从七品县令熬到市舶使
“from a seventh-rank magistrate to the Maritime Trade Commissioner.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
太后 陛下 张恒远为官十余载
“Your Majesties. Zhang Hengyuan has served as an official for over ten years,”
从七品县令 熬到 市舶使
“from a seventh-rank magistrate to the Maritime Trade Commissioner.”
虽非栋梁之材 却也谨小慎微 算得勤勉
“Although not a pillar of the court, he is cautious and diligent.”
“He earned his rank through years of hard grind, so his loyalty and effort deserve recognition.”
The traditional nine-rank system graded civil servants from rank one down to rank nine; climbing from rank seven to a lucrative post like superintendent of maritime trade required decades of survival.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
seventh-rank county magistrate
A classic historical term representing the standard entry-level grassroots administrative official in imperial dynasties.
to painfully endure one's way up to; to make it after long hardship
Conveys intense endurance and time spent waiting out tough conditions before reaching a higher level.
