Chapter 4, Upon entering Jiangning County

Qin Dewei, who was unjustly knocked down, got up from the ground, his face trembling with anger, as modern people have never endured such personal humiliation

The person referred to as Master Dong glanced sideways at Qin Xiang and said dismissively, "So it turns out he is one of your people, Old Qin. Teach him the rules properly; if there is a next time, I will take it upon myself to discipline him!"

Suddenly, two individuals rushed forward and forcefully pushed Qin Dewei to the ground, shouting at him: "Where did this blind fool come from to block the way? Can't you see that we are walking here!"

The prevalence of these inscriptions in the government offices of this era is comparable to the later phrase "Serve the People". It is said that when one sits in the main hall, one can see those sixteen characters upon raising one's head

Qin Xiang admonished, "It is of no use to be unconvinced; even if you are, you must keep it to yourself! In a place like the county office, youthful exuberance is not permitted, unless you are seated on the dais as the magistrate"

Qin Xiang and Qin Chayue were very quick-witted, immediately stepping aside to clear the passage, and slightly bowing to demonstrate their good basic training

Qin Dewei curled his lips, what lofty aspirations and noble conduct, what disdain for mundane affairs, all of it must be to spare the feelings of the esteemed, right? I suspect it all boils down to one word: laziness

After looking around and seeing no one, Qin Xiang reminded his nephew: "In this county, there are four powerful figures in the government, and Chief Dong is one of them. I will explain this to you in detail later. In any case, if you come to the county office, remember not to offend these four individuals"

He personally experienced that the era he was in was truly a feudal old society, an age where one could be dealt with before having the chance to make way for the "big shots"

At this moment, a messenger suddenly came over and called out to Qin Xiang: "Wang Bingshu is looking for you! Hurry and go meet him!"

Just after passing through the ceremonial gate, suddenly five or six men appeared, led by a middle-aged man with a square face and a bushy beard, who was dragging someone along, shouting and yelling as they approached.

It seems there is official business. Qin Xiang found it inconvenient to bring Qin Dewei to the rear guard room, so he instructed his nephew, saying: "I will be back shortly, you can walk around on your own, but do not cause trouble or wander in unauthorized areas"

Setting aside the unpleasantness of the encounter, Qin Dewei adjusted his mindset and inquired professionally, "Why is the lobby not open today? Isn't it a day for public notice and case hearings?"

He hurriedly stepped forward, smiling at the square-faced, bearded man, and said: "Uncle Dong, please do not be angry! It is truly my nephew's first time at the county office, and he is still inexperienced. Please do not hold it against the younger generation!"

Gazing at the grand hall, which symbolizes the core of the county office's power, Qin Dewei couldn't help but let out a sigh

However, Qin Dewei did not react in time, and moreover, there is no such custom of bowing in avoidance in the soul imprint of modern people.

He could not help but ask his uncle: "Who is this person? He does not look like an official, yet he is so domineering and arrogant!"

Yes, it is! Qin Xiang nodded in agreement and watched the group leave. Turning back to look at his nephew, he found that apart from a few patches of dirt on his body, he was not seriously harmed, and he let out a sigh of relief

Wang Bingshu refers to a military officer from the Wang family, specifically a clerk in the military office. The military office is one of the three classes and six rooms of the county government, generally responsible for managing the strong class of officials.

Qin Xiang and Qin Chayue can tell that their eldest nephew seems to have a keen interest in matters of criminal law, which is a positive sign. Interest is the best teacher; as long as the eldest nephew is interested in the affairs of the county office, is there any reason to worry that he won't take over my position in the future

The so-called "day of preliminary examination of complaints" refers to the initial review of complaints to determine whether they are valid or not. Valid complaints are kept in the county office, awaiting the official trial date for further examination; invalid complaints are directly dismissed and not subject to further review.

Uncle Qin Xiang is one of the strongmen in charge of the main gate, whose primary duty is merely to maintain order, rather than to prevent others from entering or exiting, thus the benefits are almost negligible

As a professional in the history of the judicial system during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Qin Dewei is certainly aware that the county yamen is the most fundamental judicial unit of this era. Due to his professional background, he is quite interested in visiting the county yamen in person

Qin Dewei mentally redefined the concept; the classification of these officers is divided into three classes, with the fast class resembling the role of police, while the captains are akin to that of a director or at least a battalion commander

From the ceremonial gate, there is a straight corridor that leads directly to the main hall, which is the place where the county magistrate publicly holds court to hear cases, one of the most frequently depicted locations in historical costume dramas

Indeed, it is sheer tyranny! Qin Dewei said resentfully. Just because he did not move aside in time, he was pushed to the ground, ending up covered in dirt, which was truly unpleasant

Qin Xiang also felt regret, as he had only thought of avoiding danger for himself and had forgotten to pull away his still naive nephew.

He immediately led Qin Dewei through the moon gate towards the eastern courtyard. In the center of the eastern courtyard, there was a slightly smaller hall, which was the county magistrate's office

Seeing the big picture from the small details, with the golden opportunity already in hand, are you still not finding ways to strive for upward mobility, waiting instead to be oppressed, exploited, and harvested like chives?

Within the two gates, also known as the Yi Gate, lies the important area of the county office, which is secured with access control, and entry is not permitted at will. However, with Qin Xiang leading the way, the gatekeepers naturally would not stop Qin Dewei.

Qin Dewei agreed and stood in the eastern courtyard watching the young county magistrate review the documents. After observing for a while, he felt it was rather uninteresting.

Immediately, a constable rushed out of the county office and arrived at the nearby quarters set up by Captain Dong, reporting to him: "A rather interesting character just appeared! There might be some profit to be gained from him!"

In the center of the corridor, there is a small pavilion, inside which stands a small stone tablet, known as the renowned戒石.

Is she here to complain? It's not just Qin Dewei; other interested parties have also taken notice of this wealthy young widow

Today happens to be a day of announcement, and the county magistrate is seated in the hall, while groups of three or four people stand outside the hall, waiting for the results

The regulations set forth by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, stipulated that all county offices throughout the realm were to be constructed according to the same design, resulting in a remarkably uniform appearance.

According to the regulations, court sessions are not held every day, which is why there are designated days for announcements and hearings, with the specific frequency depending on the diligence of the county magistrates

While contemplating a change of scenery for sightseeing, a familiar graceful figure suddenly appeared in my line of sight. Although her face was obscured by a veil, her white mourning attire unmistakably revealed her identity

Head Constable Dong let out a few sinister laughs: "Which blind wealthy man dares to enter this yamen again?"

The words "Gong Sheng Ming" are inscribed in large characters facing south, while the very famous sixteen-character phrase "Er Feng Er Lu, Min Gao Min Zhi" is inscribed facing north. The phrase means that the lower class is easily oppressed, while heaven is difficult to deceive.

Thinking of this, Qin Dewei could not help but feel envious, and even a bit jealous

Qin Xiang shook his head and explained: "The esteemed magistrate of this county possesses noble aspirations and is weary of mundane affairs, thus he has delegated the matters of law and order to the county deputy magistrate. Therefore, the trials are generally held in the county deputy magistrate's office in the eastern courtyard."

Look at the arrogant demeanor of that Constable Dong just now; if it were not for the inaction of those above, how could a mere constable behave in such a manner

Damn it, how can I encounter such people everywhere!

In the Ming Dynasty, being in one's twenties and passing the imperial examination was likely akin to achieving entrepreneurial success and financial freedom in one's twenties in the twenty-first century

The review of the case documents differs from the formal trial process; it resembles more of a clerical task. For outsiders, what is there to see in merely signing official documents?

A few sycophants around began to flatter and cheer: "It must be that they know our Master Dong is short on money, so they have come to offer silver!"

For example, the outermost part is the main gate, with slanted walls shaped like the character "八" on both sides, used for posting notices and decrees. The main gate is open for free entry and exit during the day, without any access restrictions.

The layout of the front half of the county office is generally like this. As for the back half and the inner office, they are quite deep and secretive, certainly not something outsiders can casually glimpse at; even Qin Xiang and the county officials cannot bring their nephews there.

This should be that young widow, Madam Gu? Qin Dewei was about eighty to ninety percent sure of this, after all, he had seen her not long ago and still retained some impression in his mind

Qin Dewei looked across the courtyard and noticed that the county magistrate was very young, only in his twenties. At such a young age, being appointed as a seventh-rank county magistrate (Nanjing is also considered a capital) must mean he came from the ranks of the successful candidates in the imperial examination.

As he spoke, he also pointed to the grand hall of the Jiangning County government in front of him

Qin Xiang pointed out, "That is the head of the fast response team in this county, a person who must not be provoked under any circumstances"