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

Zhang Sanlang's palm was pressed against the letter, sweat seeping through his fingers and dampening the edges.

He recognized his second brother's handwriting.

The brushstrokes are sharp and swift; the horizontal strokes always end with a slight upward flick, like a knife tip scraping across the paper.

He glanced at the letter quickly, suppressed his emotions, and then carefully read it again from beginning to end to confirm his suspicions.

"Dear Sanlang: When my second brother was serving as a candidate for the imperial examination in the capital, he was summoned to the side hall for an audience. The Emperor first asked him about policy, then about border affairs, which I answered one by one. I thought it was just a formality, but the Emperor suddenly changed the subject and asked me about my hobbies."

"I said that besides reading, I also enjoyed swordsmanship. The emperor became interested and asked more questions. I said that I always carried a sword, which was the sword of a famous general from a previous dynasty. It had been passed down among the common people and was eventually acquired by a retired soldier from my hometown, who then gave it to me."

"The Emperor asked who the general was. I replied that he was Sun Jizu, the county magistrate of Juancheng. He was originally a military commander, and he bought the sword by chance when he returned to his hometown. We had a pleasant conversation, and he presented it to me. Upon hearing this, the Emperor inquired in detail about some past events."

"The next day, the Ministry of Personnel exceptionally appointed me as a judge of the Court of Judicial Review and prefectural judge of Tanzhou. My second brother ranked tenth in the second-class imperial examination and should have been appointed as a county magistrate according to regulations. This position of prefectural judge must have been a preferential appointment by the emperor in consideration of my brother Sun's merits..."

Zhang Sanlang looked away from the letter, a slight feeling stirring in his heart.

His second elder brother and four others passed the imperial examination with top honors and were all appointed as prefectural vice-prefects. Upon completion of their terms, they were often transferred to the capital, and those with outstanding performance evaluations were even transferred to the central government, experiencing extremely rapid promotions.

According to custom, those who ranked higher in the second-tier imperial examinations were initially appointed as eighth-rank officials in the capital, serving as county magistrates. Those who ranked lower were often appointed as county magistrates, assistant county magistrates, or registrars in smaller counties.

Zhang Sanlang's lips curled into a slight smile, happy for his second brother, but the thought of what followed made his heart tighten. Unable to suppress his emotions, he regained his composure and continued reading, word by word:

"However, fortune may be followed by misfortune. Three days after my second brother took office in Tanzhou, he made his usual inspection tour of the subordinate counties. He saw a clerk who looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before."

"Upon reviewing the accounts he handled, I found numerous errors and omissions. Two instances of falsely reported land taxes, though small in amount, were clearly intentional. Upon further examination of his bottom register, I discovered many unclear entries within a ten-month period, indicating that he was a habitual manipulator. I then summoned him for questioning."

"This man stood before the desk, his back straight and his eyes fixed straight ahead, and his tone was quite impatient when he answered. I scolded him a few times, and he actually talked back to my face, saying that the newly appointed scholar was not familiar with practical matters and should not point fingers."

"In a fit of rage, I drew my sword and killed him on the spot..."

Zhang Erlang wrote faster and faster, and when he got to the four characters "拔剑斩之" (draw his sword and slay him), his brushstrokes almost flew off the page, and the ink became lighter, clearly because he was writing so quickly that he didn't have time to dip his brush in ink.

Seeing this, Zhang Sanlang couldn't help but recall the scene of watching Zhang Erlang practice his swordplay. The sword light drew an arc in the courtyard, slicing off a few locust leaves, which were not even on the ground before being sheathed.

happy Mei watched from under the eaves without blinking.

Qingge chased after the leaf for a while, picked it up, and held it out to Zhang Erlang. "Second Uncle, you're amazing! Can you teach me?"

Zhang Erlang placed his sword across his lap. "Qing-ge'er, you must remember this: swordsmanship is only enough to defeat one person, but studying well makes you capable of defeating ten thousand. No matter how good your swordsmanship is, it only provides temporary pleasure. True pleasure comes from understanding what you've learned."

However, despite saying that, he still taught Qing Ge'er a trick under his persistent nagging. He grabbed Qing Ge'er's hand holding the tree branch and twisted his wrist.

The branch flew out of his hand and embedded itself in the mud about three zhang away, sinking an inch into the ground. Qing Ge'er was dumbfounded, while Zhang Erlang stood up and dusted off his hands.

"That's called wrist strength. Your father used a similar amount of force when dealing with people in the government office. He was firm when he needed to be, and relaxed when he needed to be. When he was relaxed, he looked soft, but when you turned him over, he was firm."

At that time, Zhang Sanlang was standing under the corridor and felt that his second brother was using the sword teaching as an excuse to talk about something else.

Now, reading this letter, he understands.

His second brother had always been tough, honed by ten years of travel, and had never softened. But when they arrived in Tanzhou, that sword was finally drawn.

Lost in thought for a while, Zhang Sanlang continued reading the letter:

"I later learned that this man had once served as a clerk in Puzhou, and his name was Wu Haogu. He had also inspected Juancheng and bullied my brother. This was beyond my expectations."

"Sanlang, I have already submitted a memorial to the court impeaching myself, detailing the execution of the official. The prefect of Tanzhou has also submitted a memorial impeaching me, and this matter will surely reach the Emperor's ears. I do not know how the court will deal with it, nor am I afraid. Whether it is in accordance with the Emperor's will or not, it is all appropriate."

"This matter originally had nothing to do with you, and your second brother thought it wouldn't involve you. However, since Wu Haogu was transferred from Puzhou, if the court investigates his past, they will inevitably have to go to Juancheng."

"You dealt with him in the Juancheng County government office. If the imperial court sends someone to ask, just tell the truth. There's no need to say anything else, and no need to cover for me. I will take responsibility for my actions..."

This was something Zhang Sanlang never expected.

His second brother's execution of an official upon taking office had already shocked him.

Even more unexpectedly, it was Wu Haogu who was beheaded.

To be honest, Zhang Sanlang had no grudge against him. Wu Haogu was sent to Juancheng by Hao Yun and was also secretly instructed by Kong Wenfu to provoke him. He was just following orders.

Zhang Sanlang sent someone to teach him a lesson, intending to use the opportunity to test the attitude and ability of the newly appointed magistrate, Li Hang. The final outcome was positive; because of this incident, the officials and clerks of Juancheng County were united in purpose.

As for Wu Haogu, Zhang Sanlang didn't take him seriously and didn't send anyone to make things difficult for him. According to Fang Zhong'an, after Wu Haogu returned to the prefectural government, he was severely harassed by Hao Yun.

Despite Kong Wenfu's strong support, he was ultimately dismissed from his post. Wu Haogu, resentful and unable to do anything about Hao Yun, sought refuge with his uncle in Tanzhou. The Fang brothers knew nothing of what happened after that, and Zhang Sanlang paid no attention.

Who would have thought that Wu Haogu, who traveled a thousand miles to deliver a head, would ultimately die by Zhang Erlang's sword?

That's hard to judge!

Now that things had come to this, Wu Haogu was dead and could not be brought back to life. Zhang Sanlang knew that there was no use in being anxious, so he could only calm himself down and continue watching:

"There are two other matters I must instruct you on. First, I have met the newly appointed magistrate of Juancheng, Li Taichu, several times at a banquet for our fellow graduates in the capital."

"This man speaks calmly and has very upright eyes, unlike the usual newly appointed scholars who are eager to show off. I heard Kou Pingzhong mention that his essays are very profound, and the examiner commented that he has the qualities of a prime minister."

"You are fortunate to serve under him. Listen to his instructions in all matters and do not let your own selfish motives interfere with official business. If he can govern Juancheng well, you will be able to live a peaceful life."

"Secondly, you need to be careful of Hao Yun. He was on the same list as me, but ranked at the bottom. He's very arrogant."

"At the banquet that year, Kou Pingzhong passed the imperial examination at a young age, and everyone congratulated him. Only Hao Yun made a sarcastic remark, saying that young people who achieve high scores are often arrogant and may not be able to accomplish great things."

"Kou Pingzhong was young and hot-blooded, and he retorted on the spot. The two almost came to blows. I kicked him out of the banquet. I didn't take this to heart, nor did I mention it to you. It was just a few words exchanged at a fellow graduate's banquet."

"But when I was waiting for my official post in the capital, I heard that Hao Yun had been appointed as the Registrar of Puzhou. I think this man is narrow-minded and may still be holding a grudge to this day."

"This man has a relative who serves in the court. He has been studying since childhood and has some talent. He is proud and cannot tolerate being humiliated. If he uses official business as an excuse to make things difficult for you, do not stand up to him."

"Bear with him for now. Once things are settled here, I'll have a plan. If you really can't stay here any longer, resign from your official post and come to Tanzhou to find me. Although I've been impeached, I still have a house and can support the three of you."

"How are the two children? Is Ximei growing taller? Is Qingge making progress in his studies...?"