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

Zhao Suanpan originally wanted to follow He Liu's words and steer the conversation toward the terms "old practice" and "difficult border areas," but upon hearing this, his heart sank.

His lips moved twice, and a fine layer of sweat immediately appeared on his forehead.

"This...this isn't something you can just memorize one by one. Whoever has free time goes to tidy it up, and the payment is based on who gets there..."

"Give it to me as you see fit?"

Cui Shen put down his pen and said calmly:

"Every item in the miscellaneous expenses record is accounted for, and some even include names. Since you were able to write it down in the book, you should be able to explain it clearly today."

Zhao Suanpan was completely lost.

He wasn't unfamiliar with officials who questioned accounts.

But those people were asking about the accounts, asking about the large sums of money from above, whether there was enough in the treasury, and whether there was any silver available this month.

This kind of question is the easiest way for subordinates to get confused.

The person in front of me is different.

He asked whether the shed was crooked, whether the ditch was cleared, who paid for it, and who did the work.

How can we possibly paste this?

People outside the courtyard gate had already begun to whisper among themselves.

"They charged me twice last month for cleaning the ditch."

"What's the point of repairing the ditches? The streets will still be muddy when it rains."

"A corner of the shed collapsed, and we had to prop it up ourselves with wooden poles."

These sounds were originally very faint.

But once someone starts talking, it becomes unstoppable.

He Liu's expression finally changed.

What he feared most was not the county magistrate's question.

The county magistrate presented these questions to the public, allowing the people to answer them as well.

Because of the slight discrepancy in the accounts, those in the government office could pretend not to know, but those who were used to the ways of the outside world saw it all.

He immediately took half a step forward, and the smile on his face faded.

"It's only right for the newly arrived magistrate to check the accounts. But Yanjing County isn't Chang'an. People here rely on old relationships and old customs to make a living. No one pockets all the money collected at the sheds. If we really scrutinize every single item, no one will be willing to do a lot of the work later."

These words immediately changed the atmosphere in the courtyard.

When soft arguments fail, they start bringing up old rules.

To put it more bluntly, it was a reminder to Yang Xuan that this scheme involved not only He Liu and Zhao Suanpan, but also a whole string of other people who relied on this money for their livelihood.

If you insist on breaking through, you'll be going against the entire ground line.

Afu was furious when he heard this.

This is no longer a reply.

This is like using a whole set of local unspoken rules to pressure the new county magistrate right in front of the government office.

But he said it in a very high-sounding and respectable way.

It's not like I'm protecting dirty money, but rather protecting the "livelihood" of Yanjing County.

Yang Xuan looked at him and suddenly smiled.

The smile was so faint that it made He Liu's heart tighten.

"The old rules?"

"You've reminded me."

He turned to look at Afu.

"Bring the drum out."

Afu was startled, then his eyes lit up, and he turned and ran towards the door.

Before long, two old guards dragged the cracked grievance drum into the courtyard at his command.

The drumhead is old, and the drum stand is crooked.

But once it's placed in front of people, the taste immediately changes.

Yang Xuan then slowly began to speak:

"What was the first rule of the old government offices?"

No one dared to answer.

"When an official appointed by the imperial court takes office, the staff of the yamen shall be on duty and abide by the rules. They shall not leave without permission, disobey orders, use the name of the government to collect miscellaneous fees, or use their positions as servants to support idlers outside or block the road for ordinary people."

"When I entered the city yesterday, your yamen was not fully staffed."

"Last night, the register was sent out, but your name didn't match the list."

"You contradicted your words when you replied this morning."

"Now, right here in front of my government office, people still dare to put 'making a living' and 'old rules' together, giving face to those dirty deeds."

Yang Xuan looked at He Liu, his voice gradually lowering.

"He Liu, do you think I'm young, or do you really think no one in Yanjing County can control you?"

When the last sentence fell, the area under the eaves was so quiet that even the sound of the wind could be heard.

The color drained from He Liu's face instantly.

He originally thought that even if the new magistrate was angry, he should first target the county clerk and the registrar, or at least put up a large tent to intimidate people.

To his surprise, the other party wasn't in a hurry to hit the big one at all; instead, they kept pressing down on his own section and smashing it down.

If a person is forced to this point and then backs down, they'll never be able to face anyone in Yanjing County again.

He Liu made a snap decision and decided to tear off that smiling mask altogether.

"Since the magistrate insists on saying so, then I can only tell you the truth."

"In Yanjing County, the yamen runners, the sheds at the gates, and the idlers who watch over the streets are all in the same boat."

"If you start with the minor ones today, no one will take these jobs tomorrow. If there's chaos at the city gate, trouble in the streets, and a shortage of manpower in the south market, the yamen will be the one that suffers the most in the end."

"At that point, the county magistrate can't rely on these people from Chang'an for everything, can he?"

As he finished speaking, his eyes glanced at Pei Zhao and Lu Cheng.

The few people outside the courtyard gate who had previously only dared to whisper among themselves all fell silent.

They're watching too.

It remains to be seen whether this new magistrate will slow down or stubbornly persist when he encounters such a tough local challenge.

Yang Xuan did not answer him immediately.

He simply raised his hand and put the few pages of paper he had sorted out the night before together.

"You're right."

"Then I'll tell you the truth."

"That money at the city gate isn't something you, He Liu, can eat all by yourself."

"You weren't the only one faking it—the names of the constables, the night patrol duties, the cleaning of ditches, and the repair of sheds."

"But today I'm not looking for anyone else, I'm only looking for you."

"Because you're standing on the very outside of the government office."

"You eat small bites, walk small paths, and spread small rumors, but you are best at using these small paths and small bites to scout ahead, shield those who actually eat meat, and scare the new officials."

"If I can't even control you, what's the point of talking about being a county magistrate, a registrar, about salt wells, or about rules?"

These words sealed He Liu's fate.

He Liu felt a sudden tightness in his chest, and opened his mouth to retort, "Does the magistrate want to arrest people without any evidence?"

But before the words could be spoken, Yang Xuan spoke first.

"Credentials?"

"You need proof, I'll give it to you."

He raised his hand and pointed to the three booklets on the table.

"The flower name, the person on duty, and the miscellaneous items don't match up."

"You were on duty in the court yesterday, but you were not in the yamen to await orders last night."

"I called you back this morning. You brought the person, but the accounts are unclear, and you can't even name the person."

"As the head constable, you disobeyed orders in front of the yamen, used official duties for personal gain, and abused your position as a constable to collect miscellaneous fees for guarding the city gates. Which of these isn't evidence?"

"Or do you think I can only do anything to you when you present the bills to me?"

He Liu's face turned pale under the weight of those words.

Seeing that his words had been completely silenced, he could no longer suppress the anger in his heart.

He whirled around and yelled at the idle man with the short stick by the door, "Are you just going to stand there and watch?"

The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly became tense.

That idler with the short stick also makes a living by being arrogant and defiant.

On ordinary days, when conflicts arise at the county government office, the city gate sheds, or the West Market, it's these people who step forward to stand in the way.

Who knew that Pei Zhao had pinned him to the door today, and he was already simmering with anger. Now, He Liu yelled at him, and he couldn't save face anymore.

He gritted his teeth, gripped the short stick, and took a step forward.

"It's one thing for the county magistrate to inspect the accounts, but he can't treat local people like this!"

"Chief He has been running around for the county for years, enduring hardship even if he hasn't done anything meritorious. If you treat him like this the moment you take office, who will be willing to work hard for the government in the future?"

He said he would "work for the government," but his feet had already stepped onto the government's stone steps.