Rada took out the draft of the case, and the sub-prefect picked it up to take a look. From high-ranking officials to low-level servants, including officials, gentlemen, clerks, and servants, there were more than twenty charges listed, involving over two hundred people. Overwhelmed, he took the documents and left, promising to respond tomorrow.
After getting on the sedan chair, he didn't return to the official residence but went directly to Prefect Liu's place. He explained the whole story to Liu and presented the draft. Liu didn't examine it closely; he only focused on the parts related to himself and glanced roughly at the rest. After reading it, he casually tossed the draft onto the table and said, "What on earth are they up to?" The sub-prefect then mentioned the imperial commissioner requiring two million. Liu said, "I would rather go to the capital with him to file a complaint! Does he think he’s gobbled up all the resources of Zhejiang, leaving nothing for anyone else? Since he wants money, I naturally have a way. Let’s set him aside and ignore him. As for the expenses below, give him twenty thousand taels of silver first; that’s reasonable. Just go to the Bureau of Administration to pick it up tomorrow." After that, he sent the sub-prefect away. The sub-prefect was confused and had to go home. Luckily, the twenty thousand taels were documented, and Prefect Liu approved it, so I'm off the hook. Just don't rush into things again; think before you act.
Three days later, Rada did not wait for a reply, so he visited the provincial governor again to inquire about the news. The governor had no choice but to tell him what Liu Zhongcheng had said. Rada felt as if a thunderbolt had struck him, and he couldn't recover for a long time. He walked away dejectedly. When he returned to the camp, the Imperial Commissioner was waiting for news there. Rada had to tell the truth. The Imperial Commissioner was furious, refusing to accept a single copper and demanding to write to the provincial governor to ask about the progress of the case and to interrogate immediately. This news sent shockwaves through the province, and all the officials were terrified. The various departments huddled to figure out a plan. Liu Zhongcheng said, "Even if it's more than twenty counts, who cares? Since they're willing to take money, things will be easy. We all know this investigation is a mess, and most of us are neck-deep in it. Don't worry, money talks, and it'll fix this. But let's ask for less so we can handle it. They're demanding two million up front! If we agree and they don't help us settle, and then the inspector comes with two more envoys asking for twenty million, can we handle that? The best way now is to stall them. If we need to, we'll all go to Beijing together and sort this out."
Listen up, Liu Zhongcheng's intention is to first let them stew in their own juice, hoping they will stop on their own and pay less. Who would have known that the imperial envoy would not fall for this and would continue with the strategy of "bluffing"? Panic set in among the other officials. Liu Zhongcheng also knew that the situation had reached a deadlock, but he still had to save face. Although he said so, he actually hoped for a quick resolution. The Fanzhi and Niesi officials (local government offices) tried to understand Liu Zhongcheng's intentions and repeatedly advised, "Please calm down, the overall situation is important. If possible, negotiate with the imperial envoy through the Dao Tai to ask for less; if not, issue a notice from the office, and let those involved share the cost, so you don't have to worry!" Liu Zhongcheng said, "Since you're so chicken and insist on doing this, why should I stop you and make things difficult for you? Now I will let you handle it; whether you do it well or not, it has nothing to do with me. What kind of officialdom is this?! As soon as this is over, everyone will call in sick." The officials from the office and the Dao together said, "We're out of our depth, so we need your help." Zhongcheng did not respond. The Fanzhi then said, "Once the office informs the Dao Tai, we will start negotiations. We heard that the imperial envoy wants to return to the capital as soon as possible, and we are happy to see it end sooner rather than later." Liu Zhongcheng said, "You handle it yourselves." And with that, they left.
The prefect immediately went to visit the intendant in person, leaving him holding the bag and stressing the importance of getting it right. The intendant was very pleased to hear this and immediately went to inform Rada. Rada then told the commissioner, who was only too happy to agree, giving them five days to get back to him. By the time the intendant got home, the word was out – his doorway was jammed with sedan chairs. Officials from every level – prefects, magistrates, even county clerks – were clogging the doorway; several underlings were practically groveling, begging for his intercession with Liu Zhongcheng. At this time, the governor's edict had landed, and careers were being ruined – some sacked, others demoted, and several already under arrest. Therefore, from afternoon until midnight that day, guests kept coming to the intendant's residence without a break. Some people who couldn't see him came back early the next morning. It was a perfect example of the old saying, "His door was like a marketplace." Some people came continuously for several days, unable to see the intendant, so they had to ask other officials to write letters to help intercede. Two days later, telegrams from other provinces also arrived. The pile of letters and telegrams was a foot high – at least!
During these two days, the intendant took leave, not going to the yamen or the office, but specifically dealing with this matter. Whenever he had free time, he would discuss with Rada. Rada was honest enough, but he was a master at squeezing cash. For example, if the commissioner wanted eighty thousand from someone, Rada would ask for a hundred, and the intendant would bump it up to one hundred and twenty. Twenty thousand for each of them – easy money. There were countless such incidents.
After a few days, the deadline set by the commissioner arrived, and Rada came to ask for a response. He said, "This is taking longer than expected. Could we get an extension?" Rada went back, and the commissioner agreed. The intendant was working around the clock, barely finding time to eat. Some matters had to be dealt with head-on, while others required tactful negotiation. The face-saving project relied entirely on him; however, behind the scenes, it was Rada and one of the commissioner's right-hand men who called the shots.
Wow, time really flew by. After a few more days, things on our end are finally almost settled. The rich were all good to go, knowing they were safe. Even if they got punished, it'd be a slap on the wrist, nothing that'd hurt their careers. Anyone demoted would get their job back, and anyone fired could get a new posting. Lada, following orders from the boss, spread the word. But the poor? The envoy wasn't letting them off so easily; he was going after them. By the deadline, everyone had resigned themselves to their fate.
With things mostly wrapped up, Lada went back to the envoy to get his next orders. The main envoy had already filled the deputy in. The deputy was lower in rank, but with ten more years at the Hanlin Academy, he was the senior guy. In Beijing, experience counted for a lot. The deputy was all respectful, but the main envoy still needed his say-so; he didn't dare to ignore him. The deputy noticed Lada sneaking into the main envoy's office day after day, so he went to listen in. They fell silent when he showed up, and the deputy grumbled, "Why's it only Lada who can get anything done?" The main envoy mumbled something about Lada being well-connected.
The deputy said, "Too much work for one guy. I'll send someone to help tomorrow. Everyone pulls their weight, no need to be fussy." The main envoy just agreed, "Sounds good." He sent his own man, and between them, they ran the whole show.
The two big shots felt that things were mostly settled, so they ordered their subordinates to bring the unpaid substitute county magistrates, assistant officials, gentry, and clerks—dozens of people—to their headquarters for interrogation in shifts. They beat, arrested, and tortured anyone who needed it, sweeping things under the rug. This went on for another seven or eight days. After the witnesses were questioned on this side, the silver handled by the governor was also delivered. The two big shots supervised their subordinates in verifying the various statements of the plaintiffs, deciding who should be pardoned and who should be punished. It was a messy job, so they spent another week or so hashing it out before finally reaching a decision. Once the case was settled, their loot was also distributed. On the surface, it seemed the same, but the chief envoy had two students helping, so naturally he received more; the deputy envoy, although also greedy, considered himself upright, appearing very honest on the surface, and since there was no evidence of his corruption, they let it slide. After finishing their official duties, they began to schmooze with generals, governors, and other bigwigs. They even squeezed in a couple of days at West Lake before diving back into work.
One day, the deputy envoy was sitting in the yamen when suddenly the constable came to report that a teacher from the prefectural school wanted to see him. When the deputy envoy saw the name, he remembered that this teacher was none other than a contemporary of his father's when they passed the rural examination together. His father had ranked ninth, while this teacher had ranked eighth. The deputy envoy had been raised under the guidance of his father. After his father passed the examination, he had his son commit to memory all the essays from that examination, from the first to the eighteenth place, saying, "There is no better way to prepare for the exam!" His father had tried several times to pass the metropolitan examination but failed, and ended up teaching in his hometown, eventually passing away as a provincial graduate. The deputy envoy took the exam when he came of age, at the age of twenty, and did well in the first exam thanks to the papers of his old classmate, ultimately ranking first in the rural examination. The following year, he passed the examination for the censorate, was appointed as a low-level clerk in the Ministry of Personnel (as there were few people in the ministry, it was easy to fill vacancies), and later rose to the position of a censor. From passing the imperial examination to becoming a deputy envoy, it took less than twenty to thirty years, and can be described as a meteoric rise.
The teacher from the Hangzhou prefectural school was already over seventy years old and in poor health. Every time the academy held the monthly class roll call, the prefect would see him and ask about his age, saying, "You are so old, you can go home and enjoy your retirement." Later, he hinted that the teacher should feign illness to avoid trouble during the year-end assessment and be sent to retirement. So the teacher was always anxious. He wanted to plead illness, but he had five sons, two of whom were not yet married, and ten daughters, four of whom were married, while the fifth daughter was already in her thirties. With so many children, pleading illness would mean leaving them destitute. He regretted having so many children back then. If he did not plead illness, the prefect had already spoken, and if he did not comply, his name would be recorded, and his good reputation for half a lifetime would be ruined. He thought and thought, but he was left with only tears.
When he was worried and frowning, he heard that the provincial inspector had arrived. Once the inspector had finished his business and opened the door, he waited outside the gate for seven or eight days. Because he only gave a small tip of two silver coins to the constable, he refused to help him deliver the message. He had to work hard to finally get in and deliver the message. Unexpectedly, as soon as the deputy inspector saw his name card, he immediately invited him in. After meeting, the teacher from the prefectural school respectfully bowed, and the deputy inspector also returned the gesture, calling him "Old sir," and asking him to sit down while he sat on a lower chair. They hit it off, having a very friendly and respectful conversation. Later, when they talked about his recent official career, the teacher from the prefectural school couldn't help but cry, recounting the governor's warning in detail, and asking the inspector for help. After hearing this, the deputy inspector felt sorry for him and said, "I'll see to it that you're alright. But I think, being neglected like this, even if you work as an official for a few more years, it won't be of any use." The teacher from the prefectural school said, "I'm just muddling through; who knows what will happen in the future!" The deputy inspector said, "Don't worry, I'll work something out for you." The teacher from the prefectural school repeatedly thanked him. The deputy inspector also invited him to eat, asked him to take off his hat, and loosen his clothes.
The teacher was used to eating vegetarian food and thought that the inspector would treat him to a good meal. However, he was disappointed to see that it was a simple meal of four dishes and two bowls, with only one dish of stir-fried pork with leeks, and the rest were vegetarian dishes. He finished the meal reluctantly, chatted for a while, and then took his leave. The deputy inspector insisted on escorting him to the sedan chair. The teacher from the prefectural school said, "That's the custom, sir. I wouldn't want to impose." The deputy inspector said, "It's different for you, sir." He personally escorted him to the sedan chair, and even the constable who had refused to help him deliver the message before helped carry the sedan chair. This made the old man quite flustered. It wasn't until the sedan chair left the gate that he finally relaxed.
A deputy envoy pulled some strings for Liu Zhongcheng, who then sailed through. Then the deputy envoy revealed to Liu Zhongcheng: "That fella's a whiz at writing those eight-legged essays, but unfortunately he's been poor all his life, and now he has a lot of kids, most of whom aren't married yet." He was hinting he needed some cash. Liu Zhongcheng told the magistrate about this, and the magistrate informed everyone. The next morning, the magistrate kicked things off with a hundred taels, followed by the other bigwigs—another hundred each. Some others donated seventy taels, some donated fifty taels, and they raked in over two thousand taels in no time. The magistrate then got the word out to the other counties, figuring they could easily raise another thousand or two. Once everything was sorted, Liu Zhongcheng chipped in another two hundred taels. They also lined him up for a teaching gig at a certain academy if a spot opened up at the end of the year. After the arrangements were made, the deputy envoy was informed. The envoy told Old Man Li about this, who was so chuffed he couldn't sleep a wink! What a turnaround – he couldn't believe his luck!
After this news spread, everyone knew that the deputy envoy valued friendship, so many people sought to curry favor with him. Some were fellow classmates of the envoy, naturally receiving preferential treatment. There were also some who took advantage of their relationship with the envoy to ingratiate themselves, and the deputy envoy took care of them all. Among them was a poor county magistrate who was a fellow classmate of the envoy. Because he tolerated his servants beating someone to death, the Censorate incidentally mentioned it, and the court ordered the two envoys to investigate together. Unfortunately, he had been a clean official all his life, but because he didn't have money to give gifts, he was implicated and would probably be dismissed at the very least. Later, when he heard about this, he went to seek help from the provincial capital's prefect, who agreed to assist him. He then spoke to the Provincial Governor-General, who went to ask the envoy for help. When the deputy envoy heard about it, he immediately checked the register of his fellow classmates and indeed found no conclusive evidence, so he promised to help clear the magistrate's name. After the Provincial Governor-General left, the deputy envoy discussed with the main envoy and decided to remove the name of the county magistrate and simply state that the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. The main envoy, out of respect for the deputy envoy, agreed and instructed his subordinates to lighten the case. Of course, the man was very grateful. The unfortunate ones were those without money or power, who could only wait to be impeached and dismissed from office. Alas, the world is unfair, but such is life. Time passed quickly, and the two envoys completed their tasks several days ago. They were preparing to return to the capital to report when unexpectedly, Deputy Prefect Liu was implicated by the Censorate. His relationship with the court was average, so the court ordered him to return to the capital and await further arrangements. The vacancy left by the governor was temporarily filled by the deputy envoy. News quickly spread via telegram, and all the officials in the province went to the government office to congratulate him. The deputy envoy waited for the official documents before selecting a date to take up his new position. On the same day, Deputy Prefect Liu handed over his duties. Afraid of being accused of evading responsibility, he did not dare to suddenly fall ill. The day after the handover, he took his family on a boat to Shanghai, then to Tianjin, and back to the capital. Once the deputy envoy received the seal, the main envoy set off on the post road back to the capital to report. On the day of departure, officials from the two ministries, as well as generals, the Imperial Weaving Superintendent, and academic officials, all presented their respects as usual. Naturally, all the officials turned out to see them off.
On his first day as Deputy Envoy, a notice was posted in the official hall. The notice read: "Corruption in the Zhejiang officialdom is the most serious in the country. The reason lies in the chaotic official career path, which is caused by too many donations for official positions. Regardless of who you are, if you have money, you can buy an official position. People without talent can also become officials. Some people see holding office as a means to get rich, and they oppress the common people at will. How is it possible to rectify the officialdom like this! I have just taken office, and the first thing I will do is to strictly investigate those who have bought their positions. From junior officials awaiting appointment to the prefectures and counties, anyone who has bought their position, regardless of whether there is a vacancy, must take an exam within three months. Only those who pass the exam can continue to hold office, and those who fail will be removed from their positions. Other minor officials will be examined by local officials, treating everyone equally." The next day, he ordered various places to manage the household registers, reserve food supplies, and clear up pending cases. He also told the patrol officers: "From now on, no gifts from officials will be accepted." He also told the two county chiefs: "Starting from me, no yamen is allowed to perform their duties." He also told all officials: "Corruption in the officialdom is due to a lack of integrity, and a lack of integrity is due to extravagance. I will now vigorously rectify these problems, abolish performing their duties, and no longer accept bribes. Whoever dares to violate this, don't blame me for being ruthless!" A hush fell over the officials. One day, the officials from the prefectures and counties came to pay their respects. They saw that the office was dressed plainly in a grey robe and simple blue jacket, his worn boots and faded embroidery highlighting his unassuming demeanor; the hat was also old, with the tassel turning yellow. After the officials entered and paid their respects, they sat down. The servants all had patches on their clothes. When the tea was served, the office opened the lid and scolded the servant for wasting tea leaves, saying, "Look at this waste! I told you, one handful of leaves is enough for a strong brew. Just add hot water for guests, not a whole new handful! We can't afford to be so extravagant!" After speaking, he was extremely angry.
This time, the newly appointed prefects, some from the imperial examination and some purchased their positions, in short, none of them were appointed through legitimate channels. The office selected an acting prefect from the Hanlin background and said to him, "Confucius said, 'Frugality and love for others.' What does 'frugality' mean? It means one should not be wasteful. It also says, 'Better to be frugal than extravagant,' indicating that frugality is the greatest virtue in life. People without virtue will definitely not be frugal; they only care about dressing and eating luxuriously while neglecting political affairs. Where does this money come from? Isn't it extorted from the people? Therefore, such people have hearts like robbers! Since I started working as an official, don’t laugh at me, I have changed my hat several times, but one hat I have worn for over thirty years. Once, the emperor summoned me, saw that my hat tassel was old, and had a eunuch reward me with a new one. I thought, the emperor's reward must be the best; how could I dare to use it? The next time I was summoned, the emperor asked me why I wasn't wearing it, so I explained, and the emperor nodded. After I left, he said to Grand Councillor Jia, 'Look at this person, so cautious.' Think about it: Zhuge Liang in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was cautious throughout his life; how can I live up to this evaluation? My father always adhered to the principles of Confucianism, and I have followed the family rules since childhood, not daring to stray. Now, every word and action of mine still reflect my father's teachings. These words might resonate with you scholars, but those purchased officials, even if I talk until I'm blue in the face, may not understand." Upon hearing this, the faces of the purchased officials turned red. The office also felt it was too harsh, so they addressed the prefects from military backgrounds, saying, "Both of you rose through military achievements; this is called 'in the emperor's good graces,' which is a level above the purchased officials." This statement made the purchased officials feel even more ashamed. The office continued, "I do not look down on purchased officials, but there are indeed reasons that make me do so. Just like courtesans, Zhang San can pay for companionship, and Li Si can pay for companionship. Being an official is the same; after the court allowed for purchased officials, Zhang San with money can donate, and Li Si with money can also donate; whoever has money becomes an official. What is the difference between this official and a courtesan? Legitimately appointed officials are different; no matter how well they write or how deep their knowledge, as long as they pass the exam, they always possess true talent and knowledge. Let’s not even talk about scholars and imperial scholars; just consider the examination of the Five Classics—who among them didn't rely on genuine ability? Have the purchased officials experienced this kind of hardship?" He was speaking passionately when the provincial governor interjected, "Sir, among our subordinates, there are many who have failed the exams time and again and had no choice but to take this path." The office realized the provincial governor was refuting him, so he stopped talking and did not continue. After a short while, he dismissed his guests.
After the high-ranking officials left, two newcomers dropped by to pay their respects. One was surnamed Liu, from Nanjing. His father used to work as a customs inspector and was very wealthy. He has been a spoiled brat since he was young and knows nothing except for spending money. Everyone calls him Liu Dakuaizi (literally "Liu the Prodigal"), a nickname reflecting his wasteful lifestyle. Last year, during the disaster relief donation in Qinzhou, he literally bought an official position and went to Beijing to pay his respects. While staying at an inn, he met a fellow named Huang, who is from Yangzhou. His ancestors were in the salt business and were also very wealthy. He has always wanted to be an official and even plays the part of a big shot at home, ordering his servants around. He was a regular at the brothels, and when he went to Beijing, he hit the brothels every day. He is the third son in his family, and his girlfriend gave him the nickname Huang Sanliuzi (literally "Huang the Third Slacker"). He and Liu Dakuaizi stayed in the same inn. When they discovered they were from the same province, even the same examination cohort, Huang Sanliuzi was thrilled. The next day, he took a visiting card to visit Liu Dakuaizi. Liu Dakuaizi also liked making friends, so he returned the visit. From then on, the two of them hit it off and became fast friends. Coincidentally, they paid their respects on the same day, received their appointments on the same day, and agreed to leave on the same day. When they arrived in Shanghai, they spent several months gallivanting around. Finally, with their deadline looming, they boarded a ship back to the province to report for duty.
At this time, the deputy envoy had just taken office, and the two had agreed to meet at the yamen together. They were both dressed in new brocade robes and embroidered jackets, wearing court beads and various ornaments. Each of them had bought their way into a second-rank official position, with a red button atop their hats and jade feather ornaments; jade thumb rings and diamond rings on their hands; gold watches and gold glasses cases hanging from their waists, as well as various jade ornaments. Both of them acted like they owned the place, and both were night owls who slept in late. Finally, they got up early that day, sitting in a new green sedan chair, with horses and red umbrellas in front, followed by attendants, cutting quite a dash. They thought they were early enough, but when they arrived at the yamen, the other officials had already arrived. They blew their tops and scolded their attendants: "Why didn't you wake us up earlier?" They also complained that the sedan chair bearers were walking too slowly, saying they would punish them when they returned. Once inside the yamen, they kept scolding people non-stop. Each of them had an attendant holding a pipe to load their opium, and they smoked continuously. Hearing that the deputy envoy was very strict and that subordinates often suffered losses, they kept taking out official-looking papers from their sleeves, flipping through them repeatedly, afraid that the deputy envoy would ask them a question they couldn't answer. Half asleep, the constable came to invite them in. Liu Dakuai was in front, while Huang Sanliu was behind, entering together. Because the deputy envoy was dressed very plainly, they did not recognize him as the boss. Liu Dakuai quietly asked the constable, "Has the boss arrived?" The constable did not speak but gestured upwards. Liu Dakuai quickly knelt down and prostrated himself. Huang Sanliu stood still, and the constable gestured for him to prostrate himself as well, to avoid the deputy envoy having to return the gesture. But Huang Sanliu did not understand, insisting on waiting for Liu Dakuai to get up before he prostrated himself. The deputy envoy wasn't amused.
After the ceremony, the official looked up and saw these two in their fancy new clothes, their hands shining with flashy jewelry that gave them away as rich kids. Without asking any questions, he carefully examined them from head to toe, just kept looking them over, unable to take his eyes off them. Liu Dakuaizi, being from an official family, knew better than to speak out of turn. Huang Sanliuzi became anxious, thinking about what to say to this official. After a long pause, he couldn't hold it in anymore and spoke up first, "Excuse me, sir, but what's your name?" When the official heard this, he figured the kid was green. He didn't get angry, just smiled and said, "My surname is Fu, and my courtesy name is Litang. What's your line of work?" Huang Sanliuzi didn't expect the official to ask this, and his face turned red, not knowing how to answer. He stammered for a bit, then clammed up. The official just stared at him without speaking. After a while, Huang Sanliuzi finally managed to say, "I work in the salt business at home." The official said, "Oh, a salt merchant! My apologies!" He called for pen and ink, and a servant quickly brought them.
The official picked up the pen and said, "I have a bad memory. Once I say something, I forget it. Please help me remember." Huang Sanliuzi had never written before, and when he heard this, he froze, unable to say a word. The official continued, "It's just a few words. Just write your name, title, address, and what you usually do at home." Huang Sanliuzi was so anxious that his brow was beaded with sweat, he hemmed and hawed for a long time, then stood up and said, "Sir, I've got a bit of a dodgy hand these days. I can't write. If you want someone to write, Liu writes very well. When he was in Beijing, he even wrote couplets!" Liu Dakuizi, seeing that the official wanted him to write, wanted to show off his talents, so he picked up the pen and wrote his resume clearly. The official took a look and found that only one word was written wrong, which was the character "戴" in "顶戴". He first wrote "载," but it looked more like a wobbly "zai." The official smiled and said, "Liu, those boots look like they came with your official hat, eh?" Liu Dakuizi hadn't realized he had written the wrong word, and when he heard this, he quickly replied, "Sir, these boots were custom-made in Beijing. I happened to pick them up the same day I got my photo taken, so I put them on together." The official let out a chuckle and asked him to write Huang Sanliuzi's resume. Everything else was fine, but when he came to the word "鹽" in "盐商," he hesitated for a long time and still couldn't write it correctly. The character "鹽" has "鹵" in the middle, and he forgot how to write it. He kept adding dots, making it worse and worse. The official laughed and said, "Huang's a bit of a pretty boy, isn't he? Why are you adding so many pimples to his face?" Liu Dakuizi blushed and didn't dare to say a word. After finishing writing, the official took it over. Since the two of them couldn't say much, he offered them some tea and then showed them out.
Inside the magistrate's dimly lit office, the magistrate put down the teacup, and Liu Dakuaizi (a nickname) knew the rules, so he quickly stood up. Unexpectedly, Huang Sanliuzi (another nickname) remained seated and said to Liu Dakuaizi in a low voice, "Big Brother Liu, it's still early; let's sit for a while longer." Liu Dakuaizi ignored him. Later, when the magistrate also stood up and the servants kept calling out to see them out, he then got up and left with them. After walking a few steps, he turned back, bowed, and said, "No need to see me out, sir." Seeing how clueless he was about etiquette, the magistrate didn’t want to see him off either, so he just nodded and headed back halfway. The two of them then shuffled off.
Liu Dakuai noticed the Fudai looked glum, and his stomach churned. But Huang Sanliu, clueless, wanted to drag him to a restaurant, then the West Lake. Liu Dakuai said, "Nah, we gotta get back." Huang Sanliu had no choice but to return to their lodgings together. After dinner, they crashed for a nap to catch up on sleep. Upon waking up, the steward came to report, "There's a hot letter from Master Lu at the Fanta yamen." Liu Dakuai knew that this Master Lu was his cousin, Lu Weiyi, who was currently in charge of finances at the Fanta yamen in Zhejiang. It had to be important. Hurriedly opening it, the letter read: "The Fudai called the Fanta in this afternoon and said, 'Those two new probationary officials, a Liu and a Huang—one's a spoiled brat, the other's just a commoner—aren't fit to be officials.' He wanted to get them shipped back home. Luckily, the Fanta begged him, saying all the bigwigs were asking for mercy. The Fudai didn't say anything, but who knows what'll happen? You gotta do something quick, cousin!" After reading the letter, Liu Dakuai was in a panic. Huang Sanliu couldn't read, so he didn't know what was written in the letter. Later, Liu Dakuai told him the contents of the letter in detail, which freaked him out. Liu Dakuai didn't have time for him and hotfooted it to his cousin's, begging him to plead with the Fanta, all this in the bustling, corrupt world of late Qing Dynasty China.
Although Huang Sanliuzi is wealthy, he doesn't have many connections in the officialdom, so he is in a hurry. He can only go to the second shopkeeper of Yuji Piaohao, where he usually deposits money, to discuss and ask for advice. The second shopkeeper said, "You are looking for the right person. I have a solution!" Huang Sanliuzi hurriedly asked, "What solution?" The second shopkeeper said, "The current Zhongcheng seems clean on the surface, but he's actually quite greedy. When the imperial envoy came last month, all the funds were secretly channeled through a smaller exchange, and he transferred more than five hundred thousand to Beijing! Later, he took office by decree and transferred the money back, which is now stored in our money exchange. So, as long as you take out twenty thousand, I can help you settle this matter." Huang Sanliuzi became anxious, "Twenty thousand? That's too much! I don't need so much money for this official position!" The second shopkeeper said, "If it's less, he won't even look at it. And you can't give it openly; he cares so much about his reputation, how can he accept this kind of money?" Huang Sanliuzi helplessly said, "Well, what can you do?" The second shopkeeper thought for a moment and said, "I got it! He has a concubine and a son who should come tomorrow. You take out twenty thousand, I'll help you write two silver notes, five thousand each, wrapped in red envelopes. One for the son and one for the concubine. Write 'token of appreciation' on the note for the concubine, and 'gift' on the note for the son. Nowadays, in the officialdom of Beijing, gifts are given in this way, as reported in the local paper; it won't be wrong." Huang Sanliuzi pondered for a long time, but he had no other way, so he had to agree. The second shopkeeper added, "The big boss is easy to deal with, but the underlings are a pain. With someone's help, you will achieve twice the result with half the effort. The money for gifts is at least five thousand; otherwise, it won't cut it." Huang Sanliuzi thought it was too steep, so he haggled with the second shopkeeper, eventually settling on three thousand.
The next day, Number Two learned that the prefect's missus and kid had entered the yamen, so he secretly gave a wad of cash to his right-hand man, asking him to pass it on to the prefect. Sure enough, the news spread that day, telling Huang Sanliu to come to the yamen the next day in rags, saying there was good news. Number Two told Huang Sanliu about this good news. Huang Sanliu was overjoyed, but he always dressed to the nines and changed outfits every season, so where could he find a real bum outfit? The servant suggested he check out a thrift store. Huang Sanliu said, "Seriously? Clothes from a thrift store?" He went to ask Number Two. Number Two said, "They want something really old, so don’t be too particular. If you think the clothes are too dirty, I have a set here you can borrow." Huang Sanliu said, "Alright, I'll borrow yours." Number Two replied, "This thing's been in the family forever. It's used for New Year's visits, friends' weddings, and socializing in the yamen." With that, he rummaged around, pulling out a beat-up hat and some ancient boots from behind the door. Huang Sanliu frowned when he saw that the outfit was even shabbier than a beggar's! Number Two said, "Once you're done with this outfit, you'll owe me a new set and a big favour on top of that." Huang Sanliu exclaimed, "A few old rags? If I get that job, you can have my whole wardrobe!" After that, he had the servants pack up the boots, hat, and clothes, and took them back home. When he got home, he quickly found a tailor to patch it up as best they could, using whatever they could find, but he couldn't find old patches for a while, so he had to use new gold patches. The steward helped change the top pearl and put on a feather, but the top knot broke, so the tailor quickly sewed it back on with red thread. He dared not use the jade feather, so he used the steward's smoking pipe instead.
All set, and Liu Dakuaizi, a local guy, just came back. Huang Sanliuzi, his friend, hurriedly asked him, "Haven't seen you in three days! Where'd you disappear to?" Liu Dakuaizi replied, "I stayed at my uncle's house. The Fan Tai, a high-ranking official, promised to help, so the problem should be solved. But he insisted I not wear new clothes, so I borrowed some old ones from my uncle. I'll wear them tomorrow." Then he asked how Huang Sanliuzi was doing. Huang Sanliuzi only said he had asked someone for help, keeping it quiet about the bribe. The next day, both of them changed into old clothes to meet the Fan Tai. What happened next? Find out next time!
