Huaxia Trading Company.
Chen Xiaomi sat on the bed and said sullenly, "That's too much."
Lu Lin looked at Chen Xiaomi and said, "The people can't fight with the officials. Our county magistrate is about to step down, and he probably wants to make one last big profit before he leaves office. However, the fact that they are targeting us is probably related to that registrar."
It seems that it wasn't just their shop that was being targeted; several other shops were also forced to bleed money, including the owner of Hongyun Restaurant, who had connections with Lu Lin. Fortunately, the county magistrate, fearing that things would escalate and become difficult to manage, released them after accepting some money. This incident was likely related to Lu Chengyu.
Lu Lin suddenly realized that in this world, having money is not enough; you also need power.
Yang Heng had informed him a few days ago that there might be changes in the next few days and that he should be careful. However, what is bound to happen will happen eventually, and there is no way to avoid it.
In recent years, his business has been thriving and has gained a great reputation. Since he and Chen Xiaomi have no powerful backers, it is inevitable that they have been targeted.
Chen Xiaomi said sullenly, "It's still better to be an official!"
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Yes!"
Chen Xiaomi looked at Lu Lin with some excitement and asked, "Do we have enough money to buy an official position?"
“It’s not enough to buy a high-ranking official position, but it’s enough to buy a low-ranking one. I heard that a county magistrate in Shacheng can be bought for only three thousand taels of silver,” Lu Lin said.
After acquiring wealth, Lu Lin kept considering buying an official position, so he paid close attention to this matter.
Chen Xiaomi said, "Then let's buy the magistrate of Shacheng."
With an official position, he would be on the same level as the county magistrate of Linzhen, making it much harder for the latter to control him.
Lu Lin hesitated for a moment, then said, "Being the magistrate of Shacheng is not an easy job."
"Why is it harder to be a parent?" Chen Xiaomi asked.
“This Shacheng borders the Liao Kingdom. The Liao Kingdom is a country that lives on horseback. If the Liao Kingdom invades, Shacheng will be the first to be attacked.”
"Most of the original residents of this sand city are dead. Now, many of those who remain are soldiers who have retired from the army." Many of them have blood on their hands, so they have a strong bloodlust aura and are more violent than ordinary people.
The soldiers who remained in Shacheng knew the generals in the court, so if the magistrate did not perform his duties well, the soldiers could directly complain to the generals.
Another reason is that living in Shacheng is very risky, the land is not very fertile, disasters are frequent, and taxes are often not collected, requiring the imperial court to provide disaster relief.
"After the war, nine out of ten houses in Shacheng were deserted. To attract people to settle there, the court directly exempted them from taxes and corvée labor for ten years." Without taxes and corvée labor, there was virtually no opportunity for officials to make money there. The people there were known for their fierce and unruly nature; even if they wanted to collect money, they might not be able to.
The three previous magistrates of Shacheng were killed by the enemy during the war. As for the first two, they both resigned voluntarily. It doesn't seem normal for them to give up their official positions. Lu Lin heard rumors that those two officials were kidnapped in the middle of the night for abusing their power. They couldn't stay in office anymore and had no choice but to resign and go into seclusion.
The position of county magistrate in Shacheng seems to have been vacant for quite some time.
Chen Xiaomi looked at Lu Lin and asked, "Do you want to become an official?"
Lu Lin nodded and said, "I think this is a good opportunity." Although this official position is not easy to hold, it's still an official position!
Chen Xiaomi nodded and said, "Okay then."
Chen Xiaomi and Lu Lin spent three thousand taels of silver to buy their way into official positions in Sha County.
In the eyes of officials, Shaxian County might be a place of trouble, and many officials assigned there died at the hands of the enemy. If they could use such a place to exchange for three thousand taels of silver for the imperial court, that would be quite good.
The paperwork was completed quickly, and Lu Lin will soon be able to take up his post.
Yang Hengzhi stood in the courtyard, looking at Chen Xiaomi, and asked, "Xiaomi, are you planning to go to Shaxian?"
Chen Xiaomi nodded and said, "Yes, I've been given three months to go there and take up my post." Chen Xiaomi planned to pack up and then set off.
Yang Hengzhi looked at Chen Xiaomi, puzzled, and said, "Your shop is doing so well, why did you decide to become an official?"
Chen Xiaomi glanced at Yang Hengzhi and said, "No matter how popular the store is, if you don't have anyone in power, it will still be suppressed when it's needed."
Yang Hengzhi nodded and said, "That's true, but Shaxian is a place full of trouble."
Chen Xiaomi nodded and said, "That's the cheapest place. Some of the limited quantities in other places cost as much as 10,000 taels."
Yang Hengzhi looked at Chen Xiaomi helplessly and said, "It's cheap there, but it's also dangerous!" "It is said that Shaxian is a place where county magistrates do not return. No one is willing to take up the post. In the past, many of the county magistrates there were demoted because they had offended people. The land there is also barren, and when the Liao soldiers come, they will be the first to be in danger. The farmers there live a very ordinary life."
There was still a border patrol team left over there. Many villagers had connections with the border patrol team. During the war, many villagers fought alongside the patrol team. After the war ended, some of the soldiers retired, while others became members of the patrol team. If the county magistrate dared to act recklessly and exploit the people, the patrol team would dare to put a sack over his head.
In most places, county magistrates are very powerful and their word is law. However, it's different in Sha County. If a county magistrate there doesn't do a good job or acts unfairly, he will be punished.
Chen Xiaomi blinked and said, "I can only afford to buy an official position there. If I work there for two years, I might get promoted and transferred to another place."
Yang Hengzhi gave a dry laugh. Officials like Chen Xiaomi, who didn't come from the imperial examination system and bought their positions with money, are the hardest to get promoted.
"Young Master Chen, you must be careful when you get there," Yang Hengzhi said.
Chen Xiaomi nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'm very capable."
Yang Hengzhi smiled and said, "If you ever make something of yourself, Brother Chen, don't forget to give your brother a hand!"
“Sure!” Chen Xiaomi readily agreed.
Lu Lin transferred all his businesses and shops, and Chen Xiaolai also sold her shops and house.
Chen Xiaomi's future in Shaxian was uncertain, so he gave Chen Xiaolai two choices: either he could stay and continue running his shop, or he could go with him to take up his post.
After discussing it, Chen Xiaocai and Shen Chi decided to go with Chen Xiaomi to take up her post.
Grandma Shen passed away last year, so Chen Xiaocai and Shen Chi have no ties to this place.
After selling his house and shop, Lu Lin bought a horse and two mules.
The news of Lu Lin's departure alarmed the villagers. Over the years, many villagers had earned a lot of extra money through Lu Lin's business, and many felt reluctant to see him leave so suddenly.
Because he was to accompany Lu Lin to Shaxian to take up his post, Chen Chi hesitated for a moment and decided to deal with the land in the countryside.
"Achi, are you leaving?"
Chen Chi nodded and said, "Yes, Xiao Cai, you're leaving with Brother Xiaomi. I'll go with him."
Several villagers looked at each other, then asked curiously, "Achi, did Chen Xiaomi really buy an official position?"
Chen Chi nodded and said, "That's true."
The villagers gasped in astonishment, "You can actually buy an official position!"
"It's not a good place, but it's always good to have an official position there," Chen Chi said.
The villagers unanimously agreed, saying that even the worst official is still an official; it was truly remarkable that the village had produced one.
"Achi, you are truly blessed!" A group of villagers praised Chen Chi as they surrounded him.
Chen Xiaomi bought an official position, and Shen Chi became a relative of the official family. That was truly a meteoric rise.
The news of Chen Xiaomi's purchase of an official position also reached the ears of Old Madam Chen. When Old Madam Chen learned that Chen Xiaomi had suddenly gone from being a prisoner to an official, she couldn't believe it.
Upon discovering that it was true, Old Mrs. Chen was immediately furious. She felt that it was extremely unfair. Her eldest grandson had studied hard and was full of knowledge, yet he couldn't become an official, while Chen Xiaomi, who was illiterate but had a few stinking coins, had actually become an official. This was just too unfair.
The old woman launched into a tirade of wails and curses. Some people said that the old woman's questioning of the court's policy of buying official positions was tantamount to questioning the emperor and making unfounded accusations against the emperor's laws, which would be punishable by death.
The old lady was startled and dared not howl anymore.
The Lu family.
Tang looked at Lu Chengyu and said, "Chengyu, I heard that Chen Xiaomi bought an official position and is preparing to become an official, so she sold the shop. Is that true?"
Lu Chengyu nodded and said, "It's true."
Madam Tang frowned and said, "You can't just buy and sell official positions like that!"
Lu Chengyu said sullenly, "As long as you have money, you can buy it. However, the Sha County that Chen Xiaomi bought is a barbaric land. If you go there, you might not be able to come back. The previous magistrates of Sha County were either killed or resigned. It's not a good place to live. If someone like Lu Lin goes there, he might come back in disgrace not long after."
If Chen Xiaomi slunk back, then the money spent on buying the official position will be wasted.
Lu Chengyu was actually extremely jealous. The position of magistrate of Sha County was not easy to hold, but at least it was an official position. Meanwhile, he didn't know when he would be able to pass the imperial examination and become a Juren.
Mrs. Tang said indignantly, "I heard that this official position is worth three thousand taels of silver."
Lu Chengyu nodded and said, "That's right."
Tang gasped. Although she had guessed that Chen Xiaomi was rich, she hadn't expected her to have so much money—three thousand taels! With so much silver, why did she have to buy an official position?
“Chen Xiaomi’s official position was bought for Lu Lin,” Lu Chengyu said.
Tang said with some surprise, "Lu Lin."
Lu Chengyu nodded and said, "Yes." Shuang'er cannot become an official, but this son who married into the family can.
With a dark expression, Madam Tang said in disbelief, "That boy Lu Lin is nowhere near fit to be an official!" Madam Tang's eyes widened; she never expected that Lu Lin would suddenly become an official.
Previously, when she learned that Lu Lin was the owner of Huaxia Trading Company, Tang Shi found it unbelievable. Now that she knows Lu Lin is going to take up a post as an official, Tang Shi is almost spitting blood.
Mrs. Tang said sullenly, "Didn't they say last time that Chen Xiaomi was imprisoned? How come she was released so quickly?"
Lu Chengyu said unwillingly, "The magistrate just wants to make a quick buck and doesn't want to offend anyone."
Lu Lin paid three hundred taels of silver to bail the person out. The county magistrate took the lion's share of the three hundred taels, the registrar took a smaller share, and he had nothing to do with it.
Lu Chengyu suddenly realized that he had acted like a villain.
The money was used to buy an official position, which consumed most of what Lu Lin and Chen Xiaomi had earned over the years. Lu Lin then sold the house and the goods in the business to Yang Hengzhi for four hundred taels of silver.
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