Chapter 97: Zhao Ming, Reasonable Arrangement

The remainder of the day passed without incident.

Lu Hai continued explaining the various rules and procedures of the Imperial Prison, occasionally pointing out details that he considered particularly important.

They concerned the handling of prisoners, various responsibilities of the guards, the authority of the Prison Wardens, and the consequences of violating established regulations.

There were even rules governing seemingly insignificant matters, such as the distribution of meals, the inspection of prison cells, and the recording of a prisoner’s belongings upon arrival.

Lu Yang listened patiently.

He already knew most of these things, but there was no harm in listening to them again.

Besides, his grandfather was taking the opportunity to teach him, and interrupting him merely because he was already familiar with the subject would be impolite.

By the time Lu Hai finally finished, the sun had begun its gradual descent.

The light shining through the corridors had turned slightly golden, and the sounds within the Imperial Prison had changed as the guards prepared for the next shift.

Lu Hai glanced outside.

"Come, there’s one more place you need to visit."

Lu Yang followed him without asking questions.

They walked through several corridors before arriving at a relatively inconspicuous building situated near one of the ordinary detention areas.

Compared to the administrative offices, the building was much smaller. It appeared to be an ordinary office used by the prison guards.

Lu Yang had visited this place several times in the past, although he never paid much attention to what happened inside.

After all, when he accompanied his grandfather, he usually remained near the offices of the Prison Warden or wandered around the areas he was permitted to visit.

He never needed to concern himself with the daily activities of ordinary guards.

Now, however, he was about to become one of them.

Lu Hai pushed open the door.

"What’s going on in here?"

His voice was not particularly loud.

Nevertheless, the moment it entered the room, the atmosphere changed.

Inside the office, five or six guards were gathered around a table.

Several wooden tokens were placed on the tabletop, alongside a small pile of copper coins and silver fragments.

One of the guards was holding a token between his fingers, sweat beading down his forehead, while another was leaning forward with an expression of intense concentration.

Judging by their postures, they had been occupied with their activity for quite some time.

Unfortunately for them, the moment the door opened and Lu Hai appeared, all their concentration vanished.

The guard holding the token immediately dropped it.

Another hurriedly swept the coins towards himself before realizing how foolish the action looked and quickly pushed them back onto the table.

Within the span of a few breaths, everyone stood up hurriedly.

"Prison Warden!"

They bowed respectfully.

The room fell into a suffocating silent.

Lu Yang stood behind his grandfather, looking at the table and then at the guards.

His expression was somewhat strange.

He had interacted with several of these people before.

Some greeted him during his previous visits, while others had occasionally accompanied Lu Hai when the latter inspected the prison.

They all appeared diligent enough in his presence.

He had never particularly paid attention to what they did when no one was watching.

Now he knew, they were gambling during working hours.

...So this is what happens when they aren’t patrolling.

Lu Yang silently committed the discovery to memory.

It wasn’t that he had assumed everyone in the Imperial Prison was exceptionally diligent.

He understood human nature well enough to know that people would inevitably seek entertainment during their free time.

However, there was a difference between enjoying oneself after completing one’s duties and gathering around a table to gamble while supposedly working.

Of course, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

The guards were not high ranking officials, after all.

Most possessed little cultivation, and their positions offered limited opportunities for advancement.

Some worked diligently because they valued their livelihoods, others simply performed enough work to avoid attracting trouble.

And then there were those who had gradually become comfortable with their positions, believing that as long as nothing went wrong, they could spend their time however they pleased.

These people were hardly unique to the Imperial Prison. They could be found in almost any sufficiently large institution.

Lu Yang had encountered similar individuals in his previous lives.

Some were harmless idlers, and others eventually caused serious trouble because their negligence had allowed a seemingly minor matter to develop into something much larger.

The difference often depended on luck, and relying on luck was rarely a sensible way to live.

At this moment, Lu Hai’s expression darkened slightly.

He looked at the table, then at the guards standing before him.

For a moment, nobody dared to speak.

However, Lu Hai did not immediately reprimand them, instead asking a seemingly unrelated question.

"Where is old Sun?"

The guards exchanged glances uncertainly at the question.

The young man standing at the front stepped forward and answered respectfully.

"Reporting to the Prison Warden, old Sun’s grandson held his wedding two days ago. Old Sun took leave to attend the ceremony and should return within another day or two."

Lu Hai paused for a moment, then, as though remembering something, he nodded.

"Ah, that’s right."

He stroked his beard.

"I sent some gifts as well. I nearly forgot."

Lu Hai waved his hand dismissively, seemingly putting the matter aside for the time being.

Then, he turned slightly to the side and pointed towards Lu Yang.

"This is my grandson, Lu Yang. Starting today, he’ll be working here."

The guards immediately shifted their attention to the young boy standing beside him.

Lu Hai continued.

"When old Sun returns, he’ll be assigned under his command and be your colleague. Until then, make sure he understands the basic duties of an ordinary prison guard and show him the ropes."

The leading young man hurriedly bowed.

"Understood, Prison Warden!"

The others followed suit, "Understood!"

Lu Hai nodded, his gaze briefly sweeping across the table again.

"Put those things away. If you have time to gamble, then you should have enough time to finish your work properly."

The guards stiffened visibly.

"Yes, Prison Warden!"

Lu Hai did not say anything further. He turned around and left the office, leaving Lu Yang behind.

Before departing, he glanced at his grandson.

"Do your work properly. I’ll come to see you again when I have time."

Lu Yang nodded obediently.

"Understood, grandfather."

With that, Lu Hai walked away.

The moment his footsteps disappeared down the corridor, the atmosphere inside the office finally relaxed.

The guards exchanged glances, and the young man who had spoken earlier let out a quiet breath.

Then, he turned towards Lu Yang with a somewhat awkward smile.

"Young Master Lu, please don’t take what you saw just now too seriously."

Lu Yang blinked in surprise, "Why would I?"

The young man hesitated.

"Well..."

He glanced at the table.

"It’s just that we have already finished most of our duties for the day. We were merely passing the time."

Lu Yang nodded with understanding.

"I see."

He didn’t comment further.

Whether the man’s explanation was true or not, it had little to do with him. He was not the Prison Warden, nor was he responsible for supervising these guards.

If they completed their duties properly and did not create unnecessary trouble, their habits were not something he needed to concern himself with.

The young man seemed relieved by Lu Yang’s reaction.

He smiled and introduced himself.

"My name is Zhao Ming. I’m responsible for managing the daily assignments in this office while old Sun is away."

He then gestured towards the other guards.

"These are my colleagues. Since you’ll be working here from now on, we’ll be seeing each other quite often."

Lu Yang returned the greeting politely.

"Then I’ll be relying on everyone’s guidance."

"You’re too courteous, Young Master Lu."

Zhao Ming waved his hand as he spoke.

"With the Prison Warden as your grandfather, who would dare make things difficult for you?"

The moment those words left his mouth, he seemed to realize that they might sound inappropriate.

He hurriedly added, "Of course, I only mean that everyone here respects the Prison Warden. We’re all happy to have you working with us."

Lu Yang smiled faintly, "It’s fine, I understand."

He wasn’t particularly offended.

In fact, Zhao Ming’s attitude was understandable.

In a place like the Imperial Prison, connections mattered.

Even though the guards were not formal officials of Great Qian, they were still part of an institution that dealt with people from various backgrounds.

Having a Prison Warden as one’s grandfather was a considerable advantage as it meant that most people would think twice before deliberately provoking him.

It also meant that some individuals would attempt to curry favor with him.

Lu Yang was familiar with both reactions.

He had experienced similar treatment in his previous lives, albeit under very different circumstances. He had experienced it even in this life.

However, he had no intention of exploiting his grandfather’s position.

There was little benefit in making everyone fear or flatter him, and he would rather be treated as an ordinary guard whenever possible to minimize his presence.

Of course, that was easier said than done.

After the brief introductions, Zhao Ming began explaining the duties Lu Yang would eventually perform.

Most of the work was straightforward.

Guards were expected to patrol their assigned areas, ensure that prisoners remained confined, report unusual incidents, and assist with the transfer of detainees when necessary.

They also helped verify prison records with the clerks and occasionally accompanied senior personnel during inspections.

The work was not particularly complicated, but it required attentiveness.

A guard who failed to notice a damaged lock or ignored suspicious behavior could create serious problems.

The same was true of someone who carelessly recorded a prisoner’s identity or overlooked an inconsistency in the transfer documents.

Even minor mistakes could have enormous consequences.

Lu Yang listened while occasionally asking questions.

He deliberately refrained from demonstrating how much he already knew.

To Zhao Ming and the others, he appeared to be a reasonably intelligent child learning the basics of his new position.

After explaining the routine duties, Zhao Ming finally mentioned the person under whose command Lu Yang would eventually work.

"Old Sun should return soon."

He spoke with a somewhat nostalgic expression.

"He’s been working in the Imperial Prison for decades. If there’s anyone who understands how things operate around here, it’s him."

Lu Yang nodded, naturally knowing who old Sun was.

He was an elderly man who had already passed his eightieth year, more than a decade older than both Lu Hai and Wen Fanghong, yet his cultivation was only at the Sixth Stage of the Body Tempering Realm.

Compared to Lu Hai, who had reached the Ninth Stage of Body Tempering Realm years ago, or Wen Fanghong, who had long since entered the Spirit Awakening Realm and even walked a considerable distance within it, the difference was considerable.

Nevertheless, old Sun remained one of the most senior Guard Leaders in the Imperial Prison.

He had worked there for many years and was trusted by Lu Hai.

His cultivation might not have been particularly impressive, but his experience was another matter.

In a place like the Imperial Prison, experience was oftentimes more valuable than strength.

A Guard Leader did not need to defeat every prisoner personally, but they needed to understand how to manage their subordinates, recognize dangerous situations, maintain order, and prevent small problems from becoming serious incidents.

The fact that old Sun had apparently done this well enough to retain his position for decades alone suggested that he possessed certain abilities.

Besides, there was another reason why his grandfather had arranged this assignment.

Old Sun was already over eighty years old.

Even if cultivators generally possessed longer lifespans than ordinary mortals, someone at the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering Realm could not expect to remain active until a hundred years of age.

He would eventually retire in a few years, and when that happened, his position would become vacant.

Lu Yang could roughly guess what his grandfather was planning.

It seemed that Lu Hai intended for him to take over old Sun’s position once the elderly Guard Leader retired.

That would explain why he had arranged for Lu Yang to work under him now.

By learning from old Sun, he could gradually become familiar with the responsibilities of a Guard Leader before assuming the position himself.

It was a reasonable arrangement.

Although Lu Yang had no desire to climb the ranks quickly, if an opportunity came naturally, there was no reason to refuse it.

A Guard Leader’s position would give him greater freedom in managing his daily duties.

It would also allow him to cultivate more conveniently, provided he fulfilled his responsibilities.

For someone who wished to live quietly, such an arrangement was not bad at all.