constabulary chief, chief constable, County Captain, County Magistrate.’

Perhaps from reading too many novels in his past life, Zhao Lin quickly sorted out the hierarchy in his mind.

Before long, the court drum sounded.

The County Magistrate walked into the main hall, flanked by the registrar and the Deputy Magistrate.

The magistrate’s surname was Liu. He was young, not yet thirty, with crescent-shaped eyes that made him look like he was always squinting.

One glance and Zhao Lin could tell the magistrate had practiced martial arts, though his cultivation seemed to have just reached the Qi Realm, making him considerably weaker than Chief Constable Li Qiuyuan.

This was normal. Even in a world of martial arts, strength was only one measure of a person. Talent, family background, and connections were just as important.

It didn’t make sense for the strongest fighter in the county to automatically become the County Magistrate.

It was like education in his past life; the head of a company or its CEO wasn’t necessarily the person with the highest degree.

Based on what he had seen and heard, Zhao Lin judged this magistrate to be both a capable official and a ruthless one.

He was the one who mercilessly forced peasants and criminals who couldn’t pay their grain taxes to dig canals, leading to dozens of deaths from exhaustion and illness. But he was also the one who compelled wealthy households to release their hoarded grain to lower food prices.

It was hard to pass a final judgment on the rights and wrongs of such a man.

"Let’s begin the session," Magistrate Liu said as he sat down.

The Receiving and Issuing Official and the constable captain from last night’s watch stepped forward one by one to report on the day’s attendance and the previous night’s patrol.

Magistrate Liu nodded after hearing the reports. "The autumn harvest is upon us. The bailiffs are to go to the countryside to survey the fields and organize the common folk for a good harvest. We’ve had a lot of rain this year, and several roads into the city are unusable. The Strong Class will send men to organize repairs..."

He assigned the tasks one by one with clear-headed order.

Finally, Magistrate Liu looked at Li Qiuyuan. "Chief Constable Li, the case files have been piling up lately. Are you facing any difficulties?"

Li Qiuyuan quickly stepped forward. "No major difficulties. It’s just that a few gangs in the North City have been fighting fiercely over territory."

"I was worried things would escalate, so I diverted a lot of manpower and attention, which has delayed our investigations."

Magistrate Liu waved his hand dismissively. "As long as it doesn’t affect the livelihood of the common people, you don’t need to worry about whether those gang members live or die. Focus on official business."

Li Qiuyuan replied, "Yes, sir!"

...

After the court session, Li Qiuyuan gathered all the constables in their office for a meeting. Zhao Lin and Liang Song followed them inside.

"Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Guo Sheng, Sun Zhang."

Li Qiuyuan called the names of the four constabulary chiefs. "How many unsolved cases do you each have on your hands right now?"

"Start with this year’s murder cases," he added.

Zhang Rang said, "Two in the North City."

Zhao Zhong said, "One in the South City."

Guo Sheng said, "One in the West City."

When it was Sun Zhang’s turn, he stammered, "The East City has... five."

"What?"

Li Qiuyuan shot to his feet. "Your district has more cases than the other three combined! What’s going on?"

Sun Zhang lamented, "Chief Constable, you know how it is: the east is poor, the north is chaotic, the south is rich, and the west is noble. The East City is full of unruly commoners and criminals, so naturally, we have more cases. My men and I are short-staffed; we just can’t keep up."

"Short-staffed?"

Li Qiuyuan suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to look at Zhao Lin and Liang Song, who were standing by the door.

"You’re the new men, aren’t you?"

Zhao Lin and Liang Song stepped forward and saluted. "Zhao Lin. Liang Song. Greetings, Chief Constable."

Li Qiuyuan glanced at Zhao Lin’s palms and raised an eyebrow. "Where did you study martial arts? Are you at the Bone Training Stage?"

Zhao Lin knew this was a question about his background, basically the equivalent of asking "What school did you go to? What were your SAT scores?" in his past life.

"The Liuhe Sect. I’m at the Second Layer of the Power Realm," Zhao Lin replied.

"Ah, so you’re one of Master Zhu’s top disciples."

Li Qiuyuan nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Although Zhao Lin was only sixteen, his body, transformed by the Spirit Beast Scroll, was tall and sturdy. With his thick brows and large eyes, he could easily pass for eighteen or nineteen.

Even so, Li Qiuyuan found Zhao Lin a bit too young. "At your age, you should be diligently cultivating your martial arts in your sect. Why the hurry to work for the yamen?"

This was a difficult question to answer. He certainly couldn’t tell the truth, but a lie could be easily exposed and used against him.

Zhao Lin thought for a moment, then declared loudly, "Since I was a child, I have witnessed bandits running rampant through the countryside. I resolved that when I grew up, I would punish the wicked, aid the weak, and protect the peace of the region."

Hearing this, the constables all had different expressions on their faces.

Some were disdainful, some sneered, and others thought, ’This kid knows how to say all the right things. Looks like he won’t be easy to handle.’

"Well said!"

Li Qiuyuan praised him before turning his gaze to Sun Zhang. "Weren’t you just saying you were short-staffed? I’ll give these new men to you."

"I’m giving you seven days. Solve at least two cases, or you can forget about being a constabulary chief."

"Ah... but!"

Sun Zhang’s face soured. He hadn’t expected Li Qiuyuan to pull a move like this. He glanced at Zhao Lin and Liang Song. "They’re new and inexperienced. I’m afraid they won’t be of much use for now."

Li Qiuyuan’s face darkened. "You said you were short-staffed, so I gave you men. Now you’re saying they’re inexperienced. Can you handle this or not? If not, then get the hell out!"

Sun Zhang stammered, speechless.

Li Qiuyuan turned his attention to the other three constabulary chiefs. "Constable Captain Zhao is newly appointed and has no one under his command. Each of you will assign one of your men to him."

The three chiefs had been enjoying the show from the sidelines and hadn’t expected the fire to spread to them. Knowing they couldn’t refuse, they each called out a name.

Li Qiuyuan rose to his feet with a flick of his sleeve, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Everyone, put in extra effort these next few days. Clear the case files on your desks as quickly as possible, especially the murders!"