"Xiansheng, the county magistrate has called you here to tell you a piece of good news."
County Magistrate Zhao stroked his beard and spoke leisurely, "The current emperor is wise and virtuous. He has re-established the post of Governor of Zhejiang, concurrently overseeing military affairs at Fuxing, Quanzhou, and Zhangzhou. He has appointed Zhu Wan, the Right Vice-Minister of the Imperial Censorate, Governor of Nan, Gan, and Ting, and Deputy Chief of Military Affairs, to this position. Governor Zhu has already taken office, and guess what his first act was? He specifically commended our county for its achievements in resisting the Japanese pirates and issued orders to all prefectures, states, and counties along the Fujian and Zhejiang coasts, urging them to emulate this example."
Although County Magistrate Zhao had tried to suppress it, he still found it difficult to conceal his joy.
This is not surprising. The post of Governor of Zhejiang has been vacant for many years. Now Emperor Jiajing has reinstated the post of Governor. As soon as the new governor took office, he set up County Magistrate Zhao as a role model and praised him highly. County Magistrate Zhao can be said to have become very famous.
If you take a closer look at this official position, you will find that Governor Zhu is not only in charge of Zhejiang, but also in charge of the military affairs of various prefectures and counties along the coastal area of Fujian.
He was in charge of two provincial governments, and although he didn't hold the title of Governor-General, he was in fact a Governor-General. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang. To have the favor of such a powerful official, it seemed that County Magistrate Zhao's luck had turned, and promotion was just around the corner.
Xu Yan cooperated very well and bowed deeply, saying, "I congratulate the County Master. Congratulations, County Master."
"Ah, it's all thanks to you, Xiansheng, that our county has received such praise from Governor Zhu."
County Magistrate Zhao also knew that he was praised by Governor Zhu thanks to the 3,000 dan of rice donated by Xu Yan.
Otherwise, when the Japanese pirates came ashore and wreaked havoc, the price of food in the city would have skyrocketed and people would have starved to death.
Even if the incident was eventually suppressed, County Magistrate Zhao would at most receive a mediocre evaluation and would never be lavishly praised by Governor Zhu as a role model.
Magistrate Zhao paused. Seeing Xu Yan standing respectfully beside him, showing no sign of arrogance, he felt very satisfied and continued, "This county has just received news that Governor Zhu will be coming to Ningbo Prefecture for an inspection in a few days, and Dinghai County will definitely be included. According to customary procedures, in addition to local officials responsible for welcoming him, some local gentry and common people are also required to accompany him. This county has decided to include you."
Although County Magistrate Zhao said this lightly, Xu Yan felt ecstatic when he heard it.
If others didn't know what kind of person Zhu Wan was, how could he not? This powerful figure single-handedly orchestrated the plan to wipe out the pirate stronghold on Shuangyu Island, completely driving the Portuguese and Japanese pirates out of this renowned smuggling port. Such a man was not only capable of serving as an official, but also possessed exceptional abilities. Winning his favor would greatly aid Xu Yan's future development.
Now, Magistrate Zhao had included him on the list of local gentry to welcome Zhu Wan, naturally to repay Xu Yan's donation of grain. It's rude not to reciprocate, and Magistrate Zhao was indeed very considerate. Of course, Magistrate Zhao had given Xu Yan an opportunity, but whether he could seize it was up to Xu Yan himself.
"I thank the county magistrate for his kindness."
Xu Yan bowed deeply and respectfully to Magistrate Zhao and said firmly, "Don't worry, Your Excellency. I will definitely not let you down!"
"Good, good! The county really didn't make a mistake."
Magistrate Zhao nodded repeatedly, patted Xu Yan's shoulder approvingly, and said, "Ambition transcends age. Although you are still young, as long as you strive for academic excellence, this county will certainly support you. You should also prepare well these few days, and don't show any fear in front of Governor Zhu."
"The students will definitely live up to the expectations of the county magistrate!"
"Well, you can leave now."
County Magistrate Zhao waved his hand, and Xu Yan tactfully said goodbye.
After leaving the county government office, Xu Yan went straight home.
Shuangxi saw his young master coming back and hurriedly went forward to greet him: "Young master, did the people from the yamen do anything to you?"
Xu Yan just thought it was funny, and spread his arms and turned around: "Look, I have an arm and a leg. Don't worry, the county magistrate asked me to go there to tell me a great news."
Shuangxi breathed a sigh of relief: "It turns out to be a good thing. I was scared to death."
"Alright, go ask the kitchen to make me some side dishes and a pot of wine. I have a good appetite, so I want to celebrate."
"I'll go right away!"
After sending Shuangxi away, Xu Yan returned to the house and sat down at the desk.
Xu Yan, who specialized in the history of the Jiajing period, was well aware that the Jiajing period was the most devastating period of the Ming dynasty. This included not only Japanese pirates but also Portuguese.
Take the Portuguese who occupied Shuangyu Island, for example. They built ports, warehouses, and military camps on the island, almost forming an independent kingdom. This was certainly intolerable to Emperor Jiajing, and of course there was another trigger: the extermination of Xie Qian's family.
This incident should have happened not long ago. In order to collect debts, the Portuguese on Shuangyu Island headed to Yuyao County, Shaoxing Prefecture. They sneaked into the Xie residence under the cover of night and killed dozens of members of the Xie family.
Who was Xie Qian? He was a renowned cabinet minister during the Hongzhi reign, serving through the reigns of Hongzhi, Zhengde, and Jiajing. He had countless students and followers. In the tenth year of the Jiajing reign, Xie Qian passed away. Emperor Jiajing even bestowed upon him the title of Grand Tutor and the posthumous title of Wenzheng.
Such a famous minister was killed by the Portuguese in his hometown after his death. How could Emperor Jiajing not be furious when he heard the news?
This was a slap in the face of the emperor! The Jiajing Emperor valued his reputation above all else. This is why, despite the rampant pirates in the early years of the Jiajing reign, Zhu Houcong did not reinstate the post of Governor of Zhejiang until the 26th year of the Jiajing reign, preparing to vigorously strengthen coastal defense.
No matter what, this is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he must seize it.
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On July 16, the newly appointed Zhejiang Governor Zhu Wan came to Dinghai County, Ningbo Prefecture for inspection.
Zhao Ruohai, the magistrate of Dinghai County, led all the civil and military officials of the county, as well as the sons of local gentry, out of the city to welcome them.
Xu Yan attended the meeting as one of the gentry's sons.
To show respect, County Magistrate Zhao and the others naturally left the city early. Xu Yan and the others waited for a full hour before Governor Zhu arrived.
It must be said that the Governor's pomp and circumstance was indeed grand, with hundreds of guards alone. From a distance, it was truly impressive.
Xu Yan thought to himself, "No wonder everyone wants to take the imperial examinations and become a high-ranking official. Of course, once you become an official, you have to show off. As the saying goes, wealth and honor that don't return home are like embroidered clothes walking at night."
It really feels great to be so majestic in front of others.
The following process was very routine. Magistrate Zhao welcomed the Governor into the city and vacated the county office for the Governor to stay in. Once Governor Zhu and his entourage were settled, the main event was the welcoming banquet.
County Magistrate Zhao had booked the most luxurious Lanyue Tower in Dinghai County early on and invited Governor Zhu to move there.
In addition to Governor Zhu's entourage and the principal officials of Dinghai County, the welcoming banquet also included a number of representatives of the gentry. Of course, the number was much smaller than the one at the city gate, numbering around a dozen or so. Xu Yan was one of them.
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ps: The seedlings need everyone's care~
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