Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 114 Promotion to Vice Prefect

Lu Ji Carriage and Horse Shop, Jinan Prefecture.

Lu Yan had only been back from the capital for three days when the official document from the Ministry of Personnel arrived.

"Congratulations, Lord Lu! Congratulations, Lord Lu!"

The messenger, all smiles, respectfully handed over a document bearing a large red official seal.

"The Ministry of Personnel has issued a document promoting Lord Lu to the position of Vice Prefect of Jinan Prefecture, a seventh-rank official!"

Prefect!

From the seventh rank!

Lu Yan took the document, read it carefully, and a smile appeared on his lips.

From a position of eighth rank to a seventh rank sub-prefect, he was promoted one and a half ranks (in the Ming Dynasty official system: eighth rank → seventh rank, with the eighth rank in between, hence the promotion of one and a half ranks).

Although the grade only increased by one and a half levels, the significance was completely different.

The position was that of a junior official, without real power, and could only handle some paperwork and miscellaneous tasks.

But the Tongpan is different.

The Tongpan was an important official in the prefectural government, in charge of criminal justice and grain affairs, and had real power.

More importantly, the sub-prefect could report directly to his superiors without having to go through the prefect in every matter.

This means that his status in Jinan Prefecture is no longer what it used to be.

"Thank you for making this trip, officer."

Lu Yan took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and stuffed it into the hand of the constable.

"It's just a small token of my appreciation."

The constable weighed the silver in his hand; it was a good five taels. He immediately smiled so broadly that his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Lord Lu, you're too kind! I'll take my leave!"

After the constables left, Hu Jingshui and Zhao Tie quickly surrounded them.

"Boss, congratulations!"

"A sub-prefect! A seventh-rank official! That's a powerful position!"

Lu Yan waved his hand, gesturing for them to sit down.

"Don't rush to congratulate him. A promotion is a good thing, but it also means more responsibility and risk."

He placed the document on the table and pondered for a moment.

"The magistrate is in charge of criminal justice and grain supply. Criminal justice is a job that offends people, while grain supply is a lucrative position. Combined, countless people are eyeing these two responsibilities."

Hu Jingshui nodded.

"What you say is true, sir. The officialdom in Jinan Prefecture is a very murky place. Now that you've been promoted, I'm afraid some people will be envious."

"Envy is inevitable," Lu Yan said, "but envy aside, as long as we act uprightly and honestly, no one can do anything to us."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the courtyard.

"Jingshui, go and find out what's going on in the government office right now. What kind of people are the prefect, the assistant prefect, and the judge? What are their backgrounds and temperaments?"

"yes."

"Also, who used to be in charge of the criminal justice and grain administration departments? Were there any long-standing problems or shady dealings?"

"yes."

"Uncle Zhao, you continue to keep an eye on the workshop. Although the waterworks matter is settled for now, the Emperor still needs a few more puppets, so we can't delay."

"Don't worry, boss."

……

three days later.

Hu Jingshui brought back the news.

"Master, I've found out."

He sat opposite Lu Yan and said in a low voice:

"The current prefect's surname is Zhou, and his given name is Zhou Yingqi. He is a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from the 44th year of the Wanli reign. He is an honest and upright official, but somewhat pedantic."

"Nonsense?" Lu Yan raised an eyebrow.

"It's just... he's too rigid about rules," Hu Jingshui said. "He insists on following the established procedures for everything, and he doesn't know how to be flexible. His subordinates call him 'Master Zhou,' but behind his back they call him 'Old-fashioned.'"

Lu Yan nodded.

"A person who is honest but pedantic is not easy to deal with, but not difficult to handle either. As long as you don't cross his bottom line, he won't make things difficult for you."

"What about the magistrate?"

"The Assistant Magistrate's surname was Li, and his given name was Li Maochun. He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the first year of the Tianqi reign. This man..." Hu Jingshui paused, "...was a member of the Wei faction."

"The Wei faction?" Lu Yan's eyes lit up.

"That's right. I heard he was Cui Chengxiu's protégé, and only got the position of Tongzhi through Cui Chengxiu's connections."

"That's good news," Lu Yan said. "Now that we're all from the Wei faction, dealing with each other will be much easier."

"Where is the judge?"

"The magistrate's surname is Zhao, and his given name is Zhao Wenhua. He's a seasoned veteran. He's worked in Jinan Prefecture for over ten years, seen it all, and knows all sorts of people. He's a smooth operator, never offending anyone, but also never getting close to anyone."

Lu Yan pondered for a moment.

"These kinds of people are the hardest to deal with. They seem friendly on the surface, but who knows what they're up to behind the scenes."

"What the master says is true." Hu Jingshui nodded. "I also learned that this Magistrate Zhao used to have a good relationship with the former Prefect. After the former Prefect was transferred, he always wanted to get the position. But..."

"But I managed to snatch it away," Lu Yan interjected.

"That's right," Hu Jingshui said. "Therefore, this Magistrate Zhao probably doesn't have much affection for his employer."

Lu Yan sneered.

"If I don't like him, I don't like him. As long as he doesn't cause trouble, I won't bother with him. But if he dares to trip me up..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

……

July 25th.

Lu Yan officially took up his post at the government office.

Early in the morning, he put on his brand-new official robes and black gauze hat, and rode his horse to the gate of the government office.

A group of people had already gathered in front of the government office gate—officials, yamen runners, and clerks—all there to welcome the new prefect.

"Lord Lu has arrived!"

A yamen runner loudly proclaimed, "Yes, sir!"

Everyone stepped forward to pay their respects.

"This humble official pays his respects to Lord Lu!"

"This humble servant greets Lord Lu!"

Lu Yan dismounted and returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

"You're too kind, everyone. I'm new here and will need your help and support."

"You're too kind, sir!"

He was surrounded by people as he entered the government office.

……

Prefect Zhou Yingqi received him in the second hall.

Zhou Yingqi was about fifty years old, thin and with a gaunt face, and a wisp of gray beard on his chin. He was wearing a worn official robe, sitting behind his desk, holding a book in his hands, and flipping through it.

Seeing Lu Yan enter, he put down his book, stood up, and bowed, saying:

"Lord Lu, I've heard so much about you."

"You're too kind, Lord Zhou." Lu Yan bowed respectfully. "I'm new here, and I hope you'll offer me your guidance."

"I dare not presume to offer guidance." Zhou Yingqi waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down. "Lord Lu is young and promising, highly regarded by His Majesty, and his future is limitless."

These words sounded like a compliment, but Lu Yan sensed a hidden meaning in them.

"He was highly regarded by the Emperor"—this highlights his background.

"His future is limitless"—this is an implication that he was promoted too quickly.

Lu Yan chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly composed.

"You flatter me, sir. I have only been fortunate enough to gain His Majesty's favor; how could I dare to speak of any future prospects?"

Zhou Yingqi nodded and said no more.

He picked up a document and handed it to Lu Yan.

"These are the handover documents between the prison and grain departments, Lord Lu, please take a look."

Lu Yan took the document and carefully read it through.

In terms of criminal justice, there are currently over 300 prisoners in custody, including more than 50 serious offenders and over 200 minor offenders. There are over 100 backlogged cases, mostly trivial matters, but there are also a few unresolved murder cases.

Regarding grain, the government's grain reserves were 80,000 shi, 2,000 shi less than the books showed. This was because some of the grain had been used to provide relief to disaster victims during last year's drought.

Lu Yan nodded after reading it.

"I understand. I will handle these matters as soon as possible."

"Very well," Zhou Yingqi said. "Lord Lu is new here; if there's anything you don't understand, please feel free to ask me."

"Thank you, sir."

……

After leaving the prefect's residence, Lu Yan went to pay his respects to Li Maochun, the assistant prefect, and Zhao Wenhua, the judge.

As Hu Jingshui had said, Li Maochun was indeed a member of the Wei faction. Upon seeing Lu Yan, he was exceptionally enthusiastic, holding his hand and talking for a long time, then inviting him to drink together another day.

Zhao Wenhua, on the other hand, was much colder. Although he was polite on the surface, his eyes held a hint of scrutiny and wariness.

Lu Yan knew what was going on and didn't care.

……

That evening, Lu Yan returned to Lu's Carriage and Horse Shop and sat alone in his study for a long time.

He took out a piece of paper and wrote down several names on it:

Zhou Yingqi is honest and upright but also pedantic. He is difficult to deal with, but he will not actively seek trouble.

Li Maochun—a member of the Wei faction—can be won over.

Zhao Wenhua – a seasoned veteran, harboring resentment, and should be guarded against.

He looked at the names, pondered for a moment, and then wrote below:

The most urgent task is to establish a firm foothold, become familiar with government affairs, and avoid being impatient for quick results.

He put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Prefect..."

He muttered to himself.

"This is just the beginning."