The text consists of 28 mostly short paragraphs dealing with the various aspects of local governement as found in standard magistrate handbooks. The author explains in the pref. that he read treatises on government during his leisure time and selected for his own compilation the recommendations he had found efficient when put in practice. Xu Qingxun’s postf. claims that he contributed from his salary for a new engraving of the work because he had been convinced of its efficacy during his own career. Alongside general advice on personal behavior and the approach to being a local official, with much insistence on dedication, hard work, and efficiency, some entries provide rather detailed technical advice, e.g. on investigating criminals and the use of torture, administering justice, dealing with lawsuits and pettifoggers, and organizing baojia. The text of a stele erected in 1808 in Sizhou 思州 (Guizhou) celebrates the establishment of a new granary called the Bianmin cang 便民倉. In spite of much that can be found in other similar works, the tone is quite personal. The work seems typical of the preoccupations and anxieties of elite officials from the late Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang periods who strived to maintain an efficient and respected local government amidst mounting problems (other examples would include Wang Huizu, Xie Jinluan, Gao Tingyao, and many more).