Nanshao Prefecture, governing four counties, had a registered population of five to six hundred thousand.
If hidden households and mountain people were included, the number would be even higher.
However, in such a medium-sized jurisdiction, the Imperial Guard of the Exorcism Hall in the Prefecture City numbered only a paltry one hundred twenty-seven, lacking the strength to project power to the counties below.
The reasons behind this were quite complex.
Although the Imperial Guard Bureau answered directly to the Imperial Family, the late emperor favored literature over military, making life quite uncomfortable for them.
The Deer Faction, which held power in the Cabinet, viewed the Imperial Guard Bureau as a thorn in their side and spared no effort to suppress it.
