My book friend Long Aotian

Chapter 123 Fat head and big ears

June st.

This morning, the governor of the Tongwen Bureau, Mr. Xu Bingyi, summoned all his officials and said that he had an important announcement.

There were only a few officials gathered in the hall, all with their arms folded, watching the fun. The sounds of teasing and chatting could still be heard from the rooms outside the hall.

The director of the Tongwen Bureau is a fourth-rank official. In terms of rank, he is second only to the prefect in Huazhou City, but rank has nothing to do with power, just as the Education Department is the main government of the Imperial Academy, but now anyone in the court can look down on and bully it, and now among the subordinate officials in the bureau, almost no one respects the incompetent, powerless and influential Tongwen Director Xu.

Seeing that the officials were still slow to come, Lord Xu sent another messenger to invite them.

Unexpectedly, even the officers did not listen to him and just said, "Master, the officers of each squad have long disregarded you. Even if you come, you will not obey. If you have anything to do, go to each squad and give them instructions in person."

Even a clay figure can have some temper, let alone today is the time for me to step down!

All the humiliating situations he had experienced before came to his mind. Xu Bingyi could no longer bear it and roared, "Come to the court and give an answer! If you don't come, I will punish you severely and break your legs!"

In any case, the fourth rank officials were all high-ranking officials, and their monthly military allowances were very high. Even if they were ordinary mediocre people with ordinary martial arts, they could still be full of energy. Lord Xu had a lot of wealth, and the Tongwen Bureau also had some income, so he didn't have to exchange the military allowances and grain vouchers for money, and he ate all the monthly salary.

So when he shouted loudly, the sound really shook the whole hall, and the lingering sound was like a buzzing sound.

In an instant, the laughter and chattering in each class fell silent.

Then, heads popped out of the door one after another, looking curiously towards the main hall. There were officials without hats, as well as actors, businessmen and other common people.

Everyone's face showed the same expression.

——The governor took the wrong medicine today? Who gave him the courage?

Xu Bingyi looked grim and said sternly, "Today I am leaving office and a new governor is about to take office. You filthy men and women, why don't you come and greet the new official?"

Everyone was shocked at first, then they realized what was going on.

Those officials who were idling in various classes came out one after another and gathered in front of the hall, no longer neglecting each other.

It’s not about leaving a good impression on the new leader.

The main thing is that the old leader is about to leave, so I still have to pretend at this time.

After all, he has bullied others badly in the past two years. It was okay before, but now this guy has suddenly resigned and there is no imperial envoy coming to ask for compensation. I guess he has been paid and transferred to another place.

In this case, you'd better part ways amicably and pretend to do something, but don't run into trouble. After all, if the official who is about to be transferred remembers the old grudge and beats you up, your superior will be too lazy to stand up for you.

Everyone was nervous, and some troublemakers who usually didn't respect Lord Xu came to protect everyone in front of them.

Xu Bingyi was an honest man, and had not thought of this yet. Seeing everyone gathering together, he snorted coldly, turned around and said, "Master Li, all the colleagues from the Tongwen Bureau are here now."

Everyone glanced over and saw a gentleman in official robes and a crown on his head coming out from the back hall. He strode in with a high-spirited demeanor and high spirits, revealing a kind of pure stupidity that had not yet been beaten up by the officialdom.

Who is this? Why is he so young?

The scarlet robe of the fourth-rank Tongwen governor was not in line with the young face of this person. Everyone was in a trance for a moment, and then they saw this person coming to the front of the hall and shouting, "Children, why don't you come and pay homage to me!"

The former Lord Xu was right beside them, so they didn't have the guts to forge official credentials. The officials in the hall bowed and said in unison, "We greet the Lord Governor!"

"Get up!"

The new governor raised his hand and paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back under the gaze of the officials. After a while, he uttered a sound from his dantian and exhaled, making the windows and doors buzz.

"My dear colleagues! I am the governor of Tongwen, Li Bailong! I am here to manage you! As your superior! I am your best! Big brother! If there is anything you don't understand! I will ask you kindly!"

This strange opening statement left everyone stunned, but their attention was drawn elsewhere.

Li Bailong!
This name was already well-known in Jiangbei Road last year. After all, he was the top martial arts champion, and the top martial arts champion among the three lists. People in the streets were talking about him a lot. He must be the favorite to be on the list of successful candidates next year.

Recently, this name has become popular again in Huazhou.

According to legend, he was the author of "Langhuan Zhuan" and was also attached to the courtesan Xiao Nanyan. He was very lucky. This kind of romantic news has been discussed in the Tongwen Bureau in recent days. It is also said that he had a conflict with the editor of "Yunjiang Xiaoji". Afterwards, the newspaper manager came to ask for an explanation, but he was not in a good mood and the two sides parted unhappily.

Thinking further, Huazhou is close to Lin County. The aftermath of the national war a few days ago was transmitted here, and rumors were rampant, saying that Baihua Valley was involved in the dispute between Fenglin Lingyu, and Li Bailong was in the eye of the storm...

Now, the scholar who was at the center of controversy actually came to the Tongwen Bureau to serve as its chief officer.

No one knows better than the officials in the hall what a cesspool the Tongwen Bureau is. Over the years, all the chief officials have been unable to escape the fate of "taking office with sadness - being criticized - making a fuss and making a fortune - being dismissed and convicted". The officials transferred here can basically be regarded as losers and victims of the political struggle, without exception.

Jie Yuanlang was involved in a dispute among major factions and eventually took office as the Director of the Tongwen Bureau, which inevitably involved court struggles and was tantamount to exile. From the simple understanding of the officials of this bureau, he was basically a dead man in futures.

They exchanged joking glances with each other and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then the newly appointed Governor Li shouted, "Now, everyone, please introduce yourselves. Each of you should introduce your name, position and responsibilities. Let's start with you!"

The official who was named thought for a moment, stepped out of the crowd, and answered respectfully, "I am Zhang Wenjiang, the Chief of the Ministry of Literature and Discipline, and I am also the censor of the Tongwen Bureau of the Ministry of Public Administration, in charge of the censorship of operas and dramas involving criminal law."

Li Bailong narrowed his eyes and said, "Can you translate for me what is meant by 'the small flag of the Tuiguan Hall stationed in the Tongwen Bureau for review'?"

In his mind, Long Aotian said in astonishment: "Why don't you play by the rules? Now you should say you can't hear clearly!"

——I won’t! Go and feel bad!

Hearing this question, the officials in the hall said in unison in their hearts - Here it comes!
The power of the Tongwen Bureau had been almost completely divided up by the Huazhou government. Various government offices openly sent "inspection flag officers" to the Tongwen Bureau to sideline the governor. The protection fees paid by various theaters, brothels, opera houses and other entertainment enterprises naturally flowed into the hands of various government offices through the various "dispatched flag officers". This was the loss of power.

When it comes to money and power, a new official will never sit idly by.

But since it involves money and power, the governments in Huazhou will never give in.

I'm afraid the fight will start from today.

The officials' eyes all turned to Zhang Wenjiang, their eager looks showing their intention to add fuel to the fire: "Wenjiang, we all came from those pimps and actors, so don't lose face."

Zhang Wenjiang calmed himself down, clasped his hands and said calmly, "In reply to the governor, the court held a public meeting several years ago and concluded that the Ministry of Education was overstaffed and unable to perform its duties. The power to supervise the repertoire and drama related to criminal law has been returned to the Ministry of Justice."

"In all political affairs, the upper level should be followed by the lower level. The establishment of a small flag by the Procuratorate to assist and guide the Tongwen Bureau to supervise the review of criminal dramas is in response to the call of the Ministry of Justice. It is already a precedent in the officialdom. If the governor feels that it is inappropriate, please consult with the Procurator. I am just a small official, and I only follow orders and do my job."

Li Bailong was not angry at this soft rejection, and said calmly: "Well said, I have one thing I don't understand. According to the rules of the officialdom, officials have subordinates, and it is unreasonable for an official to be in two offices. Otherwise, it will cause problems with the attribution of responsibilities. I would like to ask Zhang Duji, are you an official of the Tongwen Bureau or the Tuiguan Office?"

Zhang Wenjiang thought for a moment.

He was a nail driven in by the Magistrate, and he had to contribute a large sum of income to the Magistrate's Office every month. This was the basis of his livelihood and the foundation for his future prosperity. In essence, he was of course a member of the Magistrate's Office.

But he couldn't answer like that, otherwise the new governor would say, "You are just a small official in the seventh rank government office, a dog-like person, why are you showing off here?"

The only solution for now is to hold on.

He said proudly: "My documents are all from the Tongwen Bureau, so I am naturally from the Tongwen Bureau."

"Okay." Li Bailong stretched out his hand and said, "Since you are an official of the Tongwen Bureau, you are under my jurisdiction and under my control. Hand over the account book and I will check it."

really.

Zhang Wenjiang sneered in his heart. He had already guessed Li Bailong's routine, so he bowed and said, "Sir, please allow me to report that Sir Xu suddenly resigned and we were caught off guard. The account books over the years are complicated and difficult to sort out. Please allow me a few days to sort out and check them out, and then present them to you for inspection."

When something like this happens, there's no need for a minor official like him to take the brunt of the consequences.

Since the adults have received the money, they will naturally step in when something happens. They will go back and report the matter, and naturally the Huazhou officials will come forward to mediate with Governor Li.

He thought he would have to endure the governor's scolding, harassment and even humiliation, but he heard Li Bailong said straightforwardly: "Okay, I'll give you three days. If you just want to shirk your responsibilities, watch out for your skin!"

Zhang Wenjiang was stunned - he passed the test just like that? He couldn't help but look up at the governor... Could this be a rookie who knows nothing?
While he was thinking, he heard Governor Li continue: "You, the second one, step out and introduce yourself!"

"I am Yue Fangshan, the chief of the Military Affairs Department, and I am also serving as the chief..."

"——I can't hear you! Speak louder! You want to work in the Tongwen Bureau with such a low voice!"

After everyone had been identified one by one, Governor Li gave them a three-day deadline and ordered them to hand in their account books so that they could check the accounts, and then let the children go.

After returning to the back hall with Xu Bingyi, Lord Xu wiped his sweat and said, "I cannot comment on how you act, Lord. But if you want to order the officials to hand in their accounts and take back their power, why do you give them three days? These bold officials will definitely go back to the various government offices to ask for help and bring in the backstage officials to negotiate with you..."

Li Bailong smiled and said, "Don't worry, just play with him."

Seeing that he was confident, Xu Bingyi did not want to persuade him any further, and said, "Since the seal has been handed over and the power has been transferred, it is time for me to take up my new post. Now..."

"Senior, please wait." Li Bailong said with a smile, "The account books have not been sorted out yet, so please stay for a few more days."

Xu Bingyi hesitated and said, "This..."

"The matter of taking office can be postponed. I can mediate on your behalf. The Tongwen Bureau has many complicated matters. Senior, why don't you stay and give some advice?" Li Bailong whispered, "Also, senior, the corrupt officials in the Tongwen Bureau have bullied you too much. Don't you want to stay and see what will happen to them?"

"..."

Damn! I really want to see it!
This is so suspenseful that the author is worthy of being the one who wrote "Langhuan Legend".

Xu Bingyi hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly: "Okay, I will stay for a few more days."

"Oh, yes, there is one more thing." Li Bailong reminded, "The matter of King Zhao's expedition to the king must be kept secret, senior."

The officials in front of the hall have already sent their capable assistants out to report the news.

Li Bailong, the top scholar, was appointed as the new governor of Tongwen Bureau. This was big news in Huazhou officialdom...but why did he choose to be such an official? Who sent him?
When it was time for lunch, Zhang Wenjiang hesitated for a moment and went out in person.

He was the first one to be targeted by Li Bailong and was forced to fight head-on. He was definitely recorded in the chief officer's notebook. I think he will be the first to be hit when the accounts are checked three days later.

After much thought, I decided to discuss countermeasures with the magistrate in person.

After walking a few steps outside, I heard someone shouting behind me: "Lao Zhang! Lao Zhang!"

Looking back, several officials and colleagues who were familiar with him caught up with him. They exchanged glances and came to a secluded place. One of them whispered, "Old Zhang, I will give you an account in three days. What do you say?"

Zhang Wenjiang sneered, "Hand over a piece of shit! Not handing over the account books, not handing over the power, not handing over anything at all!"

The man hesitated and said, "He is a top scholar, but he was directly appointed as an official. I'm afraid there must be some tricks..."

"What a bullshit trick!" Zhang Wenjiang knew he couldn't escape, so he said firmly, "Have you ever seen a powerful backer send him to a deadly place like Tongwen Bureau to be an official? He must have offended Fenglin Huoshan, and his powerful backer couldn't protect him, so he was finally sent to Tongwen Bureau. It was called an official position, but in fact it was to let him die in a dignified way!"

"He wants to survive and make achievements to avoid being convicted and punished, so he wants to quickly check the accounts and take back the power. But Huazhou belongs to the people of Huazhou. It's not his turn as a stinky outsider to come here and show off his power!"

At this point, he sneered and said, "You still want power? What do you mean by power? The theaters, opera troupes, brothels and merchants in Huazhou only give us money because they are afraid of us, not the Tongwen Bureau. Being able to make people afraid is called power! Now I ask you, who is afraid of Li Bailong? He wants power, so go eat your ass!"

Everyone thought about it and became braver.

Zhang Wenjiang encouraged each of them and told them to go back and inform their colleagues, asking them to follow their old wisdom and sideline Li Bailong just as they did Xu Bingyi, so that he would have no idea where to start and would surrender obediently.

Then he went to the Tuiguan Hall.

He walked across the intersection. The magistrate's office was across the street. There were more and more people on the road. He calmed himself, made some plans in his mind, and then walked across the street.

Suddenly, someone came from behind and brushed past him, bumping into him.

Zhang Wenjiang was feeling annoyed and looked up. The person who bumped into him also turned back. Their eyes met and she turned out to be a strong woman in her forties with a rough and simple appearance.

If it was a young lady, Zhang Wenjiang would have taken the opportunity to tease her, but this woman was very rough, so he had no appetite. Moreover, he was impatient now, so he glared at her fiercely: "You walk..."

Before he finished speaking, he heard the woman shouting, "This is indecent! Why are you touching me?"

Zhang Wenjiang's face flushed, and he flew into a rage: "Which donkey touched you? You fat, big-eared thing, you gave it to me for free, and I'm too lazy to do anything with you!"

The woman cursed angrily, "You bastard! You've been using me for nothing, yet you're still scolding me!"

After saying that, he spread out his five fingers and grabbed his head and face.

Zhang Wenjiang was puzzled and shouted angrily, "How dare you!"

He used grappling techniques to grab the opponent's wrist, and was about to give the demented woman an iron fist, but halfway through his hand, he was caught by the woman's backhand.

He was shocked, his pulse was instantly blocked, half of his body suddenly became weak, and he heard a whistling evil wind. The woman's punch was ruthless and hit him on the forehead with just one punch. The gongs and drums of the water temple sounded, and he was knocked to the ground.

Zhang Wenjiang was beaten so hard that his head was spinning. The next moment, he felt as if a mountain was falling on his head. The woman sat directly on him, and her iron palm was like a palm leaf fan, hitting him on the head and face: "Who are you calling fat and big-eared? Who are you calling me?"

This woman is a martial artist!

Zhang Wenjiang was shocked and angry, feeling that there was a conspiracy. He was suppressed and could not struggle at all. He could only be beaten by the evil woman. In pain, he roared and shouted, "Someone come! Someone come quickly! I am an official of the Tongwen Bureau! There are unruly people who are rebelling and beating officials! Hurry and report to the authorities!"

"If you have something to say, let's talk it over. Don't use violence!" A passerby who saw a woman beating a man actually dared to step in and intervene. This shows that Huazhou's administration is clean and its people are simple, which is far superior to other places.

Someone else ran to report to the police, and soon a patrol officer came running over and shouted from afar, "That woman, stop it immediately!"

"Bitch! You're dead!" Zhang Wenjiang was beaten until his head was bruised and purple, and blood was flowing from the corners of his mouth. He cursed incoherently, "You are guilty of treason and assaulting officials. You deserve eighty strokes of the cane and exile a thousand miles away! I want you dead!"

Threatened by this, the woman continued to beat him without hesitation.

Seeing the patrol officer approaching with his sword drawn, three officials in black robes suddenly rushed out from the side and shouted, "This is the Tongwen Bureau's business, anyone who's not here should get out of the way!"

After saying that, he walked straight forward, grabbed the evil woman's wrist, and pushed her to the ground. The woman did not resist or struggle, but just cried out: "Please allow me to report this to you, this guy molested me!"

"Shut up! The governor will make the final decision in the hall!"

Another official mentioned Zhang Wenjiang: "Mr. Zhang, right? A woman has beaten an official from our department, and we have all the witnesses. Please follow me back to the Tongwen Bureau and let the governor do you justice."

"???????"

Zhang Wenjiang looked at the three officials. He knew the official uniforms, which were the field uniforms of the Tongwen Bureau, but where did these three people come from? He had a bad premonition and said in a trembling voice, "I don't know you!"

"We'll get to know each other later. We just took office today, and we'll have many opportunities to get close to Master Zhang in the future."

The official held him up, and Zhang Wenjiang felt a dangerous Qi flow rushing in from his side, as cold as ice, which made him shudder - who is this person? Where did this expert come from?
The patrol officer had already stepped forward and shouted, "Who are you?"

"An officer from the Tongwen Bureau!"

The three officials who suddenly appeared were calm. The leader stepped forward, held up his badge, and said eloquently: "The one who was beaten was an official of our bureau. According to the rules of the Ministry of Education, all crimes committed by our staff, except for high treason, will be investigated by the head of the Tongwen Bureau. If there is a conflict of power with other yamen, or if there is abuse of power and fraud, please ask the heads of various departments to ask the censor to intervene! Your Excellency, please handle the Tongwen Bureau's family affairs as you wish!"

The patrolman thought about it and decided that it was not a big deal and there was no need to cause trouble for himself, so he waved his hand with a cold face.

The official shouted, "Take the prisoner back to the police station for interrogation!"

So the two men carried Zhang Wenjiang, who was beaten unconscious, and followed the official straight away. The woman who beat him was dejected and followed behind obediently, without even being tied with ropes or chains.

The patrol officer looked on from behind and felt puzzled - who the hell was the criminal?

Five thousand words!

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(End of this chapter)