Qing Yao

Chapter 19: Doing Things Against Your Will

Serving the county magistrate is equivalent to serving the people of the entire county. There is no logical problem with this.

Because the county magistrate represents the interests of the people of the entire county.

If the county magistrate lives well, the people will live well.

Similarly, if you want the people to live a good life, you must first make the county magistrate live a good life.

To be more specific, even if the county magistrate farts, he does so on behalf of the people of the entire county!

Could it be that he released it privately?
Without this correct sense of right and wrong, how can you survive in the government?

Whether you are a temporary worker, a minor official, or a high-ranking official, you must be a good person before doing anything.

How to be a good person?
Cultivate your mind.

What kind of mind should we cultivate?

Against one's will!

Zhao Anxin, who was determined to get into the officialdom, had already gone astray a long time ago. Having lived two lives, he had more experience than ordinary people, so he grasped the key point at once and then hit the warm heart of the county magistrate hard.

The word "service" is also used very well. If it is used as "serve", it will sound too flattering.

As for the service, Yado is better.

Especially the sentence "No matter how trivial the matter is, it is important for the county magistrate" succinctly explains the importance of the county magistrate to the people of the entire county.

The county magistrate was made to feel elated.

No wonder it is said that fate always favors those who are prepared.

The county magistrate was very happy. He was so happy that he even gave a seat to a temporary worker.

"There is no place for students to sit in front of the county magistrate. I will just stand."

Zhao An knew his limits. Not to mention that the county magistrate's status was much higher than his, the talent of the county magistrate, a college student, was far superior to that of a primary school student like him.

As for the other party, he can only look up to him, but has no right to look down on him.

At least not yet.

Master Ji smiled and said, "Since the County Master asked you to sit down, please sit down. There are so many people outside who want to sit down but can't."

This is also the truth. According to the current unspoken rules of the county government, if an outsider wants to sit in front of the county magistrate, the minimum fee is fifty taels.

If we look at it more specifically in terms of actual business, the seating fee will have to be multiplied several times.

No one is exempt from it, but the specific price depends on the person.

For example, last year, Wang, a student from Ganquan County who won the first place in the county examination, came to the yamen specially to present gifts to the county magistrate. The gatekeeper made an exception and only accepted ten taels from Wang. Could an outsider receive such treatment?

Of course, Mr. Wang also paid for his first place, with a clearly marked price: 2000 taels of silver for the first place in the literary test, 600 taels of silver for the first place in the martial arts test, and the rest of the rankings were awarded in decreasing order.

It's an open secret.

It’s more of the same here in Jiangsu.

The prices in other places may vary due to different economic development, but generally speaking there is not much difference.

The difference is only three or four hundred taels at most.

Last year, after a county examination, Ding Chengen, the county magistrate who presided over the examination, received more than 10,000 taels of silver. However, the money did not all go into his pocket. He had to share it with the county magistrate, the chief clerk, and the instructor in charge of Confucianism.

After the final calculation, the total amount was less than four thousand taels.

It’s not that Ding Chengen doesn’t want to keep it all for himself, it’s just that’s the rule.

Although the county magistrate and the chief clerk were his subordinates, they had the right to sign jointly with the official in charge of the seal. That is, important documents issued by the county must be signed by the assistant officials, otherwise they would be invalid. The same applied to important official documents sent to higher-level yamen.

Therefore, if Ding Chengen wanted to do a good job in Ganquan County and be a good county magistrate, he must not offend his two subordinate assistant officials.

Otherwise, if he had a conflict with the assistant official and caused the work of the county government to come to a halt, his superiors would definitely think that he, as an official, was incompetent. At the very least, he would be transferred, and at the worst, he might be impeached and stripped of his official title.

The county school teachers are all Juren graduates, which cannot be compared with the county magistrate who is a Jinshi graduate. However, the teachers have greater chances of promotion in the county government than the county magistrate and the chief clerk.

It is almost impossible for the first two to be promoted to county magistrate, but it is different for the teacher. Not only is his chance of being promoted to county magistrate much higher than that of county magistrate secretary and chief clerk, he can also serve as a professor in charge of education in the government office.

In terms of power, the instructor is inferior to the county magistrate and the chief clerk, and in terms of future, the county magistrate and the chief clerk cannot be compared with others.

Even the county magistrate, an official with a high official seal, had to be polite in front of the instructor.

In fact, there is no special reason. It is just because the teachers are the front-line persons in charge of the imperial examination, and the imperial examination is a breeding ground for officials.

Among the six ministries, the Ministry of Rites is the most respected.

Whether in the Ming Dynasty or the Qing Dynasty, the probability of the Minister of Rites entering the Cabinet (Grand Council) was far higher than that of the other five ministries.

The county examination was nominally presided over by the county magistrate, but the person actually in charge was the instructor. How could it be justified not to give him any money?

In the final analysis, harmony, where you have, I have, and everyone has, is the true meaning of being an official.

Eat alone?
Sooner or later, I will make a list.

Zhao An sat down obediently, imitating the TV dramas he had seen in his previous life by sitting on only half of his buttocks to show his immense respect for the county magistrate.

Master Ji also sat down and looked at Zhao An, who was feeling very uncomfortable, with both amusement and admiration.

What's funny is that Zhao An looks too embarrassed, too cautious, and unable to relax.

The reason for admiration is that Zhao An is quiet, but when he speaks he can get to the point.

Didn’t you see that the county magistrate was laughing so hard that he couldn’t stop?

I became more and more determined to help this kid.

Today, Master Ji did not bring Zhao An to see the county magistrate on a whim, but he chose the right opportunity.

First of all, Zhao An has been working in the household registration office for more than a month, and everyone has seen his work performance. It is time for him to meet the county magistrate.

After all, I accepted fifty taels of silver from him.

Secondly, I know in my heart that the county magistrate will definitely adopt the idea of ​​paying the inspection fee. Who wouldn't be happy to get tens of thousands of taels of extra income every year?

When he was happy, he would say a few good words for Zhao An to deepen his impression in the eyes of the county magistrate. He would have a good future in the future, and it would not be in vain for him to cherish his talent.

Blacksmith need its own hardware.

Master Ji didn't expect Zhao An to be so good at talking. He said, "No matter how important a matter is, it's important to be a county magistrate." "Serving the county magistrate is serving the people."
This is such an obvious truth, why didn’t I figure it out when I was young?

Otherwise, he would not have left his hometown to work as a legal advisor and would have become a clerk in his hometown long ago.

Seeing that the county magistrate's tea bowl was empty, he hurried over to pick up the teapot and pour it in.

"How old are you?" County Magistrate Ding took the lid of the tea bowl and gently scraped the edge of the bowl. The tea in the tea bowl was the high-quality tea that Zhao An bought for him the day before yesterday, which cost him fifteen taels.

Zhao An raised his hips slightly and said respectfully, "In reply to the County Master, I am twenty-one years old."

"Twenty-one."

County Magistrate Ding nodded, then felt a pity. "Twenty-one is still young, why has your chance to study for the imperial examination been cut short? Do you know when anyone in this county passed the examination for a scholar, when someone passed the examination for a juren, and when someone passed the imperial examination for a place on the list of successful candidates?"

"Students don't know."

Zhao An looked innocent and curious.

Seeing this, County Magistrate Ding laughed and said, "Let me tell you, this county has a scholar in his thirties and a juren in his forties. They were just about to reach the age of 50 when they were blessed by the emperor and were able to pass the imperial examinations, bringing honor to their ancestors."

Zhao An understood the ancient sayings about age: "the age of thirty" is thirty, "the age of forty" is forty, and "the age of knowing the destiny" is fifty.

Previously, the people from the Household Department said that County Magistrate Ding passed the imperial examination at the age of 47. It seems that this is true.

However, it also indirectly shows that Ding Chengen's family's economic conditions are at least well-off, otherwise his family would not have been able to support him for so many years.

Although the title of scholar has the benefit of exemption from corvee labor and taxes, the exemption is limited after all. Therefore, many scholars from poor families are forced to give up their studies and make a living because they cannot afford the expenses of studying. Only by passing the imperial examination and becoming a quasi-official can they succeed.

This is the case with Fan Jin in "The Scholars". He was very poor, but on the day he passed the imperial examination, someone came to give him money, and his life became much better than before.

In reality, there are very few scholars like Fan Jin and Ding Chengen who can persevere until their day of success, and most of them can only be described as a pity.

I think this is also the case with Master Ji.

Zhao An glanced at Master Ji from the corner of his eye and saw that he was indeed deeply moved. However, he quickly recovered and sighed, praising the County Master's diligent study spirit to the skies. He only regretted that he had not had such a good example to inspire him in his early years.
While speaking, he glanced at Zhao An from time to time.

To understanding!

Zhao An, who was in tune with the situation, immediately changed his expression and presented his best self to the county magistrate without reservation.

It was shocking, extremely shocking!
This kid is so terrifying that he is so shocking.

The expression was just right, just right, and the county magistrate was very pleased to see it.

I felt quite amused, but I also understood the county magistrate's thoughts. He was just showing off.

The fisherman who often comes up empty-handed suddenly caught a big bluefish weighing dozens of kilograms, which was enough to use up all the power in his electric bike!
As for why he could not continue his studies, Zhao An's explanation was of course that his family was poor and his parents died early.

"well,"

County Magistrate Ding shook his head sympathetically. "It's a pity that you're from Xinghua. If you were in Ganquan, this county would definitely give you a chance."

Zhao An almost asked after hearing this casual remark, "Are you planning to sell a scholar to me?"
Hey, even if Ding Chengen was really willing to sell him a high school diploma, he still couldn't become a scholar.

Because there is a strict rule in the imperial examination - people who are not from the county are not allowed to take the examination in the county.

This is the job of college entrance examination immigrants, you can't do it.

Candidates must also guarantee each other. If one candidate is caught cheating, the other candidates who guarantee him will also be in trouble.

In addition, candidates must find a local "student on government stipend" to act as a guarantor. Once the candidate cheats, the "student on government stipend" will also be disqualified.

Just this one thing alone, how could Zhao An, who even had to buy his diploma, get through it? Where could he find a few classmates and seniors to guarantee him?

The Qianlong Emperor cracked down severely on college entrance examination immigrants. In the 25th year of Qianlong's reign, he even created a "phonetic verification" system to determine the candidates' place of origin.

Although Xinghua and Ganquan both belong to Yangzhou Prefecture, Zhao An has no problem with the accent, but it is really impossible for him to transfer his student status to Ganquan, let alone pass the scholar examination.

Because he doesn't know anything.

You can buy a ranking, provided that you can at least finish the test.

If you hand in a blank paper, the county magistrate cannot admit you no matter how cruel or shameless he is.

The examination papers for the prefectural and county examinations were all printed and distributed by the province. Even the local officials did not know what the test was about before the examination began, unless they could directly bribe the chief examiner who set the questions.

That's even more impossible.

Zhao An can't even handle it at the county level, so how can he handle it at the provincial level?

Ding Chengen must have said it casually and just listened to it. Then he asked Zhao An about the work situation of some households, and Zhao An answered truthfully.

He was very grateful to Master Ji, because he would interrupt from time to time and say a few good words for him, and praise his work performance to the sky.

"Sir, are you asking the county to take better care of this young man?"

Who is Ding Chengen? If we say that he was a young man who knew nothing before he passed the imperial examination, he has been transformed into a smart man after passing the examination.

The more people he came into contact with, the broader his horizons would naturally be, and when he passed the imperial examination and was sent to be a county magistrate, his "cultivation" would advance by leaps and bounds.

Otherwise, how could he, a third-class Jinshi, be appointed as a powerful county magistrate in such a prosperous place as Yangzhou?

Ji Bochang chuckled softly, "Zhao An is indeed a promising talent. The county magistrate might as well give him a chance or two. If he can do his job well, it will be a favor from the county magistrate."

"Students, students,"

Seeing that Master Ji actually asked the county magistrate directly for an "opportunity" on his behalf, Zhao An could no longer sit still. He stood up in an instant, but he couldn't say what was on his lips. His face turned red and he looked embarrassed.

Ding Chengen and Ji Bochang were both amused by Zhao An's behavior. The former put down the lid of the bowl and gave Zhao An a good evaluation: "He is an honest child."

He paused and looked at Ji Bochang, "Since he's been transferred to the Household Affairs Office, sir, please tell Zhang Qingting to arrange some practical work for him. Once he's familiar with all aspects, if there's a clerk position available, then he can fill it."

“Students also think the same way.”

Seeing the County Magistrate's relenting attitude, Ji Bochang was happy for Zhao An, but at the same time, he hesitated and said, "Since the County Magistrate has agreed to collect inspection fees from each cloth shop, then the government should appoint someone to be responsible for this matter."

Before he could finish, County Magistrate Ding waved his hand and said, "This was your idea, so naturally you are responsible. You are trustworthy in this county."

Ji Bochang nodded slightly, glanced at Zhao An who was standing there trying to suppress his joy, and said to County Magistrate Ding: "Why not let Zhao An work with me in the cloth workshop first? The county magistrate also knows that this child has just entered the household, and it is inevitable that he will have some difficulties in various aspects..."

He didn't finish his words, but the county magistrate Ding Chengen understood the general meaning. It was just that the Household Department didn't pay much attention to Zhao An, a borrowed person, or didn't take him seriously. So it would be better for him to work with Ji Bochang, the military advisor. This way, not only would he have practical work to do, but it would also prevent the Household Department from looking down on Zhao An.

"Sir, please do as you see fit. I'm sorry to have to trouble you again. This county feels a little ashamed."

He was still very polite to the legal advisor Ding Chengen he hired. Not only was Ji Bochang indispensable for the military expedition, but also because Ji Bochang had good relationships with the legal advisors in the government office and the provincial government.

Giving him face means giving face to the group of advisors above him.

To put it bluntly, it is also to make things convenient for himself as the county magistrate.

"The student said goodbye!"

Having achieved his goal, Ji Bochang did not stay any longer. He stood up, saluted County Magistrate Ding together with Zhao An, and then returned to the duty room in the front yamen.

Zhao An had a thousand words to say, but because of the crowds on the street, he couldn't speak. He didn't open his mouth to thank Ji Bochang until he entered his duty room. Unexpectedly, Master Ji raised his hand to signal him not to speak, and said softly, "If you want to thank me, then do the cloth shop business well. That way, after the business is completed, I might be able to save you the money and let you settle down in the household office."

(End of this chapter)