In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

The first group to arrive were neither the county magistrate nor the registrar.

Two servants in short jackets carried in an old red lacquered box.

Following behind was a round-faced man in his thirties, with clean shoes and slender hands, as if he had been using an abacus for many years.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he didn't look at the main hall, but glanced around first, and finally bowed with a big smile on his face.

"Tian Chengyi, the junior steward of the Tian family, is here to deliver a small gift to the new county magistrate on behalf of the family head."

"This border region is poor and has nothing of value to offer but a little local well salt, a pair of medicinal herbs, and two bolts of fine cloth, which I will present as a token of my congratulations to the magistrate on his arrival."

That's an understatement.

But when the people in the courtyard heard the words "Tian family," their expressions subtly changed.

Han Jitong stood by the passenger car, his gaze darkening considerably.

The Tian family isn't the most powerful family in the county.

In recent years, the salt from Qing'ao Well has been transferred out and laundered by brokers in the West Market, and the Tian family's influence can be seen in all of them.

Yang Xuan didn't touch the box, but only asked:

"Who let you in first?"

Tian Chengyi's smile faltered.

"I...I heard that the county magistrate is taking office today, so I thought I'd come and offer my congratulations as a local."

"The seal hasn't been received yet, the yamen officials haven't been appointed, and the county officials haven't all arrived, yet your Tian family has already sent gifts to the hall."

Yang Xuan looked at him.

"That's a thoughtful gesture."

Tian Chengyi immediately broke out in a sweat.

To put it bluntly, it's not too harsh.

But it's precisely because of this pressure that it makes people feel uncomfortable.

Because it's not an insult.

He subtly revealed the intricacies behind your gift-giving in front of everyone in the courtyard.

At this moment, Cui Shen had already picked up his pen.

Yang Xuan said:

"remember."

"The Tian family, Tian Chengyi, sent gifts to the magistrate's office before he received the official seal. Record the time, the list of gifts, and what he said upon entering."

"Do not open the gift; place it in the courtyard and seal it."

Write down who gave it to you, who brought it, and who handled the introduction.

Tian Chengyi's smile was about to crumble.

He originally came here to watch over people for the people who came after him.

If the new magistrate is greedy, he will take the opportunity to send the gifts into the inner hall.

If this new magistrate is arrogant, then watch him turn hostile on the spot and expose the truth.

Unexpectedly, the person in front of them neither accepted the gift nor dismissed it on the spot. Instead, they simply said "seal it off," turning the gift into something that would leave a mark on the hall.

Who will dare to say they've never given it to someone after this?

Who would dare say it was just a routine door-to-door visit?

Even Pei Zhao glanced at Cui Shen more than once.

This method involves no knife.

But if the gift is sealed off, the person who gave the gift will feel even more uneasy.

Tian Chengyi wanted to explain a few more things, but another group of people arrived at the courtyard gate.

This time, instead of boxes, they delivered two baskets of wild mushrooms, a jar of medicinal wine, and a roll of invoice paper covered with oil.

The one who came was Hu Rong, the manager of the salt shop in the West Market.

He saw the red lacquered box that had been placed to the side in the courtyard, paused for a moment, and then his smile widened.

"It seems the Tian family is quick on their feet."

"The younger one doesn't dare to fall behind either."

"Manager Hu."

Yang Xuan called out to him casually.

Hu Rong's smile froze.

He had initially thought that this new county magistrate, having just arrived in the county, might not even recognize which of the prominent salt merchants were well-known.

Hearing the other party reveal his identity so readily, his heart skipped a beat.

Yang Xuan didn't say anything more, but repeated it again:

"Remember it the way the Tian family does it."

"The gifts will be conferred together."

"This rule applies to everyone who comes today."

Now the courtyard was even quieter.

In no time at all, the two families in Yanjing County who were most adept at getting wind of things both ran into the same wall.

The wall isn't hard.

But it doesn't let you go around in circles.

Hu Rong and Tian Chengyi exchanged a glance, both sensing something amiss in each other's eyes.

The newly appointed county magistrate, who had been demoted, did not seem to be in a hurry to show off his power.

He simply arranged everyone in front of the hall.

No one can hide it from you.

A few moments later, the person who was actually supposed to be at the county office finally arrived late.

The county magistrate arrived first.

The man was in his fifties, not very tall, with a neatly trimmed beard, but his black boots were covered in mud, as if he had really rushed back from outside. As soon as he entered, he looked distressed, and then bowed deeply.

"Your humble servant Xu Jingyao greets Your Excellency."

"Something happened at the well in Nanchang this morning. I only received the news and rushed back, but I was still a step too late. I hope the magistrate will forgive me."

Han Jitong listened from the side, his lips silently twitching downwards slightly.

What happened at the South Field?

He didn't even need to hear it a second time.

It's simply a matter of finding a reason to put it out there.

Yang Xuan, however, seemed oblivious to the underlying meaning and simply asked:

"Are you the county magistrate?"

"Yes."

"Who has been in charge of daily operations in Yanjing County for the past six months?"

Xu Jingyao was taken aback by this question and then said:

"After the previous magistrate left office, most of the affairs of the yamen were handled by me, the registrar, and a few experienced clerks in the county."

In short, it sounds like an answer.

Actually, he didn't answer anything truthfully.

Cui Shen stood to the side, his pen already moving.

He was best at memorizing these kinds of official phrases.

It looks full, but it's actually empty.

Xu Jingyao had just stood still when the registrar arrived.

This registrar was even better at putting on an act than the county magistrate.

Before even entering the hospital, he coughed twice. Once inside, his face was as white as if he had just been sick, and even when he bowed, his back seemed to bend deeper than others.

"Your humble servant, Cao Wenbing, contracted a fever a few days ago. I had intended to rise today to greet Your Excellency, but alas, my body has failed me..."

"It's quite thoughtful of you to hear about my arrival in the city while you're sick."

Yang Xuan looked at him, her tone flat.

Cao Wenbing's prepared remarks about being "rude while ill" suddenly faltered.

These words may not seem significant if you listen carefully.

But everyone can understand it.

If you were really so sick that you couldn't get out of bed, how come you happened to arrive at this time?

If your illness is not serious, then what does it mean to "not be able to welcome" before?

Cao Wenbing had no choice but to lower his head and swallow the rest of his sentence.

Following closely behind were the head constable He Liu, the storehouse clerk, the gatekeeper, several bailiffs, and two officials who looked like they had been temporarily summoned back from the street.

The group is finally complete.

The area in front of the hall became increasingly lively.

It wasn't just government officials who were gathered at the entrance.

There were also shopkeepers from several stores in the county, brokers, porters, and a few others who were clearly just there to watch the show.

No one was standing too far forward.

But no one left.

They are all waiting.

Will this young man from the Yang family, who was demoted from Chang'an, lose face in this hall or go mad?

Yang Xuan then turned around and went up into the hall, sitting down on the old, uneven chair.

The chair creaked.

The hall was silent.

Standing below, Afu suddenly remembered the banquet at the Hua'e Xianghui Tower in Chang'an.

At that time, everyone was watching.

Let's see if that rebellious son of the Yang family dares to go crazy.

That one time, however, it was in front of the emperor and all the civil and military officials.

This time, it was in a dilapidated county government office.

The place is too small.

Its influence may not be small.