The Daxing County yamen stood within Jingcheng, on the site of what would later become Great Prosperity Hutong.
It was a compound of six successive courtyards, with functional buildings such as a prison, an Earth God shrine, and warehouses. Covering more than four thousand square meters, it was quite spacious.
When Wang Yan arrived at the yamen with the people from the Ministry of Personnel, the place was already bustling.
Daxing County's standard staffing consisted of one sixth-rank magistrate, two seventh-rank assistant magistrates, an unspecified number of eighth-rank registrars, as well as a clerk, prison warden, chief and deputy tax commissioners, various tax collectors, security personnel, and staff from the six offices. With officials of rank and without, plus the hangers-on gathered by the yamen runners, there were several hundred people in all.
When they saw Wang Yan stroll in, everyone who had been chatting fell silent. The Ministry of Personnel officials went over to exchange a few words with the assistant magistrates, verified the appointment documents, and introduced both sides. Wang Yan then formally assumed office.
Assistant Magistrate Ma Defu said, "Your Honor, do you have any instructions?"
He was a plump man in his forties, smiling amiably and looking easy to get along with.
The other assistant magistrate was named Yan Minghui. He was considerably younger, in his thirties. Cupping his hands, he echoed, "Assistant Magistrate Ma is right. Your Honor, whatever your orders, we shall obey without question."
Wang Yan stood with his hands behind his back. His hawk-like gaze was so sharp that it made their scalps tingle. At last, his eyes settled on Yan Minghui.
"Your surname is Yan?"
Yan Minghui hurriedly bowed and cupped his hands. "Your Honor, you see clearly. My surname is indeed Yan, but it is absolutely not Yan Song's Yan."