Miao Chu

Chapter 61 Knife Falls

While waiting for someone to arrive, Han Li briefly explained the matter of the sale of the Song family's restaurant and house, and then handed over the documents.

Having served as an official for several years, Qin Jie was naturally well aware of the deep-seated problems within the government. After a brief glance at the few copies, he quickly realized what was going on.

He had been leaning back in his chair, but now he sat up straight and said, "Who bribed someone to tamper with the documents?"

But after a while, he shook his head and sighed, "It's a pity it was just a wrong date. If Jia Geku just says it was an accident, he can get away with fining him two months' salary. Otherwise, it would be a good excuse to use it as a pretext."

"But it doesn't matter. If there is one, there will be two. I will have someone find all the clerks who signed this document and check their previous records."

At this point, Qin Jie's spirits lifted: "One portion can be dealt with, but if it becomes ten or twenty portions, let alone building a cabinet, even Prefect Zheng will have no grounds for complaint!"

As he spoke, Qin Jie couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

Jia Geku has never been willing to give him face.

It was just a matter of finding a few documents, and they kept passing the buck, either to this office or to that office.

His subordinates had complained countless times, and he had personally reminded them, but the officials in charge didn't take it seriously at all. Today, it has even gotten to the point where he has to personally sign off on anything he needs to check, and he has to submit an application several days in advance before they will help him retrieve the files.

If you can tolerate such difficulties, how will you establish your authority in the future?

Qin Jie was already thinking about getting revenge, but he had no leverage in the shelving and was unclear about how it worked. For the time being, he couldn't find a suitable excuse.

Who would have thought that this opportunity would come to them of their own accord!
In an instant, the way he looked at Han Li changed, and he couldn't help but say, "No wonder everyone praises Zheng Yan for his competence. Your eyes are indeed far more discerning than others'."

The praise in his words was many times more sincere than before.

Han Li shook his head and said, "Too slow."

"Brother Qin is already short-handed, where would he find the time to go through old files?"

Qin Jie frowned and said, "If we don't go through the old files and collect evidence, how can we make that official in charge give in? And how can we get them to sort out the procedures themselves, as you said?"

"Brother Qin, do you really want to streamline some procedures?" Han Li stopped beating around the bush. "This matter is not under the jurisdiction of the Left and Right Military Patrol Offices. Brother Qin is insisting on it only because the various places are not following orders."

"As long as we have a handle on this matter and have done enough harm, others will naturally be more willing to open doors for us. As for the other so-called procedures, those who are not in a position of authority should not concern themselves with them. If they do too much or overstep their bounds, do you think Prefect Zheng would agree or be happy about it?"

He completely disregarded Qin Jie's feelings.

Qin Jie was embarrassed but could not refute it. After a few moments of silence, he said again, "But it's only one date wrong, which is really not enough."

"Then find a few more—since we know this document is a forgery, surely there can't be only one flaw?"

"Besides, even if there's just one mistake, can't we use it as an excuse to cause trouble?"

As Han Li spoke, he pointed to the land deed address of the Song family restaurant on the table: "This restaurant is exactly where Inspector Xin was keeping watch today. If nothing unexpected happens, there is a gambling den secretly set up across the street."

"Brother Qin, if you're good at being an official, how could you not be good at telling stories? Among gamblers, how could there not be those who break the law?"

"Since the gambling den is located opposite the Song family's restaurant, and there are forged documents now, why can't it be that the restaurant is a scheme by the villains to seize it and hide the gambling den?"

"There are so many people who went missing this Lantern Festival, and the case is very serious. Although it can't be solved in a short time, can't we use it as a pretext?"

"If there are villains in the gambling den, why can't they be the women and children who were robbed and kidnapped by these villains during the Lantern Festival?"

"You only said that you've been eyeing that gambling den for a long time, and now you suspect that the villains have bribed the officials, trying to use the pretext of buying and selling houses to hide themselves and obstruct the lower-level inspectors from handling the Lantern Festival case—do you think the corrupt officials in charge of the treasury are not afraid of such a crime?"

"We don't need to make a scene in front of Prefect Zheng. He'll think it over carefully on his own. If we do make a scene, even better. Can that warehouse really withstand a thorough investigation?"

It's rare for Han Li to say so much, so how could it not be effective?

Upon hearing this, Qin Jie had no further hesitation and immediately decided, "Then let's do as Zheng Yan says. I'll use this Song family restaurant as an excuse to summon Manager You of the storeroom!"

Han Li stopped him, saying, "Brother Qin, why go looking for him? Can't we just wait for him to come to you?"

Qin Jie was still pondering the meaning of those words and hadn't had time to react when he heard footsteps outside the door, followed by a knock.

Han Li first said, "Please come in," but then said to him, "Sir, please go inside and attend to your official duties. I will handle this matter."

As he spoke, he stood up and gestured for Qin Jie to enter.

Just then, the person outside answered the call and entered, bringing in an old clerk who was in charge of the storeroom.

As soon as the old official entered, he bowed to Qin Jie and addressed him as Judge Qin, then asked, "Sir Qin, did you summon me here because of the matter of reviewing the files?"

Before Qin Jie could speak, he hurriedly added, "This matter has already been consulted with You Guan Gou. I was merely acting under orders. If you, Qin, feel there is anything amiss, you may discuss it with You Guan Gou. I am but a lowly clerk with no right to speak."

This person kept saying that he had no right to speak, but he didn't hold back a single word, effortlessly pushing all the blame onto his superiors.

Even though Qin Jie was used to the tricks of clerks, he was first humiliated by his subordinates, then reprimanded by Zheng Boqian, and now he had to be politely treated by this old clerk under someone else's command. He couldn't help but feel angry.

He naturally couldn't afford to argue with an old official.

But if he went to find You Guan Gou, whom the other party mentioned, there would inevitably be a lot of wrangling. In the end, it would either fizzle out or escalate to the point of reaching Zheng Boqian. In the end, he, the newcomer, would most likely suffer the loss. So he could only snort and secretly remember the matter.

Seeing that Qin Jie didn't react much, Han Li couldn't help but shake his head secretly.

Qin Jie is currently being held back by others and is unable to do anything effectively. The main reason is naturally the complicated personnel situation in the capital's government, but it is also due to his indecisiveness and hesitation in his actions.

It is said that there are three things a new official needs to do when taking office.

Qin Jie's first two fires failed to ignite, partly because his colleagues trampled them out, and partly because Prefect Zheng Boqian persuaded him to put them out himself.

But no matter how you try to extinguish it, if it doesn't catch fire, it just doesn't catch fire.

Which clerk in the yamen isn't a shrewd and calculating person?

Looking at it objectively, everyone knew that the new Judge Qin's words were not to be trusted.

If that's the case, then it's no wonder that others are trying to trip them up.

Han Li will be staying here for several more months. If he wants to act according to his own wishes, he naturally cannot let Qin Jie, who is standing behind him, be so weak-willed.

He glanced at Qin Jie, then invited him back to his office. Once inside, he confirmed Qin Jie's name and identity with the clerk, and finally said, "I invited you here today not for the purpose of reviewing and signing the files."

He then added, "My surname is Han, courtesy name Zhengyan. I am here on loan from the Imperial Academy, on the orders of Master Qin, to learn about the process of storing and accessing the archives in the archives."

The clerk listened but didn't take it seriously.

Since the beginning of February, the people under this Judge Qin have been gathering information from all sides, trying to streamline the process.

However, within the Kyoto prefectural government, there were already a dozen or so smaller offices with their own regulations, and further down, countless clerks and officials, forming a complex and intertwined network.

For a few young people who have just arrived, it takes a lot of effort just to get to know the relationships between the various departments and their respective responsibilities. Trying to sort things out is no easy task.
Qin Jie, a mere judge, really thinks he's the Prefect of the Capital?
To put it bluntly, even if the governor of Kyoto himself came, he would have to think twice to avoid causing dissatisfaction among his subordinates.

He said "Oh," and then added, "Go ahead and ask."

Han Li then invited him to sit down and had tea served. Only then did he ask detailed questions, first inquiring which department the cabinet storehouse belonged to, which storehouses it managed, how many people were in charge of each storehouse, and then asking how many people were currently there, how their positions were allocated, and what their responsibilities were.

The clerk, having served in the Kyoto government office for many years, was well-versed in the situation and answered all questions calmly and promptly, providing detailed answers to some and glossing over others.

Han Li then brought up those questions that had been glossed over before and asked them again.

He asked very detailed questions, such as, "Didn't that department merge with another department in a certain year, and reduce its staff by one person? Why is it still fully staffed at this time?"

If you ask about the responsibilities of a certain person, shouldn't they originally be under the jurisdiction of a certain department? Why are they now under the jurisdiction of a certain office?

The clerk was initially sitting with his legs crossed, slowly sipping his tea and answering questions. But when he saw Han Zhengyan asking questions while also having someone take notes with paper and pen, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Judge Qin takes this matter very seriously. In order to have evidence, since human records are not as good as handwritten notes, it is better to write it down."

After Han Zhengyan finished explaining, he added, "Don't worry, we'll reconfirm after we finish asking you questions. Only after confirmation will we ask you to sign it."

Upon hearing this, the clerk's heart nearly jumped into his throat.

The archives were not under the jurisdiction of the Left and Right Military Patrol Offices; they were only in charge of archives, documents, and ledgers. They had never seen such an interrogation-like practice before.

Unfortunately, Judge Qin was sitting in the inner room, making it difficult for him to find a reason to take his leave, nor could he ask someone to help him go back and report.

Unsure of the other party's true intentions, and given the highly targeted questions, the clerk stopped crossing his legs and drinking his tea. He sat upright, listened attentively, and answered slowly, not daring to be distracted in the slightest, lest he say something wrong and give the other party something to hold against him.

He always felt that he was not facing a young man, but a clerk who had also worked under him for many years.

The question and answer session took a full half hour.

Just as things were about to wrap up, the clerk heard the Han student opposite him ask again, "How many people in your building affairs department are on duty outside and how many are guarding the storeroom on weekdays?"

This time, he answered much more easily.

The Building Affairs Department originally only managed official houses, but later it was merged into the Household Affairs Department and assigned to the Building Storage Department. Now it manages all the documents and archives of houses and properties in the capital.

However, that place only deals with external matters and not internal ones. It has almost no opportunity to interact with the Left and Right Military Patrol Detachments, so naturally it has no chance to offend them and it won't be used as a weakness to be exploited.

"Normally, four people are on duty outside the premises, and two are guarding the warehouse." "If there are people buying or selling houses and they come to report it, how many people does the Housing Affairs Department need to verify it?"

"One person confirms, and another person verifies."

"Who issued the contract, house deed, and land deed? Was there a verification? Are they signed and stamped?"

"All documents were issued by the Building Affairs Department, one person issued them, another person reviewed them, and all documents bear signatures."

Are the documents standardized?

"This is the standard."

"Are standard documents handwritten or printed at a printing shop?"

"We went to a printing shop to have it made, but the only thing we filled in later was the house address."

"Is this document printed annually, or only when it's used up?"

Upon reaching this point, the clerk laughed and said, "Young Master Han, you may not know this, but in the government office, all matters involving money must be decided by bidding. After the bidding, the results are made public. The system is changed every year, and no one is allowed to get involved."

"The same applies to property documents. Since property is a major issue concerning people's livelihood, there can be no carelessness. Therefore, they are all numbered when printed, and registration is required when they are issued. It is very strict. Only when the old ones are used up can new ones be issued."

When was the last time it was changed?

"It was just changed this month," the man said. "It's always changed in February or March every year. Last year, the documents were used up quickly, and they were all gone by early February. I had the new printing press print them out urgently, and I was the one who handled them!"

"After the new documents are printed, will there be any old documents left over? And will the remaining documents still be valid?"

When Han Li asked the question, the clerk emphasized again, saying, "The cabinet storehouse always operates according to regulations, and the building affairs department is no exception. We only use new ones after the old ones are used up, and every item is recorded. The kind of unorthodox practice that Young Master Han mentioned could not possibly happen."

Han Li nodded, then had someone invite the other party to a separate room to verify the answer they had just recorded, and then called in another clerk.

This time, he didn't ask too many questions. In just a quarter of an hour, he finished asking all the questions he needed to ask. The main points were still the replacement of documents in the building affairs department and the review and confirmation of responsibility.

They summoned three clerks and questioned them one by one. By the time they got to the last one, it was already time to leave the office.

Just then, sure enough, there was a flurry of footsteps and noise outside, and soon after, a person practically kicked the door open and came in.

As soon as the man entered, he glanced around, first seeing Han Li opposite him, then his subordinates with their backs to him. He didn't ask them any questions or answer them, but just shouted loudly, "Qin Jie! Judge Qin! What a Judge Qin! Come out!"

He shouted again, "I heard you detained my men for half a day—what, are you trying to steal my position as the supervisor?"

Sure enough, it was the chief steward of that cabinet who came in person!
Qin Jie sat in the inner room for half a day. Although Han Li told him to just do his job and not to pay attention to the outside, he had agreed, but he was not entirely confident in his ability to use this matter to control the cabinet treasury. Hearing the questions and answers outside, he was really concerned. How could he concentrate on anything else?

However, having served as an official in various places for several years, his experience was naturally beyond what his junior students could match. By the time he finished speaking, he had gradually become more at ease.

This Han Li does have some skills!

When it comes to asking questions, he can ask them accurately and incisively.

Just from the answers given by those few clerks today, if we study the document carefully and put in some effort afterward, we will surely be able to find a lot of faults.

When the gatekeeper finally came to his door, his attitude completely changed, and he became extremely at ease.

Emerging from the inner room, Qin Jie said, "Master You, you've come at the perfect time. I have something to discuss with you."

As he spoke, he called to Han Li, "Zhengyan, come in here for a moment too."

You Guan Gou sneered and said, "You detained my men, and you still dare to act so self-righteously—if you don't give me a good explanation, I'll risk losing this official robe and go to Prefect Zheng to demand an explanation!"

He kicked the stool and slammed the door as he entered the inner room.

However, once inside, after hearing Qin and Han lay out copies of the sales documents, house deeds, and land deeds from Suanzao Lane in front of him, and then talk about the gambling den across the street, his anger gradually subsided.

How could an official not know what his subordinates are like?

He initially tried to cover for her, saying, "It's possible that the date was accidentally written down incorrectly..."

Qin Jie said, "It would be best if it was written incorrectly. If not, you know how much Prefect Zheng has been pressuring people to leave after the Lantern Festival. I'm carrying such a heavy burden, and I've finally made some progress. If the villains have really bribed the clerks in the yamen and let the thieves go..."

"Judge Qin, that doesn't make sense. The thief knew there were government officials in the house, and he was already running away. Why would he still want to buy that house?"

As You Guan Gou questioned him, he also felt flustered, and his voice gradually became softer.

Han Li, who had been watching coldly from the side, finally interjected, saying, "We are not bad people after all, so who knows what bad people are thinking? Besides, this matter is so big, there is no need for you, Lord You, to argue with Judge Qin. Didn't you just say that you were going to find Prefect Zheng? While he is still here, why not take the documents with you and go together to see what Prefect Zheng has to say?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Jie immediately replied, "Indeed, Master You, let's go together to find Prefect Zheng."

Upon hearing this, You Guan Gou immediately changed his tune and hurriedly stopped them, saying, "Wait! Wait! Why bring matters that can be resolved between the two of us to Prefect Zheng's doorstep? If it really involves thieves, and things get out of hand, and they escape, neither of us will escape responsibility!"

Qin Jie looked hesitant.

You Guan Gou knew perfectly well that he was putting on an act, but he had no choice but to play along. He hurriedly looked at Han Li and said, "Brother Han, you should also try to persuade Master Qin!"

Han Li said, "If we don't go to Prefect Zheng, how should this matter be resolved?"

"Just find the person and get to the bottom of it!"

As You Guan Gou spoke, he still held a sliver of hope, hoping that the document was indeed copied incorrectly.

Qin Jie, along with Han Li and two trusted confidants, and You Guan Gou, who also brought several of his men, hurriedly headed to the Louwu Division.

By this time, the time had passed, and the building management office had already closed and locked its doors.

At You Guan Gou's command, the staff on duty rushed over to help open the door.

After lighting the candles, someone brought out the sales documents, contracts, and land deeds for the Song family restaurant.

Han Li chimed in, "The Department of Housing Affairs changed the property deeds in February. Do they have blank copies of those deeds?"

You Guan Gou couldn't help but glance at him again, and then ordered someone to bring out a new blank text.

Han Li added, "It would be best to also have an older copy."

This time, without You Guan Gou's instructions, the lower-level officials followed Han Li's instructions and retrieved last year's documents.

The archives of Song Family Restaurant are placed on the far left, the new blank texts from this year are placed in the middle, and last year's are placed on the far right.

The three documents are of different formats and paper types. The left and middle documents are clearly of one format and paper type, while the rightmost document is of a different format and paper type.

Han Li said, "The seller of the Song Family Restaurant fell into the water on the night of the sixteenth day of the first lunar month this year. On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, the government issued a confirmation document. This sales contract was signed on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month."

"Even if the date is filled in incorrectly, and it should be a date in the first month but is accidentally written as the second month, where did this new document, which was printed in the second month, come from?"

As he spoke, he pointed to the blank document in the middle and said, "The Housing Affairs Department issued a new document in early February. According to what the officers just said, every document is registered when it is issued, but I don't know who issued these two documents, or which residence they are registered to?"

Yu Guangou stood to the side with a dark face, almost shouting at his subordinates, "Go and investigate!"

He then yelled, "Judge Qin is here, and you're all just standing around? You can't even serve him a couple of cups of tea?!"

As he spoke, he personally went to the side and brought chairs for Qin Jie and Han Li to sit on. He then said, "Brother Qin, please calm down. This matter was my oversight. I will definitely give you an explanation. We are brothers, so there's no need for formalities!"

He then praised Han Li, saying, "Young Brother Han, you are indeed an extraordinary student of the Imperial Academy. You are good at studying, good at writing, and good at doing things!"

He then personally served the tea.

Qin Jie took the tea, but instead of drinking it himself, he offered it to Han Li, who was standing next to him.

When he took the second cup, he was neither in a hurry nor rushed. Instead, he sipped it slowly and savored it. He felt that even though he had been in the Kyoto government office for several months, none of the fine white tea he had brought from home could compare to the taste of this cup.

Soon, the clerk who went to check the files returned.

"Liu Jin was responsible for receiving and copying it, and Zhang Ji reviewed it. It was only received today!"

***
After leaving the yamen, Liu Jin asked his partner Zhang Ji to find a high-class restaurant, book a private room, and order a table full of delicious dishes.

Zhang Ji laughed and said, "Oh, what wind blew in today?"

Liu Jin laughed and said, "Don't worry, someone else is treating, it's not me!"

Just then, the waiter led someone in.

Upon seeing the table laden with food, the man's eyes twitched several times before he stepped forward and asked, "Brother Liu, what brings you here in such a hurry?"

After the waiter left, Liu Er threw two pieces of paper on the table and said, "The date in your document is wrong—the Louwu Division is different from other government offices; it closed on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month and is not open to the public."

“If I fill in the date as the fourteenth of the first month, I will be in big trouble if someone finds out. I’ve changed it to the eighteenth of the first month for you. Take it back and ask Master Liao if it’s okay. If it’s not okay, there’s nothing I can do. If you want to change it again, you’ll have to pay another hundred strings of cash.”

This transitional scene was a bit boring, but I couldn't just gloss over it, so I decided to finish writing it and combine it into one chapter. Sorry for the late update.

Thank you to Furuanruan from the bookstore for gifting me this writing aid! And thank you to my cat, Dandan, for a little something from me =3=
Thank you so much, beautiful and wealthy lady, for the lucky charm you sent me! :)


(End of this chapter)