Chapter 602: Steward

Chapter 602: Chapter 602: Steward

When Shen Hao stepped out of the Central Army Tent, a trace of bewilderment still lingered on his face. He was a promising young talent from the Xuanqing Guard, merely assigned to the army to check the reach of the Civil Servant Group—so how had he caught someone’s eye?

"Our army is still lacking a Chief of Miscellaneous Affairs in the camp. Mainly, it’s about disease prevention and control within the encampment. Since you have some experience in this field, why not take on this duty? You said yourself you’re idle most days, didn’t you?"

The army held no direct authority over Inspectors. So when Shen Hao heard Zuo Yuliang’s proposal, his mind was full of confusion and he had no idea how to reply. Was he supposed to remind Zuo Yuliang that this was an overreach of authority? Could a Daoxing Chief of Military Affairs fail to realize this himself? Did he need to be taught?

But then Zuo Yuliang added, "Rest assured, this isn’t an appointment—just a commission. Hmm...you can think of it as ’assistance’ in carrying out the task. But it does require you to hold a ’Chief of Miscellaneous Affairs’ position. Never heard of this post? That’s fine, since I just created it a moment ago." ℯℯ𝑙.

Shen Hao was frankly impressed by Grand Marshal Zuo’s imagination. He’d managed to spin ’commission’ and ’assistance,’ and judging by his manner, he really intended to delegate power to Shen Hao? In the Jingjiu Dynasty’s system, ’Chief’ was a blanket term for real, authoritative posts—meaning, literally, ’can oversee anything.’

Still, Shen Hao didn’t immediately agree, but pushed back, saying that he was under orders from the Xuanqing Guard and couldn’t make such decisions without authorization. Zuo Yuliang, however, genuinely did not press him, brushing the matter aside and turning instead to discuss disease prevention in the military encampment. When Shen Hao was about to leave, Zuo Yuliang suddenly remarked, "I’ll speak directly to Lord Jiang about your appointment. Go back and await news."

Returning to his own tent, Shen Hao remained at a loss, unable to fathom why Zuo Yuliang had brought this up out of nowhere. Could a mere suggestion to ’drink boiled water’ really have garnered Zuo Yuliang’s respect and prompted him to entrust such responsibility? Impossible.

But Zuo Yuliang had previously sided with Shen Hao regarding the punishment of the Military Supervisor with eighty rods, so Shen Hao couldn’t outright refuse Zuo Yuliang’s ’commission’ and could only use the Xuanqing Guard as an excuse. Judging by Zuo Yuliang’s apparent confidence....

That very evening, Shen Hao received an urgent order from Jiang Cheng: "Assist the Southern Border Army Daoxing Chief’s Office with all matters relating to the ’Chief of Miscellaneous Affairs’ post in the camps."

Not long after, later that night, Jiang Cheng sent a private message, directly clarifying Shen Hao’s doubts: "Be careful. Right now, Zuo Yuliang and Lord Pang are using you as a temporary bridge to draw close to each other. Think things through before reacting..."

Both copper rods were delivered via the Xuanqing Guard—more precisely, through the intelligence channel of Fengri City’s Xuanqing Guard; otherwise, they couldn’t have arrived so quickly. Likewise, the army’s transmission speed had increased severalfold—likely having learned from the Xuanqing Guard’s use of Thousand-Mile Sound for relay communication.

The first copper rod was an order from Shen Hao’s superior—the Jingxi Town Governor’s Office. In other words, he was about to take on the role of ’Chief of Miscellaneous Affairs’ in the army in an ’assisting’ capacity. This decision couldn’t possibly have been made by Jiang Chengjiu alone; it involved overlapping personnel and responsibilities between the Xuanqing Guard and the army, with complex and sensitive issues of subordination and organizational structure. Even as Governor and Shen Hao’s direct commander, Jiang Chengjiu would not dare make such a decision independently.

The second was Jiang Cheng’s private message, which was the true substance Shen Hao cared about. It also cleared up his confusion about Zuo Yuliang’s seemingly illogical actions.

So he, Shen Hao, was to be used as the temporary bridge.

Thinking this through, everything made sense. At least regarding the Civil Servant Group, the army and Xuanqing Guard stood together. Moreover, the Xuanqing Guard was fiercely loyal to the Emperor, and since Yang Yansi had been sidelined, power in the army had indirectly fallen into the Emperor’s hands. Thus, the Xuanqing Guard and the army were now sailing the same ship. Especially with both the Emperor and the army advocating for war, the Xuanqing Guard’s alignment was more pronounced.

The ’Chief of Miscellaneous Affairs’ may not sound like a leisurely post, but given the word ’miscellaneous,’ it wasn’t particularly significant—a far cry from a key position. Shen Hao had no idea what the responsibilities really entailed.

It was simply perfect as a means to deepen the relationship with the Xuanqing Guard.

The next day, the Military Affairs Daoxing Chief’s Office’s order arrived—along with a statement of duties and a crudely crafted waist token, clearly made on the spot.

"Lord Shen, from today onward, please look after us."

The speaker was a physician—or rather, his main post was physician, but he was also an alchemist. He had delivered the Central Army’s order. Shen Hao had seen him before in the tent and remembered him somewhat. His surname was Chen, full name Chen Zifang. Cultivation level: Gathering Spirit Realm, Seventh Layer. Because of his dual role as alchemist and physician, he had an exceptional status in the army. He seemed to oversee all medical affairs for the Southern Border Army.

This man was now a colleague of Shen Hao’s, wasn’t he?

"Alchemist Chen, you’re too polite. I was dragged into this by Marshal Zuo myself. Right now, I’m utterly clueless and need your guidance moving forward." Shen Hao courteously invited him inside and personally poured a cup of water.

Chen Zifang, smiling amiably, appeared more genial than most, and his smile was especially like a warm breeze. In that sense, he reminded Shen Hao of someone: Pang Ban, Commander of the Xuanqing Guard.

Taking the cup from Shen Hao, Chen Zifang drank a sip and asked, "Is this cool boiled water?"

"Yes. In my camp, everyone drinks boiled water cooled off—just plain cooled boiled water."

"Yesterday’s random inspection showed a clear difference between drinking boiled water and raw water. Once this is rolled out, we’ll surely see more evidence. If the army’s diarrhea outbreaks are effectively controlled as a result, Lord Shen’s merit will be immediate and remembered for generations!"

That statement was a bit too grand for Shen Hao, who hurriedly replied, "No, no, I wouldn’t dare."

"Now that Lord Shen has taken the post of ’Chief of Miscellaneous Affairs,’ Marshal Zuo’s intention is for us to complement each other and plug all potential hazards in the camp. Does Lord Shen have any plans?"

Shen Hao quickly waved his hands. "Don’t laugh, Alchemist Chen—I’m just an amateur thrown into the post with no clue. The Inspector’s work is demanding enough, and I haven’t much energy for making decisions. Please, you take the lead and I’ll assist."

Chen Zifang laughed, declining modestly, saying that although Shen Hao was assisting, as ’Chief’ he should be the principal. After much polite back-and-forth, Chen Zifang cheerfully agreed with Shen Hao’s suggestion.

"In that case, may Lord Shen spare some time to patrol the various camps with me, so we may assess the specific situation before making plans?"