Song Wu, the county magistrate of yanggu county, is a big official. Why is Ximen Qing afraid of him?

Most people think that Ximen Qing is afraid of Song Wu because Song Wu is a national cadre and the director of the county public security bureau, but this is a misunderstanding. Song Wu, the "chief", is actually not so awesome, but at most he is a temporary worker.

In Water Margin, Song Wu accidentally killed a tiger in Jingyanggang on his way to visit his brother, and became a famous tiger-fighting hero in Shili Baxiang. Yanggu county magistrate (equivalent to county magistrate) saw that Song Wu was amazing in martial arts, loyal and kind, so he asked Song Wu to get a job in the county government and said, "How about I be the leader of this county with you today?"

Song Wu, who had no formal job, was certainly welcome. The magistrate of a county immediately called the company (Song Jiang was an official, equivalent to a secretary) to set up a copy, and joined Song Wu as the head of the infantry on the same day.

So, how big an official is Song Wu, the capital of yanggu county? Enough to scare Ximen Qing?

It should be noted that Song Wu is not an official, but an official, an supernumerary.

There are great differences between officials and officials in the Northern Song Dynasty. Officials have a formal establishment, rank and salary, and generally need people with backgrounds to take up their posts, which are under the unified management of the central government, similar to today's formal civil servants and cadres of public institutions.

Collectors have no formal establishment, no grades, no salary, and no requirements for origin. Similar to today's government purchasing service posts, all departments and localities manage themselves. For example, in this case, Song Wu is in charge and the magistrate has the final say.

The county-level public security system in the Northern Song Dynasty is quite complicated. The magistrate is equivalent to the county magistrate, and the county commandant is in charge of the deputy magistrate and the director of the public security bureau. These are all officials appointed by the central government, and the magistrate has no power to appoint them. County commandant further governs Doutou, and Doutou further governs archers, who are equivalent to the most basic police. There are 10 to 50 people in a county, and these people are not compiled.

Therefore, it is inappropriate for some people to compare Song Wu to the police chief. He is more like an auxiliary police captain, and the service is purchased by the government. He is hired when he needs it in the county, and can be dismissed at any time when he doesn't need it.

There are very few officials at the county level, including the magistrate (magistrate), the county commandant and the principal book. Many affairs at the grassroots level need a large number of "officials" to complete.

Most of these officials are locals, with wide connections and familiar relationships, much like "local strongmen". The so-called county official is not as good as the current official. Without them, it is often difficult to move in the local area, so these officials actually manage and control the grassroots political power. Most of the heroes who eat yamen food in Water Margin are officials. Their status is humble, but their energy is not small.

Ximen Qing is really afraid of Song Wu, but he is a famous local rich man who can eat both black and white, and the whole county has to sell him some face. Therefore, Ximen Qing is not afraid of Song Wu's title of "Dutou", because Song Wu is not a local and has no real power, but he has Song Wu's title of "Tiger Hero".

As the saying goes, the soft is afraid of the hard, the hard is afraid of the horizontal, and the horizontal is afraid of death.