Chapter 27: A New Official Takes Office

At the Changshou County Office, a "farewell banquet" was underway.

Shen Li, the Magistrate of Changshou who had recently "shined" during the private salt case, had received a new appointment. He was to be transferred to become the Vice Prefect of Jingzhou, under the administration of the Huguang Provincial Administration Commission. His official rank was being elevated from the seventh grade to the lower sixth grade.

The banquet consisted of only a single table, seating ten people: six subordinate officials from the county office and three local gentry. The "welcome banquet" held when Shen Li first arrived in Changshou had been far more lavish than this. The atmosphere at the table was stifling.

"Come, let us congratulate Magistrate Shen on his promotion."

There was always one who lacked tact; it was the very man who had instigated the previous private salt case—Zhu Wan-jian, the second son of the Zhu family.

Everyone around cast strange glances at Zhu Wan-jian. Such talk of "promotion" was entirely inappropriate for today’s table, as everyone knew that Shen Li had been sabotaged by Huang Zan, the Left Administration Commissioner of Huguang. It was a classic "nominal promotion, actual demotion," shunting Shen Li off to a remote corner of southwest Huguang to serve as a deputy official with no real power, making his dream of returning to the capital as a high official increasingly unreachable.

Transferred from a magistrate of a county seat to a vice prefect in a backwater... that godforsaken place, Jingzhou, was adjacent to the various tribal territories of the southwest; it was a place where even birds didn't bother to drop their dung.

"Second Master Zhu, it is not that I want to put on airs and refuse your drink, but I must ask: does the Zhu family have nothing to say about this matter?" Shen Li felt deeply aggrieved.

In his view, the Zhu family, as a clan of Embroidered Uniform Guard thousand-household officers deeply favored by the Imperial House, was a "prominent, wealthy family" with some influence at court. Even though he had botched the task they entrusted to him, how was he to account for offending his superiors and suffering this demotion-in-disguise? You Zhu family members not only failed to lobby for me at court or put in a good word, but now you come to my farewell banquet to spout sarcasm?

Promotion? Promotion your mother’s egg!

Seeing the hostile expressions around him, Zhu Wan-jian shook his head and set down his wine cup. "Magistrate Shen—no, I should call you Vice Prefect Shen now. In officialdom, the most important thing is to share the burdens of the Emperor and the Court. One must go wherever one is needed. Only then can one live up to the Imperial grace."

The expressions of those around him grew even stranger; they stared at him as if he were a monster. As if the sarcasm weren't enough, was he trying to turn black into white?

"Take my Zhu family, for example. We could have stayed in the capital for a peaceful life, yet we chose to settle in Anlu Prefecture. What for? Is it not to do something practical for the prosperity of the Great Ming? Don't you all agree?"

Reason? What kind of bull-headed logic was this? To think the Zhu family were Embroidered Uniform Guard officers; they were truly stupid to the core.

Others scoffed, but Shen Li frowned, faintly hearing a different meaning in Zhu Wan-jian’s words. He ignored the clichés about going where things were difficult, but he understood: Zhu Wan-jian was clearly telling him, *If our Zhu family truly had connections, would we have been "exiled" by the court to Anlu?*

Shen Li almost wanted to grab his own head and beat it. *How did I not see the crux of the matter? An Embroidered Uniform Guard thousand-household officer is worth nothing. If they were truly capable, would they need me, a lowly magistrate, to run errands for them? My eyes were truly covered by grease!*

Alas, it was too late for Shen Li to realize this. He was now mired too deep to reverse his decline and could only go to Jingzhou to reflect and strive not to make the same mistakes again.

***

Shen Li’s tenure of less than two years as Magistrate of Changshou ended, leaving a vacancy. The court did not immediately dispatch a replacement.

Such local appointments could often bypass the Ministry of Personnel, especially when a vacancy arose mid-term due to sudden events like a transfer, death, or mourning leave. The Huguang Provincial Administration Commission could make a temporary appointment and report it to the Ministry of Personnel for the record.

With only a year or so left in the term, the position was not highly coveted. Eventually, a *juren* scholar from Jingzhou Prefecture, who had served two terms as a county assistant and was currently out of office, was appointed to fill the remaining time.

Jingzhou Prefecture bordered Anlu Prefecture. By the time Shen Li left, the acting magistrate had already begun his journey and would arrive in Changshou within days. Shen Li could have waited to complete the handover, but he was in no mood to do so; he departed with his aides the very evening of the banquet.

Coincidentally, the day after Shen Li left Anlu, the new magistrate arrived, and the local gentry organized a welcoming party. Regardless of how long the new official would stay or what his abilities were, the gentry and commoners of Changshou would have to rely on him for the next year or more, so a welcoming banquet was necessary to fulfill the proper courtesies. City merchants also joined together to send gifts, hoping the new magistrate would not exploit them too severely.

Every time a new official arrived, the city would become as lively as a festival.

"Mother, that Magistrate Shen... the one who gave us so much trouble, has been transferred. It is truly heartening!" Zhu Hao said, gloating.

Outside, the sound of gongs and drums was constant as the gentry and merchants formed a procession at the city gate, hoping to make a good impression on the new magistrate.

Zhu Niang made no comment.

Aunt Li said, "They say Magistrate Shen was promoted to Vice Prefect and is still within our Huguang territory. Will this affect our business?"

Zhu Hao laughed. "Aunt, you don't understand. The Vice Prefect position he holds now is worth nothing. The one he offended was not us, but the most powerful official in Huguang—Commissioner Huang. It’s a mercy he wasn't directly dismissed. By the time he finds the opportunity to deal with us, who knows how many years it will take."

Zhu Niang shot Zhu Hao a look. "Offending people in officialdom is never a good thing. Perhaps the new magistrate will learn from the lesson and make things difficult for us... Relying on Master Su is not a long-term solution either; he is coveting our salt-curing method, and there's no telling what devious schemes he might hatch."

Seeing his mother develop a sense of crisis, Zhu Hao felt relieved. "Mother is right. We should find a more powerful backer. I think... the Prince of Xing’s residence would be a very good choice. If we could gain the favor of the Prince..."

*Crack-crackle...*

Someone outside suddenly set off firecrackers, interrupting Zhu Hao. He leaned out to look and saw that the shop of Qian the Miser, diagonally across the street, was setting off fireworks.

Aunt Li walked to the door, covering her ears. When the firecrackers finished, she said dismissively, "Today isn't a festival, why is that miser acting crazy and setting off firecrackers?"

Zhu Hao said, "Aunt, you don't understand. The new magistrate will pass our door on his way into the city. If he sees the firecrackers and the red paper scraps in front of his shop, he might think Qian spent a lot of money to welcome him. Who knows if he’ll be looked upon with favor?"

Aunt Li immediately understood and looked at Zhu Niang. "Sister, should we buy a few strings of firecrackers too?"

Zhu Niang was indifferent to such things. "The family is still in mourning; how can we hold such festive displays? What would outsiders think? Besides, we should try to avoid dealing with the government..."

Clearly, Zhu Niang knew that their current business was essentially private salt trading, so they should avoid the authorities as much as possible, not shamelessly thrust themselves forward.

"Xiao Hao, I bought you some books. Go to the backyard and have a look. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I’ll teach you later. It’s too noisy outside, don’t go out!"

Zhu Hao stayed by the door. "I want to see what the new magistrate looks like."

***

Zhu Niang shot her son a look. "Go to the backyard with Xiao Ting and teach your sister to read. You have no sense of being an older brother at all. How will you support the family in the future?"

Zhu Hao rubbed his nose upon hearing this. *Have I been acting that poorly lately? The shop’s business is stable now, and the monthly income is something I wouldn't have dared to dream of before. And she calls that not acting like an older brother?*

However, regarding his sister... he had indeed been less attentive.

"Alright, I'll go teach my sister..." He took little Zhu Ting’s hand and headed toward the inner courtyard.

***

The welcoming activities for the new magistrate continued. The local gentry had almost all turned out.

The new magistrate, surnamed Jing, was not old—only in his thirties. He had arrived with his wife and children in two carriages. Aside from his family, he had only two drivers and a few attendants.

This magistrate, who started as a *juren* and had served as an instructor in Confucian studies before holding two terms as a county assistant in Huguang’s Huangzhou and Changsha prefectures, had less than five years of experience. His promotion to Magistrate of Changshou was well-earned.

Clearly, Magistrate Jing had not expected such a grand welcome from the people of Anlu. He leaned half his body out of the carriage window, waving repeatedly at the gentry and commoners lining the street.

As the procession reached the door of Zhu Niang’s rice shop, the carriage suddenly stopped.

Qian the Miser thought his firecrackers had worked and rushed forward to greet the new magistrate. Unexpectedly, the new magistrate ignored him completely after stepping out of the carriage and walked straight toward Zhu Niang’s rice shop.

With the new magistrate’s arrival, a large crowd of onlookers had followed. Seeing him head straight for Zhu Niang’s shop—which had been involved in quite a few controversies recently—the crowd grew excited.

Zhu Niang had been calmly calculating accounts behind the counter and was very confused when Aunt Li told her the new magistrate was heading toward their shop. By the time she reached the door, the new magistrate was only a few steps away.

"This must be the widow of the Loyal and Righteous General, the Third Mistress of the Zhu family!"

Magistrate Jing bowed to Zhu Niang, and she hurriedly returned the gesture with a formal curtsy.

Magistrate Jing said, "I am a native of Jiangling, Jingzhou Prefecture. My surname is Jing, and my courtesy name is Zhongkuan. I have long heard of the loyalty and filial piety of the Loyal and Righteous General, and of how the Third Mistress Zhu has supported her husband and raised her children while maintaining the family business. I have come here out of admiration. Greetings."

The onlookers had assumed the new magistrate and Zhu Niang were old acquaintances, but hearing this, they realized it was because Zhu Niang was "famous abroad."

Zhu Hao, hearing the commotion outside, couldn't help but trot over to the curtain behind the shop entrance to watch the fun. He happened to hear Magistrate Jing’s polite words and smiled inwardly. *You’ve clearly inquired about how your predecessor fell, and you intend to climb up from where you fell, don't you? You local official, you have quite a deep mind!*