Qing Yao

Chapter 258 Please supervise me, Your Excellency.

The clerk of the Document Office of the Governor-General of Liangjiang was a sixth-rank official.

In the Qing Dynasty's official system, the sixth-rank official was a rather unique position.

Except in special circumstances, officials of the sixth rank generally could not serve as principal officials, but could only serve as assistant officials, similar to staff members, in various local government offices.

Similar to the head of a municipal agency in later times.

But the butt determines the head.

The experience of working in the prefectural government office is not the same as the experience of working in the governor's office; the difference in power between the two is like heaven and earth.

Teacher Lou, as the head of the Secretariat of the Governor-General's Office, directly serves the Governor-General and is indeed, in a sense, the chief secretary of the three provinces.

All official documents from the three provinces to the Governor-General's Office were sent to the Document Office. Before these documents and reports could be seen by the Governor-General, Teacher Lou, as the head of the Document Office, had to process them first.

It's somewhat like the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty.

In other words, if Teacher Lou doesn't want the Governor to see a document, then the Governor will have a very hard time seeing it.

Therefore, if someone bribes Teacher Lou, they can ensure that documents unfavorable to him never reach the Governor.

Therefore, someone who had served in the Secretariat must have been a close confidant of the Governor-General, which shows how much the Governor-General valued Teacher Lou.

Having lived two lives, Zhao An understood the importance of the "Grand Secretary" better than anyone else.

When he first entered the officialdom of Ganquan County, his dream was to become the county magistrate's "chief secretary".

Because many important figures started their careers as "chief secretaries".

Moreover, the biggest advantage of being a "chief secretary" is that the higher the official you serve is promoted, the faster the chief secretary, as "one of your own," will also advance.

It's human nature; everyone wants to promote someone they admire.

When you spend a lot of time with someone, you often develop feelings for them.

The answer is obvious: should you promote a subordinate you know well and have a good relationship with, or an official you have no connection with and are completely unfamiliar with?

Unexpectedly, Zhao An himself did not become the chief secretary, but the unremarkable Teacher Lou suddenly became the chief secretary, and even more so, the chief secretary of the governor's office, which was valued by even the governor and the provincial governor. This really gave Zhao An a great surprise.

On second thought, it's also a result of rule by man.

If the newly appointed Governor-General of Liangjiang, Sun Shiyi, had not been Mr. Lou's benefactor and mentor, Mr. Lou would probably never have had the opportunity to hold this important position in his life.

What is Teacher Lou doing here?

Zhao An assumed that Teacher Lou was looking for a place to stay, so he quickly suggested that he provide Teacher Lou with a small villa in Jinling, which Teacher Lou could move into with just his bags, and all expenses, including property management fees, would be covered by him.

"No, what would I do with your house?"

Teacher Lou was quite disdainful of Zhao An for continuing to use money to bribe people even after becoming a fourth-rank grain commissioner.

As the governor's chief secretary, Professor Lou's residence was inside the governor's office, ensuring he could be summoned at any time. Why would he need to find a place to live outside?

Zhao An thought about it and agreed. Then, with a quick thought, he offered another thoughtful suggestion: Mrs. Lou had passed away, and although Mr. Lou was over fifty years old, men, as long as they weren't "hanging on the wall," still had a certain need for women.

"Does Lord Lou prefer someone younger or older? Just tell me, and I'll have someone arrange it immediately. Don't worry, I'll rent a house for you outside, so you can come out and warm your feet when you have some free time."

Zhao An looked like he was taking his father-in-law to a bathhouse.

"Zhao Youlu, you're a fourth-rank Daoist priest, why are you being so humble and subservient to me?"

Teacher Lou rolled her eyes at Zhao An, annoyed. "You didn't treat me like this before."

"Ah, the past is the past, and the present is the present. Even in the past, I always treated Lord Lou with the utmost sincerity. What good thing could I have done that I wouldn't have thought of you, my lord?"

With a sheepish grin, Zhao An pulled Teacher Lou toward a nearby restaurant, insisting on treating her to a meal.

Teacher Lou, however, refused to go. Zhao An tried to persuade Teacher Lou twice, but she remained unmoved, seemingly wanting to keep a certain distance from Zhao An, the newly promoted fourth-rank grain commissioner.

Compared to last year, Teacher Lou seems to be much more assertive this time.

Although Teacher Lou is not interested in fame and fortune, is honest and upright, and can't stand the despicable things in the world, and dislikes the rules of officialdom, the identity of the new chief secretary to the governor still gives Teacher Lou a bit more "arrogance" that he has never had before.

This arrogance, displayed at this moment, undoubtedly tells Zhao An to stay away from me from now on; I don't want to get involved in your sordid affairs. From now on, you walk your narrow path, and I'll walk my sunny one.

Undoubtedly, this is the best way for Teacher Lou, as a student, to repay her mentor, Sun Shiyi.

Because he knew very well that Zhao An's actions were too despicable and that he had serious financial problems.

Besides, he has already been promoted to the sixth rank of official, so there is no need for Zhao An to help him buy an official position.

Zhao An certainly wouldn't let go of Teacher Lou, who had become the governor's chief secretary. With Teacher Lou "infiltrating" for him in the governor's mansion, he could know everything that was happening in the Liangjiang area, so he could respond quickly and avoid being passive.

For example, if Zhu Gui, the governor of Anhui, submitted a memorial impeaching him, and if Zhu Gui's chief secretary was also a member of the microfinance party, he would definitely try to dissuade him, or if he couldn't, he would inform Zhao An in advance.

Therefore, it is absolutely forbidden for Teacher Lou to jump ship.

"Lord Lou, you wouldn't want the Governor-General to find out about your usury in Yangzhou, would you?"

Zhao An used his trump card.

He had Lao Ding forge asset certificates using Teacher Lou's ID to obtain the loan. If this gets back to the Governor-General, Teacher Lou should consider the consequences.

"You! You're a complete scoundrel!"

Helpless, Teacher Lou gave a slight hum and followed Zhao An to the restaurant. He really didn't dare let his mentor know that he had any dealings with "Zhao Youlu", and he certainly didn't dare let his mentor know that his student had borrowed money from loan sharks.

It should be understood that if an official borrows money at exorbitant interest rates, he must have financial problems. How can an official with financial problems hold such an important position as the governor's chief secretary?

If Sun Shiyi knew that the student he specially recruited as his chief secretary had financial problems, he would definitely be very disappointed.

Upon entering the restaurant, Zhao An ordered the manager to serve him a feast of fine wine and dishes.

They specialize in one expensive area.

This restaurant is not far from the Governor's Office. It usually serves the Governor's Office and officials from all over the country who come to Jiangning on official business. The ingredients are not only fresh but also very expensive, and many of them are things that Zhao An has never seen before.

The staff were also very perceptive; they would leave promptly after serving the food, and they weren't annoying at all.

Looking at the table laden with delicacies and Zhao An enthusiastically pouring him drinks, Teacher Lou's feelings were also complicated. He knew very well why Zhao An was "clinging" to him; it was simply because he knew that Zhao An had become the governor's "chief secretary" and wanted to get firsthand information from him, as well as put in a good word for him with the governor.

But he really didn't want Zhao An to taint his pure and simple teacher-student relationship with his mentor, Sun Shiyi.

"Lord Lou, please have some food."

Zhao An completely disregarded Teacher Lou's feelings and cheerfully served her food.

Teacher Lou picked up her chopsticks and put them down again, letting out a soft hum: "My teacher has been incredibly kind to me, and I would never do anything to betray him. I advise you to give up that idea."

The implication is that Zhao Youlu shouldn't try anything with me, because I can't possibly agree to your request.

"Lord Lou, do you have some misunderstanding about me?"

Zhao An also looked serious, "Do you know what the fifth of the ten prohibitions I set after taking office as the grain commissioner is?"

"."

Teacher Lou had no idea what Zhao An was talking about.

"It means that no one is allowed to ask favors, plead on behalf of others, or make requests on behalf of anyone! This applies to me personally, and it applies to all officials in my grain transport office as well."

After saying that, Zhao An magically pulled out a "Ten Prohibitions" document from his pocket and handed it to Teacher Lou. "If you don't believe me, Lord Lou, you can take these Ten Prohibitions to the Governor-General and say that I, Zhao Youlu, humbly request the Governor-General to supervise whether I have implemented these Ten Prohibitions. If I, Zhao Youlu, have failed to do so, I will resign from my post without the Governor-General's permission!"

(End of this chapter)