I Must Be a Good Official

Inside the county yamen's third hall,

The room was full of people.

County Magistrate Zhang sat in the seat of honor, while the yamen's archivist, adviser, and clerks from the six offices sat to either side.

Every official and clerk in Heyang County's yamen was present, except for the old registrar, who had fainted from fright and still had not woken up.

The county seat's important figures all wore complicated expressions. Some exchanged glances, some hung their heads in silence, some shrank into their collars to make themselves less conspicuous, and others wore grave expressions as they racked their brains.

But no one was the first to speak. The vast third hall was so quiet that a falling needle could be heard.

Although Zhang Huaimin had been meek and deferential before the immortal, he was not like that in front of the other people in Heyang County.

A prefect could wipe out a family; a county magistrate could ruin a household.

Throughout the county, he was the lord of a hundred li, a local emperor.

"Speak! What should we do next? Every one of you is sitting there like a corpse. Weren't you all so good at talking when you were fighting over power and profit? How have you all turned mute now?"

County Magistrate Zhang finally could no longer bear the silence in the hall. He tapped his fingers on the desk, his big, old, fat face quivering as he growled at the people on either side.

Under the weight of his official authority, the officials and clerks on both sides felt their hearts tremble and a chill run down their backs.

"Well... Your Excellency, I have never seen an immortal before, much less received one. I truly don't know what to do."

A clerk from the rites office spoke with a long face, sounding aggrieved.

"If you don't know, then go find out. Search the ancient books and records, the tales of strange things and novels. By tomorrow morning, I want to know the procedures and plans for receiving and serving an immortal. Otherwise, pack your bedding and get out," County Magistrate Zhang said sternly, his face dark.

"Yes, yes, yes! I obey, I obey," the rites clerk answered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

After berating the rites clerk, County Magistrate Zhang turned his gaze to the others.

The rest immediately felt a crushing pressure bearing down on them, each silently repeating, Not me, not me.

"Reporting..."

A panicked voice suddenly came from outside the hall, and a runner in a black yamen uniform came trotting in.

County Magistrate Zhang said furiously, "What are you shouting for? If you offend the honored immortal, I'll skin you alive!"

The runner hurriedly knelt and replied, "Your Excellency, more and more commoners are gathering outside. They're all shouting to see the immortal. We can barely hold them back."

"How dare they! Gathering a crowd to cause trouble and storm the county yamen—are these unruly commoners trying to rebel?"

Already full of worries, County Magistrate Zhang flew into a rage when he heard this. He slapped the desk and sprang to his feet, immediately intending to lead the yamen runners out to arrest and punish the unruly commoners who had gathered to make trouble.

But the adviser beside him held him back.

"How many commoners are gathered outside now?" the adviser asked the runner kneeling below.

The runner replied, "No fewer than a thousand, and more commoners are streaming in from outside."

At the runner's words, County Magistrate Zhang's face turned pale. His anger vanished, leaving only terror and panic.

"Wh-what are we to do?"

With more than a thousand people, this was no mere gathering to make trouble. County Magistrate Zhang might have been quick to speak of rebellion, but if he truly provoked a popular uprising and a mass revolt, he would be the first person the rebels killed when they stormed the yamen.

Even if he was lucky enough to escape with his life, once the imperial army had crushed the rebels, he would be the first person arrested and punished.

Either way, death awaited him.

He was only a sesame-seed-sized seventh-rank official. His sole wish now was to line his pockets enough, retire to his hometown, and spend his later years in peace.

"My lord, do not worry. The commoners outside merely witnessed the miracle earlier with their own eyes, and their emotions are running high. If Archivist Han goes and appeals to their feelings and reason, he can calm them."

The adviser spoke up.

"Yes, yes, yes, you're right. Brother Han, sorry for the trouble, but please go yourself. You must be kind and approachable, appeal to their feelings and reason, and be sure not to provoke an uprising."

County Magistrate Zhang immediately recovered from his panic and smiled at Archivist Han beside him.

"Huh? Me?"

Archivist Han stared wide-eyed and pointed at himself, his face full of disbelief.

"Of course you. Brother Han, as archivist, maintaining order and reassuring the people are already among your official duties. Do not shirk them. Go at once."

County Magistrate Zhang assumed the authority of the county's master and gave the order in a tone that left no room for discussion.

Resentment flared in Archivist Han's heart. He knew County Magistrate Zhang was diverting the flood of trouble onto him and shirking responsibility, but there was nothing he could do. An official one rank higher could crush a man to death; he had no choice but to obey.

Helpless, Archivist Han could only bury his resentment deep in his heart, not daring to show the slightest trace on his face. He staggered out of the third hall with the runner.

If I can't persuade them, at worst I'll let the commoners give me a beating to vent their anger, Archivist Han thought.

For some reason, as they watched him leave, the people in the hall saw in his departing figure a trace of the tragic heroism of the wind sighing over the icy waters of the Yi.

Having dealt with this trouble, County Magistrate Zhang stroked his beard in satisfaction and gave the adviser beside him a genial smile. "Wenqian, well done. I knew I wasn't wrong about you. At a crucial moment, you're the one I have to rely on."

"You flatter me, my lord. In intelligence and talent, you surpass me a hundredfold. How could my petty cleverness compare with your great wisdom?" the adviser said with an ashamed look, cupping both hands.

County Magistrate Zhang laughed heartily. "You, you! You're simply too modest."

But County Magistrate Zhang quickly changed the subject. "I saw you looking deep in thought just now. Had you thought of something?"

The adviser knew County Magistrate Zhang was asking about the immortal in the rear courtyard. Fortunately, he had already worked out what to say.

So the adviser considered his wording and said quietly, "My lord, I believe the immortal's descent upon Heyang County is a blessing, not a calamity."

County Magistrate Zhang immediately became interested. His eyes lit up, and he pressed, "Quickly, explain in detail."

"Yes. As the saying goes, a phoenix will not alight where there is no treasure. Since ancient times, an immortal descending to the mortal world has been an auspicious omen."

"What does the immortal's descent upon Heyang County show? It shows that our Heyang County is a land of treasure. And Heyang County is so large, yet why did the immortal descend upon the county yamen? That shows the yamen is a blessed place. And after descending upon the yamen, why did the immortal see you alone, my lord? That shows you are a man of great blessings and virtue."

As County Magistrate Zhang listened to the adviser, his fat face quivered, his beard bristled high, and he could not hide the smile on his face no matter how he tried.

"Go on. Don't stop."

The adviser continued, "What you must do now, my lord, is govern diligently and care for the people, judge cases impartially, restrain yourself and serve the public. Be a good, incorruptible official in whom no one can find fault."

At those words, the smile froze on County Magistrate Zhang's lips.

He was skilled at being a corrupt official, a muddleheaded official, a foolish official, but he did not know how to be a good, incorruptible one.

Before County Magistrate Zhang could demand to know why, the adviser hurriedly said, "Think about it, my lord. What happened today will surely be written into the county annals in the future. Monuments will be erected, biographies written, and your good name will endure for a hundred generations. If your reputation as an official is too poor, I'm afraid..."

Although the adviser left the rest unsaid, County Magistrate Zhang already understood.

An official who had monuments erected and a biography written alongside an immortal, whose name would be preserved in the histories, could not be corrupt or muddleheaded. He had to be incorruptible and good.

His reputation as an official had been too poor before, and the people of Heyang County thought ill of him. Even if he forced them to erect a monument and write a biography while he was in office, once he retired, it went without saying that the people of Heyang County would smash the monument and change the biography at the first opportunity.

Then he would end up a laughingstock, his name stinking for ten thousand years.

No,

Absolutely not.

County Magistrate Zhang's expression changed instantly, becoming stern and grave.

From now on, I must be a good, incorruptible official. I'll have a monument erected and a biography written alongside the immortal, and my name will be preserved in the histories.

County Magistrate Zhang shouted inwardly. Then, as though something had occurred to him, he picked up the hem of his official robe and rushed out of the county offices.

"Old thief Han! Maintaining order and reassuring the people are my duties! How dare you take over my task and exceed your authority!"