Chapter 13: Appointment to the Five City Military Command

The academy became entangled in factional struggles, and three younger cousins were kept at home for private study, making the household suddenly lively.

Friends came by frequently to visit, and just a few days ago, a gathering was even held, as if completely unaffected by the factional strife.

Leveraging the social circles of his three younger cousins, Li Mu successfully expanded his connections into the ranks of noble-born youths.

Unfortunately, the social level was generally low.

Perhaps due to their status as illegitimate sons, most of the younger cousins’ friends were also illegitimate sons.

The few legitimate sons among them were peripheral figures within the noble families.

Precisely because of their lowly status, none of them carried much arrogance, allowing Li Mu to integrate quickly.

Had he been dealing with legitimate heirs of marquis or duke households, his current status would have earned him at most a passing acquaintance.

To gain the recognition of these men, he had no choice but to demonstrate exceptional talent—otherwise, it was impossible.

Time flew by, and before he knew it, the day of his appointment arrived.

As the first rays of morning sunlight spread over the land, Li Mu, risen early, carried the Ministry of War’s appointment document straight toward the Five City Military Command.

Although his uncle had already prepared the ground, on his first day reporting, he still arrived early to wait respectfully for his superior.

Amid the startled glances of the soldiers, Li Mu stepped into the main hall.

The night-duty officer glanced at the document, and his previously lazy demeanor instantly vanished.

“Chai Delong, Chief of the Five City Military Command, pays his respects to the Battalion Commander!”

The Ministry of War’s appointment had been issued earlier, and when the official notice first arrived, it caused a stir within the office.

The Five City Military Command was a classic case of low rank but high authority—though the officials here held generally low ranks, their power was substantial.

Under normal circumstances, positions like Battalion Commander were always held by legitimate heirs of marquis or duke families.

This was not due to nepotism alone; rather, it was because imperial relatives and official sons were everywhere in the capital, and the dissolute young aristocrats were the greatest destabilizing factor in urban security.

When encountering such individuals, ordinary officials without backing rarely dared to intervene.

After a series of attempts, everyone eventually found that using poison to counter poison was most effective—and thus a precedent was established.

Zhenyuan Marquis’s sudden recommendation of a distant nephew genuinely surprised many.

Only after the teahouse incident was exposed, and it became known that Li Mu had saved Prince Fu, did people find a reason to justify it to themselves.

“We are all colleagues; no need for such formalities!”

“There aren’t many Chai families in the capital—is your lordship from the Xiangcheng Marquis’s household?”

Li Mu asked, feigning ignorance despite knowing the answer.

Having long been rooted in the capital, Zhenyuan Marquis’s intelligence network was naturally strong.

Half a month ago, the dossiers of every official within the Five City Military Command had been delivered into his hands.

Who came from which family, who needed caution, who could be befriended—Li Mu had long kept a mental ledger.

Now, deliberately creating conversation was because this man fell squarely within the scope of those worth cultivating.

It had nothing to do with Chai Delong’s outstanding ability or boundless potential—it was simply because the Xiangcheng Marquis’s household and Zhenyuan Marquis’s household were longstanding allies.

“Your Excellency, the current Xiangcheng Marquis is my elder brother; I am the seventh son in our family.”

Hearing Chai Delong’s reply, Li Mu instantly understood why he had remained stuck at the rank of Sixth-Rank Chief for ten years.

His family was too large, and political resources were insufficient to go around.

Coupled with Chai Delong’s utterly unremarkable record, there was no visible potential—no reason to waste resources on him.

From this perspective, he was fortunate.

The previous generation of Zhenyuan Marquis’s sons mostly had mediocre talent and were not worth further cultivation; the next generation had yet to mature.

This brief vacuum became his best opportunity.

Even more subtly, his timing of arrival was perfect.

Had he arrived months earlier, the Emperor’s rewards had not yet been distributed.

Even if his uncle had intended to promote him, the position he could have secured in the capital would not have been favorable.

Had he arrived months later, with so many relatives already milling about the capital, someone else might have taken his place.

“So you’re Brother Chai—I’ve heard my uncle mention it; the Marquis’s household and yours have been close for a hundred years.”

“Since we’re family, when no one’s around, there’s no need for such formalities.”

Li Mu said with a smile.

He wasn’t yet skilled at winning hearts, but he knew how to flatter.

In an office composed of noble-born youths, if you traced the family trees, you’d find some connection, however distant.

“Thank you, Battalion Commander, for your kindness—but etiquette must not be neglected.”

“Otherwise, word would spread, and people would laugh at me for not knowing propriety.”

“You’ve just assumed your post and surely have much to learn—tonight, I’ll host a dinner to welcome you with some colleagues!”

Chai Delong responded warmly.

But Li Mu knew this warmth was at most one-third due to his own initiative; the rest stemmed from respect for the Marquis’s household.

To establish himself firmly in the Five City Military Command, merely cultivating connections wasn’t enough—he needed to demonstrate capability, ideally by leading them to tangible achievements.

Achievements could wait for now—the two factions in court were locked in endless struggle; stirring up commotion now would risk drawing him into the turmoil.

As time passed, officials gradually arrived to report in. Under Chai Delong’s introductions, Li Mu met his fellow officers.

Just like on the first day of any new job, everyone was friendly.

Yet from their insincere smiles, Li Mu still sensed a faint distance from some of them.

Clearly, many here did not treat this newly arrived Battalion Commander with the warmth they displayed.

“The Commandant has arrived!”

Hearing their superior had come, the office reacted in various ways.

Some rose to greet him, others pretended to be busy, and some sat calmly sipping tea.

“We pay our respects to the Commandant!”

Without surprise, Li Mu stood among those welcoming Commandant Zheng Ruitao of Wuyang.

Others could afford to be arrogant—that was because they had sufficient backing.

On his first day as a new official, defying his direct superior would be pure suicide in the bureaucracy.

“Fellow colleagues, no need for formalities!”

“The state faces hardship—we must ensure the capital’s safety and avoid causing disturbances that would trouble His Majesty.”

“Enough talk—everyone, get back to work!”

Aside from the initial pleasantries, Commandant Zheng Ruitao emphasized his words heavily.

Unfortunately, these warnings only affected some.

The tea-sippers remained calm, sipping as if unaffected at all.

Wherever there are people, there is conflict—even within the noble elite, there existed a hierarchy of disdain.

The founding nobility looked down on later military aristocrats, regarding them as nouveau riche.

Both groups jointly scorned the imperial in-laws, believing those who rose solely through familial ties had no right to stand beside them as meritorious servants.

The imperial in-laws, in turn, looked down on the founding nobility, seeing them as idle heirs living off ancestral glory, inferior to themselves for their closeness to the Emperor.

Commandant Zheng Ruitao of Wuyang was precisely the representative of the imperial in-law nobility—he had ability, but his achievements were overwhelmingly the result of hard labor rather than merit.

He held the position of Commandant of the Five City Military Command primarily because he was the Emperor’s maternal uncle and the younger brother of the Empress Dowager.

(End of Chapter)