Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies Chapter 176: Chapter 2 The Ecology of the Yongzhou Governmen

After solemnly assuring Shen Qing of a few matters, the small official from the Personnel Office carried Shen Qing's appointnt letter and Registration Certificate, strolling leisurely to a governnt office with white walls and black tiles.

Upon reaching the entrance, the small official paused, clasped his hands, and respectfully called inside, "Your Excellency, there is soone outside who claims to be Shen Qing, holding an appointnt letter and Registration Certificate, coming to our Military Departnt to seek employnt."

"Shen Qing?" A woman's voice erged from inside the governnt office, her tone laced with a hint of doubt, clearly unfamiliar with this na, "What position is being sought?"

"The position of a dispatcher. The appointnt letter and Registration Certificate are both here."

"Let have a look."

"Yes."

The small official from the Personnel Office walked in and carefully placed Shen Qing's appointnt letter and Registration Certificate on the long table, then retreated to the doorway.

The woman sitting behind the table was stunningly beautiful, her hair piled up high, her skin as delicate as if it were carved from jade.

The sunlight, streaming through the window lattice, fell on her skin, casting a translucent sheen.

At that mont, she was dressed in a white martial outfit, her graceful curves outlining a perfect figure, her chest almost spilling out.

This woman was none other than Huangfu Rou, the Chief Officer of the Yongzhou Military Departnt, the legitimate daughter of the Huangfu family.

Huangfu Rou, accustod to high positions for many years, emanated an aura of soone of high status with her every move, commanding involuntary respect.

She took Shen Qing's appointnt letter and Registration Certificate into her hands and examined them one by one.

The appointnt letter was fine, but this Registration Certificate...

"Soone from Taiping County?"

"Judging by his accent, he does indeed seem to be from Taiping County."

Huangfu Rou's brows slightly furrowed as she glanced at an official letter from the prefectural governor lying beside the long table.

Monts later, Huangfu Rou spoke, "Give the Registration Certificate back to him, and keep his appointnt letter here with for a few days for consideration. Tell him to co back the day after tomorrow."

"Yes."

In the room next to the Personnel Office.

Seeing the small official returning, Shen Qing quickly stood up and asked, "Your Excellency, how did it go?"

"There are so complications," the small official said as he handed the Registration Certificate back to Shen Qing, speaking helplessly.

Shen Qing asked, "What's the matter?"

"You're from Taiping County, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Twisting the hairs of his beard, the small official from the Personnel Office said, "As soon as my superior heard you were from Taiping County, she hesitated. I suspect soone else has their eye on the dispatcher's position in the Military Departnt, and she must be considering her options carefully. There's so danger for you."

"But don't lose heart. She kept your appointnt letter and even said to return the day after tomorrow, which ans you still have a chance."

Shen Qing knew that gaining entry to this governnt office would not be easy, and he calmly bowed, inquiring, "Coming from a noble background, holding a crucial position, I wonder if you might guide through this maze?"

The small official from the Personnel Office waved his hand and continued with a smile, "There are no prominent households with the Shen surna in Yongzhou; I presu your family background isn't prominent, without any powerful support, right?"

Shen Qing nodded and admitted, "Just an ordinary citizen from Taiping County."

"I thought as much. If other scions of prominent Yongzhou families compete with you for the sa position, there are going to be many uncertainties about your situation. It's not looking good."

"The superior said to co back after two days. I think you should seize the chance to prepare more," the small official from the Personnel Office advised. "Rember to prepare adequately and don't hold anything back, lest you miss the opportunity and live to regret it."

This was almost as explicit as it could get.

Even a fool like Shen Qing could understand it.

They were asking for money.

"Thank you for the advice, Your Excellency. I shall go back and prepare properly."

The small official from the Personnel Office waved his hand and said, "Go back for now. Next ti you co, I will have inford the gatekeeper, and you can co straight in."

Shen Qing bowed and then backed out.

...

Inside the governnt office.

Huangfu Rou was holding Shen Qing's appointnt docunt and the official letter sent by the Prefectural Governor, her gaze lingering between the two.

"Now, the court has sent five Innate Martial Masters to Yongzhou at once, one of whom is a Commander. This shows that the current court values the Yongzhou Military Departnt more than the Guardian Martial Departnt."

"With a vacant spot for a Chief Officer at the Military Departnt, the other families slled an opportunity and imdiately approached the Prefectural Governor. It seems he has already decided in favor of soone from the Su Family."

"In that case, it involves exchanges of interest at the higher levels, which is beyond my control."

Huangfu Rou's gaze couldn't help but fall on Shen Qing's appointnt docunt, "This man nad Shen Qing, he can't be fitted in now."

"However, it seems that the Guardian Martial Departnt is short of many Chief Officers. With demon calamities arising around Yongzhou, it's a ti of need for personnel, and he could be accommodated."

"The Guardian Martial Departnt was originally a branch of the Military Departnt and is under my jurisdiction; the rank of the Chief Officers of both departnts are about the sa, so it wouldn't be considered a breach of regulation."

Huangfu Rou had an idea in mind and, feeling confident that there were no mistakes, began to make arrangents.

Firstly, she needed to give a heads-up to the Prefectural Governor, and then she would need to make another trip to the Guardian Martial Departnt, which would require so effort.

...

Two days went by in the blink of an eye.

On the third day, Shen Qing went to the Military Departnt's office as promised.

When he arrived again, the two gatekeepers indeed didn't give him a hard ti and promptly let him pass.

Shen Qing found his way to the officials' room, well-accustod to the route.

At that ti, the small official of the Personnel Office from the previous day seed to be waiting for him. Upon his arrival, he put down the task at hand and quickly stepped forward to ask, "You're here? How is it, are you fully prepared?"

Shen Qing respectfully said, "Sir, may I have a word with you in private?"

The small official of the Personnel Office looked around and, seeing no colleagues paying attention, crossed his arms behind his back and leisurely walked out of the officials' room.

The small official led Shen Qing to a secluded corner of a small courtyard, where no one was around.

Under the direct gaze of the small official, Shen Qing quickly slipped ten large gold bills into the official's hand.

These gold notes were exchanged from part of his wealth before leaving Taiping County.

Each gold note represented one hundred taels of silver.

Ten of them amounted to over a thousand taels.

For Shen Qing, this was a third of his wealth.

Now that he had given it away all at once, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

However, thinking of the Wish Power Pearl and the Refining Pearl Technique valued at two thousand taels to follow, this thousand taels didn't seem too expensive.

Shen Qing said with a bow, "I'm troubling you, sir."

The small official did not expect Shen Qing, who seed to co from humble beginnings, to be so generous.

Over a thousand taels at once.

"Wait for here."

The small official, thrilled with the thousand taels of gold notes, asked Shen Qing to wait and then hurried towards the governnt office.

The governnt office was only a courtyard away from the officials' room.

In the blink of an eye, he reached the entrance of the governnt office and said, "Sir, the job seeker from Taiping County is here."

Huangfu Rou didn't even look up as she said, "Appoint him as a Chief Officer of the Guardian Martial Departnt. Have the officials' room issue the official certificate, and let him choose a day to assu his position."