Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Wu Yan chimed in from the side, "Brother Sun is right. Since Sanlang has made up his mind, then we can rest assured. Come on, let's drink! This bowl is a toast to today's fists."

"Next time anyone from the prefectural government acts up, don't worry about whether they're acting as 'co-detainees' or not, we'll beat them up without hesitation! Since Magistrate Li won't hold us back, this Juancheng County is under our control!"

Zhang Sanlang picked up his bowl and clinked it against the two men's. The rims of the bowls struck together, making a crisp sound.

Xu Fang also picked up his own bowl, drank it in humility, and slowly finished it.

Xu Zheng listened for a long time, and when he saw Zhang Sanlang raise his bowl towards him, he quickly picked up the bowl and took a small sip.

Several people sat around under the eaves, and the sound of bowls and chopsticks clattering filled the air.

Sun Jizu suddenly put down his chopsticks. "Sanlang, you just said that Magistrate Li is on our side. But he's just an official from outlying areas, while we're locals. How much of a 'same side' can he really be? If something really happens, won't he turn his back on us?"

Wu Yan also put down his bowl: "Brother Sun is right to ask. There is a clear distinction between officials and clerks."

Seeing Sun Jizu glaring at him, he quickly smiled and tried to smooth things over, "Brother Sun, although you are an official, you are here on special permission granted by the government to serve in this area for a long time. You are different from a visiting official like Magistrate Li. You are a local strongman... uh..."

Zhang Sanlang looked down at the yellowish wine in the bowl, as if examining something that required careful consideration. "He won't turn his back on people. Because he can't afford to. He's new here and doesn't know anyone or anything about the people and affairs of the county government."

"Gu Yansheng served as the registrar for three years, handling practical affairs for those three years. Now he has been promoted to county magistrate, but he has remained in the same county. It can be said that Magistrate Li cannot do anything without his support."

"Brother Sun has archers under his command. I've seen them training in the same way the Imperial Guards have been lately. Although there are only about a hundred of them, they are enough to handle anything that happens in Juancheng."

"Not to mention He Lantou at the dock, I've now brought in 30% of his men. We also have a business relationship. As for the other two Lantou, they only take orders from Feng Jian and Yan Shizhong. I also have a good relationship with these two clerks."

"The three ringleaders have over a hundred men under their command. Now that I'm in charge of the household registration office, which clerk or servant in the county government dares to disobey me? Even if they don't care about me, Zhang Sanlang, they have to consider the finances!"

Zhang Sanlang glanced at Sun Jizu and said, "Brother Sun, without this kind of backing, would I dare to ask Brother Wu to tell you to beat up that guy surnamed Wu? Besides, I won't hide it from you, I also informed He Lantou and instructed the dock workers to give him another good beating."

"I didn't do this on a whim. That Wu fellow wouldn't make things difficult for me for no reason; he must have someone backing him. Most likely, he's from the prefectural government."

"In the end, I'm just a minor official in the county government. If they make things difficult for me with official business, I'll be exhausted from dealing with them. So I might as well chop off their hands and feet and force them to reveal their true colors in desperation."

"Only by thoroughly understanding your opponent can you have a chance to deal with them. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died, which would be a great injustice. If it's just a minor grudge, the other party might back down, and I'll have less to worry about in the future."

"If this person is connected to the Kong family or the Chen family, people I've completely offended, then we need to make plans as soon as possible. As for Magistrate Li, don't worry, he won't be our enemy."

"In my opinion, this man is neither greedy nor corrupt, and he doesn't cause trouble. If he manages the county government well, his performance evaluation will be good after three years, and he can be promoted. He is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), and the position of magistrate of Juancheng is just the starting point for him. He has no reason to fight with us."

Wu Yan nodded, picked up the bowl, and said, "I understand what you mean. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement..."

The next morning, Zhang Shouren was squatting in his shop, working on his abacus, when he suddenly heard the sound of gongs and drums at the alley entrance. Curious, he stuck his head out to see what was going on.

A group of people appeared around the street corner.

Leading the way was a thin man in a gray cloth uniform with long, thin face, two mustaches sticking up, and holding a roll of red silk in his hands.

Behind him followed four servants, two of whom carried a black plaque with gold lettering, while the other two played a gong and a drum, respectively. A dozen or so onlookers had already gathered on the street, craning their necks to get a better view.

comprehensive!

Seeing him made Zhang Shouren feel uncomfortable, and he couldn't help but frown.

However, what I feared most came to pass!

Zhou Quan stopped at the entrance of Zhang's shop.

He looked up at the lintel, then down at the rolled-up red silk in his hand. His two whiskers trembled slightly in the wind. He turned and waved to the servants carrying the plaque behind him: "We're here. This is it."

The servants placed the plaque at the shop entrance, and the gong-banging and drum-beating stopped.

Zhang Shouren stood up from behind the counter with a dark face, walked to the door, looked at the plaque, and then looked at Zhou Quan.

Zhou Quan chuckled, then bent down to untie the knot on the red silk. The rope loosened, and the red silk slid down, revealing gold characters on a black background.

When Zhang Shouren saw those three words, his eyes snapped open, and he stumbled backward, losing his balance while holding onto the counter.

The Jinshi degree!

Zhang Shouren opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but then felt his mind go blank.

His fingers, gripping the edge of the counter, tightened and loosened repeatedly, like trying to manipulate abacus beads but failing to produce any results.

Didn't Shiro just submit a reply?

How did he suddenly become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)?

He instinctively pinched his thigh hard.

pain!

But that plaque is still right in front of us!

The black background with gold lettering, the third character of "进士" (Jinshi, meaning "successful candidate in the imperial examination") is written with powerful strokes, and the morning light shining on the strokes is almost dazzling.

Zhou Quan looked up and saw that Zhang Shouren's eyes were wide open, bigger than a bull's eyes, and he was momentarily stunned.

After calming down, he looked down at the plaque and then at the door behind Zhang Shouren.

Zhou Quan's expression shifted from confusion to surprise, then from surprise to annoyance. He slapped his forehead, his voice high-pitched and shrill, loud enough for the surrounding onlookers to hear, "Oops! Wrong way!"

He put on a stern face, turned around, and patted the servant's arm. "Wrong, wrong, not this Zhang family. It's Kujing Lane, the Zhang family of Kujing Lane. This is the main street, you've carried the wrong person. Hurry up, hurry up!"

The two servants exchanged a glance, then bent down helplessly, while the one banging the gong and drum had already picked up his tools again.

However, Zhou Quan turned back, cupped his hands in a gesture of apology to Zhang Shouren, and said with just the right amount of regret, "Manager Zhang, I'm sorry! I got up too early today and I'm actually feeling a bit sleepy this morning."

"I almost fell asleep on the way here. The new servant didn't know the way and mistook your house for the Zhang family's house in Kujing Lane. This plaque is for Zhang Jinshi, it's not the same as your residence."

"Since we're here, let's share in the joy, Manager Zhang. This newly appointed scholar, Zhang, was originally the second son of your family. It's a pity that, like Zhang Qianxing, he's been severed from his family ties and is no longer related! I apologize for the intrusion!"

He spoke words of apology, but his voice was clear and distinct, each word flowing out as if coated with oil.

Some onlookers were already whispering among themselves, some recognized the words on the plaque and were talking in hushed tones to the people next to them, while others had already exclaimed in surprise.

"The second son of the Zhang family passed the imperial examination?!"

"So the other scholar who passed the imperial examination was Zhang Erlang! Good heavens!"

"..."

Zhang Shouren stood at the door, his face turning from black to red, then from red to white. He looked at Zhou Quan's smiling face, then at the plaque on the ground, his lips trembling incessantly, seemingly gradually becoming crooked.

Zhou Quan was satisfied with Zhang Shouren's reaction. He cupped his hands in greeting to him, then turned and waved to the four servants: "Let's go. Kujing Lane, don't go the wrong way again."

The two servants grinned and lifted the plaque, and the gong and drum sounds started again.

The sound of gongs and drums continued eastward along the main street, growing ever more distant.

Standing at the shop entrance, Zhang Shouren felt his head buzzing. "Bastard! You surnamed Zhou, you bastard! Zhang Sanlang, you bastard! Zhang Erlang, uh, my second brother..."