Chapter 39

(Seeking recommendations, at least let me make the list, can this request be any more humble? Thank you!)

Dad was also at home, sipping tea with a smile, watching his wife chase their son. Yinxing was also cheering on the side, making Lin Qing'er cry and laugh at the same time, so she had to hide in the room.

Finally, when Mother let him go, Wang Xian sat next to Dad and asked, "Dad, when did you come back?"

"Late afternoon," Dad smiled and looked him over, "This white robe isn't easy to wear, is it?"

"Ah," Wang Xian sighed, "I'll eat some food first..."

"Here, Dad brought some rice cakes from Hangzhou," Yinxing said, holding out a lotus leaf package as if presenting a treasure.

"You guys eat, this stuff sticks to your teeth," the family was still not well-off, and Wang Xian ate well at the yamen, so he didn't want to compete with his sister, "Is there any leftover rice? Just soak it in water."

"Looks like you went to the countryside," Dad squinted, "No one feeding you?"

"They are feeding me," Wang Xian, unable to resist his sister, took a rice cake and tasted it, "But it's a cold shoulder."

"Damn, don't say you're my son outside!" Dad was furious, "You've disgraced me!"

Seeing Dad pick up a shoe to hit him, Wang Xian dodged while feeling depressed, "It's all your fault, Dad."

"Ah," Dad was speechless for a moment, then retracted his hand, "Although Li hates me, he's always devious. Why would he be so hasty this time?" He paused, "It's probably for Diao's sake..."

"Who cares who it's for," Wang Xian smiled bitterly, "I'm going to be played to death anyway..."

"Unambitious!" Dad glared at him, "If my son can't even survive in the Fuyang County yamen, I'll write my name backward!"

"Dad, Wang written backward is still Wang..." Yinxing whispered.

"Adults are talking, what are you kids interrupting for? Go learn embroidery with your sister!" Dad shooed his daughter away, "Tell me what happened these past few days."

"Okay," Wang Xian, who had been holding it in, finally had a chance to vent.

As Wang Xingye listened to his son's description, his eyes grew wider and wider, turning his usually kind face into an angry Buddha. Just as he was about to explode, he heard Mother shout, "Too much! How dare they treat my son like this! If I don't step in, Li Gouzi won't know the three eyes of the Horse King!"

"Stay out of it!" Wang Xingye, who had been submissive to his wife all his life, was unusually sensitive about Li Sheng. Seeing Mother glare, he quickly softened, "Killing a chicken doesn't require a bull's knife. I'll handle it..."

"Humph, put your own affairs aside first, and deal with your son's problem," Mother ordered, "I didn't know Xiao'er was bullied by Li Gouzi like this!"

"Alright, alright," Wang Xingye waved his hand, "You go inside first, I'll talk to my son."

"Make sure he dies a miserable death!" Mother commanded, then carried a basket and went inside.

Seeing Mother close the door, Dad wiped his sweat and said awkwardly, "Your mother has become a queen in the past two years."

"Otherwise, how could she support this family?" Wang Xian sighed, "I was so naive back then."

"I know, I know, that's why I let her," Dad cared about his image in front of his son, but the more he tried to explain, the worse it got, "Talk about your problem. That old man, Cao Tianjiao, must not know you're my son, or he wouldn't dare bully you."

"Will Dad accompany me?" Wang Xian asked.

"Rubbish!" Dad looked at him with a face of disbelief, "I'm an official, he's a civilian. He should come to me!"

"Only been there a few days, and I've been bullied the whole time..." Wang Xian felt depressed, "I'm still confused."

"Ah, that's true," Wang Xingye nodded, "Get through this first, then I'll teach you more." He stroked his chin, "Don't go to Cao Tianjiao for now. Stay home for a few days, wait for him to come to you."

"Ah..." Wang Xian widened his eyes, "How is that possible? The grain commissioner is so arrogant..."

"Hmph," Dad sneered, "Just wait and see..."

Seeing Dad's confidence, Wang Xian felt reassured, thinking he had a lot to learn.

"But this is just treating the symptoms, not the root cause," Dad sighed while scratching his foot, "Li Gouzi is so meticulous, never leaving any handles. Otherwise, I would have dealt with him long ago." This was a habit from the salt fields, and he didn't know if he had scratched his foot before buying the rice cakes...

"Speaking of which, Dad, look at this first," Wang Xian took out a paper bag from his chest and handed it to Dad, "Just look at the first page."

Dad patted his hands and took it, pulling out a stack of papers. He couldn't take his eyes off them for a long time, then looked up in shock, "Where did you get this?"

"I did it myself. He made me calculate old accounts, and I found this," Wang Xian said.

"You have this ability?" Dad didn't believe it.

"Who do you think I am?" Wang Xian smiled flatteringly.

"That's true..." Dad nodded but still didn't believe, "Who gave this to you?"

"Ah, doesn't matter where it's from," Wang Xian sighed, "No one believes the truth anyway. In short, the conclusions here are based on the accounts of Yongle's fifth year, absolutely correct."

"If this leaks out..." Dad's face turned serious, "From the county magistrate to the clerks, none of them will escape, they'll all lose their heads!"

"That's why I'm letting Dad decide," Wang Xian sighed, "I didn't know until I investigated, but the corruption in Fuyang County is rampant!"

"Ah, actually, which yamen isn't like this?" Dad recovered from his shock and sighed, "The Ming Dynasty's official salaries are low, and the clerks' even lower. How can they support their families with just that? Not to mention the magistrates have to support their secretaries, gatekeepers, and maintain a grand appearance. Where does the money come from? The court doesn't provide, so everyone has to find a way. As the saying goes, 'rely on the mountain to eat the mountain, rely on the water to eat the water.' People in the yamen naturally rely on their power..."

Wang Xian was chilled to the bone, and whispered, "Dad, you don't need to defend yourself. I didn't say I would expose this. I just want you to see if there's anything we can use against Li Sheng."

"You didn't say that earlier!" Dad was relieved, drank a whole pot of tea, and scolded, "You little brat scared me to death!"

So he read it again carefully and pondered, "The money and grain in the yamen mostly pass through the Revenue Office, so the Revenue Office clerk is actually cleaning up for everyone. If you randomly accuse him with fake accounts, he can easily deny it, saying he's just a keyholder, not the decision-maker. The county magistrate, the assistant magistrates, and the elders all took money, so they'll cover for him..."

"But actually, the officials take a small share, the big share goes into his pocket," Wang Xian said coldly.

"That's for sure, Li Sheng looks cautious, but he's actually bold!" Dad said angrily, "He lets the officials take the blame while he reaps the benefits. Once the officials find out, they'll hate him! But they still have to protect him. Over the years, he knows how much everyone has taken from the public and the treasury. If they don't protect him, he might spill the beans!"

"This is really..." Wang Xian sighed, "Eating from someone's hand shortens your tongue, taking from someone's hand shortens your arm."

"In short, this big manager isn't easy to deal with," Dad sighed, "Fortunately, it's your dad, who has spent a lifetime in the Criminal Office, and can handle all kinds of difficult cases!"

"Phew..." Wang Xian almost sprayed tea on Dad's face, and smiled bitterly, "Dad, can you stop boasting?"

"Hehe," Dad laughed, "Do you want to listen?"

"Yes!" Wang Xian immediately flattered him, pouring tea, "I'm all ears for your wisdom."

"Hmm. Actually, it's his own fault," Dad took the tea, shook his head, and almost needed a fan to act like Zhuge Liang, "In the past two years, because of that case, everyone in the county has become lazy. No one cares about their duties, just thinking about how to make money. I heard that after Wei the magistrate took office, he wanted to achieve something, so he had the intention to reform. But those people are too lazy and unwilling to cooperate, let alone give up their fat profits, so they oppose him and set obstacles for him. Li Sheng, as the big manager, often takes the blame. So the magistrate has long wanted to get rid of him."

"Yes, that's why Sima Qiutai asked me to gather evidence in the Revenue Office," Wang Xian nodded.

"Oh, is that so?" Dad widened his eyes, "Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"Is it too late now?" Wang Xian was puzzled.

"Would I have to think so hard if you had said it earlier?" Dad was angry, "You're a new recruit, what kind of crucial evidence could you gather? They just want you to find a small mistake to use as an excuse to remove him! They didn't want you to find such a big weapon, just a small flaw!"

"How small?" Wang Xian interrupted Dad's self-praise.

"Something he hid from everyone, took for himself, but not enough to ruin his reputation," Dad thought for a moment, "Is there anything like that?"

"Yes!" Wang Xian pointed to a spot on the paper.

"Good," Dad nodded, "Then, who will expose this?"

"I think Zhang Dianli is good," Wang Xian whispered.

"True to my son, you have talent!" Dad was delighted, even more so than when he learned Wang Xian could check accounts.

AD begins on the previous page

AD ends on the previous page