At the reception pavilion, when the dusty young magistrate lifted the curtain of his carriage and appeared in front of the officials and gentry of Jingnan County who came to greet him with a simple smile, the local bosses and local tyrants of Jingnan County all looked down on him:
This county magistrate is not very old, probably his hair hasn't even grown out yet, he is not tall, and looks silly, especially when he smiles, he looks even more silly, as if he has read too much and is stupid, it's easy to fool and tamper with. If he is sensible and obedient, it's fine, but if he is not, then we will join forces to get him out! If he doesn't get out, we will send him to meet his predecessors! Anyway, there are more than one or two people who have been sent out together.
They are all native Jingnan people, with complicated relationships and mutual protection and favoritism, and have long been entangled into a community of interests. To them, they are family members and the new magistrate is an outsider. It is normal for family members to join forces to deal with outsiders. They are well aware of the quarrels between brothers and the external insults.
"Haha, County Master Zhu, we have been looking forward to your coming. As soon as we received the official document from the capital, we knew that the County Master would take office today. The gentry and students of Jingnan all volunteered to come and welcome the County Master."
As soon as the young magistrate stepped off the carriage, Zhang Changru, the county magistrate of Jingnan County, was the first to greet him with a smile and a bow, his face full of enthusiasm, which was hotter than the scorching sun in the sky.
"Meet the County Master."
The other officials, students, wealthy merchants, and local gentry present followed Zhang Xiancheng and greeted the new magistrate. They stood in a fan shape behind Zhang Xiancheng, like stars surrounding the moon, with Zhang Xiancheng faintly at the head.
"I'm sorry to bother you all. This is so bad. The weather is so hot and I'm ashamed to have kept you waiting for so long."
The young magistrate took everyone's performance into consideration and knew what was going on. He smiled naively and bowed to County Magistrate Zhang and other officials and gentry present.
The dusty young magistrate was Zhu Ping'an. He had just reported to the Taizhou government office yesterday and rushed to Jingnan County to take up his post today.
To be honest, Zhu Ping'an didn't like taking over such a cumbersome position. He would rather visit the villages below to understand the local customs and folkways before going to the county government in plain clothes. However, there was no other way. In the feudal era, the most important thing was to pay attention to national laws and etiquette. The etiquette and titles in officialdom were extremely particular. If you were not careful, you would "lose etiquette". The lighter the offense, the more serious the offense, the more likely you would be demoted and lose your job.
There are established procedures and ceremonies for the new county magistrate to take office, go to the yamen, and receive the seal. When I took office as the magistrate of Jingnan County, I had to report to the Taizhou government office to which Jingnan County belongs. After I reported, the Taizhou government office sent a red notice to the Jingnan County government office to notify me of my arrival, and I didn't have time to go deep into the villages. After receiving the notice, the Jingnan County government office prepared various rituals for visiting and worshipping. On the day of his arrival, the officials of the county government office, together with local wealthy merchants, gentry and elders, went out of the city in advance to the reception pavilion to welcome the new county magistrate into the city, and then went to the yamen, received the seal and other processes, which are all established etiquette procedures.
I have just arrived and I am a criminal. I have to be careful and follow the rules when I am not yet firmly established. If someone reports me as having behaved inappropriately when I took office to the Taizhou government office because of a trivial matter of etiquette, it will definitely cause an inexplicable storm.
Bright and dark, near and far, I don’t know how many pairs of eyes are staring at me now, waiting for me to make a mistake.
So it is better to follow the established procedures and take up the post.
"Your Excellency, you are too kind. Haha, it is true that everyone looks forward to your arrival as if it were their parents. When they heard that you were coming today, everyone was very enthusiastic and I, your humble servant, could not stop them." County Magistrate Zhang Changru smiled and shook his head.
"Yes, we have all been looking forward to the arrival of the county lord." Others also echoed and were equally enthusiastic.
"Haha, I haven't introduced myself to the county magistrate yet. I'm Zhang Changru, the humble official who serves as the magistrate of this county." County magistrate Zhang Changru introduced himself to Zhu Ping'an.
The county magistrate is equivalent to the deputy county chief. He is the assistant of the county magistrate and the veritable second-in-command. He is an eighth-rank official appointed by the imperial court. His main responsibility is to be in charge of the county's documents and archives, warehouses, grain and horses, and taxation under the leadership of the county magistrate.
"Your Excellency, this is the chief clerk of this county. His surname is Yao and his given name is Wenyuan." After introducing himself, the county magistrate Zhang Changru pointed to a well-mannered middle-aged official next to him and introduced him to Zhu Ping'an.
The rank of the chief clerk was the ninth grade, and he was an assistant to the county magistrate, roughly equivalent to the modern county chief's secretary. He was the third in command of the county, and his main responsibilities were to manage the household registration, document processing and other matters of the entire county.
"Your humble servant Yao Wenyuan greets the county magistrate. Now that the county magistrate has arrived, Wenyuan feels reassured." After the county magistrate Zhang Changru introduced him, the chief clerk Yao Wenyuan stepped forward to Zhu Ping'an and bowed to greet him.
"Master Yao, you are too polite. I am ashamed. I am new here and lack experience. I will have to rely on you in the future." Zhu Ping'an smiled and said politely.
"Your Excellency, this is the county's Dianshi, his surname is Li and his name is Da." After introducing the chief clerk, the county magistrate Zhang Changru pointed to a middle-aged official with a beard and strong shoulders and introduced him to Zhu Ping'an.
The Dianshi was a miscellaneous official who assisted the county magistrate and was not a member of the official ranks. He was mainly responsible for arresting, inspecting prisoners, and maintaining public order, which was equivalent to the current director of the county public security bureau. Although the Dianshi was not a member of the official ranks, he was also an official appointed by the imperial court after being selected by the Ministry of Personnel.
"I, Li Da, am here to greet the county magistrate." The registrar Li Da stepped forward and greeted Zhu Ping'an in a muffled voice. He stood in front of Zhu Ping'an, half a head taller than Zhu Ping'an, but he did not bow. He just lowered his head and glanced at Zhu Ping'an.
Liu Dadao and others were immediately displeased when they saw that he was rude to Zhu Ping'an. Liu Mu reached out and tugged at Liu Dadao's sleeve in time, signaling with his eyes that they should not act rashly so as not to cause trouble for Zhu Ping'an.
"Li Dianshi is truly mighty and majestic." Zhu Ping'an squinted his eyes and glanced at Li Da, still smiling.
"Haha, the county magistrate really flatters him. He is just a rough man."
County Magistrate Zhang Changru smiled and shook his head, then introduced the others behind him to Zhu Ping'an, first introducing the six departments of the county government (officials, households, rituals, military, criminal justice, and engineering), all of whom were also considered members of the county government team. Then he introduced the students, wealthy merchants, and gentry elders present one by one.
Everyone came forward one by one with enthusiasm to greet Zhu Ping'an, who smiled and responded, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
In the distance, the common people who were watching the excitement at the foot of the city wall looked on from afar, their eyes becoming increasingly dim, and they shook their heads and sighed.
This county magistrate is too young, inexperienced, and incompetent. He looks foolish and slow-witted. It's obvious that he is not smart or capable. How can he be in charge of the complicated Jingnan? He must be the foolish son of a high-ranking official who came here to gild his reputation.
Also, look at him, chatting and laughing with those county officials and gentry who usually act high and mighty and bully the common people. It's obvious at first glance that they are birds of a feather, in cahoots with each other, and have the same bad smell... Hey, here comes another dog official!
Why!
We, the people of Jingnan, have a really hard life.
I really envy the people of Chun'an County. Look at the County Magistrate Hai Rui, he is like Justice Bao in the world. And then look at our new County Magistrate...