Nine to five… Mei Qing wasn’t sure where the phrase had suddenly come from, but he realized that this indeed described the kind of life he was now living—just like that vague notion that had drifted into his mind.
The Office of Experience was not far from Mei Qing’s residence, so he never used a sedan chair. Instead, he would still stop by the teahouse each morning before leisurely strolling to the office.
Wang Shigu, although benefiting from Mei Qing’s influence and soon released himself, had been so frightened that he fell seriously ill and remained at home recuperating. Mei Qing had visited him once, but both were reluctant to speak openly about their shared experiences, leaving an unspoken distance between them. Though they still maintained a polite friendship, the ease and familiarity of their former relationship had vanished.
Besides Mei Qing, most others in the Office of Experience also avoided sedan chairs, likely because many were former martial artists who preferred riding horses. Mei Qing especially noticed how the fat Huang always rode up on a drooping, gloomy-looking black horse. Each time he saw it, Mei Qing couldn’t help but worry for the poor animal, fearing that the hefty rider might snap its back with one wrong move.
“This horse has a name—’Black Hoof Treading on Snow.’ See the white hairs on its hooves? It was actually a gift from a northern horse trader to my older brother two years ago. A true noble breed from Dawan. Mei, you must be jealous of it every day, huh?” The fat man exclaimed as he jumped off the horse, making Mei Qing feel as if the horse had just been relieved of a heavy burden—even though the ground seemed to tremble from the impact of his landing.
“Jealous? I heard that the Third Elder at the Northern Gate serves roasted horse meat from Dawan breeds, and they’re much fatter than yours. Maybe I should invite you to taste it one day,” Mei Qing replied with a smile.
“Alright, you win. I ask you about my horse, and you turn it straight into roasted meat. I guess refined folks like you can be even more gluttonous than us fat guys. I’ve never actually tasted horse meat—could it really compare to Hao’s donkey meat? Maybe I should give it a try someday.”
Chattering and laughing, the two walked into their assigned office, the Yellow Chamber. Seeing Mei Qing already seated and flipping through the documents, the fat man frowned and said, “I mean, Mei, you really are working hard. I’ve noticed you haven’t been idle these past few days. Whoever assigned you here must’ve made the right choice.”
Mei Qing shrugged. “I’ve got nothing better to do anyway. It’s not like I have other responsibilities. Sorting through these documents is actually kind of fun.”
Before Mei Qing arrived, the fat Huang had held the post and treated it rather casually. Since Mei Qing’s arrival, however, he had become as free as a wild horse, often absent for two out of every three days. He would show up briefly in the morning, sign in, and then disappear.
Mei Qing, on the other hand, found the chamber filled with archives that had been neglected for two or three years, in a complete mess. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that these were mostly case files from the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s investigations, along with confidential reports from informants across the country.
Previously, Huang had simply forwarded any red-sealed or marked confidential reports to his superiors, while tossing the rest onto the shelves. As a result, everything was jumbled and disorganized. Worse, these files couldn’t be handed over to just anyone for sorting, so the situation had become a chaotic mess.
Mei Qing, naturally calm and patient, began organizing the files by date and category. The archives covered a vast range of topics—from secret scandals involving court officials to military and national affairs, and even the daily lives of common people.
Many of the cases were bizarre. One file detailed the sudden death of a local official in Cangzhou last year. Mei Qing had heard of this case before: a county magistrate who, during a heavy storm, had worked tirelessly to organize relief efforts and had drowned while inspecting the flood damage. The court had even issued a proclamation honoring his sacrifice. However, according to a secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the truth was quite different. The official had actually been spending the night with a courtesan and, upon receiving urgent news, had rushed back to the office. Drunk and caught in the rain, he had slipped into the river and drowned.
There were many other strange cases too. One involved a high-ranking official known for his upright demeanor and moral preaching, who secretly kept multiple concubines and engaged in all sorts of debauchery. Another concerned an inspector known for his reputation of integrity and impartiality, who was in fact extremely wealthy, owning vast tracts of land and indulging in a life of luxury that was almost unbelievable.
It was surprising how these seemingly noble and righteous officials had such hidden, scandalous sides. Although Mei Qing didn’t consider himself a voyeur of others’ secrets, he found it quite interesting to uncover these rare and hidden truths that ordinary people would never get to see.
For example, just yesterday he had come across a file revealing that Zhao Boyu, the former Prefect of Shuntian, who always appeared upright and incorruptible, was actually quite adept at political scheming. He had maintained close ties with several high-ranking officials and had recently bribed his way into securing a transfer to a more favorable post.
Unfortunately, his death meant all that money had gone to waste. Those who had accepted his bribes were probably secretly celebrating.
Since Mei Qing’s arrival, the fat Huang had been enjoying a much easier life. He also found Mei Qing to be easygoing and good-tempered, which only increased his admiration for him. Initially, some of the colleagues were wary of Mei Qing, partly because of his sudden arrival and rumors about his close relationship with higher-ups. But after a few days, seeing how approachable and amiable Mei Qing was, they gradually warmed up to him.
Before this, Mei Qing had mostly stayed at home after recovering from illness, occasionally going out to meet a few friends. But once he joined the Office of Experience, he quickly felt right at home. He had a natural talent for getting along with people, whether young or old, and soon became close with everyone.
Especially Old Zhang from the Heavenly Chamber, who had a reputation for being difficult to work with and was said to have powerful family connections. Even the fat Huang had been cautious around him. But surprisingly, Old Zhang shared Mei Qing’s interest in collecting antiques and calligraphy. Upon learning that Mei Qing was the famous “Third Master” in the collector’s circle and seeing how friendly and approachable he was, Old Zhang quickly warmed up to him. The fat Huang couldn’t stop praising Mei Qing for managing to get along so well with such a difficult person.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t sure why, but it seemed that this kind of life suited him naturally. At first, he had still been preoccupied with uncovering the truth behind his past experiences, but lately, those thoughts had faded, and he had begun to settle into his new job with peace of mind.
“Ah, Mei Qing,” the fat Huang said, noticing that Mei Qing had already sat down at his desk and started going through the documents. He approached with a grin: “Technically, since I came back late yesterday, I should help you out more today. But guess what? This morning, a good friend of mine who I haven’t seen in years just happened to return from the frontier. As a host, I really should spend some time with him, right?”
“Alright, alright,” Mei Qing laughed. “You wouldn’t be much help here anyway. Go be a good host. But you also said yesterday you’d bring me some game you hunted—yet I haven’t seen anything yet…”
“Alright, alright, I admit I was wrong,” the fat man said dramatically, feigning deep remorse. “I promise it won’t happen again. My dear Mei Master, I’ll roast it myself and bring it straight to your table tomorrow.”
Mei Qing waved him off with a smile and said no more. He had come to understand the fat man’s personality well—shrewd to the core, yet surprisingly loyal. Dealing with someone like him required a relaxed attitude; being too serious would only spoil the fun. Just like now, the more casually Mei Qing teased him over small matters, the closer their friendship seemed to become.
The fat man chuckled, looked around the room, then gave Mei Qing a quick bow before dashing out and disappearing in a flash.
Mei Qing smiled at the empty doorway where the fat man had vanished, then lowered his head and resumed reading the case file.
This particular file contained several recent cases handled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. As he flipped through the pages, Mei Qing’s eyes suddenly widened—he had come across the very case that had brought him here in the first place. It involved Scarred Liu, Li Mei, her servant Moyu, and the death of Zhao Boyu.
It was precisely this case that had dragged Mei Qing into his current situation. Even after much reflection, he still couldn’t fully understand how it had happened. He had even asked his loyal uncle about it, but the old man had only replied vaguely that matters involving spirits and ghosts were matters of belief—believing made them real, disbelief made them vanish. When Mei Qing pressed him about the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s forced recruitment of him, his uncle had merely hummed and hawed, avoiding the topic entirely and giving no real answers.
Now, seeing the official file, Mei Qing felt a surge of excitement and immediately began reading it carefully.
This file was likely written by the official Ma himself. The reason this case had drawn the attention of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was due to a certain Seven-Star Inkstone.
The origin of this inkstone was indeed significant—it was a royal artifact, originally presented to the imperial court by a local official. Three years ago, a fire had broken out in the palace, destroying several buildings, and the inkstone had been lost during the chaos.
At the time, the court had publicly announced that the fire was caused by dry weather, but the truth was far more complicated. After the fire, an excavation revealed a tunnel dug beneath the collapsed palace wall, leading directly to a civilian house outside the imperial city.
The emperor had been furious and ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to track down the thief. Soon after, the thief was captured, but he refused to confess, and the stolen goods were never found.
The Seven-Star Inkstone was among the missing items. Therefore, when the inkstone resurfaced during the Shuntian Prefecture investigation, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was quickly alerted. They had launched a night raid, arresting Mei Qing and Wang Shigu, and later exhumed Scarred Liu’s grave, discovering a collection of porcelain items inside the coffin—exactly the same treasures that had vanished in the palace fire three years earlier.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage