Chen Luo's many roses

CH 2: Fate decides to have a jolly good laugh at me. I'm not laughing.

The sun had yet to rise up when the banging of the court drum started.

I awoke from my sleep and quickly pulled on my black and red robes, and currently stand before the very messenger of the Head Magistrate himself. Hooray.

He looks me straight in the eye, not blinking once as he bows down and raises the envelope in his hands for me. "Message from the Head Magistrate"

I take the envelope and tell the messenger to rest up in the servant's quarters. In reality the servant's quarters were just as luxurious as the rest of the court guest rooms, but because of the high status of the magistrate in this city everything is very high class. Just working at the magistrate is considered to be a very honourable job. 

I stroll down the outer corridor until I reach the path leading to the patio and open up the envelope.

Sitting down on one of the cushions, I carefully scan through the letters neatly painted into the paper.

"

Magistrate Sheng Li, it has come to our attention that your previous advisor of the Rose river city court has passed away. We offer our condolences, but as quick as roses wilt they grow back, and a healthy court is nothing without its' advisor.

We humbly request that you consider taking in young advisor Chen Luo, a previous army general who left the front lines in order to pursue a career in advisory. His intelligence and his ability to detect lies are beyond any other advisors in this country, we are sure he will not disappoint you.

Chen Luo will arrive after the new moon.

May your success be eternal,

Head country magistrate.

"

I scoff. Chen Luo? He better be as brilliant as the head magistrate says, otherwise I will have him sent straight back to the front lines where he came from. I toss the letter aside and fall onto my back on the cushions around me.

Not long ago did my old advisor die, some say it was due to a heart attack while others say it was simply old age.

I couldn't care less, let them all die for all I care.

All they do is give me unnecessary stress anyway, always insisting on doing things "their" way. I've been Rose River's magistrate for 5 whole years now, my name is spoken of all around the country and yet there has to be even a whisper of stories about my failures. There simply are none. 

But the involvement of an advisor will unnecessarily tangle things up beyond belief.

I groan and throw a pillow, swearing to make this Chen Luo's life a living hell for as long as he stays with me.