In the Song Dynasty, the central government had a lot of power over local officials. Local officials were chosen and controlled by the central government, and they had to follow the central government's orders. Sometimes, local officials didn't listen to the central government because they wanted to benefit themselves. This caused problems because the central government's orders were not always right. Honest local officials who disagreed with the central government often faced consequences. Overall, the relationship between the central and local government was complex and influenced how local officials acted.