Tiger Owl

Chapter 150 Two Clerks
Lu Su and Jiang Wan arrived at Gan Ning's official residence and handed him a list. "These are the candidates for the position of clerk that we have found for the general. General, please see when you have time to interview them."

Gan Ning glanced at the list, his heart skipped a beat, and he saw two familiar names: Lu Xun and Ma Liang.

Gan Ning picked up his pen and highlighted the two men, asking, "Are these two members of the Lu family of Wu Commandery and the Ma family of Nan Commandery?"

Lu Su nodded, "Exactly!"

Gan Ning could understand why Ma Liang came to seek refuge with him. Ma Liang was from Yicheng in Nanjun. With the upheaval in Jiangxia County, it was normal for the Ma family to want to place their bets on him. But why would the Lu family of Wujun let Lu Xun come to Chaisang?

Historically, Lu Xun was Sun Ce's son-in-law, but Sun Ce's daughter is only three years old now. It will be at least a decade or more before Lu Xun marries Sun Ce's daughter after his wife passes away. Right now, Lu Xun is just a young talent who has not yet entered officialdom.

"Forget about the others, have these two come to see me."

Ma Liang was arranged by Jiang Wan, and Lu Xun was arranged by Lu Su. Lu Su had worked as a clerk for Lu Kang, the prefect of Lujiang County, for several months. Lu Kang greatly appreciated him, so this time Lu Xun came directly to Lu Su to apply for a job.

Ma Liang was recommended to Jiang Wan by Yin Mo, the prefect of Wuchang County, who had a close relationship with the Ma family.

In the afternoon, Lu Xun and Ma Liang were led to Gan Ning's official residence.

Lu Xun is twenty years old this year, while Ma Liang is even younger, only eighteen years old. Both of them are exceptionally talented and are the most outstanding members of their respective families in this generation.

The two sat facing each other, sizing each other up. Lu Xun clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "I am Lu Boyan from Wu County. May I ask how this young master is addressed?"

Lu Xun was skilled in both literature and martial arts, tall and strong, with a dignified appearance, while Ma Liang was of medium height and somewhat frail and refined.

Ma Liang returned the greeting and said, "I am Ma Jichang from Nanjun. It's a pleasure to meet Brother Lu."

Both of them knew that General Gan needed two clerks, one for the military and one for the political department. Since only the two of them were interviewed, it was probably the two of them.

At this moment, a follower stepped forward and said, "Lu Xun of Wu Commandery, please come with me!"

Lu Xun stood up, smiled at Ma Liang, and then followed his attendants into the official residence.

Lu Xun entered the room, bowed, and said, "Lu Xun of Wu Commandery greets the General!"

Many titles are customary. For example, Sun Quan was called the Marquis of Wu in Jiangdu because Sun Ce was the Marquis of Wu. Gan Ning was called the Marquis of Wuchang among the common people, but in official circles and the army, he was called the Lord.

However, Gan Ning has now asked everyone to change their way of addressing him. They no longer call him "Lord" but directly address him as "General." So everyone knows that when "General" is mentioned, it definitely refers to Lord Gan Ning. Although Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Taishi Ci are also generals, they are addressed with their surnames, such as General Zhao, Old General Huang, or General Taishi, etc.

Gan Ning sized up Lu Xun. Not bad, as expected of a famous general of the Three Kingdoms, his appearance and temperament are both very good.

"Young Master Lu, you've also practiced martial arts?" Gan Ning asked, glancing at Lu Xun's resume.

"I have practiced marksmanship for a few years, but I still prefer literature."

"Is this your first time visiting Yuzhang County, Young Master Lu?" Gan Ning asked with a smile.

Lu Xun shook his head, "Actually, I have been studying in Yuzhang County and several surrounding counties for the past two years, spending the most time in Yuzhang County."

"So that's it!"

Gan Ning nodded and asked again, "Did you come here to apply for the job because it was your own idea, or was it an arrangement by your family?"

This is a very important question. Lu Xun pondered for a moment and then said, "It's an arrangement by the family!"

On this crucial issue, Lu Xun did not want to lie. Gan Ning smiled approvingly; he admired Lu Xun's frankness.

"Very good! Go back and pack your things, and report to Military Advisor Lu first thing tomorrow morning. I've approved you."

Lu Xun was overjoyed and bowed respectfully, saying, "This humble servant will certainly work diligently and be loyal to the General!"

Lu Xun bowed and withdrew. A moment later, Ma Liang was brought in, and he also bowed, saying, "Ma Liang greets the General!"

Gan Ning noticed a tuft of white eyebrows between his brows and smiled slightly, saying, "Of the five virtues of the Ma family, the one with the white eyebrows is the best, and that refers to you."

Ma Liang humbly replied, "That's an overstatement of my abilities by the villagers."

Gan Ning nodded. "You're the fourth in your family, and you have a brother named Ma Youchang, right?"

"The general is absolutely right. My brother Ma Su, whose courtesy name is Youchang, is only thirteen years old."

"What about your three older brothers? Are they all at home?"

Ma Liang shook his head. "My three elder brothers are all working in Jingzhou. My second brother, Ma Ping, is currently serving as a military advisor under Liu Bei."

Gan Ning saw that Ma Liang was neither humble nor arrogant, and answered calmly, and that he always got to the point, such as specifically pointing out that his second brother was Liu Bei's subordinate.

Gan Ning nodded. "Alright! I've approved it here. Go see Chief Secretary Jiang first thing tomorrow morning, and he'll make the arrangements for you."

Lu Xun was a military clerk, so he was assigned duties by the strategist Lu Su; Ma Liang was a political clerk, so he was assigned duties by the chief clerk Jiang Wan. This can be considered a clear division of responsibilities.

Inside the official residence, Jiang Wan was instructing Ma Liang on how to do things.

"Our documents are divided into two categories: military and civil. The scrolls for various military reports are made of black wood, while the scrolls for civil reports are made of white wood. If it is a commemorative document, it is also distinguished by black and white. Therefore, the black documents are given to Lu Xun, and you are in charge of the white documents."

First, you need to categorize and number the reports, read them carefully to understand what they are about, then write down a summary of the reports on a piece of paper. Finally, you must compile the summaries on a piece of paper and hand them to the general. He can then read the summary and know the priorities of the matters.

Also, if the report has a red label, it means it's an emergency. You must give the report to the general immediately, even if it's at night, and deliver it to the general's residence. Understand?

Ma Liang nodded. "I understand!"

"That's fine! You'll get used to it gradually. Come to the General's Mansion to report for duty tomorrow, and I'll go arrange your seats now."

The next morning, Lu Xun and Ma Liang arrived at the general's mansion. Their offices were located in Gan Ning's outer courtyard, separated from Gan Ning's official residence by a central courtyard, a place that outsiders had to pass through to see him.

The room, which was originally empty, has now become the official residence of Lu Xun and Ma Liang. The two sit on opposite sides and take turns on duty each month. For example, this month it is Lu Xun's turn to inform Gan Ning if there is anything to do, and next month it is Ma Liang's turn to inform Gan Ning if there is anything to do.

Inside the office, Gan Ning pointed to two thick stacks of documents and said, “These are the documents I haven’t had time to read yet. You can take them and process them, number them and write summaries so I know the general content of each document. Also, you are only responsible for official business. Serving tea and water and cleaning the room are handled by tea servants. I hope you can adapt as soon as possible.”

"Follow the order!"

The two men each carried a stack of documents out, sat down in their seats, and began to carefully read through them, occasionally taking notes of key points.

Having two secretaries greatly reduced Gan Ning's burden. He no longer needed to read every document in detail. After reading the general content, he could make comments and forward them to Lu Su and Jiang Wan for review. He would only read the most important documents in detail.

Just then, Lu Su reported that an envoy from Jiangdong had arrived.

(End of this chapter)