Chapter 217 Cheng Yu: Under Me, Tasks Are Done by Quota
“Greetings, Lord Cheng!”
“Heh.”
Cheng Yu raised a brow and glanced at the group of Jinyiwei whispering among themselves, but he did not respond.
He sneered inwardly.
These Jinyiwei all came from decent backgrounds, and their talent and strength were better than those of his previous subordinates. They were more powerful martial artists.
But from the perspective of their identity as Jinyiwei.
They were all people with extremely poor professional standards.
As Great Qian Jinyiwei, they enjoyed official salaries. Even if they did not strive to strengthen themselves and serve the country, they should at least perform their duties competently and avoid losing too much face before the Jianghu.
Yet these fellows spent every day living in comfort and prying into gossip. They had no trace of what Jinyiwei should be like!
When the Jinyiwei saw that Cheng Yu ignored them, looking as though he disdained them.
They immediately became displeased.
“He only got lucky and became an Assistant Commissioner. Why is he acting so arrogant? Those who do not know better might think he is the Commander and that even the Deputy Commanders have to listen to him.”
“Exactly. I heard that when he led people to raid Duke Dingguo’s Estate, he did not even have conclusive evidence. If he had guessed wrong, he would have been gambling with the face of our Jinyiwei!”
They were all old hands who had spent decades in the Jinyiwei. Even if their strength was inferior to Cheng Yu’s, their seniority was not shallow.
Being looked down on in return like this, no one would be willing to accept it.
Cheng Yu had discovered that Duke Dingguo had colluded with Prince Chu? That was merely luck!
Executing first and reporting later like a gamble—if he had gambled wrong, it would have been an enormous mistake!
At this moment.
Ai Peng walked over from the side, patted Cheng Yu on the shoulder, and smiled broadly.
“Lord Cheng, I truly benefited from you this time. No matter what, I must properly thank you today.”
Cheng Yu returned the smile and cupped his hands in greeting.
“Lord Ai, there is no need to say such things. His Majesty sees with perfect clarity and appoints people according to merit. The fact that you gained his appreciation is entirely because you have always worked diligently and seriously. Why thank me?”
Ai Peng shook his head deeply. Some things could not be achieved by diligence and endurance alone. One also needed certain opportunities.
“Never mind all that. Back in Dragon Abyss Path, I already benefited from your reflected glory, Lord Cheng, and I never had the chance to thank you. Today, you must give me that chance! I have already prepared a banquet at the best restaurant in the entire Great Qian Capital!”
Unable to refuse such warm hospitality, Cheng Yu no longer declined. He left with Ai Peng, the two of them talking and laughing.
Once the two left.
The Jinyiwei watching their backs were dumbfounded, because they clearly saw a gleaming golden waist token hanging at Ai Peng’s waist.
That imperial gold represented the royal family and symbolized high authority.
Among the Jinyiwei, only four people’s tokens could use this color: the highest-ranking Commander and the three Deputy Commanders.
Ai Peng had newly filled the vacancy and become a Deputy Commander!
The Jinyiwei had not expected this.
Among the many Assistant Commissioners in the Great Qian Capital Command Office, most belonged either to the Lu Family faction or the Zhang brothers’ faction. Ai Peng belonged to neither side. He seemed out of place and had always been inconspicuous.
The first time he had truly gained some reputation and merit.
Was during the previous journey to Dragon Abyss Path to destroy Sword-Forging Manor.
How had someone so quiet and unassuming managed to be promoted to Deputy Commander?
At this moment.
Someone seemed to think of something and spoke hesitantly. “I remember that when Cheng... Assistant Commissioner Cheng first came to the Command Office, Lord Ai was already quite familiar with him.”
Everyone immediately recalled it. At the time, none of them had cared much for Cheng Yu.
On the contrary, Ai Peng had been on very good terms with him!
Once this was mentioned.
Everyone realized the situation. In the matter of Duke Dingguo colluding with Prince Chu this time, His Majesty had both anger and joy.
What angered him was that Lu Zhi and the others were too useless, watching helplessly as Ning Dingyuan left.
What pleased him was that Cheng Yu later rendered great merit by killing the rebel minister, preserving Xiao Wuji’s dignity.
And after the matter of Sword-Forging Manor in Dragon Abyss Path, Ai Peng had once strongly described Cheng Yu’s merits and excellence to His Majesty. He could be considered a meritorious subject who had recommended talent to the Emperor.
This time, Cheng Yu rendered great merit again.
In the Great Qian Emperor’s great joy.
Ai Peng naturally benefited from Cheng Yu’s reflected glory and unexpectedly obtained the position of Deputy Commander.
“So choosing the right friend brings benefits. It turns out one can even be promoted like this?”
The Jinyiwei looked at one another.
Then they looked from afar at Zhang Fen’s furious departing figure.
This man.
Had his elder brother Zhang De, who was a Deputy Commander, helping support him and build momentum. Behind him were Elder Grand Secretary Qi and the other Moderate Faction ministers as his background. He often took low-risk, easy-merit assignments such as the royal ceremonial guard.
He had accumulated considerable seniority and merit that way.
If one day.
Lu Zhi broke through to Grandmaster and stepped down as Commander-in-Chief, then Lu Ming, a member of the Lu Family, would take over the position.
In many people’s hearts, the position left vacant after that had already been reserved for Zhang Fen.
No one had expected the opportunity to come faster now, only for Ai Peng to appear halfway through and snatch it away.
Losing a position he had regarded as already in his pocket.
No wonder Zhang Fen would be so furious.
And the sole reason for this difference in outcome.
It was none other than Cheng Yu.
Not long ago, when Cheng Yu had first arrived, Zhang De and Zhang Fen had harbored ill intentions and formed a grudge with him.
They had assigned him to manage the Imperial Prison, the worst duty of all, never expecting it to trigger the entire sequence of events involving Duke Dingguo’s Estate later on.
Not only had the two brothers been punished, they had also lost an excellent opportunity because of it.
The Jinyiwei compared Ai Peng and Zhang Fen’s experiences and felt somewhat emotional. Merely because of their different attitudes toward Cheng Yu, they had ended up with completely different results.
It seemed.
The future of the Great Qian Jinyiwei.
Could it truly be falling into the hands of this young and promising Assistant Commissioner Cheng Yu, who was deeply favored by His Majesty?
At this moment, when the Jinyiwei recalled their dissatisfaction with Cheng Yu just now, their hearts immediately became awkward. For a time, they were incomparably embarrassed.
...
The next day.
Cheng Yu began his first main quest after arriving in the Great Qian Capital.
Training troops.
Cultivating usable talents among his Jinyiwei subordinates.
This was a truly important matter that concerned the Jinyiwei’s future development and his own development.
With Ai Peng’s approval.
Cheng Yu gathered all the Jinyiwei who were neither Lu Family disciples nor members of the Zhang brothers’ faction.
These people did not have the status of Lu Family disciples and had not been absorbed by Zhang De and Zhang Fen either. They were all people whose strength and backgrounds were relatively the worst.
Among them were a few whose strength and backgrounds were actually quite good, but their personalities were relatively prickly.
That was why they had not been absorbed.
Cheng Yu stated to the Jinyiwei that he intended to conduct intensified training. Most of them knew how terrifying this lord was, so none of them had any objections.
Only those few prickly ones became dissatisfied.
“Lord Cheng, we all still have duties on hand. Can the matter of training be delayed for now?”
When Cheng Yu heard this, he revealed an understanding smile. “Oh? What duties?”
“Patrolling the streets and alleys to see whether any rebellious or lawless people are hidden there.”
Upon hearing this answer.
Cheng Yu immediately sneered inwardly. He had also been a low-level little Jinyiwei before, so he understood all too well what patrolling the streets and alleys meant.
Strutting through the market, eating without paying, bullying stall vendors, and teasing married women—fully displaying the act of abusing power to bully others.
The Jinyiwei’s reputation had been ruined in the hands of people like this.
However, he did not object. “Duties cannot be delayed. If you want to go, that is fine.”
Those few prickly ones immediately became smug.
It seemed this Cheng Yu was not as forceful as they had imagined.
But to their surprise.
Cheng Yu’s next sentence made them freeze on the spot.
“However, the rules for doing tasks under me are different. They are not based on days or time. They are based on quotas.”
“You say you are going to search for rebels? Then go search day and night and bring me a hundred of them.”
“If you fail to find enough people and rest without authorization, or if you arrest innocent people to claim merit... you will be dealt with for deceiving a superior and falsely reporting intelligence.”