Changing Zhao An’s identity to Zhao Youlu was procedurally simple enough. The census records were managed by the Revenue Department, and school registration fell under the County Academy; with a mere hint from the County Magistrate, who would dare refuse to handle it?
The real problem was how Zhao An had suddenly become Zhao Youlu. Without a clear explanation, it would be difficult to avoid suspicion from the Prefect.
Instructor Song offered a plausible solution: Zhao Youlu and Zhao An were both the same person—one was his name before enrollment, and the other was his name after. One was a formal academic name, the other a common name. If anyone asked, one could simply claim Zhao An was a nickname; from then on, the formal name "Youlu" would be used in all official files.
Chapter 45