The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 15 From the Seventh Rank Lingtai Lang
The people of the Dusi Tianjian transported the tiger demon overnight and returned to the city secretly.

Of the hundred or so new recruits, after passing through the city gate, only less than thirty remained...

Wang Wen, who made the greatest contribution in this trip, also met the chief official of Yangzhou Dusi Tianjian, Shao Sijian Zhao Zhiling, again.

"Are you a disciple of the Cao Gang?"

The meeting place was not in the lobby of the Dusi Tianjian, but in a small government office that looked like the main hall of an ordinary citizen's house. Zhao Zhiling, dressed in a green round-collared uniform, sat in the hall. Below him were the monk and the Taoist priest who had appeared in the training ground in the morning, and then the leopard-headed, round-eyed, rough man and the handsome man with small eyes who led the team to kill the rebellious tiger demon in Nashan Village today.

The four of them sat on the left and right, looking up and down at Wang Wen in the hall.

Wang Wen clasped his fists and saluted, then replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "Your Excellency, I am indeed from the Qinghe Gang."

Zhao Zhiling remained silent, then asked, "You were sent to the Imperial Observatory because you killed someone from the Beggars' Sect, sparking a conflict between the Cao and Beggars' Sects?"

Wang Wen raised his head slightly, glanced at him, and replied, "Your Excellency, the rumors and gossips from the outside world are truly slanderous. I am from a good family. How could I disregard the laws of the Great Zhou and get involved in a murder case for no reason?"

Zhao Zhiling nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Is it really just a few quarrels?"

Wang Wen: "Your Excellency is asking about the altercation that occurred between me and the Beggars' Gang in the Grass Market on the evening of the sixth day of the seventh lunar month. That altercation wasn't caused by me. It was actually caused by my brothers and sisters who accidentally caught someone from the Beggars' Gang beating up a beggar. Those beggars were so humiliated that they started throwing a tantrum in the street!"

Zhao Zhiling finally showed the faintest smile on his face, and said with a double meaning: "'Troublemakers' are good, I like subordinates who 'cause troublemakers'!"

Wang Wen clasped his fists and said, "Your Excellency, I am deeply ashamed to accept this compliment."

Zhao Zhiling extended his hand, his sleeves fluttering. "Come, first, let me meet the two deputy supervisors... This is Master Ji Liangji, a high-ranking official from Mount Mao, whose Taoist name is Jingxu."

Wang Wen quickly clasped his fists towards the old Taoist priest on the upper right, who had white hair and beard, a thin figure, and a somewhat immortal appearance. "I am Wang Wen, your subordinate, and I am honored to meet you, Master Ji!"

"Wang Wen?"

When Taoist Ji Liang heard this name for the first time, he habitually counted a few times with his right hand hidden in his sleeves, but his five fingers were suddenly bounced away.

He nodded calmly and waved his hand, saying, "We're family, no need to be so polite... Congratulations, Master Zhao, on finding such a powerful general!"

Zhao Zhiling stroked his beard and smiled, "Master Jingxu, please continue to guide the younger generation in the future."

Taoist Ji Liang smiled and nodded: "Of course."

Zhao Zhiling nodded, then pointed to the middle-aged monk on his left who was generous, plump, and always smiling. "This is the head monk of Lingyin Temple, his Buddhist name is Shou'an."

Wang Wen quickly clasped his fists and saluted: "Subordinate Wang Wen, paying homage to Master Shouan."

The middle-aged monk smiled and nodded, "Amitabha, thank you for your courtesy, Donor Wang."

Zhao Zhiling stroked his beard and pointed at the two black-clad warriors below him with a smile: "You should recognize these two, right? Junior Summer Officer Cheng Xian and Junior Winter Officer Li Heng!"

Cheng Xian was a dark-skinned, rough-looking man with a leopard head and round eyes, while Li Heng was a handsome man with small eyes.

Wang Wen clasped his fists and said, "I pay my respects to Master Cheng and Master Li. Today I am in Nashan Village. Thank you Master Cheng for your advice!"

Cheng Xian returned the greeting with a fist, a calm and generous smile on his face: "You are a good boy, you have a good character!"

Li Heng smiled and waved his hand: "From now on, everyone will be wielding a ladle in the same pot. I'll call you if you need anything."

Wang Wen smiled and made a few polite remarks.

Zhao Zhiling watched them exchange pleasantries calmly for a moment before speaking, "Erhu, for your meritorious service in slaying the tiger demon tonight, I hereby promote you to the rank of Seventh-Rank Lingtai Lang under Shaoxia Guan, and you will be given command of fifty Sitian Guards. All necessary documents and seals will be issued after I submit a report to the capital."

Wang Wen exclaimed "Fuck" in his heart with ecstasy, and clasped his fists with a beaming face to flatter the emperor: "Your Excellency's great kindness in promoting me will be remembered in my heart. I will never forget it even if all my teeth fall out, and I will repay you in my next life." Hearing his plain flattery, a burst of good-natured laughter broke out in the government office.

In between, there are also Zhao Zhiling's advice of "reading more books when you have time" and Cheng Xian's joking threat of "boy, my subordinates don't have it easy, if you are afraid of death, get out of here."

Finally, Zhao Zhiling waved his hand, silencing the teasing of everyone in the room, and said seriously, "My Metropolitan Observatory is newly established, and many businesses are waiting to be developed. I ask everyone to work together to protect the local waters and soil and maintain peace. I dare not boast of being open-minded and strategic, but I can say that I clearly distinguish between rewards and punishments and work hard without complaint. You can rest assured to slay demons and monsters boldly. I will take care of the rest of the trivial matters!"

A straightforward and plain statement with a powerful impact!

The four people in the hall stood up at the same time.

Taoist Jingxu and Monk Shouan: "We are willing to share your worries!"

Cheng Xian and Li Heng: "We are willing to die for you, sir!"

Wang Wen: "I am willing to die for you, sir!"

It was also at this time that he finally realized how serious this Lord Zhao was in the fight at Nashan Village!

Of the more than one hundred new recruits, half were the sons and nephews of local officials, gentry and powerful people in Yangzhou, and the other half were the guards and family servants of the sons and nephews.

This Lord Zhao killed more than a dozen people with just a wrench and drove away fifty or sixty...

This is not to slap the faces of those officials, gentry and powerful people, but to cut off their financial resources and undermine their foundation!

As the saying goes, the county magistrate comes and goes, but the current manager remains. The unspoken rule in officialdom has always been that officials are sent from above, and clerks are local gentry and powerful people. Everyone works together to make money and splits the profits 30% to 70%.

Not to mention, the Astronomical Observatory was newly established, and what was missing from the office were not just clerks without ranks, but also officials with real ranks!

Lord Zhao has played such a trick. How many people's ambitions will be dashed?

'What a jerk!'

"I hope he can really hold on..."

Wang Wen thought secretly in his heart... He is not quite sure what kind of character this Lord Zhao is, but so far, this Lord Zhao has left a very good impression on him.

He even felt that this Lord Zhao had some underworld qualities.

Anyway, a serious civil servant would not be as straightforward as him.

……

After the meeting, Wang Wen followed Cheng Xian and started chatting with him in a familiar manner: "Brother Xian'er, why are the official titles of our Imperial Astronomical Bureau so strange?"

Cheng Xian sneered without blushing or beating his heart, "You uneducated brat, haven't you even heard of the Imperial Observatory?"

Wang Wen laughed and said, "To be honest, I only heard of the name of the Si Tian Jian just before I came here!"

Cheng Xian laughed heartily and slapped Wang Wen on the shoulder. "Listen up, boy! The Imperial Astronomical Observatory has existed in every dynasty. It's responsible for astronomical observation, calendar calculations, geomancy, and the prediction of weather conditions, rain, snow, droughts, and floods. During peaceful times, whenever there were extraordinary people, they were all registered with the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to serve the country..."

"Oh, that's it."

Wang Wen understood and thought to himself, "So it's the Imperial Observatory!"

(End of this chapter)