In the back hall of Kunshan County Government Office, there was a constant sound of clapping.
That was Master Zhao playing mahjong in a circle with three assistant officials.
Recently, they were thinking that new appointments were coming, and they were all a little uneasy and bored, so they played a few rounds of mahjong to relax at the call of Mr. Zhao Er...
Who would have thought that after all the hard work, Zhao Shouzheng always lost in the move, and he felt even worse.
In this round, the four people had already touched four sets of Gongzi in front of them, and only a single Diao was left in their hands.
After several rounds, there was no Hu at all. Mr. Zhao could not hold back and kept the two bamboos he had just touched and played his own chicken.
"Little bird."
"It's a tie." He Wenwei immediately showed his own card, which was also a chicken.
"What a coincidence, I have one too." Bai Shouli also rubbed his hands with a smile and showed his own bird.
"What a coincidence. I won't be polite either. Me too." Xiong Dianshi pushed his own card over, and it turned out to be also a chicken.
"Damn, is my bird so powerful?" After hitting the target three times, Mr. Zhao's face turned green. He threw the gambling chips to the three people and said angrily, "Why is my luck so bad today? I haven't won a single hand yet?"
"You talk as if you were the county magistrate, and we've played hands of this before." The outspoken He Wenwei proudly stacked up the chips.
"Old He, I think this year's toilet committee director should be you." Master Zhao glanced at him. He was really a jerk.
"Well, well, well, it's time for me, the county magistrate, to retire after my success. Lord He will definitely do a better job than me!" Bai Shouli's cheeks trembled with joy, and he smiled gloatingly, "This has long been a consensus."
The so-called long-standing consensus naturally refers to He Wenwei's nickname "Smell the County Magistrate".
"Your Excellency has misunderstood. That's not what I meant. I meant that you were so busy with government affairs that you didn't have time for entertainment. Since the Chinese New Year last year, we have played cards less than three times, right? Of course, we haven't played together many times." County Magistrate He was not very tactful and quickly made amends, "Yes, yes, that's what I meant. I was definitely not questioning your card skills!"
He was also a juren, so how could he bear to go to each toilet all day to check whether the toilet bowl was clean and whether the feces soup was leaking out? Then he would be nicknamed "Smellable County Magistrate" for the rest of his life.
"Then tell me, why do I always disagree?" Mr. Zhao picked up the purple clay Wendan pot beside him and took a sip. "If what you said is right, then I won't change people."
"That's because..." At the critical moment, He Wenwei's eyes rolled around, and suddenly he saw the teapot in the county master's hand. He quickly said, "I know! It's because the master is holding a teapot!"
"What's wrong with me holding the teapot?" Zhao Shouzheng asked puzzledly.
"Your Excellency, think about it, the word 'teapot' sounds like 'bad luck', so every game is almost a win." In order to avoid being the director of the toilet committee, County Magistrate He worked very hard.
"That makes sense." Master Zhao patted his head in realization, handed the teapot to his attendant and said, "Change it to a wine pot for me, Master."
"The wine pot is not auspicious, it takes a long time to make a winning hand." Bai Shouli said immediately: "It's a good thing to play for a long time, but you still have to make a winning hand quickly at the card table."
"Then change the urinal? Are you sure it will work?" Zhao Shouzheng rolled his eyes at him.
"Hahaha!" The four of them burst into laughter, dispelling the slightly stuffy atmosphere in the room.
"In fact, you three don't need to be so nervous," Master Zhao said to the three assistants while drawing cards, "This official and the palace master have given you excellent evaluations. The court master has also made arrangements. This time, you will definitely have a bright future."
"It is a blessing for us to follow you for three years..." the three said sincerely.
"This time I hope to be an official, even if I have to go to Yunnan or Guizhou!" He Wenwei said with a wry smile, "To be honest, I have been in Kunshan for nine years and never expected to be promoted. Even if I am transferred, I will just be a second-in-command in another government office, taking the blame, being bullied, and being treated like a slave by the chief official..."
"Oh, have I wronged you so much in the past three years?" Zhao Shouzheng teased him.
"Absolutely not. Your Excellency is very caring towards me. Without you, how could I have won the title of 'Outstanding' for three consecutive years?" County Magistrate He waved his hands and said, "I was just saying how difficult it is to be an assistant official in the world. It is unimaginable for you, who is sure to be the top scholar in the imperial examination..."
"Haha." Zhao Shouzheng nodded with a half-smile, and then asked Bai Shouli, "Old Bai, what are you worried about?"
"Because I don't want to go anywhere. I can't bear to leave the people of Kunshan." Bai Zhubu's eyes turned red and he said, "This place is like my second hometown."
"I think you are reluctant to give up your position in Kunkaisi!" He Wenwei exposed him mercilessly.
Bai Shouli's job as the vice chairman of Kunkai Company was not for nothing. Kunkai Company paid him an annual salary of 1,000 taels of silver, plus a year-end bonus.
In the past two years, Kunkai's business has been booming, and the year-end bonus is the biggest part. He received 10,000 taels two years ago, and last year it doubled to 20,000 taels!
These are all clean incomes. How can they be the same as money obtained through corruption and bribery?
No matter who it is, I won't leave...
"Hehe, you see the truth but don't say it, let's continue to be friends." Bai Shouli said embarrassedly: "I don't have any ambitions, I just want to protect Kunshan for a few more years, and I can't let anyone destroy the good situation that you have worked so hard to create."
"Haha, this little mouth looks like it's covered with honey." Mr. Zhao nodded with a smile, then looked at Mr. Xiong and said, "Old Xiong, what about you?"
"I just want to continue following you, sir. I will go wherever you go, without any ambiguity." Xiong Dianshi immediately expressed his opinion.
In fact, before Zhao Hao came to Beijing, he had talked to him specifically and asked him if he was willing to follow his father. Xiong Dianshi was alone and had long recognized that Zhao Hao had a bright future, so he agreed without hesitation. That's why he answered so straightforwardly at this time...
"Old Bear, didn't the Master ask you to show your loyalty?" He Wenwei scolded with a smile, "You make it seem like we can't wait to leave the Master."
"Yes, that's something the court decided, isn't it something we can influence?" Bai Shouli also echoed, "Otherwise we can all follow the master. The master is the prefect, and we are his county magistrates, isn't that great?"
"That's true." Xiong Xiasheng nodded slightly and said no more.
~~
While the four were talking, footsteps were suddenly heard outside, followed by the voice of the doorman, Mr. Yu.
"Master, there's a letter from the young master!"
The four people in the room were so nervous that they couldn't even breathe.
"Oh, bring it in quickly." Mr. Zhao's voice changed.
Yu Men pushed the door open and presented a letter from the capital to Zhao Shouzheng.
He Wenwei and the other two were worried as they watched Master Zhao trembling as he cut open the envelope. He almost cut his wrist with the letter opener.
When Zhao Shouzheng took out the letter and read it, the three of them held their breath, waiting for the final judgment.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Zhao stayed there, and the three of them almost suffocated to death.
"Sir, what's going on?" County Magistrate He finally couldn't help it and asked while gasping for breath.
"The appointment has come down." Zhao Shouzheng glanced at him, calmed down, and said with a smile: "Congratulations, you got what you wanted, County Magistrate He."
"He, He, the county magistrate?" He Wenwei seemed to be in a dream. With tears in his eyes and trembling lips, he asked, "Excuse me, sir, which county is this?"
"This county." Zhao Shouzheng said with a smile.
"Ah, hahaha..." He Wenwei was immediately overjoyed.
What is Kunshan County? It is now the fastest growing county in the country. County Magistrate Zhao and his son have laid a solid foundation. As long as he follows the rules, he will be able to achieve steady political achievements!
Moreover, he had been in Kunshan for nine years and was familiar with every aspect of it. He did not have to worry about acclimatization problems or non-cooperation from the local gentry.
This is a hundred times better than being a county magistrate in Yunnan or Guizhou! County Magistrate He just wanted to shout long live! How lucky he is!
But when he thought about the fact that he would soon become the master's man, he had to be reserved. He had to resist the urge to dance, which was very difficult...
"What about me, sir?" Bai Shouli asked impatiently, and slapped himself in the face, "Look at my mouth, I should have asked you first, where is Gaosheng?"
"Haha, it doesn't matter." Zhao Shouzheng smiled generously and said, "Congratulations to you, Lao Bai. You will replace Lao He and be promoted to the position of county magistrate."
The chief clerk was a ninth-rank official, and the county magistrate was an eighth-rank official, both of which were promotions. But he didn't have to leave Kunshan, which meant he could continue to work in Kunkaisi. Bai Shouli, who had gotten what he wanted, was immediately overjoyed, grinning with his mouth wide open, and was so excited that he couldn't speak.
"As for you, Old Xiong." Zhao Shouzheng turned his gaze to Xiong Xiasheng and said word by word, "Promoted to the magistrate of Haiyang County, Chaozhou Prefecture."
"Ah?" Even though Xiong Xiasheng had an expressionless face, he still looked incredulous when he heard that.
The Dianshi was a non-official civil official, but he was promoted six levels at once and was promoted to the seventh-rank county magistrate!
Even though he expected that Mr. Zhao would try to promote him, he didn't expect him to be promoted to such a high position...
"Oh, congratulations, Old Bear. Oh no, Master Bear." Seeing his subordinate surpass him, Bai Shouli couldn't help feeling a little jealous. He said with a smile, "The court can really make full use of its people. Chaozhou, a place of chaos and disorder, is just the right place for you to show your talents!"
"Haha, wherever you are, you are serving the court." Xiong Xiasheng didn't mind. They had been together for many years, but he didn't know that he was so petty. Apart from being greedy, lustful, timid, jealous, and prematurely ejaculating, the fat white guy was not a bad person.
"I wonder where you will be promoted, sir?" He Wenwei finally came to his senses and asked Zhao Shouzheng hurriedly.
"Haha, Lao Xiong and I are going the same way, both going to Chaozhou." Zhao Shouzheng said with a wry smile.
"Uh..." Bai Shouli slapped himself hard and didn't know how to recover.
"Oh? Are you going to be the prefect of Chaozhou?" He Wenwei was surprised at first, then he said happily: "Congratulations, sir, you have become the first person in the country to wear the red robe from a prefecture or county!"
White Bear and the other two also hurried to congratulate.
"You're wrong. It's not the prefect," Mr. Zhao said bitterly, "It's the assistant who took the blame, suffered from the wrath, and was treated like a slave by the chief official..."
"Ah?" He Wenwei had no choice but to slap himself. "Look at my mouth!"
p.s. There will only be one update today, and I should be able to update twice tomorrow.