62. A Yamen Runner Who Does Not Want to Be a Constable Is Not a Good Yamen Runner

Early in the morning at the Ministry of Punishments, Yue'er arrived very early at her workplace. She wanted to adapt to the daily routine of the Ministry as quickly as possible. Yue'er was the kind of person who would put her heart and soul into doing things well even if she only worked for a day. She was always serious and meticulous about her work. If this society had been able to accept female officials, she would undoubtedly have made a fine one. Unfortunately, in ancient times, gender determined everything.

Yue'er had not expected Shang Zhixia to be even earlier than her. As soon as she stepped inside, she ran into him. She greeted him with a抱手 (cupped-fist) salute and said, "Good morning, Lord Minister!"

It seemed the Minister was truly a dedicated official who worked from dawn until dusk. Since he was a good official, he must surely be a good person too, Yue'er thought to herself. Because Shang Zhixia was someone she and Zhao Chengxian had jointly selected, she took a special liking to observing him.

Shang Zhixia smiled politely and said, "Vice Minister Yang is not late either. I received a notice last night that Chief Constable Dugu Jing's team has found a target person. I rushed here overnight to review that person's file. Come and see if it matches the target we are looking for!"

There were very few top-ranking officials of the first rank who worked with such dedication. Zhao Chengxian had truly discovered a remarkable talent.

Yue'er walked over to Shang Zhixia's long desk, picked up the file, and began to read it carefully.

The document stated: Xia Yueji, female, 16 years old. Because her father was addicted to gambling and subsequently ran up huge gambling debts, Xia was inevitably sold as the eighteenth concubine to the sixty-something Wealthy Patron Pan. Xia had originally been betrothed since childhood to her childhood sweet-heart, Ouyang Ye. Taking advantage of the opportunity when Ouyang Ye left the capital to visit relatives during the Spring Festival this year, her father drugged Xia and sent her to Patron Pan's residence. A month later, Xia's father died under mysterious circumstances. According to street rumors, Ouyang was dissatisfied with Xia's father's actions and killed him!

After finishing Xia Yueji's file, Yue'er asked, "Does the Ministry of Revenue have Ouyang Ye's basic profile? The perpetrator must be someone trained in martial arts, otherwise how could he have killed someone so easily? As long as we know his basic profile and conduct an investigation, we can determine whether he is the true culprit."

What Yue'er thought of, Shang Zhixia had already considered. He had already sent someone to the Ministry of Revenue to retrieve the records. In the nation of Jiaoyang, there was a clear decree that every child born in the capital had to be registered with the Ministry of Revenue, and their records had to be updated annually. Violators would be banished from the capital. This was to prevent imposters from threatening the safety of the imperial palace and the capital. That was why Old Man Yang had not said Yang Wentai was a native of the capital, but instead claimed he came from their ancestral hometown. Outside the capital, the administrative system was much more lenient and easier to muddle through.

Before long, a runner arrived bearing Ouyang Ye's basic dossier, which consisted of several portraits painted every three years from childhood to adulthood, along with some textual information. Yue'er and Shang Zhixia quickly picked them up to examine. Portraits had to be updated every three years so that people could be positively identified. There were also clear regulations requiring the facial features of every individual to be depicted clearly and distinctly. The staff at the Ministry of Revenue in the nation of Jiaoyang certainly did not have an easy job.

As she looked through the files, Yue'er suddenly made a discovery. She said to Shang Zhixia, "My lord, look, Ouyang Ye studied martial arts on Mount Shaoyi, and this portrait shows him holding a large saber. Do you think this could be the murder weapon?" She found him more and more suspicious the longer she looked.

Shang Zhixia examined the documents closely and said, "It resembles him, but we can only be certain once we see the actual item. Immediately notify Chief Constable Dugu Jing, and let us put on civilian clothes to go and investigate the area on Suoyan Road where Ouyang Ye lives!"

If he truly was the culprit, they would then plan how to make him submit to justice and be captured convincingly. Shang Zhixia always handled matters personally, which earned him a sterling reputation among his subordinates.

Yue'er nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Suoyan Road is a slum area; we must not dress too opulently, or it will create a sense of distance from the common people and make it difficult for them to speak their minds."

Yue'er and Shang Zhixia cooperated quite tacitly. In fact, as long as she was not dealing with people she despised, Yue'er collaborated exceptionally well with others—this was one of her greatest strengths.

Hearing the instructions from Shang Zhixia and Yue'er, the runner hurried off to pass the message to Dugu Jing.

In the Ministry of Punishments, constables were vastly different from ordinary runners. Constables were individuals with formidable martial arts skills and special abilities, and their primary responsibilities were investigating cases and arresting criminals. Runners, on the other hand, possessed average kung fu and no special talents; they were only responsible for odd jobs around the Ministry, functioning much like logistical support personnel. Every runner harbored the hope of one day being promoted to a constable. As a saying in the Ministry of Punishments went: A runner who does not dream of becoming a constable is not a good runner!