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

He paused, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at Zhang Sanlang with an even more enigmatic gaze. "Your second brother's execution of him is justifiable. It didn't happen in a private residence, nor in a dark alley; it happened in court."

"In front of a clerk from Changsha County, Wu Haogu was first found guilty of dereliction of duty, and then guilty of disrespecting his superiors. He was a clerk, and your second brother was an official. According to the law, an official who executes a guilty clerk does not have to pay with his life and is not punished."

Zhang Sanlang was horrified and stared blankly at Li Hang, saying nothing.

He had considered that Zhang Erlang would not be severely punished for this, but he did not expect that the worst-case scenario would be that he would only be demoted and transferred.

In other words, Li Hang found a pretext to execute Zhang Sanlang in court, but nothing came of it!

Are there any laws?

As Zhang Sanlang's eyes darted around, he suddenly remembered something, and his emotions quickly calmed down. He even curled up the corners of his mouth slightly, which surprised Li Hang.

Zhao Changyan chimed in from the side, "Even so, it was still an overreach of authority."

Li Hang withdrew his gaze and nodded. "Exactly. So what the court should punish is not Zhang Fuzhi for murder, but for overstepping his authority. With one stroke of his sword, he not only lost Wu Haogu's life, but also slapped the face of all the officials in Tanzhou."

He placed the teacup back on the table, looked at Zhang Sanlang, and said, "The court's punishment will definitely be a demotion. Besides, Zhang Fuzhi was only tenth in the second rank, so he shouldn't have been appointed as a sub-prefect."

"The Emperor promoted him exceptionally, but now that he has committed a transgression, well, he should be demoted from a rank-eighth-grade Dali Ping Shi to a rank-eighth-grade Jiangzuo Jian Cheng. However, official rank only determines salary, so it doesn't really matter to him."

"A transfer is inevitable. He can't stay in Tanzhou any longer; the court has to find him a new place. If I'm not mistaken, he should be appointed as a county magistrate..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Sanlang was both happy for his second brother and slightly saddened by their shared fate. He lowered his eyelids and after a long pause before speaking, "Your Excellency, if the imperial court sends someone to Juancheng to investigate Wu Haogu's past..."

Li Hang waved his hand, "Your second brother submitted a self-reproach letter. The three judicial departments are reviewing the case in Tanzhou, not the case in Puzhou. How Wu Haogu acted in Puzhou has no necessary connection with whether he lives or dies."

He tapped his finger lightly on the table. "The court won't go to the trouble of digging up old grievances for a dead official. However, if Hao Yun finds out that your second brother killed Wu Haogu, he'll probably write to the capital and use the clan's influence to launch an attack."

"He couldn't do anything to you when he came to Juancheng last time, so he hasn't gotten over his resentment. If he uses your second brother's matter to his advantage, the officials can easily send him to a remote county with just a few words."

Li Hang glanced at Zhang Sanlang. "The imperial court won't issue documents too quickly; it will take at least two or three months. But we should definitely prepare for Juancheng. Shouli, tomorrow you need to retrieve the documents from the days Wu Haogu inspected Juancheng and make preparations accordingly."

Zhang Sanlang cupped his hands in thanks. "Thank you for your guidance, Magistrate. I'll go back now and review the documents from the Revenue Department for the past few days."

The door closed, and Zhang Sanlang's footsteps gradually faded into the distance along the corridor.

The second hall quieted down, and the sunlight outside the window slanted in by an inch.

Zhao Changyan leaned forward slightly. "Jingzhai, there's something I've been thinking about for a long time. Hao Yun came from a poor family. Although his family has some resources, they aren't particularly prominent."

"Although the Registrar is a staff position, it is still an important post in the criminal and financial affairs of a prefecture. How could a newly appointed Jinshi be chosen to fill the vacancy left by Jiang Laocheng?"

Li Hang leaned back in his chair, watching the light and shadow on the window frame slowly move toward the corner of the wall. "Someone in Hao Yun's clan is in the Ministry of Personnel's Examination and Appointment Department, in charge of the selection and appointment of officials."

"Ten years ago, Hao Yun was appointed as an observer and judge by imperial favor. Although it was a sinecure, it was considered a formal position on his resume. This year, he passed the provincial examination and became a Jinshi. Although he was at the bottom of the list, he still had a formal background. With the addition of imperial favor, seniority, and family connections, he met all the requirements."

He pointed his finger and tapped it twice on the table. "The vacancy for the Registrar of Military Affairs was filled by three people on the list submitted by the prefecture after Jiang Laocheng retired."

"Hao Yun ranked third. The two ahead of him were either less experienced or of less prestigious background. The Examination and Appointment Department rejected the first two and approved Hao Yun's application. This is the advantage of having connections in the court; you don't need to be much better than others."

Zhao Changyan leaned back in his chair, his brows slowly furrowing. "So that means that being a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) is just the first step. Whether you can get a good job depends on whether you have connections behind you."

Li Hang did not deny it, "It has always been like this. The top five in the first-class examination are all outstanding individuals valued by the government. Most of the top ten in the second-class examination also get substantive positions. From the eleventh place onwards, it depends on the strength of each family and their connections."

"Zhang Fuzhi was able to become a sub-prefect for two reasons: first, he answered the policy essay well, and the emperor praised him personally; second, when he was asked to answer questions, he mentioned the sword given to him by Sun Jizu, and the emperor still remembered some old friendships."

"Hao Yun was able to become a military advisor because someone in his clan put in a good word for him at the Ministry of Personnel. Both of them were Jinshi graduates of the second-class imperial examination, but their paths were very different. It wasn't just about literary ability; family background and luck also played a role."

Zhao Changyan was silent for a moment, then looked up at Li Hang and asked, "When you were waiting for your official post in the capital, did anyone relay a message for you?"

Li Hang's lips twitched slightly, the curve was very faint, "Of course there are. However, when I saw that the position of magistrate of Juancheng was vacant, I felt something and took the initiative to request to be transferred here. Otherwise, I should have been the prefect of Tanzhou."

Zhao Changyan opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Li Hang suddenly sighed, "I thought that during my term as an official in Juancheng, I could accomplish some practical things and streamline the various departments of the county government before leaving. Now it seems that I probably won't be able to stay that long."

Zhao Changyan was taken aback for a moment, then sat up straight. "Jingzhai, what do you mean by that?"

Li Hang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Zhang Fuzhi killed Wu Haogu, so the position of Vice Prefect of Tanzhou is now vacant. This year, all five candidates from the first-tier examination were appointed as Vice Prefects, so we can only transfer candidates from the second-tier examination to fill the vacancy."

"According to the established practice of this dynasty, it is extremely rare for someone to be selected for this position; only those who achieve the highest rank in the imperial examinations can be granted this privilege. Since this position has become vacant in Tanzhou, and the court does not have time to select another candidate, it will most likely be filled by transferring from among those who have been newly appointed this year and are already on duty."

Zhao Changyan seemed to understand something. "Replenishment?"

Li Hang looked at him with a wry smile, "In terms of seniority, background, and the impression left on the Emperor by his memorial to the Emperor, the position of Vice Prefect will most likely fall to the top scorer in the second-tier examination."

Zhao Changyan's expression changed. "The top student in the second-tier exam...it's you!"

Li Hang leaned back in his chair, the sunlight having completely moved away from his face. "It will take at least three months, or at most six months. The imperial decree will arrive in Juancheng then. At that time, I'm afraid the two of us will have to set off for Tanzhou."

Zhao Changyan was somewhat unwilling, "In Juancheng, you've only been in office for less than a month, yet you've already straightened out the six branches of the family. This is the perfect opportunity to take charge. If you're transferred so soon, wouldn't it be like abandoning your work halfway through?"

Li Hang shook his head helplessly, "What needs to be done still needs to be done. Whether it's three months or six months, we'll do as much as we can. I originally intended to cultivate Shouli during my tenure for three years, so I joined forces with Zhang Fuzhi and others to recommend him for the position."

"Now that things have changed out of nowhere, there's nothing I can do to help. What the future holds is entirely up to Shouli's fate. Alas! It's all about timing and destiny!"