"Your humble servant Zhou Tai pays respect to Lord Zhu. A month ago, I was selected by the Ministry of Personnel Shu Quan to be the magistrate of Jingnan County. When I passed through Suzhou on my way to take office, Suzhou happened to be invaded by Japanese pirates, so I was delayed in the city for several days. I have just arrived today. I hope you will forgive me. This is my name letter for taking office, please review it, Lord Zhu."
Zhou Tai was led by Liu Dianli into the east hall of the county government office from the east steps. He bowed to Zhu Ping'an and respectfully placed the name card with his position and resume on the table in front of Zhu Ping'an with both hands. Then he took three steps back and bowed to Zhu Ping'an three times.
Zhou Tai bowed very politely to Zhu Ping'an, and was a little reserved, with the typical feeling of a subordinate paying homage to his leader.
"Master Zhou, you have worked hard on the journey. There is no need to be so polite. Please take a seat."
Zhu Ping'an glanced at Zhou Tai's name card and confirmed that it was consistent with the notification document issued by the Ministry of Personnel a few days ago. He then stood up enthusiastically, bowed in return, and gave Zhou Tai a virtual hand, inviting him to sit down.
"Thank you, sir." Zhou Tai was a little confused by Zhu Ping'an's enthusiasm. It seemed that the sir was too enthusiastic...
How could Zhu Ping'an not be enthusiastic? He had been looking forward to this day for how many days, and finally, Zhou Tai, the new magistrate of Jingnan who would succeed him, arrived.
With the arrival of the new Jingnan County Magistrate Zhou Tai, he will be able to take up the post of Assistant Director of the Zhejiang Judicial and Supervisory Commissioners' Office.
Of course, Zhu Ping'an was not eager to be promoted, but was eager to stay in office and make policies. The great Japanese invasion of Jingnan had already begun, and only if he held a higher position and had more power, could he play a greater role.
After a few brief greetings, Zhu Ping'an and Zhou Tai handed over confidential items such as the Jingnan County seal, account books, and fish scale atlas, explained the official business of the county government, and introduced Liu Dianli and other county clerks to Zhou Tai one by one... ... In this way, the new and old Jingnan County Magistrates completed the handover.
Next, Zhou Tai’s ceremony of receiving the seal and arranging the office will be held the next morning.
Zhu Ping'an will not participate in these.
After a brief contact, Zhu Pingan had a good impression of Zhou Tai. Zhou Tai was a calm person who followed the rules and regulations. He was not a frivolous person and seemed to be a practical person. Zhu Pingan was more relieved to hand Jingnan over to Zhou Tai.
After the handover, Zhu Ping'an bid farewell to Zhou Tai, Liu Dianli and others, and prepared to set off immediately to take up the post of Assistant Director of the Zhejiang Judicial and Surveillance Commissioner's Office.
Hua'er in the backyard had packed up her things long ago, and as soon as Zhu Ping'an came back, she set off. Of course, Liu Mu, Liu Dadao and others, as well as the demon girl Ruonan, also went with them.
Zhu Pingan declined and stopped Zhou Tai, Liu Dianli and others' request to see him off. He did not want to mobilize a large army, which would waste people's money and time. Of course, he did not want to alarm the people of Jingnan. I leave quietly, just as I came quietly, waving my sleeves without taking away a cloud... ...
However, Zhu Ping'an was still a little too wishful.
Zhu Ping'an stopped Zhou Tai, Liu Dianli and others from seeing them off, but he could not stop the people of Jingnan.
When Zhou Tai came to take up the post of magistrate of Jingnan just now, according to the rules, Liu Dianli and other clerks in the county office, as well as the gentry, elders, and wealthy merchants of Jingnan went out of the city to greet him, and the common people all knew about it.
The new county magistrate has taken office, doesn't that mean our county magistrate is leaving office soon? !
The common people are not stupid, they will know it once they think about it.
Therefore, the common people waited early near the county government office. There were people at the front door and the back door, waiting to see Zhu Ping'an off.
"The County Master, the County Master has come out..."
In order not to alarm people, Zhu Ping'an deliberately went out through the back door, but as soon as he went out, he heard a shout.
After this shout, more and more voices of "The county magistrate is coming out" were heard, as if to attract friends. After these shouts, footsteps came from all directions.
Looking at the group of people outside the door and the increasing number of people rushing in, Zhu Ping'an was stunned.
"County Master, are you leaving?"
"County Master, please don't leave, okay?! Just stay here and be our parent official, we beg you..."
"County Lord, please don't leave... What will we do if you leave? We will never meet a good official like you again."
The common people outside the door spoke emotionally, and even some elderly men knelt down.
"Uncle, aunt, all the elders please get up quickly... I'm leaving, and Jingnan still has the trusted magistrate Zhou, who will take good care of everyone." Zhu Ping'an hurriedly stepped forward and helped up the nearest white-haired uncle and an equally white-haired old lady, and said to everyone.
"Your Excellency, we don't recognize anyone but you. Only you, the County Magistrate, take us to heart, treat us well, help us reduce taxes, redress our grievances, and save us from floods and Japanese pirates... ... Only then can we live a good life. After so many years and so many magistrates, we have finally met a good magistrate like you, a parent official who truly makes decisions and pleads for the people."
"Please, County Master, please don't leave. Stay and continue to be our county magistrate."
The eyes of all the people were moist.
"What are you all doing? Are you going to repay kindness with enmity?! The reason why we can stand here alive and well, the reason why our lives are getting better day by day, are all thanks to the County Monarch. The County Monarch has been promoted, and you don't let him go. Are you going to ruin his future?! Besides, can the County Monarch stay if you ask him to? Are you treating national affairs as a joke?! The County Monarch's promotion is the emperor's order! Disobeying the emperor's order is a matter of life and death! You are all too selfish!"
An old man with a cane squeezed to the front of the crowd, waving it and shouting angrily at everyone.
"Yes, the county lord has been promoted, and we can't hinder his future."
"The county magistrate has been good to us, we can't repay kindness with hatred."
"The county lord has been promoted. We should be happy for him and see him off."
"Old woman, go and get the chickens we raise to send the county lord off."
"We will prepare a ceremony for the county lord..."
After the old man finished teaching Zhu Pingan a lesson, all the common people understood what was going on and expressed their wishes to see him off.
Some of the common people caught chickens, some led sheep, and some took fruits and agricultural and sideline products. Of course, the indispensable thing was the gift of silver. The common people spontaneously paid out of their own pockets, with the least being a hundred coins and the most being more than ten taels of silver. Before long, they had collected a large basket of copper coins and small change.
"I am deeply grateful to all the elders and relatives, especially the uncles and aunts, who are so old, for coming from afar to see me off. I am also worried. I appreciate the kindness of all the elders and villagers, and I will not use the money and other things."
Zhu Ping'an was very touched, but of course he firmly rejected everyone's kindness and did not want a grain of rice or a penny.
"Your Excellency, we are country folk. We have never seen the world and have no culture. But we know everything in our hearts. The previous county magistrates only knew how to levy corvée and collect taxes. They never did anything for us ordinary people, but instead angered heaven and people. Since your Excellency came, we know what it means to be a parent official. Your Excellency adjudicates cases impartially and redresses our grievances. Your Excellency releases prisoners who have not paid taxes to go home for the autumn harvest. Your Excellency reduces taxes for us. Your Excellency spared us from floods and Japanese pirates... ... All these, one by one, are your Excellency's favors to us. Thanks to your Excellency, we have survived, lived well, and lived with dignity... ... Now that your Excellency is going to be promoted, we have come to see you off. These are our insignificant gifts. Please do not refuse them. You must accept them, otherwise we will be uneasy."
Several old men stepped forward and said excitedly that Zhu Ping'an must accept the gift money they had collected.
"Thank you for your praise, I have only done my duty, which is far from what you said. I appreciate the kindness of you and your fellow villagers, but I will never accept money or anything else."
Zhu Ping'an refused firmly.
The common people refused to give in and insisted that Zhu Ping'an accept it. The stalemate lasted for a long time.
"This is the hard-earned money of our fellow villagers. Please accept it as a souvenir. Carry it with you and never forget it." Seeing this, Zhu Ping'an had no choice but to take out a copper coin from the money basket to represent the acceptance.
The common people admired Zhu Ping'an even more.
Suddenly, Zhu Ping'an's reputation as "the one-cent county lord" and "the one-cent lord" spread like wildfire.