Chapter 25: Chapter 23 Settle_2
“Head Constable.”
Chen Mu also clasped his hands in respect. He bore no special feelings towards Qin Bei. When working under Qin Bei, though Qin had been neither cold nor overly friendly, he had never deliberately made things difficult for him, so Chen felt quite calm and composed.
As someone who had been the Head Constable for many years, Qin Bei soon suppressed the discomfort in his heart and said, “Congratulations on your promotion, Chen. If you are free in a few days, I would like to invite you for a drink. I hope you will honor me with your presence.”
“Certainly, certainly.”
Chen Mu responded with a smile before walking out.
Upon arriving outside,
some scattered constables in the yard, seeing Chen Mu approaching, initially paused before realizing who it was, and then hurriedly greeted him with respect:
“Lord Chen!”
Compared to Qin Bei, they were much more nervous. After all, they had worked in the same division as Chen Mu for many years. Even if there had been no interactions, they had at least discussed him behind his back. Everyone had previously thought that Ren Yan’s promotion to Head Constable was a certainty; they had all been flattering him, but now it was Chen Mu who had unexpectedly risen rapidly, which inevitably made them uneasy.
“All rise.”
“I have just taken over as Head Constable and am not yet familiar with everything, so continue as usual for now.”
Chen Mu casually addressed the constables.
“Yes.”
The many constables responded in unison.
Chen Mu then walked past the crowd to the outermost side where Liu Song and Li Tie were standing. Seeing Chen Mu approaching, the two lost their usual ease and greeted him a bit stiffly.
“No need to be so formal, you two.”
Seeing this, Chen Mu said half-jokingly.
But Liu Song still replied carefully, “My Lord, now that you’ve been promoted and have crossed the Dragon Gate, we common folk dare not act familiar in your presence. Just give your orders, and that will be fine.”
In this world, though chaotic, the stricter the hierarchy, the stronger the rules. Now that Chen Mu was a Head Constable, even addressing them informally as ‘brothers,’ as before, wouldn’t be fitting. They knew that if people like Qin Bei saw this, they would think ill of them, and it would undoubtedly spell trouble.
“I have already redrawn the roster with the Prefecture Chief and assigned you two under my direct command. Starting tomorrow, you need not patrol the streets; just stay in the Hall Office and await my instructions.”
Chen Mu said to Liu Song and Li Tie seriously.
The two had been acquaintances for several years. While their friendship wasn’t deep, they were the constables whom he knew best in the City Defense Division. Now that he had become Head Constable, he still needed some trusted aides.
At this declaration, some other constables cast envious glances at Liu Song and Li Tie.
Staying in the Hall Office to follow orders meant transitioning from ordinary patrolling constables to close aides who only needed to assist Chen Mu and follow his commands. Though it wasn’t a formal promotion, the treatment was fundamentally different.
Working for a Head Constable meant becoming one of his trusted aides. First and foremost, they no longer had to deal with troublesome patrols or take part in the bi-monthly night patrols.
“Thank you for your appreciation, sir!”
Liu Song and Li Tie, upon hearing this, were equally surprised and repeatedly expressed their thanks.
Although the two had been whispering to each other, speculating whether Chen Mu, after his rapid rise, would remember old ties and give them a boost, they had been extremely anxious. Now that the matter was settled, they naturally thanked him jubilantly.
Chen Mu nodded slightly and then said no more, leaving the City Defense Division, leaving behind a crowd of officers with complex expressions, some envious and some sighing, watching his retreating figure disappear.
…
The news that Chen Mu had taken over as the Head Constable of the Ninth District spread quickly throughout the area, becoming known to various parties within just half a day, given that the locals’ most frequent interactions were with either the gangs or the City Defense Division.
If it were just an officer, it wouldn’t matter much, as the City Defense Division changed dozens of officers each year, if not at least several. But a Head Constable was different—there were only five in total. Offending one could indeed be troublesome, especially since it was rumored that Chen Mu was close to Prefecture Chief Min Baoyi, necessitating even more cautious handling.
The above reactions came from some local gentry, prominent families, and gang powers within the Ninth District.
Beyond the Ninth District, looking over the entire South City District, the scene was quite different.
Night fell.
South City District City Guard General’s office, the lights were still bright here.
In a spacious and clean hall office, a fair-skinned man sat beside a desk, holding a document in his hand.
He was He Mingxuan, the Deputy Head Officer of the South City District City Guard General, ranking second only to Xu Hongyu, and his background was in no way inferior to that of Xu Hongyu. Mentioning the surname ‘He’ in the Inner City Area was indeed like a clap of thunder.
“Ninth District… Chen Mu… Interesting.”
“Twenty-two, mastering the Blade Momentum on his own, indeed a talent. No wonder Xu Hongyu would take special care. However, your Yu Family now faces both internal and external troubles, and still hopes to continue supporting its loyalists in the City Defense Division. I’m afraid that won’t be so easy.”
He Mingxuan revealed a cold smile and set the page he was holding above the candle flame to burn.
Ordinary people were unaware of Xu Hongyu’s background; to them, the surname ‘Xu’ was relatively unfamiliar. However, those with some power knew that Xu Hongyu’s mother was a Yu, she took her father’s surname, and she was from the direct line of the Inner City Yu Family.
The struggle between the He Family and the Yu Family over control of the City Defense Division had not been a matter of just a year or two.
The City Defense Division, with nearly two hundred people in each sector, and ten sectors in the entire South City District, including the City Guard General, totaled nearly three thousand people. The other three city districts in the East, South, and West were not much different, altogether totaling close to twelve or thirteen thousand men.
With such a large number of personnel, there was no doubt that it was a significant force. Although they could not match the elite private soldiers cultivated by various families in terms of quality, due to their large numbers and their legitimate authority from the Imperial Court to carry out many actions openly, if concentrated in the hands of one power, it inevitably posed a threat. Thus, there was mutual restraint between the families.
Xu Hongyu had been the Chief Officer for only two years and, despite her high position and power, did not have many trusted loyalists under her command.
Chen Mu had shown a bit of potential and caught the eye of Xu Hongyu, who provisionally marked him as a loyalist to be nurtured in the future. In the small Ninth District, he naturally rose rapidly, but there were many who did not wish to see Chen Mu grow into a main assistant for Xu Hongyu.
“Hmm, a mere Head Constable, not yet practicing the Body Tempering Method, certainly not worth my personal ‘attention.’
He Mingxuan pondered for a moment, then called someone over and gave a few instructions before calmly picking up a teacup and slowly sipping his tea.
In these two years, Xu Hongyu had offended many. He needed only to leak some information about Chen Mu, then sit back and drink tea. In a few days, naturally, someone would do what he wanted done, and even if it caused Xu Hongyu great anger afterward, it would not be traced back to him.
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