My Promotion Story Through Time Travel

Chapter 62, Class 3, Room 6

Lu Shuyin led the three of them on a preliminary introduction to the Fuchun County Government Office. Lin Ziping understood this as an onboarding training session covering various aspects such as corporate culture, organizational structure, and safety education.

Fuchun is adjacent to Huaizhou and belongs to Zezhou. Since there are no topographical maps available at this time, it is impossible to match it with previously known place names, and the previous climate classifications are also of little reference value.

Over the years, Lin Ziping has always believed that his understanding of this era is only superficial, and his channels for obtaining information are too narrow. Apart from what he has seen and heard in books, the rest is his correspondence with Zhao Xiancheng, Ji Xun, and Fang Zhili. Moreover, this kind of information is too subjective and has a strong personal color. Inconvenient transportation has caused serious delays in obtaining this kind of information.

The county government had a total of 45 people. Under the county magistrate were the county assistant and the registrar. It was divided into "three classes and six departments". The three classes were the bailiff, the guard, and the runner. The six departments of the county government corresponded to the six ministries of the central government, namely the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of War.

The clerk's office has a clerk named Shu Yin, who is mainly responsible for official documents and personnel matters; his job is similar to that of an office worker.

The functions of the prison are similar to those of the public security department, with the middle-aged and youngest members of the three shifts directly under the management of the prison.

The Household Registration Office was in charge of land, population, taxes, finance, etc., and was a hybrid of the Natural Resources Bureau, Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Finance Bureau, and Tax Bureau.

The military post was responsible for liaising with the army, coordinating logistics and supplies during wartime, recruiting able-bodied men, and training the two shifts of guards (strong and fast) during the off-season.

The Ritual Office was a combination of the Education Bureau and the Reception Office. It had two subordinate departments: the Instructor was responsible for the management of all academies in the county and the organization of the imperial examinations; the Ritual Officer was responsible for holding ceremonies and receiving superiors.

The workshop was in charge of engineering, water conservancy, construction, and land reclamation.

The three shifts consist of 8 people in the soap-making shift, who are in the internal affairs department and are assigned to various rooms to assist in the work. The strongman shift and the fast shift each have 12 people, who are responsible for guarding, security, arresting, detaining, collecting taxes, requisitioning grain, and escorting prisoners throughout the county.

People from the Sixth Division need to pass an examination to enter, just like Lin Ziping and his group. People from the Third Division are usually recruited locally, mostly ordinary people, but they are considered to have half an official position and are often hereditary substitutes. Their families have deep-rooted power.

County magistrates were appointed by their superiors and were mostly from other places. In order to control the complex local relationships, they usually brought their own advisors, who were called "secretaries." Those who had the means would also bring their own stewards and servants to manage daily affairs, just like Magistrate Ji's steward, Ji Wu.

Most of the people in the six departments are assessed and assigned by the state government, but they can also apply to the state government for approval to recruit their own staff.

The starting point for the imperial examinations was county magistrate. This kind of examination, which was conducted by the prefecture, required one to start from the six offices or even from the yamen runners. Most people could only become county assistants at most in their entire lives. Many scholars scoffed at this and were unwilling to participate, which sometimes resulted in very few candidates. Neighboring prefectures would then conduct joint examinations and randomly assign candidates.

Lin Ziping was one such person; he participated in the assessment in Huaizhou and was eventually assigned to Fuchun in Zezhou.

The three offices were located on the left side of the main hall of the county government, with prisons and a training ground behind them. To the right was the temporary area for the six departments. Passing through the ceremonial gate, the formal office area of ​​the six departments was behind them, along with granaries, studies, shelving, and other supporting facilities. Beyond the gatehouse were the offices of the registrar and the county magistrate on either side, with the county magistrate's reception room and office in the middle. There was also a room for the secretary on the side. The tax treasury and silver bureau were located here. Through the flower hall and the covered bridge, one could reach the county magistrate's inner residence.

The magistrate's inner residence was used for his daily life. It was usually accessed through a separate door at the back, not through the front of the county government office.

The three are currently in the internship stage and have not been formally assigned any work. They often move around wherever they are needed. The people in Room Six are too busy to pay attention to the three, so the rooms of the Strong Class and the Fast Class have become the places where the three often stay.

"Where do you think we'll be sent?" Bai Xin asked the other two, sitting on the bench in the labor camp, his tone tinged with confusion and anxiety. "It's been so many days, why hasn't anyone asked about us?"

Lin Ziping was used to this. There is always an adjustment period between veteran employees and new employees. Besides, there is an old saying that "teaching an apprentice can starve the master."

"Isn't it good that no one is watching us? Why are there so few people in the strong and fast shifts these days?" Xiao Jia was sitting with his legs crossed, flipping through a storybook, looking very relaxed.

"Xiao Wu, why aren't you in a hurry at all?" Bai Xin rolled her eyes at Xiao Jiazheng.

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it. Am I right, Scholar Lin?" Xiao Jiazheng asked Lin Ziping.

Lin Ziping turned the pages of his book, ignoring Xiao Jiazheng. Unlike the two old men, he didn't have any family background or connections here. Less talk and more action was an experience he had accumulated over many years of working in the workplace.

"What are you looking at?" Xiao Jiazheng put down his storybook and leaned closer. "The Way of Being an Official? What is this?"

"Xiao Wu, take some time to study Zi Ping and read books. This is what Lu Shuyin showed us on the first day," Bai Xin explained.

“Yes, I borrowed it from Lu Shuyin, and I have indeed benefited greatly from it. I think you can take a look too,” Lin Ziping said.

"What's so interesting about this?" Xiao Jiazheng said dismissively.

Lin Ziping didn't explain much. When he first arrived in this era and was able to read, he went to the academy's library and read through the "Great Zhou Law". Now that he has entered a new environment, he naturally needs to understand the code of conduct required for his new job!

Seeing that Lin Ziping did not answer, Bai Xin came to the rescue: "Whether it's good or not, you'll know when the time comes. But Xiao Wu, you're right, there are usually at least two or three people in the strong and fast shifts, but we haven't seen them around these past few days. It's really strange."

“Yes, I just went to the clerk's office. There are only a few people left in the clerk's office and the household registration office, but no one is in the other offices.” Xiao Jiazheng leaned closer to Bai Xin and the other person and began to whisper.

"Have you seen Magistrate Feng?" Bai Xin asked.

"No, I haven't seen him at the county government office for the past few days."

……

"What are you three still doing here?" Suddenly, someone walked in and pointed at the three of them, saying, "And your clothes are all so loose and baggy, what kind of behavior is this?"

Lin Ziping looked towards the doorway and saw a tall man wearing soft armor.

"Inspector Chai." Bai Xin stood up and bowed. "The three of us only came to the county government this year. The older and younger brothers have gone out."

The visitor frowned upon hearing Bai Xin's words: "Why don't the three of you go out?"

Xiao Jiazheng stood up and bowed, saying, "Inspector Chai, it was Lu Shuyin who arranged for us to be here."

Inspector Chai looked displeased: "You come with me first, and I will explain the situation to Lu Shuyin later."

The three looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Stop dawdling and come with me." When the three men remained unmoved, Officer Chai's voice carried a hint of annoyance.

Both are leaders, and we can't afford to offend either of them. Let's deal with the one in front of us first. Lin Ziping nodded slightly to Bai Xin and Xiao Jiazheng, and the three of them said in unison, "Yes."

As Inspector Chai left.