Chapter 1: The Wedding Night (New Book...)

  "Officer!"

  "I've arranged a job for you as a yamen runner in Longxi County!"

  As he walked along the path behind the house, Wu Mao Cai's words kept echoing in Guo Ye's mind.

  He didn't know what expression he had in the hall at that time, nor did he know how he bid farewell to his father-in-law Wu Mao and walked out of the hall. He only remembered that when he heard the word "official" he was nervous and excited, and finally nodded woodenly and agreed with Wu Mao's return to the wing room in the backyard.

  On the winding path, Wu's servants and maids came and went, all greeting Guo Ye with a nod, but this young master still had that dazed look on his face, completely unaware, muttering only two words "official business".

  What is the profession of a yamen runner?

  In Guo Ye's memory, whether it is the works of later generations or film and television works, the yamen runners of the Tang Dynasty are all wearing four-square hats, wearing dark green round-necked narrow-sleeved robes, with leather belts around their waists, holding iron rulers and steel knives.

  Then swaggering on the street, with a mighty air, shouting loudly: "Official business, all irrelevant people retreat!"

  It's really been a long time since I thought about it.

  Wow, bailiffs are just police officers in later generations, too powerful.

  I once applied for the civil service examination after graduating from a Chinese university, just to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a police officer who punishes evil and does good.

  Although he was later admitted as a civil servant, he was not recruited by the public security system due to some relationships and finally entered a small unit with clear water to mix his days.

  However, his dream of being a police officer never faded, and every day he would either read detective novels or watch crime dramas.

  Now that he has traveled back in time to the Tang Dynasty and has the opportunity to fulfill his ambitions and realize the dreams he has always wanted to achieve, can Guo Ye still remain calm?

  The official is really good.

  All the way, until he returned to his room, Guo Ye was excited, and in the house, he hummed and waved some of the combat skills he had learned from his previous life.

  At this moment, he wouldn't care about what Wu Maocai was thinking, and would actually spend money to get him a job as a yamen runner at the government office.

  As for Wu Maocai, a man who is so meticulous and calculating, he would certainly not make a losing deal.

  But everything this time came too coincidentally.

  It is said that flies do not bite eggs without cracks, if Guo Ye had not been too sharp in the Wu family, if Liu's family had not been so pressing, Wu Mao would have felt the need to build some connections in the county government as well.

  With his temperament, where could he possibly spend a few dozen taels of silver to walk through the yamen of Lintao County and get a connection with County Magistrate Guo Yi's relative, Guo Ye, to get him this job?

  What is a county lieutenant?

  That was a court official with a certain status, although he was only a ninth-grade county lieutenant, but for Wu Maocai, Liu Lao Lai and other rural gentry, it was already an existence that made them look up to in awe.

  The county lieutenant was in charge of the three shifts of yamen runners and nearly a hundred militiamen in the county seat, where his word was law, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he could summon the wind and rain with a single remark.

  In Guo's words, the ninth-grade county lieutenant, Gao Dezhao, was in control of the entire Longxi County's politics and law enforcement system. In later generations, a county political and legal committee secretary and public security bureau chief would not be able to escape.

  No matter whether Guo Ye was lucky or Wu Mao was calculating, the matter had been settled. In a few days, Guo Ye would go to the Linxian County government office to report for duty.

  Two days later, Guo Ye set off with everything ready. He had in his possession a letter written by County Magistrate Gu Dezhao to his father-in-law Wu Maocai, as well as the ten taels of silver that Old Man Guo had given him through Guo Xiaoman on that day. With a comfortable heart, he rode the small donkey provided by the Wu family.

  Then he hummed a little tune and rode a donkey out of the Wu family, preparing to go to Longxi County to report for duty.

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

  Not long after leaving the Wu's house, about a mile away, Guo Ye heard a crisp voice calling out to him. The sound was getting closer and closer, rushing towards him.

  Turning back, it was none other than Wu Xiuxiu's maid Chunxiang.

  Got it!

  Kuo Ye stopped the donkey under his buttocks and hurried on the road, turned back to look at Chun Xiang, waited until she ran up to him, and asked: "What's the matter?"

  Spring fragrance gasped for breath, sweat dripping down, and said without wiping away her tears: "Young master, my young lady knows that the old master has arranged a job for you. She told me to tell you to make a good name for yourself in the city, don't tarnish the reputation of the Wu family."

  Cut, Wu Xiuxiu still has this tone, Guo Ye secretly pouted, the Wu family is a big household in Dongliu Township, but what can it be in Longxi County? At most, a rural landlord.

  Don't tarnish the Wu family's reputation, it's just that you're afraid of losing face in Longxi City, humph. This time, little brother is like a fish entering the depths of the ocean, or a dragon entering the vast sea.

  But today the mood is super good, Guo Ye is too lazy to bother with Wu Xiuxiu, nodding and humming: "Got it, tell your young lady that I, Guo Ye, am a man who does great things."

  Finished speaking, he turned around and sat up straight in his seat, letting out a loud "Ah!"

  He quickly prepared his donkey and set off in a hurry. The distance between Dongliu Village and Longxi Town was tens of miles, and he didn't want to be delayed until nightfall.

  If it gets dark by then, once the city gate is closed, you'll have no choice but to sleep outdoors on the desolate mountains and hills.

  Chunxiang saw her husband preparing to leave, and suddenly pulled out a small purse from her sleeve and tossed it into Guo Ye's bosom, saying: "This is five taels of silver. My mistress said that you are not familiar with Lintong City, and as a newcomer to the county government office, you need to take care of both your living expenses and social relationships with your colleagues, so you can't be short on silver. Here, this is from my mistress."

  After finishing speaking, he turned around and ran back to Wu's house without looking back.

  Chunxiang's sudden movement and Wu Xiuxiu's words caught Guo Ye off guard.

  In the flurry, I didn't realize that there was a little more warmth in my heart. It seems that Wu Xiuxiu, this little girl, also cares about her little brother.

  But how could a seven-foot-tall man like him possibly want to use a woman's money? Guo Ye picked up the small purse in his pocket, just about to say that he had his own money, but Chunxiang had already run far away.

  Five taels of silver in the Tang Dynasty, what is the concept?

  The annual salary of an ordinary official is about 12 to 15 taels, and inviting three or five good friends to a big meal in a restaurant would cost only 300 to 500 wen, not even one or two silver coins.

  Kuo Ye's hand grasped a purse, on which was embroidered a lotus flower, and from it came the faint scent of orchid fragrance, a scent that Wu Xiu Xiu often carried with her.

  It seems that this little girl has used her own private money.

  Guo Ye slowly put the money bag into his sleeve, together with the ten taels of silver he had received earlier. Then, he turned around and gazed in the direction of the Wu family's residence, thinking to himself: "Wu Xiuxiu, just wait for me to make a name for myself."

  Then a surge of mighty passion burst forth in his heart, and with a crack of the whip he shouted at the little donkey: "Giddyup!"

  One man and one donkey, dashing towards Longxi City with a loud braying sound.

  The little donkey was quite obedient, perhaps it also knew that following Guo Ye, this new master, would allow it to eat well and drink spicy food in the city, and even flirt with beautiful female donkeys. So, all along the way, it didn't act stubbornly, and before two hours had passed, they arrived at the official road outside the east gate of Longxi City.

  Kuo Yeh had already caught sight of the high city walls of Lung Hsi City looming in the distance as he rode along on his donkey.

  Got it! Here is the translation:

  "Forward, forward, forward... just a few steps away from the East Gate."

  Taking a closer look, people in twos and threes were entering the city one after another through the east gate.

  However, Guo Ye, who was careful, discovered that each of them repeated an action after entering the east gate, which was ——

  Pay taxes.

  Every time someone enters the city, he will proactively throw two copper coins into the basket on the right side of the east gate.

  Looking at the city gate again, there are two people standing on either side, leaning lazily against the wall, yawning and staring at the citizens entering the city. Both of them wear square hats and dark green robes, holding iron rulers in their hands. What else could they be dressed as if not as yamen runners?

  Is it also the duty of the yamen runners to guard the city gates and collect taxes on goods entering the city?

  Guo Yexin wondered if the current yamen officials were not only police officers but also served as city administrators.

  In his heart, he thought of returning home and guessing about it. Guo Ye still rode the little donkey forward, no matter if they were police or urban management officers, from now on they would all be colleagues, so shouldn't he go over to greet them?

  The little donkey moved forward step by step and just as it was about to reach the East Gate, suddenly——

  Dada dada dada...

  Hahaha...

  A sudden burst of horseshoes and the creaking of wooden wheels against the ground came from behind Guo Ye.

  Next came a loud shout: "Get out of the way! Don't block the road. The little kid riding the donkey in front, hurry up and get out of the way."

  "Let's go, let's go~~"

  The sound came rushing, the shouting voice flew high and low, Guo Ye didn't even have time to react, the little donkey's butt seemed to have predicted the danger, suddenly "hee hee" loudly and then rushed to the right side of the official road with a hoof, and ran to the side of the road with a swing of its buttocks.

  Bang!

  The gentle little donkey suddenly became violent and threw Guo Ye off its back, causing him to fall flat on his face.

  He didn't care about the pain all over his body, nor did he care about whipping this cowardly donkey. He got up and wanted to scold the person behind him who had just framed him.

  He waited until he got up and suddenly saw that the culprit who had frightened his donkey was a horse-drawn carriage.

  Unfortunately, before he could even scold him, the horse carriage had already rushed into the east gate and escaped.

  Kuai Ye gritted his teeth and endured the pain in his arm, glaring at the distant horse carriage entering the city, and cursed: "Damn it, this is a typical hit-and-run case, I'm screwed."

  The murderer has fled, and Guo Ye, unable to obtain on-site evidence, had no choice but to drag the little donkey to the East Gate, shouting at the two gatekeepers: "Hey, what are you two thinking? Whose carriage is this, daring to gallop wildly in the middle of the city, and even trying to avoid paying taxes when entering the city. Don't be stunned, hurry up and chase!"

  Two bailiffs were inexplicably questioned by Guo Ye, and suddenly the two monks were at a loss, staring at Guo Ye in shock, their eyes looking like they were looking at a thousand-year-old freak.

  Guo Ye was stared at by two yamen runners with a strange gaze that made his heart feel hairy, what's wrong? Did he say something wrong?