"Sir, Master Wu was the former county magistrate's advisor. Although he is not on the list of officials in the government office or the Ministry of Personnel, he is still an important figure in the county office and is indispensable."
Song Pahuang, who had learned his lesson, spoke on the spot, completely ignoring Wu Ci who was constantly giving him glances.
"The former county magistrate's advisor? Liu Da!"
"I'm here."
After watching the excitement for a while, Liu Da knew it was his turn to make his debut.
"Is this the mentor you recruited?"
"No, sir. This Wuci was the advisor to my predecessor, the Khmer magistrate. When I took office, I was unfamiliar with many aspects of the county, so I frequently consulted him. I was only in office for a short time and did not hire an advisor."
Liu Da spoke loudly, trying his best to ensure that all the onlookers present could hear him. If there was a best actor award today, the crowd would definitely vote for him.
"Oh. To put it bluntly, he's just a Khmer advisor, hired privately. He has nothing to do with me. Go wherever you want."
Zhang Mingzhi said calmly, without even glancing at Wu Ci who was sweating profusely beside him.
The most aggrieved person here was Wu Ci. He tried to sneak away several times, but he ended up standing at the front, which was too conspicuous. Especially when Song Pahuang moved just now, his head was almost chopped off, which made him give up the idea of slipping away.
But staying here is really not a good idea.
"Master Zhang, although this Wu Shiye was the advisor to the former county magistrate, he is particularly knowledgeable about the county's situation. The former county magistrate and the county's wealthy families all praised him highly. I suggest that you keep him. This will help you quickly gain control of Beilan County."
Songpahuang's tone was still very tough. After all, he had the powerful Songpa family behind him, and he could not be weak in response to the master's instructions.
"Oh, I've seen forced buying and selling before, but this is the first time I've seen someone forcefully sell me a legal advisor."
Zhang Mingzhi smiled and said:
"What if I feel I don't need a mentor?"
"As for the matters of all sizes in the county, although you are a genius, one person's manpower is limited after all. I'm afraid you can't handle them all."
"What if I plan to change someone else to be my advisor?"
"The advisor you choose must be a top-notch talent, but I'm afraid he doesn't know enough about this county. Not only will he be unable to help you, but he might even do more harm than good, harming your career. That would be terrible."
Song Pahuang was very respectful in his actions, although not a single word he said gave face to Zhang Mingzhi.
"Oh, that doesn't matter."
Zhang Mingzhi smiled and said, "I have read the documents of the Cambodian Ministry of Revenue. In recent years, except for a small amount of taxes, Beilan County has not contributed to the state affairs. I think that even if it gets worse, it won't be much worse.
As for my career, I am a disciple of Qinghe Bo, so I don't worry about that."
Zhang Mingzhi paused and added, "Of course, we in Qinghe are not particular about hiring people. As long as they are talented, we don't mind who they have worked for before. I believe that if Master Wu is truly dedicated to serving the country, he will definitely find a way to make a difference. I can wait for his news."
Then he changed the subject and continued:
"But right now, I don't need a legal advisor. Besides, the matter of a legal advisor is not something you, a yamen runner, can interfere with. Do you understand, Song Pahuang? You should do what your position dictates. You are not qualified to negotiate terms with me!"
Songpahuang remained calm, smiled contemptuously, and said:
"Of course, I cannot negotiate terms with you, sir. So what I just said was not my opinion, but the opinion of the Songpa family. Your Excellency must understand this."
"The Songpa family? If it's the Songpa family's idea, let them speak. You're here to bring a message? What qualifications do you have to bring such a message? Do you, a squad leader, really think you can be the middleman between the county magistrate and the wealthy families in this county?"
"What if I want to be the middleman?"
Song Pahuang was almost driven mad by Zhang Mingzhi's words. In addition, he had a bad temper and was not good at intelligence. He could not stand Zhang Mingzhi's repeated ridicule of his low status.
"Just do it if you want."
Zhang Mingzhi's remarks were shocking.
The people watching nearby saw that the plot was about to reach its climax, and when they heard Zhang Mingzhi say this, they felt extremely disappointed.
"but."
Fortunately, Zhang Mingzhi's next words brought the atmosphere back to normal.
"Whether in Cambodia or Qinghe, there are regulations that officials working for the government cannot engage in other livelihoods. Since you insist on being a middleman, then you should quit your job as a squad leader.
Everyone heard it. I had good intentions and repeatedly advised you not to be the middleman, but you insisted on being one. It's really hard to persuade you with good words, you damn ghost.
Now I have granted your wish. You may go now and serve as your middleman, the leader of the three squads of yamen runners. County Lieutenant Liu, please select one of your own men to serve as the leader."
Songpahuang had never seen anyone so unreasonable.
Not only did they entangle him in a few words, but they also made unreasonable arguments and wanted to remove him from his position. You should know that if he was not the head of this group, the Songpa family would not even look at him, let alone pay attention to him. Moreover, the things he had done over the years had offended many people. Without the protection of the government and the Songpa family, he was afraid that he would not live to see tomorrow.
"Sir, please don't go too far!"
Song Pahuang was furious and took two steps forward, pointing at Zhang Mingzhi's nose.
A flash of knife light flashed across.
Song Pahuang's head and his words fell to the ground at the same time.
Liu Sanwa bowed and said, "Sir, I didn't fail this time."
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