Mornings in early winter were especially cold in Shangjing City.
Just as day broke, the first people to appear on the streets were the night-soil collectors. They had to be out of the city before dawn. In the past, this job was handled by people specially hired by the Government Office, but with the prevalence of slaves nowadays, the Government Office not only didn't have to spend a single coin, it could even turn a small profit.
Appearing alongside the night-soil collectors were the patrolling Corpse Collectors. They would clear away those who had frozen to death on the streets ahead of time. These groups were typically led by two clerks from the Government Office. They would divide the districts under their charge into several zones, leading a dozen or so slaves and a large horse-drawn cart on a fixed patrol route.
