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Written by: Realhistories

Category: Officialdom Unmasked

Published: 23 November 2024

Created: 23 November 2024

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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!

Details

Written by: Realhistories

Category: Officialdom Unmasked

Published: 23 November 2024

Created: 23 November 2024

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Hu stayed in Yanzhou for quite a while. The local officials invited him ashore several times, but he was fascinated by a certain prized possession and couldn't bear to leave. He continued to live on the boat, creating his own little boat-palace. Later, he received orders from his superiors to return to the province, so he quickly wrapped things up and prepared to depart.

This time, the total amount for the bandit crackdown was thirty-eight thousand taels—some had already been spent, while others needed to be reimbursed upon returning to the province. Hu felt very pleased about it but also a bit guilty, so he took out two thousand taels. One thousand taels were distributed to his men to make them happy and keep them quiet. Although Zhou was not very fond of Hu, he was in charge of the matter, so he specially received three thousand taels. The remaining money was distributed to others based on how much they'd helped, even Useless Zhao got one hundred and fifty taels. Although it was not as much as Hu's favorite gatekeeper, Cao, he was still very happy.

Another ten thousand taels were handed over to Zhou by Hu, who said, "That rich guy Wei Zhugang is trying to shake me down for thirty thousand taels. I can't come up with that much for a while, so please help me with this ten thousand taels to prevent them from spreading rumors. If it's not enough, you can advance a few more thousand taels for me. If that's not possible, then I have no choice."

Zhou calculated in his heart, "Ah! If he had given me the money a few days earlier, I wouldn't have asked Wei Zhugang to write a letter to the capital. Now, giving more money is useless; I'll keep it for myself and won't have to give it to Wei Zhugang. With this money, I have other plans after returning to the province; maybe I'll go to Shandong again. Even if they complain and the imperial envoys come to investigate, it has nothing to do with me." So, Zhou put on a respectful look and said to Hu, "I'll do my best to carry out your tasks, sir. They've eased up these days, so ten thousand taels should be enough." Hu replied, "Those guys are greedy! If you don't pay attention to them, ten thousand taels will be enough. If you comply with them, thirty thousand taels won't be enough." Zhou just smirked.

Commander Hu said again, "I've given the money, but where is my 'public umbrella'? It's just a matter of appearances; they can't slight me, can they?" Master Zhou replied, "Of course not." Commander Hu insisted he didn't want a few cloth umbrellas bought with a fortune. "I want satin ones. One for the city, four for the countryside—at least five." He added, "I don't really care about this; it's just for show. If the higher-ups find out, they'll say I've put in a lot of effort for the local area but don't even have a public umbrella. It'll reflect badly on me." Master Zhou agreed. After speaking, he left. As he walked, he thought to himself, "I need to persuade the wealthy merchants to provide the umbrellas. These people are very hostile towards the Commander; if I talk to them, not only will they not listen, but they'll also give me a hard time. I'd better go see Magistrate Zhuang first." So, he immediately took a sedan chair to the county to visit Magistrate Zhuang and explain the situation. Magistrate Zhuang said, "As a local official, I can't force them on this matter; they gotta want to. And I can't talk to them about this either. Go ask Constable Dan; he's got a good relationship with the local wealthy merchants. Let him talk to them. If it works out, great; if not, he's resourceful—let him figure out a way to get a few umbrellas and have a few people send them over, just to keep the Commander happy." Master Zhou said, "I know Constable Dan; I'll go now." And with that, he left.

The police chief is on the east side of the county government office, so there's no need to take a sedan chair; you will arrive shortly. Mr. Dan warmly received him, and after exchanging pleasantries, he asked, "Mr. Zhou, when are you and Commander Hu leaving? I hope you can make it to dinner tomorrow." Mr. Zhou modestly replied and then explained his reason for visiting. Mr. Dan said, "The impression of those wealthy gentlemen and merchants towards Commander Hu is not good. Now asking them to send tribute umbrellas, even if you give them money, it's probably best to drop it. If you're worried about Commander Hu's reputation, frankly, unless he pays for it himself, it's unlikely. In the current situation, even if Commander Hu makes the umbrellas and plaques himself and gives them to them, they may not necessarily send them over because they would have to kowtow. If you want to handle this matter now, in my opinion, no one will be willing to pay. If you make the umbrellas yourself and cover the costs, I can hire a few people to help you deliver them, which would be easier. But where can we find those who pretend to send the umbrellas?" Mr. Zhou did not speak, thinking to himself, "It's a good thing I took ten thousand taels of silver from him. I can spend one or two hundred taels to make a few umbrellas and plaques to make do." So, he said to Mr. Dan, "I'll cover the costs; you don't have to worry. But please arrange for a few friends to deliver the umbrellas. You're well-connected here; a word from you carries weight." Mr. Dan replied, "I do have a wide network of contacts, but it depends on the situation. I'll think about it for you. Those soldiers you brought, those officials on the naval vessel, they can be quite haughty. Discuss with them, pick a few who don't usually see Commander Hu, have them wear decent clothes to deliver the umbrellas, and say they are local gentlemen. Just kowtow at the door and leave; no one will be the wiser." Mr. Zhou thought this was a good idea and praised, "You're right, I'll definitely do as you say..." He entrusted Mr. Dan with the task of making the tribute umbrellas and plaques. Mr. Dan asked, "What kind of umbrellas should they be?" Mr. Zhou said, "They should be made of satin." Mr. Dan was surprised and said, "Satin is too expensive, isn't it?" Mr. Zhou replied, "If not satin, at least damask. You figure it out, how to save money and make it look good; just do it. Don't worry about the expense." He then asked, "How many days will it take to make? When can they be delivered?" Mr. Dan counted on his fingers and said, "In two days, they can be made, definitely delivered by the third day." Mr. Zhou returned to the city, first went to find Mr. Zhao and Mr. Lu, discussed and selected the people, then returned to the big boat to report to Commander Hu, who naturally had no objections. They planned to receive the tribute and leave for the province after breakfast on the third day.

The next day, all the city officials held a farewell banquet for Commander Hu at the government office. They also invited Mr. Zhou, Zhao, and other attendants and elders to join them, along with an opera troupe to perform. Commander Hu sat in the middle, with officials on either side. He wore a fancy robe—missing a collar—over which he sported a striking golden monkey-and-horse jacket. In front of him was a large brazier burning bright red charcoal. About a dozen servants in their best clothes were serving food and pouring wine on the side. The feast went on from two in the afternoon until nightfall.

Commander Hu was drinking and watching the opera, completely captivated, when suddenly a gust of wind blew a piece of colored silk on the stage onto a candle, causing it to catch fire! Although someone immediately tried to put out the fire, the wind was too strong, and the flames spread rapidly, even burning the colored silk on the eaves. Everyone was terrified, and pandemonium erupted—some were throwing water, while others tried to use bamboo poles. The drums on the stage stopped, and the actors also helped put out the fire. Fortunately, a nimble clown climbed a pillar, pulled down the colored silk, and the fire was extinguished. It was a near miss; water was all over the ground, and the servants quickly cleaned it up. The banquet resumed, and the opera continued.

During the fire, Commander Hu went as white as a sheet and immediately sent for his sedan chair to go home. After the fire was put out, the officials tried to persuade him to stay and have a few more drinks to calm his nerves. But Commander Hu was a bit touchy about such things and felt unhappy in his heart; he reluctantly had a few more drinks before returning to his ship, and the rest of the guests soon left.

Back on the ship, Commander Hu said, "Today everyone threw me a nice farewell, and we almost had a fire. What kind of omen is this?" No one dared to speak, only Mr. Wen said, "A fire means a promotion!" Commander Hu's mood improved upon hearing this, and he started talking and laughing again.

Early on the third day, the subordinates began to be busy. They put up festive awnings at the dock because Commander Hu was returning to the province today. The county folks hung up brand-new silk lanterns. Every boat, big and small, flew its flag in the breeze. Military officers, swords at their sides, packed the dock. Behind them was a line of troops that stretched for miles, some with bayonets, others with rifles, with a sergeant supervising every fifty men. At ten o'clock in the morning, they were to take the Dezheng plaque and umbrellas to the ship. Zhao and Lu had sent officers to Shan's house early that morning, to pose as city gentlemen and keep Hu safe. Shan thought it wasn't grand enough with so few people, so he brought in a few of his merchant friends—the owner of the rice shop, the manager of the southern goods store, and two clerks—all in hats, riding in Shan's sedan chairs. Shan was careful, not wanting to attract attention, so he quietly collected five umbrellas and four fans from the shops and gathered at the city gate. He also called a team of drummers in advance. Once the sedan chairs of the officials and merchants arrived, they opened the umbrellas and followed the drummers and the Dezheng plaque in a lively procession out of the city. Not far outside the city, soldiers were stationed on both sides to maintain order.

Around nine o'clock, everything was ready, and all the civil and military officials in the city trickled in to the official hall outside the city to wait. At around half past ten, three cannon shots were heard from the shore, and music was played from both sides of the bandstand. Commander Hu was resplendent in a red-topped sable hat, a blue sable stole, and a crimson leopard-trimmed robe, all topped off with a peach-colored sable jacket and green leather boots. His stewards were also dressed appropriately. The official decree and umbrella had already arrived at the gazebo on the shore. After the person delivering the umbrella presented a note to Commander Hu for inspection, three cannon shots were heard on the shore again. Sixteen bodyguards were dressed in red feather and black velvet-trimmed robes, holding gleaming steel halberds wrapped in red silk, followed by eight constables. Although the ship was very close to the shore, according to customs, he still sat in a large green sedan chair carried by four men, with a person holding an umbrella in front and a group of attendants following behind. When the sedan chair reached the gazebo on the shore, he humbly said a few words to the person delivering the umbrella. A red carpet was laid on the ground, and everyone prostrated themselves. He returned each bow, thanked everyone, and invited them to board the ship for tea. After they declined, he sent them away. At this time, all the artillery boats fired simultaneously, deafening, while the soldiers on both sides played musical instruments. He remained seated in the sedan chair, surrounded by constables and bodyguards, as they returned to the ship. Just as the sedan chair was being carried onto the gangway, a group of mourners suddenly rushed to the riverbank, crying and shouting towards the big ship. Commander Hu's bodyguards and local constables with whips tried to drive them away, but these people were undeterred, crying and cursing, accusing the officials and soldiers of being bandits and causing them suffering. Chaos erupted, drawing a growing crowd of onlookers. Although he heard some of the curses, he pretended not to hear and, turning a deaf ear, ordered the ship to set sail and leave the dock.

Officials from the prefecture and county heard that the commander was about to set off, so they hurriedly came out of their offices and ran to the dock to give him a send-off. When they arrived at the shore and saw many people gathered there, they asked what was going on. They spilled the beans. The prefect remained silent, while the county magistrate began to scold the staff, asking them, "This looks terrible for the commander! Why didn't you clear out these people earlier?" The staff members dared not speak. The magistrate then ordered, "Grab that constable!" When the constable heard that the master was angry, he quickly separated the crowd, intending to grab the person in mourning attire who was crying the most and bring him in front of the master. Unexpectedly, this person was not afraid at all. Instead, he picked up a mourning staff and hit the constable's head, shouting, "My mother and brother, they murdered them! They burned my house down! What am I supposed to do, huh?!" At that time, the magistrate was standing on the dock and heard all these words clearly, knowing that they were not directed at him. Although he was angry, it eased his mind a bit. He quickly ordered the constable not to argue with that person, but just get rid of them. Following the orders, the constable, with seven or eight bailiffs, one by one, hauled them away. Those people were still cursing loudly, but they had already walked far away, and both the commander and the magistrate could no longer hear them, so they let it go. Officials of all levels went to see the commander, then returned to their own ships, following the commander's ship for more than ten miles. Only after the commander repeatedly refused did the officials finally leave. The military officers lined the riverbank, fired a salute, and knelt in a grand farewell. The local commander stationed in Quzhou had been ill since September and had been on sick leave for more than three months. Because he had someone to take care of him in the capital, he was not replaced. Even if there were issues in the area, it seemed as if they had nothing to do with him. From Commander Hu to Yanzhou, all the way back to the province, the two of them never met. Commander Hu also knew his background, so he did not pursue the matter.

That's how it is; short and sweet. Commander Hu spent several days on the ship, and by the time he returned to the province, it was already the end of the year. According to the rules, he first went to report to the Provincial Government, one to update on the situation of suppressing bandits, and two to thank the court for their commendation. These official duties were just a formality. After that, it was time for colleagues to throw a welcome party for him, and then he would be busy for a while during the New Year. We'll skip the office politics.

The two accompanying staff members, Huang and Wen, each went home. Zhou originally had a job in the government office, and the Governor had a good relationship with him, so he had never let him leave. After returning to the province, he could have continued his job, but because he had clashed with Commander Hu multiple times in Yanzhou, not only did he get someone in Beijing to complain, but he also extorted ten thousand taels from him. This matter was bound to explode sooner or later, and he couldn't stay in Zhejiang. He figured he'd better get his cut before things went south, so after returning to the province, he continued to take leave and stayed at a friend's house. After the Lantern Festival, he went to the Provincial Government, saying he was visiting family, to see the Governor, and said, "My father is old and sick, hoping for me to return, and has urged me in letters multiple times. Now that the bandits in Yanzhou have been wiped out, and I have no unfinished business, I would like to take half a year's leave to visit my hometown. After the leave, I will definitely return to serve the court." Liu had a good relationship with him, and after hearing this, he was very concerned and had to agree. However, he felt that half a year was too long, so he only gave him three months of leave, saying, "I have only recommended Hu Dao for promotion, which has been approved. The Emperor will also let everyone recommend deserving men for awards, and the imperial edict will be issued soon. As for your matter, there’s no need for me to say more." After Zhou thanked him again, he bid farewell to his superiors and colleagues. He packed his bags, hopped on a steamer to Shanghai, and left it at that for now.

Dai Dali heard that Commander Hu had returned to the province, so he went to the mansion to see him. After some small talk, Commander Hu thanked him for his mediation and mentioned Lord Zhou, expressing great dissatisfaction. Dai Dali took the opportunity to speak ill of Lord Zhou and said, "This time, not letting him get a share was also my doing." Commander Hu said, "Not only will I not let him get a share, when the big case is reported, I will also have to speak to the Minister and have his name removed." Dai Dali was very happy to hear this.

Time flew by, and shortly after, the big case was reported. Although Commander Hu and Lord Zhou were not on good terms, and both spoke ill of him in front of the Minister, and Dai Dali was also pulling strings, the Minister, considering their past relationship and the effort put in this time, refused to remove his name and recommended him. After the report was submitted to the court, a letter from the ministry soon arrived, instructing them to sort things out. It was simply a matter of determining the amount of money based on their rank; those with money approved, those without money rejected. After negotiations, it inevitably took time, so despite the imperial decree being issued three months ago, there was still no reply from the ministry. This was how things were done around here, so it was not surprising.

A year passed in the blink of an eye, and it was early May. One day, Minister Liu was receiving some officials from the department and provinces when an urgent telegram arrived from the telegraph office. Upon opening it, it turned out that the court had dispatched two high-ranking officials, along with their attendants, to rush to Fujian to investigate an incident. After reading it, Minister Liu informed everyone. The local governor said, "There doesn't seem to be any trouble in Fujian that requires reporting, so why send inspectors to investigate?" The department official, who had experience working in the military department since childhood, thought for a moment and said, "Based on the information from the department, they are probably not investigating Fujian. Typically, when inspectors are sent to investigate secretly, they target Shandong, but the imperial decree states it is Shanxi, to lower people's guard; once they reach Shandong, the inspectors do not continue. But they definitely won't wait for the inspectors to arrive; they must have received information in advance, with insiders and someone writing and informing them." Minister Liu said, "There shouldn't be any trouble in Zhejiang that would get people talking." The officials from the department and provinces remained silent.

After seeing off the guests, Liu rested for a few days and received a letter from the capital, written by a low-level official in the military secretariat with whom he had a good relationship. The letter stated clearly that three imperial censors had impeached him three times, prompting the court to send inspectors to investigate. Liu was taken aback. The next day, he received an imperial edict specifying that the investigation would focus on Zhejiang, and two inspectors were dispatched. However, the edict only mentioned that there had been a report, without identifying the three imperial censors involved. This was standard operating procedure in the officialdom—nothing much to say about it. The edict also did not specify the exact reason for the impeachment. Although some officials in the province suspected something, they were puzzled for a while. A few days later, the low-level official from the capital wrote again, likely explaining the reasons for the impeachment; although not in detail, it was somewhat clearer. It's worth remembering that having someone to cover for you in the capital while serving as a governor in a distant province is the best scenario. Even without such support, it is crucial to maintain good relations with those officials, bribing them with winter coal and summer ice each year, and making preparations in advance to ensure peace of mind. Although Liu had many friends in the capital, they all avoided him upon hearing about his impeachment, afraid of getting into trouble. Some wanted to inform him but did not know the specific reasons for the impeachment, so they dared not say much. Some officials in the provincial capital knew the inside story but, out of respect for Liu, felt that things would eventually become clear and it was not convenient to speak out at present. Due to these three reasons, a month had passed since the inspectors arrived in Zhejiang, and Liu still did not know what mistake he had made. Late June brought news via telegram that the inspectors were nearing Qingjiang, prompting officials from the Zhejiang provincial capital to be sent to welcome them. By mid-July, the inspectors arrived near Hangzhou. Scouts reported that the inspectors were approaching. From governor to general, every official was at the reception hall awaiting the inspectors' arrival.

Shortly after leaving the city, a steamboat whistle tooted twice in the distance, on the river. Soldiers on both banks fired a volley, and two small steamers could be seen towing more than twenty boats carrying the imperial envoys and their attendants, charging through the waves. After the boats docked, three cannon shots were fired, and two imperial envoys in casual clothes were seen sitting in sedan chairs and being carried ashore. After getting off the sedan chairs, they stood by the incense table. From generals and governors to commanders and officials, all officials who needed to pay their respects knelt down. The governor and the general led the way, saying, "Your humble servants, [names], respectfully greet the Imperial Envoy." Then they bowed. The imperial envoys returned the courtesy as usual. After the ceremony, the two imperial envoys exchanged a few words with the general and the school official, barely acknowledging the other officials before entering their sedan chairs. The governor's mansion had been prepared as the envoys' headquarters. This investigation was of great importance, as it involved the affairs of the province, so all officials were extra cautious. Fearing the county might be neglected, they sent a magistrate and two county magistrates to assist in handling the matter.

When the imperial envoys arrived at the headquarters, they were strictly guarded because the imperial edict required them to act justly and thoroughly investigate the matter. Officials who came to visit were not received, and attendants were prohibited from going out or meeting guests. A police officer and a clerk were stationed inside the gate, checking the people coming in and out all day, and everyone had to register. News of this sent shivers down the spines of provincial officials.

The next day, the imperial envoys sent word again, asking the county to prepare ten sets of new torture instruments—chains, sticks, boards, and clamps—all were required. They were also asked to prepare thirty pairs of handcuffs and leg irons, ten pairs of wooden hooks, and four standing cages. The county was ordered to rush to make them overnight and deliver them to the headquarters early the next morning. This news sent the officials into a fresh wave of terror. After the torture instruments were prepared, there was no movement for two days, leaving the city's officials even more on edge. The governor received constant updates on the envoys' activities. The lack of activity this time naturally caused even more concern.

On the third day, the Imperial Inspector suddenly issued a document to Zhejiang Governor Liu Zhongcheng. Liu Zhongcheng opened it and saw that it essentially stated: "Investigate the case as ordered; all persons involved will be handled by your office, including dismissal, suspension, and detention," and so on. There was also a list, including two Dao-level officials whose positions were vacant (one from Ningshaotai prefecture and one from Jinquyan prefecture), to be dismissed first; two acting Dao-level officials (one is the director of the Supply Bureau, and one is the commander of the Defense Army, Hu Daotai), to be suspended first; five county magistrates; and fourteen lower-ranking officials (including the magistrate of Jiande County, to be dismissed first and handed over to Shouxian for supervision); in addition, there are three others who have been dismissed, suspended, and handed over to the county for supervision; among the other personnel, eight have been dismissed or suspended; there are also many military officers involved. Another list noted the arrest of two disgraced aides (one of whom is even an aide to the Governor); three gatekeepers (two are from the Fan Tai, and one is from the Transport Department); as well as a local gentleman and a county clerk… The list totaled over 150 names, far too many to count. Liu Zhongcheng looked at it; everyone else was fine, but unfortunately, his own aide was also on the list, which was really embarrassing. The senior officials of the Sidaoduan were also implicated, indicating that the matter was serious. However, the document only mentioned dismissal, suspension, and detention, without specifying the exact crimes committed. Because it was an Imperial Inspector's case, he dared not reject it, nor did he dare to inquire further, so he could only follow the orders. The news terrified provincial officials, leaving them anxious and desperate for information they couldn't obtain, causing a great deal of distress!

So, after the two imperial envoys sent out official documents, the vigilance at the headquarters loosened considerably. Some accompanying officials would occasionally go out at night to visit friends and guests, but they would only leave after dark, staying at home during the day. Everyone wanted to curry favor with the envoys' staff. When they came out to visit, there were naturally people rushing to make connections; some had relatives, some had old acquaintances, and the conversations were warmer than usual. At first, it was just inviting them to dinner, but later on they started showering them with gifts, and gradually more people came and went at the headquarters. The two envoys looked the other way. Among these attendants, there was a Manchu named Lada, a minor official at the Ministry of Justice and a student of the main envoy. The relationship between teacher and student was very good. There was also a probationary magistrate in Hangzhou, responsible for city security, who was also a scholar, Guo Fu, and studied with Lada, being in the same examination class as him and also a student of the main envoy.

So, this imperial commissioner, see, he was from the Manchu banner, currently a big shot in the Ministry of War, and also a minister in the Imperial Household Department. This assignment was actually a deliberate favor from higher-ups, meaning to say: "This guy's a solid bet, having worked in the government office for so many years, now sending him out also lets him line his pockets." Before he could even thank for the imperial decree, he went to inquire at his father-in-law's house about the specifics of this assignment. His father-in-law said: "Look, this job was supposed to go to someone else, but hey, we're family. I pulled some strings for you with the Emperor." Upon hearing this, the imperial commissioner was over the moon and just blurted out: "This matter seems quite troublesome; I should ask what the higher-ups really mean." His father-in-law let out a dry chuckle and said: "Is there anything difficult to handle now? Look, there ain't no honest officials in this whole darn country. But as long as the censors keep quiet, I'll turn a blind eye. And even if they do complain, we'll just have a quick investigation, make an example of a few guys, and that's that. It's a never-ending game, so what's the point of making a big fuss?" That's how the Emperor rolls! When you go to Zhejiang, although things are not easy to handle, I will teach you a method called 'draw the bow, but don't release the arrow.' It means, 'make a big show of doing something, but don't actually do it.' First, do not disappoint the emperor's cultivation of you; second, maintain a good reputation, so as not to be scolded behind your back; third, you can also gain benefits for yourself. You are getting older, with many sons, and grace from above, why not hurry up and gain some returns?" The commissioner, he didn't care about anything else after hearing those eight words, 'draw the bow, but don't release the arrow.' That was his game plan.

After leaving the capital and arriving in Hangzhou, he always followed what his father-in-law told him to do. Although word on the street was that they were arresting people and using torture devices, causing a lot of commotion, the old guy just sat in his yamen all day long, doing nothing but snorting snuff and puffing on his opium pipe. In his spare time, he'd sing with his guys to kill time. He didn't bother questioning or investigating anyone who came, and he didn't even glance at the case files brought to him, directly instructing his subordinates. His deputy, a Han Chinese, let the censor run the show, never stepping out of line. Among the staff brought along, many knew the law and were serious about their jobs, but seeing the censor's attitude, they were stumped. Only Lada, his right-hand man, was the censor's student, and they were thick as thieves. The censor trusted him, and they'd been prefects together and looked out for each other.

This former prefect, from a wealthy family, was a jinshi who had passed the exams in the same year as the censor, and his ancestors had connections with the censor's family. After arriving in Zhejiang Province, he had been there for seventeen years. In the past, several governors had given him tasks because of his family connections, but he always screwed things up or caused problems. Therefore, the governors were all too scared to give him any work in the past seven or eight years, just letting him guard the city gates and paying him a hundred taels a month. During festivals, it was just for show; he never actually saw them. The guy was blacker than coal!

Just when things looked bleak, Zhejiang Province caused trouble, facing repeated accusations from his superiors, and the situation escalated. An imperial envoy was sent to investigate, and this envoy turned out to be his fellow jinshi and also his teacher. On the first day of the visit, the guard said the envoy was not seeing guests. At first, he did not know that Lada, his old classmate, had also come. A few days later, Lada visited him with a greeting card, and the two old friends realized they were from the same class, forming a close relationship. Lada was carrying out the envoy's orders to win over the governor, and the two met almost every day. The envoy's activities couldn't be kept secret from the provincial officials. After the two became close, the news quickly reached the governor.

These days, the governor was worried about this matter. After receiving this news, he immediately summoned his subordinates to discuss. The experienced Nietai had many ideas and suggested, "Since the provincial governor is the envoy's student, he will have to take care of him in the future. Why not send a favor to him first: firstly, the provincial governor will be grateful for the governor's cultivation and will do his best in everything; secondly, let the envoy see that the governor takes care of him everywhere, and he will not forget the governor's favor; thirdly, if the provincial governor and the envoy's followers have a good relationship, he can also help them communicate. Currently, the positions of logistics, military camps, and the defense commander are all vacant. Why not appoint him to one or two of these positions first? This is a calculated risk, but the rewards outweigh the risks!" The governor thought it made sense and agreed immediately. After his subordinates returned, they delivered the appointment documents to the governor's mansion before dark.

As for the provincial governor, he'd fallen on hard times and was short of cash. Now that his old classmate had come, he had to treat him to a meal, and he also wanted him to put in a good word with his teacher and ask the high-ranking officials in the province to find him a good job. Fortunately, he was an honest person and only wanted his old classmate to say a few words for him, without any intention of taking advantage of the situation. That day, he was thinking in his mansion, "I will invite my old classmate to visit West Lake tomorrow, just rent a boat. When we get to West Lake, we can find a place to have a few drinks casually, spend a couple of dollars, and that would be considered being a good host." After being poor for so many years, even owing money to restaurants, he could only make this small plan—such were his humble circumstances.

He was just thinking when two documents arrived. Guo Daotai hadn't had a promotion in ages. Two documents out of the blue? He was flabbergasted. Upon opening them, he realized he had been appointed to two important government jobs. This was a great joy! The next day, he went to express his gratitude, practically kissing the ground in gratitude, saying many words of appreciation. Governor Liu also patted his shoulder and said, "Old friend, I've always known you were a star. Just haven't had the chance to use you till now. I'm gonna be relying on you a lot more from now on." Guo Daotai was loyal, and from then on, he threw himself into helping Governor Liu—working hard for him—but those are stories for another time.

A colleague told him about this. Lada understood in his heart and told his teacher when he returned. The Imperial Commissioner got it right away, and when there was no one around in the evening, he pulled Lada aside and gave him the lowdown on how to handle the situation. Lada said, "I'll do my best, teacher. However, we must remain calm, observe the situation, and wait for them to come to us. If I jump in, I'll just cheapen myself." The Imperial Commissioner said, "You've got this. I've got your back!"

Early the next morning, Lada went to visit the Daotai. The gatekeeper said, "Our Lord was called by Deputy Liu early this morning and will be meeting guests later. He won't be back for a bit." Lada had no choice but to return for now.

So, the boss was indeed summoned to the office early in the morning by Liu. Liu played sick, ordered the gate closed, and said no visitors would be received that day; only the boss was called in alone and invited into the inner room, making it clear how much he valued him. After the boss entered, Liu was already waiting there. The two greeted each other and sat down. Liu was dressed in casual clothes and didn’t wear his official hat. When they met, he first asked the boss to put on his hat and then asked, "Did you bring your casual clothes?" The boss said he didn’t. Liu then told his attendant, "My clothes are just right for the boss. Go quickly and bring my new gauze robe for him to wear." The attendant hurried to fetch it. Before the boss could even sit down properly, Liu said, "It's still early; you probably haven't had breakfast yet, right?" He then asked the attendant to bring some snacks for them to eat together.

As they ate snacks and chatted casually, before they could get to the main point, the snacks were finished. At this time, Liu noticed sweat pouring off the boss, big drops like soybeans, so he quickly asked him to take off his outer robe and even his inner clothes, instructing the steward to bring a towel to wipe his back. Just as they were busy, a gofer came back and said, "Captain Hu Dao from the patrol camp is seeking an audience." Liu narrowed his eyes, "Do I have time to see him? I said no visitors today, didn’t I?" The gofer replied, "Captain Hu said it’s urgent." Liu shot back, "What’s so urgent? Tell him to go find Judge Dai!" The gofer was at a loss for words and dared not speak, so he had to go tell Captain Hu to go find Judge Dai. Hu just hung his head and left.

The prefect enjoyed the favor from Liu Zhongcheng, feeling completely overwhelmed and flustered, not knowing what to do. After the ritualistic display of hospitality, he sat down to drink tea. Liu Zhongcheng slowly said to him, "The inspector is here to investigate the case, and we don't know when it will end. We'll have to treat them to a meal afterwards. When I went to see the emperor in the past, I met them a few times. I heard that the inspector is actually Lada's teacher." The prefect quickly replied, "Yes." He added, "There has been no progress in the investigation these past few days. Lada goes to the inspector's place every day. If you have any matters, you can ask him."

Liu Zhongcheng said, "What do I have to fear from others? Lada is the inspector's teacher, not my relative or friend. Let him stay if he's useful; otherwise, send him packing. It has nothing to do with me. I'm worried that if things get out of hand, it will affect the whole mess. If the situation is chaotic, it will be difficult for officials in Hangzhou to work, and the tasks will be hard to carry out. I'm doing this for everyone, not just for myself." The prefect was very impressed. Thinking back to Liu Zhongcheng's hospitality just now, he was even more moved and determined to do his best. He immediately promised, "The inspector is Lada's teacher, and Lada and I were at the same academy. The current investigation concerns the overall situation. Anything you want me to do, if I can help, I will do my best. I will convey your intentions to Lada, and I believe he will also help."

Liu Zhongcheng said, "Since we've troubled him, we can't let him work in vain. As long as I speak, do I still need to pay? This investigation is about Zhejiang's affairs, using Zhejiang's money. Whether more or less, it doesn't matter, as long as everyone can maintain appearances. Let’s talk to Lada first, take a look at their reports, so we can have an idea; even if they can't find anything, I will help them search." The prefect kept agreeing. Seeing that Liu Zhongcheng had nothing else to say, he took his leave. He wanted to change into different clothes before leaving, but Liu Zhongcheng insisted that he leave in the silk robe. He also said, "Just take this silk robe to wear." The prefect thanked him again. Liu Zhongcheng added, "I'll rely on you in the future; it's nothing, really!" Then he had his men take the prefect's clothes and hat out.

Governor Guo came out of the yamen, did not return to the official residence, and went directly to the envoy's office to find his old colleague Lada. Lada explained that he'd called earlier but hadn't found him, and Governor Guo quickly apologized, saying, "Sorry I missed you." After exchanging a few pleasantries, Governor Guo fully explained Liu Zhongcheng's thoughts to Lada. After listening, Lada smiled and said, "Liu Zhongcheng runs the whole show; he has to sign off on everything. How is this matter not related to him?" Governor Guo said, "Not everything is unrelated to him. The main point is that old teacher who's been reported – a holdover from the previous administration." Lada said, "Since he's not good, he shouldn't have been kept in the first place. Why not dismiss him earlier? Now that something has happened, even if he wasn't playing favorites, he's still on the hook for not noticing sooner." Governor Guo said, "Liu's a good guy, why are you being so hard on him? Sometimes you just gotta know when to quit. Just give him a hand, and he'll look after you."

Lada said, "My old friend, this can't be blamed on you. You and he are old friends, of course you hope he's okay. But the imperial inspector is here on official business; can we just drop it like this and not ask anything?" Guo Daotai was initially flustered when he heard Lada pointing out his weak point, his face turned crimson and he couldn't speak for a while; later, after hearing the rest of Lada's words, he said, "This is an imperial case; how can it just be ignored? In the end, there must be an explanation. Even if a few key figures are removed from office, there shouldn't be any problem handling it, right?" Lada said, "In the end, the lower the official, the unluckier they are. Do I not understand how things really work around here? Anyway, I won't consider our long-standing relationship in this matter; my brother and I definitely won't agree. I must go back and report to the imperial inspector and get to the bottom of this. Firstly, with your full help as an old friend, isn't our relationship enough? Secondly, you just got this good position; are you afraid of losing it if you change supervisors? Is that the reason?" Guo Daotai's face turned red again, saying, "With your help as an old friend, even if I get transferred, it's not the end of the world. Being a minor official is no big deal." Lada said, "I was just joking; don't be angry." Guo Daotai said, "Do you think I'm a fool? We're just joking around; how can you take it seriously?" Lada said, "I'm serious; I can't make the decision on this matter either. What exactly they mean, I'll inform you after reporting to my superiors."

Guo said, "Sure thing. But can you show me the specifics of the report first?" Lada replied, "I can show you—what's between us is between us. But two of our colleagues are really gossipy. If I show you, they won't know our relationship and will think I've received some kind of kickback from you! Just thinking about it makes me mad!" Guo said, "As long as you're willing to bring it out, this little matter, the boss has instructed us to handle it with care." Seeing that they were getting along well, Lada invited Guo to sit in his room, even offering him a spot on the edge of the bed. Lada leaned in and whispered, "I can hide this from others, but not from you, my old classmate. The teacher has said the total amount is this." He held up two fingers. Guo asked, "Two hundred thousand?" Lada replied, "Not even close!" Guo said, "Two hundred thousand?" Lada shook his head and said, "Only ten percent." Guo exclaimed in surprise, "How can it only be ten percent?" Lada explained, "The teacher said the total is two million. Two hundred thousand is only ten percent!" Guo listened, silent for a long moment. Lada knew he thought it was too much, so he added, "This isn’t my problem; you’re just the middleman. As long as the higher-ups agree and the lower ones comply, why worry about it?" Guo said, "Since you brought it up, I’ll help you get it done. But you have to let me see the materials first." Lada responded, "This is a matter between colleagues; I can’t make the call alone. But since you, my old classmate, said so, I can’t just not show you. Now that I’m in charge, if you agree to pay fifty thousand silver, I’ll make a copy for you. It’s all good between us; I’ll have your back." Guo thought there would be more. After some haggling, it was finally settled at twenty thousand silver—any less wouldn’t do. Guo had to agree. Lada then asked him to write an IOU, saying, "It's not that I don’t trust you. If others find out we’re classmates and you don’t write this, they’ll still suspect how much I’ve benefited from you. If you write this, it’ll just keep the gossip at bay."

Details

Written by: Realhistories

Category: Officialdom Unmasked

Published: 23 November 2024

Created: 23 November 2024

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Although the relationship between Commander Hu and Old Zhou is not as good as before, there are still some things that need to be consulted with Old Zhou. Therefore, even though he is not happy in his heart, he still has to keep up appearances. Old Zhou feels the same way and doesn't say anything about it. One day, they received an official document from the province, stating that Commander Hu should leave some soldiers to guard against any remaining enemies, while the rest should be withdrawn to their respective defense zones. It also ordered Commander Hu to quickly handle the aftermath work and then return to the province together. After receiving the letter, Commander Hu didn't care about anything else, only thinking that getting his expenses reimbursed was the most important thing. This time, the costs included:

- uniforms

- weaponry

- rations

- compensation for casualties (both military and civilian)

- rewards for winning battles

- preparations for aftermath work

He first made a rough account. After thinking for a while, no one could help him with this, so he had to consult Old Zhou again. Old Zhou said, "It's easy, let the county magistrate and village heads handle some things, and we can estimate the rest ourselves. I will discuss with Huang Cheng, the grain official, later, inform the officers of each camp to report their expenses, and we can claim whatever we need. There's nothing we can't do." Commander Hu said, "Brother, to be honest with you, I've been sweating bullets over this. Although I received a commendation, it's not as good as it seems. I still need you to help me get out of this mess, and I will repay you in the future." Old Zhou said, "I'm only doing what the boss asked, and this is also what's coming to the boss." He said it, but his mind was already on the take.

After Lord Zhou retired, he cooked the books on various expenses, totaling something like six or seven hundred thousand taels of silver. He first showed them to Hu, the commander. Hu said, "This is too much; the bosses might reject it." Lord Zhou replied, "I can fool others, but not the big shots. Since taking office, I've already lost over ten thousand taels of silver. Now, thanks to the boss's generosity, I want to take this opportunity to make up for my previous losses and save up for a promotion; even if I get promoted, there might not be an immediate assignment in the province, and I could end up waiting two or three years to avoid getting into debt again—this is all because the boss is looking out for me. As for the bosses' matters, I'm eternally grateful and owe them everything. Although this can be hidden for a while, someone will eventually find out; once it's known, it’s bound to be talked about. It doesn’t matter if I ask for more or less. In the future, back at the office, among my colleagues, there will inevitably be places where expenses are necessary. So, I also need to discuss this with the magistrate, the township head, and Huang from accounts to get things done."

Hu, the boss could tell from his tone that, although he was trying to pin it on someone else, he was already thinking about splitting the money. He wasn't pleased. He quickly said, "Buddy, if you want to get promoted, I’ll lend you some money separately. As long as you help me with the current matters properly, I won’t forget it and will definitely repay you in the future. Even Huang Cheng and the village chief, I’ll help them too. We’ll have to figure out the reimbursement." Mr. Zhou understood that Hu didn’t want to share the money with him. Suddenly, he remembered when he arrived from the province, Dai Dali told him that Hu only responds to pressure. "I tried to discuss with him, and he actually refused. I’ve been working so hard for so long, and I haven’t even been able to secure a promotion. He looks at me as if it’s my fault for not helping him. Doing good deeds doesn’t always pay off; it seems there are limits to being a good guy. If I don’t take advantage of this opportunity to gain some benefits, what good can I expect in the future? As for what he said about helping in the future, it’s all just talk. People these days just ditch you once they’re done with you. Time to get tough. If we gotta cheat, we cheat together. Let’s see how he deals with me." With his plan set, he was about to act, but then he thought, "Wait, if I confront him directly and things turn sour, it’ll be difficult to handle in the future. There’s no one here who can mediate. I think I should handle this matter in a certain way to achieve my goals." As he was thinking it over, he agreed a few times and said, "I’ll remember what you said. I appreciate your help; I’ll do anything for you." Hu said, "That’s good, I will definitely repay you in the future." After Mr. Zhou finished speaking, he left and returned to his own boat. With his plan set, he had his attendants bring a letter and went into the city to visit Magistrate Shan. The magistrate here was named Shan Fengyu, and everyone called him Magistrate Shan. He had been in office for over twenty years. He was tight with the big shots because he was great at taking credit. He was smooth as silk, and everyone loved him.

In the city of Yanzhou, there aren't many prominent figures. The highest official is just a minor official who'd passed the imperial exams. As he grew older, he didn't go to the capital to serve as an official but stayed at home, getting along with the local officials, occasionally handling a few cases on the side, and scrabbling a living. Compared to the past when he was poor and destitute, things were night and day for him now. His name was Wei Qiao, or Wei Zhugang, as he was formally known, and he lived in the south of the city. Because his father-in-law Wang Benren (a famous tea merchant in Tunxi) was celebrating his birthday on October 12 this year, he went to Tunxi a month in advance to attend the birthday party, see his daughter, and line his pockets for the winter. Later, things were getting rough in Yanzhou, and his family urged him to return. His father-in-law said, "My dear son-in-law, things are a bit dicey right now, and you're getting on in years, so don't go taking any chances. I'll send someone to check things out; if the situation is bad, I'll bring you and your wife here. If all is well, you can come back later." Wei Zhugang listened to his father-in-law and waited it out. When Commander Hu led the troops to quell the bandits and his son sent a letter reporting his safety, the people sent by his father-in-law to Yanzhou also returned. Wei Zhugang was relieved. Although his father-in-law's birthday had passed, he stayed in Tunxi for a few more days before bidding farewell and returning home. His father-in-law gave him two hundred bucks, and his daughter also gave him two hundred in private money, totaling four hundred, enough to get through the winter. He was very happy. The winter river was shallow, making for a slow, bumpy trip. The trip back to Yanzhou took over ten days.

At this time, Hu, the commander, received a memo from the provincial government asking him to return and was discussing expenses with Mr. Zhou. Because Hu didn’t meet his requirements, Zhou knew that Magistrate Shan was capable, and since they had worked together before and had a good relationship, he specifically went to visit Shan to find a way to fix Hu. Shan understood his meaning and said, "This isn't something you should get involved in. It'll hurt your reputation, and if you two clash, nobody can smooth things over. I think it's better to find a middleman, let him handle it, reward him after the matter is done, he'll be the bad guy, and we'll be the good guys, lending a hand when needed, and keeping a low profile." Zhou said, "That's exactly what I mean, but it's hard to find someone like that." Shan recommended Wei Zhugang, saying he could get anything done, "He helps me a lot every year, and I help him too. Let him show up, it will definitely work. However, he went to Tunxi to attend his father-in-law's birthday two months ago, and I don't know if he has returned." After speaking, he told his attendant, "Take my card, go to the Wei Mansion at the south gate and ask if Wei has returned, and come back with an answer immediately." The attendant quickly returned and said, "Wei just got back last night; he caught a cold on the way back and is resting at home. He sent his best and said if you have any matters, please visit him." Shan nodded, and the attendant withdrew. Zhou urged him to go see Wei Zhugang immediately, "I need an answer tonight." Shan agreed.

After seeing off Old Zhou, Old Shan didn't take a sedan chair. He got himself ready and headed out with just a small follower, with his pipe in hand, and went straight to the Wei family. After reporting, Wei Zhugang received him in the study. Once inside, the two had a quick chinwag, and they were really hitting it off. After a few pleasantries, the conversation turned to banditry. Wei Zhugang, who was always sucking up to the officials, took the initiative to say, "This guy and I took the same exams years ago. His teacher was one of my examiners. We're practically brothers in arms. It’s not easy for him to come here to handle this matter. After I recover from my illness, I’ll visit him to catch up and show our appreciation on behalf of the local gentry. When he returns to the province, I’ll also give him a Wanmin umbrella to stay on his good side. In the future, when he’s back in the province, we can ask for his help. Look, we’re mates, I’ve laid it all out for you. What do you think of my idea?" Old Shan replied, "Sounds good, but you know how it is, people are fickle these days. When you need his help, he might not pay you any mind. I think it’s better to take advantage of the situation now and grab some benefits quickly. Once we’ve got what we want, then you can give the Wanmin umbrella, and everyone will be happy. It’s public funds anyway, so it doesn’t matter either way."

Wei Zhugang was surprised and said, "What's the upside? You're not pulling a fast one on me, are ya? Something fishy's going on here, right?" Mr. Shan replied, "Of course there is. You almost missed it. I know you’ve worked hard coming back from Tunxi, so I’ve prepared a big ol' welcome-back present for you." Wei Zhugang was curious and asked, "What gives?" Mr. Shan said, "You've been away for two months and haven't been out, so it's no wonder you don't know. Let me fill you in." Then he explained the whole situation in detail. He said, "There were no bandits at all, just two theft cases in the city. The local officials exaggerated and reported it to the province. The higher-ups got hoodwinked and sent Hu to lead the operation. At that time, everything was peaceful in the area, but this Hu leader was hungry for glory and decided to make a big show of things by searching the countryside. They didn't nab a single bandit, but the folks got the short end of the stick. This leader thought he had made a great achievement and actually reported it as a huge success to get a reward. Now he has his subordinates submit expenses, and it's said that they have falsely reported over a million! Not only did they screw over the people, but they also ripped off the Emperor! Such a person, you still consider him a fellow student and want to thank him!" Wei Zhugang said, "So, what you're saying is, this is a load of crap! He harassed the common people in the countryside, causing them suffering. Why didn't they file complaints?" Mr. Shan said, "Our county magistrate swept it under the rug. The common people initially filed complaints, but somehow they all obediently returned home, and there was no further action." Wei Zhugang said, "I don't believe this. I want to go ask him. A local official that brazen, just kissing up to the higher-ups and not giving a damn about the people? That's a whole lotta wrong!" Then he jumped up, went to his desk, grabbed some paper and ink, and fired off a letter to the county magistrate.

Old Man Dan advised him not to write, but he insisted on it. In the letter, he tactfully questioned his bungling of the job, covering for his boss instead of helping the people. "Hey brother, I just got back from Tunxi, and a bunch of folks are crying foul, all wanting to go to the provincial capital to complain. I've been holding them back for now. So what's the deal with this whole thing? Give me the full story." He sent the letter right away, promising a quick reply. At the same time, he also discussed with Old Man Dan the method of shaking them down.

In no time, the reply from the magistrate of Zhuang County arrived. Wei Zhugang opened it and was surprised to find it was a real stinker, laying it on thick: "If anyone's got a gripe, why haven't they come forward despite the numerous notices posted in this county? Sure, a few folks have come forward, but they were all victims of bandit harassment, not official soldiers. Their cases are closed, end of story. Plus, the victims have already been compensated by this county, with receipts available for verification. We're here for the people, always looking out for them. So where's the problem? Lay it on me." Wei Zhugang finished reading and stuck out his tongue, saying, "Wow! He's really laying it on thick." Master Shan said, "This county magistrate is a tough nut to crack. I advise you not to argue with him and instead think about how to deal with your fellow Hu leader." Wei Zhugang hesitated and said, "To be honest, I'm used to shaking down the small fry. The villagers are scared of me; they do what I say. People call me a bully, but thinking about it, it suits me fine. I've never dealt with the big shots, though, so I need to think of a way." Master Shan said, "As long as you are skilled at using it, once you strike, it could be tens of thousands – maybe even eighteen thousand – it all depends. If you're going to strike, strike big! Don't be like now, talking about lawsuits today and rice transportation tomorrow. Those little bits of change are a lot of hassle for nothing, and it makes you look bad! I suggest you not hit these small bamboo sticks. If you want to do it, do it big! Even if they call us extortionists, so what? I earned it fair and square, what can they do? And if they trash my reputation, who cares?" Wei Zhugang was delighted to hear this, stroking his beard and smiling broadly. After laughing for a while, he said, "I don't want tens of thousands; I'll just go for eighteen thousand, use it to earn interest, enough to support me in my old age, and I'll be satisfied. So, what's the plan? Write a letter, or go see him in person?" Master Shan thought for a moment and said, "A face-to-face meeting could get ugly, so a letter's safer. Keep it official; he won't snitch. I've got a guy on the inside who'll keep me posted. Play it smart, and we'll nail it."

Not provided.

At this point, his servant came up to invite him to eat. Wei Zhugang did not agree; he seemed intent on finishing his letter before eating. He walked to the desk and sat down, opened the ink box, picked up a piece of paper, touched it with one hand, picked up a pen with the other, put the pen tip in his mouth, and closed his eyes in contemplation. Unexpectedly, Mr. Shan had been sitting since the afternoon, and his stomach was already hungry. Not wanting to eat alone, he had to urge Wei Zhugang to finish eating before writing. Only then did Wei Zhugang realize that the guest had not eaten yet, and he quickly ordered the servant, "We have a guest today; the food is rather simple, quickly add a dish." The servant took a long time to bring out a small plate of scrambled eggs. After arranging the bowls and chopsticks, the two sat down to eat together. Mr. Shan looked at the table, which had a total of three plates and one bowl: one plate of stir-fried beans, one plate of fermented tofu, one plate of the scrambled eggs that had just been added, and a bowl of shrimp soy sauce soup. The rice was plain rice soaked in boiling water. Wei Zhugang picked up his chopsticks and let Mr. Shan eat first, modestly saying, "We don't have much food." Mr. Shan replied, "It's just a simple meal; no need to be polite." While eating, Wei Zhugang picked up a small piece of fermented tofu and put it in Mr. Shan's bowl with his chopsticks, saying, "My wife made this, Brother. Give it a try!" Mr. Shan repeatedly said, "Good..."

As they talked, Wei Zhugang had already eaten three bowls of rice, while Mr. Shan had not finished one bowl. He simply said, "Dig in!" and got up to walk to the desk to pick up the pen to write the letter. Having passed the imperial examination and spent years practicing law, writing a letter was no trouble for him. By the time Mr. Shan finished eating and came over to look, he had already written three or four sheets.

As he wrote the letter, Old Dan followed along. By the time he finished writing, Old Dan had also finished reading. The letter started with a heap of flattery, then turned modest, and finally got to the point: "There are no bandits causing trouble in our city at all. Previously, it was just a few petty thieves who robbed a couple of pawnshops and banks. Robberies have been happening one after another in the city, and the local officials should have faced punishment. But those officials, in order to evade consequences, deliberately exaggerated the situation, claiming that bandits were rebelling and they couldn't handle it, hoping to escape punishment. The bigwigs didn’t investigate carefully and sent a large number of troops to crack down on the bandits. Everyone says that since you’ve arrived, you should first check the situation and reassure the people. But you believed the lies of the local officials and used the excuse of searching for bandits to let your subordinates run roughshod over the city, looting, burning, killing, and raping, committing all sorts of evil deeds. The entire city's people have been wronged; even God couldn't stand it. Now the common people are preparing to petition the province. Fortunately, we are close friends, and I know that these are all the misdeeds of those scumbag officers; you must not have known. I heard that the petition has already been drafted, with a total of eight charges, though I’m not clear on the specifics. Since we are old friends, I must tell you the truth. What do you think we should do about this? Hit me back." Old Dan finished reading and gave a hearty clap.

Wei Zhugang said, "I'll just sound him out and see what he says." Shan Ta Ye replied, "I heard from a friend that he’s done bad things like cheating his bosses and cooking the books. Why not include that in the letter?" Wei Zhugang pointed to the four words "a total of eight items" on the letter and said, "Let's throw it all in there and see what he makes of it. When he comes to ask me, I’ll tell him one by one. This letter's just to feel him out; no need to embarrass him. I'm using other people's words, not my own, but he'll get the message." Shan Ta Ye was very impressed and said, "Wow, Mr. Zhuweng, that's brilliant! Crystal clear... I’m not much of a scholar, but I've got plenty of ideas. Trouble is, I can't put them down on paper without giving myself away." Wei Zhugang replied, "Can't blame you for that. If you were a better writer, you'd be climbing the ladder, not stuck here as a county magistrate." With that, he sealed the letter, worried that he hadn’t written it well, and handed it to Shan Ta Ye's servant to deliver immediately. He told him to go to the ship, say he's from the Weis, wait for an answer, and don't mention you work for Shan Ta Ye. After about two hours, the servant returned with a receipt, saying, "A letter's coming tomorrow." Wei Zhugang said, "This isn't the kind of letter you answer quickly. He'll have to give it some thought. Let's see what he says tomorrow before we do anything else. If we don't hear back, your friend inside can check things out. Or we can write again, or try something else." Shan Ta Ye agreed, exchanged a few more words, and then left.

Old Man Zhou bid farewell to Old Man Dan and left the city, returning to the ship. He had a guilty conscience and became even more attentive when he saw Hu. Hu was a carefree person and didn't pay much attention. After dinner that evening, a letter arrived at the bow of the ship, saying it was written by Master Wei in the city. Hu was very surprised, quickly took it, and read it. It said "Private and Confidential – For Hu" at the top, with only the two words "Wei Jian" written below, and four small words "Awaiting your response." As he opened the letter, he thought to himself, "I don't know this person; where did this come from?" Inside the letter was a business card with the words "Wei Qiao" engraved on it, followed by eight red words: "A courtesy call; no other business"; and with a pen, it added, "known as Zhugang, a former student of Mr. So-and-So, who served in the Ministry of War." Hu understood, "He's letting me know we're old schoolmates. It seems he's trying to butter me up." So he didn't pay much attention and slowly read the letter. Halfway through, when it mentioned "no bandits at all," he started to panic. Moreover, the letter really chewed him out, making him very uncomfortable. In the end, the letter mentioned that they were old schoolmates, so he came to remind him specially, and said things like "waiting for a reply." He read it twice in silence. Nobody knew what was going on. Although Old Man Zhou had already guessed the situation, he could only pretend not to know. He asked, "Where did this letter come from? What's the matter?" Hu didn't say anything, handed the letter to Old Man Zhou, and said, "Take a look," then lay down to smoke. Old Man Zhou took the letter, read it from start to finish, and already understood in his heart but didn't say anything. He only remarked, "It's really strange! It seems like he has a good relationship with you, so he came to remind you." Hu said, "Although we are old schoolmates, I don't know him. If he has a good relationship with you, that doesn't necessarily mean it's a good intention!" Old Man Zhou replied, "It's not certain. If he's not your schoolmate, then it's hard to say. Since he is a schoolmate, trying to establish a relationship through this is possible. But he clearly wrote in the letter to wait for a reply; how do we reply now?" Hu said, "Give him a receipt, have someone take it back first, investigate the situation tomorrow, and then send the reply back to him." They gave the messenger the card and sent him off.

Hu Tongling took a few puffs of smoke without saying a word. After finishing, he sat up and said to Zhou Lao Ye, "This doesn't look good to me. Fortunately, they're all in on it. If this blows up in our faces, it won't end well. We gotta figure something out, and fast. The longer we wait, the more expensive it'll get. When I initially sought this job, Wang the Military Advisor's nephew helped me, and it was a breeze. He told me to give a gift of three thousand taels of silver to secure the job. I thought that was highway robbery, so I told him to shove it. Later, I had someone spend five thousand, and still had to give a gift to the intermediary, totaling six thousand, which delayed things for half a year. We're all old hands at this, and I understand these tricks. So, what do you guys think?"

Wen Qiyi interjected, "Don't worry, boss! You're covered. They'll back you up no matter what. They ain't gonna throw you under the bus; besides, we've got plenty of evidence from those country bumpkins. How dare they complain? Just ignore 'em." Before Hu Tongling could speak, Zhou Lao Ye said, "We're not scared, but it'll look bad if things get out of hand. These guys are just lowlifes. Winning's not pretty, and losing is even worse. Good thinking, boss. Better to be safe than sorry." Wen Qiyi said, "If we're in the right, what's there to worry about?" Hu Tongling said, "I'd rather settle this quietly. A little grease is worth it. Let's send someone to feel them out first, then we'll move."

Mr. Zhou said, "Yes, let's first feel him out. If it looks good, we can get friendly with him. Assign him some official duties, like investigating the locals affected by bandits, and pay him a salary for it. That'll work. If he has other intentions, - Sir, I have to be honest with you, he definitely wants to shake us down. But for now, let's start with writing a letter. We should be able to smooth things over, Sir, you don't need to worry. This sheriff named Shan, I've known him for over ten years. I heard he has a good relationship with the locals, so I'll ask him for help. Once it's done, Sir, you can put in a good word for him on the big case." Commander Hu said, "This is a good way to save money and get things done; I'm all for it! However, when you see Sheriff Shan, just say you're asking for his help, don't mention me. We're on the same page." Mr. Zhou agreed, "I'll head into the city early tomorrow. Let's get this done fast – ideally, by tomorrow." Commander Hu said, "Okay, I won't keep you. Head back to the boat and get some rest; we'll get things done tomorrow." So they all said goodbye and left.

The next day, Zhou got up early and took a sedan chair into the city to meet Dan. He explained the situation from last night and realized there was a chance. Dan helped grease the wheels, and Zhou wanted to recommend him. It was a good deal, and he was thrilled. He kept saying, "If I can get promoted because of this, it's all thanks to your support, Sir." As for the money, as long as it's needed, I'll do my best, and all the benefits will go to you. Regarding Mr. Wei, if a brother goes to talk to him, anywhere from one or two thousand to three or five thousand, all according to your instructions. How can he have so much money sitting at home? What's the point of giving him extra?" Zhou was naturally very happy after hearing this. The two of them discussed further, and Zhou went out of the city to meet the leader again, mentioning Wei Zhugang: "According to Dan, this guy is no good! Plus, he's cousins with Zhang Changyan, an official from the capital, so he's really arrogant around here. Local officials look the other way on some things because of his cousin, and they don't want to argue with him. Although Dan has a good relationship with him, he knows he's greedy and can only feel him out with some words. In short, he definitely wants to shake down a lot of cash." Commander Hu hesitated and said, "Let's not throw money away; if he asks for too much, we can only go along with it." Zhou said, "According to Dan, his starting price is definitely not low!" Hu was surprised and asked, "How'd Dan know he's trying to rip me off?" Zhou quickly explained, "How could he know! It's just gossip; he heard about the recommendation and went snooping."

Old Zhou was chatting with Boss Hu when suddenly someone shouted from the bow of the ship, "Someone from the neighboring ship is looking for Old Zhou!" Old Zhou said, "It's probably the county magistrate coming to ask about the news." Boss Hu said, "Could be him, go check it out." Old Zhou bid farewell to Boss Hu, returned to his own ship, and sure enough, it was the county magistrate. With so many people around, it was inconvenient to talk, so he took him to a small room, and the two whispered away for ages. After sending the county magistrate off, Old Zhou returned to Boss Hu's ship. As soon as he entered, he shouted, "I can't believe this! The nerve of that guy! Why the extortion racket?" Boss Hu hurriedly asked, "What's going on?" Old Zhou, ignoring everything else, said, "He wanted a fortune, and I had no choice but to cough up. Let's see what the magistrate says, and then we'll figure something out." Boss Hu asked, "How much does he want in the end?" Old Zhou replied, "What do you think he wants?" Boss Hu said, "Five grand tops, three grand minimum." Old Zhou said, "Three thousand? Multiply that by a hundred!" Boss Hu was stunned, sticking out his tongue, "A hundred times?! What the heck?!" Old Zhou said, "He demanded three hundred thousand upfront, isn't that a hundred times?" Boss Hu exclaimed, "The guy's a real shark! All that hard work for nothing? He wants to bleed us dry! What are we going to do?" Old Zhou said, "Dealing with him is a gamble. I figured it was better to settle, so I negotiated without making a fuss." Boss Hu asked, "How much did you negotiate with him in the end?" Old Zhou said, "He was asking for the moon, so I just gave him thirty thousand." Boss Hu listened in silence for a while and then asked, "You gave him thirty thousand, did he agree?" Old Zhou replied, "He wanted three hundred thousand, as the magistrate conveyed, I only gave him a part, I don't know if he agreed or not." Boss Hu shook his head and said, "If they keep this up, three grand a pop, thirty grand for ten guys... I'll be broke, and they'll still be shaking people down! I'm done! You deal with him, use whatever you've got, I'm out of money and patience!"

Old Man Zhou jumped, thinking to himself, "What gives? That ain't like him." But the words were out, so he just said, "I was just following orders, so I haggled a bit. We can still afford it." When Leader Hu heard this, he understood that Old Man Zhou was rubbing salt in the wound, which made him even angrier. It was almost Little Cold; he was in a dark red robe, no belt, no jacket, just a fur hat and thin-soled Beijing boots. His eyes were bothering him, so he wore big round sunglasses, holding a tobacco pipe in one hand and stroking his beard with the other, sitting on the bed rocking back and forth. The lamp was lit on the bed, and his face was ashen, sitting silently for a long time. Old Man Zhou could only remain silent. After a while, he said, "I did all that for them, and now they're shaking me down!" He added, "I'll go out and talk to them; it will definitely get resolved." Leader Hu replied, "Forget it! That thirty thousand silver could buy thousands of those umbrellas. I don't care about the glory anymore." Old Man Zhou kept hitting dead ends, feeling very uncomfortable, but he just clammed up. According to Leader Hu, he was still refusing to give the thirty thousand silver. He couldn't say anything else, so he left with a few casual remarks. Back on his own ship, pacing back and forth, he couldn't think of a solution for a while. After thinking for a long time, he suddenly remembered a certain Mr. Zhuang in Jiande County, who had a good relationship with the leader, so he knew what to do. He went to visit Mr. Zhuang, explaining his intentions, saying, "Things are getting ugly, and even though we have proof, a big stink isn't good. That Wei Zhugang's a real scumbag; let's just pay him off and keep it quiet."

Zhuang thought to himself after hearing this, "Although I helped handle the villagers' problem last time, it may cause issues in the future if I don't satisfy my superiors. It would be better to have them contribute some money so that I can also avoid any trouble." He then repeatedly said, "Yes..." and added, "I understand the temper of Hu, the boss. I'll go talk to him, and he should agree." Zhou left, deeply grateful.

Not long after, Zhuang arrived. After chatting with Hu for a while, he slowly brought up the matter. But Hu firmly refused and even launched into a tirade, blaming Zhou for helping outsiders. He said, "This task is a difficult one; everyone knows about it. Zhou's always trying to bleed us dry – what's his game? Your brother is the one who can really get things done." Zhuang put in a good word for Zhou, then leaned in and conspiratorially whispered to Hu for a while. At first, Hu frowned and shook his head. But gradually, he started to smile and nodded, finally saying loudly, "I'll agree to this for your brother's sake. If it were someone else, I definitely wouldn't agree." Zhuang thanked him again and headed off.

Hu agreed to give Wei Zhugang thirty thousand taels of silver, but he didn't want to give it directly to Zhou. He didn't trust Zhou an inch, so he had Zhuang handle it. Zhuang knew that Zhou could benefit from this and didn't want to offend anyone, so he agreed to let Zhou manage it. However, Hu dragged his feet on the approval and didn't release the funds for several days. Zhou was anxious but couldn't push too hard. Later, Hu played sick and avoided meeting with anyone, claiming to have no money and asking Zhou to pay first and be reimbursed later. Zhou was speechless with anger, but in the end, he held back his words, feeling more and more frustrated, tossing and turning all night, fuming.

The next morning, Old Shan came to visit Old Zhou. Old Zhou thought this was a good opportunity, so he told Old Shan the whole story. He complained to Old Shan about Supervisor Hu's shenanigans, saying that Supervisor Hu now wanted to default on the money. After listening, Old Shan asked Old Zhou what he planned to do. Old Zhou said that since Supervisor Hu was being so difficult, he'd take him on. Old Shan asked if Old Zhou had any other ideas. Old Zhou said that just complaining wouldn't be enough, and it would be best to take him down from the inside. Old Zhou suddenly remembered that Old Shan had mentioned before that Imperial Censor Zhang Changyan and Wei Zhugang were cousins.

Old Zhou wanted Old Shan to help contact Zhang Changyan and spring a surprise on Wei Zhugang in the capital. Old Shan hesitated, worried that things could blow up and be bad for both sides. However, Old Zhou insisted on getting even, saying that even if he had to spend some money to bribe Zhang Changyan, he'd do whatever it takes.

When Old Shan heard that Wei Zhugang was willing to help with money, he got an idea. After bidding farewell to Wei Zhugang, he quickly went to find him. When they met, Wei Zhugang was furious that things had not been resolved and let Supervisor Hu have it. He immediately wanted to go to the provincial capital to file a complaint, threatening to take Supervisor Hu down. Old Shan said, "Now that the county's got the evidence, they're acting all high and mighty. Hu was sent down from the province, and the bigwigs there'll protect him. You won't win; you'll just waste your time and make a fool of yourself." Wei Zhugang said, "If the province won't do anything, we'll go to the capital!" Old Shan said, "You gonna spend all your time and money on a lawsuit that you'll lose?" Wei Zhugang heard this reasonable argument and fell silent for half a day. Old Shan said, "Your cousin's a big shot in the capital; can't you get him to help?"

Wei Zhugang said, "Don't mention my cousin! Since he became an official, he often writes to ask me to get him a deal. This time in Tunxi, I fixed a deal for him, and they gave me five hundred taels of silver. I originally didn't want to take his money; I wanted to discuss with him and take two hundred taels from it, but he flat-out refused in his reply. He said there are many things to deal with by the end of the year and asked me to quickly send the money to him. He also said, 'If your cousin has any troubles in the future, I will definitely help with all my might. Originally, I should have given you one hundred taels, but I'm giving you half as a compromise.' Sir, think about it; my cousin won't help for free. The guy's a real money-grubber!" Mr. Shan said, "Whether he's greedy or not, it's all about the money. This is the money they should be collecting. Otherwise, in the capital, should we let them go hungry?" Wei Zhugang said, "Enough talk; I'll write to entrust him now. But saying it won't make it happen; I'm afraid he won't take it seriously. I have to give him some benefits." Mr. Shan said, "It shouldn't be in vain. As for how much to give, I can't guarantee." Wei Zhugang asked, "How much money should I offer to buy his favor?" Mr. Shan said, "It's the end of the year now; just a little something to show our appreciation."

Wei Zhugang said, "How much grease do you need to get this done? Whether it's 18,000 or 35, it doesn't matter. Just let me know the exact amount so I can arrange it for you. You don't know, these officials sell memorials to others for submission, just like doing business. A bribe of a tael gets you a tael's worth of action; ten taels buys you ten. It's all above board, or so they claim, so everyone trusts them and is willing to spend money to have them handle things. This affects us, and I bet you're being pressured too. Tell them it'll cost 500 taels, and I'll handle it." Old Man Shan said, "500 taels is too much, right?" Wei Zhugang replied, "Five grand wouldn't even be a drop in the bucket for this. Firstly, it's your older brother asking me, and secondly, it's easy to talk to my cousin. Once we get Hu Tongling, there'll be plenty of payback. Our money is just a lead; the real benefits will come later, so we don't need to give him too much. You won't even cough up a pittance? That's a shame!" Old Man Shan said, "This isn't my money. Let me discuss with the other side first before I tell you." Wei Zhugang said, "Let me know ASAP if you want me to write the letter." Old Man Shan said, "Of course." After saying that, he left.

That night, Old Man Shan left the city and found Old Man Zhou, saying, "Wei said it'd be a thousand taels for the letter." Zhou balked at the price. So after discussing with Old Man Shan repeatedly, he only agreed to provide 600 taels of silver. Old Man Shan had no choice but to take 300 taels of silver to find Wei Zhugang, saying, "They can't cough up any more. This matter must come to a conclusion. Give me a break on this one, and I'll make it up to you later." Wei Zhugang initially refused, but Shan wore him down, so he finally agreed. After Old Man Shan left, Wei Zhugang wrote a letter, giving only 50 taels of silver to his cousin to submit. As for the future, we'll talk about it next time.

Details

Written by: Realhistories

Category: Officialdom Unmasked

Published: 23 November 2024

Created: 23 November 2024

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So, the head constable from Jiande County, after he got a posting on a ship, changed his name to Gaosheng – a name he chose because, well, officials are always climbing the ladder, and it sounded lucky. Sure enough, Lord Lu took a shine to him. However, although Leader Hu successfully wiped out the bandits, he still had to stay here for a while to clean up, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month before he could return to the provincial capital. Lord Lu naturally had to go back with him. Gaosheng was new here; although he worked diligently and brown-nosed his way into Lord Lu's good graces, he wasn't sure if he had Lord Lu completely fooled. Catching thieves was his job, and he was sweating bullets about solving the case before the week was out. Fortunately, Lord Lu was a gruff bloke with a temper as unpredictable as the weather, who loved to hear good things. As long as someone flattered him, even if it was total rubbish, he would be happy. Who was Gaosheng? Lord Lu saw right through him the very first day, so Gaosheng tried his best to flatter him. Lord Lu just had to lick his lips, and the tea appeared; a yawn from Lord Lu, and the cigarette was lit and ready to go. In short, he could do everything in advance without Lord Lu's orders. A boss couldn't ask for a better underling!

Three days passed. That evening, Gaosheng gave Mr. Lu a light in the cabin. Mr. Lu chatted with him and asked, "How many people are there in Mr. Zhuang's yamen (government office)? Who did you serve before? How did he recommend you to me?" Gaosheng quickly replied, "There are a whole bunch of people in Mr. Zhuang's family. There's a very wealthy accountant; two young masters, one born to the main wife and the other to the concubine; and a young lady born to the main wife who got married last year, and her husband works in the yamen. I used to serve the accountant, but I got into an argument with the concubine's mother, and she badmouthed me to Mr. Zhuang, who then let me go from serving the accountant. I had served him for over six years without making any mistakes. The accountant felt bad and spoke to my master, recommending me to serve you." Mr. Lu said, "It's inconvenient when an experienced servant leaves." Gaosheng replied, "Yes, once you get used to serving a master, you don't want to change. So the accountant said that if I couldn't find a good place, after a couple of months, once my master calmed down, he would let me come back. Now that I'm serving you and have a roof over my head, I don't want anything else." Mr. Lu asked, "How much money can the accountant make in a year?" Gaosheng said, "Anywhere from twelve hundred to three or four thousand." Mr. Lu said, "So according to you, after managing the accounts for ten years, he should have at least twenty to thirty thousand?" Gaosheng said, "He made a lot, but he also spent a lot, so he didn't save much." Mr. Lu asked, "How come?" Gaosheng explained, "Our accountant is crazy about buying jade jewelry. A jade bracelet costs three hundred taels, and he believes 'you get what you pay for.' As long as the item is good, he's willing to spend money. He also loves buying clocks and watches—gold watches, silver watches, desk clocks, wall clocks—spending over eight thousand taels in total. He'll buy any watch, even old junk. He can fix them good as new, so he loves this. If it weren't for these two things, he would've saved a lot of money in a year!" Mr. Lu was interested in his words but didn't say anything, and Gaosheng didn't mention it again. After they finished their smoke, the two went to sleep.

The next day, Gaosheng asked his mate to bring five pieces of cashmere sweaters onto the ship to sell. They were priced at over four hundred yuan, but the seller would take two hundred. Mr. Lu haggled him down to two hundred and ten. Mr. Lu only had fifty-odd yuan left, not enough money, so he told Gaosheng he would pay fifty yuan now, with the rest at the end of the month. The seller agreed, but wanted the rest in five days, not at the end of the month. Mr. Lu figured he had other things he could pawn, so he agreed to the five-day deadline and first gave Gaosheng fifty yuan. Gaosheng saw they were the same sweaters Mr. Wen had lost, but said nothing and passed the money on to the seller.

Old Man Lu snagged a steal and was over the moon. He looked at it over and over again, praising how cheap it was. Gao Sheng said, "I know this guy; his family used to be really wealthy and had plenty of stuff. Items worth a hundred yuan often sold for just ten or twenty. Now that he's tasted the sweetness, he'll definitely come back tomorrow. When he does, drive a hard bargain and buy more good deals." Old Man Lu replied, "You need money to buy good deals." Gao Sheng said, "He knows me, it's all good. If I didn't know him, would he have left the clothes and walked away with just fifty bucks?" Old Man Lu didn't respond; he was deep in thought. After a while, he lay down for a smoke, and while Gao Sheng was lighting his cigarette, he said, "I need your help with something." Gao Sheng quickly asked, "What's up?" Old Man Lu said, "Didn't you mention that Second Master Zhuang likes to buy jade and foreign clocks?" Gao Sheng replied, "Yeah, but unfortunately, there aren't any around now. If there were, I guarantee they could sell. As long as the items are good and can fetch a decent price." Old Man Lu was thrilled to hear this and whispered, "I have those items now." Gao Sheng said, "You've got these things? Why didn't you mention it before?" Old Man Lu explained, "You've only been here for a few days. How would I have known Second Master Zhuang likes these?" Gao Sheng said, "With these items, you can definitely make money." Old Man Lu said, "But my stuff is good; I'm not sure if he'll know what he's looking at." Gao Sheng replied, "Take them out and let’s have a look, set a price, and don’t sell for less than a certain amount." Old Man Lu asked, "Do you know about these items?" Gao Sheng said, "I've been with Second Master Zhuang for a long time; I see these goods every day. Although I don't fully understand them, I know a bit." Old Man Lu said, "That's even better. I don't know much about these items either. They were entrusted to me by a relative to sell. Let’s get them out, put a price on them, and make sure we don’t get ripped off."

One person said, and the other took out the key, opened the box, and pulled out a few things: a ring and a gold watch. When Old Man Lu opened the box, he seemed afraid of being seen by others. He first asked everyone to leave, leaving only Gaosheng. After the items were taken out, Gaosheng took a look and found they were exactly as described when reporting the case to Old Man Wen. He felt a surge of happiness and annoyance. Happy because he had really caught the thief, just as he had expected; annoyed because those useless old fools were doing such shady business in secret. Now that the items were in hand, it meant he wanted to blow the whole thing wide open. But then he thought, "Shoot, what did I tell them? If this blows up, we'll all look bad. Best to play it cool and report to the magistrate later." So he acted nonchalant, waited for Old Man Lu to take out all the items, and locked the box again. He put the ring on his thumb and said to Gaosheng, "This jadeite's a lovely green. With this gold watch, how much do you think it's worth?" Gaosheng secretly laughed in his heart, mocking him for mistaking it for green jade. He took the watch in his hand, turned the winding crown, tightened the mainspring, and pressed the button, making it tick. Old Man Lu heard the watch ticking, was very surprised, and thought, "Is it a watch that tells time?" Gaosheng examined the items carefully and asked Old Man Lu, "How much are you asking?" Old Man Lu said, "Name your price." Gaosheng said, "I'd say this ring should be worth fifteen hundred taels." Old Man Lu hesitated and said, "That's too much! Don't price it too high, or we won't make a sale! Less is fine, you decide, what about this watch?" Gaosheng said, "This watch is from the Atlantic, it should sell for at least three hundred taels here." Old Man Lu said, "Think that's too steep?" Gaosheng said, "Nah, it's fine! I'll take them, I can easily sell them." Old Man Lu, although very happy in his heart, couldn't help but feel his heart pounding, and solemnly passed over these two items to Gaosheng.

Gaosheng took the things, wrapped them in cloth, and tucked them into his robes. He then accompanied Mr. Lu to enjoy themselves for a while before taking his leave to go ashore. He first found Mr. Wen's boat and asked the steward to deliver a message: "The constable who'd been investigating has something to report to you in person." Mr. Wen ordered him to come in. After the constable entered the cabin, he first greeted Mr. Wen and then stood with his hands hanging by his side. Mr. Wen asked, "Have you found the things?" The constable replied, "Yes, sir. I've been working around the clock since receiving the task from the county magistrate. I've searched all over town but couldn't find a thing. Finally, I found it today." Mr. Wen was very happy to hear this and asked, "Where did you find it?" The constable was reluctant to say and only replied, "I found it on the boat. Take a look, sir, and I'll report back to the county magistrate." As he spoke, he handed the items to Mr. Wen. Mr. Wen said, "The rest is easy to talk about, but this jade ring is my most beloved treasure. Look how beautiful this green color is! It's impossible to buy one for two or three thousand dollars now. You actually managed to find it for me—you're quite good! I'll talk to Mr. Zhuang later and see that you're well rewarded. Where is the thief now?" The constable said, "The thief is right here. Although the thief has been caught, I can't apprehend him without authorization. I need to report to the official and notify my superiors before I can arrest him." Mr. Wen said, "Is this guy too tough for you?" The constable just smiled and remained silent. Mr. Wen looked at the items again and wrapped them in cloth. The constable took them and said, "I'll report to the magistrate now and be back tomorrow." Mr. Wen nodded.

The constable went back into the city to report, informed the gatekeeper, and then reported to his superior. When Master Zhuang heard it was Mr. Lu, he was surprised and said, "He actually caught the culprit! That was quite a feat. What are we going to do?" Immediately, he called the constable in and asked him how he found out. The constable explained what happened and said, "I showed Master Wen the goods, and they're the ones that were stolen. So, what should we do, Master?" Master Zhuang was silent for a moment and asked, "Did you tell Master Wen it was Lu?" The constable replied, "No, sir, I didn't tell him." Master Zhuang said, "That's good. You didn't tell him. It's not about Lu; it's about keeping our superiors happy. It'll be a real problem if Master Wen complains. If Master Wen says my people are all thieves, we'll both be in trouble. Let's get Master Wen in here and sort this out together. You can go. I'll talk to Master Wen, and you'll get your reward. We can't let Lu get away with this scot-free. He needs to learn his lesson. He can't just keep the 150 taels, can he?" The constable thanked him and left.

Old Man Zhuang sent someone to invite Old Man Wen to come to town, saying that they had found his belongings and asking him to come in for a detailed discussion. Pretty soon, Wen arrived in a sedan chair. Right after he got off, he said that the cops in Jiande were really impressive, as they had managed to recover his things. Old Man Zhuang said, "Wen, we'd have to be idiots not to look for your stuff!" After saying this, he sat down. Wen insisted, "Old Zhuang, you’re teasing me again. Since my belongings have been found, I must repay you." Old Man Zhuang replied, "Don't worry about it. It's yours." Wen insisted that since his belongings had been found, he naturally had to repay the money. Old Man Zhuang said, "Yes, the stuff is found, but the 150 taels haven’t been accounted for yet." Wen expressed his satisfaction with getting his things back, saying that a hundred bucks is nothing compared to that relief. He wanted to give the cops a hundred taels as a reward. He then asked where the thief was. The cops replied that they had found the belongings, but catching the guy's been tough. We gotta catch him.

Zhuang said, "That's exactly why I asked you to come and talk. Can you guess who stole it?" Wenqi replied, "That day, Zhao borrowed fifty bucks from me, saying it was for his lover Lan Xian. Later, everyone said Lan Xian was framed! I was too busy those days and didn't pay attention to this. Only afterwards did I find out that Zhao cried for three days and nights because of this. Now that the stolen goods have been found, we can catch the real culprit and get justice for the deceased." Zhuang said, "Brother, we can't worry about the dead woman now; let's focus on the living." Wenqi said, "In these situations, it's 'save the living, forget the dead.' But this isn't even a life-and-death case, so why bring that up? Who stole it after all? Speak up!" Then Zhuang laid out the whole story: how the constable disguised himself, how Lu helped him sell the stolen goods, the process of solving the case, and his thoughts on the matter. He also said, "My suggestion is to keep this quiet. Lu has complicated relationships, and it's to save face for the boss." When Wenqi heard that it was Lu who stole it, he exclaimed, "He'd steal? Never in a million years!" Zhuang said, "You think being a cop cleanses a guy's soul? There are plenty of people with human faces but beastly hearts like him!" Wenqi had nothing to say, and after a while, he said, "Brother, let's keep this quiet. We don't want to embarrass the boss, or our colleagues. The stuff's back, let's forget about the hundred bucks. But brother, don't expose this in front of him; I work with him, and it would be awkward. Wait till I'm gone, then you can have a word with him." Zhuang replied, "We gotta make him sweat a little." Wenqi agreed, and the two chatted for a while longer before he took his leave. After Wenqi left, Zhuang sent for Lu.

Since Lu Zongye sent Gao Sheng to deliver something, it has been three hours and he has not returned yet, making Lu Zongye suspicious. Suddenly, the officials from Jiande County came to invite him into the city, saying there were some matters to discuss. Lu Zongye felt a cold dread. He worried, "Wen's belongings were lost, and a report was made in the county with a record of the case. I should not have been so careless to believe Gao Sheng's words and send the things to his brother. What if they find out? What should I do?" With this thought, he was beside himself with worry. He then considered, "The money lost by Wen Laoqi was said to be stolen by Lan Xian. Now that Lan Xian is dead and the case is closed, they may not suspect me anymore. Once I've gotten rid of the stuff, they will only focus on figuring out if it was the right stuff and may not pay attention to this matter." With this in mind, he felt slightly relieved. He thought again, "I have met the officials in the county a few times; he invited me to dinner, and I have reciprocated, so we're sort of friendly. Maybe it's about something else, who knows?" While thinking this, he changed his clothes, got into the county's official sedan chair, and pondered along the way.

Upon entering the city gate and arriving at the county yamen, the sedan chair stopped under the hall. A soldier handed in the name card, but no one came out for a long time. He was sweating bullets in the carriage and asked another soldier to inquire about the situation. However, the person who went in did not come out, making him even more frantic! He thought to himself, "I should've faked sick! Now it's too late." He then got out of the sedan chair and walked to the front gate to find out what was happening.

I met someone, guess who? It was Old Man Menzheng. Lu Zongye didn't know him, but he knew Lu Zongye. After meeting, the old man said, "Zongye is here, we have something urgent to discuss with the master, you wait outside for a while." After speaking, he led the way. Lu Zongye was completely baffled, so he had to follow. When they arrived at the gatehouse and sat down, Old Man Menzheng went back inside. Lu Zongye was used to sitting in the gatehouse and didn't mind. But after waiting for a while without being called in, he started to feel uneasy. After waiting a bit longer, Old Man Menzheng came back out and ordered, "Tell the master the gentleman's here." Lu Zongye was even more puzzled. After a while, he heard someone ask, "Are the family of the woman who died outside the city and the woman who died on the boat here yet?" The answer from below was, "They have been urged to come." Lu Zongye's blood ran cold! He heard Old Man Menzheng say again, "The boss wants the cop to bring up the jade bracelet and gold watch he found." Before the words were finished, Lu Zongye saw through the glass window a cop with a red tassel hat entering.

Lu Zongye was already terrified when he heard about checking the bracelet and watch, but when he saw that cop, he went weak in the knees and slumped onto the bench. He felt like he was dreaming, questioning if any of it was real. Why was he so scared? Because that cop—the one with the red tassel hat—was the guy he'd hired to fence the loot! Now he understood, they'd set him up, using fake servants to steal his loot, and he'd walked right into it. Thinking back, he was mortified. He wanted the earth to swallow him whole.

After sitting for a while, Mr. Lu finally regained his composure, and Mr. Menzheng entered. He greeted with a smile, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Lu, but we're still tied up with some official business." After speaking, he smiled at him. Mr. Lu stared at him blankly, unsure of what to say. After thinking for a while, he managed to ask, "What's going on, Mr. Menzheng?" Mr. Menzheng replied, "Mr. Lu, you're an official, what is there to not understand? How would I know?" After speaking, he smiled at him again. Mr. Lu knew he'd been caught and couldn't keep up the act any longer. He reluctantly put down his dignity, stood up from the chair, and knelt on the ground, continuously kowtowing and shouting, "Sir, please save me! Sir, please save me!" Mr. Menzheng was originally smiling, but he did not expect him to suddenly kneel down and kowtow. He was so surprised, he just knelt down too, not knowing what else to do, and tried to assist him, saying, "I can't accept that, Mr. Lu, please get up! Let's talk." Mr. Lu refused to get up, insisting that he agree.

As the two were at a standstill, suddenly someone lifted the curtain and entered. Upon entering, he laughed heartily, "What in the world is going on here? Why are you kneeling?" Mr. Menzheng saw this person and quickly stood up, standing respectfully. Mr. Lu looked up and saw that it was Mr. Zhuang, feeling embarrassed with a flushed face. He also stood up, bowing his head in silence. Mr. Zhuang said, "You have been here for a while; they have been delayed by official business and have not come to reply, making you wait for a long time." With that, he led Mr. Lu away. Mr. Lu's legs were so weak, he could barely walk, so Mr. Zhuang had his servants help him. When they sat down in the flower hall, Mr. Zhuang first chatted with him for a while. Mr. Lu gradually regained his composure, but he could only mumble and nod, too shaken up to speak.

After resting for a while, Mr. Lu wanted to test Mr. Zhuang's attitude, but Mr. Zhuang simply brushed him off and avoided talking about the matter. Mr. Lu became anxious and, with no other choice, knelt down again and said, "I'm in deep trouble, sir! Please, spare me!" Mr. Zhuang pretended not to know and asked, "What's going on here? What's with the kneeling? Get up quickly!" Mr. Lu replied, "If you don't agree, I will kneel here and never get up again!" Mr. Zhuang said, "What exactly is the matter? I don't understand at all." Mr. Lu explained, "You sent constables to secretly investigate me. What else don't you understand?" Mr. Zhuang responded, "This is even stranger. When did I send constables to investigate you? What are you afraid of? The more you say, the more confused I become!" Mr. Lu still refused to get up, so Mr. Zhuang urged him to get up and speak quickly. Mr. Lu said, "I might as well come clean. I was confused for a moment and shouldn't have taken something belonging to Mr. Wen. The item is now with you, and I know I was wrong. I just ask you to save me some face. I'm willing to return the item to him and be at your beck and call forever, never forgetting your kindness." Then he banged his head on the ground again and again.

When Mr. Zhuang heard this, he stood still. After Mr. Lu finished kowtowing, Zhuang deliberately said with a stern face, "I thought it was someone else who stole the stuff; the people on the ship wouldn't be so bold. So it's you. You could've been more discreet. Since Mr. Wen lost his things, the leader thought it was someone he brought who stole it, and he insisted that I solve the case. I couldn't solve the case, and I received a lot of scolding in front of the leader! Mr. Wen kept hounding me for money; I had no choice, I slipped him five hundred taels, but he still thought it was too little. Now that I know it was you, this is easier to handle. You are a person brought by the leader, and you are colleagues with Mr. Wen; they won't ignore you. As long as I bring you to the leader, I can get myself off the hook. We're all mates, so why make things hard for you? Get up quickly, let's leave the city together." Mr. Lu was so anxious that he knelt down and cried, refusing to get up. Mr. Zhuang said, "I can't believe this. You, a high-ranking official, would actually be so short of money that you would resort to stealing. They caught you in the act, and I'm willing to help you cover it up; those underlings would each get at least two or three thousand lashes. If I just let you walk, how can I explain this to them? Should we still handle cases in the future? You're an official too; you should get it."

Lu begged Zhuang to spare his life, crying that he still had an 83-year-old mother at home. If she found out he had committed a crime, she'd be devastated, making his guilt even worse. He swore he'd do anything he asked to repay Zhuang. Seeing his pitiful state, Zhuang thought he had suffered enough. Everyone whines when they're caught, right? But official business was important, and delaying it wouldn’t do. So he decided to let him go. He sighed and said, "Shoulda thought of that earlier!" He didn't want to make things difficult for Lu, but Mr. Wen's money had to be repaid. He had already given five hundred taels on Lu's behalf, and the constables had worked hard, so they deserved at least one hundred taels as a reward. Did Mr. Wen really have to pay this money? Lu said he had only taken one hundred and fifty taels, not five hundred. Zhuang replied, "I don't know about this. You go and talk to Mr. Wen face to face." Lu expressed his gratitude and asked for a few months' extension to repay the money after getting his salary. Zhuang sighed again, saying that the Emperor's money was cursed. You had to wait until you got your salary before you could repay your debts. What would the soldiers eat during these months? You lot are useless! If the country had a crisis, wouldn't it be a complete disaster? I'll be a good person to the end and won't bother with your affairs anymore, but the five hundred taels I paid out have no proof. You need to write a receipt for me. I'll go to Mr. Wen to plead your case; whether it works or not depends on your luck. You must give the one hundred taels reward to the constables today, so they have some benefits and keep quiet, not spreading rumors outside. Although Lu was in a dilemma over the one hundred taels, he agreed. He thanked Zhuang, who had someone write a receipt for him. He could barely hold the pen, let alone write, sweating profusely. In the end, he had Zhuang's assistant write it for him, and he drew a cross himself. Zhuang took the receipt and had him shown out.

Mr. Lu thanked the official profusely and wrapped up the paperwork before heading out. As soon as he left the house, he bumped into a copper who smiled and asked if he wanted to take a palanquin or ride horseback back. This made him feel even more embarrassed, so he practically bowed himself to the ground, apologizing profusely to the copper. The copper invited him to his house, but Mr. Lu declined, saying he would send money and the goods over later. He hurriedly got into the palanquin. Zhuang sent Wen a note about the missing cash and how he'd handled it. Mr. Wen was pleased and figured it was settled, seeing as they were mates. He gave the copper one hundred taels of silver and four dollars. After receiving a reply, Master Zhuang sent the copper to thank Mr. Wen on the ship.

After returning to the ship, Mr. Lu pawned everything he could, except his best clothes and the family flag, and managed to gather sixty taels to deliver to the county office. He sweet-talked the gatekeeper to pass on the message to Master Zhuang, asking him to accept the sixty taels now and the rest later. Master Zhuang just shrugged it off when he heard about it. Mr. Lu had the goods returned to the copper and invited him to dinner to smooth things over. The copper declined, saying, "Just keep your nose clean, and we're good. No need for dinner." Mr. Lu felt mocked by this, and his face burned with shame as they parted ways unhappily.

From then on, Mr. Lu avoided Mr. Wen, although Mr. Wen was understanding and comforted him in private. Although Mr. Lu was grateful, he still felt uneasy. That's just how things go sometimes; nothing surprising.

Now, about Zhejiang Governor Liu Zhongcheng. He sent Hu to lead the troops to Yanzhou to suppress the bandits. He was constantly worried things would blow up, a real worrywart, always blaming his bad luck. He kept sending telegrams for updates. The day before Hu arrived in Yanzhou, he received an urgent telegram saying that the bandits were running wild and tough to handle. He became even more worried. Later, he heard that as soon as the troops arrived, the bandits were scared away, but he didn't believe it till he got Hu's good news report. The next day, he received another report saying that the bandits were completely eliminated, and he was very happy, with officials all the way down to the lowliest congratulating him. He immediately sent a telegram to reward Hu and let him submit a special commendation report.

After a couple of days off, Hu reported the detailed situation of suppressing the bandits and attached a list of those who deserved credit. After reading it, Liu Zhongcheng summoned the chief clerk, Dai Dali, and asked him to draft a memorial, basically saying the bandits were running wild, Hu took them down, and thanks to some divine intervention, they were wiped out. All the soldiers and officials involved were real heroes, and they won fast, so he asked the Emperor to give them medals. He handed the list of Hu to Dai Dali for him to write. Dai Dali took a look and saw that the first name on the list was Master Zhou's. He froze, didn't know what to say, and just left.

I returned to my desk, holding a pen, thinking about how to deal with Zhou the Elder. In my heart, I thought, "This should be a simple matter, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The problem is that Commander Hu's got this guy's back. If I reject his memorial, I’ll offend Commander Hu; if I don’t reject it, I feel stifled." I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Halfway through writing, I got a craving for a smoke, so I lay down and lit a cigarette. Then I checked the draft again; the beginning described the bandits' atrocities in wildly exaggerated terms, like something out of the Taiping Rebellion. In the middle, I wrote that I'd appointed Commander Hu to command the land and water forces, personally guiding and urging the anti-bandit operations. Thanks to the bravery of the soldiers, the situation was quickly brought under control. I secretly added that I’d shown great leadership. Seeing this, I suddenly thought, "This matter should focus on the merits of the Prime Minister; that would be appropriate. The Prime Minister can't exactly blow his own horn; as long as the situation is explained clearly, so that the higher-ups can see it, at least there will be a good write-up from Personnel. In this way, Commander Hu will be under the Prime Minister, with only him recommended in the memorial; the rest will be swept up in the big case – that'll teach 'em. The major case must be handled properly before reporting; buying myself some time to deal with Zhou the Elder."

With my decision made, I put away the half-completed memorial I had written, left the document room, and headed to the office where approvals are signed. I knew that Liu, the Censor, was still working there, and since he was used to seeing us document officers in casual attire, I simply lifted the curtain and entered. Liu asked me to sit across from his desk and inquired about the matter. I said, "Your Excellency, I believe the success of the recent suppression of bandits in Yanzhou is entirely thanks to you. You're giving all the credit to Hu Dao, which is kind, but your own contributions shouldn't be forgotten! Without your command and coordination, Hu Dao wouldn't have been able to accomplish it so smoothly." Liu replied, "You are right, but I can't praise myself." I quickly handed him the memorial with both hands and said, "Your Excellency, please take a look. Is my draft acceptable? There is an ancient saying: 'the grunt work is done by the soldiers, the glory goes to the commander.' The credit for this matter indeed belongs to you, and the people Hu Dao brought along are even less competent. If we recommend them together, it might be rejected. It's better for us to think it over before submitting it. This way, your credit will not be overlooked; and when they see that we are not being dishonest, not only will Hu Dao's recommendation not be rejected, but they will also appreciate your support, making them feel that you are serious and responsible. In the future, even if we recommend a few more people in major cases, those officials who love to find fault won't be able to find any mistakes." Liu was focused on the memorial at that time and didn't pay much attention to what I said. Later, when he heard my subsequent words, he found them very reasonable and nodded repeatedly. He then said, "Those people who went with Hu Dao should be given some benefits; otherwise, they might feel disheartened." I replied, "There are too many people recommended this time. If it is rejected, it will be difficult to handle things in the future. Now, we can include them all in the major case. Everyone has their own abilities and connections; as long as they inform the department, they will definitely be approved. Although it may damage their reputation a bit, it ensures success, and in the end, you are helping them, and they are benefiting. If even you, sir, feel disheartened, what hope is there for the rest of us?" Liu was very pleased with what I said and repeated, "You are right... go ahead and make those changes. As for Hu Dao, write him a letter and convey my intentions to him. I am not revoking their recommendations, but rather trying to help them, so we'll wait, and they'll be included in the next major submission."

No text provided.

I saw the plan succeed and was very happy, nodding repeatedly in agreement before leaving. After revising the memorial, I quickly wrote a letter to Commander Hu, tactfully pointing out that his previous report only praised his subordinates while neglecting the Deputy Commander's contribution. The Deputy Commander was very unhappy about this and wanted to shelve the matter, refusing to report it. Later, I put in a lot of effort to get him to recommend one candidate for the position of Xiantai, while temporarily holding off on the others. Commander Hu was very worried after receiving the letter. He only realized after finishing the letter that it was all thanks to his old friend, me. He immediately reported to thank the Deputy Commander and also wrote me a letter expressing his gratitude. Because the previous report was drafted by Mr. Zhou, he suspected that Mr. Zhou was trying to hog all the credit and didn't want to give any to his superiors, almost causing the person I recommended to be rejected. It seems that this person is unreliable. From then on, his relationship with Mr. Zhou became more distant and less trusting than before. To be continued!