Chapter 20: The First Day at Work

Walking along the main street of the capital, Bai Yu placed one hand on his waist and the other on his dagger, finally feeling a semblance of security. Looking at himself now, at least he was no longer the roadside weed that no one cared about even in death. In a low-rights ancient society, achieving even this was already surpassing eighty percent of the population.

Before long, Bai Yu arrived at the Right Gate of Chang'an, where he had his identification token checked and registered before entering the Imperial City. Following the Royal Street to the outside of Chengtian Gate—what would later be known as Tiananmen—Bai Yu stood on the Golden Water Bridge, gazing up for a moment.

At this very familiar location, faced with an unfamiliar city tower, Bai Yu's mind drifted, and he finally sighed deeply. There was no going back; he had to live well in this world.

Passing through Chengtian Gate and Duan Gate in quick succession, he reached the main gate of the palace, Wumen. Among all the palace gates, Wumen held the highest status and was the main entrance to the palace city.

The vast area surrounding Wumen was, for the most part, the political center of the court. Ministers held their daily audiences on the square north of Wumen. The Emperor’s regular office, Wenhua Hall, was located to the northeast of Wumen, as was the Cabinet. The place where court officials gathered for meetings was at the East Audience Hall outside Wumen.

From these functions alone, it was clear that the area around Wumen had long been the de facto political hub. This was why Emperor Jiajing appointed a Commandant to be on duty at Wumen specifically to monitor this area.

However, since Emperor Jiajing moved to Yongshou Palace in the Western Garden, the political center shifted westward, though Wumen remained an important secondary center.

On the east and west sides outside Wumen were corridor rooms originally meant for resting before court sessions, also called Audience Halls. The east side was the domain of civil officials, the west side the military officials’ territory.

Among them, the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s stationed officers occupied a room in the West Audience Hall, using it as their squad room.

Bai Yu asked around for directions and found the squad room. Before entering, he heard faint noise coming from inside. Peering in, he saw about ten people gathered around two tables, shouting animatedly while playing "Ma Diao."

This popular card game of the time, played by four people per table, bore a faint resemblance to the mahjong of later eras.

Watching those two tables playing cards with such fervor during working hours, a phrase popped into Bai Yu’s mind: "civil peace, military pleasure."

Among the group was one man wearing the uniform of a sixth-rank officer—likely the squad leader.

Bai Yu stepped forward, bowed, presented his identification token, and said, "Greetings, officer. I am Bai Yu, reporting for duty today."

The squad leader, surnamed Qian, was busy handling cards, barely glancing at Bai Yu before turning away without checking the token.

He said casually, "Being assigned as a stationed officer at Wumen means you’re trusted by the Commandant. No need for formalities, we’re all on the same side. There’s a long road ahead; we look out for each other."

Qian’s words were remarkably straightforward, leaving the newcomer Bai Yu momentarily stunned. This was surprisingly easygoing. Bai Yu had worried about being picked on as a newcomer.

Of course, a welcoming atmosphere was beneficial, making it easier to integrate and get started with the work.

However, glancing again at the cards on the table, Bai Yu began to wonder if there was any actual work to be done here.

Not knowing what to do, Bai Yu stood at the side watching the game.

Suddenly, Qian asked the others, "Later, the ministers of the Ministries will hold a meeting in the East Audience Hall opposite us. Who wants to sit in and listen for me?"

When ministers held meetings, the Embroidered Uniform Guard officers were responsible for eavesdropping nearby—that was part of their duties.

Hence the saying that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was the Emperor’s eyes and ears.

But at that moment, everyone in the squad room clutched their cards tightly, ignoring Qian completely, clearly absorbed in their game.

Qian scolded with a laugh, "You freeloaders living off your salaries, when it’s time to work you all play dead!"

One voice replied, "Court discussions are truly dull and tedious; we can’t speak up anyway. Sometimes we don’t even understand what’s being said. Going there is just a nap opportunity."

Another complained, "Those officers who go out to handle cases and suppress uprisings can earn some extra money, but we’re stuck here at Wumen with no perks at all. If we’re not playing cards or fooling around, what else can we do?"

Unable to argue with these seasoned veterans, Qian turned to Bai Yu and said, "You came at just the right time. I’ll send you to the East Audience Hall to listen in."

Bai Yu hesitated, asking, "Is that appropriate? Ministers gathering to discuss state affairs—it’s a high-level meeting, and I’m just a newcomer."

Qian waved his hand dismissively. "Relax, it’s not as serious as you think. It’s just a simple errand."

Bai Yu added, "I’m new and don’t even know the ministers. How can I monitor them?"

Qian laughed heartily before replying, "Our duty, frankly, is just to keep an eye on the situation for the Emperor, to prevent any rebellion.

But look outside—does it seem like anyone’s about to rebel?

As long as no one rebels, no one betrays the Emperor, no great treason occurs, it means nothing’s happening for us!

Whether you recognize the ministers or not doesn’t matter."

With Qian’s words, Bai Yu had nothing more to say and obediently replied, "Understood!"

After all, this world was just a giant makeshift troupe; one more or less didn’t matter.

"By the way, one more thing," Qian reminded, "If those ministers start fighting, stay out of it. Don’t get yourself into trouble!"

Bai Yu: "?"

Could ministers really come to blows at a state meeting?

As Bai Yu prepared to leave, someone called out loudly, "Hey, newcomer! After the East Audience Hall meeting, please help me patrol at the Left Wing Gate for a while. Thanks!"

The East Audience Hall was right across from the Embroidered Uniform Guard squad room, separated only by a passage. Bai Yu crossed over and entered.

Inside, over twenty people stood talking. Most wore red official robes, third or second rank, mostly from various ministries.

Some, despite wearing blue robes, bore the Xiezhi badge on their chests, marking them as censors—officials who wielded power disproportionate to their rank and were not to be trifled with.

Among the sea of official hats and robes, only one person wore simple blue cloth and a red tassel hat, standing out like a firefly in the night sky.

Bai Yu entered quietly and stood in a corner, keeping his back straight.

Any lesser man might have felt their knees weaken suddenly, thrown among such formidable strangers.

Other officials glanced at Bai Yu but showed no reaction. They were accustomed to the Embroidered Uniform Guard officers monitoring meetings—a mere formality.

At most, they were slightly surprised by how young the newcomer was.

Like any first-time worker, Bai Yu listened carefully to the speeches, faithfully fulfilling his duty.