Abstract: “Provincial friends”( shengyou) ，hired by district magistrates and stationed in provincial capitals， were responsible for the county government＇s provincial affairs，such as handling reports and guaranties from the outgoing magistrate to the successor，drawing salaries，delivering various fees，handing over convicts to the provincial judge，seeking information，and other tasks． The obtainment of engagement letters，promised fees，and records were prerequisite for these activities． As a result，“Provincial friends”had a degree of discretionary power． However，this kind of power was not unrestricted． When dealing with provincial affairs，clerks had to act in accord with laws，regulations，rules and the attitudes of superior leaders． “Provincial friends”were subject to certain constraints by the magistrate in the payment of fees，collection of salaries，and other matters． Although this kind of operation was irregular and driven by self-interest，it played an effective and positive role in local agencies． This shows that the local administrative bodies in the Qing Dynasty needed an effective bureaucratic structure and personnel to coordinate affairs between the provincial and county government to overcome the deficient and irrational design of the local government institutions．