Qing Yao

Chapter 337 Second-Rank Official
Judging by the time, the revised and abridged version of the report sent to the old master probably hasn't even reached Chengde yet, because it has to go through the capital first. How could he have been promoted directly?
Zhao An guessed it was related to the great victory reported by Qing Yao. Afterwards, he asked Qing Yao how he reported it, and the answer made him blush.

No culture, it's scary.

Even with Qingyao's exaggerated report of victory, according to regulations, the imperial court would send someone to verify the report from local officials to prevent exaggeration, false claims, or the killing of innocent people to claim credit.

Only after verification will the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel formulate rewards and honors based on the meritorious deeds and contributions reported by local officials, and then submit them to the emperor for approval. The entire process takes at least a month.

The good news had barely been sent out when a reward of being appointed as a provincial governor came down. How to describe the feeling? It was like going to a store to buy a pack of cigarettes and casually putting the two coins the shopkeeper gave you into a slot machine, only to have the whole screen flash and suddenly you hit the jackpot.

It was completely unexpected and quite a pleasant surprise.

If all the impossibilities are ruled out, then there can only be one possibility: the adoptive father and the Grand Hall secretly used a remote control to make a small adjustment.

Whether it was Heshen's efforts or the old master's genuine appreciation for talent, Zhao An's appointment as Provincial Treasurer signified that he had taken the most important step in the Qing Dynasty's officialdom.

To leap from the third rank to the second rank, in the words of later official systems, is essentially to advance from a department to a ministry.

Or, to put it another way, once one has finally reached the Foundation Establishment stage in Qi Refining, they can now swagger around in the world of cultivation.

In later generations, those who can enter the ministry before the age of fifty have a high probability of becoming national-level officials. How old is Zhao An?
Even if he didn't intend to rebel against the Qing Dynasty, and just worked hard, he could probably become a Grand Councilor or Associate Grand Secretary before the age of forty, and be posthumously honored with the title "Wenxiang". If he performed well, he might even be promoted to "Wenzheng".

Unfortunately, Zhao An had to rebel against the Qing Dynasty. There was no other way; he had made an enemy of Jiaqing and owed the old master and Fu Chang'an a high-interest loan.

He has no problem lending money.

Pay back?

That's a philosophical question, not a practical one.

Although many Manchu nobles rose to high positions in the Qing Dynasty during their teens, even though Zhao An's household registration was now under the Imperial Household Department and he was considered a bondservant of the emperor, his speed of promotion was still quite astonishing.

All told, it took him less than ten months from his actual appointment as the Jiang'an Grain Commissioner to his actual appointment as the Anhui Provincial Governor.

Throughout the entire history of the Qing Dynasty, only four or five people could rise to such a high rank as him.

There's not much to say, just thank you for your great kindness.

The person who came from the capital to announce the promotion decree was neither a palace guard nor someone from the Ministry of Personnel, but a secretary in the Grand Secretariat.

The Grand Secretary was a seventh-rank official, equivalent to a Grand Secretary. Although the Grand Secretariat was now defunct and the government was controlled by the Grand Council, it was still a good place for many officials to gain prestige. The officials serving there were also very prestigious, and many Manchu and Han officials in the Grand Council were transferred from the Grand Secretariat.

Accompanying him were four cabinet clerks and thirty Eight Banner guards dispatched by the Infantry Commander's Office.

This is a regulation.

When Zhao An arrived, the group of people from the capital were also stunned by the sight of the large-scale production activity. They found it very strange. The few staff members of the governor's office who were retained were enthusiastically explaining the significance of the activity to the "masters of the capital" and, according to custom, offering them their hard-earned money.

Everyone has it.

Zhao An didn't need to explain such a trivial matter; there would be a settlement later.

Although Zhao An himself did not accept bribes, he liked to give them to others, especially people from the capital. Regardless of their rank, he would always provide them with a higher level of hospitality and supplies.

The incense table for receiving the imperial decree was already prepared. As soon as Zhao An arrived, the procedure for receiving the decree began according to custom. However, his peasant attire made the reading of the decree seem strange to the officials, completely different from the image of Zhao An circulating in the capital as an opportunistic villain who rose to power through scheming and currying favor with Heshen. It seems that seeing is believing.

The Grand Secretary didn't waste any time. He unfolded the yellow silk and began to read aloud the news. It was nothing more than that Zhao An had made meritorious contributions in disaster relief and quelling rebellions, which impressed the Emperor. He was specially promoted to Provincial Treasurer of Anhui, while still serving as Acting Governor.

"Lord Zhao, please receive the imperial decree!"

The Grand Secretary smiled and handed the decree to Zhao An. Then, with a wave of his hand, four attendants immediately presented four square, gold-lacquered wooden boxes, each about a foot in size.

All the boxes were opened, revealing a carved coral hat worn by officials of the second rank, as well as a nine-dragon, five-clawed python robe worn only by officials of the second rank. The python patterns on the robe were embroidered with gold and silver threads, making it look particularly noble. It came from the Suzhou Textile Bureau.

The rest consisted of pheasant-patterned robes, court belts, and court boots.

The four complete sets, without missing a single one, were laid out before Zhao An. The unique glory and the invisible pressure they exuded made many officials envious and in awe.

What Zhao An smelled was the scent of power.

From that moment on, he was the de facto number one person in Anhui, unless the old master needed to send another governor to Anhui for the purpose of checks and balances.

But that's for next year.

"Congratulations, sir! Congratulations, sir!"

The officials present were all overjoyed and offered their sincere blessings to Lord Zhao on his "promotion to official rank." The secretary of the Central Secretariat who came to announce the decree also offered a few symbolic words.

Zhao An was undoubtedly excited; no matter how calm he tried to be, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face. But his expression suddenly froze, and after a moment of contemplation, he instructed his attendants, "Change your clothes."

"Whoo!"

The attendants rushed forward to invite Zhao An to change in the nearby "rest room," but Zhao An waved his hand and said, "No need to trouble yourself, I'll change here."

"what?"

Everyone was taken aback and quite puzzled. There were many people watching nearby, and it seemed inappropriate for Lord Zhao to change his clothes in public like this.

Zhao An, however, had no such scruples. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he ordered someone to bring clean water to wash his hands and feet. Then, he slowly took off his coarse cloth short jacket, and put on a robe with nine pythons and five claws and a pheasant patch. The bamboo hat he used to shield his head from the sun was replaced by a carved coral hat. Everything seemed so calm and composed, which contrasted sharply with his still not very mature face.

The scene was quiet; everyone held their breath as they watched Zhao An change his clothes.

When Zhao An turned around again after he had finished dressing, he looked completely different. The faintly visible python pattern, the colorful pheasant insignia, and the dazzling red coral hat made everyone present take a second look. The single peacock feather on the back of Zhao An's head, a standard accessory for second-rank officials, trembled gently in the breeze.

Just moments ago, that young man looked no different from a farmer, but in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a majestic and imposing regional official!
"Congratulations, Your Excellency!"

The crowd knelt down again, their voices even more respectful than before.

"No gift!"

Zhao An's gaze swept over the crowd, and he slowly said, "Today, I am putting on this official robe in public so that you may all bear witness that I, Zhao Youlu, who receive the court's salary, will serve the court! From now on, if I fail the Emperor's grace or the people, everyone may point fingers at me and curse me behind my back!"

(End of this chapter)