Chapter 2835 Identity
When they arrived at Shiwei, the sun was about to set. It was only March and the weather was still a little cold. The sun was setting quickly, but there were still many pedestrians on the street, and there was even a trend of increasing numbers. It was obvious at a glance that they were people out for dinner and to visit the night market.
Bai Shan got off the carriage first, then turned around and helped Zhou Man down, saying with a smile, "It seems that Qingzhou's curfew is late."
Manbao was still somewhat happy, as this showed that Qingzhou was prosperous. In this way, the Qingzhou Medical Bureau would have a way to make money after it was established.
The two stood at the door of the store and looked up. Seeing that it was a three-story building, they nodded in satisfaction again.
Although the two of them were traveling in only one carriage, they were accompanied by many guards, so they attracted attention before they even got off the carriage. When Bai Shan got off the carriage, everyone couldn't help but look over.
Bai Shan and Zhou Man stood in front of the store, and the crowd automatically moved away from them, so that a vacuum zone appeared around them.
County Magistrate Lu had arrived early. Naturally, the guests he invited had to arrive earlier, but other officials from the county government and the governor's office arrived earlier than him.
Magistrate Lu and his wife had just entered the private room and sat down. Before they had even taken a sip of tea, they heard Bai Shan and Zhou Man arrive. He immediately stood up and said to everyone, "Let's go down and greet Lord Bai and Lord Zhou."
Cao Lushi said, "In terms of rank, County Magistrate Bai is lower than you, so why are you so humble?"
Magistrate Lu smiled and said, "We all serve in the same court, so why bother arguing so much about rank? Besides, if we really were to talk about rank, no one here could compare to them. Don't forget, although their official positions in Qingzhou are low, they still hold titles."
"A title is based on merit, but an official position is based on ability. Since we are in the officialdom, it is natural that ability is considered. If everyone competes for titles, who would dare to appoint people with titles?"
Magistrate Lu shook his head. "Even if we ignore his title, Lord Zhou still holds the title of editor of the Chongwen Academy. Isn't that higher than you and me? Besides, although Lord Bai has been demoted to Beihai County as magistrate, everyone knows that he is a close confidant of the Emperor. After leaving the Secretariat and gaining some experience, he will eventually return to the capital."
County Magistrate Lu advised with a hint of meaning: "Be kind to others and be kind to yourself. In the future, we may even be able to seek help from others."
He really intended to be good to Bai Shan. Bai Shan's future was much brighter than his. If he could become friends with him, they could help each other in the future.
However, he still had to fight for what he should fight for, such as the location of Qingzhou Medical Bureau.
County Magistrate Lu brought the officials and their families downstairs and welcomed Bai Shan and Zhou Man into the restaurant with a smile on his face.
Seeing this, the restaurant owner immediately came over, personally led the way for them, sent them to the private room, and personally read out the dishes to them and took their order.
There are two large tables in the box, which are very spacious, three times the size of an ordinary box. There is a screen between the two tables, which is prepared for distinguished guests who come with their families.
In this way, the male and female guests are both together and not together.
But perhaps considering Zhou Man's status, she would definitely not sit at the same table with the female relatives. How could County Magistrate Lu talk to her then?
So the screen was put away at this time, and each official brought his own wife, who was sitting beside him, so there was no distinction between male and female guests.
In that era, this kind of sitting style was only used by close relatives to entertain guests, but it is not considered rude here.
Bai Shan once again sighed in his heart at the thoughtfulness of County Magistrate Lu, and the smile on his face became even wider.
County Magistrate Lu invited the two to sit in the seat of honor. Bai Shan and Zhou Man declined, but in the end Zhou Man sat in the honored seat. There was no other way, because she was still a fourth-rank official.
Bai Shan glanced at everyone's faces, and sat down next to Zhou Man while suppressing his laughter, while County Magistrate Lu sat down on the other side.
Although this is a round table, Zhou Man still feels like the moon surrounded by stars.
She savored the feeling for a moment, then listened to the restaurant owner's menu with a smile. She ordered two of the restaurant's signature dishes as a gesture of respect, and then handed the responsibility of ordering to others.
The shopkeeper wrote down their orders while watching their magistrate personally pour a cup of tea for Zhou Man and Bai Shan. He asked with a smile, "Are you acclimating to the weather in Qingzhou, Master Zhou and Master Bai?"
Zhou Man smiled and said, "I've only been here for a day, but I feel it's a little more humid than in the capital, so it's more tolerable."
County Magistrate Lu laughed heartily and said, "Qingzhou is by the sea, so it's a little more humid than the Central Plains. Lord Zhou and Lord Bai haven't been to the North Sea yet. Once you get there, you'll see how much more humid it is there."
Since County Magistrate Lu had brought up the topic, Bai Shan naturally wanted to follow up. He asked, "Who is in charge of Beihai County now?"
County Magistrate Lu immediately said, "It's County Magistrate Fang."
He smiled and said, "This County Magistrate Fang was originally the Chief Clerk. Last year, when I was transferred to Yidu County, he was temporarily in charge of Beihai County, so he was promoted to County Magistrate."
Bai Shan smiled and asked, "Is County Magistrate Fang from Beihai?"
County Magistrate Lu smiled and shook his head, "No, he is from Ye County, Laizhou."
Bai Shan was surprised, and Man Bao also raised his head in surprise. This was very strange. Currently, most of the county magistrates and chief clerks came from local gentry. Most of them took the Mingjing examination or were selected as officials through recommendation. They would only be transferred to other places when they were promoted to county magistrates.
The two of them did not continue the topic in front of everyone. Bai Shan continued to ask about the situation in Beihai County.
County Magistrate Lu obviously wanted to befriend Bai Shan, so he said everything he could. In the eyes of everyone, the two of them hit it off and had a great conversation.
The shopkeeper took down their orders and bowed before leaving. He first went to the kitchen to order, then went to the backyard on the first floor to look for his boss. "He's the magistrate of Beihai County, but the woman with him, whom Magistrate Lu calls Lady Zhou, must be the director of the Qingzhou Medical Bureau."
Shang Dalang nodded. "Looking at County Magistrate Lu's actions today, I thought it was the new governor who had arrived. But his age doesn't match. It turns out he's the magistrate of Beihai County and the director of the Medical Bureau."
"Boss, that lady Zhou is sitting in a respectful position. It seems that County Magistrate Lu is very respectful to her."
Shang Dalang thought for a moment and said, "I've heard that this famous doctor is a favorite in the palace. Not only did she cure the Crown Prince, she also treated the Queen's illness. It's normal for Magistrate Lu to be polite to her."
"Then why did she come to Qingzhou to serve as the governor?"
The position of the Director of the Medical Department was not high.
Shang Dalang said, "Who knows? You can go back and find out where the Qingzhou Medical Bureau is built, and then send a gift of congratulations."
"yes."
At the same time, Cheng Jiulang, who was sitting on the second floor, listened intently and smiled at the person across from him, "I didn't expect there would be distinguished guests at Chiweilai tonight. Are all the officials from the entire county government here? I wonder who the two people welcoming them are?"
The man sitting across from him shook his head and sighed, "Who knows? Last year, Qingzhou angered His Majesty, and many people were arrested. The new governor has been appointed for over two months, but he still hasn't taken up his post. Sigh, the governor's office is always being overseen by Yidu County like this. I don't know if this is good or bad."
See you at 6pm
(End of this chapter)
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