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At noon, Di Yelei decided to hold the gathering at the Drunken Fairy Restaurant.

However, aside from Old Qin, no one had arrived by the noontime. Di Yelei had been anxiously waiting for a long time when Old Qin finally came out from inside and lightly patted him on the shoulder.

“Let’s go! They won’t be coming.”

Having said that, he went straight past Di Yelei and walked out.

Di Yelei was momentarily stunned and hurried to catch up: “Old Qin! Old Qin, what’s going on…”

Old Qin stopped and looked back at him with a hint of pity in his eyes: “At noon, just before leaving, Xin Quan sent out a message: anyone who comes to this meal will have their legs broken by his order. So…” Old Qin shook his head with a sigh, and quickened his pace.

Di Yelei’s mouth opened wide in surprise, and he hurriedly followed again.

“Old Qin, since you’re a good person, please give me a detailed explanation!”

Old Qin ignored him, but Di Yelei shamelessly clung to him. Unable to shake him off, Old Qin casually pointed to a teahouse nearby.

“Let’s go! We’ll talk more inside.”

It was not until the two found a secluded spot on the second floor that they sat down to talk.

“Xin Quan may not have any great skills and holds only the position of Criminal Justice Officer in the county government, but his uncle is a Garrison Commander in Gongzhou. His uncle intends to promote Xin Quan and it would be best for him to have some foundation at the local level first so that he could rise higher once he goes there. Therefore, Xin Quan is determined to get this sub-captain position. But he did not expect someone like you, a Cheng Yaojin, to appear in the scene…”

Wait a moment, Old Qin! How are the official positions distinguished? Have you got me confused? Which is a higher position, the Criminal Justice Officer or the sub-captain?” Di Yelei quickly asked.

Old Qin took a couple of peanuts, sipped some light drink, and said with narrowed eyes.

“The Criminal Justice Officer is a ninth-rank civil official, while the sub-captain is a seventh-rank military official. Naturally, the sub-captain position is higher. However, in a small place like Macheng County, and with no wars in many years, this sub-captain position seems to be a big deal but is practically less useful than a low-ranked Post-house Minister. So…”

Old Qin gave him a look that said, “You know what I mean.”

Di Yelei hurriedly stood up and bowed, “Please explain more about the ranks of these official positions, Old Qin, so I won’t make any more mistakes and become a laughingstock.”

“Get up, get up! You have been entrusted with the position of sub-captain by the Lord Imperial Envoy himself. No matter how much Xin Quan plots, he cannot shake you.”

Old Qin helped him up and carefully explained the current official positions to him.

“Generally, county magistrates are divided into large and small counties according to the amount of silver and grain collected and submitted to the national bank. The magistrate of a large county is a sixth-rank civil official, while a small county magistrate is a seventh-rank civil official. Criminal Justice Officers are ranked as ninth-rank civil officials, Garrison Commanders are fifth-rank military officials. As for sub-captains, they are divided between capital officials and other counties, with capital sub-captains being sixth-rank officials. As for a local official like you…you may be called a seventh-rank official, but in reality, even a ninth-rank Criminal Justice Officer has more benefits than your position.”

Di Yelei naturally understood the implicit meaning in Old Qin’s words!

In a nutshell, this seventh-rank sub-captain position is just something to scare people with, but it doesn’t have as much to gain as a ninth-rank Criminal Justice Officer!

“But in reality, the sub-captain’s position is higher than the Criminal Justice Officer’s, isn’t it?”

“Of course, otherwise why would Xin Quan rack his brains trying to compete with you?”

Old Qin took another sip of the light drink and smacked his lips in satisfaction, his face full of contentment.

A few comprehending glances flashed in Di Yelei’s eyes, and he soon looked at Old Qin with a smile, “Old Qin, what is your status then?”

Old Qin, who was about to take a sip of wine, paused, looked at him, and asked, “Why are you asking this question?”

“Hehe…”

Di Yelei leisurely picked up the bamboo chopsticks, also taking a couple of peanuts and chewing them thoroughly before swallowing. Only then did he put down the chopsticks and spoke.

“People don’t dare to drink with you near the armory, but Old Qin, you dare. Others would want to stay far from you, but you and I can chat happily. If you say you’re an ordinary person, I’m afraid no one will believe that, right?”

“Hahaha… You, young man, are trying to deceive this old man?”

Old Qin laughed out loud: “This time you’re wrong, I, old Qin, am indeed just an ordinary old man with no special identity. I’ve eaten enough, time to go back to the armory!”

Saying that, he got up directly and walked out of the teahouse while humming a little tune with a slightly staggering gait.

Di Yelei narrowed his eyes, watching the departing Old Qin and not sure what he was thinking.

“Old Qin, wait a moment! I know a newly opened small shop nearby, which sells delicious mutton noodles…”

Compared to the chaos on Di Yelei’s side, Liu Sisi was also exceptionally busy.

Early in the morning, she signed an agreement with Sister-in-Law Sun and pressed her fingerprints on it, before hurrying to the hot spring manor with Guihua.

Accompanying them on the ride were Liu Zhi’er, holding Da Mao, and YingEr.

Da Mao was nestled in Liu Zhi’er’s arms, while YingEr lay on Liu Sisi’s lap, occasionally touching Liu Sisi’s slightly protruding belly.

“Mom! When is the little sister finally coming? YingEr has been waiting for so long and is bored.”

At these words, Liu Sisi and the others couldn’t help but laugh.

Guihua raised her hand and slapped YingEr’s little bottom: “You little monkey! How do you know it’s going to be a little sister in your mom’s belly? What if it’s a little brother? Besides, your mom is only five months pregnant, it’s still a long way to go!”

“It’s a little sister! YingEr already has four little brothers and wants a little sister! YingEr wants to be an elder sister to her.”

YingEr pouted defiantly.

Liu Zhi’er leaned in and asked, “Where are the four little brothers, YingEr?”

“There are! Look.”

As YingEr spoke, she started counting on her fingers: “One Di Jie, one Da Mao, one Er Mao, and one San Mao. Isn’t that four little brothers?”

Upon hearing this, the smile on Liu Zhi’er’s face instantly vanished.

But YingEr seemed completely unaware, still going on: “Little brothers are no fun at all! YingEr wants a little sister, and when she comes, YingEr will dress her up all pretty and beautiful, prettier than that so-called Prefecture Princess…”

Liu Sisi glanced at the color-drained face of Liu Zhi’er, gently patted her hand, and silently comforted her. Liu Zhi’er just smiled faintly and hugged Da Mao closer, without saying anything.

Guihua next to them snorted: “YingEr, why are you even mentioning that Prefecture Princess? Isn’t she just relying on her powerful family to look down on others through her nostrils? You’re a Miss from an official family now, and once you dress up, you’ll surely not lose to her. You can’t let people look down on you.”

Liu Sisi frowned, “Is that how you teach children? That’s a Prefecture Princess, and if someone with ill intentions hears these words and spreads them, it might even cost us our lives.”

“Really? I… I was just speaking casually.” Guihua was startled as well!

“It’s alright, it’s just us here. But you can’t teach children like this. If she doesn’t understand and repeats these words recklessly outside, then it would be disastrous.”