Han officials

Chapter 16: Change of Era to Zhongping [4K]

There are currently two common theories about the origin of the Xi family.

One is to use the country as the surname.

In ancient times, the descendants of Emperor Yan Shennong had countries such as Zhou, Fu, Gan, Xu, Xi, Lu, Qi, Ji, Yi, Xiang, Shen, and Lu. After the countries were destroyed, they took these as surnames.

The second is to use the place as the surname.

There is a drama village in Xinfeng, Chang'an, and there is a drama pavilion in the village. According to legend, this is where King You of Zhou died.

In addition, the name of Xixiang is said to have originated from playing in the water, and the people there took this as their surname.

But no matter which origin it is, it is a fact that there was no Xi clan in the Han Dynasty.

Therefore, even if Xi Zhicai had achieved academic success, it would still be extremely difficult for him to become an official.

If Xi Zhicai had not made an agreement with Wei Zhe in advance, he would probably have gone to Luoyang to study.

……

Two days later, Changsha County.

It was still the same tavern. When Wei Zhe, who was traveling light, met Xi Zhicai, he was still drunk.

Seeing this, even Taishi Ci couldn't help but grumble, "Is this guy really a genius?"

Although Zhong Hu didn't say anything, he obviously agreed with Taishi Ci's words.

However, Wei Zhe didn't care at all. Instead, he took off his bearskin cloak and covered him with it.

Then Wei Zhe sat beside Xi Zhicai and waited quietly for him to wake up, without any sign of impatience.

The owner of the tavern nearby couldn't help but marvel at this.

This kind of scene of respecting the wise and humble is naturally not uncommon in Yingchuan County, but the objects of this treatment are all famous people in the world.

The old man had never imagined that a theatre actor who was addicted to alcohol could actually get such treatment.

If it weren't for the past neighborly relationship, the old man would have wanted to ask Wei Zhe whether he had an eye disease or had heard any rumors?

It is true that Yingchuan has many talented people, but that doesn't mean you can just pick up any drunkard on the street.

Not to mention the old man who was watching the fun from the sidelines.

An hour later, when Xi Zhicai, who was sleeping soundly at his desk, woke up again, it was already getting dark.

He wasn't surprised to see Wei Zhe. "Thank you for waiting. Come with me!"

After a while, they returned to the theater and the host and guest sat down separately.

Xi Zhicai was not too surprised when he learned that Wei Zhe was awarded the position of Dai Fangling.

After all, if Wei Zhe hadn't been an official, he probably wouldn't have come to see him again.

This time, Wei Zhe didn't waste any words and went straight to the point:

"Sir, you have great strategic plans, but it's a waste of talent to live in the countryside."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to treat you as the chief clerk of the county. Please help me, sir!"

The so-called chief clerk is the head of the county government, who is in charge of many official affairs.

It’s not that Wei Zhe was reluctant to give up the position of county magistrate, but mainly because the county magistrate, county lieutenant and other assistant officials were directly appointed and dismissed by the court, and the county magistrate had no right to replace them.

But Xi Zhicai's imagination is different from that of ordinary people.

He didn't care about the price Wei Zhe offered. Instead, he asked, "Daifang is located in the far east, it's cold and barren, and it's not a good place. As the county magistrate, what will you do?"

Wei Zhe was not surprised to hear this. The king chooses his ministers, and the ministers also choose their king.

Xi Zhicai's words seemed to be asking Wei Zhe how to govern, but in fact he was asking about his ambitions.

So after pondering for a moment, Wei Zhe could only say briefly: "

The snow presses the bamboo branches low, but they do not touch the mud.

Tomorrow morning the red sun will rise, still level with the clouds."

Unlike the previous Han Dynasty, five-character poems were more popular at that time, so Xi Zhicai had no difficulty understanding them.

Instead, it was Wei Zhe's way of responding that surprised him even more.

But when I think about the fact that I am also asking him a question, there is nothing wrong with Wei Zhe expressing his aspirations through poetry.

Moreover, Wei Zhe's poem is also very interesting. The more Xi Zhicai thinks about it, the more profound it seems to him.

Thinking of this, Xi Zhicai immediately clapped his hands and smiled, saying, "Okay, then I will go to the place where the red sun rises and see how you can be on par with the clouds!"

After hearing this, Wei Zhe smiled happily.

"A word is settled!"

……

After successfully recruiting Xi Zhicai, Wei Zhe no longer had any concerns.
So after Xi Zhicai packed up the books and writing materials, everyone rushed straight east.

Roughly speaking, there are actually two routes from Yingchuan County to Lelang County.

One way is to go north from Yingchuan County to Wei County, from Jizhou to Youzhou, through Liaoxi County, across Liaoze, into Liaodong County, and then go east all the way to Lelang County.

This route was mainly overland, and a rough estimate would take over 5,000 li. Not only was the distance long, but the difficulty of crossing the Liaoze River in the dead of winter was also unimaginable.

Therefore, Wei Zhe chose the second route without hesitation.

That is to leave Yingchuan County and enter Qingzhou, then board a ship directly from Donglai County to Liaodong County, and then change to the land route to Lelang County.

Compared to the previous route, this one was much easier, shortening the distance by nearly half and being safer. Compared to the 200-li Liaoze natural barrier, the waves on the Bohai Sea were nothing.

Moreover, the waterway between Donglai County and Liaodong County has existed since ancient times and is now very mature.

In fact, as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, the Dongyi people of Donglai County had often traveled between Liaodong and Donglai by boat.

By the time Emperor Taizu Gao defeated Xiang Yu and unified China, this waterway had become no different from an inland waterway.

At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Feng Meng, a native of Duchang, Beihai, led 600 family members and guests to cross the sea to Liaodong to avoid the cruel rule of Wang Mang.

It’s not that the shipbuilding level was so high at that time, but the distance between the two places was too close.

You should know that the Bohai Strait is only two hundred miles wide, and there are islands connected in between, with each island no more than twenty miles apart.

So let alone taking a boat, even paddling a bamboo raft would probably be possible to reach Liaodong County smoothly along this island chain.

At the beginning of the year, Wei Zhe and his two hundred Liaodong volunteers sailed from Liaodong to Donglai.

However, they were in such a hurry at that time that they couldn't find a large ship that could carry ten thousand hu of grain, so they had to squeeze themselves together with the horses, and even then it was transported by two ships.

It was precisely because of this that Wei Zhe accidentally fell into the water during the voyage.

……

The next day, Huang County, Donglai County.

Wei Zhe felt a little complicated when he revisited the old place.

Looking back to when he first came to this world half a year ago, he spent his novice period in Donglai County.

In comparison, Taishi Ci's ideas were much simpler.

In fact, since entering Donglai County, he has unconsciously sped up.

Wei Zhe knew that he was eager to return home, so he simply passed by Huang County without entering and went straight to Chenxiang.

However, Wei Zhe's group of 500 cavalrymen were so impressive that they were stopped on the official road before they even entered Chen Township. An old man in a black robe and a red cap emerged from the inn, looking at the crowd with a look of fear.

There was no other way. The aftermath of the Yellow Turban Rebellion had not yet subsided, and no one would ignore such a team. However, despite his worries, the old man still spoke carefully:

"I am the local village headman. May I ask what brings you gentlemen to my village, Chen?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe was about to speak when Taishi Ci beside him could not help but rein in his horse and rode out from the crowd.

"Mr. Du, it's me, Taishi Ziyi. Don't you even recognize me?" Taishi Ci smiled and dismounted, bowed to the old man, and then pointed to the riders behind him and said, "These are my friends, not the Yellow Turbans."

The village headman surnamed Du's brows relaxed slightly after recognizing Taishi Ci, but his smile was still a little forced.

If Taishi Ci had not had a good reputation in the village, he would have suspected that this kid had joined the bandits.

Wei Zhe, who was on horseback, laughed and said, "Ziyi, you should go home first. Don't keep the old lady waiting. I will come to see her later."

Seeing this, Taishi Ci, who was eager to return home, thought about it and said no more, and immediately rode away.

On the other side, Wei Zhe did not feel offended after getting off his horse. Instead, he took the initiative to hand over a few items.

"Mr. Du, this is my certificate and talisman, please examine it."

Our dynasty has been established for more than a hundred years, and there is naturally a complete process for officials to take office.

In order to prevent others from impersonating officials, local officials now need to have their own "certificate of appointment" and "imperial edict" from the court when taking office, which clearly states the official's appearance, age, and background.

The most important thing is that you need a "take office token".

The so-called "appointment certificate" is actually a kind of certificate.

It is usually made of bamboo, six inches long, and divided into two parts, which can only be used when put together.

Officials need to report to their post with this token. If the token is lost or damaged on the way to their post, they need to write a statement explaining the reason and apply for a new certificate as soon as possible.

Only after seeing the "notice of appointment" and the "imperial decree" from the court and the "appointment token" would the Lelang County Prefectural Government send someone to take Wei Zhe to Daifang County to take up his post.

Such a strict procedure can theoretically prevent people from taking office under false names.

In addition, the Secretariat would also grant local officials "entry and exit passes" and "entry and exit passes for officials' family members" to facilitate officials in passing through various checkpoints on their way to their posts.

For example, the "Official Family Entry and Exit Pass" in Wei Zhe's hand clearly stated the number of his entourage when he took office and the means of transportation he used.

Otherwise, Wei Zhe would not have been able to come here with 500 cavalrymen across states and counties.

Of course, this set of rules was implemented quite well in the early years of this dynasty.

But more than a hundred years have passed, and some rules are naturally not taken so seriously.

It was because they had just experienced the Yellow Turban Rebellion and all places were on high alert that Wei Zhe was questioned. Otherwise, according to the practice in previous years, the village headman would have been deaf and blinded when he saw this group of fierce and elite cavalry.

In fact, this process is indeed useful.

The village headman checked the talisman and confirmed that it was correct, then wrote in the book:
"On the 11th day of the 11th month of the first year of the Zhongping reign, Luoyang and Lelang issued a six-inch token, one hundred teeth, number 959; if it matches, then it will be used..."

The serial number at the end of the letter is actually the number of the talisman, which is written on the engraved area in the upper left corner of the talisman.

When Wei Zhe first saw Fu Chuan, he was actually a little surprised.

All I can say is that many of the rules in the Han Dynasty were actually quite good, but it was a pity that they were not properly implemented.

However, Wei Zhe couldn't help but wonder after reading it: "The first year of Zhongping?"

Upon seeing this, the village headman immediately took the initiative to explain, "We also received the imperial decree yesterday. The emperor has decided to grant amnesty to the entire nation and change the reign to Zhongping."

After saying this, the old man bowed to Wei Zhe and said apologetically, "It was all due to my duty just now. Please don't blame me, Lord Wei!"

Wei Zhe just smiled casually when he heard this and didn't care.

In comparison, he was more curious about the movements of the imperial court. After all, he had no time to inquire about the news along the way.

Upon hearing this, the village headman quickly walked into the inn and took out the official report and handed it to Wei Zhe to read.

After all, this nobleman is only in his twenties, but he is already in charge of a large county. Who knows what his background is, so the old man naturally dare not offend him.

Besides, this information is worthless and can be found in other villages.

The so-called Dibao (imperial gazette) contained no secrets; it was simply a kind of public announcement. It regularly recorded official documents such as the emperor's edicts, imperial decrees, and ministerial memorials, as well as information on important court events. These documents were then regularly recorded on bamboo slips or silk. These were then delivered to the various prefectures via the post roads established during the Qin Dynasty by courier on swift horses, thereby preventing any rifts between the local and central governments.

Because each county had a "special residence" in Luoyang, it was called "Dibao".

……

After a moment, Wei Zhe raised his head with a frown.

Only then did he know that after Huangfu Song took office as the governor of Jizhou, the first thing he did was to request the exemption of Jizhou's land rent for one year to support the hungry people, and the emperor agreed.

At this point, the village headman couldn't help but sigh, "It's said that the people of Jizhou are now singing: The world is in chaos, the market is a wasteland, mothers can't protect their children, wives have lost their husbands, but thanks to Huangfu, we can live in peace again. Tsk tsk! The country has General Huangfu in charge, it's truly a blessing from heaven!"

However, the more he said this, the deeper Wei Zhe's brows furrowed.

Is Huangfu Song really stupid or just pretending to be stupid?
Doesn't he understand that the higher his reputation in the world, the more dangerous he will be?
The emperor appointed him as the governor of Jizhou as a reward, but it was also a test.

If Huangfu Song behaves in this way, he may not be able to hold the position of Governor of Jizhou for many more days.

Huangfu Song will definitely be transferred within a month at most.

However, thinking back on the battles over the past six months, Wei Zhe suddenly had a vague understanding in his heart.

Huangfu Song probably knew exactly what the emperor was thinking.

The emperor made an exception and appointed him as the governor of Jizhou because he did not want to give him the opportunity to lead his troops back to the court.

But just like he decisively handed over power on the day of the reward, Huangfu Song did it even though he knew that the emperor would be suspicious.

Because he was greedy for fame, greedy for posthumous fame, greedy for a name to be recorded in history and passed down through the ages.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhe sighed helplessly.

Confucius said: If one seeks benevolence and obtains it, why should he complain?
Even if he is imprisoned in the future, I believe he will not regret what he did today.

Compared with Huangfu Song's high position and power, Zhu Jun was obviously much more miserable.

After leading the troops back to the court, he resigned from his post as Guanglu Dafu just a few days ago due to his mother's death. Now he has returned to his hometown to observe mourning.

When Wei Zhe saw this news in the official newspaper, he could imagine how disappointed Sun Jian was.

Because according to current custom, mourning for one's mother usually lasts for at least three years.

In other words, within three years, unless something unexpected happens, no one will care about Sun Jian.

After all, as the Sima of a separate department, he was in charge of the "separate camp" outside the official corps.

Since there was no clear military organization, the troops of the Sima of the Biebu Department were basically temporary.

If Zhu Jun was there, Sun Jian's position as Sima of a separate department could remain the same.

But now that Zhu Jun has temporarily left his position, I'm afraid Sun Jian can only support these troops out of his own pocket.

For a moment, Wei Zhe felt sympathy for Sun Jian but also felt a little relieved.

Fortunately, he did not act impulsively at the time, otherwise he would probably be sitting on the bench with Sun Jian in Luoyang, and would not be as happy and carefree as he is now.

--------

references:
"Jianshuijinguan Han Bamboo Slips"

Juyan Han Bamboo Slips

Tan Qixiang's "Atlas of Chinese History"

Book of Han, Book of the Later Han

(End of this chapter)