Chapter 440 News leaked
At Kong Rong's residence, Kong Rong, who was suffering from a hangover and headache, slept until noon, and then he barely managed to stagger to the shogunate.

He walked in a casual manner in the corridor, greeting every Cao official or Cao subordinate he met.

They were all used to Kong Rong's drunkenness, and especially when the Grand Marshal was about to return, Kong Rong would seize every opportunity to drink.

Liquor stores are expensive, and although Kong Rong's salary is high, it is definitely not enough to support such an extravagant and drunken life.

He was not drinking alone. Every time he drank, there would be at least a dozen people, and as many as thirty or fifty people. The expenses for food and drink for so many people were all borne by Kong Rong.

However, Kong Rong's poems and calligraphy can be sold for money. There are always many people who, out of admiration or other reasons, can help Kong Rong get enough money or other magical treasures at all times.

Art is priceless.

Kong Rong sold very little, and even if he sold it at a low price, he could still maintain his current life.

During the time when the Grand Marshal was away, there was not only a constant flow of traffic outside Kong Rong's mansion, but at least the banquets were always packed.

He staggered to the side hall where government affairs were handled, sat at the desk, rubbed his brows with his hands, and couldn't help sighing.

Not only him, many people miss the Double Ninth Festival Chrysanthemum Wine Banquet two years ago.

Unfortunately, last year's wars in Hexi, the Qiang war, and a series of wars in Hanzhong and Yizhou made it difficult for the Grand Marshal to return to the front line.

Although every business has resumed production, stockpiled supplies, and legally brewed alcohol and had group drinking parties during this period, it is still far from the grand scene of the previous year.

Especially the royal chrysanthemum wine given by the Grand Marshal, which makes me itchy just thinking about it now.

No matter how much alcohol you drink, you will just be drunk as a worm, and you can't get back the feeling of drinking the royal chrysanthemum wine.

It was a long-lost, vigorous vitality like the rising sun, a youthful, arrogant, rare wine that seemed as if the body and mind could turn into raging flames.

He rubbed his eye sockets and his temples with his thumbs. After a long time, Kong Rong finally opened his brown and bloodshot eyes.

Then he sat up straight, took a sip of the tea that was almost cooling down, and asked, "I vouched for Gao Rou's admission into the government, what was Xicao Sima Zihua's response?"

If it was just to guarantee Gao Rou's appointment as an official in the county, Sima Zhi would naturally agree.

If something happened to Gao Rou, Kong Rong would naturally be punished.

However, Kong Rong wanted to recommend Gao Rou to be his subordinate, the school official, whose rank was 200 shi, which was actually a lowly position in the shogunate.

However, these school affairs symbolize Kong Rong's eyes and ears.

In itself, Kong Rong had to bear the responsibility if the school affairs broke the law; and he recommended Gao Rou to be the school affairs official, which meant he had to bear the responsibility twice.

When something really happened in school, the responsibility would be huge. Just one time could make Kong Rong fall from grace. What difference would it make if it happened once or twice?
Therefore, as the personnel manager of the shogunate, Sima Zhi is responsible for selecting and filling vacancies in each department... When the time comes, Sima Zhi will also be held accountable.

Kong Rong did not hold much hope for this matter, but some time ago Gao Rou came to Guanzhong to seek officialdom and appeared at Kong Rong's banquet.

Kong Rong praised Gao Rou in public and made a promise for this matter.

Although I feel a little regretful after sobering up, I still want to give it a try.

When he asked about this, the two school officials sitting below looked at each other and one of them said, "The West Office has withheld the documents and has not returned them. I don't know what the West Office's intention is, and I dare not ask the West Office itself. When I asked the clerk in the West Office, he also said he didn't know."

"Well, go to Xicao and see him. If he's there, tell him that I've finished my business and am here to bother you. Let's have a simple meal together."

"Here."

The school official who was answering knelt upright, turned sideways and bowed to Kong Rong who was sitting above him. Then he stood up, took a few steps back, and turned to leave the side hall.

Kong Rong continued to read the accumulated official documents, which were all reports from various places.

There are only various observations, but no detailed investigation.

Sizhi was originally in charge of the discipline of the various departments of the shogunate, but the restrictions in the three prefectures of Guanzhong were also relaxed, allowing Kong Rong to send people to collect rumors and record them. Unless it involved the shogunate's various departments, Kong Rong could not conduct an in-depth investigation.

As usual, these collected rumors would be copied and sent to the camp.

Kong Rong held a bamboo slip and squinted his eyes: "How did the scholars in Chang'an know about the law of titles and salaries?"

The schoolmaster who stayed behind bowed and said, "I don't know, but there has been discussion in the market for a long time, and now it is circulated in more detail. I don't know whether the content is true or false, so I just copied it as usual and presented it to you for your review."

"This is real."

Kong Rong shook the two-finger-wide bamboo slips in his hand and couldn't help but smile: "Let me guess, who did this?"

The only ones who could read this document were the Chief Clerk, the Chief Justice, the Chief Ma, the Western Cao, the Eastern Cao, the Chief Clerk... and the Ci Cao who was in charge of looking after the archives.

Kong Rong gradually sat up straight, scratched his beard with the bamboo slip, and squinted his eyes: "If you dare to spread this material, it must not be in the past few days. It must have taken a while, so that you can clear yourself of suspicion. You should go to Qi Cao and ask Chen Jiao about this matter first, and see what he says."

"Here."

The school official agreed immediately and left to do his work.

Kong Rong stood up and quickly looked through the other rumors he had collected. Seeing that there was no sensitive content, he immediately took the extended bamboo slip and went to the side hall of Cao's office.

Except for a few meeting halls, all the departments basically work in side halls.

The side hall of Xicao was close to the meeting hall. When Kong Rong arrived, Sima Zhi was studying several files.

Yang Fu was promoted to the governor of Ba County. As usual, he recommended one of his sons to be a palace official. At the same time, Yang Fu also recommended Wei Kang, the eldest son of Wei Duan, the governor of Liangzhou, to join the officialdom.

There were also recommendations from other people, and three personnel files were placed in front of me.

Sima Zhi thought for a long time, then picked up a pen and wrote two words at the end of Wei Kang's information on the bamboo slips: Lingshi.

Lingshi is by no means a lowly official. "Shi" means "specialist". He is a person who specializes in drafting orders and supervising the use of seals. However, the person holding the seal is not under the jurisdiction of Lingshi.

But during daily office work, the seal is often next to the clerk.

The issuance of any formal order requires the signature of a historian.

This means that the position of Lingshi must be filled by one of our own people.

Is Wei Kang one of us?

Sima Zhi felt that this person was one of his own. Even if he was not, after he had served as Lingshi, he became one.

When the Grand Marshal's Office was established, Zhang Chang, the second son of Zhang Huan, one of the three wise men of Liangzhou, was appointed as the clerk; the most famous clerk in modern times was Bian Rang, the clerk of General He Jin, who was promoted several times through rapid procedures and then transferred to the post of Governor of Jiujiang County.

Zhang Chang was already old and could not stand the constant running around on the front lines, so he complained repeatedly.

Therefore, there will be two military clerks in the future. Zhang Chang will stay in Ganquan Mountain to issue daily orders; while Wei Kang will move with the camp and serve as a military clerk.

Wei Kang was a strong and tall young man, over eight feet tall. He was in good physical condition and was in his prime, making him qualified for military life.

Sima Zhi also considered the arrangements for another scholar. As for Gao Rou's information on the bamboo slips, he had him write the word "confidential" on them and seal them up, waiting for the Grand Sima to come back and deal with them later.

After all, Gao Rou was from Yu County, Chenliu, and although it seemed that he was recommended by Kong Rong, in fact it was the Cai family who recommended his fellow villagers.

According to the time, it is almost time for Da Sima and Cai Zhenji to get married.

Sima Zhi didn't want to have a conflict with Cai Jiasheng at this critical juncture.

Everything depends on the above meaning. Now a little Gao Rou can be accommodated.

(End of this chapter)