Chapter 45

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In the afternoon, Wang Xian continued to lie on Lin Qing'er's bed, eating the lotus seeds freshly peeled by his sister, and drinking the chrysanthemum tea prepared by Lin Qing'er, his face beaming with contentment.

It wasn't until his father returned and mercilessly exposed his ugly face of feigning illness to gain sympathy that his treatment plummeted. His mother kicked him to the east wing to sleep with Wang Gui. Originally, Lin Qing'er had planned to take care of him all night without undressing...

Amidst Wang Gui's thunderous snoring, Wang Xian didn't close his eyes all night, wondering how his sister-in-law managed to sleep in such an environment.

In the morning, Wang Xian asked, "Why were you grinning all night? What kind of sweet dream did you have?"

"Me?" Wang Gui laughed awkwardly, but then couldn't help himself and said, "I've already tried the method you suggested, and it really works. I've never felt so... exciting..."

"Ha ha..." Wang Xian chuckled dryly, thinking to himself that two guys who only fumble around in the dark would find it strange if they didn't enjoy it when they tried it in the reed marsh during the day.

After breakfast, Wang Gui went to work, and his mother took Yiling and Lin Qing'er to the market. Only his father and Wang Xian were left at home.

Old Wang, holding a teapot in one hand and scratching his foot with the other, said proudly, "How about it, is your father's strategy any less than Zhou Gongjin's?"

Little Wang immediately showered his father with flattery, making him dazed and confused, before asking, "I heard Li Sheng talked to Wang Ziyao for a long time before he left. Father, will Wang Ziyao get involved?"

"You're well-informed," his father glanced at him, "It would be better if Li Sheng didn't find Wang Ziyao. Now, he'll be squeezed dry."

"Father means Wang Ziyao won't help him? Only extort him?" Wang Xian was surprised.

"Hmm..." His father took a sip of tea, looking smug, "Without me playing the bad cop, what good would it do for Wang Ziyao to play the good cop alone?"

"Ah?" Wang Xian widened his eyes in disbelief, "So Father and Uncle Wang are in cahoots!"

"You're really shameless, calling him 'Wang Ziyao' just now, and now you're calling him 'Uncle Wang'," his father laughed and scolded, "Do you think running for office in the capital doesn't cost money?" He sighed, "The clerks in the Ministry of Personnel are very corrupt. If you don't bribe them properly, you'll be sent to Yunnan or Guizhou to die. But I'm in the criminal law department, and I have some connections with the Ministry of Justice. As for the Ministry of Personnel, only Wang Ziyao can help. Otherwise, why would I let him benefit for nothing?"

"Why did Uncle Wang bring it up first, and Father still denied it?" Wang Xian thought for a moment, puzzled.

"Ask such a stupid question!" His father was so angry that his beard stood up, "At that time, I didn't know I could corner Li Sheng. What could I use to ask Wang Ziyao? Do you think his nickname 'Wang the Skinflint' is fake? Without real gold and silver, how could he do anything for me?"

"Ah, I see..." Wang Xian scratched his head and laughed bitterly, "Father really has everything planned out!"

"Of course!" His father was about to boast when he suddenly heard footsteps in the alley and stopped talking.

Sure enough, there was a knock on the door. His father opened it to see the county constable Qin Shou.

"Kneeling to the old master," Qin Shou hurried to kneel when he saw Wang Shuye, who helped him up, saying, "Don't kneel, I'm not an official yet."

"That's a sure thing," Qin Shou flattered with a smile, and finally performed a bow.

After his father let him in, Wang Xian had already changed to a lying position. Qin Shou bowed to him again and stood to one side, saying respectfully, "I'm here to report to the young master."

"What is it?" Wang Xian asked.

"Today, the magistrate announced in the hall that due to the urgency of the autumn grain tax collection, he has appointed Zhang Dianli to act as the head clerk of the household department. The position left vacant by Zhang Dianli will not be filled by seniority but will be competed for by the clerks in the household department. Whoever completes the tax collection task the fastest and best will be appointed as the head clerk!" He paused and added, "The magistrate specifically emphasized that it doesn't matter whether they are regular or non-regular clerks."

"..." Wang Xian was silent, listening to Qin Shou continue, "After hearing this news, the department was in an uproar. From originally avoiding the task of collecting taxes in the countryside, now there are too many wolves and not enough meat. The seven grain districts are not enough to go around... Zhang Sihu asked me to ask if you are willing to rest and let someone else take over the task in Shangxin Township?" The ticket for Shangxin Township was still in Wang Xian's hands. Zhang Sihu could issue a new one, but he wasn't that stupid and knew he should ask Wang Xian first.

"Does Zhang Sihu want me to step down?" Wang Xian frowned.

"Not really, he's just asking," Qin Shou shook his head.

"Tell Zhang Sihu," Wang Shuye said, "Wang Xian won't leave the battlefield with a minor injury. Even lying down, he will complete the task!"

"..." Qin Shou was sweating, looking at Wang Xian.

"Of course, I'll follow Father's advice," Wang Xian said with a bitter smile.

"Alright, I'll come to pick you up early tomorrow," Qin Shou bowed.

"No need," Wang Shuye said seriously, "You go to Shangxin Township tomorrow and tell Magistrate Chao, 'Paying taxes is the duty of every citizen of the Ming Dynasty. I believe he will complete the task on time and to a high standard.'"

Qin Shou was sweating but didn't dare to ask, just nodded and left.

After Qin Shou left, Wang Xian said unhappily, "Simao Qiu really treats me like a donkey grinding a mill!"

"This time, you can't blame him," Wang Shuye shook his head, "I asked Wang Ziyao to hold you back."

"Ah?" Wang Xian was surprised, "What do you mean, Father?"

"Rising to power by stepping on your superior is never honorable, especially for a newcomer. The consequences would be endless," Wang Shuye said, "A 'fair competition' is just for show. Without showing some skills, how can you gain respect?" He smiled coldly, "Besides, I already planned to deal with Chao Tianjiao. This way, I can kill two birds with one stone."

"Father's strategy is really brilliant..." Wang Xian was too tired to criticize, thinking about how the old man was always scheming, "I'll wait and see."

"Um," Wang Shuye nodded, "Everything is arranged. You just rest at home. I'll go to Nanjing tomorrow to finalize the matter..."

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Wang Xian now had some faith in his father. Since his father told him to wait and see, he ignored everything outside and focused on recuperating and reading at home.

Lin Qing'er was initially nervous about living under the same roof with Wang Xian, but seeing his respectful behavior and lack of any improper actions, she gradually relaxed. She was also delighted to see him, despite being an official, still studying diligently every day. She put aside her shyness and sat close to him, explaining the classics sentence by sentence.

Wang Xian's understanding of classical Chinese was only average, but his memory was excellent. It's no wonder, as anyone who could pass the CPA exam would have a good memory. In about half a month, he had memorized the entire "Analects" by rote. Now, Lin Qing'er was explaining the "Analects" in detail. Wang Xian often felt drowsy, but seeing her disappointed expression, he forced himself to continue, thinking bitterly, 'This is a kind of beauty trap!'

To avoid overwhelming him, Lin Qing'er only explained ten sentences each day, making sure he understood them thoroughly and memorized Zhu Xi's annotations. The next day, he had to explain and recite them before she would continue.

Although Wang Xian studied diligently, he didn't forget about the tax collection. In recent days, Wu Wei and others had visited him, saying that the six grain districts were managed by experienced clerks or those close to Zhang Sihu. These people no longer reported to the office and spent all day with the grain collectors, urging them to complete the tax collection as soon as possible.

However, because the newly revised yellow register increased the tax by 20%, the grain collectors were very unhappy. They seemed to have agreed to delay until the government agreed to the original tax rate, making the task very difficult.

There was an exception, though, in the route to San Shan Town. After He Chang was arrested, the two deputy grain collectors were fighting for his position. The clerk assigned to collect taxes there announced that whoever could collect the additional 20% would be appointed as the grain collector. However, the deputy grain collectors weren't easily fooled and didn't believe a mere clerk's empty promises.

But the clerk had considerable influence in the office and was working hard to get the approval, which was said to be almost granted...

In short, Wang Xian's route was the least successful. Wu Wei, the chubby one, was clearly dissatisfied with Wang Xian's inaction, suggesting that he should let someone else try.

Wang Xian smiled mysteriously without a word, but in fact, he had no confidence. Until two days later, in the late afternoon, he was bored reading and told a joke to Lin Qing'er and Yiling, "Zhu Xi said there were seventy-two virtuous men in the sage's school. Sister, do you know how many were adults and how many were children?"

Lin Qing'er thought for a while and shook her head, "It's not in the books."

"How can it not be? The 'Analects' clearly states, 'There were five or six adults and six or seven children.' Five times six is thirty, and six times seven is forty-two, which adds up to seventy-two virtuous men," Wang Xian said with a knowing smile.

"Really?" Lin Qing'er was surprised, as she didn't remember this.

"In the 'Attending Sitting' chapter, it clearly says, 'Five or six adults, six or seven children.' Five times six is thirty, and six times seven is forty-two, which adds up to seventy-two virtuous men," Wang Xian chuckled.

"Ah..." Lin Qing'er was stunned, then realized it was a joke and laughed, covering her mouth, "You're just making it up. If I were the teacher, I'd give you a beating!"

Yiling, seeing them laughing, didn't understand. At that moment, she heard a knock on the door and jumped up, "I'll open it!"

She opened the gate to see a tall, white-haired old man standing there, looking nervous, with two laborers carrying baskets behind him.

"Is this the home of the young master of the household department?"

"Yes," Yiling nodded, "Who are you, sir?"

"I am Chao Tianjiao, the grain collector of Shangxin Township, here to visit the young master." The usually arrogant Chao Tianjiao was very polite.

"Ah, you're Chao Tianjiao?" Yiling's eyes widened, and she frowned, "My brother isn't home, so you've made a wasted trip!"

"When will he be back?" Chao Tianjiao thought, "Why does this sound so familiar?"

"It's hard to say. It could be three to five days, or even ten to fifteen days," Yiling said slowly.

"Then everything will be delayed..." Chao Tianjiao was anxious, "Can't you find him?"

"That's impossible. My brother has many friends. He might be fishing on the Fuchun River or gambling in the Xianxia Mountains. He always returns when he's satisfied, and we can't find him," Yiling said with a fake smile, "There are only two of us at home, so we won't invite you in!" She slammed the door.

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