Zhu Ping'an hurried out to greet Zhang Tongsheng and others. When he saw Zhang Tongsheng, Wang Xiucai and others from afar, he bowed and walked forward to greet them with a smile on his face. His enthusiasm seemed to melt the ice and snow.
The ancient custom of welcoming someone with one's shoes turned upside down is probably no more than this.
Seeing that the county magistrate attached so much importance to them, Zhang Tongsheng and others were extremely moved and felt that their decision to serve in the county government was extremely correct.
Zhu Ping'an warmly welcomed Zhang Tongsheng, Wang Xiucai and others into the county government office. He summoned all the yamen runners including Liu Dadao and Liu Mu, and introduced them to each other. In the future, everyone would be colleagues.
In the morning, he mainly led Zhang Tongsheng and others to familiarize themselves with the county government office. At noon, Zhu Ping'an asked the kitchen of the county government office to prepare a few more dishes and invited all the people in the government office to set up tables and chairs for a dinner in the courtyard of the county government office. He also took the opportunity to welcome Zhang Tongsheng, Wang Xiucai and others, and they increased their understanding of each other at the banquet.
"We have official business in the afternoon, so we won't drink. I will offer you a glass of tea instead of wine. Welcome everyone. You all come from this hometown and are more familiar with the customs and people of Jingnan than I am. I hope you will help me in governing Jingnan in the future." At the banquet, Zhu Ping'an raised his teacup and toasted to Zhang Tongsheng and others.
"Thank you, Your Excellency. Your words are too polite. We will do our best." Zhang Tongsheng and others stood up with their teacups.
"The old concept is not friendly to clerks, who are considered to be of low rank and cannot pass the imperial examination. In my opinion, this idea is a big mistake. Clerks are of low rank but speak highly of others, with low salaries but big ambitions. Clerks are an indispensable part of our Ming Dynasty and the most basic cornerstone of our Ming Dynasty administration. Clerks serve as the link between state officials and county magistrates and local gentry and the common people. Without clerks, how can government orders reach the people? Without clerks, how can people's livelihood reach the ears of the emperor? Clerks play an indispensable role in consolidating the country and maintaining peace. In addition, clerks are not prohibited from taking the imperial examination. In the past dynasties of our Ming Dynasty, there were special cases that allowed them to participate in the provincial and metropolitan examinations, and even won the top prize. For example, in the eighth year of Xuande, Cao Nai, the prefect of Taihe County, Jiangxi Province, took the imperial examination as the prefect of Jiangxi Province, and won the first place in the palace examination. His Majesty Xuanzong personally selected him as the top prize and gave him a banquet at the Ministry of Rites. I also ask you to abandon old acquaintances, work hard, and make achievements."
Zhu Ping'an held the teacup and continued to speak to Zhang Tongsheng and others.
"Thank you for your encouragement." Zhang Tongsheng and the others were very excited when they heard this. The county magistrate attached so much importance to the clerks that they could not help but feel once again that their decision to serve in the county government was extremely correct.
"There were clerks in Jingnan, and I dismissed them all. I have already told you the reasons before, so I will not go into details here. I trust your character, knowledge, and ability, otherwise I would not ask you to help me govern Jingnan. However, as the saying goes, it takes three years to learn good things and three days to learn bad things. As clerks, you are in direct contact with and govern the people. In the eyes of the people, you are the county government, and your words and deeds are directly related to the well-being of the people in Jingnan. 'At dusk, I went to Shihao Village, and an official arrested someone at night. The old man climbed over the wall and the old woman went out to see. The official shouted angrily! The woman cried bitterly... ', I believe that no Jingnan citizen would want to experience such a scene. I also ask you to keep your original intentions and act impartially. If there are people who behave improperly and harm the people, I will not show mercy."
After Zhu Ping'an encouraged everyone, he also warned them in advance and made the ugly points clear in advance.
"Don't worry, Your Excellency. We will live up to your trust and the people of Jingnan." Zhang Tongsheng and others said in unison.
"Okay, please come in." Zhu Ping'an raised his teacup and toasted to everyone again.
"Please come in, County Lord."
Everyone responded by drinking it all together.
After lunch, while all the staff of the county government were present, Zhu Ping'an arranged all the appointments.
The original system of the county government was six offices, imitating the six ministries of the central court. The county government of the Ming Dynasty was of this system. However, Zhu Ping'an came from the modern era and knew that this system could be improved.
Therefore, taking advantage of this opportunity to dismiss all the clerks, the county government system was also improved.
Of course, Zhu Ping'an did not change the feudal bureaucratic form, but rather carried out reforms and improvements within the framework of the feudal bureaucratic form.
If we talk about the peak of the feudal bureaucratic system, it must be the Qing Dynasty.
In modern times, a friend from Neixiang, Henan, got married, and Zhu Pingan went to attend the wedding. After the wedding, the friend took Zhu Pingan and other guests to visit the AAAA-level scenic spot - Neixiang County Yamen. Zhu Pingan was more interested in history and watched it carefully, and he still remembers it vividly.
Neixiang County Government Office was first built in the Yuan Dynasty. After renovations during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, it formed a large and magnificent official building complex, which has been well preserved to this day. It is known as "There is the Forbidden City in the north, the County Government Office in the south", and "The dragon head is in Beijing and the dragon tail is in Neixiang".
In Zhu Ping'an's opinion, the beauty of the internal system of Neixiang County Yamen is in no way inferior to the beauty of its external architecture.
Therefore, Zhu Ping'an reformed the Jingnan County Yamen system based on the Neixiang County Yamen system.
"Everyone, I have decided to set up four more rooms, including the shop manager's room, the contracting room, the warehouse, and the storehouse, on the basis of the six rooms of the county office, namely the civil service, household, ritual, military, criminal justice, and engineering rooms." Zhu Ping'an said to Zhang Tongsheng and others.
"Add four more rooms to the six rooms?"
"I know the responsibilities of the six rooms, but what are the responsibilities of the shop manager's room, the contracting room, the warehouse, and the storeroom?"
"Could it be that the county magistrate specially set up this office to accommodate us?! The county magistrate does not need to do this. We have already felt the importance the county magistrate attaches to us. The county magistrate must not affect the operation of the county office for our sake."
"Your Excellency, since ancient times, the county office has had six rooms. This four-room office, namely the store manager's room, the receiving and issuing room, the warehouse, and the storehouse, is unheard of. I have never seen such a setting in any prefecture or county. Please think twice."
Zhang Tongsheng and others were puzzled when they heard that Zhu Ping'an wanted to add four rooms. They were worried that Zhu Ping'an had specially added four rooms, namely the shop manager's room, the delivery room, the warehouse, and the storeroom, in order to accommodate them. Since ancient times, the county office had six rooms. If he added four rooms arbitrarily to accommodate them, wouldn't it be a loss of the greater for the less
"No." Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but shook his head and laughed when he heard that. "There are eleven of you. If I want to accommodate you, shouldn't I add five more rooms? Why would I add four more rooms? You are worrying too much. I am not a person who would sacrifice public interests for personal gain. The reason why I added four more rooms, namely the shop manager's room, the delivery room, the warehouse, and the storehouse, is the result of careful research and deep consideration since I took office. It is not a rash move."
That’s right.
If it is to accommodate us, five more rooms should be added.
Zhang Tongsheng and others nodded when they heard this, but they were still puzzled about Zhu Ping'an's move to add a fourth room.