The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

Arrive at the second watch, ask for collection, ask for tickets.

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Bao Zheng's indifference did not dispel Zhu Shiyong's enthusiasm. It's not that Zhu Shiyong didn't want to walk away, but he knew that the 41-year-old Bao Zheng was a legend in Luzhou. I am much older, if I bear with it now, there may be another way out in the future.

In addition, Bao Zheng is not only a celebrity in Luzhou. After he became a Jinshi, he stayed at home for ten years. He did not hesitate to decline the official positions of Jianchang county magistrate and Hezhou tax officer. The reason is very simple. His parents are not far away. The answer he gave It is to support parents at home.

This is rare in the Great Song Dynasty, which respected being an official and entering the dynasty. He didn't want to go, but Bao Zheng stayed at home to support his parents for ten years, until his parents passed away.

Like a father, like a son, Bao Zheng suddenly didn't want to be an official anymore after ten years of work. The Bao family is well-off, and they care about people's livelihood on weekdays. But the folks quit, it’s okay for the Bao family’s relatives to be direct and collateral, and the surrounding folks feel that it’s a pity to be so desolate, so they block Bao’s house every day. The old friends of his classmates also came to persuade Bao Zheng to serve as the magistrate of Tianchang County for three years.

The term of office has expired, and the little Tianchang was governed by Bao Zheng. He was awarded the examination and was promoted to be the magistrate of Duanzhou by others. He came back to Luzhou on the way.

But just half a day after returning home, the prefect of Luzhou, Mr. Zhu, learned that Bao Zheng came to chat for a long time, and Bao Zheng brought teacups several times, but this gentleman turned a blind eye, which made Bao Zheng extremely annoyed.

Bao Zheng doesn't like this kind of behavior of making friends with each other in the officialdom. In his opinion, an official should be aware of the people's will. Only by spreading the court's grace to all people and doing some practical things for the people can be regarded as the real best. When it comes to responsibilities, it is completely unnecessary to cheat each other and give top hats to each other.

Especially the arrival of this prefect of Luzhou, Bao Zheng has heard about this person, this gentleman has climbed up to a certain political figure in the capital, and he has been promoted to a fourth-rank magistrate from a small eighth-rank county magistrate within a few years, although There was no big trouble when he took office in Luzhou, but the official reputation among the common people was not good; Bao Zheng naturally didn't bother to make friends with him.

Another thing that made Zhifu Zhu swallow his anger was that he learned that Bao Zheng had also been awarded a false title called 'Dian Zhongcheng' this time. This prestigious title seems a little redundant; but Zhu Shiyong, who is well versed in officialdom, is well aware of the weight of this false title.

The position of Dian Zhongcheng was a false title in the Song Dynasty. It was originally to assist in the management of the emperor's life and work. This actually expresses the emperor's trust and defenseless attitude towards Bao Zheng, which means Jiamian is his own.

"Brother Xi, I heard that the officials have awarded you the position of prime minister in the palace this time. This is a great honor. The emperor has a lot of trust in brother Xi. Please take care of him in the future; we belong to the Luzhou family, and we will be united in the future." If the branches cooperate with each other, it will be easier for the court to have something to say." Zhu Shiyong's words were a little subtle, but to Bao Zheng's ears, it was naked clique formation, and Bao Zheng retorted mercilessly: "Master Zhu What kind of words are you talking about, you and Mu Huangen are mighty, what kind of regional theory are you talking about? The imperial court strictly prohibits forming parties and gatherings, and your lord seems to be ill-considered."

Zhu Shiyong's nose turned ashamed, and he cursed secretly in his heart: "What are you pretending to be noble, who doesn't know that this time you can be recommended to Duanzhou because of Mr. Yan's recommendation, but now you come to make it clear."

The smile on his face remained unchanged and he said: "Brother Xi's lesson is that I just misunderstood the government. I mean, public affairs are public and private, and public affairs are naturally irrelevant to each other. But anyway, we are from Luzhou Township. It’s still close.”

Bao Zheng didn't like his slick way of speaking, so he frowned and said nothing. At this moment, a young servant hurried into the hall and reported: "A master from the magistrate's yamen came outside the door, claiming that there is an urgent matter. Report back to Master Zhu, the magistrate."

Zhu Shiyong hurriedly got up and said: "Brother Xi, I went to see what's going on in the house, but I found it here, disturbing your and my party's elegant mood."

Bao Zheng thought in his heart: It didn't disturb my mood, it's just the right time.Immediately cupped his hands and said: "Master Zhu, please go ahead, official matters are important."

Zhu Shiyong said: "I'm afraid it's not a big deal, they will make a fuss about trivial things; Brother Xi, wait a moment, come to the house whenever you go." Talking at one end, the other went out of the hall door.

After a while, the servant came back to Bao Zheng and said: "Master Zhu has already returned to the government office in a sedan chair, and ordered the villain to come and talk to the master, and come back to bother him later."

Bao Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly felt a little strange, this Master Zhu didn't seem to care much about the affairs of the government office, but why did the person come back in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to say goodbye after he reported it?This is an extremely impolite behavior. It seems that there must be a reason for it.

"Go and inquire, see if any major events have happened in the city, and then report back."

"Of order." The young man turned around and went out to inquire on the street, and returned to the mansion in less than half an hour, reporting several major events that happened in Luzhou City in the past few days one by one.

Bao Zheng listened carefully to the boy's report, and he found that everything was attributed to a merchant named Su Jin. A few days ago, the Su family's granary caught fire and burned down, and then a clerk disappeared from the Su family's store. When he went to the government office to report the case, he violently hurt people again. Who is this Su Jin, and how unlucky he is to be like this.

All kinds of questions made Bao Zheng restless. Bao Zheng has had a hobby since he was a child, and he likes to investigate the truth and find out the truth; It has achieved Tianchang's reputation for solving many mysterious cases during his tenure.

At this moment, this matter is so strange that Bao Zheng can't stop like an old gourmet seeing delicious food, or a seductress seeing a beautiful woman. What makes him even more concerned is that this unlucky Su Jintao is the magistrate who just left Bao Zheng would like to see how this Master Zhu interrogated this case; he was awarded the title of Chancellor in the Palace by the emperor, and his duties also meant spying. For the territory of the Song Dynasty, why not do it.

Thinking of this, Bao Zheng began to change his clothes and disguise himself. It was his habit to go to the streets to inquire about it himself. Once he decided to get involved in a certain case, he would first investigate the news himself, and never believed what others said.

In the city of Luzhou, two groups of people are rushing to the government office, one group is Li Chong and the shopkeeper Zhao Da, and the other group is Yan Biyun who got the news; Yan Biyun never thought that Su Jin would actually be in the street at this time to give to the magistrate's government office. Slapping bricks.

Zhu Yanei’s behavior was indeed inappropriate, but tearing off Su Jin’s robe sleeve was not a beating, at best it was just a dispute between the two; Apologize last time.

But Su Jin's crime of wounding is much more serious. Fortunately, bricks were used instead of knives, but even so, Su Jin is enough to drink a pot.

"Isn't this hitting the knife's edge?" Yan Biyun stomped her feet anxiously, boarded the car in a hurry, and rushed to the county government. Everyone knows that no matter where the prison is, it will be a hell of a prison, and it will be a bitter experience after entering. Jin has a small body and is a pampered young master, this is going to be too much for him.