Di Ming

Chapter 72 Naturalization
Jiangning County was a county in the capital, belonging to a sixth-rank government office. Even the county's bailiffs were more prestigious.

"Name card?" Zhu Yin nodded. "Yes."

He wasn't surprised at all by the other party's attitude.

A county government office is a place that, even in later times, let alone in the rigidly hierarchical ancient times, you can't just walk into it whenever you want.

Even if someone comes to file a complaint, they have to submit their complaint outside first and wait obediently outside.

Only after the legal advisor has read the petition and recommends accepting the case, and a green arrest warrant is thrown down in court, can the person be brought to the yamen.

Zhu Yin walked up to the constable, took out a two-tael silver coin that he had prepared beforehand, and stuffed it into the constable's hand.

“Old Man Pai, your name is here.”

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the common people had many respectful titles for constables: Old Constable, Old Man, Head Constable, and Old Man Constable.

Zhu Yin respectfully asserted that the other party was certainly not wrong. He dared not act presumptuously in front of this lowly servant.

He's here to buy a household registration; he's clearly a vagrant, so how can he possibly keep his money?

Zhu Yin handed over two taels of silver, his little face bearing an innocent smile.

Seeing that Zhu Yin was "young and sensible," the other party couldn't help but smile.

Zhu Yin said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "It is hard work for you to carry out your duties, sir. Thank you for your trouble."

The servants were considered to be of low social status, and they were basically servants for generations. They were not even clerks, but rather "yamen slaves".

Although the bailiffs may seem to have a low status, they have been in this position for generations and have long controlled a lot of power at the grassroots level. They are deeply rooted in the local area and are local tyrants who have influence over both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

Even important figures like county magistrates had to rely on them as henchmen.

Although they were considered to be of low social status, aside from being barred from taking the imperial examinations, they were practically the rulers of the common people.

This is what Ji Xiaolan meant when he said, "The servants in the countryside are a level below the emperor."

Otherwise, where did the honorific title "Old Man" come from?

The old man casually slipped a few coins into his sleeve, weighed them in his hand, and knowing they amounted to two taels, said with a kind expression:
"Are you here to handle some business or to file a complaint? If it's a complaint, it must be heard by the village elders and neighborhood elders. As for ordinary minor cases... the county government will not accept them."

They did not receive government stipends, had no official positions or salaries, and their names were not on the Ministry of Personnel's register. They only received a few taels of "work and food allowance" each year.

They naturally have their own ways of making money, relying on various "shady practices" to earn gray income, which they are accustomed to.

Those entering the county government office with a business card must first go inside to report. Those without a business card are certainly not important figures.

He collected money from Zhu Yin, which he called "food and drink money." The government approved of it, and even the emperor tacitly approved it: the emperor doesn't starve his soldiers, after all.

Besides, the "food and drink money" he received wasn't just for his own enjoyment; other officials also had to share in the profits.

Zhu Yin bowed respectfully like a little adult, saying, "I'm not here to file a complaint against the authorities; I'm going to the household registration office to handle some household registration matters. I'd appreciate it if you could inform the clerk."

Only important cases were accepted by the Jiangning County government. Ordinary minor cases had to go through the village elders, neighborhood heads, and ward heads first.

Otherwise, it would be an overreach of the lawsuit.

Even the cases accepted by the county government were mostly handled by the clerk, the criminal affairs officer, or even the legal advisor.

Let alone the county magistrate, even the county assistant and registrar do not easily handle cases.

The cases personally tried by the county magistrate were all major cases or cases where someone had asked him for help.

Upon hearing that he wasn't going to file a complaint with the authorities, the other party readily nodded and said:

"Wait here, I'll go to the household office to inform them, and they'll be summoned shortly."

If it's just a civil matter at the Sixth House, then it's much simpler.

After a short while, the other party came out and said, "Come with me. Only two people can come in to do this."

Zhu Yin nodded and then led Ning Caiwei inside.

In fact, it was inappropriate for Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei, as children, to enter the county government office.

They are easily looked down upon and treated with disrespect by petty officials.

But apart from themselves, no one else is suitable to go in and do business.

Needless to say, there were several Jurchens, as well as the Kangxi brothers and three women, and the four sailors were all illiterate.

He had over three pounds of gold tucked into his sleeves, they were heavy.

Under the watchful eyes of a row of yamen soldiers, I stepped over the high threshold and finally entered the gate of the county yamen.

According to the Ming Dynasty system, the county government office was a four-courtyard, three-hall structure.

As soon as Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei entered the three-bay-wide gate, they saw the tall ceremonial gate ten zhang away in front of them.

This is the outer office.

The two of them immediately looked around curiously.

To the west are the men's prison, women's prison, the prison god temple, and the prison hall, which belong to the prison area and cover nearly two acres.

This is where prisoners in the county eat their meals; it's called the jail cell.

In this western prison area, there is also a Yin-Yang Hall, where Yin-Yang instructors observe celestial phenomena and predict good and bad fortune.

A county is like a country. The country has an Imperial Observatory, and the county has a yin-yang museum.

Jiangning County was the county with the largest population under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty. The 1.5 million citizens of Nanjing City, along with a large number of transient residents, were all under the jurisdiction of the two capital counties, Jiangning and Shangyuan.

Because Jiangning County was responsible for the more prosperous southern part of the city, and also had to govern the population of the vast rural areas outside the city, the population under Jiangning County's jurisdiction exceeded one million.

How much pressure does a county with a population of over one million face in terms of public security?

The county jail is far from sufficient; there simply isn't enough room to hold all the prisoners.

Shangyuan County, also part of Jing County, certainly couldn't be contained by prison either.

Jiangning County certainly has a solution.

No problem, they can be locked up in Nanjing Ministry of Justice Prison, Dali Temple Prison, Censorate Prison, Yingtianfu Prison, Nanjing Imperial Prison, Wucheng Military Command Prison, or Wujun Dudufu Prison.

If that's not enough, there are patrol stations, post stations, delivery stations, and even garrisons everywhere where prisoners can be detained.
This resulted in prisoners from the two capital counties being spread throughout almost the entire Southern Zhili region!

To facilitate the management of prisoners from their respective counties held in various locations, the magistrates of Jiangning and Shangyuan counties simply took on the concurrent roles of chief clerks of the Nanjing Ministry of Justice's Prison Administration Office.

At that moment, the faint wails of prisoners could be heard from the prison area, sending chills down one's spine.

The two looked to the east and saw a shrine to the Earth God.

This is the typical layout of Ming Dynasty government offices: "Eastern Shrine, Western Prison".

Next to the Land God Temple was the Yamen God Temple, and behind the temple were the guardhouses for the three shifts of Yamen runners.

In the temple and shrine area to the east, there is also a medical center with one medical instructor and several physicians, in charge of all physicians in the county, disease prevention, and assistance to impoverished patients.

The two observed their surroundings as they walked, and the bailiff in front said somewhat impatiently:
"Since your parents aren't coming, you kids shouldn't miss anything. Stop looking and hurry up."

The two could only quicken their pace and soon arrived at the ornately decorated ceremonial gate.

Two gatekeepers in blue robes and small hats stood at the entrance, while several swift-footed men with swords at their sides walked back and forth.

"Mr. Sun, they're going to the household registration office to handle some business," the bailiff leading the way said with a smile, then turned and winked at Zhu Yin.

"Go to the household registration office? They're always busy." The doorman surnamed Sun grinned, as if he had a toothache.

He gestured with his chin to the sundial by the ceremonial gate, "Look, it's already past 1:45 PM, and many people are still on duty. The officials are about to finish their shifts, so I'm afraid they won't be able to finish."

Ning Caiwei was speechless. Next shift? It's only 2:30!

The doorman glanced at the two children, rolled his eyes, and said, "Why aren't your parents here? They don't even have business cards, do they?"

Zhu Yin immediately understood and stepped forward, pulling out a two-tael piece of silver from his sleeve.

"I have your name card. Please, gatekeeper, grant me this favor."

The term "si hu shi" is, of course, an honorific title for a doorman.

That guy never expected a child to be so sensible; it shows the family upbringing is good.

He tucked the silver into his sleeve and said, “Very well. Go to the household office number C. There are fewer people at the household office number C today, so you won’t have to wait too long.”

After saying that, he took out a small booklet from the pouch at his waist, tore off a note, and said, "Go. Zhang Hushu is definitely busy, so go directly to Wang Qihou."

"Hushu" is an honorific title for the clerk in charge of household affairs; "Zhihou" is an honorific title for the clerk in charge of household affairs.

"Thank you, gatekeeper."

Zhu Yin took the note and was then able to enter smoothly.

Once you enter the ceremonial gate, you'll be in the main hall.

The first thing that catches the eye is the tall and imposing county government hall in the square in front.

To the west of the passageway were the offices of the Ministry of War, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Works. To the east of the passageway were the offices of the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Revenue, and Ministry of Rites.

Including the three shifts of yamen runners, this is what is known as the "three shifts and six offices".

The term "study in jail" comes from this.

In reality, because Jiangning County had a population of one million and the workload was too heavy, the number of assistant officials, chief officials, clerks, and yamen runners was all overstaffed.

There were two county magistrates, three registrars, and three clerks. The six busiest departments each had at least three clerks.

For example, the busiest departments, the Household Registration Department and the Criminal Affairs Department, are staffed by officials from the four departments of A, B, C, and D.

This resulted in the county having over two hundred officially registered clerks from the six departments who were paid by the emperor. If the unregistered hired clerks were included, the total number of clerks would reach five hundred.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei had no interest in watching the court proceedings; instead, they went directly to the government office where the household registration office was located.

The public housing alone occupied more than half an acre of land. Upon entering the public housing, one could see all sorts of people coming and going, almost all of them impeccably dressed.

There were scholars and commoners who came to handle matters, as well as clerks and officials who came to do things for others.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei suddenly realized that it looked quite similar to the administrative hall of later generations.

At the entrance of the government office are stone carvings of the mythical beasts Bi'an and Xiezhi.

Inside the public housing complex was a corridor with rows of public rooms on both sides, each marked with a wooden plaque indicating its name (A, B, C, D).

Sure enough, the number of people in the C-class household was the smallest, but there was still a group of people doing business there.

A young scribe sat by the door. Seeing that Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei were two children, he immediately smiled and said:

"So young, yet you're here to handle official business. What brings you to the household registration office? Do you have a signature?"

Zhu Yin handed over the note, saying, "Here's the note. Find Wang Zhihou (the clerk)."

The scribe nodded and pointed to the drum stool beside him, "Let's wait for now."

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei sat there obediently, watching the others work at the desks of the scribes and clerks.

As for the clerk of the household registration office (household office clerk), I'm sorry, as a second-class "high official," he rarely handles matters personally anymore.

Zhu Yin soon found out who Wang Dianli was.

He was a chubby, fair-skinned man wearing a light blue uniform.

In Zhu Yin's view, the six offices were equivalent to the various bureaus of the county government in later generations.

The various office clerks were equivalent to bureau chiefs, holding substantive leadership positions at the level of section chief.

Each of the clerks in a department was equivalent to several deputy bureau chiefs, or deputy section chiefs in terms of actual leadership. However, although there was only a slight difference in name between a clerk and a clerk, their power and influence were vastly different.

The clerk was merely the deputy to the clerk, belonging to the category of minor officials. The chief clerk, however, was the head of all the officials in the county government. Although he was not officially ranked, he was practically a high-ranking official.

If the clerk is the deputy director, then the clerk, who is only one stroke different, is a political and legal official who also serves as the director of the general office, a discipline official, or the chief prosecutor.

Power and influence cannot be discussed simultaneously.

Therefore, among the clerks in the county government, there was a saying: "A clerk who is not tyrannical is a superior person."

The county government was a very large institution, complete in every way, much like a miniature imperial court.

Besides county magistrates, county assistants, registrars, inspectors, instructors, and clerks, there was a large number of other officials.

As the top official, the county magistrate was in charge of all military and political affairs in the county, so naturally he had to handle everything. He was definitely too busy to manage everything.

The actual affairs of the government fell into the hands of the clerks, mainly from the Six Offices.

The third-class clerk in the Ming Dynasty was similar to the nine ranks of unregistered officials in the Tang Dynasty.

But when it comes to real power, a third-rank clerk in the Ming Dynasty was much stronger than a ninth-rank official outside the official ranks in the Tang Dynasty.

No wonder Gu Yanwu once said: "Officials are all empty titles, while those who hold power in the country are just clerks."

This statement is certainly extreme, but it still makes a lot of sense. Many ministers' memorials, suggestions, and policy guidelines were not their own ideas, but rather the work of their advisors and clerks.

Officials who rose through the ranks of the imperial examination system were generally incompetent. On the contrary, those who were skilled in administrative affairs and practical matters were often highly capable staff members.

It's not unreasonable to say that the Ming Dynasty was actually governed by petty officials.

Soon, it was Zhu Yin's turn to handle the matter.

He had already found out that buying a household registration meant that the government would directly pay him to do things.

The young man is not deceived.

In the eyes of local officials, buying a household registration is not illegal or unlawful, but a "legal" business.

Because this is... to resettle displaced people!
It's for the sake of local security!
The difference is that you only get things done if you pay.

This money didn't belong to the person in charge; it went into the government's slush fund, but wasn't handed over. It was the interest of a small group.

Wang Zhihou was only a third-class clerk, the lowest rank among the officially employed staff.

But he managed a group of unaffiliated scribes and held considerable power in his hands. Who would dare say he wasn't an official?

"Lord Qihou, I wish to register my household in this county," Zhu Yin said directly, bowing with his hands clasped.

After he finished speaking, he handed over the household registration list that he had written down beforehand.

He himself was the head of the household, Ning Caiwei was a child bride... the rest were "adopted", which meant they were "servants".

Wang Zhihou (the clerk) didn't speak, but simply waved his hand, coughed, and picked up his teacup to take a sip.

He sank his entire corpulent body deep into the armchair, leaned back, took out a small comb, and slowly and methodically combed his beard.

A seasoned unofficial scribe chuckled, "Your surname is Zhu, are you a member of the imperial family? Where are you from? And where is your master?"

Although he was smiling, his eyes were like knives, staring intently at Zhu Yin's small face.

Zhu Yin revealed a trace of sorrow, "After returning from Southeast Asia, I am no longer a member of the imperial family. My lord was kidnapped by pirates, and his fate is unknown."

The scribe pressed further, "Why do you want to settle in this county?"

Zhu Yin answered without hesitation: "My ancestors were from Jiangning, so settling here is like returning home. If my parents are safe and sound, they will also come back to Jiangning to find me."

The scribe continued, "Since you don't own any land, and you need to register more than a dozen people, you can only register them by buying land and creating a fish-scale register, and then you can create a new yellow register for registration."

"As for the registration of merchants in the city, it will not be processed now. The Ministry of Revenue and the Garrison Office in Nanjing should issue a reprimand."

The clerk's suggestion was the most appropriate course of action. Buying the land and creating the fish-scale register, then creating the yellow register, minimized the legal risks.

Moreover, they can only be registered as farmers, not merchants.

It's probably because there's too much population in Nanjing.

Although both agricultural and commercial households are considered civilian households, their tax administration is different.

Zhu Yin knew perfectly well that the so-called land purchase was actually just buying up some barren hills and fields at high prices, which were not worth much money and were just a way to fool the Ministry of Revenue.

“I’ll buy the land,” Zhu Yin nodded. “However, I’d like it to be as close to the city as possible.”

The scribe nodded, then flipped through a yellow book and a fish-scale book, and soon a draft was completed.

He laughed and said, "You can settle down in Qingqiao Village, Chunhua Township. The fifty acres of land on Wohu Mountain are yours. You pay three hundred taels of pure silver, and the land deed will be in your name."

The owner of these fifty acres of mountain land, due to his decline and poverty, sold them to the government for ten taels of silver.

That mountainous area is worthless; nobody wants it.

Zhu Yin knew this was standard procedure, and he didn't care about the land; he only cared about getting his residency.

"I'm willing to buy it. I just don't know how far it is from Nanjing?"

The scribe thought for a moment, “It’s not far from the outer city wall to the south, and it’s only a dozen or so miles from the Qinhuai River. It’s a quarter of an hour’s ride on horseback. Although it’s in the countryside, it’s still considered part of the city.

Upon hearing that it was only a dozen miles from the inner city, Zhu Yin immediately agreed.

"Okay, I'll buy it."

The clerk added, "Since you've bought land and settled here, you still have to pay all sorts of taxes. If you want to settle here and bring more than ten people with you, you'll also have to pay one hundred taels of silver for settling down."

"Let's pay first. Did you bring any gold?"

He didn't ask about the silver because he saw that Zhu Yin couldn't possibly have several hundred taels of silver on him.

"I brought them." Zhu Yin took out five gold ingots, each weighing ten taels.

Nowadays, one tael of gold can be exchanged for eight taels of silver at a money exchange.

Fifty taels of gold is four hundred taels.

The reason why government offices accept round numbers is, of course, for convenience, so that they don't have to give change.

With fifty taels of gold handed over, the usually arrogant Wang, the clerk, finally revealed a slight smile and nodded to Zhu Yin, saying:
"You are a child, though young, you are mature and sensible. You are a promising student."

Zhu Yin quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your praise, Lord Zhihou."

He couldn't put on airs in front of these "masters".

Since he is currently a migrant, he needs to be registered as a resident. How can he pretend to be one?
Seeing that Zhu Yin had spent several hundred taels of silver, another scribe immediately poured tea for Zhu Yin and asked him to wait patiently.

In just a quarter of an hour, all the contracts and household registration documents were completed.

Wang, the clerk, personally took these documents to the back hall and stamped them with the official seal of the county government.

Then, Wang Dianli went to ask the "household clerk" for his signature and stamped it.

Then, using his own seal, he stamped the place where the person in charge was.

The county government seal, the notes of the person in charge, and the stamps of the person in charge were all complete.

It is legally in full effect!
The whole process took less than half an hour, which was very efficient.

Finally, all the documents were placed in a brown paper bag and handed to Zhu Yin.

From this moment on, Zhu Yin was a member of the Jiangning County clan in Southern Zhili of the Ming Dynasty.

That's it.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei both breathed a sigh of relief.

The two thanked him and left the public housing building with a sigh of relief.

Only then did he have the mind to look at the county magistrate's court.

The Magistrate's Hall is the core of the county government buildings. It is a tall and solemn single-eaved, gable-roofed building.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei slowly approached, first noticing the platform in front of the main hall. On the two large pillars flanking the platform was a couplet:

"The rivers and seas are as vast as the sky and the bright moon, and the tranquility of the heart is as gentle as a long breeze."

The name "Jiangning" is subtly included, implying integrity and self-discipline.

According to the custom of exchanging official couplets upon taking office, this pair of official couplets is clearly the handwriting of the current county magistrate.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but smile.

Whether this ruler of Jiangning was a capable minister is unknown, but he certainly wouldn't be "peaceful and tranquil."

Otherwise, how could the clerks in the household registration office directly collect fifty taels of gold for themselves and illegally process the household registrations of more than a dozen people?
The clerks, officials, and scribes in the Household Department couldn't all receive a share; the county magistrate in charge also got a share, and of course, the county magistrate received even more.

At this time, the hall was empty, and no court proceedings were being held.

In reality, county government offices frequently hold court sessions, but these are mostly not for adjudicating cases; rather, they are for assigning tasks and announcing government orders.

Similar to a government work meeting.

Zhu Yin curiously peeked out and saw that the courtroom was over 200 square meters, larger than he had imagined.

Four plaques stand on either side, reading "Avoidance", "Silence", "Sixth-Rank Official", and "Governor of Jiangning".

To the left of the plaque are ceremonial weapons such as knives, guns, swords, halberds, and flags. To the right are various instruments of torture, fire and water rods, stern rods, and several scribes.

On the solemn and dignified case of the county magistrate, besides the gavel, there was only a container with the words "Strict Enforcement of the Law" written on it.

The command tube contains command tokens of four colors: red, green, black, and white. Each command token represents a different instruction.

The order slip container was standardized, measuring exactly one dou (a unit of dry measure). The order slips were also standardized, exactly one chi (a unit of length). This signifies fairness and accuracy.

Behind the large case is a landscape painting depicting mountains and seas, with white cranes fluttering about, symbolizing a clear blue sky and a bright mirror hanging high.

Above it was a large plaque with four large, gold-plated characters that read "Fairness and Integrity".

Ning Caiwei said in a low voice, "This is the county government hall, it looks a lot like a temple."

She's right, government offices are actually a type of temple.

The two could only go this far, and this was still within the same hall.

Behind it were two halls where officials such as the county magistrate held secret meetings to discuss important matters, as well as the offices of the county magistrate's assistant, the registrar, and the clerk, which were independent office buildings belonging to the leaders in charge of the county.

These are all important figures, people who are rarely seen in normal times.

Behind the second hall is the third hall, where the county magistrate lived daily, which must have included gardens, courtyards, pavilions, and towers.

Zhu Yin estimated that the entire county government office covered tens of thousands of square meters. With offices in the front and residences in the back, it was essentially a miniature imperial palace.

"Let's go. This is the best we can do," Zhu Yin said with a smile.

Ning Caiwei also laughed and said, "It's a pity we can't go and see the second and third halls. When you grow up and become the county magistrate, I will be able to see the layout of the back hall of the county government office."

Being in the county government office, the two were very careful with their words, and would never say anything that would reveal their identities.

Suddenly a voice said, "You little girl are so ignorant. What is a county magistrate? This is the first time I've ever heard of a county magistrate."

Ning Caiwei looked up in surprise, only to see a middle-aged man in a white robe and flowing sash slowly emerging from behind the platform.

This is?

P.S.: I had something to do today. It's too late. This chapter is 6,000 words long, and the content was particularly difficult to write. I had to include historical details while also making it interesting, without making it too dry. It wasn't easy to strike a balance. Thank you!
(End of this chapter)