After seeing County Magistrate Tang off, full from his meal, Mr. Zhuang summoned his three disciples and asked, "Do you know where those medicinal herbs for County Magistrate Tang come from?"
The three exchanged glances and asked, "Weren't they purchased by the County Governmental Office?"
"How could the County Governmental Office have that much money if the imperial court doesn't allot funds?" Mr. Zhuang said. "Huayang County is different from Luojiang County. In Luojiang County, County Magistrate Yang is in charge. He could empty the county's coffers without worrying—in the worst case, he'd just delay paying the salaries of the subordinate officials and clerks for a few months, then disburse the payments when there's income again. Who would sue their own boss over a few months of missed pay?"