sovbooks Chapter 8 Rules of Officialdom
Chapter 8 Rules of Officialdom
"As expected, there are still things Cui Shi doesn't know." Li Chong's heart skipped a beat.
In the end, Cui Shi was just a servant. His former master's family, the in-laws of another "Li Chong," were not a prominent family, so it was impossible for them to be familiar with the court's regulations and systems.
Although Li Chong had inquired about every detail along the way, he knew in his heart that there would always be unexpected events.
And then, an unexpected event occurred.
I thought I only needed to bring the documents to Yanggu County to verify my identity, but who knew I had to report to the state government first?
Cui Shi didn't know, and Li Chong certainly couldn't possibly know either.
Fortunately, Li Chong had anticipated this. When Yang Chengde suddenly asked a question, he was unable to answer for a moment, but he did not reveal any flaws.
"Heh." Li Chong gave a wry smile, picked up the wine pot and filled the wine cup in front of him.
Then, he picked up the wine glass and held it up to his face with grief and indignation.
At the same time, Li Chong's mind was racing, trying to figure out how to explain this.
There was a lot to say, but only a dozen seconds had passed by the time Li Chong finished his drink, and Yang Chengde was still staring at him.
Finally, upon seeing his own clothes, Li Chong came up with an excuse.
"To be honest, Brother Yang, I came to Yanggu without any choice but to do so." Li Chong stood up and showed off his physique.
Li Chong shook his head: "To be honest, I'm not afraid you two will laugh at me, but having just escaped death, I'm truly still a bit frightened. Besides, Xucheng is still so far away, and all my money was stolen. As for the post stations along the way..."
Looking back at Cui Shi, Li Chong said, "As you both have seen, only this loyal servant survived from my group. The number is incorrect. What if the people at the post station don't recognize him? We can't very well beg our way to Xucheng, can we?"
"I have come here today for two reasons. First, I want to rest for a while and calm my mind. Second, I would like to ask you two to help me out so that I can meet Prefect Wang with some dignity. After all, he is my superior, and I cannot be impolite."
Yang Chengde nodded slowly. The reason... was quite valid.
Although it broke the rules of the imperial court, Li Chong did not say that he would take office now, so to be honest, it was not a big deal.
Most importantly, Yang Chengde now had a plausible reason that could be openly justified.
Whether Li Chong was an imposter or not was irrelevant to him, a mere clerk. The county magistrate was the clerk's superior, and it was not his place to verify the authenticity.
As for Yang Chengde, as long as Li Chong had such a reasonable excuse, verifying his identity would then be a matter for the prefectural government.
Even if Li Chong turns out to be a fake, he won't bear any responsibility.
While Yang Chengde was still weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Fu Shun had already spoken.
"Sigh, I say, he's just overthinking things." Fu Shun said casually to Li Chong, "Brother Hefu's escape from death is something to celebrate. As for the prefectural government's verification, we can deal with that later. It's not a big deal."
"As for what Brother Hefu asked for, it's nothing. The three of us will be working together for a long time, so what's a little money? Take it."
Upon hearing this, Yang Chengde also stood up with a smile, cupped his hands in apology, and said, "Brother Fu is absolutely right. Brother Hefu, please don't blame me for being overly concerned."
"Not at all, not at all. My arrival was sudden, so it's normal for you two to be cautious."
Li Chong, naturally, wouldn't lose face. He exchanged pleasantries with Yang Chengde for a while, and the three of them returned to their seats, toasting and drinking together.
During the conversation, Li Chong also learned about Yang Chengde and Fu Shun's backgrounds.
Yang Chengde also passed the provincial examination, but his results were slightly worse than Li Chong's, and he was only granted the title of Jinshi.
That's why he remained stuck in the position of registrar.
As for Fu Shun, he didn't even come from the imperial examination system; he rose through the ranks in the military.
Compared to his previous military post, this county lieutenant position was much lower in rank, and he had far fewer people under his command, but he still accepted it willingly.
After all, this is the Song Dynasty, where military officials are far more desirable than civil officials.
However, it was precisely because of his background that Fu Shun always consciously or unconsciously bowed his head in front of Yang Chengde.
Faced with Li Chong, a proper county magistrate, he naturally became even more eager to curry favor.
Having preliminarily ascertained the identities of the two men, Li Chong naturally didn't forget to inquire about the prefectural verification matter that Yang Chengde had mentioned earlier.
This is a matter of life and death.
As the wine flowed and the conversation warmed, Li Chong casually remarked, "Oh, by the way, I'm new here. I wonder what our Prefect Wang likes? I don't want to be impolite when we meet."
This is understandable; it's normal for a new official to find out their superior's preferences.
Over drinks and food, Yang and Fu chatted with Li Chong about the officialdom in Yunzhou.
Through these subtle hints and inquiries, Li Chong gradually figured out the rules for taking office in the Song Dynasty's officialdom.
A county magistrate cannot go directly to the county where he is to take office; he must first report to the prefecture-level city where he is to be appointed.
Upon arriving at the prefectural capital, one must present one's official documents to the prefect, vice-prefect, and other superiors, and then undergo an interview.
The governor will first verify the authenticity of the documents and the seals and signatures on them, and then conduct a brief inquiry into the official's previous experience.
As for the scope of the problem, there are many possibilities, and it all depends on the mood of the person involved.
After listening to what the two had to say, Li Chong's heart sank.
Why is there an interview? This is like the civil service exam. Aren't civil officials in the Northern Song Dynasty supposed to have a comfortable life? Why are there so many procedures?
Despite his emotions, Li Chong continued the banquet with Yang Chengde and Fu Shun until it grew dark.
"Brother Hefu, you have a huge capacity for alcohol!" Fu Shun laughed heartily, staggering as he spoke. "All my brothers can't match your drinking capacity. It's truly an eye-opener for me."
Li Chong helped him walk outside, saying, "That's all I'm good at. Let's have another match another day."
"Definitely! Definitely!" Fu Shun replied, still slightly drunk.
He was taken to the county government office, handed over to his servants, and then got into his carriage and left.
Outside the county government office, only Li Chong and Yang Chengde remained.
Yang Chengde appeared slightly tipsy, but his eyes remained clear.
"Brother Hefu," Yang Chengde bowed, "the procedures are not yet complete, so you cannot stay at the county office. I have already given orders to prepare accommodations, so please make do with this for the night."
Li Chong returned the greeting: "Brother Yang, you've gone to so much trouble."
After bidding farewell to Yang Chengde, they boarded the carriage he had arranged. Someone then escorted Li Chong and his companion to a residence that, while not particularly luxurious, possessed a certain elegance.
"My lord, we are just outside the courtyard. Please feel free to give us your orders."
Li Chong waved his hand: "Well, you can all go now. I need to say a few words to my page."
The servants who had been assigned the task took their leave.
As soon as they left, Cui Shi could no longer hold on; her legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.
He looked around, then dashed to Li Chong: "Brother Li, let's run while we can! Who knew a county magistrate would need the prefect's verification? If we get to Xucheng, we'll definitely be exposed. Let's escape for our lives!"