"Haha... I was wondering why the magpies in the yard were chirping non-stop so early in the morning. It turns out that our Lord Zhu has come to take office. This is really a great event."
Zhu Ping'an was sitting in the gatehouse. Before he saw the person coming, he heard a burst of hearty laughter.
Someone is coming.
Upon hearing the voice, Zhu Ping'an stood up and walked out of the gatehouse, and saw a middle-aged official with a big belly walking towards him with a smile.
This pot-bellied official had a kind face, but the word "fat" was clearly visible on his face. He had small eyes and big ears, and the flesh on his face was almost squeezing out his eyes. He had a big round belly, and the fifth-rank official uniform he wore was made unusually stylish by the fat on his body.
"Haha, this must be Mr. Zhu, I have heard of your great name for a long time, but never met you. Now that I have met you, I can see that you are indeed a young hero, and your reputation is well-deserved. I am Chu Xiong, the assistant official of our office. From now on, we will be colleagues in the same office, so we should get to know each other better."
Chu Xiong walked up to him in a familiar manner, looked Zhu Ping'an up and down with a smile, patted Zhu Ping'an's shoulder in praise, and then put his arm around Zhu Ping'an's shoulder and spoke in a familiar manner.
"My name is Zhu Ping'an, nice to meet you, Lord Chu. Lord Chu, you are too kind. I am unworthy of being called the second son of 'Yinghao'." Zhu Ping'an bowed and greeted Chu Xiong, speaking very humbly.
This would be his colleague for a long time in the future. Zhu Ping'an observed Chu Xiong unnoticeably.
It goes without saying that Chu Xiong is obese. Zhu Ping'an's eyesight is much sharper than that of ordinary people. He noticed that there was a rouge-colored patch on Chu Xiong's neck. It was afternoon now. The rouge on Chu Xiong's neck could not have been left by his family, because if it was left by his family last night, he would have washed it off this morning. So it must have been left there during the noon period. According to common sense, since he was almost 50, he should not have been so interested in going home to farm at noon. Then it was more likely that Chu Xiong used this little time at noon to find excitement in the wind, flowers, snow and moon, and left it there. That was why he did not have time to check and clean the marks left on his body.
In addition, the smell of cheap rouge and powder coming from Chuxiong also indirectly confirmed this point.
Considering the status of a fifth-rank assistant in Chuxiong, the rouge and powder used by his wives and concubines must have been high-end products. It was impossible for them to use such pungent cheap rouge and powder. Only the women in brothels and other romantic places would use such cheap and irritating rouge and powder.
This is a lustful fat man... Zhu Pingan put a label on Chuxiong.
Because Chu Xiong was close to him, Zhu Ping'an could smell not only the pungent smell of rouge and powder, but also the strong smell of wine and meat... This was a fat man who loved to indulge in food, and it would be strange if he didn't have this hobby after growing to his size.
"We are officials in the same office, so it may be strange to call you Lord Chu." Chu Xiong said with a laugh.
"Brother Chu." Zhu Ping'an changed his address, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help twitching after he finished speaking. Brother Chu, Chu Xiong, why does it feel like calling him Brother Chu is like calling his name Chu Xiong.
"Hehe, you can call me Brother Chu. I am more than 30 years older than you, so it doesn't count as taking advantage of you. From now on, I will call you Brother Zhu." Chu Xiong said in a familiar manner.
"Brother Chu." Zhu Ping'an followed suit, smiled and bowed to greet Chu Xiong again.
"Haha, little brother Zhu. Let's go. Brother Chu will take you to meet the Lord Neitai, and get familiar with our Jiangzhe Judicial and Surveillance Office." Chu Xiong smiled and stretched out his hand to make a gesture of invitation to Zhu Pingan, then turned his head and said to a doorman, "Li San, you take care of little brother Zhu's entourage, and when little brother Zhu is settled, I will send someone to notify you."
When receiving him, he did not forget to take care of Liu Mu and Liu Dadao. Through this, Zhu Ping'an felt that Chu Xiong was not only familiar with others, but also very considerate under his carefree appearance.
"Thank you, Brother Chu." Zhu Ping'an bowed slightly, then turned and nodded to Liu Mu and Liu Dadao.
Zhu Ping'an knew very well that the "Nietai" mentioned by Chuxiong was referring to the chief official and the highest leader of the government office - the Anchashi. The word "Nie" means "criminal law" or "law", such as the phrase "follow the standard". The Anchashi of the Tixing Ancha was in charge of the criminal investigation and impeachment of a province, and had both judicial and supervisory functions, so it was also commonly known as "Niesi". The chief official of the Tixing Anchashi was therefore called "Nietai", which was actually similar to the abbreviations with honorific titles such as Weizuo and Junzuo during the Republic of China period.
Similarly, local officials called the governor "Fantai", and the same logic applies.
After leaving the gatehouse and entering the office of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Judicial Supervisory Commissioner, you will see a wide boulevard in front of you. On both sides of the boulevard are long and narrow corridors with white walls, black tiles as the roof, and colorful square bricks on the floor. The corridors are decorated with hollow flower windows, each of which reflects the characteristics of the Jiangnan region.
"Brother Zhu, please come this way." Chu Xiong said, reaching out and holding Zhu Ping'an's wrist as he walked into the tree-lined avenue.
Walking hand in hand does not mean that there is anything wrong with Chuxiong's orientation, but the ancients had the habit of holding hands to express kindness and enthusiasm. To be more kind and enthusiastic, they would sleep on the same bed or with their feet touching. For example, Comrade Liu Bei of the Three Kingdoms period had this hobby. When the three swore brotherhood in Peach Garden, Liu Bei "slept on the same bed" with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and "slept with their feet touching" with Zhuge Liang.
This situation was very normal in ancient times, but it is different in modern times. In modern times, if two men hold hands, they will be seen as gay, and will definitely be looked at and pointed at by others. This impression is deeply rooted, and Zhu Ping'an is no exception.
Therefore, Zhu Ping'an, who came from the modern times, could not bear being held by a grown man's hand. Not only did his mouth twitch uncontrollably, but he also had goose bumps all over his body.
"Brother Chu, what is this building in front of us?" Zhu Ping'an pretended to ask for directions. He pulled his wrist out of Chu Xiong's hand unnoticeably, pointed at a three-story building with flying eaves covering a large area in front of him, and asked curiously.
"Oh, you mean the building in front? This is the archive building. The confidential files of our office are stored here. It is no exaggeration to say that all the files of officials from Jiangsu and Zhejiang are stored here. There are guards guarding it at all times, and no outsiders are allowed to approach. Even you and I are not allowed to enter and check the files without permission unless it is official business." Chu Xiong explained to Zhu Ping'an.
Zhu Ping'an nodded. The Jiangsu and Zhejiang Judicial Inspection Office was in charge of criminal matters in a province and had both judicial and supervisory functions. It was not surprising that the official files of Jiangsu and Zhejiang were all kept here.