Jinting Han people

Chapter 138 Liu Xian Selects Officials (4k, additional content by the leader)
When Liu Xian arrived in Xiayang, it was still two quarters before the hour of Mao, and most people were still asleep.

The same was true for Xue Xing, the prison warden. Lately, he'd been feeling a bit anxious and restless. He was often distracted while doing things, and after getting into bed, he tossed and turned, staying up most of the night before finally drifting off to sleep.

All this is because of Liu Xian.

About four days ago, news of the new mayor Xia Yang's imminent arrival reached the county, and most people had no reaction to it.

For ordinary people, they had long since given up hope in the imperial court: "No matter how much trouble we suffer, can it be worse than it is now?"

For ordinary county officials, they had some hopes for the new county magistrate, but not much: "I hope this county magistrate will not follow the example of the previous one, and serve for at least two years before resigning."

Several wealthy families in the county, as well as high-ranking officials such as the county magistrate and county lieutenant, said, "Whether there is a county lord or not, life is the same, isn't it?"

Such a life seems to be cursed forever and will not change even if the world ends.

But Xue Xing thought that this was simply because they didn't know the new county chief, neither his past nor his background. But after Xue Yun's visit, Xue Xing did know a little bit.

This was a second-rank Zhuoran, a rare figure in Luoyang City, and a person who was very likely responsible for the death of his elder brother. Although he didn't have much idea about second-rank Zhuoran, he did know a little about his elder brother, Xue Yong.

His father's training of Xue Yong was directly targeted at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, hoping that he would become a powerful opponent on the battlefield. Xue Xing was so convinced of this that he could hardly imagine Xue Yong being defeated.

But Xue Yong was indeed dead, no matter how he died. As long as he died at the hands of this new county lord, Xue Xing thought, no matter what means he used, he must have been an extremely terrifying person.

But what kind of person was this Prince of Anle? Xue Xing couldn't imagine. He just felt uncomfortable when he thought that the young lord his father had mentioned had really become his county lord.

The time waiting for Liu Xian to take up his post really made him feel very uneasy.

Fortunately, this torture is finally over.

After Liu Xian entered the county government office, he directly sealed the county gate, and then asked the county soldiers on duty to wake up all the county officials in the county government office and ask them to gather in the lobby.

Anyone who loves to sleep knows that autumn dreams are the most fragrant of the year. The bed at this time is neither as cold as winter, with its quilts so thick it's almost suffocating, nor as sweltering as summer, where even doing nothing leaves you drenched in sweat. Even spring, when everything is revitalized, can't compare, as it's easy to catch a cold.

Whether it is the temperature, air, clothing, or even one's own state, everything is in the most suitable state. Therefore, people will be particularly sleepy in autumn, to the point of being prone to weight gain.

Waking someone up from their sweet dreams at this time was undoubtedly offensive. The county officials were mostly baffled, but upon hearing that the new county magistrate had arrived, they couldn't get angry. They could only suppress their anger, reluctantly cleaned up, and then gathered in the lobby.

But when Xue Xing heard the county magistrate had arrived, though still a little dizzy, he felt a sense of relief. It was like a stone that had been hanging in the air for days finally falling to the ground. As he put on the county magistrate's specially made long gown and headband, he wondered: What kind of person is this Prince Anle?
As he walked out of the house and toward the hall, he heard the cawing of crows. Looking up, he saw the stars and the moon. He thought again: No matter what, he is at least a very presumptuous person. He really doesn't care about offending people by calling people together at this time.

My colleagues probably felt the same way, and as they walked away they complained to one another, "Xinxian Jun is so unreasonable! What are you planning to do so early in the morning?"

But after reaching the lobby, everyone suddenly fell silent again. The reason was simple: they were shocked to find that the new county lord seemed too young.

Liu Xian was sitting upright on the chair at this time, flipping through the county government's account books one by one.

He lit an oil lamp on his right hand, and the yamen runners around him held up torches. The light shone on his face, and one could see that Liu Xian had a handsome face, with rainbow-like light flashing in his eyes. There was not much beard on his chin, as if he had just been crowned, and there was no trace of old age.

Miraculously, this new county lord didn't have the impetuousness of youth. He was tall and composed, and sitting there, he looked like a mountain. Even if the sky and the earth collapsed before him, he could sit still, his expression unwavering.

This is a unique temperament that is formed after experiencing enough storms.

This is actually not surprising. Entering officialdom at the age of fifteen is a political tradition only found in Luoyang. In other places, most people have to accumulate connections, study abroad and become famous, and can only enter officialdom when they are in their twenties, just like Tao Kan and others whom Liu Xian met when he was shooting the imperial examination paper.

Compared with these people, Liu Xian, who had been in the officialdom for four years, was only nineteen years old at this time, but in fact, he was already an experienced official.

He waited for a while and saw about thirty people gathered in the hall. He asked the leading yamen runner, "Are all the people from the county government office here?"

The yamen runner replied, "Sir, we've called everyone who lives in the yamen, but there are still some people who live outside. Should we send someone to call them?"

"Send someone? No need." Liu Xian put down the case file in his hand and waved his hand, "Then let it be. Go and close the gate of the county government office and don't let anyone in."

"Ah?" The yamen runner was surprised and didn't understand Liu Xian's intention, but seeing Liu Xian's attitude, it was difficult to refuse, so he obeyed the order in a daze.

As soon as he left, Liu Xian faced the hall and looked at the many county officials in the hall one by one. The officials were a little puzzled, but seeing Liu Xian's kind face, one of them boldly asked, "I wonder why the county lord asked us to come here?"

This sentence really expresses the thoughts of most people. Although a new official has three things to do when he takes office, every time a leader comes, there will be some turmoil, which is also normal.

But this new county magistrate had just arrived and didn't even know anyone, so he gathered everyone together. What was he planning to do?

Faced with this question, Liu Xian certainly wouldn't answer directly. Instead, he continued lightly, "Of course, I want to get to know you all and understand the situation in the county."

"I didn't want to wake you up so early, but before I came here, I met with His Royal Highness Prince Liang and County Lord Zhang of Heyang. They both told me that the situation in Xiayang is very serious."

"As I walked along, I found that it was indeed true. There were almost no houses left along the official road in the south of the city. Horse thieves were rampant, and thorns were everywhere."

"So I'm extremely worried and anxious, and I want to talk to you about the situation in the county and what your opinions are."

"I beg your pardon for any indiscretion in this."

As they spoke slowly and leisurely, everyone's irritability gradually eased and their expressions gradually relaxed. When they thought about it, they realized that the county lord was a young man after all, and it was reasonable for him to be a little anxious to do things. Judging from his personality alone, he should not be difficult to get along with.

Seeing that the atmosphere had calmed down a bit, Liu Xian picked up the list in his hand and said with a smile, "Let's get started now. No need to worry about formalities. Everyone can take turns introducing themselves, and I'll ask some questions about their duties."

He casually pointed to the middle-aged man in the front right and asked, "What's your name? What's your position?"

The man bowed and replied, "My Lord, my humble name is Li Chong, Assistant Historian of the Household Department."

"Oh, it's from the Household Department. Just so happens, I was just about to ask, how many registered households are there in the county now?"

"There are still 317 households in the county, with a population of over 1,420 people."

"How many pavilions are under its jurisdiction?"

"Originally, there were eleven pavilions: Longting, Gaomen, Huachi, Lungong, Shangzhuang, Zhichuan, Lüting, Taoqu, Xuting, Baiwu, and Shaoliang. However, in recent years, both the Hu people have moved away and the locals have left their hometowns. The only six pavilions left under the county's control are Longting, Gaomen, Zhichuan, Lüting, Taoqu, and Shangzhuang."

"How many Hu people are there in the county, and where are they settled?"

"There are two tribes of Hu people in the county, one named Humo and the other Hegan, each with over 500 people. They are housed in the Huachi and Lungong pavilions respectively."

"What do you think is the most urgent issue that Xia Yang needs to solve right now?"

"Of course, we must eliminate the horse bandits! If we don't eliminate the horse bandits in the county, people's livelihood will be in turmoil. There will be no way to talk about reclaiming land for cultivation or promoting education and education."

"Okay!" Liu Xian nodded, and the conversation with Li Zhong ended. He lowered his eyelids, picked up a pen, and wrote something on the bamboo slips in his hand. Then he asked the next person, "Which Cao are you from?"

"I'm Wu Han, a clerk in the Tian Cao department." A thinner young man answered.

"How many acres of cultivated land are there in the county? How many acres of barren land? What do you usually plant?"

"Among the cultivated fields, there are over 4,500 mu of dry land, over 970 mu of paddy fields, and about 7,800 mu of wasteland."

"This year, there have been frequent droughts. Apart from the paddy fields where wheat is still grown, the rest of the dry land is planted with corn and some sorghum. This way, we can at least guarantee a harvest."

"Huh? Don't they grow beans in the county?" "Yes, but not very often. They're more troublesome to grow. While bean fields don't require water, they're prone to weeds and need to be weeded almost every day. And compared to corn, bean rice causes bloating, so the people don't like it very much."

"The main problem is trouble. I'm afraid of horse thieves coming to rob us."

"Yes."

"..."

Liu Xian asked them one by one. To everyone's surprise, this new county lord was very knowledgeable despite his young age. When he talked with different officials, he was not only very organized, but also got to the point in every sentence. In just a few words, he could give a general understanding of the specific situation.

When expressing my own opinions, although they may be a bit fanciful at times, they are all based on facts and I am not an amateur.

Xue Xing listened from the side, feeling rather uneasy. He had sensed something was amiss. If the new county lord simply wanted to understand the situation, there would be no need to go into such detail.

This scene is more like the county lady trying to understand the abilities of the county clerks so as to make a judgment on their future promotions.

Most of the people present also realized that the reason why the county lord was talking to people at this time was probably for this purpose, to see how much real talent and knowledge his subordinates had without any preparation.

So those who answered first felt a little annoyed and began to reflect on whether their answers were hasty. Those who had not yet answered began to prepare their own speeches, praying that the county magistrate would not ask about their difficulties.

Fortunately, most of the county officials who lived in the county government office came from humble backgrounds, and in a place like Xiayang where people hated ghosts and demons, they were more or less able to do some practical work. So, even if they occasionally had some questions that they couldn't answer, they were generally able to handle them.

But Xue Xing was still rather embarrassed. As a prison official, he should be in charge of criminal law and punishment.

But in today's Xiayang, the county government has almost no conditions for law enforcement. He has been working in Xiayang for more than half a year since he came from Fenyin, basically receiving a white-collar salary, and has not actually handled a case.

So when Xue Xing had nothing to do on weekdays, he would go to the township pavilion to investigate and see if there were any cases. He was met with a lot of cold stares from the villagers and was ridiculed as "Foolish Sikong" and "with a dumbfounded look on his face."

But now that he was here, there was no way to hide. Xue Xing had no choice but to grit his teeth and think, at worst, he could just go back to Fenyin and find another job as an official. Although his family wasn't wealthy, this little salary wouldn't hurt him. Thinking this way, his anxiety gradually subsided.

Xue Xing's position was relatively low, so when it was his turn, almost an hour had passed and there was gradually a commotion outside the mansion gate.

But Liu Xian remained indifferent and showed no sign of fatigue, while the county officials who responded appeared relaxed and tired.

He wrote a few more words on the bamboo slips, and finally asked Xue Xing, "Who are you...?"

Xue Xing bowed slightly and replied, "Your Excellency, I am the prison officer of the prefecture. My surname is Xue, my name is Xing, and my courtesy name is Jida."

Liu Xian put down the bamboo slips in his hand, pondered for a moment, and said with a smile: "How long have you been the Prison Minister?"

"I came here in February this year, which is almost seven months."

"With the current situation in the county, I'm afraid you won't be able to take on a single case, right?"

Xue Xing lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "Indeed, I am ashamed."

He expected to be ridiculed, but Liu Xian comforted him softly, saying, "Hey, you don't have to be ashamed. The county lieutenant and his men should be ashamed. The county can't even handle a blatant criminal, so how can the people be willing to hand over other matters to us for judgment? Don't worry, there will definitely be a place where we can be of use."

Xue Xing was deeply moved by these words. He didn't know what to say for a moment. He looked up at Liu Xian and said, "I am willing to serve you, the county lord."

Liu Xian nodded and smiled, "But don't be too happy too soon. Since we've come this far, let me ask you a question."

"What question?"

"There was a case involving two brothers who shared a fish pond. They agreed to take turns using it once a year."

"But the elder brother, relying on his age, tried to take advantage of his younger brother. When it was the younger brother's turn to raise fish in the pond, the elder brother came in the middle of the night to steal fish. The younger brother discovered him and stabbed him to death with a pitchfork. What do you think should be the punishment?"

Xue Xing thought for a moment, probably guessing Liu Xian's train of thought, and replied, "This depends on two situations."

"In the first case, the younger brother knew that his elder brother had stolen the fish. This was just a minor conflict between brothers, but he took advantage of it and deliberately killed his elder brother. This is bullying the elder, violating moral principles, and he should be executed according to the law."

"The second scenario is that the younger brother couldn't see clearly in the dark and thought someone was coming to rob him. He first used a pitchfork to defend himself and killed the person, only to discover that the person was his brother. In that case, he is not guilty. After all, it is impossible to expect someone to discern the identity and intentions of the murderer in the dark and in a desperate situation."

Liu Xian was very satisfied with this answer. He praised, "Judgment is not only about the outcome, but also about the human relationship. If you can take this into consideration, you can be said to have entered the realm of the art."

At this point, Xue Xing and Liu Xian's first conversation ended. Xue Xing breathed a sigh of relief and continued to listen to the rest of his colleagues' conversation. He thought to himself, this young lord really can't be underestimated. Judging from the questions he asked, it seems that he is also very well versed in criminal law.

There were six more people behind Xue Xing. After about two quarters of an hour, Liu Xian finally finished questioning them all. By then, he had a rough understanding of these new subordinates of his.

Although the sun had not yet risen, it was already bright. There were still drops of dew on the leaves and moss. No one had eaten breakfast and was starving. Liu Xian asked the county government to prepare corn porridge, and everyone ate in the hall.

While drinking porridge, Liu Xian called the gatekeeper over and asked, "How many of the nobles outside the county government have arrived now?"

The yamen runner looked a little embarrassed and replied, "My Lord, the county lieutenant, the county magistrate, and the clerk haven't received any news. Logically, it's nothing serious. They usually work from home."

"Oh." Liu Xian's expression was calm, but his words were resolute. He said, "In that case, you can write an article for me and post it in front of the city gate so that they won't have to come again."

Everyone present heard this and was stunned, almost thinking they had heard it wrong.

After all, it stands to reason that, unlike ordinary county officials, senior county officials such as the county magistrate, county lieutenant, and Gongcao are basically local prominent figures. The county magistrate can use this to strengthen his ties with the local area, making governance more convenient.

The same is true in Xiayang County, so these high-ranking officials have their own courtyards outside the county government office and do not live inside the county government office.

Who would have thought that on the first day of his appointment, Liu Xian planned to drive all these people out of the county government. The word "drastic" was not enough to describe his courage.

Li Chong, the assistant historian of the Household Department, wanted to persuade Liu Xian, so he said, "County Lord, offending people like this will damage the reputation of the county government and will probably be detrimental to your future administration..."

Liu Xian remained unmoved and asked, "Does the current county government still have any governance to speak of? Does it still have any prestige among the people?"

Li Chong was speechless.

Liu Xian continued, "Someone has to take responsibility for the current situation. This shows that the county government is still determined to reorganize itself."

"Li Zuoshi, let me trouble you with this article. Just say that since Liu has come to Xiayang County as an official, he is willing to leave this head here. I will not give up until the people of the county have peace!"

The new county lord's promise was so resounding that it pierced the hearts of the county officials like a needle.

Yes, who wouldn't want to make a difference as a county official, and bring peace to the people? But reality is like a filthy abyss, and it's easy for people to forget their original intentions and ideals.

At this point, the morning meeting was over. Liu Xian waved his hand to signal the end of the meeting, then led his three companions to find their own residence, leaving only the county officials in the county hall to discuss the matter.

"The county lord is a little too anxious."

"It's already autumn, and in a month it will be winter. What else can we do?"

"Yeah, what are we going to say to County Magistrate Dong?"

Xue Xing was also deeply touched by this. He picked up a fallen leaf and recalled his meeting with Liu Xian this morning. He kept evaluating it in his mind and then muttered to himself, "Where will he start?"

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(End of this chapter)