Chapter 118

Chinese

Translation: "Both Government Office runners were startled."

explanation for 【2】

Chinese

explanation for 【6】

Let's craft: "Liang Da Zhuang shouted with full vigor, 'This is the newly appointed County Secretary, Sir Hu!' Having held in his frustration for days, he let it all burst out now, glaring angrily, full of imposing vigor—even when he was in the capital, he had never been so imposing."

Check length: okay.

Chinese

Translation: "The two Government Office runners glanced at Hu Xiaotian, then hastily bowed and paid their respects."

Chinese? Actually 【14】 is Chinese line with explanation after? Let's see:

"Your humble servant, Li Er." (Same as 【14】 but we output anyway.)

"Your humble servant, Wang San."

Translation: '"Your humble servant, Wang San."'

"Paying respects to Sir Hu!"

Translation: '"Greetings, Sir Hu!"'

Hu Xiaotian didn't even glance at them, striding toward the gate.

Translation: "Hu Xiaotian didn't even glance at them, stepped forward and walked toward the gate."

Li Er and Wang San hurried after him, and Wang San, with a loud voice, announced, "The newly appointed County Secretary, Sir Hu, has arrived!" This was to remind everyone in the Government Office to pay attention.

Translation: "Li Er and Wang San hurriedly followed; Wang San's voice was not small either, he called out loudly, 'The newly appointed County Secretary, Sir Hu, has arrived!' This was to remind all the colleagues inside the Government Office to pay attention."

Chinese line

explanation for 【24】

Let's produce: "Hu Xiaotian strode forward with head held high, entered the gate and passed through the corridor; the Government Office runners delivering the message had already lined up both sides, the ceremonial gate stood open, and after passing it, the left side was the military and punishment workshop, the right side the civil affairs and rites office; the clerks of each office also rushed over to form a welcoming line. On the surface, the scene appeared lively and harmonious—only a few boys holding bouquets were missing to scatter flowers along the way."

Chinese line

explanation for 【28】

explanation for 【28】? Actually 【31】 is more explanation about translation terms.

Now translate line 【10】.

Chinese line

explanation for 【35】

the Stone of Prohibition

Now produce line.

【10】 translation: "Hu Xiaotian glanced and saw that the Government Office clerks and runners had already prepared; County Magistrate Xu Qinglian was not in the Government Office, and only Chief Clerk Guo Shouguang remained in the Government Office to preside. Hu Xiaotian passed the Stone of Prohibition and arrived at the main hall. He saw Chief Clerk Guo Shouguang rushing out of the main hall, bringing a few clerks, bowing deeply from afar, and he said in a loud voice: 'Your humble servant Guo Shouguang was unaware of Sir Hu's arrival; I failed to greet you from afar, please forgive me!'"

Make sure it's one line.

Chinese line

explanation for 【48】

Let's produce: "Hu Xiaotian had been striding along with vigor, but seeing Guo Shouguang come out, he stopped instead, thinking, 'I am the leader; a leader naturally must display the bearing of a leader—who has ever seen a leader shake hands with subordinates and stride forward? Usually the leader stays put, or takes a couple of symbolic steps, while the subordinates must scurry along with smiling faces to meet him.'"

scurry along

Chinese line

explanation for 【54】

Line: "Chief Clerk Guo Shouguang said that, but in fact he had long known of the County Secretary's impending arrival; County Magistrate Xu Qinglian had gone out to inspect these past two days, which also involved deliberate avoidance. Logically, when a new County Secretary takes office, the County Magistrate should be present for such an important matter, but Xu Qinglian deliberately chose to be absent, intending to give this new County Secretary a soft snub."

Chinese line

explanation for 【58】

Let's translate: "Even before hearing that the court had appointed a new County Secretary, the officials of Qingyun Xian had already begun inquiring everywhere, but Hu Xiaotian's identity was extremely mysterious because his father, Hu Buwei, had given special instructions. Consequently, the Ministry of Personnel had kept his records tightly sealed, and after the officials of Qingyun Xian finished their inquiries, they somehow heard a mistaken rumor that this new County Secretary, Sir Hu, was the son of an Eastern Sea salt merchant, whose family had spent a great deal of money to purchase him a ninth-rank official position."

Chinese line

explanation for 【62】

Line: "If Hu Xiaotian had earned his post through ten years of arduous study and placing on the golden list, or been an official granted by imperial edict, perhaps these clerks would show him more respect; but once they heard his position had been purchased, even before Hu Xiaotian had appeared in public, everyone had already begun to look down on him."

Chinese line

explanation for 【66】

Let's translate: "Hu Xiaotian today could be considered making his first formal appearance; although Chief Clerk Guo Shouguang seemed respectful on the surface, seeing that this County Secretary was so young, dressed in such rich and splendid attire, and wearing an air of arrogance, Guo Shouguang instantly felt somewhat displeased. Although Guo Shouguang was merely a minor official in the county, he was already forty-five years old and had spent over twenty years navigating the officialdom, having seen countless officials come and go, so he naturally possessed his own set of bureaucratic philosophy. Among the officials of Qingyun Xian, he was the most senior, and everyone, both superiors and subordinates, treated him with great courtesy."

Chinese line

explanation for 【70】

Line: "A higher rank can crush a person. Although he felt displeased, he could show no sign of it; no matter how young the other party was, he was still a superior and had to be respectful. Guo Shouguang approached Hu Xiaotian and performed another deep ninety-degree bow: 'Your humble servant Guo Shouguang greets Sir Hu!' The etiquette of bowing and saluting has its rules: when facing a superior official, the bow must be proper, and one must not hastily straighten the waist before the superior speaks."

Chinese line

explanation for 【74】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian surprisingly said nothing. His eyes scanned around: 'Huh? Sir Xu isn't here?'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【78】

Line: "Guo Shouguang maintained that posture, bent at the waist and sticking out his buttocks, facing the clerks, his old face feeling a bit embarrassed: 'To report, Sir Hu, Sir Xu has gone to inspect the countryside.'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【82】

Line: '"Oh……" Hu Xiaotian nodded: "Will he be back?"'

Chinese line

explanation for 【86】

Line: "That question left Guo Shouguang dumbfounded. What was the situation? What did this County Secretary Sir mean? After a brief hesitation, he replied, 'Sir Xu didn't say!' Guo Shouguang actually knew full well that Xu Qinglian had deliberately chosen to avoid him, intending to give this newly arrived County Secretary Sir a soft snub, and would not show his face today."

Chinese line

explanation for 【90】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian said, 'He's not coming back, so today isn't it going to be up to me to take charge? What a hassle—I've only just taken office today! And they're loading this heavy burden onto me.'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【94】

Line: "Guo Shouguang widened his eyes, staring at this newly appointed County Secretary who was even younger than his own son, and said, 'Can you show a bit of respect? Who put you in charge of the overall situation? When Xu Qinglian left, he clearly entrusted these matters to me; although your rank is indeed higher than mine, you can't just waltz in and act as the top leader, can you?'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【98】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian didn't even regard this petty Chief Clerk; in the past he'd just been a secretary-general, but I am the County Magistrate, and with the County Party Secretary absent today, Qingyun Xian is mine to command. On his first day in office, Hu Xiaotian displayed his inner ambition to the fullest; this fellow has plenty of confidence, and he's too lazy to play mind games with these grassroots officials—from now on he will crush them mercilessly with absolute strength."

Chinese line

explanation for 【102】

Line: "Murong Feiyan stood nearby listening, unable to suppress a smile; Hu Xiaotian simply didn't know how to keep a low profile—on his very first day in office he was already so ostentatious, wasn't he afraid of provoking resentment from the lower-ranking officials? But if one considers it, his arrogance naturally has its basis: his father is the Minister of Revenue, and his future father-in-law is the Founding Duke of Xichuan; with such powerful backing, he naturally wouldn't place these grassroots clerks in his eyes."

Chinese line

explanation for 【106】

Line: "Seeing Hu Xiaotian stride straight inside, Guo Shouguang could only trot along, struggling at his age to keep pace, constantly staying half a step behind Hu Xiaotian while keeping his head lowered and back bent. Hu Xiaotian bypassed the main hall and headed straight for the second hall; it was clear that his destination was the inner residence. Guo Shouguang hurried forward a step and said, 'Sir Hu, ahead lies the residence of Sir Xu's family.'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【110】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian then stopped, cracked his mouth into a hearty heh-heh laugh, revealing a mouth of even, snow-white teeth."

Chinese line

explanation for 【114】

Line: "His smile was infectious; Guo Shouguang also thought this young man was pleasant-looking, and he joined in the laughter."

Chinese line

explanation for 【118】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian asked, 'Where will I be living from now on?'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【122】

Line: "Guo Shouguang had prepared beforehand and said respectfully, 'There aren't many usable rooms in the Government Office; aside from Sir Xu, everyone else lives outside, having found their own lodgings—this is a rule long established.' He especially emphasized the word 'rules' to tell Hu Xiaotian that he could not be an exception."

Chinese line

explanation for 【126】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian asked, 'Will the rent be reimbursed?'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【130】

Line: '"What?" Guo Shouguang was at a loss; reimbursement was still a new term for him.'

Chinese line

explanation for 【134】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian couldn't be bothered with his lack of comprehension and asked again, 'Where is my office?'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【138】

Line: '"Uh……" Guo Shouguang truly couldn't comprehend.'

Chinese line

explanation for 【142】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian's novel vocabulary was no surprise to Liang Da Zhuang and Murong Feiyan; Liang Da Zhuang chimed in, explaining, 'Where, Sir Hu, do you handle official business?'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【146】

Line: "Guo Shouguang then understood; indeed, the room for handling official business is the office. This Sir Hu, coming from the capital, speaks differently from the locals—truly concise and to the point. Guo Shouguang said, 'Sir Xu has not given any instructions on this matter.'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【150】

explanation for 【150】? Actually 【153】 is about profanity count.

Now line.

Chinese line

explanation for 【156】

Line: "Guo Shouguang could hardly fail to hear the sarcasm in his words, and he went along with his tone: 'Sir Xu is self-disciplined and public-spirited, leading by example; he is a model for us all.'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【160】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian sighed, 'Officials who devote themselves completely to duty until death are now rare to see.'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【164】

Line: "Guo Shouguang couldn't continue with his next words; this County Secretary Sir really is extraordinary—right upon arrival he cursed Xu Qinglian to die, and if Xu Qinglian heard it, he'd probably be fuming to the point of near death."

Chinese line

explanation for 【168】

Line: "Hu Xiaotian did not proceed further inside but turned back and headed straight to the main hall, ordering Guo Shouguang: 'Call everyone who remains in the Government Office; let's get acquainted.'"

Chinese line

explanation for 【172】

Line: "Guo Shouguang acknowledged with a sound; Xu Qinglian had gone out to inspect, taking a batch of clerks with him, and those left behind were not few—aside from a handful on leave, most had gathered in the main hall. While Hu Xiaotian was away fetching people, he changed into his official robes behind the screen in the heated pavilion of the main hall; as the saying goes, a person needs clothes and a horse needs saddle, and once dressed he immediately felt much more imposing."

Chinese line

explanation for 【176】

Line: "When the clerks and Government Office runners had nearly arrived, Hu Xiaotian was already fully dressed and seated upright in the main hall; his seal and the documents authorized by the Ministry of Personnel were placed on the desk—these were his proof of identity."

Chinese line

explanation for 【180】

Line: "As for the Qingyun Xian Government Office, in recent years no one besides County Magistrate Xu Qinglian had dared to sit upright in the main hall. These clerks furtively sized up this newly appointed County Secretary Sir, sharing a single impression: he was young. According to what they had learned, Hu Xiaotian was just sixteen years old. Such a young official had never before appeared in the history of Qingyun Xian. Not only was he young, his garments were also bright; his official robes, worn for the first day, were splendid and eye-catching, making him stand out like a crane among chickens amidst the clerks whose attire was worn and even patched."

Chinese line

explanation for 【184】

Line: "Chief Clerk Guo Shouguang came up to the main hall, walked respectfully to Hu Xiaotian's side, and said carefully, 'Sir Hu, I have summoned everyone who remains in the Government Office.'"

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