You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 5: Riding a Man with a Dog
"Everyone, disperse, disperse."

Jiang Qingyun beat up a bunch of people, and his suppressed mood immediately felt much better.

As Lu Xun once said: Civil officials should practice some martial arts, and military officials should learn some literature.

He truly deserves to be called a great writer; every word he utters is a truth, and he could easily make a living in any dynasty. The commander of the military headquarters was a civil official.

"Brother Jiang, let's go, I'll see you off to your new post."

"Wait a moment."

He hesitated for a moment, then quickly walked towards the monk, put his hands together in prayer, and asked, "Amitabha, may I ask your Dharma name, Master?"

The tall monk quickly returned the greeting: "This humble monk is Tianji."

……

Zhou Shao looked surprised. Was this the monk that the person in charge mentioned at the orphanage earlier?
What a coincidence~
Jiang Qingyun nodded, showing no surprise.

Before I even asked him, my intuition told me that this monk was Tianji, since such a cool Buddhist name is something most people wouldn't dare to use.

Intuition is right.

In an instant, Jiang Qingyun recalled something an elder had told him when he was young, before he transmigrated:

At our level, we must trust our intuition. Never try to deceive your intuition with various excuses; the tragedy of adulthood begins with deceiving your intuition.

The elders possessed great wisdom.

……

Jiang Qingyun is about 178 cm tall, but Tianji Monk is half a head taller, which is truly rare.

Tianji bowed slightly and recited:
"The incense of famous temples and ancient monasteries burns continuously, and the cause and effect of good and evil intertwine endlessly. The benefactor draws his sword to denounce injustice, while the wicked servant commits evil and brings trouble upon himself."

"This old monk observes that the benefactor appears to have the appearance of an Arhat."

Zhou Shao smiled.

Jiang Qingyun laughed too. The word sounded familiar. So this monk called everyone he met an Arhat.

“Master, I just met someone who said he was the Arhat who carried a bowl.”

Even after his tricks were exposed, the monk Tianji remained unperturbed and smiled, saying, "Would the benefactor be willing to let this old monk read your fortune for free?"

Jiang Qingyun took off his hat and his smile faded.

After observing the situation seriously for a while, the monk Tianji praised again:
"Your face is truly auspicious. A successful official career is but a minor matter. You will have a wife, wealth, children, longevity, and prosperity. What is most remarkable is that you were born to undertake a great mission."

"Master, what important task is it?"

"Buddha said, don't say it."

"Getting promoted and making money is a minor path, so what is the major path?"

The Buddha said, "It cannot be spoken of!"

The monk Tianji's eyes gleamed with wisdom, displaying the demeanor of a reclusive sage.

Those with slightly less spiritual cultivation would absolutely be unable to resist such top-notch deception. They're all reincarnated Arhats, practicing both minor and major paths; it's only right for men to donate silver and women to donate their bodies.

……

"Master, what kind of Arhat did you think I was in my past life?"

"The Arhat Sitting on a Deer"

The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.

Jiang Qingyun was terrified for the second time today, and almost screamed.

The Arhat Riding a Deer, also known as the Venerable Pindola Bharadvaja, was once a minister of the kingdom and later guided the king to become a monk.

Is this prophecy a pure coincidence or something ordained by fate?
Zhou Shao couldn't hold back any longer.

"Master, may I have a look?"

“Benefactor, you have a compassionate heart, but lack the power of a thunderbolt. Therefore, you must not be too compassionate, or you will be punished. I will give you eight words of advice: Small acts of kindness accumulate blessings, great acts of kindness invite disaster.”

Jiang Qingyun couldn't help but ask, "Was Brother Zhou also an Arhat in his previous life?"

Master Tianji shook his head.

……

Jiang Qingyun was thinking that it was important to take office as soon as possible.

"Master, I am going to take up my post at the South City Military Command. If you need anything in the future, you can also come to the yamen to find me."

Monk Tianji: "Benefactor, do you have any money?"

"No money!" they both said in unison.

"One must not lie in front of monks!"

"We really have no money! We gave it all to that orphanage in the alley."

The monk Tianji sighed softly, then got up and left.

Jiang Qingyun pressed further, "Master, which temple are you staying at?"

"A wanderer, free from all attachments, will surely meet again if fate allows."

The two men looked at each other, assuming it was just a minor incident before the monk took office, a strange and eccentric fellow.

……

Evening~
The South City Military Commandery's yamen (government office) looked dilapidated from the outside. But no matter how dilapidated it was, it was still a government office, and its authority was inviolable.

At the entrance of the alley, two sedan chairs slowly approached.

"Alight from the sedan chair!" The green sedan chair carried by four men symbolizes a noble status.

The commander, clerks, soldiers, and coroners, a total of 20 people who had been notified in advance, knelt down in unison at the door to greet the arriving official.

Jiang Qingyun lifted the sedan curtain and stepped down.

Bow with clasped hands:

"Brothers, my name is Jiang Qingyun. I am the deputy commander of the South City Military Command. From now on, we will be working together in the same pot. I am a rough man and a soldier by origin. Please take care of me."

"Why are you kneeling? Get up now."

Everyone felt awkward, thinking to themselves, "We're not kneeling to you, we're kneeling to a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel."

……

But the junior official from the Ministry of Personnel in the other green sedan chair was like a shy bride, unable to get out.

Uert, a Manchu of the Plain Blue Banner and the current commander of the Southern City Military Command, stared at the sedan chair with a puzzled look. He couldn't just rashly lift the curtain, could he?
If an official from the Examination and Appointment Office is sitting inside, I'm in for trouble later.

What's wrong with being a genuine Manchu?

The first level of officialdom crushes people to death.

In the capital, one cannot simply judge hierarchy based on whether one is Manchu or Han. A Han official might be subject to the wrath of a Manchu official, but it's certainly not up to a lowly bannerman like you to act arrogantly.

Just as he hesitated, the green sedan chair suddenly lifted off the ground.

Heading back!

Everyone was dumbfounded. Did the official from the Ministry of Personnel have some kind of grudge against us? He didn't even get out of his sedan chair.

"Oh dear! Uncle... sir, please wait!"

Jiang Qingyun, who was new to the place, suddenly slapped his forehead and ran after the green sedan chair without any regard for his image. He approached and whispered a few words.

A small bundle protruded from the sedan window.

Jiang Qingyun took the bundle and then swaggered back.

Everyone watched with bated breath as the newly appointed deputy commander, who had been all smiles and laughter, quickly reverted to his dignified official demeanor and strode towards them with impeccable, measured steps.
……

"Commander, please!"

"Deputy Commander, please!"

After humbly bowing a few times at the yamen gate, Jiang Qingyun suddenly cupped his hands and decisively walked to the front, leaving the sixth-rank commander, Wuerte, dumbfounded.

Something's not right.

Who exactly is the head and deputy head of the Southern City Military Command?

Everyone saw it all. Some gloated, some were secretly on guard, and some even considered joining their cause.

Anyway,

A very important deputy commander arrived at the small South City Military Command.

That evening, as usual, there was a grand welcome banquet.

Drinking is an important part of officialdom, and its significance is no less than that of a formal meeting. Hosts and guests can exchange a lot of information while drinking and toasting.

For example, the clerk Zhao Zesheng.

The Qing Dynasty's official system consisted of nine ranks and eighteen grades. Clerks were considered unranked, meaning they were outside the nine ranks.

When toasting alone, he bent over noticeably, and the bottom of his glass was lowered by 3 inches.

"Lord Jiang, I'll drink it all. Please do as you please."

As Jiang Qingyun tilted his head back, he secretly glanced at Wuerte out of the corner of his eye and saw that Wuerte's face was gloomy, which basically confirmed his guess—the clerk Zhao Zesheng was not favored by his superiors and had a very bad relationship with his superiors.

He drank it all in one gulp and turned the glass upside down to show his sincerity.

Clerk Zhao Zesheng's face flushed with excitement, and he quickly helped pour the wine.
……

Before taking office, Jiang Qingyun had already decided to suppress the official and use his power to control the person in charge.

Therefore, from the moment he stepped off the sedan chair, he tried to steal the limelight at every turn.

At this moment, he started singing high-sounding tunes again:

"The Military Command is the first line of defense for the capital. We brothers are bound together to fight side by side and entrust our lives to each other. Today, there are no superiors, only brothers. Gentlemen, for the Qing Dynasty, let's fight!"

Everyone stood up in unison, raised their glasses, and shouted, "Cheers!"

Uert's face darkened even more; these were my words!

……

After the welcome dinner, there will definitely be a second half.

Clerk Zhao Zesheng, along with several soldiers and coroners, hurriedly dragged the feigning drunk Jiang Qingyun to Han Family Alley for some entertainment.

Han Family Alley was one of the eight major hutongs, and it happened to be within the jurisdiction of the Southern City Military Command. Although it was not yet prosperous at this time, it was already showing its potential.

Presumably, Deputy Commander Jiang will have a rather pleasant evening.

The rear office of the Military Commandery
Enraged, Wuerte asked his confidant, "When he greeted the officials outside the yamen, did he call him 'Uncle'?"

"That's right!"

"Who exactly is his uncle?"

"How would I know?!"

(End of this chapter)