Chapter 31

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On that day, Father arranged a banquet, inviting the neighbors to drink and celebrate his son's successful entry into the government service. During the banquet, the neighbors said many encouraging words to Wang Xian, but the main idea remained unchanged: work hard, never break the law, and don't get us into trouble. Since the neighbors had vouched for this unreliable young man, they naturally had many worries.

Wang Xian could only nod in response, lamenting the deep-seated prejudice that was hard to change. However, seeing the joy on his parents' and siblings' faces, his mood brightened. Being able to support himself and ease the burden on his family was something he had always wished for.

Now that his wish was fulfilled, it was a small success, and he deserved to raise a glass to himself.

The next day, before dawn, Mother woke Wang Xian to wash his face and get dressed. When he put on the black wingless headband, the moon-white round-collar shirt, tied the black silk sash, and wore black shoes and white socks, he looked brand new as he stepped out. The silver bell giggled, "I didn't expect Second Brother to look so good when dressed up."

Wang Xian shot him a glance and said, "Was I that ugly before?" Then he left with his elder brother.

Wang Gui still went to the workshop to work. He was very happy that his father had arranged for his younger brother to work at the government office, even though his handwriting was much neater than Wang Gui's.

"Big Brother, Father wants to get you a job at the river management office, why don't you go?" Wang Xian asked as they walked down the alley.

"This past half year, I've borrowed a lot of money from the boss. He has been very kind to me, and I can't let him down," Wang Gui said with a simple smile. "If I leave, there will be no one to cut the materials in the workshop... Besides, I like papermaking. Seeing the stacks of white paper makes me feel very satisfied."

"But this job is too tiring," Wang Xian sighed. "You're always so exhausted that you can't even straighten your back."

"Don't worry, your brother is strong," Wang Gui said, hesitating for a moment before adding, "Hey, how about I treat you to a meal one day? We can go out and eat together."

"I should treat you, Big Brother, once I get paid," Wang Xian laughed.

"That will take too long..." Wang Gui mumbled softly.

"What's the matter?" Wang Xian asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, nothing," Wang Gui said as they reached the alley entrance. "I'm going to work."

"What's going on?" Wang Xian was confused and continued to the government office.

By this time, the street was already bustling with vendors selling breakfast and people collecting chamber pots. They all greeted Wang Xian, saying, "Second Brother, are you going to the government office?"

In the past, Wang Xian was usually ignored when he walked down the street. Suddenly, so many people were greeting him, which made him quite uncomfortable. He could only respond, "Yes, Uncle Liu." "Good morning, Brother Qi." "I've already eaten, Sister Lan..."

He walked all the way to the government office and saw the two men in shackles still there. Yesterday, they had their heads down, but today, their eyes met. Wang Xian realized they seemed to be grain merchants from the county, but he didn't know what crime they had committed.

He greeted the guards at the gate and entered the office, heading straight to the clerk's room to report. However, Wang Ziyao and the two chief clerks were in the second hall for the morning assembly. Only three clerks and two attendants were sitting there chatting.

Seeing Wang Xian come in, the clerk Liu Yuan pointed at him and laughed, "Here he is, the one who holds on tight."

Everyone laughed and stood up to greet Wang Xian, saying they had heard a lot about him. Because he was Wang Xingye's son, they treated him very politely. Liu Yuan pulled Wang Xian to sit among the clerks in white shirts and said, "We all work under the same roof, so we call each other brothers. You are the youngest, and we are all your big brothers. If you have any questions in the future, just ask us."

Wang Xian, being a reincarnated soul, was naturally adept at socializing. He responded modestly and soon became familiar with everyone.

"Which of the six departments are you assigned to?" Liu Yuan asked.

"Huh?" Wang Xian didn't understand what he meant.

"These are the descriptions the common people use for our six departments," the others explained with a laugh. "'Rich' is the household department, which handles the county's household registration, land taxes, fiscal affairs, and marriages. It's no wonder it's rich. 'Noble' is our personnel department, which manages the county's village heads, security officers, and officials, as well as the records of the clerks. It's naturally more 'noble.' 'Majestic' is the criminal department, which your father used to manage, overseeing the county's criminal cases, naturally majestic. 'Martial' is the military department, which is self-explanatory. 'Poor' is the ritual department, which handles the county's examinations, sacrifices, music, and commendations. It's called 'poor' relative to the other departments, but it still has its benefits, especially during exams. 'Lowly' is the engineering department, which manages the county's construction and river works. At first glance, it seems like a lowly job, but if you're bold enough, it can be even more profitable than the household department."

"Besides, there are two good places to be assigned to. There's a saying, 'Being an official is not as good as being a prostitute, and being a prostitute is not as good as being a good person.' If you can be assigned to the warehouse or the granary, it's like a rat falling into a rice bin, and you'll be stuffed to the brim."

"Cough, cough." Liu Yuan felt they were exaggerating and interrupted, "Actually, each department has its benefits and drawbacks. For example, the household department is rich, but it has many and varied tasks. It's not only tiring but also prone to mistakes and losses. The ritual department, on the other hand, is more relaxed, with steady benefits, and you can live a comfortable life."

"But for you, little brother," the clerks looked at the door and lowered their voices, "don't be assigned to the household department."

"Why?" Wang Xian listened carefully and asked, puzzled.

"Because Li Shuhu has been your father's archenemy for years," Liu Yuan whispered. "If you are assigned to the household department, you'll have to rely on your own luck."

"Oh..." Wang Xian nodded, thinking to himself, do I have a choice?

The seniors chatted with him for a while, and then Wang Ziyao and the two chief clerks returned. Everyone quickly stood up to welcome them.

"Han Ge, the county magistrate wants to see you," Wang Ziyao looked at Wang Xian and asked, "Do you need someone to show you the way?"

"I know the way, Uncle," Wang Xian shook his head and left. Wang Ziyao then gave a lecture to his subordinates and didn't pay much attention to Wang Xian, showing much less enthusiasm than the previous day.

Wang Xian followed the same path as yesterday and arrived at the moon gate. He bowed to the gatekeeper and tried to go in, but was stopped. The gatekeeper looked him over and said, "New here, right? This is the back office. You can't enter without permission."

"The magistrate is calling for me."

"Even then, you need permission," the gatekeeper said, standing firm.

"..." Wang Xian realized the gatekeeper was asking for a tip and felt annoyed. But after writing on the clerk's painting yesterday, if he argued with the magistrate's gatekeeper today, he would be seen as a troublemaker.

Reluctantly, he pulled out a tattered banknote from his boot. The gatekeeper refused to take it, and Wang Xian rolled his eyes, "This is all I have. Take it or leave it."

"Enter or leave, no money, no entry," the gatekeeper was furious, thinking a new clerk dared to be impolite to him, the grand gatekeeper.

"Since you said it, I'll leave," Wang Xian turned to go. This old man thought he was a new recruit and knew nothing. Did he not understand the difference between a request and a summons?

"Wait, don't..." The gatekeeper was frustrated. How could this new guy act so experienced on his first day? Was it because of his family background or just a brash attitude?

He threw the tattered note, worth no more than ten coins, to the gatekeeper and entered the back office.

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After Wang Xian was announced, a personal attendant led him to the outer office. After waiting for a while, Magistrate Wei came out, followed by Sima Qiu.

"Your servant greets the magistrate," as a clerk, he only needed to bow unless ordered to kneel.

"Exempted," Magistrate Wei sat in the main seat, with Sima Qiu on his right. Wang Xian, of course, stood.

"Wang Xian, I have two things to thank you for," Magistrate Wei, dressed in his seventh-rank official attire, said with authority, "One is for helping me overturn the case. The other is for your poem, which moved me deeply."

"The magistrate is too kind."

"Our county rewards those who have contributed. I wanted to appoint you as a regular clerk, but others have many complaints about your past. The He Chang case cannot be openly discussed," Magistrate Wei waved his hand, cutting off Wang Xian's words, "So I have to temporarily put you in a lower position. I will promote you when the time is right."

"But you must work hard," Sima Qiu added, "If you can achieve something soon, the magistrate can promote you sooner. Otherwise, if you just wait for seniority, there are dozens of people ahead of you. It will take a long time."

"..." Wang Xian, not a real novice, could see through their intentions. He had already decided last night that since he had offended Clerk Diao, he needed to rely on Magistrate Wei. His future was in the magistrate's hands.

He hadn't expected that on his first day, he would have the opportunity to "achieve something." This was too urgent. Wang Xian felt like cannon fodder and resolved, "Your servant is deeply honored by the magistrate's favor and will work hard to repay it."

"Hmm," Magistrate Wei was delighted and said with a smile, "Don't be nervous. I have some matters to discuss, and Mr. Sima will explain the arrangements." He stood up, patted Wang Xian's shoulder, and said, "Practice your calligraphy and read more books. In the future, if you pass the scholar examination, I will give you a higher position." According to Ming dynasty regulations, clerks and officials of lower ranks could participate in the imperial examinations, but this was clearly just talk.

"Your servant will remember the magistrate's wise words," Wang Xian, moved to tears, escorted Magistrate Wei inside.

When he turned around, he saw Sima Qiu smiling mockingly, clearly making fun of his overly dramatic performance. Wang Xian smiled and said, "Thank you, sir, for your great kindness."

"Cough, cough..." Sima Qiu felt guilty. Wang Xian's contributions were known to Magistrate Wei only in part, while the rest had been appropriated by him. He had not rewarded Wang Xian and was now pushing him into a difficult situation, which was not right.

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