Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 96 Survival in Officialdom

Jinan Prefecture, Office of the Registrar.

The north wind was biting, carrying scattered snowflakes that pattered against the windowpane with a soft, rustling sound.

Lu Yan sat in the signing room, holding a cup of hot tea, but his gaze was fixed on an official document on the desk. This was the first time he had handled official business alone since becoming an eighth-rank magistrate.

The official document, forwarded from the prefectural government, urged all counties to report on this year's autumn grain harvest. It was a routine matter, but Lu Yan noticed a small note on the document:

"Licheng County will be fined one month's salary for reporting three days late."

The annotations were written in a messy hand, but they were the prefect's own handwriting.

Lu Yan put down the official document, lost in thought.

"grown ups."

A shrill voice came from outside the door.

Lu Yan looked up and saw an old clerk from the Registrar's Office, surnamed Ma, in his forties, with a shrewd face. He had been working in the government office for more than ten years and was a seasoned veteran.

"Clerk Ma, what is it?"

Clerk Ma approached, a fawning smile plastered on his face, and said in a low voice, "Sir, it's the end of the year, and all the official documents from each county need to be filed. According to regulations, they must be checked before filing. This work is very tedious, and I can't handle it all by myself. I'd like to ask you to approve a few helpers."

Lu Yan glanced at him but didn't say anything.

The clerk, feeling a little uneasy under his gaze, quickly added, "Of course, I'll pay for the helper myself. The yamen won't need to pay."

"You're paying for it yourself?" Lu Yan's lips curled slightly upwards. "Clerk Ma, how much is your monthly salary? How many assistants can you afford?"

Clerk Ma's expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile, saying, "You jest, sir. I... I have some savings."

Lu Yan put down his teacup, his gaze sharpening.

"Clerk Ma, how many years have you worked in the Bureau of Records?"

"Your Excellency, it has been twelve years."

"A clerk with twelve years of experience should know the rules of the yamen," Lu Yan said calmly. "Filed official documents are the basic duties of the Records Office; there's no need to hire help. If you want to hire help, you're simply trying to skim some money off the top."

The clerk, Ma, fell to his knees with a thud, trembling all over.

"My lord, spare me! I was confused for a moment, please have mercy!"

Lu Yan looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

"Get up."

Clerk Ma stood up tremblingly, not daring to raise his head.

"I'm not here to make things difficult for you." Lu Yan stood up and walked to Clerk Ma. "You have your way of life, and I have my rules."

"My rules are simple—I won't covet what's rightfully yours; and don't let me know what's not yours. Understand?"

The clerk, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, nodded repeatedly.

"Understood, understood! I understand!"

"Go."

The clerk bowed and retreated hastily, as if fleeing for his life.

Lu Yan watched his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on his lips.

This is the officialdom.

The relationship between superiors and subordinates is never a simple matter of commands and obedience. Subordinates have their own agendas, and superiors have their own methods. If you want them to obey, you must first make them fear you; if you want them to work hard for you, you must first offer them something to gain.

Use both kindness and severity, and employ both soft and hard tactics.

This is the first lesson in surviving in officialdom.

……

In the afternoon, Lu Yan went to the prefectural government office to pay his respects to Prefect Zhou Tingru.

"Governor Lu has arrived? Please have a seat."

Prefect Zhou, all smiles, personally poured Lu Yan a cup of tea.

"Your humble servant thanks you, sir."

Lu Yan accepted the teacup with both hands and sat down respectfully at the lower seat.

"Governor Lu, you've been in Jinan for over a month now. Are you settling in well?"

"Thanks to you, everything is fine."

"That's good." Prefect Zhou stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Prefect Lu is young and promising, and with Eunuch Liu's appreciation, his future is limitless."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Governor Lu, I've heard that your relationship with Eunuch Liu is unusual?"

Lu Yan's heart stirred, but his face remained expressionless.

"Your Excellency, I have some business dealings with Eunuch Liu, but we don't have any real relationship."

"Business dealings?" Prefect Zhou's eyes lit up. "What kind of business?"

"It's just some transportation work. Eunuch Liu has some goods that need to be transferred, and my carriage company can help with that."

"I see." Prefect Zhou nodded, his smile widening.

He stood up, walked over to Lu Yan, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Governor Lu, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

"Please speak, sir."

"We are both under Eunuch Wei's command, and it is only right that we look out for each other. I have been operating in Jinan for many years and have some connections. If you need anything, just say the word."

Lu Yan sneered inwardly, but showed a grateful expression on his face.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I am new here and was just worried about not having any connections."

"Of course, of course!" Prefect Zhou laughed heartily. "From now on, we're family."

……

As Lu Yan emerged from the government office, his expression darkened.

He understood what Prefect Zhou meant. This was an attempt to win him over and bring him into their circle.

But Lu Yan didn't want to be tied to anyone.

Prefect Zhou is a man of Wei Zhongxian and is currently enjoying great prestige. But what about five years from now? Once the Tianqi Emperor dies and Wei Zhongxian falls from power, the eunuch faction will be purged. People like Prefect Zhou will either be dismissed from office or imprisoned.

If he gets too closely tied to Prefect Zhou, how will he get away later?

"Master."

Zhao Changying emerged from the shadows and followed behind Lu Yan.

"What did the prefect say?"

"It's nothing," Lu Yan said casually. "Just some polite words in official circles."

He stopped and looked at the gray sky in the distance.

"In officialdom, the worst thing you can do is choose sides too early. Prefect Zhou wants to win me over; I can't refuse, but I can't agree too readily either. I have to play hard to get, keeping him on my toes. I need to make him think I'm one of his people, but he can't find any fault with me."

Zhao Changying nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"The master is brilliant."

Lu Yan gave a wry smile.

"What's so clever about it? It's nothing more than dancing on the edge of a knife."

……

In the evening, Lu Yan hosted a banquet at a restaurant in the prefectural city, inviting several colleagues to dinner.

These colleagues were people he had deliberately befriended over the past month or so.

The first was Sun Jixian, a clerk in the prefectural government. He was in his thirties and a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination) during the Wanli era. He failed the metropolitan examination three times and had to buy his way into the position of clerk. He was an outstanding man, but because he was not a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), he was ostracized in the officialdom and was frustrated and unfulfilled.

The second was Qian Youde, the jailer of the prefectural government. He was in his forties, with a sleazy face, and looked like a greedy and avaricious scoundrel. But he had many connections in the prefectural government and was well-informed, able to find out about anything.

The third was Wang Shouren, a clerk in the prefectural government office. He was in his early twenties, timid and fearful, and would tremble in the sight of his superiors. However, he was in charge of receiving and sending official documents for the prefectural government office, and all official documents had to pass through his hands.

"Come, everyone, drink this cup to the brim!"

Lu Yan raised his glass, beaming.

"I invited you all here today for no other reason than to make friends with you all."

"You're too kind, Lord Lu!"

Sun Jixian was the first to raise his glass and drink it all in one gulp.

"Lord Lu is young and promising, and with Eunuch Liu's appreciation, his future is limitless. It is our good fortune to be able to climb on Lord Lu's laurels."

"Brother Sun, you flatter me," Lu Yan said modestly. "I'm just a minor official, hardly a high-ranking official. Brother Sun, on the other hand, is exceptionally talented, but unfortunately, he's been relegated to a lowly position. If his luck changes one day, he will surely rise to great heights."

Sun Jixian's eyes reddened slightly, and he sighed.

"Lord Lu understands me."

Qian Youde chimed in, "Brother Sun, why sigh? With Lord Lu's support, what's there to fear about not having a chance to rise in the ranks?"

"Brother Qian is right." Lu Yan nodded. "From now on, we're all in the same boat. We'll share the good times and the bad."

After several rounds of drinks, Lu Yan lowered his voice and said to Sun Jixian:

"Brother Sun, I have something I'd like to ask you. Is Magistrate Zhou of Licheng County not on good terms with the Prefect?"

Sun Jixian was taken aback for a moment, then understood what Lu Yan meant.

"Lord Lu is well-informed. Magistrate Zhou is a member of the Donglin Party and doesn't get along with Eunuch Wei. The Prefect is Eunuch Wei's protégé, so naturally he doesn't like him. This time, Magistrate Zhou was three days late in reporting the autumn grain harvest, and the Prefect used this as an excuse to fine him a month's salary. But what's three days late? Which county hasn't been late before? It's just a pretext to give him a warning."

Lu Yan nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Sun."

"You're too kind, Lord Lu." Sun Jixian glanced around and lowered his voice, "If Lord Lu wants to gain a foothold in Jinan, there's one thing you must know. Although the Prefect is Eunuch Wei's man, his roots in Jinan aren't deep. The one who truly holds the reins is Minister Wang of the Provincial Administration Commission. Minister Wang is a native of Shandong and has served in the Provincial Administration Commission for over a decade; he's deeply entrenched. Although the Prefect holds a high position, he still has to consider Minister Wang's opinion on many matters."

Lu Yan kept this information in mind.

"Thank you, Brother Sun. Come, let's have another drink!"

……

After the banquet, Lu Yan walked alone on his way back to his residence.

The night was deep, and there were few pedestrians on the street. Zhao Changying followed behind him, cautiously observing their surroundings.

"Master, this meal must have cost quite a bit of money, right?"

"Thirty taels."

"Thirty taels? Is it worth it just to treat a few minor officials to a meal?"

"worth."

Lu Yan stopped and looked up at the starry sky above.

"Changying, do you know what's the most valuable thing in officialdom?"

"silver?"

"No, it's connections."

"Money can be earned back, but connections are hard to rebuild once severed. These thirty taels aren't just for a meal; they're for the loyalty of three men. Sun Jixian is capable, Qian Youde has connections, and Wang Shouren has a position. Each of these three is useful. In the future, if I encounter any trouble in officialdom, they will be my eyes and ears, my helpers, and my shield."

Zhao Changying nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"The boss has a long-term vision."

"It's not that I'm thinking far ahead, it's that I have no choice but to think about it."

Lu Yan sighed.

"The officialdom is like a battlefield; one wrong step and the whole game is lost. As a lowly eighth-rank official with no background or powerful connections, if I want to climb the ranks, I have to think a few steps ahead of others."

He raised his head and looked in the direction of the government office in the distance.

"Let's go back. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

The night wind howled, whipping up a flurry of snowflakes.

Lu Yan wrapped his cotton robe tighter around himself and strode forward.

The winter of the second year of the Tianqi reign was exceptionally cold.

But a fire burned in his heart.