The Old Emperor Didn't Give Me Overtime Pay, Why Should I Stay Up All Night?
Spring of the 15th year of Hongwu.
All living things were revived, and the entire Ying Tian City was filled with peace.
It had been 15 years since the establishment of the Ming Empire.
In the past 15 years, the Ming Empire had conquered the east and the west. Not only did they successfully overthrow the rule of the foreign races and restore the Han family's territory, but they also expanded their territory to Mobei and Dian Province, becoming another unified dynasty since the Han and Tang Dynasties.
Especially after recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, which had been separated from the Central Plains for hundreds of years, the Darming Dynasty's national strength was already close to its peak. Everywhere was a flourishing scene.
Yingtian Prefecture, Shangyuan County.
The sun hadn't set yet, and the streets were still crowded with pedestrians and peddlers.
Although Shangyuan County was a full 30 miles away from Yingtian Prefecture and could be considered a remote small county city in Yingtian Prefecture, this small county city was still very prosperous.
On the street.
An old man with a unique temperament and a very domineering walking style had his hands behind his back. He looked at the shops on both sides of the street with interest, and his face showed a satisfied expression from time to time.
Although he was dressed in coarse clothes, he walked like a dragon and had a unique aura. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that he was not an ordinary person.
Half a step behind the old man was a middle-aged man with a refined appearance.
This middle-aged man looked to be in his thirties or forties. He wore a square scarf on his head and a light blue robe. He looked like a scholar.
The two of them walked on the streets of Shangyuan County.
After a while, they arrived at the entrance of the county government.
Although it was almost five to seven in the afternoon, the entrance of the county government was still crowded with people.
After all, Shangyuan County was a large county with 20,000 households and a population of nearly 100,000. Every day, there were at least a dozen civil disputes and criminal cases.
As for the other chores, there were countless of them.
How could the yamen handle so many matters in just one day?
Moreover, because the current Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was born into poverty, he knew the sufferings of the common people.
Therefore, when he conquered the Ming Dynasty and became the emperor, he would forget to eat and sleep every day to deal with government affairs. He could be called a model emperor.
He even formulated a very strict attendance system, requiring officials to be as diligent in government affairs and love the people as he was.
Therefore, the officials of the Hongwu period were the most miserable.
He woke up earlier than a chicken, slept later than a dog, and worked more than a cow.
If there were financial problems, they would even have to be skinned alive.
Therefore, the officials of Hongwu were all trembling in fear, as if they were walking on thin ice. They were deeply afraid that the old emperor would catch them and make a trip to Caishikou.
Most of the local officials were also diligent in government affairs.
However, Shangyuan County seemed to be a little different.
Just after 5 pm (3 pm to 5 pm), the bailiffs in the county government roughly chased the people out of the yamen and shouted at the crowd,"It has already passed five o'clock. We will release you today. If there is anything important, please hurry up tomorrow…" As he spoke, he hung up a wooden plank.
There were two big words written on the wooden board: Put him in the yamen.
Seeing this, the surrounding commoners dispersed one after another, as if they were already very used to this scene.
However, the old man and the middle-aged man were still standing there.
The old man's face was ashen, and his breathing became a little hurried. He coldly looked at the wooden token hanging high up and snorted."Humph... The imperial court had long issued an edict to let the local officials be diligent in government affairs and not to shirk their responsibilities. However, in the capital region, there were still dog officials who pretended to obey and secretly disobeyed. It really angered him.”
The middle-aged man at the side quickly advised,"Father, please don't be angry, or you'll hurt your body. Perhaps this Shangyuan County Magistrate has other important matters to deal with?!”
"What important matter is there? What can be compared to solving the worries of the people?! Do you think I don't know how cunning you scholars are? You either go to seek out flowers or recite poems. You don't do anything proper…" The old man said angrily.
He raised his head and looked at the wooden sign hanging on the entrance of the yamen. The more he looked at it, the angrier he became. He lifted his feet and walked towards the entrance of the yamen.
He took the wooden token and pushed open the tightly shut door of the county government.
Just as the gate of the county government was pushed open, a bailiff immediately stopped him and scolded,"Where did this country bumpkin come from? Don't you know that the yamen has already released the yamen? If you have anything to say, come back tomorrow morning. If you're rude in front of the yamen again, be careful of being beaten.”
However, the old man was not afraid at all. He glared at the bailiff and scolded,"His Majesty has long decreed that local officials must be diligent in their government affairs. Why did you release Shangyuan County before it was even 10:00? Don't you know the laws of the court?!”
The bailiff was stunned by his sudden outburst of aura. For a moment, he did not know how to answer.
The old man ignored him and walked into the yamen.
At this moment, the bailiff finally reacted and was about to step forward to stop the old man." This is an important place of the yamen. Are you trying to rebel by barging in like this?!”
The old man smiled coldly.! Where is your county magistrate? I want to ask him…"
Just as the bailiff was about to berate him, someone suddenly grabbed his collar and lifted him up.
A refined middle-aged man smiled and said,"My father and I only want to talk to the county magistrate. We have no other intentions. You should lead the way…"
Although he spoke politely, the force in his hands almost suffocated the bailiff.
The middle-aged man saw that he was suffocating and quickly let go.
After looking around, he asked,"Why are you the only one in the county office?!”
"After we released them, the minor officials and bailiffs in the yamen have already returned home.”Only then did the bailiff realize that these two people had extraordinary auras and should not be ordinary people, so he answered honestly.
When the old man heard this, he immediately frowned and asked,"Doesn't that mean that there's no one on duty at night?!”
" Why not?!" The bailiff retorted," The county lord has a duty system. Every night, there are bailiffs and civilians patrolling the streets to arrest thieves or prevent fires. Today, it's my turn to guard the gate. I have to sign the duty book…"
Then, the bailiff briefly explained the duty system.
The middle-aged man nodded thoughtfully.
However, the old man laughed coldly. He was smart. He had arranged for everyone in the yamen, but he had left himself out. Everyone else had to be on duty at night, so why was he released from the yamen every day at seven o'clock?!”
The bailiff shrunk his head and whispered,""My county head said that the emperor didn't give him overtime pay. Why should he stay up all night every day to work overtime?”
As soon as he said this, the old man's face turned purple.
————
PS: It's a big risk to write the first chapter without a protagonist. After all, many readers might not have the patience to continue reading. However, Little Slut Jun wanted to try this method of writing. Although the main character did not appear in the first chapter, the lines between the lines revealed that the main character was different from the others, paving the way for the appearance of the main character. Therefore, he hoped that the masters would be patient. This book would not disappoint you.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。