Aspirations

Chapter 76
Xia Xiang first issued a letter of appointment from the Ministry of Officials, and then went through the handover ceremony of official seals in the lobby, which means that Xia Xiang officially took office as the magistrate of Zhending County!

Xia Xiang officially took his first step in the officialdom.

"Does the county lord have any family members?" Xu Heguang turned around suspiciously and glanced at Man Tuo and Xiao Wu, who had been following Xia Xiang all the time. He felt that the two were like followers and family members, so he couldn't figure it out Situation, "If you have family members, you can go to the inner house to rest first."

"No, let's go to the second hall first." Xia Xiang led the way. When passing by the gate, he glanced at the gate houses on the left and right sides, and asked, "Where is the gate?"

"Hui Xianzun, the former sect followed Hao Zhixian to Baozhou." Ma Zhanguo didn't wait for Xu Heguang to reply, and said first, "Hao Zhixian went to Baozhou to serve as a zhizhou, and he brought two sects without bringing anyone else."

Xu Heguang's face was as calm as water, but he looked at Ma Zhanguo with complicated eyes, and snorted coldly in his heart, what a Ma Zhanguo, but he will turn the tide when the wind blows, and he wants to tell Xia County's respected disciples whether he can use his own people?Hmph, Xia Xianzun first entered the officialdom, how did he understand the importance of sects?Ma Zhanguo, I'm afraid your painstaking efforts will be in vain.

Before leaving Beijing, Xia Xiang really did not know the importance of sect.He was accompanied by Lian Ruohan along the way, and Lian Ruohan taught him many official ways. For example, in a county, the county magistrate and the county magistrate were both civil and military. It is possible to check and balance the magistrate and make the magistrate restrained, and the decree is difficult to implement.For another example, in addition to the county chief and the county lieutenant, special attention should be paid to the master book.

The master book is the same as the secretary, and they are both civil servants responsible for copywriting. The difference is that the master book is an official, usually from the eight ranks.The secretary is an official.There is a world of difference between officials and officials. It is more difficult to go from official to official than to climb to the sky.

Lian Ruohan also warned Xia Xiang that in a county, the county magistrate is the largest, followed by the county magistrate, the master book and the county lieutenant, the secretary and the head arrester. In addition, there is another role that must be placed in the most trusted person. Responsible, is the door.

Xia Xiang heard Ma Zhanguo's words clearly and thought clearly. He was reminding him that when he was appointed magistrate, he was promoted to magistrate, but he took two disciples with him. In the calmness, there was a slight expression of approval.

Ma Zhanguo keenly caught the recognition in Xia Xiang's eyes, and was immediately ecstatic.He was also worried that the new county magistrate was too young to understand what he meant. Now it seemed that he was over-worrying. Xia Xianzun was a smart person, so he knew everything.

Xia Xiang deliberately stopped in front of the concierge for a while, and said, "The concierge is so dilapidated, Xu Xiancheng needs to find someone to repair it."

When Lian Ruohan mentioned asking Xia Xiang to pay attention to the arrangement of the door, he only thought of the first, not the second. Now that he has seen the position of the doorman is so important, he understands why the door is so important!
The second hall and the main hall are separated by a courtyard gate, which is called "zhaimen".The door is on duty day and night, and idlers are not allowed to enter. It conveys news from the outside to the inside for the county magistrate, and protects the peace of the second hall and the inner house.

No matter who, if they want to see the magistrate, they must report it through the door.No matter it is a big or small matter, if it is blocked by the door and the magistrate sits in the second hall, blocking the door, it will truly become a deaf ear.If the door is controlled by others and obeys others, even though Xia Xiang is the respected person of the county, he will turn a deaf ear and turn a blind eye to the outside world, and only know part of what others let him know.

Just like the emperor, he listened to Hou Pingpan's one-sided words, thinking that the new law can benefit the common people all over the world, but he didn't know that the new law is becoming a precious sword for some local officials to search for the people's favor and anointment!

"Yes, Xia Xianzun." Xu Heguang took the order, but he didn't know whether Xia Xiang understood Ma Zhanguo's implication, so he asked tentatively, "The subordinates have selected two disciples for the county zun, and they can be in place at any time."

Xia Xiang responded lightly, as if he didn't care about the selection of the sectarian at all.Xu Heguang was secretly happy for a while, and Ma Zhanguo's eyes flashed with a deep disappointment.

Xia Xiang continued to move forward, passing through the gate of the house, there was a screen door consisting of four revolving doors.Like the Yimen, it is only opened during major celebrations, and it is usually used to block people's sight. The screen door was originally painted with the statues of Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong to protect the house from evil spirits.Through the screen door, there is the second hall.

There is also a pair of couplets hanging outside the second hall. The first couplet: I came here because of fate with the people, and the second couplet: Qi Cunxin is worthy of the people.Xia Xiang noticed a detail. The word "shame" in the second line is a little less and the word "min" is a little more. The implication is that it is the duty of an official to be less "shame" to the people.

Xia Xiang sat down on the main seat of the second hall, looking around with a look of smugness on his face.Xu Heguang sneered secretly, Yang Jiang also smiled smugly, Ma Zhanguo and Ding Ke glanced at each other, and they both thought to themselves, Xia Xianzun is young and full of book business, and he has the ambition to serve the country. To care for Limin, it is not only necessary to be full of passion and knowledge, but also to have a brilliant way of being an official.

Xia Xiang's eyes quickly swept away, and he had a panoramic view of the expressions of several people, but he just smiled calmly, and picked up the black ticket on the case.

The second hall is the daily office of the magistrate, and it is also the place where civil cases are heard. Because it is a civil case, there is only a black sign and no red sign for the death penalty.Civil cases are mostly caused by property and daily disputes. Magistrates and magistrates usually show the plaintiff and the defendant to understand them with reason and emotion, and teach both sides with the three principles and five principles and the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. Punishments are rarely used unless the parties are stubborn and stubborn. Punishment is used only when preaching alone cannot solve the problem.

On the screen in the middle, there is a picture of "Songhe Yannian", which is a bit more lifelike than the "Guangjin Chaoyang Picture" in the lobby.Above the screen hangs a plaque "Sibutang", which was originally called "Tuisitang", both of which mean retreating and making up for mistakes.Sitting in the hall, Xia Xiang looked up and saw the six characters "Heavenly Principles, National Laws, and Human Relations" hanging on the opposite screen door. He nodded secretly. Although the county magistrate is small, he is a local official. .

Xia Xiang sat for a while, then got up and walked towards the inner house.

Passing through an arch in the second hall is the place where he will live and live in the future - the inner house, also called the backyard.Not surprisingly, he will live here most of the time for the next three years.The plaque hanging in the inner house is "Qin Shen Tang", which means that the standard of being a good magistrate is diligence and prudence, but Xia Xiang thought to himself that in addition to diligence and prudence, a good official must be honest.

Because some confidential cases are also tried in the inner house, the inner house is also called "Three Halls" by the people.

There is also a pair of couplets in the inner house. The upper couplet: Governance and Fu are often used, do not give small kindness and forget the general.

The east and west wings of the inner house are guest rooms, which can be used as a place to stay when superiors or friends from the same department or the same department come to visit.

"Xianzun is tired of traveling all the way, you can rest for a while. After lunch, you can go to the ceremony." Xu Heguang has a preliminary understanding of Xia Xiang, and he is determined. Compared with Hao Haiji's old traitor, Xia Xiang is very slippery. Young and energetic, juvenile with ambition, and book business spirit, on the contrary, it is better to deal with.

In the Great Summer System, on the day a new county magistrate assumes office, he has to go through the promotion ceremony first, and only after seeing all the officials and the third class of yamen servants can he complete the formality.

Xia Xiang seemed to have no opinion at all, nodded and said yes: "Xu Xiancheng has thought carefully, and I am indeed a bit tired. Okay, at three quarters in the afternoon, I will be promoted."

Xu Heguang barely burst out laughing, three quarters in the afternoon is the time to cut him, how can he be promoted?He immediately smiled and said: "It's better to be later, why not set it in the future?"

"Okay, it's not time." Xia Xiang nodded before thinking about it, turned and entered the inner house, walked a few steps, then turned around to greet Xiao Wu and Mantuo, "Xiao Wu, Mantuo, you two. Live in the east and west rooms."

Then Xia Xiang strode toward his room, Xu Heguang and Ma Zhanguo watched Xia Xiang leave. Several people had different thoughts, some were happy and some were worried.

Seeing that Xia Xiang's background disappeared around the corner, several people breathed a sigh of relief. Meeting Xia Xianzun for the first time was a happy situation for everyone, and everyone's tense mood eased a little.After all, when a new official takes office, no one knows what kind of county official he will meet.If you encounter an overbearing and unreasonable boss, you will have to be under his oppression for three years. Thinking about it makes people feel desperate.

It's just that Xia Xiang's behavior is too ordinary, no, it should be said that he is too naive, like a country boy who has never seen the world, and suddenly achieves fame and success, he feels overwhelmed and overwhelmed.

Xu Heguang nodded slightly at Yang Jiang, the two whispered a few words, then turned and left.Ma Zhanguo and Ding Ke looked at the background of Xiao Wu and Mantuo, wanted to say something, opened their mouths, but finally did not speak.

"Everyone, stay here, there is something I have forgotten."

Xu Heguang just took a step forward. When he was about to discuss with Yang Jiang about the candidate for the sect, Xia Xiang suddenly left and returned. He took square steps and swayed his folding fan three times, proud and playful, and appeared in front of several people.

Xia Xiang had a spring smile on his face, with a hint of apology: "Just now, I suddenly remembered that I have already selected the candidate for the sect, so I won't bother Xu Xiancheng. Well, I'm fine, I'm going to take a rest."

After speaking, he turned around and walked away.

Xu Heguang was stunned, Yang Jiang was stunned!The two of them couldn't believe their eyes, how could the dignified county magistrate be so rebellious?On the other hand, Ma Zhanguo and Ding Ke were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other and smiled, and suddenly had a feeling of seeing the sun.

The new county venerable turned out to be a master of scheming, so skilled in playing hard to get!

"Did Xia Xianzun do it on purpose, or did he really forget it?" In the county magistrate, Xu Heguang sat at the top, and Yang Jiang sat at the bottom. Yang Jiang poured water for Xu Heguang respectfully, with a displeased expression on his face. solution and anxiety.

"It's hard to say." Xu Heguang's face was uncertain. He took a sip of tea slowly, and his eyes fell on the tea pot. The exquisite lacquer tea pot was extremely exquisite. He took the tea pot and aligned the tea cover and tea body, "Good scene The sign of Chang Zai appeared, his thoughtful eyes flashed, and he said, "Sometimes the actions of Xia Xianzun seem inexplicable, and sometimes they seem to be cunning and scheming, which makes people unable to figure it out... "

"What should I do next?" Yang Jiang unconsciously picked up the tea container that is always there, and turned it around a few times, and the words "Fortune is always there" were misplaced again, "Should we wait and see, or take the initiative? "

Xu Heguang snatched the teapot, aligned the lid, and then put it down again contentedly, saying, "As long as Xia Xianzun does not mess around, keep his own feet, don't overstep the thunder pond, and stay in Zhending for three years as a Taiping officer, then everything will be fine. If you have to meddle in things that shouldn't be interfered with, if you have to want any official voice, that's another matter."

"Yes, yes." Yang Jiang nodded again and again, reaching out his hand and wanting to touch Haojing Changzai's tea pot, but Xu Heguang blocked him, he chuckled, "Everything is up to the county magistrate's arrangement."

Xu Heguang picked up the tea canister, turned it around a few times, and smiled subtly: "The good scene Changzai didn't know where to invite an expert. After changing the tea canister, he became more popular. In the past, in Zhending, the tea leaves of Haojing Changzai couldn't be sold as regular tea." The tea from Yuan Chazhuang has a great momentum of surpassing now, and we have to find a way to suppress the momentum of good times."

"It's not just tea. Now the inns, teahouses, and grain farms in Haojingchang have all opened to Zhending. It's been more than half a year. Like bamboo shoots after a rain, it's strange that Haojingchang has more than a dozen businesses in Zhending. How can it be so powerful?" Yang Jiang frowned, and his eyes drifted out of the window, "The most disturbing thing is that Haojing Changzai is eating up the market of Guangjin Commercial Bank step by step. .”

Although Xu Heguang was worried about Xia Xiang's appointment, he did not put it at the top of his list. First, he felt that Xia Xiang was young and easy to deal with. Second, he had more important things to do, which was Guangjin Commercial Bank.

Guangjin Commercial Bank is his property, and Daxia expressly stipulates that officials are not allowed to do business. This is because Daxia's business is developed, and officials doing business will use their power to disrupt the market.However, there are regulations and methods. He hides behind the scenes, and his concubine's younger brother Bai Deshui shows up in the public eye, and is responsible for the management and handling of all matters.

Based in Zhending, Guangjin Commercial Bank has spent more than ten years of hard work and built a land in Zhending. Its business scope covers all aspects. It is the largest commercial firm in Zhending. Also set up a semicolon.Seeing a bright future, Xu Heguang was ambitious, and when he wanted to make further progress, he was unexpectedly outflanked by the good times. How could it not make him extremely angry?
What's more, on the surface, Bai Deshui is the owner of Lai Guangjin Commercial Firm, and he controls it behind the scenes. In fact, he is also the spokesperson, and there are other big shots behind him, so he is just a pawn of the big shot.If Guangjin Commercial Bank is managed properly, and after gaining a foothold in Zhending, he can also open up the situation in other places, and he can fly out of Zhending and go to other places to advance one step higher.

The reason why he has been serving as the county magistrate in Zhending but not the county magistrate is not because he doesn't want to, nor is it that he has insufficient qualifications and poor assessment. Let him leave Zhending.Therefore, the rise and fall of Guangjin Commercial Bank is closely related to his official fortune.Of course, the big man behind him has hands and eyes all over the sky, don't say it's for sure, the capital of Daxia, Sijing 22 Road and Twenty Houses, can go wherever he wants.It's just that for some reason, the big man insisted on staying in Zhending to manage Guangjin Commercial Firm, saying that after ten years of operation, he only waited for one day's success.He also warned Xu Heguang to wait patiently in Zhending, maybe one day something great happens, and Zhending will become the land of dragon prosperity again, and Xu Heguang has made great achievements in becoming a dragon, and he will not worry about his success.

Although what the big man said was a bit scary and far-fetched, but the big man had an extraordinary background, Xu Heguang believed half of it. Run Guangjin business houses and contacts for the big shots.

"Xu Xiancheng, do you want to move the He'anju Inn where the good times are always there, and try the depth of the good times?" Seeing that Xu Heguang was silent for a long time, Yang Jiang expressed his thoughts.

"It's feasible to make a move, but the timing is not right." Xu Heguang rubbed his forehead and smiled lightly, "Let's talk with Xia Xianzun first, at least we must find out Xia Xianzun's temper, know Xia Xianzun's temper. How can we be the magistrate in Zhending, so that we can do our work step by step, right or not?"

"Xu County Prime Minister is wise." Yang Jiang flattered without any trace, and then said, "Xia Xianxian wants to arrange the candidates for his disciples, this matter..."

"Let him go, dignified county lord, wouldn't it be too embarrassing not to be able to decide on a single candidate?" Xu Heguang chuckled, and said confidently, "Furthermore, the county lord Xia is really determined when he first came. Unfamiliar with each other, there are only two attendants, a man and a woman, from the appearance of the two, they must not be sects. Needless to say, Xia Xianzun will find someone from the county government or outside to be a sect If you are a local, sooner or later you will distinguish the importance of distance, and you will have a better future if you know who to listen to."

Yang Jiang smiled understandingly: "What Xu Xiancheng said is absolutely true."

Accompanied by Man Tuo and Xiao Wu, Xia Xiang finished touring the inner house and returned to his room. Just about to take a rest, a yamen servant came in to report that it was a letter from the capital.

Just arrived in the capital of Zhending, there was news?Xia Xiang took a look at the letter and saw that the elegant and flamboyant characters on the envelope were clearly written by Cao Shujun.

In just a few days, Cao Shujun sent a letter. Could something have happened?Xia Xiang opened the letter and read it, the first sentence made him laugh and cry: "Brother Xia, it's like three autumns since we don't see each other for a day, you and I have been separated for decades..."

At the beginning of the article, he didn't talk about the business, but he still joked leisurely. It can be seen that there should be nothing serious. Xia Xiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.Since leaving the capital, Lian Ruohan mentioned the theory of Zhending Longtan and Tiger's Den many times, discussed with him about the mass production of medicine beds and medicine chairs, and told him a lot of official anecdotes and details that should be paid attention to. When Lezhi was listed on the market, he encountered the murder case of Dong Xian. He didn't have a moment to rest. The physical fatigue was nothing, after all, he was young, but there were countless things crowded together in his mind, which gave him a big headache.

No headache is no good. True Ding seems to be calm, but in fact there are countless undercurrents.Just like the Hutuo River, there are many vortices hidden under the flat water surface that can suck people into it. If you are not careful, there may be no bones left.What's more, it was the intention of the third prince that he had come to really take office. The third prince would kindly give him an official hat that was safe and secure?
Obviously not.

Xia Xiang still doesn't know what kind of Longtan Tiger's Den is really, but when Shi Le encountered Dong Xian's murder case, he suddenly thought of a wonderful way. Set the situation.

But it should not be too obvious that he wanted to find out the truth of Dong Xian's murder case, and that's why he used retreat as a way to induce Fu Ke and others to take action against him, and bring Fu Ke to him on the grounds of murdering a court official. Back to true.Of course, it is reasonable to bring Dong Duan back along the way, and I believe no one will be too surprised.

(End of this chapter)