Section 5, Shangyu

Huang Renzhi stroked his beard and said: "It won't be a big deal, but since they don't give any shares, it seems there won't be any benefits for the adults. I believe they must know that Lord Zhang has offended those above him, which is why they don't take him seriously... As for Lord Zhang repaying his debts, who knows when that will be."

Upon entering the paifang, there is a wall of reflection, covered with various announcements. Behind the wall of reflection is a carved monster, resembling a qilin, surrounded by numerous treasures of gold and silver. Yet, it still opens its large mouth, attempting to swallow a round red sun in the sky. Beyond the wall of reflection lies a tall surrounding wall, with three pitch-black doors located directly behind it. Each door has two black door panels, totaling six doors. It is said that the term "six doors" for the government originates from this.

Zhang Wen humbly inquired, "Then according to Mr. Huang's meaning, what will they do?"

Zhang Wen casually flipped through it and tossed it aside, speaking in an official tone: "Ah... the accounts are placed here; I will take a careful look before proceeding."

Congratulations to the officer on taking office, and bestowing silver and gifts.

Zhang Wen then said to the hall: "Whose family was robbed? First, bring the victim here."

At this moment, Zhang inquired about the sedan chair, and the bearers carried it away, while the sedan chair carrying Mrs. Wu continued to move inward, directly entering the inner residence

"Hehe, well done, very good," Zhang encouraged.

Huang Renzhi shook his head: "Regardless of whether he is an honest official or not, at the very least, he should take the initiative to express that intention. I have observed that there has not been a county magistrate in Shangyu County for a long time, and the people below are as solid as an iron barrel. I fear that it will not be easy for Lord Zhang to serve as the county magistrate."

At the forefront of the welcoming procession are three individuals clad in green official robes, their bellies adorned with images of a oriole, a quail, or a magpie, all of which are rather insignificant birds. Zhang inquires about the image on the belly, which depicts a mandarin duck, and further elaborates on some additional details.

Oh, good. Zhang Wen took a few notebooks and walked in

Zhang Wen, appearing completely clueless, asked: "What is a share?"

At this moment, the large man, the chief clerk An, also brought up a notebook and said: "This is the dossier of the list of major criminals and thieves recently apprehended and detained in this county"

"Indeed, it is as the esteemed elder has said," several individuals responded with a bow of agreement

The entire setup centers around an official sedan chair, surrounded by a large green fan, a blue umbrella, four green flags, two wooden poles, and two leather sculptures. In front, there are several large wooden signs, which read in order: "Shangyu County Magistrate," two signs stating "Silence," and two signs indicating "Avoidance."

Zhang Wenduan adjusted the black gauze hat on his head, walked down from the boat, surrounded by officials, horses, sedan chairs, umbrellas, and banners; indeed, an official must have an imposing presence to command respect

County magistrate Liang Ma, the official with a protruding belly, approached the desk holding a large seal in both hands and said: "This is the county seal of Shangyu, please take charge of the seal, Your Honor"

Zhang Wen took the county seal from the lower part of the round top, his movements rather frivolous, and with great interest, he flipped it over to see that the bottom of the seal was engraved with the words: Shangyu County Seal

Esteemed guest, this is your residence. Inside, there are your family members. According to the rules, those of lower status are not permitted to enter. If you have any matters to attend to, simply have someone notify the people outside.

Let us go back to the county office

Zhang Wen took the items and then stood up, while the three officials stood upright, observing the formalities before dismissing themselves. Nearby, a man in black clothing was beating a wooden block, signaling that the officer was about to enter the corridor, instructing the bystanders to avoid the area.

Zhang nodded slightly. The young man then took the opportunity to say: "I am the head of the adult's servant class, and I have been promoted."

Zhang entered the warm pavilion, passed through the Qilin Gate, and arrived at another courtyard. He then said to himself and the elevated books: "This is the Retreat and Reflection Hall."

He walked into his room, which was a large space. Outside, there was a desk and other items, and inside, there was also a warm alcove, separated by a screen, where he slept.

Upon passing through the six gates, one enters the main gate of the county office. Inside, the buildings are densely packed, with numerous doorways, yet they are exceedingly dilapidated; the structures within do not even compare to the residential houses outside. Entering the ceremonial gate leads to the first courtyard of the county office, which houses the main hall and six chambers.

Wu set down the broom and said, "The doorkeeper mentioned that there are the female relatives of the county magistrate in the inner chamber. According to the rules, those in black robes and servants are not allowed to enter, so Laifeng has been arranged to stay in the outer room"

The horse-drawn carriage moved westward along a street by the river, which is the Cao'e River, flowing from east to west. A young man following beside the carriage noticed Zhang Weng lifting the curtain to take in the scenery and said: "Esteemed guest, this street is called Yanjiang Fang."

A group of people followed the riverside path to an arch bridge, then turned north to cross the bridge. Gao Sheng further explained: "Esteemed Sir, this stone bridge is called Wenchang Bridge, built with contributions from the local gentry of Shangyu County, as a means of accumulating virtue to pray for heavenly blessings for scholars to achieve success in the imperial examinations. After crossing the bridge, this street is called Ping'an Fang. If you continue north to the end of the street and then turn right, you will reach County Office Street, where the government office is located in the middle of the street."

Zhang Wen spent the night in the county office like this

In the courtyard stands a small pavilion, within which there is a stone tablet inscribed with the three characters: "Gong Sheng Ming". Behind the stone tablet, there are additional words, which are certainly not "Mu Sheng An", but rather "Your salary and your provisions, the people's cream and the people's fat; the lower class is easily oppressed, but heaven is hard to deceive". Below the stone tablet, a path leads north to a platform, on which is the core building of the county office: the main hall

Zhang Wen looked bewildered and turned to Huang Renzhi, asking: "How do we interrogate the thief?"

Zhang Wen, having changed into his official robe, just disembarked from the ship docked at the pier, and saw that the dock was filled with yamen runners, with several officials waiting there. It must be that the relay station within the territory of Shangyu had notified the county office, allowing these eighth and ninth rank assistant officials to know when Zhang Wen would arrive

Zhang Wen smiled and said, "Very well, very well. From now on, we should continue to advance hand in hand."

Zhang Wenyin collected everything and said: "Each should perform their duties, very good, very good, and this must be maintained. After I finish reading... if it is indeed as stated, I will certainly commend you. ... I am a bit tired today as I have just arrived, we will resume work as usual tomorrow, you may disperse and attend to your own matters."

Liang Ma presented two ledgers, saying: "These are the accounts of money and horses during my tenure as the acting magistrate. Please review them, esteemed sir."

At the forefront stood a man with a prominent beer belly, round and large, adorned with a yellow robe. The beer belly was the first to bow and clasp his hands, saying: "I am Liang Ma, the county magistrate of Shangyu, and I respectfully welcome you, esteemed guest."

On either side of the courtyard, there were connected corridors. Zhang Wen walked from the corridor to the north, where there were three women's rooms. He saw Wu Shi, who was covered in dust and dirt, tidying up the room, and asked, "Stepmother, where has Lai Fu gone? Call him to do this work."

"Take me to where I will stay," Zhang asked

"Alright, let's go and sign the property documents first," Zhang Wen said, as the attendant in the black robe routinely warned the onlookers to keep their distance.

Zhang Wen immediately adjusted his attire, walked into the warm pavilion, and took his seat at the official's position

The chief clerk An and the other three officials entered in succession to sign and seal, dispatching the yamen runners for official duties. When everyone had left, Huang Renzhi whispered, "According to custom, when the governor first arrives in a place, the subordinates should present gifts. These people are pretending not to understand"

The one who entered was the chief steward An. He waddled down to the hall, saying: "Respectfully reporting to the hall master, the thief from the upper city district, hetushu.com, was caught by the officials this morning. Would the hall master like to conduct an interrogation?"

At that moment, a shadow moved at the door, and Zhang Wen and Huang Renzhi ceased their conversation

There are three women's rooms to the north. The room on the left serves as a study, the middle room is occupied by Mrs. Wu, who is Zhang Wen's stepmother and thus deserves respect. Zhang Wen himself resides in the room on the right.

The small boat arrived at Shangyu, entering the city through the water gate. Zhang Wen observed the scene of a typical Jiangnan water town within the city, complete with arched bridges and painted buildings. The sounds of bustling voices filled the air, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere. Various small boats traversed the river, transporting goods and people, while talented scholars and beautiful women enjoyed wine and composed poetry on flower boats. Zhang Wen's mood lightened considerably at that moment.

He glanced at the place where he lived, which was even smaller than the courtyard in front, and it was also dilapidated. In the middle, there was a courtyard unique to the Jiangnan region, featuring a central courtyard with a pavilion.

The county office at night is eerie, with the outside shrouded in darkness. There are sounds, rhythmic in nature, with the clanging of a wooden block heard five times each hour. However, there are no other sounds, making the timekeeping chime feel particularly strange

Behind was a stout man, a quail with a round body, who immediately bent down and said: "I am Guan Zhi'an, the chief clerk of Shangyu County, respectfully welcoming you, esteemed guest"

After traveling for more than a month, he was indeed somewhat tired. He took a shower, had a meal, and rested

After a long while, the constable brought in a middle-aged man. Upon seeing the official in the hall wearing a black gauze hat, the man hurriedly knelt down on the ground

At this moment, a scribe entered, sat down beside, and picked up a brush to prepare to record the testimony

The Yangjiang Lane extends east and west, while the Ping'an Lane extends north and south. Upon reaching the northern end of Ping'an Lane, there is a T-junction. Turning right, the street extending east and west is Xianya Street. Upon reaching the middle of the street, the procession turns north and enters an archway. Zhang Wen looked over and saw that the archway had two layers of roofs, with slanted supporting columns on both sides, and a plaque on the door reading: Zhonglian Lane

Upon arriving at the signing room, Zhang Wen called upon Huang Renzhi for assistance and guidance.

Zhang Wen led the officials toward the main hall. Upon entering the hall, there was a desk in the warm chamber directly to the north, with a plaque hanging above it that read: "Public Integrity and Dignity." On either side of the hall stood attendants, and on the right side of the hall, there was a door with the inscription "Zan Zheng Pavilion" above it.

The accompanying archers and swift guards, totaling no less than one hundred individuals, were beating a gong in front to clear the way, creating a truly imposing spectacle

Zhang Wen, under the guidance of his subordinates, boarded a sedan chair carried by four bearers, adorned with a plain cloud-patterned green canopy. Wu also took her place in the rear sedan chair, while Huang Renzhi and others either rode horses or walked, and the various officials also mounted their horses

Zhang Wenda said: "Perhaps they have not yet figured out whether I am an honest official, fearing that sending silver would result in a wasted effort."

Early the next morning, Zhang Wen got up, washed up, had breakfast, then donned his official robes and opened the courtyard door, preparing to officially assume the role of county magistrate. Upon seeing Zhang Wen emerge from the inner chamber, the attendant knocked three times on the wooden block. The head of the attendants, Gao Sheng, approached and said: "Your Honor, today is the nineteenth day of the eighth month, a day that falls on the third, sixth, or ninth. The yamen has already put up the notice board, and those wishing to file complaints can submit their petitions. We are just waiting for the hearing day, and Your Honor can process the cases in order."

Thus, Gao Sheng and three other followers, accompanied by Zhang Wenda, walked inside. They entered the courtyard from the north, where there was a moon gate on the side

Huang Renzhi said: "This can be pre-reviewed here"

Then, the official Ma Lian Dian Shi Gong Wen also submitted a report, stating that there was no delay in the correspondence of official documents.

The person at the end of the three is a tall and thin individual, with a pale complexion and a long face resembling that of a horse. At first glance, one would surely be astonished, wondering how a ghostly figure could appear in broad daylight. That ghostly figure also cupped his hands and said: "I am Gong Wen, the county magistrate of Shangyu, paying my respects to the esteemed one."