Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

The sunlight in the second hall had already slanted to the threshold.

Zhao Changyan's smiling face vanished completely. "Jingzhai, you just said you'd have Zhang Shouli assist in managing the criminal affairs department. In this county, money and criminal cases account for 70% of the administration. Aren't you just handing him the reins of power?"

Li Hang didn't immediately respond, but instead smiled and changed the subject, "Changyan, what did you think of Hao Yun's debate with Magistrate Gu today?"

"Governing by playing the zither? What they say makes sense, but that's for the officials. No matter what Zhang Shouli is like, he's just a clerk, not an official."

Li Hang nodded slowly. "That's right. But I think officials are like musicians, and clerks are like the hands that pluck the strings. What kind of music a musician plays depends on the hands that pluck the strings."

"If your hands are obedient, the music will flow smoothly. If your hands are disobedient, the strings will either not move or move randomly, and you won't be able to play any piece."

Zhao Changyan's gaze fell on the table. "You mean, you are the musician."

"Whether it's a musician or a zither player, in the administration of a county, agriculture and sericulture are the body of the zither, the people are the strings, and the officials are the hands that pluck the strings. How the hands pluck, which string to pluck, and how hard to pluck are all up to the musician."

"If officials are lazy and disorderly in governing, the clerks will naturally be disorganized. If officials can clearly explain their policies, the clerks will be able to work as smoothly as their own arms and fingers, and will naturally be able to produce excellent writing."

Zhao Changyan leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting from Li Hang's face to the sunlight streaming through the window. Patches of light moved slowly across the blue brick floor; it was so quiet that the sounds of servants sweeping the corridor outside could be heard.

"That's true. But you know better than I what the relationship is between Zhang Shouli and Gu Yansheng. Gu Yansheng was able to be promoted to county magistrate, and Zhang Shouli was able to be promoted to assistant magistrate. You could say that the two of them complemented each other, not to mention the help they received from Zhang Fuzhi."

"Sun Jizu and he are practically neighbors, their two children are always together, like family. If you put him in charge of the criminal justice department, who in the county government can keep him in check?"

Li Hang's lips twitched slightly. "Changyan, I'm afraid you haven't said enough."

Zhao Changyan's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"He worked in the clerk's office for ten years, and was a former subordinate personally trained by Feng Jian. Hanging in his main room is a plaque written by Feng Jian himself, 'The brewing remains as it was at the beginning.' Think about it, what kind of bond is that?"

"They were almost like teacher and student."

"Pretty much. Also, Sun Zhonghe, the military officer, is directly under the county magistrate's command. Sun Zhonghe is someone Xu Kai is familiar with. Before Xu Kai was promoted to the prefecture, what he talked about with Zhang Shouli is something you and I don't know."

"But if Sun Zhonghe goes against Zhang Shouli, will he still be able to sit still in his post as military commander? Besides, the current county magistrate Sun is a close friend of his."

Zhao Changyan didn't speak, but looked at Li Hang with some surprise.

"Let's talk about the ceremonial office. Zhang Shouli was transferred to the household registration office, and Zhou Quan was transferred to the ceremonial office; the two recommended each other. Zhou Quan's nephew, Zhou An, is now inseparable from Zhang Shouli and I heard he's been given Zhang Shouli's personal name."

"Zhou Quan publicly humiliated the Zhang family several times for Zhang Shouli's sake. Even the matter of severing ties was done by Zhou Quan in the household registration office, who subtly transferred ten acres of ancestral land from the Zhang family to him."

Zhao Changyan added in a low voice, "It's about personal connections."

"That's right. Let's talk about Yan Shizhong from the workshop. He usually speaks very little and doesn't offend anyone. But do you know that Yan Shizhong's daughter married into the Zhao family in the south of the city? The two families have been related by marriage for many years."

"Zhang Shouli and Sun Jizu's two only sons are now receiving their education at the Zhao Family School. The Zhao Family Construction Company took on the renovation work for the Sanqing Temple, which was arranged by Zhang Shouli."

Zhao Changyan's expression changed slightly. "A conflict of interest."

Li Hang picked up his teacup and took a sip. "So, by all accounts, Zhang Shouli alone has actually controlled six departments. He has old ties in the Personnel Department, he controls the Revenue Department, he has personal connections in the Rites Department, he has allies in the Military Department, he has shared interests in the Works Department, and he has colleagues in the Criminal Department."

Zhao Changyan leaned back against the chair, then back up.

He reached up and touched the back of his neck, feeling the coldness in his fingers. "Jingzhai, you never leave the county office, how did you know all this?"

"Look at the documents. All the documents between the different departments have signatures and seals. You can tell who is close to whom and who is distant from whom just by looking at the documents."

"Another two or three points are about observing people. You don't need to ask around. Just sit in the second hall and carefully observe the expressions of everyone around you, and you'll naturally be able to figure things out."

Zhao Changyan was silent for a moment, then said, "According to you, doesn't that mean he's completely sidelined Gu Yansheng?"

Li Hang did not respond immediately this time.

He placed the teacup back on the corner of the table, tracing half a circle along the rim with his finger. "This is probably more than that."

Zhao Changyan raised his eyelids and looked at him with some surprise.

"The hundred archers in the county government are under the command of Sun Jizu. Given his relationship with Sun Jizu, it's no different from him being in his own hands. The head constable Wu Yan is his childhood friend, and in the archers' barracks, his word carries more weight than that of the county lieutenant."

"He Xiaoyi supported dozens of people by collecting taxes at the dock, relying on the issuance and approval of tax permits for households and houses. With just a word from Zhang Shouli, He Xiaoyi's men could run errands for him, and they might even cause a death without hesitation."

"As for the miscellaneous servants and clerks in the county government, after Zhang Shouli took over the household registration office, his stipends were increased and his rewards were more generous. Not everyone was grateful, but at least they would obey his orders in matters that did not concern their lives."

Zhao Changyan was increasingly shocked as he listened. "You actually know him better than Fang Zhong'an? And yet you dared to entrust the torture chamber to him!"

Li Hang smiled upon hearing this.

The smile was more genuine than before, as if he were looking at someone who was slowly coming to their senses.

"Don't you know what kind of person Fang Zhong'an is? When he's in the interrogation room, he goes to Zhang Shouli to ask about every case, how he handles it, how he sentences it, and how he closes it."

"Whether or not it's handed over to Zhang Shouli, he'll control 70% of the criminal affairs department. Rather than letting Fang Zhong'an, who asks him about everything, occupy the position, I'd rather remove Fang Zhong'an from his post and let him manage it directly. That would be legitimate and better than the current situation."

Zhao Changyan muttered to himself, his voice so low it was as if he were talking to himself, "In that case, he's practically no different from you, the county magistrate."

Li Hang shook his head. "No matter how much power he wields, he's still just a minor official. All those connections he has are tied to his position in the county government."

His gaze shifted from Zhao Changyan's face to the courtyard outside the window. The courtyard was empty, save for the shadow of an old locust tree cast on the blue brick ground, its shadow shattered and then gathered again by the wind.

"If he continues to control the household registration office, those people will naturally listen to him. But if I issue a document to expel him from the county government, his so-called personal connections will be lucky to last for half a year."

Zhao Changyan looked at him, his eyes lighting up.

"Sun Jizu might try to protect him. He Xiaoyi wouldn't offend me for the sake of a dismissed former employee. Feng Jian wouldn't jeopardize his future for the sake of a former subordinate..."

Li Hang withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhao Changyan. The sunlight cut a line of light and shadow across his profile.

"His roots are all planted in the county government office. If you pull him out, he's nothing. That's the difference between an official and a clerk. An official is an official of the imperial court. He, on the other hand, is nothing outside the county government office. Therefore, governing people is more important than governing affairs."