Chapter Thirty-Five: The First Shift

  On the third day of March 18th in the 48th year of Kangxi's reign.

  After having breakfast, wearing a purple crystal-stitched garment, Cao Cong rode his horse to the Forbidden City "to go to work". Today, he didn't bring Xiao Man. Yesterday, through De Te He and others, he knew that there was a carriage house of the Imperial Guard outside Donghua Gate.

  The Cao Mansion is about two quarters of an hour's ride from the Forbidden City. Today, Cao Cong and his fellow guards are on duty from 7:00 to 11:00. The Imperial Guard Battalion is divided into twelve shifts, with each shift taking turns being on duty. Each time six shifts are on duty, with each shift serving for two hours, and they serve continuously for six days. After six days, they rest, and the other six shifts take their turn.

  Cao Cong'an settled his mount and showed his waist card to enter the palace at Donghua Gate. As soon as he entered, he saw Nalan Fusheng standing on the bridge in front of him, whom he had met yesterday.

  "Brother Cao, you're here!" Nalan Fusheng smiled and greeted him.

  Cao Cong felt a few points of affection in his heart, and he thought that Nalan Servant Guard was kind to him yesterday. Today, looking at his appearance, it seemed like he was waiting for himself on purpose.

  It turned out to be true, Nalan Fuxun said: "Today is the first time Cao brother is on duty, it's inevitable that there will be some confusion in his heart. Yesterday I made an appointment with De Touer, this class I'll take you!"

  Cao Cong, as a "newcomer to the workplace", indeed came with some trepidation. Upon hearing Nalan Fusheng's words, he was deeply moved: "Thank you, Brother Nalan!"

  Nalan Fuxi shook his head: "Brother Cao is being polite, let's not mention that my late father and your respected father were close friends. Just talking about me, I have received countless favors from your respected father. If Brother Cao doesn't mind, just call me Big Brother Fuxi!"

  "Fu Sen, may I ask what is your respected father's name?" Cao Cong thought of one person in his heart.

  "My late father's name was Shang Xing Xia De!" Nalan Fusheng replied hesitantly.

  "Life would be but a fleeting glance, what sorrow is brought by the autumn breeze and the painted fan. The heart of an old friend changes so easily, yet they say it's easy to change the heart of an old friend. The conversation on Mount Wu ended at midnight, the rain pattered against the windowpane, yet I bear no grudge. What about that fickle young noble in his embroidered robes? We once vowed to be together like two birds flying wing to wing." Cao Yun murmured to himself.

  Apart from the royal family, there were many prominent Manchu families, and the Nalan family was one of them. The Nalan family can be traced back to the Hada tribe, and their ancestors were Haixi Beile Jintaiji, so this family is also known as Yehe Nara. Jintaiji's sister married Qing Taizu Nurhaci as a concubine and gave birth to Hong Taiji, who later became the second emperor of the Qing dynasty. Jintaiji's grandson was Nalan Xingde, also known as Mingzhu, a prominent scholar-official during the early years of Kangxi Emperor.

  A melancholic Nalan poem came to mind, adding no small amount of sadness. Cao Cong and Nalan Fusheng walked side by side, neither of them speaking for a while.

  Cao Cong and this group of guards were on the outer shift, responsible for guarding the gates between Taihe Gate and Baicheng Hall. Cao Cong and Nalan were assigned to guard the east side of the Left Wing Gate in the Taihe Temple Square.

  Time slipped away, and it was almost time. Nalan Fushen seemed to know the two guards on duty in front of him, greeted them, handed over the shift, and started his own shift.

  *

  Cao Cong gripped the sword at his waist and looked out at the majestic and solemn atmosphere of the Taihe Temple Square. From the Taihe Gate to the middle of the Taihe Hall, every ten feet on both sides of the path had a pair of soldiers standing face to face.

  The entire square was filled with at least several hundred soldiers, yet it was eerily quiet and intimidating.

  Being among them, Cao Cong couldn't help but straighten his back, and his face became more serious. At this time, he heard Nalan Fusheng say in a low voice: "Brother Cao doesn't have to be too tense, the morning court has not yet dispersed, it will be better after the court is dismissed!"

  Cao Cong nodded in gratitude to Nalan Fusheng, but secretly sighed that being an emperor wasn't easy either.

  In the spring and summer, the imperial court began at 6:00 am, while in autumn and winter it was at 7:00 am. Moreover, the emperor's morning court did not take place in any hall or palace, but rather in front of the Qianqing Gate, also known as "Qianmen Tingzheng". Regardless of whether it was a scorching summer or a freezing winter, the emperor's throne was placed under the Qianqing Gate, where he held morning court with his ministers.

  But all these were not Cao Cong's concern, for now he just needed to do his own job well, which was to take care of the gate and check the waist cards when people entered or exited. Fortunately, he didn't get the night shift this time, if it was the night shift, after finishing his shift, he couldn't leave the palace either, and had to wait until the next day.

  Before long, the sound of drums and music could be heard in the distance, followed by the trampling and dragging footsteps, dispersing the morning.

  The three princes, Beile, and civil and military officials left from the East and West Chang'an Gates to the square in front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony, then exited through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, crossed the Golden Water Bridge, and left the palace through the Meridian Gate.

  After all the kings, nobles and ministers had dispersed, the imperial guards in the central corridor of the palace withdrew like a tide.

  Cao Cong smiled at Nalan Fusheng, it seems that the following will not be as serious as before. Seeing no one coming and going, Nalan Fusheng pointed out the places to pay attention to when serving as a guard again. Cao Cong listened and secretly remembered them in his heart.

  Time flies, neither fast nor slow. It was almost noon when two guards came to take over, and Cao Cong considered his shift to be over. He had been standing for two hours, which would have made an ordinary person tired, but fortunately, Cao Cong had been through so much in recent years that his physical condition had improved, and he didn't think it was a big deal.

  *

  As Cao Cong came out of Donghua Gate, he saw De'er Hei, Nalan Chengping and several unfamiliar guards. In his heart, he knew that these should be some colleagues from the same department.

  De'er Hei's team of guards had only eight people, including the Nalan brothers and Cao Cong. Among them, one was a second-class guard, two were third-class, and one was a blue-feathered guard. Except for the second-class guard Aji, who was around thirty years old like De'er Hei, the other three were in their twenties. They were all martial artists, and after reporting their names, they considered themselves acquainted. Since they were all older than Cao Cong, they followed De'er Hei's lead in addressing him as "Little Cao". For a moment, Cao Cong felt like an intern at a law firm from his past life.

  The newcomer's welcoming banquet is still needed, and it was indeed the Guibin Building that Nalan Xingping mentioned yesterday.

  The noble building is in front of the big gate, everyone rides a horse and arrives while talking.

  The shops on both sides of the road, with various cries in Beijing accent, plus people coming and going on horseback or by sedan chair, make this place seem especially prosperous.

  According to various laws, this tavern is a high-risk area for events. Things like "righting wrongs" or "hero rescues beauty" are usually performed on the stage of the tavern.

  Cao Cong followed the crowd, dismounting his horse in front of the wine tower. It was not yet time for dinner, and there were only a few sparse people in the main hall. Detehei seemed to be a regular here, as the shopkeeper bowed and came over to greet him personally: "Ah, Lord De is here! I knew you'd come today, so I've reserved the elegant room on the second floor for you!"

  De Tie nodded: "Good wine and good dishes, hurry up and bring them over. We'll have a few cups tonight."

  *

  VIP Building, 2nd floor deluxe room.

  Everyone said that Cao Cong should take the wind, and let Cao Cong sit in the upper seat. Cao Cong was not a young man who didn't understand worldly affairs after all, and he repeatedly declined. In the end, it was still De Te Hei and Aji who sat in the upper seat, while Cao Cong sat below Nalan Fusheng, accompanying him on the left side. Nalan Chengping and a third-class guard sat on the right side, and the remaining two people sat at the lower head.

  Nalan Chengping, though not as sticky as yesterday, had a calculating gaze when looking at Cao Cong. Before the wine and dishes were served, Nalan Chengping couldn't wait to use tea instead of wine to build a relationship with this young Duke in front of him. Although he didn't dare to be too explicit in front of everyone, people still heard Cao Cong's identity.

  Wine and dishes came up, and it was inevitable to have some fun. Cao Cong was always quick to down his cup in one gulp. From ancient times to the present, among men, wine has always been the best catalyst for friendship. Indeed, after two jars of strong liquor, everyone's atmosphere had risen.

  Cao Cong was a man of elegant appearance and refined demeanor, but he loved to drink with abandon and wasn't one for idle chatter. The more people got to know him, the more they found him agreeable, and before long, they were all slapping each other on the back and addressing each other as brothers. From Cao Cong, the conversation turned to Jiangnan, and from Jiangnan, it turned to beautiful women, and from beautiful women, it turned to the courtesans of the Eight Great Alleys. Which family's looks were the most captivating? Whose posture was the most alluring? All sorts of lewd talk ensued, but I won't go into details.

  Apart from the two Nalan brothers, everyone else spoke coarsely but were all down-to-earth and straightforward men. Cao Cong had been in this world for seven or eight years and usually interacted with children and teenagers. Now, drinking and chatting with a group of men gave him a feeling similar to having dinner with former colleagues. This feeling wasn't bad.

  *

  West of the city, Cao's mansion.

  Cao Cong returned with a belly full of wine when the sky was already pitch black. Zi Jing brought several maids to help Cao Cong change his clothes and attend to him as he lay down.

  Cao Cong was still a bit dazed and had some consciousness. He only remembered that everyone had drunk too much, and it seemed that Nalan Fusheng sent the young servants to deliver messages to each household, and they were picked up by each household.

  Perhaps due to intoxication or being stirred up by the bawdy talk at the wine table, Cao Cong only felt unbearably hot all over his body.

  Zi Jing saw Cao Cong lying on the bed, his face flushed red, and sensed something was wrong. She stretched out her small hand to touch his forehead: "What's wrong with Master, didn't you catch a chill after drinking?" After touching him, she withdrew her hand.

  Cao Cong's body was on fire, but he only felt a slight coolness from the small hand covering his forehead, which made him feel extremely comfortable. How could he let her leave? Both hands lifted at the same time, pulling Zi Jing's hand towards his own forehead.

  "Grandfather?"

  "Don't move, just wait a bit!" Cao Cong's voice was somewhat hoarse: "I'm in pain!"

  "Grandfather, where are you uncomfortable? Are you homesick?" Zi Jing sat on the edge of the bed, putting her hand on Cao Yun's forehead again, and asked softly.

  Listening to this gentle voice, a scene flashed in Cao Cong's mind. A seven or eight-year-old boy stood under the corridor, and a thirteen or fourteen-year-old maid touched the boy's forehead with her hand: "How come your eyes are red, is Master's body still not well?"

  Cao Cong closed his eyes and slowly regained his composure, grasping Zi Jing's hand: "Zi Jing, you're a good woman, find a man worthy of you and get married!"

  Zi Jing slowly lowered her head, speechless.

  So, Cao Cong pulled Purple Crystal's hand and fell asleep in a daze.

  *

  "Who are you and how did you get into my room? How did it become like this?" Cao Cong looked at the red scene in front of him, full of doubts.

  On the bedside, a beautiful woman with a phoenix coronet and a red skirt sat, blushing and saying: "I am your wife!"

  "Daughter?" Cao Cong vaguely remembered, it seemed that he had just worshiped heaven and earth.

  The beautiful woman stood up and pulled Cao Cong over, wrapping herself around him like a snake: "Husband, tonight is our wedding night!"

  Two people fell on the bed, with infinite spring light.

  *

  "Master, wake up, hurry and wake up!"

  Cao Cong's ears buzzed, and he suddenly woke up, only to feel that the root of his thigh was wet and sticky. He was stunned, and a long-forgotten feeling surged up, leaving him speechless as to what it tasted like.

  This body has actually become an adult's.

  But now is not the time for sentimentality, only a very anxious voice rang out: "Young master, something's gone wrong, someone has been killed!"

  Cao Cong suddenly woke up and saw Wei Hei standing in front of his bed with a patch of blood on his chest under the moonlight.