Qing Yao

Chapter 37 Interview with the Governor

It was indeed labor pain, but it would return to normal in half a month at most, because Zhao An would never do such a dirty thing again.

Moreover, Yangzhou City is so small that there are only two "districts" in the city, Jiangdu and Ganquan. It is impossible for the vendors to really give up their business in Ganquan.

After the car entered the territory of Jiangdu, the city appearance was very different from that of Ganquan. Various Jiangnan-style gardens could be seen everywhere. The beautiful scenery that was originally built to welcome Emperor Qianlong was also refreshing to see.

Even without the driver telling him, Zhao An knew that the owners of those gardens were mostly wealthy salt merchants, and each of them built their houses like luxurious villas.

Little do they know that a tall tree attracts the wind. The better your house is built, the fatter it is in the eyes of officials. Those general merchants who got into trouble in recent years were slaughtered like pigs by Emperor Qianlong for this reason.

When passing by the Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner's Office, Zhao An took a few more glances at it. There was no other reason, but because this office was so rich, so rich that it was not enough to describe it. It would be unworthy of this title if it did not make one or two hundred thousand taels a year.

The current Lianghuai Salt Administrator is a Manchu named Akdanga. I heard that he used to be a clerk in the Imperial Household Department in Beijing. I don’t know through whom he got such a lucrative job.

While feeling envious, he secretly worked hard to make a fortune: in the future, he must make a few million taels of silver.

Anyone who doesn't let him fish will be beaten down.

Even the emperor can’t do it!
The prefectural yamen was definitely more impressive than the county yamen, and its floor area was probably as large as a school in later generations. Even the guards at the gate looked more impressive than those at the county yamen.

After paying the taxi fare, Zhao An went to the gatehouse on the east side of the yamen to explain his purpose. After registering according to the rules, he went to the experience department of the seconded unit to report.

In addition to the Experience Department, there is also the Review Department, which is responsible for reviewing and reviewing files. Zhao An understands it as the Archives Bureau.

There is also a Prison Administration Bureau that is in charge of all prison affairs. It is probably a comprehensive office of the procuratorate, public security, and prison administration bureau.

In addition to these three official institutions, the government office actually has another unofficial institution, which is the government hall that directly serves the prefect.

If we really use the term "government-run" to describe it, then this government office is the real one, and the Experience Office is the fake one.

Because the people who work in the government office are the ones who deal with the prefect every day.

The Yangzhou prefect Eqina, who was fond of talented people, did not transfer Zhao An directly to the government office to be his "secretary", but arranged for him to work in the Experience Department. Firstly, he wanted to see whether Zhao An was really capable of the position of "secretary"; secondly, the certification of well-known trademarks had to be organized and implemented by the Experience Department.

The person in charge of the Experience Department is called the Zhishi, who is of the ninth rank. However, there are not one but ten people, each of whom is in charge of a specific area.

The governor who received Zhao An was named Cui. Having received notice from above, Governor Cui took a look at Zhao An and did not talk about work immediately. Instead, he took Zhao An to the government hall.

The Lord of the Mansion had sent someone to deliver a message before, and when Zhao An arrived, he was brought directly to see him.

The office of the government hall is located next to the lobby of the government office. Not only do the clerks who are responsible for the affairs of the government hall work there, but the legal advisors hired by the prefect also work here.

When Governor Cui brought Zhao An over, the prefect Eqina was drinking tea and chatting with two senior advisors.

"Student Zhao An pays homage to the Lord!"

At the suggestion of Governor Cui, Zhao An stepped forward and kowtowed respectfully.

According to the rules of the Qing Dynasty, one had to kowtow when meeting an official. Only those with the title of scholar or above could meet an official without kneeling. When Zhao An first met the magistrate of Ganquan County, he also knelt and kowtowed. Later, he did not have to kneel because the county magistrate appreciated him and exempted him from the responsibility, not because he did not have to follow the rules.

"You are Zhao An, get up."

Eqina's accent sounds similar to that of Nanjing people.

Both Nanjing dialect and Yangzhou dialect originated from the Jianghuai Mandarin during the Ming Dynasty. Eqina's ancestors moved to the Manchu city of Jiangning over a hundred years ago, and while they may still retain Manchu customs, their accents have long since merged with those of the local Han Chinese.

When Zhao An stood up, he saw that the report he had written to County Magistrate Ding was placed on the table next to the prefect.

"Did you write this document?"

The questioner was an elderly gentleman who looked to be in his fifties. He was the prefect's financial advisor, surnamed Xia and given the given name Wanfu. The younger advisor next to him was a criminal lawyer, also surnamed Zhao and given the given name Qing.

We are all from Shaoxing, there is no difference, the accent is still there.

Zhao An glanced at the document in Master Xia's hand and said truthfully, "Sir, this document was indeed written by me."

Master Xia nodded slightly after hearing this, and then asked curiously: "What is your achievement?"

"I don't have any official title yet, I only have a student certificate."

When replying to this, Zhao An was a little dissatisfied: Why do you always ask people about their academic qualifications? Isn't it annoying?

Master Zhao, the criminal lawyer, interrupted with a smile, "How many years have you worked in the county?"

Zhao An said politely, "Sir, I just joined the government office this year, so it's been less than half a year."

"Less than half a year? That means you learned it by yourself."

Mr. Zhao was a little surprised. He then picked up the materials written by Zhao An on the table and said to him, "Your writing is quite good. The prefect and we all appreciate it. Can you tell me how you came up with the idea to write it this way?"

"To my Lords, I believe that no matter how trivial the matter is, it is essential for the government to handle matters, and that documents and notices are fundamental to the government's affairs. As the saying goes, do not neglect good deeds, no matter how small, and do not commit evil deeds, no matter how small. Therefore, when writing government documents, students must enhance their self-awareness to highlight key points, identify the central theme, and ensure that the main idea of ​​the document is clear, the overall flow is smooth, the structure is rigorous, and the language is concise and comprehensive."

After saying this in one breath, Zhao An calmly waited.

For him, this was an interview, an interview from a higher-level official.

If he passes the interview, perhaps greater opportunities will come to him.

If I don’t pass, the worst that can happen is that I continue to work for the county magistrate.

"Well, that's right. I think it makes sense."

The prefect felt the room was stuffy and took off his official hat and placed it on the table. He then looked at Zhao An with some confusion and asked, "What is this cognition you are talking about? What is the focus and what is the center?"

"Replying to Your Excellency, I believe that the affairs of the yamen are paramount. The key is to ensure that Your Excellency's intentions are accurately conveyed. The key is to highlight as much as possible that the statements in the proclamation are in the interests of the court and the people. Only by achieving these three points can we live up to Your Excellency and the people."

As soon as he finished speaking, the prefect flicked his sleeves and exclaimed, "Well said, very well said. There is no small matter in the government office. This understanding, this key point, this central point is well stated. Very good. I happen to have a memorial to submit. Please draft a copy for me!"

Folding paper?

Zhao An was slightly stunned: Is an official of the prefectural rank qualified to submit memorials directly to the emperor?
The answer is no. Only the governors, provincial governors, provincial governors, generals and commanders-in-chief can submit memorials directly to the emperor. Other officials are not qualified.

But this time is a special case.

Because the emperor was celebrating his 80th birthday this year, he was in a good mood and asked all local officials above the fifth rank to send him birthday wishes, singing until Pibos was stunned.

(End of this chapter)