Chapter 276 New Secretary Arrives
Xu Zhenying was stunned for a moment, looking at the expectant eyes of the people below, his brows furrowed even deeper, "Is this... important?"
Elder Lin smiled and said, "It may not be important to you. I, an old man, can see that you are a pragmatic queen. You may not care about these reputations or material things. But if you can become king, there will be at least two benefits."
Xu Zhenying pretended to listen attentively.
Mr. Lin was very satisfied with Xu Zhenying.
Xu Zhenying possesses all the characteristics of a wise ruler: decisive but never partial, capable but humble. She often says that she is not omnipotent, and that decisions made by a good administrative system should not depend on the monarch alone.
This also shows Xu Zhenying's broad mind.
She likes smart people, and never feels shy or jealous even when she meets someone smarter than herself.
As a person in power, the most important thing you need to know is how to make good use of people who are smarter than you.
"The first benefit is rallying the hearts of his subordinates. The people in this room may have bright minds and follow the city lord for lofty ideals, but our territory is vast now, and there are all kinds of people. Most come here to support their families, while those with ambitions do so to earn a place in the government. If the city lord were to become king, everyone's status would rise, instantly boosting the morale of the soldiers and civil servants."
Xu Zhenying listened carefully, as if thinking about the feasibility of the matter.
"The second reason is, of course, that we have a legitimate reason to unify the world. People outside call us the Green-Headed Bandits anyway, so it's only a matter of time before the city lord becomes king. This way, our documents, official positions, and city will all be more logical."
Mr. Lin could see that Xu Zhenying was not very enthusiastic about the first reason, but the second practical thing impressed her more.
If she hesitated to declare herself king, what rank would Jinzhou Prefecture be? The central capital? What rank would the officials under it be? What about the rank of the various cities and towns?
This will lead to chaos in the government.
Xu Zhenying bowed to Elder Lin and said, "Thank you for your reminder, Elder Lin. However, this matter is not urgent. I would like to ask you to come up with a plan outlining the pros and cons. If I were to become king, please also come up with a few titles for us to discuss."
Everyone got what he meant.
Xu Zhenying has no objection to being king!
Everyone's face lit up with joy!
Xu Zhenying could see it, and thought to himself that he was really careless. When he reached a certain position, many things were beyond his control.
According to her idea, being a king or an emperor is not important, it is just a change of title.
But looking at the happy faces of the people below, she realized that she had overlooked the issue of morale.
Do you want to be king now?
This is a bit too fast.
Xu Zhenying felt a little uneasy at this moment. She had been in the Great Zhou Dynasty for only more than a year, but she had become the ruler of six prefectures. All this seemed like an unrealistic dream.
It seems like yesterday, she was still the doctoral student running between the laboratory and the dormitory, busy with her graduation thesis, but today she has transformed into the ruler of a feudal dynasty.
Xu Zhenying began to think seriously about becoming king.
As soon as the meeting was over, Zhao Qiaonian and Qi Er met in front of the government office. The two were old acquaintances, but Zhao Qiaonian was still a commoner and was only a classmate of Qi Er in the intermediate class.
The escorts who came with Zhao Qiaonian to seek refuge with Xu Zhenying all followed Da Niu to do cement business, leaving him alone.
Fortunately, there was Miss Qi fighting with him.
It was already four or five in the afternoon. Zhao Qiaonian took the book and estimated the time, waiting for her in front of the government office.
The two people smiled at each other.
Qi Er whispered, "Are you going today?"
"Go, of course I'll go, even if it rains knives from the sky."
Ming Xiaoshuang heard them whispering and came over, smiling and said, "What are you talking about? What about going or not?"
Qi Er smiled and said, "We're talking about the make-up classes tonight."
Ming Xiaoshuang recalled the time when he was in the intermediate class, and a chill ran down his spine. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, work hard. Are you two preparing for this civil servant assessment?"
Ming Xiaoshuang knew that Zhao Qiaonian was determined to pursue a career in government, so he paid extra attention to him. "I still have the intermediate class book with notes and key points. Do you want some, Brother Zhao?"
Zhao Qiaonian nodded, "Of course!"
Ming Xiaoshuang smiled: "Don't be too nervous, you two. I feel that with your level, passing this civil servant exam is no problem at all. Don't worry, as long as you can pass this exam this time, a bright future awaits you!"
Qi Er became a little nervous when the exam was mentioned. "Minister Ming, you don't know, but I heard that there are nearly 10,000 or 20,000 people who have signed up for the civil servant examination this time! Among them are many people from Jinzhou Prefecture and Qianzhou Prefecture. They studied much earlier than us and have had more time to prepare. We are not sure yet."
Ming Xiaoshuang was a little surprised: "So many people?!"
"That's right. So, Brother Zhao and I must pass the exam! Otherwise, we'll be letting down the city lord's kindness. Besides, we've taken over several new prefectures now. If we don't pass this time, I'm afraid there will be even more competitors in the future!"
Ming Xiaoshuang was a little nervous after hearing what she said. "In that case, we really need to prepare well."
After a few people talked for a while, Ming Xiaoshuang left.
Zhao Qiaonian and Qi Er stared at the man's back. Qi Er said unconvincedly, "I really regret this! If I had known the City Lord was someone special, I should have turned to her when I was selling soap! Look at Brother Ming. He was just a bailiff back then, but now he's the City Lord's right-hand man. I'm so envious!"
Zhao Qiaonian felt a little bitter in his heart, and could only comfort him: "There's nothing we can do. Sometimes, it's just fate."
Qi Er said fiercely, "This time, I must pass the exam! The City Lord said that if I pass, he will transfer me to Bao'an Prefecture to work with Feng'er in cotton planting."
"Agriculture?" Zhao Qiaonian was slightly surprised. "That's quite a burden. The city lord has high hopes for you."
"I just happen to have experience in this area. I heard that the newly conquered Bao'an Prefecture and Xiangshui Prefecture are extremely poor. We are counting on growing cotton to make the people there rich." Qi Er shook his head a little when talking about this, and his face was full of pride. Then he looked at Zhao Qiaonian, "What about you, Brother Zhao? Has the city lord communicated with you privately?"
Zhao Qiaonian thought about it for a moment, but was too embarrassed to say it out loud. In fact, Xu Zhenying had never summoned him privately.
This is also what made him even more uneasy and wanted to pass the civil servant assessment even more.
Zhao Qiaonian could only stammer: "I haven't said it yet... I don't know what the city lord has in mind for me..."
Qi Er was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then the city lord must have big plans for you!"
Zhao Qiaonian laughed, "Hehe," but didn't respond. Then he saw Jiang Chaoping leading a man and a woman inside. The two of them couldn't help but take a second look at each other, and then they heard someone mention that they were two new secretaries.
One is called Pang Xiaohua and the other is called Chang Yuanshan.
The two looked young. The one called Pang Xiaohua couldn't be told whether she was a girl or a young woman. The female officials in Jinzhou Prefecture followed Xu Zhenying's example and cut their hair very short. They didn't pay much attention to hair accessories, and sometimes they would just tie their hair up with a hairpin or a wooden hairpin. It was nothing like the Zhou Dynasty, where women had to wear their hair in a bun. Therefore, it was impossible to tell their marital status.
He looks very fair and has a shy smile, so he should be someone who is easy to talk to.
The man called Chang Yuanshan looked like he was from the army. He was tall, with strong arms and legs, and a sharp gaze, giving off a calm and capable look.
The two people's eyes lit up.
Secretaries, the emperor's close ministers, these are the people you will have to deal with in the future.
Especially those who were quick-witted, knowledgeable and interesting like Qi Er and Zhao Qiao Nian, they almost immediately walked back in tacit understanding.
Pang Xiaohua felt that Xu Zhenying's transfer order had brought about earth-shaking changes in her entire life.
First, the local county magistrate made a special trip to meet her, and even accompanied her ten miles away before she left.
Even this time when she went back to her hometown to visit her relatives, her father-in-law did not allow her to get involved in any family affairs, big or small. She was actually qualified to sit at the table with the men outside, and during the meal, her father-in-law enthusiastically introduced her to everyone in the village.
She wanted to help her sisters-in-law, but was driven out of the kitchen by her mother-in-law.
Her mother-in-law, who always looked down on her for not having children, now became amiable and never mentioned the matter of having children. Instead, she carefully prepared food and luggage for the journey and only urged her to hurry up and not miss the city lord's mission.
Even her family, despite the hardship, walked dozens of miles to visit her, bringing a cart full of local specialties. Her brothers and sisters-in-law were all very kind, eager to hold her hand and affectionately call her "Little Flower Sister."
Before leaving, my husband was pulled over by his father-in-law and the two of them talked quietly for a long time.
Pang Xiaohua also listened to a few words. It was nothing more than her father-in-law asking her husband to take good care of her and find her a job in the capital.
It seemed as if overnight, everyone around Pang Xiaohua turned into kind-hearted and benevolent people!
After so much experience, Pang Xiaohua naturally knew why all these changes happened.
From the moment she passed the civil service exam, the attitudes of both her husband's family and her own family towards her changed dramatically.
Pang Xiaohua has a clear mind.
All this honor is given by the city lord!
Even now, since entering Xingyuan Mansion, although it is bustling everywhere, Pang Xiaohua is no longer as timid as before. Instead, she looks straight ahead and holds her back straight. Anyone who sees her can sense her dignified demeanor.
She and Chang Yuanshan had just packed their things when Jiang Chaoping took them into the government office of Xingyuan Prefecture. Qi Er and Zhao Qiaonian came to greet them with smiles on their faces.
They were polite in every word. One said he would make an appointment to welcome them, and the other was concerned about their food, clothing, housing and transportation. They were very enthusiastic.
Pang Xiaohua is naturally not the Pang Xiaohua she used to be. Although she is still restrained now, she is more at ease and can at least reject other people's kindness without leaving any trace.
The government office of Xingyuan Prefecture was only two hundred meters away, but it took them nearly half an hour to walk there.
The reason is simple: there are too many people coming up to say hello.
Most of them were members of Xu Zhenying's government team, and their status and position far surpassed theirs. They were new to the company, and their secretaries had no rank, so they couldn't leave. They could only face the scalp and accept the inquiries one by one.
Seeing that both of them were a bit nervous, Jiang Chaoping smiled helplessly, but also said tactfully: "It just dispersed for a while, and the masters just came out. There shouldn't be many people here now, let's go in quickly, the city lord is still waiting for you two."
Pang Xiaohua and Chang Yuanshan were both excited to see the city lord.
Pang Xiaohua had met the city lord during the civil servant assessment interview!
Chang Yuanshan joined the army late, so he had long missed Xu Zhenying's evening classes. The city lord's reputation and deeds only appeared in the instructors' word-of-mouth propaganda.
That's a legendary figure!
Therefore, the two of them had no choice but to ask Jiang Chaoping for help.
Chang Yuanshan spoke first, "Secretary Jiang... City Lord... How is he?"
Jiang Chaoping looked at the two people with nervous faces, and in a trance, he seemed to see himself more than a month ago. He smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, the city master is very good, right..."
He stopped talking again.
Both of them were anxious, "What is it?"
Jiang Chaoping pursed his lips, "I just often feel that the City Lord... is a god."
The two were stunned. What did this mean?
This doesn't make sense?
"How should I put it? The city lord is incredibly intelligent and sharp-minded. You'll understand after you get to know him."
These words made the two people even more nervous.
Jiang Chaoping seemed to realize that he had said the wrong thing, and quickly smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry, we have four people in the secretariat. Together, these four people can be of some use."
Pang Xiaohua pursed her lips and smiled shyly.
"It's just that the shoes you're wearing aren't good enough. They're too thin. We secretaries run a lot, so the soles need to be thick and soft. Otherwise, your calves will be sore for the first few days!"
"Also, there's a secretary's office in the government office. You can leave some clothes and personal belongings there. Secretaries often work late into the night, and sleeping in the government office is common. You need to get used to it as soon as possible."
The two men nodded quickly, and at this moment they just wished Jiang Chaoping would say more.
"What about the city lord? Does she have any taboos?"
Jiang Chaoping thought for a moment, "The City Lord is a top-notch superior. She's not picky about food, clothing, housing, or transportation, but she does pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene. Oh, by the way, even though the government office starts at nine o'clock, the City Lord usually goes to training at seven o'clock and arrives at the government office around eight-thirty, so you must be on duty around eight o'clock. Don't think this is early, some officials arrive at the government office after seven o'clock just to wait for the City Lord! We are responsible for receiving these people, so we can't let them wait outside. We also have to arrive early to familiarize ourselves with who will be coming today, what they are here for, whether they want money, people, or are they just here to discuss business. If it is a discussion, we must prepare the relevant materials in advance for the City Lord's reference."
Both Pang Xiaohua and Chang Yuanshan broke out in sweat after hearing this.
It sounds like the work intensity is much higher than in the camp!
"By the way, one of you is a local official, and the other was recommended by the army, right?"
The two people nodded.
"Then these things shouldn't be too difficult for you. There's a plague raging in the west right now, so I'm coordinating the medical aspects. Qu Min is generally in charge of the agricultural side. After you go in, the city lord will have specific assignments. Also, the secretarial office doesn't have weekends off, so we have to have someone on duty every night."
Both of them looked miserable.
Jiang Chaoping glanced at Pang Xiaohua with a smile and asked meaningfully, "Secretary Pang doesn't seem to have any children, right?"
Pang Xiaohua immediately shook her head.
Jiang Chaoping suppressed his smile. "That's perfect. Working overtime is common in the secretarial field. I'm afraid if I take care of one thing well, I won't be able to take care of the other."
Pang Xiaohua felt uneasy.
Although the secretary's office is very glamorous and has a basic salary of five taels of silver a month, this job... is really not easy!
But no matter how difficult it is, you have to do it!
Pang Xiaohua is a very strong woman. She believes that since the city lord values her, she should not belittle herself.
This secretary has to do his job whether he is capable or not!
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