I just passed the imperial examination, what the heck is this "Celestial Official System"?

"Lord Huo, Lord Song, congratulations!"

Farmhouse.

In the courtyard of Huo Zhun's residence, everyone offered their congratulations to Huo Zhun and Song Li.

Just yesterday.

In one go, Chief Zheng announced the official positions of seven or eight people, and also dismissed several veteran agricultural officials.

When a new official takes office, getting rid of the old guard is an inevitable process.

After all, no leader likes to be surrounded by his predecessor's subordinates.

Even if you have a kind heart.

However, there's always the possibility of being betrayed by subordinates, so it's essential to place trusted confidants in key positions.

However, Manager Zheng's actions were faster and more forceful than anyone had imagined.

The farmhouse only had eleven seats, and seven or eight people were replaced in one go, which was almost like a complete upheaval.

This time, young agricultural officials were given even greater responsibility.

Song Li and Huo Zhun were among the beneficiaries.

Both of them were newcomers to the farmhouse in recent years. If it were the usual way, it would take at least ten years of hard work to get a proper position.

Although their official positions remained at the ninth rank, there were differences between the ninth rank and the ninth rank.

For example, Huo Zhun and Song Li both served as agricultural officials, which not only exempted them from agricultural assessments but also gave them a certain degree of power to reward and punish, making them fundamentally different from ordinary agricultural officials.

They might even be addressed as "sir".

"Why should we brothers talk about these things?"

Huo Zhun comes from a prestigious family and is the oldest and most accomplished person among the group besides Song Li, so he has a certain air of leadership.

He also organized this gathering.

Originally, we planned to go to Chunnuan Pavilion, which is known as the most popular brothel in the city just from the name. However, due to the matter of the demon race, a curfew was imposed on farmhouses, so we had to stay in a farmhouse instead.

Even so, the standards were not inferior at all. Not only were the food and drinks specially brought from the Drunken Village in the city, but there were also five or six singing girls dancing gracefully.

Some of the young agricultural officials had never seen such a scene before.

Huo Zhun turned to look at Song Li, who was quietly drinking beside him: "Brother Song, the situation is special now. Our job as agricultural guards is not as easy as it used to be. After reporting to Chief Li tomorrow, we will probably have to live a life of hardship."

"It's still better than farming."

Song Li said with a smile.

Several agricultural officials looked at Song Li with envy in their eyes.

This time, the one who improved the most was undoubtedly Song Li.

Half a year ago, he was a newly arrived minor official who could be bullied by everyone. Now, not long after, he has gained the appreciation of Chief Clerk Zheng because he shone brightly in the assessment. And because Chief Clerk Zheng had just taken office, he was directly granted an official position.

In the past, there were only a few spots available for farmhouses, and even those who performed exceptionally well still had to wait in line, which could take anywhere from three to five years to more than a decade.

Time and life.

Such good fortune is something to be envied, but anyone who has served as an official in the imperial court knows that luck is also a part of one's abilities, and may even be more useful than hard work itself.

If you're unlucky, you can only endure it; there are many people like that in the county government.

As a scion of a prominent family, Huo Zhun, though approachable, was clearly ambitious. Now that he had broken through to the fifth level of Qi Gathering and held the position of Agricultural Guard, he still looked up to the seven or eight people in the farmhouse, and Song Li was one of them.

Therefore, his attitude towards Song Li was noticeably more polite: "Brother Song, shall we go to report for duty together tomorrow?"

That's exactly what I was thinking.

Song Li readily agreed.

In fact, he had already mastered the Flying Leaf Technique and was able to ask Master Zheng for the position of Agricultural Guard. Unexpectedly, due to the assessment, it was moved up.

Master Zheng was still unaware of his minor mastery of the Flying Leaf Technique.

"That's fine, it's always good to have a backup plan."

......

......

The next morning.

Song Li finished washing up early and put on her most presentable clothes.

Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse.

Although I had met with Manager Li a few times before, I had to be presentable on my first day, otherwise I would regret it later.

When Song Li arrived at the gate of Li Zhushi's residence, Huo Zhun was already at the door.

There's no other way.

Huo Zhun had maids to serve him when he changed clothes, washed up, and ate, so he hardly needed to spend much time on it, making his life much easier than Song Li's.

"Brother Song, let's go inside."

Upon seeing Song Li appear, Huo Zhun greeted him.

The two immediately knocked on the gate of Manager Li's courtyard.

"Here you are."

Upon seeing Song Li and Huo Zhun, Steward Li laughed heartily and led the two inside.

Li, the head of the department, is already seventy years old, but he looks younger because of his cultivation, appearing to be in his early fifties, and is still very energetic.

Because of his involvement in the Rong Anbo case, Ma, the head of the department, is still in the Xingfang prison.

The new deputy director has not yet been decided, and Director Zheng is the type to focus on the big picture and delegate the details, so Director Li has some ideas about becoming the executive deputy director.

This farmhouse has to take care of everything, big and small.

"Sit down, no need to be so formal."

Li, the steward, led the two into the main hall in a casual manner, without putting on airs of a superior.

"Yes, Manager Li."

Song Li and Huo Zhun sat down respectfully.

Li is the deputy head of the department. It's fine to call him Deputy Head of the Department when Zheng is around, but if he's the only one in charge, then it's a bit tactless.

Steward Li said, "Old Zhou and Old Wu were dismissed by Lord Zheng for their lax work. The agricultural garrison is not as good as it used to be. You two are young, so patrol more often each day to avoid trouble."

"The Marquis of Rong'an is secretly colluding with the demon race. There are many monsters hiding in the mountains in our eastern suburbs. Although the county magistrate personally led the people from the martial arts department up the mountain, if one of them escapes and destroys the spirit fields, we will definitely be punished."

......

Master Li spoke at length about everything, big and small.

Huo Zhun and Song Li listened patiently.

At last.

Only then did Steward Li take out two waist tokens and two swords.

"These are the waist tokens of the Agricultural Guard. These two are magical artifacts crafted by the workshop. Their power is quite good. Whether you use them or not is up to you. There are no mandatory rules. If you have the materials, you can go to the workshop to craft a magical artifact for free. This is also a benefit of our Agricultural Guard."

These words were meant for Huo Zhun's ears.

The Huo family of Shannan has a richer heritage than even a farmhouse, so they don't necessarily need ordinary magical artifacts.

Song Li accepted the magical longsword.

The spiritual energy within his body automatically connected with the magical sword. In terms of sharpness alone, it might not be as good as Zhao Hui's ancestral sword, but if spiritual energy and magic were added, the magical sword would be even better.

"nice one!"

This was the first time Song Li had obtained a magical artifact, so he couldn't help but take a closer look at it.

If it weren't for Manager Li being there, he would have liked to pull out his sword and dance a few times.

"alright."

After finishing speaking, Steward Li casually waved his hand and said, "Remember, the Agricultural Guard must protect the sacred fields. Even if you can't win, you must issue timely warnings. Otherwise, if you cause trouble at this critical juncture and incur the magistrate's wrath, even Steward Zheng won't be able to protect you."

Song Li's expression remained calm.

Being an official is not a one-time event that guarantees a permanent position.

Power represents responsibility, but if one becomes timid and hesitant because of it, what bright future can one expect?