NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 4 The Eight Great Families
On the bustling streets of the Capital City, the voices of peddlers were endless.
Wei Chengye led Shen Qing to the area near the southern district of the city gate.
"Chief Officer Shen, we have arrived."
Shen Qing reined in his horse and stopped. He looked up and saw a low building at the street corner ahead, with a sign reading "Qinglong Square Military Department - Thirty-Seven."
Wei Chengye dismounted and said, "This is the southern Qinglong Square, one of your patrol areas. Come, let's go recognize the place."
Shen Qing nodded and dismounted.
Wei Chengye swaggered in, loudly declaring, "Is there anyone still breathing inside? Come out to meet me."
Moments later, hurried footsteps emerged from the slightly cramped and dim interior of the house.
Three minor officials dressed in black quickly rushed out.
As soon as they saw Wei Chengye, their faces instantly filled with flattery and obsequiousness, groveling as they said, "Ah, isn't this Lord Wei! Pardon our failure to greet you earlier!"
"Please, my lord, have a seat."
The three hastily brought out a few long benches, placed them beside Wei Chengye, and quickly served tea and water with a look of adulation.
Meanwhile, Shen Qing surveyed the surroundings and found the space cramped and the furnishings simple, indicating that these officers' living conditions were not that great.
These officers were at least martial masters in the Qi Cultivation Realm and were influential figures back in Taiping County. Yet here in the Capital City, they were treated like lackeys, constantly ordered around, like heaven and earth apart.
Witnessing this, Shen Qing couldn't help but feel a bit rueful.
Wei Chengye did not accept the tea or sit on the benches; instead, he stepped aside and introduced Shen Qing to everyone present.
"Come, let me introduce you. This is Southern Chief Shen Qing, Lord Shen, who will be your new superior from now on. Get to know him."
With these words, the room's atmosphere froze; everyone's gaze focused on Shen Qing, a mix of curiosity, awe, and anticipation.
Shen Qing stood there, as immovable as a mountain, his expression solemn.
One of the minor officials quickly responded, "Your humble servant, Ma Lingfei, greets you, my lord."
"Your humble servant, Shi Yifei."
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"Your humble servant, Ge Wenbin."
Wei Chengye directly commanded, "Bring out the files from the past few days."
"Yes, my lord."
One of the three quickly ran inside, producing a book resembling a ledger and presented it to both Wei Chengye and Shen Qing: "This, my lords, is the file from the past few days. Please review it, my lords."
Wei Chengye skimmed through the records and then handed them to Shen Qing: "You take a look as well, to get a feel for it."
Shen Qing opened the files and carefully read through them.
By virtue of his Academic Pursuit ability, he quickly understood the cases documented in the files.
Most were street fights, burglaries, and the like, with the only murder case being an accidental killing involving familial betrayal.
Quite different from Yongzhou, where murder and rampant demon activity were common.
In other words, life here was quite peaceful.
"So, usually, we are not needed much; these officers and constables are more than capable of handling matters," Wei Chengye calmly explained. "You needn't worry too much."
Shen Qing closed the file and said, "I understand."
"Your jurisdiction is from thirty to forty-four, all in this area. You can come familiarize yourself with the locations when you have time. Now, let's head to another location."
With that, Wei Chengye was already on his feet, heading outside.
After returning the files, Shen Qing also stepped out.
The three minor officials escorted them to the door, grinning, "My lords, take care."
Outside, Shen Qing and Wei Chengye mounted their horses.
Shen Qing inquired, "Are we heading to the next district office?"
"Lord Shen, you can take your time meeting those under your jurisdiction later. I will take you to another place," Wei Chengye said, spurring his horse forward, "Let's go!"
Indeed, visiting so many neighborhoods, fourteen garrison points, one by one, would indeed be quite time-consuming.
If conditions were largely the same everywhere, it would be unnecessary.
Shen Qing did not question and simply followed.
Having wandered around yesterday with nothing else to do, he was already quite familiar with the layout of this area.
He noticed that Wei Chengye was heading further south.
If he remembered correctly, that direction would lead near Qifu Gate.
After riding for a while, they arrived at an establishment where Wei Chengye halted, handing the reins to a servant by the door before striding inside.
The interior was bustling, with the first floor full of people.
Wei Chengye led Shen Qing to the second floor, choosing a window seat.
A servant approached, beaming with a smile, "What would you like to eat, sirs?"
"Get a pot of Golden Osmanthus Wine, three taels of lamb, a roast chicken, and three side dishes for the wine," Wei Chengye skillfully ordered.
The servant quickly noted on a bamboo slip, "All right, esteemed guests, please wait a moment."
Shen Qing sat across from Wei Chengye, puzzled, "Lord Wei, is this the place you intended for me to see?"
Wei Chengye smiled and pointed, "Look at the street below."
Shen Qing leaned out to look at the street below, only seeing hurried pedestrians and rows of shops lining the street.
Beyond that, he couldn't notice any significant differences.
"Forgive my lack of insight; I can't discern anything special."
Wei Chengye chuckled, "Do you know which influential families are in the Capital?"
"Cui, Wang, Xue, Xie, Zhao, Li, Zhang, Su."
"Correct. The stores below belong precisely to the Eight Great Families: the Su family's gambling house, the Zhang family's pleasure quarters, the Xie family's pawnshop... Within your jurisdiction, this area has the most family establishments, so be cautious," Wei Chengye advised with a hint of warning.