Zhao An felt as if he had opened Pandora’s box, or perhaps he had simply underestimated the greed of officials. Could the County Magistrate really be so shameless as to stoop this low just to scrape together some money? Or was it a case of "every little bit helps," no matter how small the fly? Targeting itinerant craftsmen and street hawkers was nothing short of draining the pond to catch the fish, showing a complete disregard for the livelihoods of the common people.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of crisis. The County Magistrate might be shameless, but the person tasked with executing this shameless operation was none other than he, the temporary "Ambassador." If this sparked public outrage and superiors came asking questions, wouldn’t the Magistrate surely pin the blame on him, the temporary official, as a scapegoat for oppressing the people? Given the Magistrate’s brazen attitude, he realized there might actually come a day when he, Ambassador Zhao, would be the one taking the fall.
It was a frustrating situation, yet he had no choice but to formally include it in the Certification Bureau’s agenda and promise to produce specific regulations as soon as possible. Because, as the saying went, there are no small matters for a County Magistrate. Who coined that phrase? Zhao An knew exactly who—the man himself.
Chapter 25