Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Chapter 327 Which good official would embroider a duck on his clothes?

The Provincial Administration Department, one of the three departments of the prefectural government, oversaw all civil affairs within the prefecture, encompassing the four major areas of responsibility: land, taxes, finance, and government. Its chief official was the Chief Envoy of the Provincial Administration Department, a third-rank official. Under him were four Deputy Envoys, each with their own responsibilities. Deputy Envoy Hu was one of these, primarily responsible for government affairs, including the assessment, promotion, transfer, demotion, and dismissal of officials. Although possessed of avarice, he chose not to directly manage finances, resorting to various schemes to amass wealth. Buying and selling official positions was a piece of cake for him, and he even engaged in ruthless murder and robbery, persecuting loyal officials. However, his trip to Yunzhou proved to be a difficult one. Zhang Jingwei, knowing Deputy Envoy Hu's background and his corrupt practices, unceremoniously humiliated him. Poor Deputy Envoy Hu, he dared not even attend the lunchtime banquet and fled Yunzhou in disgrace.

At the same time, in the government office.

Liu Yanzhi began to doubt Zhang Jingwei's identity and asked nervously, "Are you...are you really the imperial envoy?"

Zhang Jingwei smiled calmly and replied, "Fake!"

Liu Yanzhi was immediately horrified and stammered, "Fake? You...you're in trouble! Forging the command arrow privately will implicate your entire clan!"

Zhang Jingwei explained calmly, "This golden decree is genuine! And from the moment I entered the room, I never said I was an imperial envoy."

Huangfu Changshui, who was listening impatiently, interrupted, "Alright! Boy, I don't care whether the token is real or fake. Where have you been these days? What on earth are you doing?"

Zhang Jingwei replied calmly, "I've been at my paper mill, working on pulping paper every day. Officials and military personnel have come to my door several times, but none of them recognized me."

Huangfu Changshui obviously didn't believe it and angrily said, "Is it that simple? Are you looking for a fight?"

Zhang Jingwei raised his hand and said solemnly, "I swear to heaven, every word I say is true! If not, may I be struck by lightning!"

Huangfu Changshui's tone gradually softened, like a father scolding a naughty child, and he asked with concern: "Then why didn't you even say hello? Ling'er and I are almost driven crazy by you!"

Zhang Jingwei smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry, father-in-law, I will explain it clearly to Lingmei!"

Huangfu Changshui frowned and continued to ask, "Then what's the matter with this golden order?"

Zhang Jingwei smiled mysteriously and said, "I have a good friend who happens to be the imperial envoy!"

Huangfu Changshui obviously didn't believe it and shouted angrily, "You're talking nonsense! Tell the truth!"

Zhang Jingwei remained calm and asked, "Father-in-law, the imperial envoy's identity must be kept secret. Aren't you afraid of being blamed by the imperial envoy for doing this?"

Huangfu Changshui snorted coldly: "Do you think I can't find out?"

Zhang Jingwei smiled slightly and advised: "Of course, your father-in-law's methods can be found out, but I advise you not to find out. Knowing too much will be disadvantageous to you!"

Huangfu Changshui glared at him and cursed, "How dare you, a stinky boy, teach me a lesson?"

Zhang Jingwei straightened his attitude and whispered a few words in his ear.

Huangfu Changshui's expression instantly turned serious when he heard this, and he whispered, "I haven't asked anything today!"

After a while, Huangfu Changshui couldn't help asking again, "But how will you end up treating the people from the Provincial Government like this? I might as well find a few martial arts experts to disguise themselves as bandits and kill them directly."

Zhang Jingwei shook his head and said confidently: "Don't worry, they won't dare to say a word!"

……

Outside the city, sunlight streamed down the spacious official road as a large, convoy of vehicles, including the Provincial Administration Commissioner's chariot, slowly advanced. Surrounding the vehicles were a group of officials in official uniforms, whispering to each other in hushed tones, each face shrouded in deep worry.

"Why would the court send a mere seventh-rank county magistrate as an imperial envoy? Is there some hidden agenda?" an official frowned, his tone filled with confusion and uneasiness.

Another official echoed, "That's right. It's better to believe it than not. You just saw how he treated our master with such rudeness. He must have known something dirty."

At this time, someone else interrupted and said, "In my opinion, we should just go directly to the Censor and ask him to mobilize the Censorate Guards to capture Zhang Jingwei and bring him to Taiyuan. Once he's in our territory, he'll be like a fish on a chopping block, at our mercy!"

However, someone immediately objected, "We absolutely must not act so rashly! This boy holds the golden order, representing the Central Government. What if... I'm just saying what if, he really comes here on the emperor's orders, then we'll be the ones to be preyed upon!"

While everyone was talking about it, Deputy Envoy Hu, who had been silent all this time, finally couldn't help but open his mouth and shouted, "Shut up, everyone! The imperial envoy only made me look bad in front of him, and didn't arrest me directly, which means that the evidence he has in his hands is not sufficient. Everyone, keep your mouths shut about this matter and keep it to yourself. When you return to Taiyuan, each of you should quickly clean up those dirty places on your side. Otherwise, if the truth is revealed one day and you are caught, don't blame me for being ruthless!" After that, he glared at the people around him fiercely, and scared the officials into silence, not daring to say another word.

……

Outside the Yunzhou government office.

Zhang Jingwei stood at the gate of the government office, holding a brocade package in his hands, his heart filled with curiosity and anticipation. He gently unwrapped the package, and the contents unfolded before him: a cicada-wing black gauze hat, thin as a cicada's wing, exuding a sense of majesty; a blue official uniform, finely woven and exquisitely embroidered; a letter of appointment, neatly written and stamped with the bright red seal of "Ministry of Personnel"; a heavy official seal, bearing the words "Gaoyang County Official Seal" and a deep stripe; and a pair of shiny black, white-soled, soapy boots, with thick soles and smooth uppers, that had been hidden away in the bottom of a box.

Zhang Jingwei picked up the black boots and couldn't help laughing. "Haha, these boots aren't as good-looking as my leather shoes!" Although he said he was disgusted, his eyes sparkled with excitement. After all, this was his first time wearing an official uniform and becoming an official appointed by the court.

Seeing this, Qian Ming on the side quickly changed his words and said, "Master, oh no, sir, try it on!"

Zhang Jingwei waved his hand pretending to be reserved and said, "How can I feel embarrassed about this?" But the smile on his face betrayed his mood.

Wang Ergou also came over and said with a smile, "Sir, try it on and see if it fits! When you were measured, you weren't as strong as you are now!"

Zhang Jingwei looked down at himself and smiled, "Yes, I'm growing. If I grow taller in the future, do I have to do it again?"

Wang Ergou patted his chest and said confidently, "Don't worry, sir, it won't cost much. Besides, you are an official now, so what's the big deal about this little thing?"

Zhang Jingwei heard this and stopped refusing, starting to put on his uniform. The official uniform fit him perfectly, making him look even taller. But when he looked down at the patch on his chest, he couldn't help but frown: "Uh... what an ugly duck."

Wang Ergou quickly explained, "Sir, this isn't a duck, it's a mandarin duck, the patch worn by a seventh-rank official! It symbolizes integrity and honesty."

Zhang Jingwei curled his lips, clearly not impressed by the pattern. He then picked up the black gauze hat and put it on, but felt something was wrong. He touched his head and asked in confusion, "Has my head gotten smaller? Is my brain shrinking?"

Wang Ergou couldn't help laughing and explained, "Normally, the hat is held up with a bun. Young Master, you have short hair, so the hat is pulled down a little."

Zhang Jingwei suddenly realized and shook his head, smiling: "I see, it seems that I need to ask Dahai to process it, otherwise it won't fit properly."

The thick soles made Zhang Jingwei look several centimeters taller.