Chapter 203: Promotions Must Serve the People

Shandong was originally a fertile land in the Central Plains. However, when the Jin attacked the Northern Song and waged continuous wars with the Mongols, Shandong suffered repeated plundering and conscription, gradually losing its prosperity from the Song era. When the Yuan took control of the Central Plains, vast areas in the Two Rivers region and Shandong were looted of wealth, goods, and people. At the end of the Yuan dynasty, chaos erupted across the land as rebel forces and Yuan troops clashed in Shandong, causing further devastation. Despite several military settlements and migrations during the Hongwu era, Shandong remained one of the main battlefields during the Jingnan Campaign under Emperor Jianwen.

As a result, even the Kong family of Qufu was severely weakened, and most of the other old noble families barely survived. Apart from the Kong family and the princes under the Lu and Han royal families, most of today’s local powerhouses were immigrants who had settled there over the past few decades. Among these immigrants, some grew poorer over time, while others became extremely wealthy. Add to this the salt merchants who traveled to the South China Sea to buy salt through the Kaizhong system, and Shandong saw a stark contrast: the poor remained poor, the rich became even richer, and there were many landlords owning thousands of acres of land.

Having wealth but no solid foundation—this was what it meant to be a new-rich like Du Zhen.

That night, Zhang Yue listened carefully as Du Wan explained Du Zhen’s suggestions in great detail, spending two whole hours on each point until the moon rose high in the sky before he left. As he had guessed, Du Zhen had predicted his promotion based on his understanding of the imperial bureaucracy. Yet instead of congratulating him, his teacher expressed concern. Four days after Zhang Qian returned to Beijing, Zhang Yue received an official document from the Ministry of Personnel, along with an urgent letter from Zhang Fu.

The official document was straightforward, exactly as Liu Zhong had described. Zhang Fu’s urgent letter contained no special instructions, only a simple fact stated in a calm tone: Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu had downplayed the assassination attempt and recommended Zhang Yue as the governor of Qingzhou! At first, Zhang Yue thought it was a joke, but soon realized why his teacher was worried.

If this recommendation reached Beijing, he could almost imagine the public scrutiny and criticism he would face. This wasn’t just fueling the controversy—it was deliberately pushing him into the eye of the storm!

While Zhang Yue was deeply troubled, many others were overjoyed. Ma Cheng, the current magistrate in Anqiu County, learned that he had suddenly become the acting county magistrate, no longer a lowly official, and was almost driven mad with happiness. Promotion had long been something he never expected in his life; even becoming a deputy county magistrate would have been a great joy, let alone the county magistrate himself. Only after learning that Zhang Yue had been promoted to his superior did he take a deep breath, realizing that the pressure on him still remained.

So, on the day he heard the news, he immediately rushed to the back courtyard of the county office to find Lingxi, bringing good news with a beaming smile. He asked, “The New Year is approaching, and there’s so much going on in Qingzhou Prefecture. I think my lord must move to the prefectural office before the New Year. I know Miss Lingxi has already prepared quite a bit of New Year’s goods, and moving them over will take a lot of effort. How about I ask my wife to bring a few maids to help with the packing?”

Lingxi had received a letter from Lady Gu from Beijing ten days earlier, but it contained only simple instructions and made no mention of the recent changes. Although she had finally settled in here, moving again would be a hassle, but what worried her most was that Zhang Yue had been promoted to such a high position at such a young age. Though she didn’t understand the ways of the bureaucracy, having worked under Lady Gu for many years and acting almost like an internal housekeeper, she had seen many cases of people being promoted high only to fall hard, so she certainly didn’t think promotion was always a good thing.

“Once the young master returns, Magistrate Ma will take over the seal, and I should congratulate him too!”

“It’s just luck, nothing more than luck.” Thinking of the tragic fates of Luo Wei and Zhao Ming, Ma Cheng felt that “luck” was the most fitting description for his unusual circumstances. His smile grew wider as he thought more carefully. “After all, the people of Anqiu all miss my lord. Maybe he’ll return to spend the New Year before leaving. How about this? We can pack up the things we don’t need first, and take care of the rest slowly. There are plenty of people here, and together we can finish it in a day.”

Though she agreed verbally, Lingxi knew it was impossible to move to Qingzhou after the New Year. She then began packing items from the Cui and Li families, ordered her attendants to organize official documents, and warned the people in the back courtyard not to discuss the matter rashly. However, it was hard to keep secrets in an office like this—small rumors would grow into big ones. Moreover, Magistrate Ma Cheng wanted everyone in the county to know that the county magistrate was being promoted. So, within a day, the streets and alleys were filled with chatter.

These common people just follow what others say. If Zhang Yue took office like his predecessors and did nothing but act as a hands-off boss, then whether it was promotion or demotion, it wouldn’t concern them at all. But Zhang Yue actually overthrew the two most stubborn power brokers in the county and brought justice to those people who had no one to turn to. Most impressively, some of the hard-earned money extorted by Luo Wei and Zhao Ming was even returned to the victims. Just this alone was enough to make some people extremely grateful to the new county magistrate, who had been in office for less than three months, without realizing that Zhang Yue had done his utmost to squeeze as much as possible from the money handed over by the Jinyiwei.

The Qingzhou prefecture government finally had a leader, and the inspection department also welcomed an elderly man with white hair—none other than Song Li, the Minister of Works who had built most of Beijing and dredged the entire Huitong River. This minister, renowned for his engineering skills, originally came from the legal field and had held various positions in the Ministry of Punishments in his early years. As a result, after Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, repeatedly rejected the candidates proposed by the Ministry of Personnel, he finally appointed this old minister to oversee justice in Shandong, performing the duties of an inspection commissioner despite not holding the official title. Faced with this situation, although Zhang Yue couldn’t make a special trip to Jinan Prefecture, he quickly handed over the inspection department’s seal to the Jinyiwei for delivery.

Zhang Yue originally planned to quietly go to Anqiu to hand over the county magistrate position and then leave with Ling Xi and the others, trying not to cause a stir. However, as soon as he entered Anqiu’s city gates, he was recognized. Although it wasn’t to the point of everyone leaving their homes, people everywhere poked their heads out to watch the lively scene, which made his heart warm but also made him blush deeply.

To his shame, he had at most reformed the atmosphere in the government office and eliminated two corrupt officials; he really hadn’t had time to do anything meaningful for the people. So when he rode back to the county office and saw several men excitedly holding up a large black plaque inscribed with “Upright and Clean” in front of the lotus-shaped screen wall, his bitter smile deepened.

Fortunately, he brought good news this time; otherwise, he would have been too ashamed to even show his face. Sure enough, Ma Cheng personally greeted him outside the Zhongyi Archway, along with six clerks and officials. He had a brief friendly conversation with his successor, then turned to speak to the people, saying things like how Ma Cheng would surely work diligently and remain honest and upright. After that, he smoothly shifted his tone and said something else with a smile.

“Since half a month ago, there have been continuous snowfalls, and Anqiu has also reported snow disasters. The heavy snow not only collapsed houses but left many people without food or clothing. Now, officials Du and Zhang have decided to distribute grain as relief to the households affected by the snow disasters in Qingzhou Prefecture, allocating 1,000 dan of white flour from Anqiu. Therefore, my last task before leaving office is to distribute this relief grain through the village heads!”
Anqiu usually provided relief during disasters, but the exact amount allocated by higher authorities was always kept secret. From county officials to local clerks and village heads, almost all of it was deducted, leaving only a tiny amount for the common people. Thus, when news spread that 1,000 dan of white flour was being sent, there was immediate widespread approval. The men carrying the large black plaques stood straighter, thinking that this time they really hadn’t come to the wrong place— the county magistrate’s last act before leaving was still focused on the well-being of the people.
As for the corrupt officials and clerks who used to exploit others, recalling the tragic fates of those in the past, none dared to complain. When they learned that Zhang Yue planned to compile a list of those in need of relief and post it on the walls of the county office, they could only sigh. With Zhang Yue’s capable team around, they didn’t dare to act recklessly, let alone with such resources at their disposal.
So, those who had been preparing to leave put aside their tasks and gathered together. They counted the numbers reported by the village heads, and groups of people followed the officials into the countryside through the snow to verify everything. Finally, by the 28th day of the 12th lunar month, the last batch of relief grain was loaded onto carts at the county office entrance.
The new village head from Wanli Township was so happy while supervising the loading that his mouth almost twisted. Not far away, groups of villagers watched the bags of grain, excitedly pointing and discussing. Amidst the countless praises, there were a few deliberately lowered voices that stood out.
“This dog official really knows how to put on an act!”
“Brother Zhao, if he could only put on an act, would the villagers be cheering so loudly? With this 1,000 dan of grain, at least the surrounding areas will be stable this winter. But I doubt he’ll remain honest once he gets to Qingzhou Prefecture!”
At that moment, a bearded man interjected, “You’re all underestimating him. As far as I know, the reason the provincial authorities were so quick to allocate grain to Qingzhou Prefecture this time is because he requested help from them. It’s said that Governor Du is his teacher—after all, teachers don’t treat their students differently, right? But it’s good to have this grain; we can’t just watch everyone suffer from cold and hunger.”

While four or five people here were discussing certain forbidden topics, two middle-aged men in robes with Lu silk collars and long sleeves were also exchanging opinions in hushed tones. When the last large cart left the alley in front of the county yamen, a tall and thin man muttered to himself, “With such strict control, the subordinates gain nothing at all. Can such pressure be maintained forever?”
“It’s early on; lenient methods are naturally not as good as strict ones. If the grain allocated for disaster relief is still misused, won’t it be this young Lord Zhang who suffers the consequences? Times change—things won’t be like this once he takes office in Qingzhou. Don’t worry, uncle. I’ve already prepared the procedures for the meeting.”