Chapter 904: Quota
Many people in the teahouse gathered around, wanting to get a clearer look. They saw a man wave a card in the air before tucking it back into his robes.
“I say, brother, at least let us get a good look. Can you really get this card from the Ministry of Revenue?” Several young noblemen pushed past the people blocking their way and asked urgently.
“Of course! Why would I lie to you? If you don’t believe me, just take a stroll over to the Ministry of Revenue. There might already be a line forming.”
Someone was still skeptical. “That’s impossible. What news in Shangjing could escape us brothers? If there were such a thing, we would have gone long ago.” One of the young noblemen narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced.
“That’s because your sources aren’t as well-informed as mine,” the man said with a look of mystery. “My second great-uncle’s cousin’s grandson works there as an attendant. I’m among the very first to hear about it. From now on, they’ll be handing out a limited number each day. If you’re late, you’ll get nothing.”
The young noblemen exchanged glances, quietly slipped out of the crowd, and immediately summoned their family carriages, speeding all the way toward the Ministry of Revenue. They had accompanied their elders to the capital this time specifically to purchase some Imperial Palace treasures to take back home. They had already acquired a few items at the treasure exhibition and were currently lining up every day to buy more. Now that they heard even more precious and superior treasures were about to appear, they had to secure a spot no matter what. Otherwise, once the news spread, foreign merchants like them wouldn’t stand a chance; the well-connected locals would snatch everything up.
Many others shared their line of thinking. Everyone rushed toward the Ministry of Revenue, and sure enough, they saw a line had already formed at the entrance. The young noblemen quickly sent their attendants to line up while they ran to the front to gather information.
It was exactly as they had heard in the teahouse—they were indeed distributing admission spots for the auction house. These spots couldn’t be obtained easily. One first had to pay a deposit of a thousand-tael silver note at the Ministry of Revenue. After paying the deposit, a person could attend three consecutive sessions. If they won a treasure in the auction, the deposit would be fully refunded without a single penny missing. However, if they merely went in to broaden their horizons, only ninety percent of the deposit would be returned after the three sessions. The rest would be deposited into the National Treasury as a charitable donation, to be used later for distributing porridge and disaster relief.
To these wealthy merchants, a hundred taels of silver was nothing at all. What’s more, a public notice had been posted stating that their meritorious deeds would be officially recorded in a register later. Thinking of this, no one cared about this small fraction of money. The priority was getting their hands on an admission spot. Those who didn’t have enough silver on hand borrowed some from the friends beside them, then obediently stood at the back of the line.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to cut in line, but the row of Sword Guards standing nearby exuded such an oppressive aura that they didn’t dare entertain any thoughts of causing trouble. On the other hand, the Ministry of Revenue officials handling affairs here were very easy to talk to. No matter what people asked, they answered with a smile. This was completely different from their impression of aloof, high-and-mighty officials. Many people harbored doubts and completed their business with trepidation.
The grinning officials were suffering internally. They wanted to put on airs, but Mr. Gu had stated that this was also part of their performance assessment. In Mr. Gu’s words, they had studied diligently for years of hardship so they could serve the people and be good officials for the commoners of the world. Therefore, rule number one was that pulling a long face and scaring the commoners was a dereliction of their duty. Besides, these people had come to the Ministry of Revenue to deliver silver. If the officials pulled a sour face and scared everyone away, they wouldn’t be able to complete their assignments. Should the Holy Emperor punish them, their careers would end right then and there.
They wanted to feign compliance, but Mr. Gu’s trusted aides were standing right across from them. Even though they held official posts, they had no choice but to obediently welcome everyone with a smile.
Seeing the number of cards in the officials’ hands dwindle, the people near the back of the line began to grow anxious. They were worried they would wait for so long only to end up with nothing.
Gu Wenheng stood at the entrance of the Ministry of Revenue, watching the crowd grow larger and larger. He knew that this time, he was already more than halfway to success. Now it was time to handle his personal affairs.
Taking his personal attendant with him, he headed to the History Department. Yu Ligao was quite surprised by his arrival. Based on their past interactions, it was always Yu Ligao who needed favors from the Ministry of Revenue…
Gu Wenheng made some small talk before finally getting to the point. “I came today because I have a matter to ask for Mr. Yu’s help with.”
“Mr. Gu must be joking,” Yu Ligao said. “You are currently the Holy Emperor’s favorite. If you need anything, just say the word. Could we possibly refuse to comply?”
Gu Wenheng chuckled. “Mr. Yu is the one who’s truly joking. Everything this official does is out of loyalty to the Emperor, and I handle matters strictly according to the rules.
“This time, I genuinely ran into some difficulties, which is why I came to visit. Please, Mr. Yu, don’t tease me anymore.”
Yu Ligao’s expression turned serious. “Mr. Gu, please speak plainly. As long as I can help, I will certainly not refuse.”
“As Mr. Yu knows, my ancestral land is currently located in Fu County. It’s just that my rear flank has been somewhat unstable lately, so I can only come to you for help.”
Yu Ligao immediately grasped the crux of the issue. “Is there something wrong with the parents official of Fu County?”
Gu Wenheng dipped his finger in tea and wrote a single character on the table. “The time for the annual transfers has arrived. I hope Lord Yu can accommodate me.”
“That’s not difficult,” Yu Ligao agreed without a second thought. “It’s just that there are still a few months left. Does Mr. Gu have a specific candidate in mind?”
Gu Wenheng shook his head. “This official trusts Mr. Yu.”
“Thank you for your trust, Mr. Gu,” Yu Ligao said. “But if you have someone in mind, I can help arrange it for you.” Officials of the fourth-rank and above required the Holy Emperor’s approval, but transferring a seventh-rank county magistrate like this only took a single word from him. Moreover, this was a reasonable transfer request. Yu Ligao didn’t mind doing him a favor at no cost to himself. As for whoever was backing the county magistrate, they wouldn’t dare come knocking to pick a fight over such a trivial matter. They would be too busy trying to cover something like this up; how could they possibly expose themselves?
“I am a man who remembers gratitude,” Gu Wenheng said. “I will remember this favor.”
With things said to this point, Yu Ligao naturally knew how to make the arrangements. After seeing his guest off, he began to select from this year’s Advanced Scholars. The special imperial examination had just concluded not long ago, so he actually had quite a few people on hand waiting for official appointments. He had to choose carefully from among these candidates in order to solidify this favor. When the time came, he would give the chosen candidate a few pointers, ensuring that the man would put his heart into his work in Fu County.
As for this Gao County Magistrate, it seemed it was necessary to move him to a nice, new location to clear his head, lest his ignorance end up harming both others and himself.
Down in Fu County, Gao County Magistrate had no idea that his fate had already been decided in just a few sentences by a higher-up who didn’t even want to waste mental energy on him. Meanwhile, the master he had pledged allegiance to had long since abandoned him, taking out his anger on him over the matter of the superior seeds. This time, by taking it upon himself to act leniently and let the Shi family father and son off the hook, his fate was sealed.
He had felt that he was handling everything according to the law; even if the Gu family had objections, they couldn’t produce any evidence to accuse him. It was just, what was going on with the Xu family in Shangjing? He had sent out his letters so long ago, yet he hadn’t received any news.