The servants and maids were startled, hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness, but William Foster just snorted coldly and swept his sleeves as he left the house.

The South Zhenfu Office was adjacent to the Imperial Prison. On the main street in front, there were hardly any pedestrians; even if a passerby occasionally walked by, upon seeing the deep and terrifying Imperial Prison and the Zhenfu Office, most would lower their heads and quicken their pace.

Unlike the North Zhenfu Office, there were not many officers at the South Zhenfu Office, but the stone lions standing at the gate looked fierce and menacing, making everyone even more respectful.

As the Commandant, William Foster was practically the head of the South Zhenfu Office, and all three divisions of officers there looked to him for direction. When his sedan arrived, the officers standing at the gate with their brocade spring sabers straightened their backs. As William Foster stepped out of the sedan, they all greeted in unison, “Greetings, sir.”

William Foster ignored them, walking steadily through the hallways, making his way familiarly to the main hall, where he sat at the desk. In a short while, an old clerk came over to deliver the reports from the North Zhenfu Office about officers, generals, and officials who had broken the law. Besides this, the South Zhenfu Office was also in charge of intelligence gathered from various regions—a significant responsibility.

William Foster first took a slow sip of hot tea. Normally, at this time, he would begin reviewing the reports, but today was different. He set the teacup lightly on the desk, casually picked up a sealed document without opening it, and asked offhandedly, “Are there any vacancies at the North Zhenfu Office lately?”

The one being questioned was, of course, the old clerk who was sorting documents for William Foster. The old clerk quickly replied, “In answer to your question, sir, there is indeed a vacancy at the Inner West City Command Post in the capital. An officer there died of old age and had no heirs to succeed him. The commandant of Inner West City has already reported this to the North Zhenfu Office, probably hoping to have his nephew take the position.”

William Foster said coolly, “Nephew?” His brows furrowed, and with a hint of anger he said, “What does Liu Zhongxia of Inner West City take the garrison for? Today he brings in a nephew, tomorrow it’ll be a cousin—this is the Emperor’s personal guard, not a place for the Liu family to collect salaries and fill with their own people. Later, go to the Lijing Office and tell them that Liu Zhongxia’s nephew cannot be appointed.”

There were three main offices in the Jinyiwei: first, the Lijing Office, then the North and South Zhenfu Offices. The Lijing Office oversaw official documents, copying, archiving, and appointments for the Jinyiwei; the South Zhenfu Office specialized in military law; and the North Zhenfu Office was the executive branch. As Commandant, it was no problem for William Foster to send a message to the Lijing Office.

The old clerk quickly replied, “I’ll go to the Lijing Office shortly. Is there anything else you wish to instruct, sir?”

William Foster’s expression softened a bit. He picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip before saying, “There’s a man surnamed Liu, said to be quite capable, named Charles Clark, from an honest family. Let him fill the vacancy at Inner West City. But when you go to the Lijing Office, don’t say I recommended him—just say he’s a distant relative of yours.”

A knowing look flashed in the old clerk’s eyes, and he said with a smile, “Understood, sir. I have a distant relative named Charles Clark, from a respectable family.”

William Foster smiled slightly and waved his sleeve, “Go on, and report back early.”

The reason William Foster didn’t want to recommend someone personally was, first, to avoid making Liu Zhongxia, the commandant, feel resentful. Although with William Foster’s status, Liu Zhongxia wouldn’t dare do anything, it would be awkward to have just righteously scolded him for nepotism and then immediately push his own candidate.

On the other hand, the Dowager had asked William Foster to find a position for Charles Clark. William Foster had no choice but to comply, but he didn’t want to place Charles Clark close to himself in the garrison. The farther away, the better—ideally, no one would know about their father-in-law and son-in-law relationship. If this bookish fellow made a fool of himself in the Jinyiwei in the future, William Foster wouldn’t have to be involved.

“This bookworm—let him fend for himself at the command post. After he’s suffered a bit, he’ll eventually realize it’s not for him and quit.” With this thought, William Foster picked up the document, broke the seal, and began to read it slowly.

……

Charles Clark and Ethan Foster took their leave from the Dowager’s quarters. Along the way, the servants and maids all came from afar to greet them, addressing Charles Clark as “young master.” Compared to before, their attitude toward Charles Clark was much more respectful. Charles Clark thought to himself that these people were well-informed; the Dowager’s change in attitude toward him must have already spread throughout the household.

In a sense, Charles Clark had gone from a temporary son-in-law to being officially recognized as the 温 family’s legitimate son-in-law. Everyone in the household who had previously disrespected him now dared not go against him.

This feeling was neither particularly good nor bad. Charles Clark didn’t want to keep living in the 温 household—not out of pride, but simply because he disliked being bound by so many rules.

Chatting and laughing with Ethan Foster, they returned to their room, only to find that Yvonne Foster had arrived early. She stormed up to Charles Clark and said angrily, “I’ve been holding that copper basin for two days—what’s it even for?”

Ethan Foster, feeling a bit tired, sat down on the couch to rest. Charles Clark smiled at Yvonne Foster and asked, “What copper basin?”

When Charles Clark asked in return, Yvonne Foster’s eyes flashed with anger as she snapped, “You made me stand under the eaves holding a copper basin!”