Chapter Four: The Imperial City Division

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Eunuch Hu looked at Xiao Zhi’s dejected expression and said, “Don’t be discouraged. There’s good news too—the Emperor has promoted your rank. You are now a Sixth-Rank Execution Officer, concurrently serving as an Execution Officer of the Imperial City Guard. From now on, you can act with some discretion.”

The Imperial City Guard—this was the secret police of the Great Chu.

However, the Imperial City Guard of Great Chu was originally formed by nobles and was a group of incompetents, historically lacking any real presence.

But that didn’t matter. Whether the Imperial City Guard was a ravenous tiger or a defenseless lamb entirely depended on who was in charge of these fools.

“What kind of position is this Execution Officer of the Imperial City Guard?” Xiao Zhi couldn’t help but wonder silently. Did the Imperial City Guard really need gatekeeping security?

“Although you’re Sixth Rank, the Guard General of the Imperial City Guard is Fourth Rank, but he must obey you. The Emperor specifically instructed this,” Hu explained.

Hearing this, Xiao Zhi felt reassured. Execution Officer was just a title, after all.

At the Hall of Diligent Governance.

After the report, Xiao Zhi followed Eunuch Hu into the hall.

Qin Yong was still flipping through Xiao Zhi’s salt industry law, a smile playing on his lips, though his brows were slightly furrowed as if puzzled by some problem.

Seeing Xiao Zhi arrive, Qin Yong’s face hardened, and he said coldly, “Xiao Zhi, can you truly extract fine salt from coarse and even poisonous salt? Deceiving me would be a crime of treason.”

Great Chu did have fine salt, but there were only a few salt wells producing it, reserved solely for the noble officials.

“Your Majesty, I am not speaking without evidence. If you do not believe me, I can demonstrate it right here.”

It wasn’t that Qin Yong distrusted Xiao Zhi personally, but the matter was too serious.

Conducting experiments in the Hall of Diligent Governance was impractical. Xiao Zhi first explained in detail the differences between coarse salt, poisonous salt, and fine salt, then emphasized the purification method.

To him, the purification process wasn’t too complicated, but fearing Qin Yong might not understand, he omitted the steps involving the removal of impurity ions. If Qin Yong understood calcium ions, magnesium ions, and sulfate ions, Xiao Zhi wouldn’t have to show off so much.

Yet even so, Qin Yong was still confused.

“Why did you kill Huai Zhong in court?” Qin Yong asked.

Xiao Zhi replied, “I know only with Huai Zhong’s death can Your Majesty truly command the Six Ministries.”

Previously, Xiao Zhi called himself a petty man. Now, as a Sixth-Rank Execution Officer, it was proper to address himself as a subject.

Qin Yong appraised Xiao Zhi from head to toe. The man before him was no longer the person he once knew. Before the Emperor, he was no longer submissive; even his eyes betrayed a sense of world-weariness.

Whether Xiao Zhi was still the same Xiao Zhi was meaningless to a ruler.

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Great Chu was now besieged on all sides, and Qin Yong needed trustworthy, reliable, and capable men.

He had truly reached a desperate point, with no one left to rely on.

“I leave the Imperial City Guard to you. I don’t care how you do it; I only care about the results.”

After the commotion at court, Xiao Zhi’s abilities became evident. To dare kill Huai Zhong in open court showed boldness. To consider all sides’ attitudes revealed great wisdom.

Such courage and strategy had Qin Yong troubled over where to place Xiao Zhi.

In the end, it was a single remark from Eunuch Hu that enlightened Qin Yong.

Xiao Zhi was like a knife—just laying it there was intimidating, but once in hand, it could kill.

The Imperial City Guard was indeed the best place. If Xiao Zhi could reform it, the Emperor would gain a powerful ally.

After Xiao Zhi left, Qin Yong said to Eunuch Hu, “I have always misjudged Xiao Zhi. For so many years, he has been quietly biding his time.”

Eunuch Hu’s voice was sharp yet gentle. “Your Majesty, I think he is no longer Xiao Zhi.”

“I think so too,” Qin Yong mused, “but he must be.”

“Nowadays, I have very few men I can use. Xiao Zhi has solved a big problem for me—one stroke took Huai Zhong’s life, giving me, the Emperor, a feeling of clearing clouds to see the sun.”

Passing through the Azure Dragon Gate, one could see a magnificent three-story building—the Imperial City Guard.

Despite the name, it was not responsible for the Emperor’s security—that was the job of the Imperial Inner Guards.

Otherwise, it was much like the secret police elsewhere, with a simplified official structure.

Ranks were divided into six levels: the highest was Guard General, Fourth Rank; next was Commander, Sixth Rank; followed by thousand-unit commanders, deputy thousand-unit commanders, hundred-unit commanders, and captains.

There was a four-grade gap between Guard General and Commander, allowing room for expanding the guard’s ranks. Even the lowest rank, captain, held an Eighth Rank, showing the high hopes placed on the Imperial City Guard when it was formed.

Unlike the history Xiao Zhi knew, in this parallel timeline, the Imperial City Guard had never been glorious. Even the grand building looked dilapidated and worn.

No soldiers guarded the gate outside. The blackened doors, left ajar, were covered in verdigris copper nails. Weeds swayed in the cracked stone path, and the once-lush elm trees hung lifeless.

Only after entering did Xiao Zhi find a few languid men.

“I am Guard General Mu Weihu of the Imperial City Guard, awaiting your orders, sir,” Mu Weihu said respectfully but without enthusiasm.

Mu Weihu turned to introduce the thousand and hundred-unit commanders behind him, then stood silently to listen to Xiao Zhi’s instructions.

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By imperial decree, Mu Weihu listened to Xiao Zhi’s arrangements, so the Fourth-Rank Guard General addressed a Sixth-Rank Execution Officer as “your subordinate.”

The Emperor’s meaning was clear: Mu Weihu was the nominal Guard General, but Xiao Zhi was the real executor.

“Is it just you nine people in the entire Imperial City Guard?” Xiao Zhi counted—only nine in total: one Guard General, two thousand-unit commanders, and a few captains.

“Not exactly. The Imperial City Guard has over a hundred men, but their salaries haven’t been paid for a long time, so the others haven’t reported for duty,” Mu Weihu explained.

Neglect always had its reasons, and the Imperial City Guard had little to do.

You can’t starve soldiers, nor can you let horses run without proper feed.

Xiao Zhi said, “This is simple. We find an official, raid his house, and take his wealth, right?”

In this world, what’s the fastest way to make money?

Robbery, of course.

Seeing everyone’s shocked faces, Xiao Zhi continued, “Gather everyone. Today, I’ll take you all to make our first strike. Find someone to raid. Tell them, confiscate all their hidden wealth, and give us ten percent to share.”

Xiao Zhi held up one finger, emphasizing, “Ten percent in silver coins!”

Paintings, antiques, lands, and shops—valued too variably to count—were excluded.

“Are you serious?” Mu Weihu’s eyes lit up. If you really dare, I won’t be at rest.

If anyone else said this, he might not believe it. But with Xiao Zhi, no one doubted.

By now, Xiao Zhi’s deeds were widely known; even this quiet office had heard multiple versions.

Xiao Zhi had stabbed the sitting prime minister Huai Zhong in court—what wouldn’t he dare?

“That’s natural,” Xiao Zhi said. “What is the Imperial City Guard? We do what others dare not. What others dare, we do even more. That is the Imperial City Guard—monitoring the realm, executing first, reporting later, empowered by imperial authority.”

“Get all hands together. We’ll finish this today. If we move fast, we’ll be done before nightfall. Tonight, I’ll feast with you all, drink fine wine, and sleep with the courtesans!”