The structure of the political geography prior to and following the unification of the Qin dynasty was composed of zhong xian dao 中縣道 (counties and marches within the central region), guanwai jun 關外郡 (lit. “commanderies beyond the passes”), gu jiao 故徼 (former border), and xin di 新地 (new territories). The former border and new territories were both regarded as frontier regions under rule, and their officials were thus mainly transferred in from outside. According to slip nos. 278–279 of the Yuelu shuyuan cang Qin jian (si) 嶽麓書院藏秦簡（肆）(Yuelu Academy Collection of Qin Bamboo Slips [Four]), rong zuo shi 冗佐史 and jun zuo shi 均佐史 are the two basic types of these so-called external officials. The latter refers to zuo 佐 (assistant) and shi 史 (scribe) who had been jun 均, namely the dispatch and allocation of personnel, materials, etc. from areas of plenty to those in need, to serve in remote areas to oversee taxation and other material objects. The assistants and scribes in the counties and marches within the central region and the commanderies beyond the passes could be transferred to the former border and the new territories, with those serving in the former border being transferred to the even more remote former border. Due to the agreed upon service period, assistants and scribes in the new territories would no longer be further transferred to other locations; rather, their service period would be extended. The transfer of officials from the counties and marches within the central region or the commanderies beyond the passes to the new territories was called “serving as a new territories official” 為新地吏, whereas their dispatch to the former border was “former border garrison” 戍故徼. Each jun zuo shi had a statutory service term, and upon its completion, the assistant or scribe returned to his hometown. In contrast, rong zuo shi refers to assistants and scribes who voluntarily rong 冗, namely continuous service performed by one person—opposite of geng 更—in remote areas in order to obtain titles or other benefits. The official and the government agreed in writing on the period of continuous service, and once the term concluded, he could either return to their hometown or stay in the new territories after obtaining their title or other benefits. The Qin government used two methods to transfer officials to the former border and the new territories: the first was the punishing of officials, under which jun falls, by forcing them to serve at the former border or the new territories; secondly, tied to rong, rewards attracted officials to actively seek opportunities in these regions. The Qin thus followed the theories of Legalism in using the two handles of punishment and reward to control officials in order to achieve policy goals of the state.
jun zuo (assistant) shi (scribe); rong zuo shi; transfer of officials; gu jiao (former broder); xin di (new territories)
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