Chapter 143: Chapter 122: Stepping Up to Qjngyun
Translator: 549690339
Actually, Sun Siwen initially wanted to take Lu Yuan with him to give a good recommendation to the newly appointed Prefect about his good friend.
But Lu Yuan had always been carefree and did not want to meet any superiors, nor did he want to show submission to others.
Secondly, he also worried about the possible reprisal from the Poison Sect, fearing that they might ambush him on the way to Fu City.
So, he chose to stay at home and let Sun Siwen go to Fu City alone.
Of course, he arranged for reliable guards to accompany Sun on the road.
Sun Siwen was away for quite some time. He thought it would take only three days for the round trip, but he did not expect that it would take a full seven days for him to return.
During this time, Lu Yuan began to suspect that something might have happened to his friend and had almost decided to set out to find him personally.
Fortunately, Sun Siwen returned in the end.
“Brother Lu, let me tell you.”
Sun Siwen, who had just returned, was delighted to see Lu Yuan. He eagerly said, “The newly arrived Prefect Cui is truly a capable official. Whether in governing the country or in literary accomplishments, he is among the best of his time.”
Seeing Sun Siwen’s admiration, Lu Yuan could not help but become somewhat curious.
It was very rare for his friend to be so impressed with someone they had just met for only seven days. No, it was the first time he had seen such a thing.
“Is Prefect Cui that remarkable?” Lu Yuan could not help but ask.
“He is more than just remarkable,” Sun Siwen was still excited. “Prefect Cui was famous for his poetry and prose in his younger days…”
County Magistrate Sun seemed to have become a bit of a fanboy.
At this moment, he was passionately explaining Prefect Cui’s exploits, such as the poems and articles he had written, and even reciting them fluently.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan could not help but show a look of realization.
He had heard these poems and articles numerous times in brothels and other places where scholars and young men gathered, and could even recite some of them from memory.
The poems and articles were indeed well -written, but he had not expected that they were originally penned by Prefect Cui.
Beyond the poems and articles, Sun Siwen also mentioned Prefect Cui’s scholarly achievements, such as his annotations on certain classics and his compilation of various books. In the Confucian tradition, he was regarded as a Grandmaster in his own right.
In addition to his literary achievements, Cui Changqing was also a highly competent official in terms of governance.
During his time in the imperial court, he repeatedly criticized current abuses without mentioning his reforms on the local level, which led to many accomplishments.
For example, although he had only recently arrived at Shaoyang Prefecture, as a newly appointed Prefect, Cui Changqing had already launched reforms to address the problems left behind by his predecessor.
He disciplined a group of officials who did not do their jobs, arrested corrupt officials who were violating the law, and began to reform the prefectural government system. Moreover, it was even said that he was planning to establish a new militia to address the increasingly chaotic security situation within the prefecture.
It could be said that in just a short month, the new Prefect had almost completely resolved the problems left by his predecessor, which had accumulated over several years.
If one could not call him a capable and diligent official, then there would truly be no good officials in the world.
“By the sound of it, the Prefect’s appointment will greatly improve the situation in Shaoyang Prefecture in the future.” After hearing his friend’s account, Lu Yuan could not help but feel a sense of relief and happiness in his heart.
The new Prefect’s competence would help to bring order and prosperity to Shaoyang Prefecture, which would only benefit him.
Although the Poison Sect had not troubled him in the past year,
Lu Yuan felt that the Poison Sect’s threat was like a hanging sword of Damocles overhead, not knowing when it would fall.
If Prefect Cui could consolidate the authority of the court in Shaoyang Prefecture during this time,
As an official appointed by the imperial court, he would naturally be protected by this authority, giving him more confidence in dealing with the threat posed by the Poison Sect.
“Yes, the previous Prefect Liang, although a clean and diligent official who was also good at scholarly pursuits, his ability to govern was… ‘
Upon mentioning this, Sun Siwen recalled how Liang had donated five thousand taels of military funds to him last year, and could not bring himself to criticize him any further. Instead, he changed his words and said, “But Lord Cui has a very high opinion of me.
During this meeting, he highly praised my efforts in suppressing bandits in Wugang County. He said that I demonstrated loyalty and bravery by taking risks when the court faced danger.
Then, he said that I had restored the prosperity of Wugang and brought peace to the area in just one year, setting an example for other officials in governance.”
Looking at his friend, Sun Siwen said with a faint smile, “Brother Lu, perhaps it won’t be long before I receive another promotion.”
County Magistrate Sun still remembered that one year ago, around this same time, his friend’s strength was revealed, and the triumphant look on his face as he watched him make a fool of himself.
But who would have thought?
It only took one year for him to be promoted again.
From the Deputy Seventh Rank of county magistrate, the next promotion would be the Prefect and other official positions in the prefecture.
At that level, within the entire Da Yue bureaucracy, he would already belong to the middle layer of local officials. A few steps further, and he would even reach the position of Prefect.
The highest position that Sun Siwen’s grandfather had ever held was now within reach for him, his grandson.
“Then, congratulations to Brother Sun!”
Lu Yuan forcibly restrained the urge to tell Sun that he was already on another level and congratulated him with a smiling face, “To be promoted to hold a position in the prefecture at such a young age, your rise is truly meteoric.”
Setting aside any factors of wanting to see his friend embarrassed, Lu Yuan was genuinely happy about Sun Siwen’s promotion..
