The prototype of the muyou retainer was the zhuwen , a position which evolved from that of the experienced clerks in the yamen but who had a position higher than the shusuan and assisted the magistrate in handling punishments and treasury matters 县官幕友的雏形是“主文” ，是以衙门中积年书手演变而来的，地位高于书算，其作用是协助县官处理刑名、钱谷一类的政务。
2.
After the mid - ming period , at the county - level of the administration local magistrates could hire their own private retainers ( muyou ) , but the muting ( lit . , retainer ' s hail ) was not the name of the office where the muyou worked , but rather where the dianshi helped the magistrate draft documents 摘要明中叶以后，县级机构中出现了县官私人聘请的幕友，而“幕厅”一类的名称却并非幕友的办公地点，当为典史帮助知县办理文案的场所。
