Free Web NovelChapter 318: Chapter 183: If I Can’t Kick the Shit Out of You, I’ll Give You Credit for Shitting Clean
Lu Yuan watched the uncle’s retreating back and cursed inwardly, ’You old Emperor, what kind of thankless job did you give me? Since when does a Fourth Grade Prefect get eaten by a Xingzi?’
’He didn’t dig this trap specifically for me, did he?’
He couldn’t tell if the trap was made for him or if he just happened to fall into it, but he felt that when things were this strange, something wicked was afoot.
Lu Yuan had no choice but to lead his wife toward the city center.
The Court’s administrative buildings were usually located in the center of the city, so heading deeper in was the right way to go.
Seeing how few people were on the streets, Lu Yuan’s close retainers naturally fell back, putting a great distance between themselves and Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan walked up to the Prefecture Yamen’s entrance. The main gates were wide open, and two listless guards were leaning against the pillars on either side, chatting idly.
They paid Lu Yuan and Su Liyan no mind at all, treating them as if they were thin air.
Lu Yuan peeked inside and saw a dozen or so officials in Court attire seated in rows on both sides of the main hall.
Judging by their robes, they were officials of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Grades—likely the Deputy Magistrates, Assistant Magistrates, Investigating Officers, Recorders, and Magistrates.
These official posts were further divided into left and right, such as Left Deputy Magistrate and Right Deputy Magistrate.
’Heh, all the officials, high and low, are gathered together. Quite the full house,’ Lu Yuan thought.
Although Lu Yuan had ignored his political duties back in Taiping City, leaving everything to his young brother-in-law...
...he had still done some homework for his new post as the Prefect of Dongchang City.
’At the very least, I should know how this Prefecture Yamen operates.’
’If I were a complete rookie, these old foxes would eat me alive.’
In Lu Yuan’s eyes, posts like Deputy Magistrate, Assistant Magistrate, and Investigating Officer were, to put it bluntly, just people who did the Prefect’s grunt work. freёwebnovel.com
After all, a Prefect’s jurisdiction covered multiple counties, and it was impossible to manage everything alone.
A Prefect was in charge of a prefecture’s administration and oversaw all its subordinate counties. Their duties included everything from implementing Court decrees and governing the people to evaluating subordinate officials and collecting taxes.
Of course, they also held a certain degree of power, such as recommending subordinate officials for promotion or transfer, and influencing the selection and advancement of circuit intendants, salt commissioners, and the like.
If a Prefect didn’t have real power and could only delegate tasks, who would even respect them?
It was like a manager who had no say in your salary but still ordered you around every day. Would you feel good about that? Would you respect a boss like that?
But if a different manager said to you, "Xiaoli, go get this done, and I’ll give you a 5,000 yuan raise."
Xiaoli would happily reply, "You got it, Boss (Daddy)!"
For an official like a Governor, making someone a County Magistrate was a trivial matter, decided with a single word.
A Prefect also had a certain amount of power.
’What I need to do,’ Lu Yuan thought, ’is pick a few capable officials to work for me and free myself up.’
After all, for someone who used to take the subway to work in his past life, handling official business was a bit too much to ask.
But managing personnel? That, Lu Yuan could handle.
Lu Yuan found a relatively clean spot by the Prefecture Yamen’s gate, dusted off the ground, and pulled his wife down to sit with him.
Lu Yuan even took out two flatbreads from his bundle, gave one to her, and began to eat his own, bite by methodical bite.
To any onlookers, they looked just like a young couple resting.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan’s retainers stood at various street corners in the distance. Some stood with their arms crossed, watching, while others kicked idly at stones on the ground.
The young master and young madam were always within their line of sight.
From where Lu Yuan and Su Liyan were sitting, their hearing was sharp enough to catch every word the officials were saying inside the main hall.
Inside the main hall.
The Fifth Grade Official, the Right Deputy Magistrate, cleared his throat and said, "Colleagues, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors. The County Magistrate of Taiping City has been promoted to be our superior, the new Prefect."
"A mere County Magistrate, and now he gets to lord it over us," a middle-aged man, the Right Investigating Officer, spat.
This Right Investigating Officer showed no restraint whatsoever among the other officials.
Su Liyan blinked, looked at Lu Yuan, and said, "Hubby, they’re talking about you."
Lu Yuan nodded. "What a coincidence. I just get here and they’re already bad-mouthing me. No need to rush in. Let’s listen for a while."
The Left Deputy Magistrate snapped, "Show some respect!"
The Right Deputy Magistrate continued smoothly, "Calculating the distance from Taiping City, he should be here in about two days."
The Left Assistant Magistrate said, "This... this matter of the new Prefect... should we even be discussing it?"
The Right Investigating Officer cut in, "What’s there to discuss? What’s it got to do with us? The way I see it, we just need to sweep the streets, make them look pretty, and fool the new Prefect. That’s enough."
The Seventh Grade Right Investigating Officer, relying on the fact that the Fifth Grade Right Deputy Magistrate was his relative, didn’t pull any punches when contradicting the Sixth Grade Left Assistant Magistrate.
...
Lu Yuan figured they had chatted just about enough. If he didn’t go in soon, they’d all leave for lunch.
Lu Yuan got to his feet, patted the dust off his rear, and pulled Su Liyan up. "Alright, let’s go in."
Su Liyan nodded.
Lu Yuan led Su Liyan and walked right in.
Only then did the chatting guards at the entrance perk up and block their path. "What do you want?"
"To report a crime!" Lu Yuan tossed out the words.
A Court decree stipulated that guards were not to obstruct any commoner who came to report a crime.
Many commoners were unaware of this rule and simply saw the Prefecture Yamen as a hallowed place they wouldn’t dare approach on their own initiative.
But Lu Yuan, having been a County Magistrate for a year, knew this little detail.
The guards at the gate then let Lu Yuan and Su Liyan pass.
Inside the main hall, the officials watched the two young people walk in from the Mansion Gate.
The Right Investigating Officer had a short fuse. He stood up and yelled toward the entrance, "Where are you from? Shoo, shoo! Can’t you see we’re busy?"
The Right Deputy Magistrate glanced at them. Seeing that Lu Yuan and Su Liyan’s clothes were not those of poor folk, he remained calmly seated.
The Left Deputy Magistrate, however, coughed and said slowly, "If they have business, let them speak."
"This..." The Right Investigating Officer started to say something but held his tongue.
Lu Yuan paid the Right Investigating Officer no mind and just kept leading his wife deeper into the hall.
Seeing the two before him completely ignore him, the Right Investigating Officer was extremely displeased.
Some officials remained seated, not even bothering to lift their rears from their chairs.
Others stood up to look at Lu Yuan and his wife.
Lu Yuan walked into the center of the group and declared, "I am the new Prefect of Dongchang!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. In their experience with officialdom...
...Lu Yuan and Su Liyan both looked to be in their early twenties.
No matter how desperate the Court was, they wouldn’t appoint someone so young to be a Prefect.
The tactless Right Investigating Officer moved to shove Lu Yuan aside. "Where did this brat come from? You’re not old, but you sure talk big."
Some had heard that the new County Magistrate of Taiping City appointed a year ago was young, but no one had actually seen him.
Lu Yuan was rarely in the Taiping County Yamen.
Lu Yuan kicked out, striking the back of the Right Investigating Officer’s kneecap.
The Investigating Officer couldn’t stay on his feet. With a cry of pain, he fell to his knees directly in front of Lu Yuan.
The main hall was filled with Civil Servants.
Faced with Lu Yuan’s aggressive methods, not a single person dared to step forward and stop him.
"How audacious! To be so vulgar!" Many of them began to condemn Lu Yuan, though it was all just talk.
A few of the older officials started spouting classical platitudes.
Lu Yuan couldn’t understand a word of it!
Lu Yuan didn’t care about those speaking up for the Right Investigating Officer. He had observed them for a long time from outside the gate; the ones sticking up for the man were all birds of a feather.
As Lu Yuan saw it, when the people at the top were corrupt, the minor officials and clerks below them learned to be just as hostile.
Lu Yuan had originally planned to observe for a few days, but after listening to their bickering outside the Prefecture Yamen...
...he saw they were clearly split into two factions. One was led by the Right Deputy Magistrate and had the advantage in numbers; the other was led by the Left Deputy Magistrate and couldn’t even win a war of words.
Lu Yuan simply couldn’t stand this group any longer, which was why he had stormed in.
"Get him!" The Right Investigating Officer, still kneeling on the ground, ground his teeth and forced out the two words.
The Mansion Guards from the courtyard and the guards from the gate all rushed forward, pointing their swords and spears at Lu Yuan and Su Liyan.
Lu Yuan looked at the defiant Right Investigating Officer kneeling on the ground and said, "If that kick didn’t knock the shit out of you, then I’ll give you credit for a clean bowel movement!"
