Miao Chu

Chapter 58 Thunderbolt
The back office.

Han Li went to report for duty with the transfer letter in hand.

The clerks in the yamen had already received instructions and dared not delay. They immediately took him to the Left and Right Army Patrol Offices to prepare for him to meet Qin Jie, the Right Army Patrol Judge.

It was afternoon, and the place was very busy. Qin Jie's government office was only half-closed. Not only were there officials reporting matters inside, but there were also several people queuing outside.

The clerk hesitated for a moment, then asked Han Li to wait outside while he quietly went inside.

A stranger arrived, and his appearance and demeanor were so outstanding that the people in front of him, who were already waiting idly, couldn't help but turn around to take a look.

Han Li was never afraid of being watched, so he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

The people returned the greeting, and some even asked about his background.

When they learned that the students were temporary students from the Imperial Academy, everyone's eyes lit up.

Those lined up here are naturally all those who work in the government office.

With a population of over a million, theft and robbery occurred countless times every day, not to mention other civil and criminal cases.

As the Right Army Patrol Judge, Qin Jie was in charge of maintaining order, arrests, interrogations, and detentions. Serving under him could only be described as being "like an ox or a horse," as there was never enough work to do.

But right now, a college student has come here for free.

If I could be assigned to this task, even if I couldn't be of much help, even if I just did some paperwork, internal affairs, or errands in the government office, it would still be good to have more people to help me!

Upon hearing that he identified himself as Han Zhengyan, someone approached him with a smile and struck up a conversation.

"How long will Xiao Han be here? Why don't you come and take a look at my place? You've come at the right time, just when we need to organize our documents. You can learn a lot by following along."

As soon as someone spoke up, others eager to take over the labor asked, "Zhengyan, which department are you from? What do you study at the Imperial Academy? How are you at arithmetic?"

Han Li smiled and said, "Young man, you have a wide range of knowledge, but compared with other disciplines, your understanding of mathematics is only superficial."

But the person asking the question didn't care whether he was good at math or not; he was just using it as an excuse. He immediately said, "Even a basic understanding is fine. The Records Office is short-staffed. Several prisons need to be inventoried, and the Treasury is auditing last year's public savings. You can come and help out."

However, some people who knew a little about the Imperial Academy found it very strange and asked, "Which dormitory of the Imperial Academy are you from? My brother-in-law is also studying at the Imperial Academy and is about to take the public examination. If he does well this time, he can be promoted from the inner dormitory to the upper dormitory. At such a critical moment, why are you not studying hard and instead being temporarily transferred to the government office?"

He then asked, "Are you only here today? Will you be coming again in the future?"

As soon as the question was posed, several people who had asked the questions earlier fell silent, waiting for Han Li's answer.

This wasn't the first time the Kyoto Prefectural Government had seconded students.

He has been seconded to both the Imperial Academy and the National Academy.

If you are seconded to a student from an ordinary background, you can certainly order them around as you please. But if you encounter one or two who are just there to gain experience and then never show their faces after reporting for duty, they will be very annoying.

Before Han Li could answer, the half-open door was pulled open from the inside, and a person walked out with a smile, calling out, "Zhengyan, you've come at the right time. While Zheng Guan is here, I'll take you to see him."

It turned out to be Qin Jie, the Right Army Inspector.

As he spoke, he noticed the few people queuing outside and hesitated slightly.

Han Li then said, "Sir, your official business is important here, so please take care of it first. My matter is not urgent, we can talk about it later."

Qin Jie then stopped making excuses.

Several people lined up and went in one by one. Those who needed to sign signed, and those who needed to talk talked. After they finished talking, Qin Jie hurriedly came out and led Han Li out.

After signing the papers and finishing their business, the officials, seeing Qin Jie's attitude, understood everything perfectly.

"Who is this scion of a prominent family?"

"Why did he have to come to the government office when there are plenty of places where he could have gilded his reputation?"

"Going out of the prefectural government office sounds like you've actually done something, probably because you think it sounds better than going to the Ministry of Rites or the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, right?"

"They'll probably just check in and leave again, making me all excited for nothing."

The brother-in-law, who was also studying at the Imperial Academy, laughed and said, "Go ahead and fight! You were fighting so hard just now, why aren't you fighting anymore? These temporary students are yours to take."

The others immediately followed suit and began to defer to each other.

One person tells you not to give it to him, another says not to give it to him, fearing that in the end you'll lose the student who got the connections, taking up a spot for nothing, and then it will be difficult to get someone else in the future.

***
While the officials here were worrying unnecessarily, Qin Jie, leading Han Li along the way, introduced the various officials in the capital's government office.

Nowadays, the Prefect of Kyoto rarely shows his face at the government office, even once every ten days or half a month. He is merely a figurehead, and the one in charge of official business is Zheng Boqian, the Acting Prefect of Kyoto.

"Prefect Zheng and Prime Minister Cao are related by marriage; his daughter married Prime Minister Cao's nephew."

Qin Jie gave a pointed reminder.

Han Li responded with a nod, not taking it to heart.

Cao Xiangong has many connections in the court, so he doesn't have the time to deal with them all.

When he first wrote an article to criticize someone, he would occasionally encounter those who took the opportunity to say or do difficult things to embarrass him, hoping to curry favor with the powerful.

But since he dared to curse, how could he let others bully him?

Having read books all these years, traveled and studied with the teacher, and done various things in different places, everyone thought that he only knew how to scold people.
Once you seize the opportunity and point out the mistakes, and make an example of someone a few times, things will naturally quiet down.

As Qin Jie was speaking, a messenger hurriedly came up behind him, calling out, "Sir Qin, there is a document that needs your signature."

As he spoke, he handed over the documents and pen.

Qin Jie took it, glanced at it, and was about to sign it when he suddenly paused and asked, "Why do I need to sign something just to check a file?"

The officer hurriedly said, "The archives said that we have been requesting too many files recently and they are in a hurry, so they are too busy. From now on, we need to send a document a day in advance. After you approve it, they will review it at each level before they can find the files for us."

Qin Jie frowned and asked, "How many days will it take to get approval?"

"It's hard to say. If you're unlucky, it could take two or three days to get approved."

Qin Jie glanced at Han Li beside him, said nothing, and quickly signed the document before handing it back to the officer.

Han Li simply ignored it.

The two soon arrived at the government office of Zheng Boqian, the acting prefect of the capital.

The meeting with Zheng Boqian went very smoothly.

This Prefect Zheng had served as an official for many years and spoke in a gentle and amiable manner. He first praised Han Li's scholarship, then praised his mentor, saying that he himself had received guidance from Master Fu when he was young and benefited greatly from it. Finally, he told Han Li to make good use of his talents here and that if he needed anything, he should just go to Qin Jie. If Qin Jie couldn't solve it, he should come to him.

After a polite meeting, Qin Jie had only walked a few steps out of the house when Zheng Boqian called him back.

Qin Jie hurriedly turned back, not forgetting to tell Han Li, "Wait here for a while."

Once inside, Zheng Boqian said, "I almost forgot about something—the prefect came several times the other day and specifically asked about it, saying that so many women and children went missing during the Lantern Festival, and even the inner court had heard about it. The Empress Dowager has inquired about it repeatedly, and he doesn't know how to explain it. Have you made any progress here?"

Qin Jie said, "I have asked the city's patrol soldiers and officers to search everywhere, and I have also called up many capable inspectors. I just hope to have good news as soon as possible."

Zheng Boqian frowned, sighed, and said, "It's not that I'm making things difficult for you, but things have dragged on for so long. If there's still no result, I won't be able to explain myself. The Cold Food Festival is in a few days, and the Prefect will definitely come to the palace. You can keep track of the time yourself."

Qin Jie could only nod and agree repeatedly.

Zheng Boqian asked a few more questions, and when he was almost done, he said, "Judge Qin is new here and naturally wants to get things done, but sometimes you need to pay attention to both progress and discretion. You also need to communicate more with your colleagues to avoid any misunderstandings."

As he said this, he added a special reminder: "I'm just telling you one thing, don't overthink it."

It's better not to say this at all.

Qin Jie, who had also risen through the ranks from the prefecture and county, was taken aback upon hearing this. He quickly realized what was happening and tentatively said, "It was because I was too hasty in my work. On several occasions, when I needed to check the files and finalize cases, I was a bit too pushy. There weren't enough people in the archives, which may have caused the misunderstanding." Zheng Boqian did not deny it, but said a few more words before letting him go.

The door is not closed.

In the capital, few officials were willing to allocate public funds for the repair of government buildings—once repaired, they would be reassigned within two years, essentially using their own money to benefit their successors.

Broken doors and wooden windows can't block out any noise.

Han Li stood outside, and even without deliberately listening, he could hear the entire conversation inside.

When he saw Qin Jie leave, he pretended nothing had happened, followed beside him, half a step behind, and walked side by side with him.

Qin Jie first spoke a few words about the affairs of the government office, and seeing that no one was around, he said, "Zhengyan, I won't hide it from you. The personnel in the Kyoto government office are complicated and there are countless things to deal with. I don't have many people I can use right now, and I wish I could split each of them into two."

He paused for a moment, then said, "It's rare that you've come. I don't need to say much. Just observe for a couple of days and see where you can get involved. If there's anything that requires my intervention, just let me know."

Han Li nodded and responded.

Seeing that he didn't take the initiative, Qin Jie said again, "Since I came here, not to mention outside, even the procedures in various places in the government office are not very convenient. I have a lot of things to do and really don't have time to manage. Didn't you help out for Mr. Fu when you were in Tanzhou? Why don't you come and take a look?"

Han Li did not respond, but briefly recounted the events in Suanzao Lane, as well as Xin Feng's instructions, and finally said, "Everything has a beginning and an end. I need to finish following up on that case first, and then we can talk about the others."

“A gambling den, though it’s a major case, is enough with Xin Feng and his men following it. What are you doing there? Are you going to come and spy on it too?”

Qin Jie didn't understand, but urged, "The important things are in the yamen. There's only one case in Suanzao Lane. Here, the process is being blocked, and countless cases are being delayed."

Han Li said unhurriedly, "There is no such thing as something that can be accomplished overnight. Naturally, one must finish one task before moving on to the next."

He added, "I am just a student of the Imperial Academy, and I am new here. I know nothing about this place. Brother Qin, you really think too highly of me."

His excuses were not without reason.

To streamline a process, you must first understand the process itself.

If we followed Qin Jie's instructions step by step, it would take at least ten days to half a month just to fully understand those messy rules, and who knows how much effort it would take to straighten them out.

He was seconded here to avoid the literary matters, so naturally he wouldn't willingly jump into such a pit to be a slave.

Only fools do foolish things.

Qin Jie is weak-willed and would do foolish things, which is one thing, but to think that he can be mobilized with just a few words is to underestimate his labor.

Moreover, although he had only been there for less than half a day, he had already seen enough to realize that there were many factions in the government office, and even if the so-called "procedures" were straightened out, it was unlikely that anyone would listen to this official Qin.

As the two walked, Qin Jie kept trying to persuade them.

When they arrived at his office, seeing that he couldn't persuade him, he had no choice but to say, "I have actually arranged for people to start working on streamlining the procedures of the government office, thinking that it would save some effort and shorten the time in the future. However, most of the people doing the work are novices, and they are very slow. It has been almost half a month, and there has been no progress. I must say, I still need you to guide them."

As he spoke, he handed the documents he had compiled from the table to Han Li.

Han Li took the documents, glanced through a few quickly, and said, "No matter how inexperienced they are, they've been here for a few months now. How can I possibly compare?"

Qin Jie said, "With your talent, why do you need to refuse?"

"I'm not trying to shirk responsibility. I'm just asking because, in a rush, we came up with a simple procedure. This requires cooperation from all departments and offices. Will other departments listen to it?" Han Li asked.

Qin Jie said, "Once it's done, we can naturally take it to Lord Zheng to discuss. If we don't even have a plan, how can we get them to come and listen?"

"Why would they listen to what you're doing? If it's just for convenience and to save time, why go through all this trouble? Wouldn't it be faster if you just told the departments to simplify their own processes?"

Qin Jie sighed and said, "Why are you talking like a student? If I could get someone to do it, why would I do it myself?"

There was even a hint of helplessness in his tone, like a summer insect trying to understand ice.

Han Li looked at him and said, "If we speak politely, perhaps no one will pay attention. But if we take drastic measures, we will naturally be able to get things moving."

Qin Jie sneered and said, "Then I'll wait and see if you can do it!"

But he couldn't force him to drink water, so he could only say, "I'll assign some people to keep an eye on the case of the gambling den in Suanzao Lane for Xin Feng. But let me make this clear: once you have some results, come back as soon as possible and lend a hand."

Han Li gave a perfunctory reply, and while he was making arrangements there, he left the back office and went to the front office.

***
Song Miao wasted half a day in the building affairs department. By the time she finished copying and archiving the contract, it was long past the time she had agreed to meet with Han Li.

She hurried out and, sure enough, saw the other party standing in the place they had agreed upon. She quickly went up to greet him and apologized, saying, "Something unexpected happened, which delayed me quite a bit. I'm sorry to have troubled you, Young Master Han, to wait so long."

Han Li then said, "No rush, it takes time for the yamen to select people."

He then asked, "Is everything settled?"

Song Miao was waiting for him to say this.

She shook her head and said, "It wasn't done. Something strange happened. The official from the Housing Affairs Bureau told me to go and discuss it with the buyer first. He also said that if we couldn't reach an agreement, we would have to go to the yamen to file a lawsuit."

"Fortunately, Young Master Han is here now. Please ask him if there is such a person who died yesterday, and died very thoroughly, and the yamen has already issued a verification document. Does the document signed and sealed by this person after death count?"

Despite it being a seemingly random question, Han Li immediately realized what was going on and replied, "The date on your house sale documents is incorrect?"

Song Miao nodded, first briefly explained the situation, then took out the copies of the documents she had made and pointed them out to Han Li one by one, finally asking, "May I ask, Young Master Han, if this case goes to court, what are my chances of winning? Is it even possible for me to win?"

He added, "I've heard that there's a law school next to the Imperial Academy, and teachers often go there to give lectures. Does Young Master Han know anyone there? If so, would it be convenient for you to introduce him?"

Han Li looked through the document repeatedly and asked many questions.

Song Miao answered them one by one.

Han Li thought for a moment and said, "If you trust me, Mr. Song, you might as well let me handle this matter. It will be resolved in three to five days, or at most seven or eight days."

Song Miao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "If I can't even trust Young Master Han, who else can I trust?"

He added, "If we can avoid a lawsuit, I would truly be thankful to God—you know my family's situation perfectly well, we really have no money and no time for it."

At this point, she clasped her hands together, gave a slight bow, and then asked, "It is truly difficult to express my gratitude for your great kindness. Young Master Han has gone to such great lengths to help me. How can I possibly repay you?"

Upon hearing this, Han Li did not say anything such as "the matter is not yet settled," "it is still unknown," or "we'll talk about it later." Instead, he replied, "As for a reward, I already asked this morning—Stall Owner Song, I've been staying at your place for the past few days and would like to join you for a meal. You don't need to cook separately; just help me add a couple of dishes. I wonder if that would be convenient?"

Such good people should be helped together, and such good deeds should be done even if it is inconvenient, let alone something as simple as lending a hand.

Song Miao agreed immediately.

Han Li took the various documents from her hands, saying that he would be going back later and that he didn't need to prepare his own meals for the night. He then arranged for someone to accompany Song Miao and went to the back office.

As Song Miao left the yamen, she looked up and saw that the sky was overcast and dark, and a wind was gradually picking up, as if it was about to rain.

Despite the cold wind and the overcast sky, she was still in a good mood.

It's only seven or eight days, what can't we wait for?
Even if Young Master Han ultimately fails to resolve the issue, the original plan can still be used, and there will be no delay.

But if it can actually be solved, it would be a huge surprise.

Song Miao walked back, glancing at the roadside as she went.

Even though our benefactor won't be home for dinner tonight, it would still be best to do something to express our gratitude, wouldn't it?

However, as she walked along, perhaps because of the bad weather and the late afternoon, many vendors were in a hurry to pack up and go home, and she didn't see anything worth buying. But when she passed a grain shop, she saw that they were taking the wooden signboard back inside.

Song Miao immediately noticed the oats and wild oats written at the end.

Many thanks to Ye Zi for the peach blossom fan, to Huang Se Tian Xie Gong for the sachet, and to book friend 20210301105364913388 for the peace charm. :)

Thank you to Furuanruan from the bookstore for gifting me a typing tool, a small token of my appreciation. My cat, Dandan, also gifted me three small tokens =3=
Sorry, I've been staying up late lately.



(End of this chapter)