Chapter 10 Outside the East Gate of Longxi County

When Chunxiang saw her husband about to leave, she suddenly pulled out a small money pouch from her sleeve and stuffed it into Guo Ye's arms, saying: "This is five taels of silver. My young lady said that since you are unfamiliar with the city of Longxi and are newly arrived at the county office, you will need to eat, find accommodation, and navigate the social intricacies with your colleagues. You cannot be short of silver. Here—this is given to you by my young lady."

Guo Ye, riding on a donkey, could already faintly see the tall city walls of Longxi.

... ...

Then, on the street, he strutted with an air of superiority, exuding authority, and would often shout: "Official business in progress, all bystanders please stand clear!"

... ...

He did not know the expression he had on his face in the hall, nor did he know how he bid farewell to his father-in-law, Wu Maocai, as he left the hall. He only remembered feeling anxious and even excited when he heard the term "yayi" (bailiff), and in the end, he numbly nodded in agreement to Wu Maocai's request to return to the side room in the backyard

As Wu Maocai's eloquent words echoed in Guo Ye's mind, he walked along the path to the back yard's annex

Prepare the donkey for the journey, as the distance between Dongliu Township and Longxi City is quite considerable, spanning several dozen li. He does not wish to dawdle until nightfall

Keep moving forward, just a few steps away from the East Gate

However, today I am in an exceptionally good mood, and Guo Ye is too lazy to argue with Wu Xiuxiu. He nods slightly and hums, "Understood, tell your young lady that I, Guo Ye, am a person who accomplishes great things."

Immediately following, a loud shout was heard: "Get out of the way, do not block the path. The kid riding the donkey up ahead, hurry and move aside."

The county lieutenant oversees nearly one hundred yamen runners and local militia within the county office. In the territory of Longxi County, his word carries immense weight, and it would not be an exaggeration to say he can summon the winds and call forth the rain.

Guo Ye held a money pouch in his hand, and the pouch embroidered with lotus flowers faintly emanated the fragrance of orchids, a scent that Wu Xiuxiu often carried with her

Upon turning back, there stood Wu Xiuxiu's maid, Chunxiang.

Then, humming a little tune, he merrily rode out of the Wu family on a donkey, preparing to report for duty in Longxi County.

The annual salary of an ordinary constable is approximately between 12 and 15 taels, and inviting three to five friends for a lavish meal at a restaurant would only cost around 300 to 500 wen, not even reaching one tael of silver

I remember that after graduating from the Chinese Department in university, I even took the civil service examination, simply to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a police officer who punishes evil and upholds justice

However, the dream of becoming a police officer has never faded; every day is spent either reading detective novels or watching crime dramas.

The little donkey is quite docile, perhaps it knows that following its new master, Guo Ye, it will enjoy a life of luxury, with the opportunity to court beautiful female donkeys in the city. Therefore, it has not been stubborn along the way. In less than two hours, it has already arrived at the official road outside the east gate of Longxi City.

Da da da ... ...

The little donkey trotted forward step by step, just about to reach the east gate, when suddenly—

Then, an inexplicable surge of boundless ambition welled up within me, and I swung the whip, shouting at the little donkey: "Get up!"

Got it

Not long after leaving the Wu family, and having walked less than a mile, Guo Ye heard a crisp voice calling out to him from behind. The voice grew closer and closer as it approached him

... ...

I have arranged a position for you as a constable in the Longxi County office

The gentle little donkey suddenly went wild, unexpectedly throwing Guo Ye off its back, causing him to fall face-first into the mud.

As the saying goes, flies do not buzz around an egg without seams. If it were not for Guo Ye's overly conspicuous performance in the Wu family, and if it were not for the Liu family's aggressive demeanor, Wu Maocai would feel the need to cultivate relationships within the county office as well

On the path through the corridor, the servants and maids of the Wu family hurriedly greeted Guo Ye, the son-in-law. However, this young man remained in a daze, completely oblivious to their greetings, only murmuring the words "yamen servant" to himself.

Guo Ye slowly tucked the money pouch into his sleeve, placing it alongside the earlier ten taels of silver. He then turned his gaze towards the Wu family direction, silently thinking, "Wu Xiuxiu, wait for your brother to achieve greatness."

In the midst of the rush, an unexpected warmth filled my heart. It seems that Wu Xiuxiu, this little girl, also cares for the young man

... ...

Looking again at the city gate, on either side stood a person, lazily leaning against the wall, yawning as they watched the townsfolk entering the city. Both were dressed in square black caps and dark blue robes, holding iron rulers in their hands. Such attire can only belong to officials.

That was a court official of a certain rank; although he was merely a ninth-grade county lieutenant, to local gentry like Wu Maocai and Liu Laolai, he was already a figure to be revered from afar.

Guo Ye halted the donkey that was carrying him, turned around to look at Chunxiang, and when she ran up to him, he asked, "What is it?"

What was the concept of five taels of silver during the Tang Dynasty?

Drive, drive ~ ~ ''

In the present day, if one were to traverse back to the Tang Dynasty, having the opportunity to showcase one's ambitions and realize the dreams that have long been held, can Guo Ye still remain calm?

Regardless of the thoughts and speculations in his mind, Guo Ye still rode forward on his little donkey. Whether it was the police or the urban management officers, they would all be colleagues in the future, so he felt it necessary to go over and greet them

If we were to use Guo Ye's words regarding the picture book, Gu Dezhiao, the county magistrate of Jiupin, is the one who controls the entire political and public security system of Longxi County. In later times, a county's political and legal committee secretary also serves as the director of the public security bureau without exception

However, the observant Guo Ye noticed that each of them repeated a certain action after entering the east gate, which was—

It seems that this young lady has touched her own private funds

A bright future awaits him, and the prestigious position of the official is vacant, waiting for his arrival in the officialdom.

Pay taxes

Although I later became a civil servant, I was not admitted to the public security system due to certain connections, and ultimately ended up in a small, unremarkable unit to pass the time

Two constables were inexplicably questioned by Guo Ye, leaving them utterly baffled. They looked at Guo Ye with astonishment, as if they were gazing at a millennia-old oddity.

After speaking, he turned around and hurried away, not looking back as he ran towards the Wu family.

As for someone like Wu Maocai, who is meticulous in managing finances, he would certainly not engage in a losing business deal

The sound came on strong, with shouts echoing arrogantly. Guo Ye had no time to react, as the little donkey at his rear seemed to sense the danger. Suddenly, it let out a wild "heehaw heehaw" and, raising a hoof towards the right side of the official road, it bolted to the roadside.

Two days later, Guo Ye, having made all the necessary preparations, set out with the letter personally written by County Lieutenant Gu Dezhiao, which was provided by his father-in-law Wu Maocai, as well as the ten taels of silver that Guo Laohan had sent with Guo Xiaoman on that day. In high spirits, he rode the donkey that the Wu family had arranged for him.

Given his temperament, how could he possibly spend twenty or thirty taels of silver to leverage his relationship with the county magistrate Gu Zhao De of Longxi County to secure such a position for Guo Ye

He could not care less about the pain from his bruised body, nor could he bother to whip himself with the book for being such a timid and cowardly donkey. He got up and was about to curse the instigator behind him.

Breathless and drenched in fragrant sweat, Chunxiang, unable to wipe herself, gasped and said: "Young Master, my young lady knows that your father has arranged a position for you. She said that you should uphold the family name of the Wu family in the city and not bring shame upon it"

After speaking, he turned around and sat upright, shouting loudly.

At this moment, he no longer cares about what thoughts Wu Maocai might have, especially since he has spent money to secure him such a position as a minor official in the yamen.

Guo Ye felt a chill run down his spine under the strange gazes of the two constables. What is it? Did I say something wrong?

However, how could a man of seven feet tall possibly use a woman's money? Guo Ye picked up the small pouch in his arms and was about to say that he had money himself, but unfortunately, Chunxiang had already run far away

The yamen runners are indeed quite impressive

In Guo Ye's memory, whether in the novels or film and television works explored by later generations, the officials of the Tang Dynasty are depicted as wearing a square cap, dressed in a dark blue round-collared narrow-sleeved robe, with a leather belt around their waist, and holding an iron ruler and a steel knife.

Throughout the journey, and even after returning to the room, Guo Ye remained exhilarated, even humming and energetically waving his arms in a manner reminiscent of the combat techniques he had learned in his previous life

Unfortunately, before he could start cursing, the carriage had already crashed through the east gate and had long since made its escape

Kakakak ... ...

... ...

Upon closer inspection, a few individuals entered through the East Gate in small groups of three or two.

Chunxiang's sudden action and the words she conveyed on behalf of Wu Xiuxiu caught Guo Ye completely off guard

Do not tarnish the reputation of the Wu family; it is merely a fear of losing face in Longxi City, hmph. This time, the young man is like a fish entering a hidden abyss, like a dragon entering the vast sea

Guo, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain in his arm from the fall, glared at the carriage that was disappearing into the city and angrily exclaimed: "Damn it, this is a classic case of hit-and-run, I can't believe it"

What is a county lieutenant?

Yamen runner

What profession is a yaye?

Every person entering the city will voluntarily toss two cash coins into the basket located to the right of the East Gate

Do the yamen runners also oversee the city gates and the collection of city taxes

If it gets dark, and the city gates are closed, then one will have no choice but to sleep in the wild mountains and fields outside the city

Ah, it is truly exhilarating just to think about it

Cutting in, Wu Xiuxiu still spoke in this tone. Guo Ye secretly pouted; the Wu family could be considered a prominent household in Dongliu Township, but what did that amount to in Longxi County? At most, they were just a local gentry landlord

Guo Ye pondered, could it be that the current constables are not only police officers, but also take on the duties of urban management?

Tsk tsk, the yamen runners, they are indeed the police of later generations, truly impressive

Regardless of whether it is Guo Ye's extraordinary luck or Wu Mao's scheming, the matter is settled. Guo Ye is to report to the Longxi County government in the coming days

Bang

However, everything this time has come about too coincidentally

The murderer has already fled. Unable to find any evidence at the scene, Guo Ye had no choice but to lead the damned little donkey to the east gate, shouting at the two gatekeepers: "Hey, what are you two thinking? Whose damn cart is this, daring to rampage through the bustling market and even trying to evade paying taxes upon entering the city? Don't just stand there, hurry up and chase after it!"

A person and a donkey hurried towards the direction of Longxi City, making a rhythmic "da da da" sound.

A sudden clamor of horse hooves and the grinding sound of wooden wheels against the ground came from behind Guo Ye

... ...

As soon as he stood up, he was astonished to see that the culprit who had frightened his donkey was actually a horse-drawn carriage