Sun Dahuzi heard that Yu Jingchen insisted on reporting Huang Zainxin for paying off officials with prostitutes, and despite several attempts to dissuade him, he couldn't. Sun Dahuzi chuckled and said, "It's true that using prostitutes to bribe officials is wrong, but as a bigwig, if you don't go to such places, how would you know that he was doing that? You're the one who's out of line here." Yu Jingchen was speechless after being refuted like this, and it took him a while to regain his composure before saying, "We only go to those places for a bit of fun. He was playing the game to get ahead, which is indeed unacceptable. Even if I don't report him, it's impossible for me to thrive under his leadership!" Although he said this, he still went to Wang Xiaowuzi's house several times to let off steam. Wang Xiaowuzi kept apologizing, and eventually told Huang Zainxin about it, scaring Huang Zainxin from staying openly at Wang Xiaowuzi's for a long time. Yu Jingchen couldn't find any evidence, so he gave up.
Two months later, Yu Jingchen's promotion was approved, and the department agreed to let him be presented to the emperor. After receiving the notice, he immediately went to the court to express his gratitude. Then his colleagues came to congratulate him, and his subordinates came to offer their best wishes. Yu Jingchen had to host a banquet for these colleagues. Most of them loved to have fun, and hosting at home wasn't enough; they had to do it at the entertainment district. Yu Jingchen was happy to take this opportunity to satisfy their wishes and entertain his friends. Every time they drank, they made Zhao Dajiazi the main man, and Zhao Dajiazi gladly accepted. The celebratory banquets went on for a solid month.
Time flies; in the blink of an eye, Yu Jingchen is about to enter the capital to be presented at court. The provincial governor agreed and temporarily delegated all his duties to others, saying he would return soon. For several days, he was busy transferring his responsibilities during the day, and in the evening, friends held a series of farewell banquets for him. One night, he got a little drunk in Diaoyu Lane and suddenly sighed, "Thinking back to my first day in the province, what a difference! I remember my first day here; it was when Huang Zhijun came to Jiangnan for the second time. On my first day at the yamen (government office), I wasn't summoned. It wasn't a big deal, really, whether he saw me or not, but at the time I felt terribly embarrassed. Coming out of the yamen in a sedan chair, I felt like even the sedan chair carriers seemed to disdain me. At that time, I hadn't thought about promotion yet, but I always thought to myself, 'If even my superior doesn't see me, why am I here as an official?' I didn't see him the second time I went to the yamen either. Because many people didn't see him, not just me, I felt more at ease at that time, and I didn't feel embarrassed when I saw the sedan chair carriers. Until now, when I met this governor, whether he sees me or not, I don't care anymore. I remember when I didn't get promoted before; as long as I had an extended posting, I was satisfied. Because promotion was difficult in the Jiangnan bureaucracy, I unexpectedly received several lengthy assignments in a row later, and I was busy all day long. Now I feel bitter instead; I wanted to resign from a few assignments several times, but the higher-ups wouldn't let me. Now I got this endorsement out of nowhere; it seems my stars are aligned for a journey." Everyone said, "The capable ones have more work to do. People like you, Yu Jingchen, who are talented, how could the higher-ups let you go? This endorsement is actually a precursor to promotion. Just being an official doesn't show your talent; that's why the governor did this. In the future, you will definitely rise in the world; advancement and prosperity are surely in your future. What does it matter to give you a substantive post?" Yu Jingchen said, "I appreciate your kind words. Giving me a substantive post, I am already satisfied. As for whether there will be other benefits in the future, I dare not hope." After speaking, his proud expression couldn't be hidden anymore. And so the evening concluded shortly thereafter.
Two days later, he went to the yamen to say goodbye. As soon as he arrived at the yamen, it was quite convenient. The Grand Councillor had just received a letter from the Minister of Military Affairs yesterday, saying that several bigwigs had accused the officials in the Jiangnan officialdom of corruption. There were over twenty officials involved, including Old Sun, Little Tian, Wu E Labu, Yu Jincheng, along with Zhao Dajiazi, his strategist, and Yang Zichen, his commander. The most serious accusations were against Yu Jincheng and Zhao Dajiazi. It was said that Yu Jincheng was in charge of managing the finances, not only selling official positions but also using the pretext of combating corruption to shake down his subordinates for bribes. The subordinates handed over the money to him, but he didn’t deposit it into the public treasury; it all went into his own pocket. The accusers had a clear record of how much money was given by whom and how much was collected by the department, all clearly laid out in the memorials. They further alleged that he sold official positions, not accepting money in Nanjing; there was a bank in Shanghai where his brother worked as a partner, specifically helping him collect money. If someone wanted to give him money, as long as it was sent to that bank, his brother would write him a letter or send a telegram, and his official position would be approved in Nanjing immediately—truly efficient. The memorials detailed that he was raking it in, earning well over half a million taels, buying land and properties in Shanghai, with the rest stored in the bank. As for the most serious accusations against Zhao Dajiazi, it was said that he was arrogant; even the exact amount of bribes he received on a certain year, month, and day was investigated thoroughly. It was also mentioned that the memorial recommending Yu Jincheng by the Governor of the Two Rivers was drafted together by Zhao Dajiazi and Yu Jincheng in a high-class Qinhuai brothel. The memorial finally placed the blame on the Governor of the Two Rivers, saying he was old and weak, incompetent, obsessed with superstition, and neglecting governance and people's livelihood. The others—Old Sun, Little Tian, Wu E Labu, and Yang Zichen—were just minor issues. Those who had just entered the officialdom were scared after reading this, but the seasoned officials didn’t care at all.
So, Yu Jingchen submits his report, and when his boss sees it’s him – even though he’d recommended him himself – he knows this is a case the Imperial Commissioner himself had ordered investigated, so he doesn’t dare to show favoritism. He sends a cop to tell Yu Jingchen to stick around and wait for word. The cop doesn’t say anything about the boss wanting to see him or being tired. Yu Jingchen is left hanging, twiddling his thumbs in the yamen for half a day. A few clueless colleagues drop by, asking when he’ll get promoted. He just mumbles something. By then, the governor and the grain transport guy have heard. They see the boss coming out, give him the cold shoulder, and practically run for their sedan chairs. So he slunks off. His work is already given to someone else; he’s officially out of a job. He goes straight home, stays put all day, and nobody bothers to visit.
The night before, Zhao Dajia had arranged to have a farewell banquet at Guibao's restaurant this afternoon, but no one came to remind him even after dark. Because of the morning's trouble, he was feeling anxious and had the steward and housekeeper go out to inquire about the news while he waited at home, feeling restless. By midnight, the housekeeper returned from the yamen and reported, "Zhao Dajia doesn't know why, but all the luggage has been moved out of the yamen. Later, I went to Sun Dahuzi's house to inquire, only to find out that several high-ranking officials in the capital had spread some gossip, implicating even their superiors. In the end, the superiors had to investigate the case, saving him some face." Yu Jincheng hurriedly asked, "Who are those officials? How many people are involved? Is Sun Dahuzi okay?" The housekeeper said, "Word is, they're in it, but it's not serious. Zhao's in deep trouble." Yu Jincheng asked anxiously, "And me?" The housekeeper remained silent. Yu Jincheng shook his head repeatedly, stomping his feet and saying, "I'm done for! It's all over! No wonder Zhao said he would treat me to a meal today; it turns out he got into trouble himself, so he didn't come to get me. But I got into trouble, and I don't even know why. What am I going to do?" He thought of all the things he usually did, none of which were very smart, and he was beside himself with worry.
Just as he was hesitating, the clerk who had gone out to inquire about the news returned, holding a copy of the new notice issued by the superior. "What'd you find out?" Yú Jìnchén immediately asked. The clerk, wanting to show off in front of the boss, hesitated to speak directly and replied evasively, "I heard there's some news from the capital, and it probably involves the provincial appointees waiting in the wings. This is definitely those high-ranking officials trying to line their pockets; let's not worry about it. Guys like us, with our connections, ain't got nothin' to fear." Yú Jìnchén said, "Fear's beside the point; the key is what exactly is involved... What are you holding in your hand?" The clerk, upon hearing this, quickly hid the copied notice in his sleeve and said it was nothing. Yú Jìnchén insisted, "I clearly saw a piece of paper in your hand; why are you hiding it from me?" The clerk had no choice but to take out the notice. Yú Jìnchén looked at it and saw it was full of official language advising subordinates "not to go to Qinhuai River for drinking and lodging in the future, and if they go against orders, they will be severely punished." This was a notice posted in the yamen, which the clerk had copied. After Yú Jìnchén finished reading it, he casually tossed it aside and said, "Every boss issues these kinds of memos. I've long been accustomed to it. So what? They can issue all the memos they want; it's none of my business. Why the secrecy?" The clerk was reprimanded by the boss for a couple of sentences, his face turning red, and he didn't say a word. Yú Jìnchén asked again, "What are you hiding from me about the information I asked you to inquire about? Be honest and tell me!" The clerk only coughed twice and still didn't say anything. Yú Jìnchén knew he was useless, so he stomped his foot and said, "What's the matter with you? Where do I even begin?" After saying that, he paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back. He ignored the clerk, who was too scared to make a sound. Back home, Yú Jìnchén waited for the news.
After the magistrate received a secret report from the court, he did not dare to delay and immediately sent two people, Fántái (Provincial Treasurer) and Liángdào (Grain Transport Commissioner), to investigate according to the content of the report. Because the assistant Zhao was also involved, he couldn't stay in the yamen, so he asked his brothers to send him a letter, asking him to lay low for a while. Zhao had no choice but to comply, so even though he had booked a banquet at Guibao's place the day before, he did not go to entertain guests. The next day, Guibao sent a theatrical troupe to call on Zhao, only to learn that he was ill at home and not seeing visitors. The troupe had to disappointingly return.
At this time, people in the provincial capital knew that the magistrate had appointed Fántái and Liángdào to handle the case. Fortunately, most were colleagues, so everyone scrambled to use their connections to find a way out. Liángdào was more straightforward, and when someone asked him for help, he would say, "Look, even though the magistrate has assigned this matter to us, it's just for show. It's a cover-up culture, you know? When has an investigation ever revealed a large number of people? I don't want to be the fall guy, and the magistrate doesn't want to get egg on his face. Even though his subordinates are not good, does that mean he is deaf and blind and knows nothing, only to wait for the higher-ups to speak before pulling them out one by one? Wouldn't that make him seem completely unaware? But someone has to be the scapegoat to divert attention. Fortunately, the magistrate's words are not entirely false, and once the storm passes, he won't speak again. I speak the truth, so everyone can rest assured." Everyone felt relieved after hearing his words. Unexpectedly, since Fántái received the task, he had not seen any visitors. He was inspecting documents today and interrogating people tomorrow, moving very quickly, making everyone anxious. However, remembering Liángdào's words, they knew the magistrate would ultimately consider his own reputation and not reveal too many people, at most just spending some money to smooth things over. So, they shrugged and let things play out.
Fantai found that no one was bribing him, so he decided to handle official business in a fair manner and first targeted Yu Jingchen. He told the Governor: "I have found evidence that Yu Jingchen misappropriated likin taxes, which are stored in a bank in Shanghai. Although there is no other evidence, the bank's account books can be checked. As long as it is confirmed that Yu Jingchen's account is on the account book, then it is his ill-gotten gains. Now that the national treasury is empty, they still dare to embezzle—truly heartless! Although Yu Jingchen and I are colleagues, for the greater good, I will absolutely not cover for him." The Governor said: "Everything else is manageable, but the bank is owned by foreigners, so it may be difficult to investigate." Fantai said: "Although the bank is owned by foreigners, they are doing business with Chinese people and earning Chinese money. They should at least give us a little cooperation, right? I am not asking for donations; what's wrong with checking the account books?" The Governor said: "Since you put it that way, there should be no problem. There are many officials in the province, but few can get things done. You have a lot of experience, so why don't you go and handle this? Go early and come back early, report as soon as possible to avoid any complications."
Fantai was worried: "That's easy for you to say, but I have been an official for many years and have never dealt with foreigners. I've never dealt with foreigners before. Although I have seen a few, there are said to be people from over ten countries in Shanghai. As a Fantai, I can't possibly visit each one, right? The language barrier is a problem, and finding a reliable translator would be difficult. What if the translator double-crossed me?" The more he thought about it, the trickier it seemed, so he told the Governor: "We're swamped at the office, and nobody here speaks a word of foreign languages, so checking those accounts would be pointless. This matter is of great importance; it's better to leave it to someone else." The Governor said: "Just bring a translator with you, as long as you find a competent one. Even I, and I don't know a lick of foreign languages, still manage to get things done around here." Fantai was speechless at the Governor's words, so he had to ask for help from Yang Daren, who was an official from the Foreign Office. Yang Daren had attended the Naval Academy since he was young, knew many foreigners, and could speak a few foreign languages, making him a reliable ally. The Governor had the Salt Commissioner temporarily take over Yang Daren's duties.
Fan Tai had to go home and pack his things. It was an imperial envoy's order, so he couldn't delay. The next day, he took a steamer to Shanghai. He was a nervous wreck the whole trip, kicking himself for sticking his nose in. He arrived in Shanghai the following day, where the county magistrate's office arranged for him to stay at a guesthouse before he went into the city to visit the Shanghai prefect. After meeting, they discussed the matter of checking the accounts. The Shanghai prefect asked, "Any idea which bank Mr. Yu keeps his money in?" Fan Tai was surprised, "Just two banks?" The Shanghai prefect said, "In England alone, you've got Macallister and HSBC, plus there's the Russian Daosheng Bank, the Japanese Shogin Bank, and others from France and Holland – over a dozen in all!" Fan Tai was stunned and said, "Back home, we only knew about HSBC drafts. I have used it a few times in Shanghai before, but I didn't know there were so many banks. I figured it'd be HSBC; they do most of the business with us Chinese. Mr. Yu's money is probably in HSBC; let's check there first." The Shanghai prefect said, "All those foreign banks in Shanghai are here to make money off the Chinese. You can deposit money in any of them. However, HSBC is more well-known; perhaps Mr. Yu's money is there. Why don't you start with HSBC?" Fan Tai agreed and left.
Spent the night at the mansion. Early the next morning, Fan Tai was heading to HSBC to check the accounts. After getting ready, he sent for the carriage. He and his translator, smartly dressed, climbed into the carriage and headed to Huangpu Beach. Before getting on, the coachman informed him, "It's Sunday; the bank is closed." The translator, brought from the province and having stayed in the mainland for a long time, had forgotten it was Sunday, but after being reminded by the coachman, he realized, "Right, it's Sunday; they're closed. We'd be wasting our time. Why don't we call on someone else first and try again tomorrow?" Fan Tai responded, "Sunday or not, I'm going. I'll just deliver a note at their door; at least I've been here. Surely someone will see us? I arrived yesterday, and not visiting today would embarrass us. Besides, it's easier to explain the situation today; checking the accounts will be easier tomorrow." The translator said, "They're closed on Sundays; they don't see visitors. It's better to go together tomorrow." Fan Tai replied, "You're worried about a bit of extra travel. Anyway, we're taking a carriage; you don't have to run. It's not hard to make an extra trip." The translator dared not say anything more and could only follow him.
They quickly arrived at the entrance of HSBC, and sure enough, the gate was tightly closed. The person delivering the note shouted for a while, but no one responded. Helpless, the messenger returned to the carriage and reported truthfully. Fan Tai said, "No one's there; just leave the note." The messenger ran back again, trying to stuff the note in, but couldn't, so he affixed the note to the door before leaving. Fan Tai felt a bit embarrassed and was afraid the translator would laugh at him for not understanding foreign customs. When he returned to the mansion and sat down, he said to his subordinates, "I know foreigners don't work or see visitors on Sundays, but I was instructed to go, so I made a show of it. Regardless, we've made the effort." His subordinates nodded in agreement.
The next day, Monday, the bank opened. The mandarin still took a carriage to the bank. Before reaching the bank entrance, the letter carrier was already holding a business card and wanted to rush in through the front door. Upon climbing the steps, he shouted loudly, "Letter delivery!" Fortunately, he was not seen by any foreigners. He bumped into a clerk and quickly waved for him to get lost, then pointed to the back door. After the letter carrier descended the steps, the mandarin also got off the carriage. The letter carrier went up and explained the situation. The mandarin was very unhappy, thinking to himself, "I am a guest coming to visit him; why am I being asked to use the back door?" It turned out that HSBC Bank handles Chinese business, such as handling foreign money and cheques, in the back, so the clerk asked him to use the back door. Helpless, the mandarin had to follow the letter carrier to the back. Everyone was surprised to see him wearing a red button, and there was much discussion: people thought, "If he's just exchanging money, he wouldn't be in official robes. And if he's visiting the comprador, he'd be in civilian clothes, not all dressed up like this!"
At the time, the counters were busy with foreign currency transactions and check verification, and no one paid him any attention. The letter carrier shouted "Letter delivery" a few times with his business card, but no one responded. He grabbed someone and asked, "Where do the foreigners live?" The person replied, "I'm here to withdraw money; I don't know. You should ask at the counter." Helpless, the letter carrier stood by the counter and looked around, but everyone was too busy to interrupt. The mandarin cursed in frustration, "Useless, can't even deliver a letter properly; what kind of letter carrier are you!" The letter carrier, feeling anxious, randomly grabbed a young man wearing pince-nez and asked, "Where are the foreigners? The adults want to visit them." The young man glanced at him, ignored him, and continued to focus on his counting board. The letter carrier, unable to make any progress, then grabbed an old man with a goatee and asked again. This old man was more polite, asking, "Where are you from? Why are you looking for foreigners?" Before the letter carrier could explain that the mandarin was a nobleman, the old man had already taken out a pen and checkbook, writing in the ledger without hearing what he was saying. The letter carrier was beside himself, and the mandarin was fuming.
When he was at a loss, he suddenly saw a Chinese person coming out from inside, not knowing if he was from the bank or not. The provincial governor personally approached and inquired, claiming to be the magistrate of Jiangnan, on the governor's orders, to talk to foreigners and check the books. The man, upon hearing that he was the governor, gave him the once-over and said, "Foreigners are very busy, upstairs. If you want to find him, he won't have time." At this time, the translator followed behind and said, "If you can't see the foreigner, you can see your comprador (a Chinese intermediary between foreign firms and Chinese clients) first." The man replied, "The comprador is also very busy, what's the matter?" The governor said, "There’s a tax collector named Yu who has deposited money in your bank; I want to check if it's true." The man said, "We don't have a tax collector named Yu here, I don't know. I have other things to do, ask someone else." After speaking, he left through the back door.
More and more people came to withdraw money. The sound of counting coins clinked into the governor's ears. Huge baskets of foreign coins clattered—thousands, maybe tens of thousands, it looked like. Bundles of banknotes were counted and shown to people in stacks, colorful, making the governor's eyes spin. The governor truly envied them, thinking to himself, "I'm the provincial governor, I handle the province's money, and I'm not hurting, but these guys… they're on another level."
Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard the translator say, "Whoa, it's half past twelve already!" The governor asked, "What's the matter at half past twelve?" The translator replied, "They’re going off work at half past twelve." The governor said, "Alright, let's wait here for them; they have to come out eventually. When they do, we'll go up and ask, problem solved, right?" Just as he said that, a flood of people rushed out, all heading for the back door—compradors, accountants, runners—impossible to tell them apart. Everyone had left, but not a single foreigner was seen. Why? It turns out that foreigners all left through the front door, so the governor waited for half a day in vain. Then, just silence.
The translator knew it clearly in his heart, so he dared not say much and could only say, "Boss, let's head back to the official residence for dinner first. Tomorrow, I’ll have someone ask the comprador to check or help us look into this. No need for you to get involved." The magistrate also felt it was pointless, so he mumbled, "I have no grudge against Mr. Yu, but my superiors keep pushing me to check his accounts. If I don't come a few times, they always say I'm not showing I'm doing my job. Now that the foreigners haven't seen me, I'm good to go once I get back. As for the comprador, you can ask about it tomorrow. We've done all we can, but if he ignores you, there's nothing we can do. It's just part of the job; it's not worth the fuss. That's just how foreigners are; they always look down on us. I’ve encountered this, but I'm fine with it." After speaking, he got up and boarded the carriage back to the official residence.
The translator found the comprador through someone the same day and filled him in. The comprador said, "Even if it was easy to check, he can put his money wherever he wants; we can't treat it as stolen money. Fortunately, the foreigners haven't seen you; if they laugh at you, it would be embarrassing!" The translator had nothing to say and returned to inform the magistrate. So the magistrate dropped the idea of checking the accounts and just wanted to come up with an excuse for the governor. He didn't dare to say that the foreigners hadn't seen him, so he made up a lie, saying that he had asked the foreigners and there was no account for Mr. Yu in the ledger, so they couldn't investigate. Once he sent the telegram, he prepared to return to the province.
On that day, I was planning to take the ship at night. In the morning, I was sitting in my cabin, mulling things over: "I really regret meddling in other people's business and wasting my energy trying to find fault in others. Now that I haven't found any faults, it's been a waste of time." The more I thought about it, the less meaningful it seemed. Just as I was lost in thought, someone suddenly delivered a calling card, along with several books and a yellow notebook with the words "All Goodness Leads to the Same End" written on it. I was quite surprised when I saw it, so I quickly opened the calling card, which read "Manager of Shanghai Shan Bookstore and Candidate for County Magistrate, Wang Mushan." I looked at the books, including "Commentary on the Tai Shang Induction Chapter," "Holy Instructions and Broad Teachings Illustrated," "Yin Zhiwen's Art of Writing," "Treasure Mirror for Abstaining from Lust," and "True Words of Exhortation for Filial Piety by Lei Zu." I thought to myself: "So these are all good books. It's a good thing to engrave good books, but why did he suddenly come to find me?" Just as I was wondering about his visit, the messenger said, "Mr. Wang claims to be a good man. Since he opened this bookstore, he has collected seven hundred and eighty-three kinds of pornographic books, all of which he has at his shop, ready for you to look over. Some of the books are not even sold elsewhere, only available from him. He carries a list with him, all clearly written, ready to present to you in person." Upon hearing this, I thought: "Let's let him in and ask some questions first. I've read a lot of pornographic books in my life; seven hundred and eighty-three seems impossible! Since he claims there are, let's take a look. After reading them, we can decide whether or not to ban them." So I said, "Show him in!"
After a while, Wang Mushan came in, bowed, and exchanged the usual pleasantries. After sitting down, I first asked him, "When did this bookstore open? How many books have been published in total?" Wang Mushan replied, "Your Honor, from my great-grandfather's generation to mine, we have always focused on doing good deeds. In my father's later years, he wanted to establish a society for virtuous books, but due to a lack of resources, he couldn't make it happen. I inherited my father's wishes, and although we have a certain scale now, our funds are still insufficient, and the number of books we can publish is limited. These are all the books we have. I came to seek your support, and also to show you a list of lewd books. After you have reviewed it, please issue a strict notice to prevent disturbing people's minds." As he spoke, he stood up again, picked out two books from those presented, and said, "Respecting the Lord in all things, I have specially annotated this book, 'Illustrated Explanations of the Holy Edicts and Wide Teachings,' which is specifically prepared for future dedication. This book, 'Detailed Explanation of the Supreme Induction,' was created according to the intentions of the Provincial Governor. I heard that the Provincial Governor is a devout believer in Taoism. This 'Supreme Induction' was written by the Taoist founder Laozi himself. It took me three years and six months to explain it completely. My intention is to ask you to issue a notice prohibiting bookstores from reprinting it, allowing only our bookstore to exclusively distribute it. This way, our bookstore can operate for a long time and publish more virtuous books in the future. And if you ever need any of your own works printed, we'd be happy to help."
I said, "It’d be great to have more copies printed. However, as government officials, we can only stop people from doing bad things, not from doing good things. Supporting this is something we should do. Bring a few hundred copies of 'Sacred Edicts' and 'The Upper Induction Chapter' tomorrow, and once I finish my official duties, I’ll distribute them to the various prefectures and counties." Wang Mushan replied, "With your support for the books from the bookstore, they’re sure to sell well in the future. When I get back, I’ll put 'Officially Approved' on the cover of each book. Send two hundred copies of each type tomorrow." I said, "Sounds good!" Wang Mushan asked, "Sir, should I get a receipt for these books now, or can I pick it up at your provincial residence later?" At first, I thought that while these good books could make money, these two hundred copies were definitely meant to be donated for everyone to read in the various prefectures and counties. Now that he mentioned payment for the books, that threw me a bit. After a moment, I said, "If you want to encourage people to do good, it’d be best to donate these books to everyone. If people have to pay for them, fewer might buy them." Wang Mushan was taken aback and said, "Your Honor, I could manage three or five books, but any more than that, I couldn't afford it, and neither could the bookstore."
I said, "Where does the funding for this bookstore come from?" Wang Mushan said, "It's all donations." As he spoke, he flipped out the book "All Goodness Comes Together" and showed it to me. He pointed and said, "This was donated by some military bigwig with fifty taels of silver, this was donated by some deputy with fifty yuan, this was donated by some magistrate with thirty taels of silver, this was donated by some prefect with forty yuan." Then he specifically showed me a note and said, "This is my brother Wang Zimi, who is now a low-ranking military official; he also donated twenty-four taels." I said, "So your brother is Ziweng's younger brother; you have a good relationship with him. Your brother went to Beijing to meet the emperor last year, and we had a good conversation. But it was all donated, so selling it’s out of the question. Since you have a good relationship with your brother, when I return to the province, I will help him find a way to secure a permanent source of funding. If there are any generous people in other prefectures, have them donate as well." Wang Mushan listened, stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your guidance." I said, "Take this book and ledger back; whatever donations I have, I will give them to you at any time, no need to keep accounts." Wang Mushan left gratefully.
After seeing off the guest, I said to my aides, "In the current situation, using the law to strong-arm people, no one listens to you when you tell them to do good deeds. Now suddenly using a book of goodness to persuade people to do good, if you give it to them to read, they won't want to read it; they will want to make people pay for it. That's ridiculous! To be honest, I don't want to read these books at all. It's better to bring in and look at his over seven hundred types of pornographic books; there must be some juicy bits in there." Before I finished speaking, one of my aides chimed in, "Since you know his books are useless, why do you still advise him to donate them for others to read?" I said, "Encouraging people to do good sounds good, and he is the younger brother of Junior Military Official Wang Zimi; just send him away. I don't have time to help him distribute books and collect money." Everyone understood after hearing this. That night, I boarded a ship back to the province to get back to work.
The next day, Wang Mushan was still dreaming, and before he left, someone packed two large boxes of books and carried them to the governor's yamen. When he arrived at the gate and asked, he found out that the governor had left Shanghai the night before. Wang Mushan was taken aback, thinking that what the governor said yesterday was true, and he must have had an urgent matter to return to the provincial capital. So he had the boxes of books brought back and discussed with his associates, arranging for the boxes to be shipped to Nanjing by boat. He also wrote a report separately and sent it to Nanjing along with the boxes of books.
The governor went back to the provincial capital to look into the case and had already informed the governor. Sure enough, the conclusion was "no evidence, case closed," investigating the matter thoroughly; then he sent a few minor officials down, and people like Yang Zichen, that weasel, Sun Dahuzi, the big bear, and Zhao Daji, that pompous ass, were all fine. The report went in, and the governor signed off on it right away. Those implicated greased some palms in Beijing to keep things quiet. The whole thing just fizzled out. That's how things work in Chinese officialdom: a big splash, then nothing. Not like those writers who start strong and then fizzle out.
Let's not talk about these idle words for now. Speaking of Wang Mushan, ever since the provincial governor appreciated him, he really made a seal. The books he engraved are all stamped with the four characters "Officially Approved." He even placed advertisements in several newspapers. He also rewrote the signboard at the entrance of the bookstore, changing it to "The Officially Approved Bureau of Good Books." Next to the signboard, he added two plaques featuring tiger heads with the words "Restricted Area, No Entry for Idlers." He also hung a ceremonial staff. He said, "Now my bookstore is officially run; I have to follow the rules of the headquarters, and my staff are my subordinates." He also instructed his staff, "From now on, you must call me the manager." He chose a good day to open the store and hung up the signboard. He booked several tables at Jiuhua Building in advance and sent out invitations. He invited dozens of officials and gentlemen he knew. Some invitations were written "With Regards," some were written "On Behalf of," and some were written "With Appreciation." Some who did not know his background even thought he was really the younger brother of a minor official named Wang, who had a close relationship with the provincial governor, and came to give gifts.
On the day of the opening, the bookstore was decorated with festive decorations. The house was newly arranged, and two large candles were lit. Wang Mushan dressed neatly, wearing a ceremonial sash, and first lit incense and paid homage in front of the statue of Guan Sheng Emperor in the hall. After worshiping, his staff all prostrated themselves to offer their congratulations. Then the guests came one after another, and it was lively for half a day. Wang Mushan was worried that there wouldn't be many serious officials and gentlemen attending, which would embarrass him. He had someone arrange it in advance, and two high-ranking officials really came that day. Wang Mushan warmly invited them to dinner. There were a total of six people, with Wang Mushan accompanying them, and the other five guests were all Prefects.
