Chapter 63

Wang Xian did not want to change the world; his reforms in the Revenue Office were merely to make his work smoother. A man accustomed to the clear responsibilities and orderly operations of modern enterprises could not tolerate the chaos and lack of direction in the government offices of this era. It was much easier to adapt his familiar methods to his work than to change himself to fit the work.

Of course, the prerequisite was that you had a fully supportive superior, no obstructive colleagues, and convincing abilities. Wang Xian gained the trust of his subordinates through three points: first, credibility—strictly enforcing the rules he set, never compromising due to personal relationships. Second, integrity—although he collected all the income, every transaction was recorded, and he never enriched himself. Third, his exceptional ability, which made people believe he could strictly supervise and prevent any deceit.

This third point was fundamental; a powerless superior, no matter how perfect the system, would still be manipulated by others. Without a relatively fair competitive environment, how could one expect the old hands to play by the rules?

This system could be implemented in the Revenue Office because Wang Xian was in charge. The corrupt tricks and schemes from hundreds of years ago were child's play to him. With a certified public accountant in charge, who could play any tricks?

To put it bluntly, his methods were not universally applicable; they were custom-tailored for a master. If someone else were to implement this system, it would likely be fraught with errors. Even without this system, Wang Xian could still manage the Revenue Office efficiently, though it would take more effort.

But with the right tools, a master's capabilities are greatly enhanced, and the results are immediate. Under Wang Xian's strict supervision and a combination of rewards and punishments, the Revenue Office swept away years of chaos and inefficiency. The clerks worked diligently, and efficiency greatly improved, completing the autumn grain collection and distribution tasks on schedule.

This was because the Revenue Office was already well-staffed; it was just that the previous chaos and redundancy made the large number of people ineffective. When Wang Xian streamlined the workflow and gave everyone clear responsibilities and sufficient motivation, efficiency naturally increased, and completing tasks became a matter of course.

Moreover, Wang Xian also had a lenient side. He stipulated that after the daily attendance, as long as everyone completed their work for the day, they could leave early, without waiting until the end of the workday. Thus, although management became stricter, the clerks felt more relaxed. This was the magic of management.

Unfortunately, not everyone was happy. To avoid being obstructed, Wang Xian now reported directly to the county magistrate. The control over the grain and money records, which had been in the hands of the clerk Di, now belonged to Magistrate Wei, effectively sidelining him. Now, apart from a small amount of regular silver, he could no longer benefit from anything, and naturally, he hated Wang Xian.

But Wang Xian did not care. A clerk who had offended the magistrate and lost his power was nothing to fear. If Di was smart, he would quietly eat his dry rations for a few years and wait to be dismissed. If he was still restless and dared to cause trouble, he would end up like his former subordinate Li Sheng!

Speaking of Li Sheng, after the magistrate won against the gentry and wealthy families, he had lost all hope. Without the protection of power, his vast wealth became a source of trouble. Not only did the Revenue Office, Criminal Office, and fast-track teams frequently extort him, but even ruffians and hooligans dared to extort him. It was said that his life was worse than death!

Before long, it was the end of the month.

At this time, the northern regions should already be covered in ice and snow. But in the south, there was no sense of the harsh winter. Despite the continuous rain and wind, the air was somewhat stifling, like late spring.

That afternoon, Wang Gui came to the office and called Wang Xian to go home in the evening. It turned out that his father had finally returned, and his wife had moved back home. The whole family was going to have a reunion dinner.

Wang Xian naturally had no objections. He dismissed everyone and smiled at Wang Gui, saying, "How about it, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

"Hehe..." Wang Gui nodded, a bit embarrassed.

"By the way, there's one more thing." Wang Xian rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a deed. "Do you know the Zhang family paper mill?"

"Of course, they were our workshop's rivals." Wang Gui nodded. "But recently, I heard that their owner, Zhang Qian, got into legal trouble for secretly joining the Mingjiao."

"Yes, Zhang Qian did join the Mingjiao, and the verdict has been handed down. He has been sentenced to death, but with a reprieve." Wang Xian nodded.

"That's too sad." Wang Gui sighed. "He was a good person."

"However, the court is short of money and has issued a 'Nanmi Redemption Regulation,' allowing ordinary capital crimes to be commuted for money. Zhang Qian is trying to raise money and plans to sell the workshop." Wang Xian explained.

"Uh..." Wang Gui's eyes lit up. It was something he had always dreamed of. Unfortunately, the Zhang family paper mill had complete paper-making equipment, skilled workers, and several exclusive formulas. Such a workshop would be worth a thousand taels of silver, which he could never afford in his lifetime.

"I didn't have time to discuss it, but I've already decided to buy it for you, Brother." To Wang Gui's surprise, Wang Xian said casually, "I'll have Shuai Hui take you to complete the transfer later."

"What?" Wang Gui found it hard to believe. "You bought it?"

"Yes." Wang Xian nodded. "During dinner last night, I heard from the Criminal Office that he was selling the workshop, so I casually asked how much."

"How much?"

"Five hundred taels, in silver, not paper money." Wang Xian said. "I remember the Revenue Office's records show that a workshop of the same scale would cost a thousand taels. Five hundred taels is a good deal."

"Not just a good deal, it's like getting it for free!" Wang Gui was excited. "The rest is fine, but the key is the formula. In this county, although every workshop claims to make 'Yuan Shu Paper,' only five are genuine, and the Zhang family paper mill is one of them. Just the formula alone is worth more than five hundred taels." He asked redundantly, "Does the five hundred taels include the formula?"

"What do you think..." Wang Xian rolled his eyes. "Do you think I'm that irresponsible? After calculating, I felt it was a great opportunity, so I finalized the deal at dinner. I was also afraid someone else would snatch it, so I took out all the necessary documents first." He chuckled. "My worries were not in vain. Today, several well-informed people came to the Revenue Office to ask, and when they heard I had it, some even offered eight hundred taels."

"Eight hundred taels, and I still can't sell it to them!" Wang Gui blurted out, then remembered something and asked, "Where did you get so much money?" He then scolded his brother, "People say you've become the god of wealth in Fuyang, but you can't be so excessive. In just a few days, you've already embezzled five hundred taels. How can this continue?"

"Brother, what kind of person do you think I am?" Wang Xian smiled bitterly. "I don't take money I shouldn't." Seeing that Wang Gui wouldn't let it go, he explained, "I got two gold bars, worth two hundred taels, from extorting Li Sheng. This month, after collecting the autumn taxes and various other fees, I got eighty taels. The rest, I borrowed from them, and I'll pay it back gradually."

Now, with his position as the head of the Revenue Office, as long as he asked, the heads of other offices would compete to lend him money... It was a bit too enthusiastic, and borrowing from some and not others would cause trouble, so Wang Xian borrowed a few dozen taels from each.

"Uh..." Wang Gui was stunned. No wonder people said, "After three years in the Revenue Office, even a prime minister's position wouldn't be worth exchanging." It was truly too rich.

"Mainly because it's the end of the autumn tax collection. Other months won't be as profitable." Wang Xian coughed and said, "Go on, Mr. Wang."

"Ah." Wang Gui came to his senses and shook his head. "This is your money, what does it have to do with me going to complete the transfer?"

"We haven't split the family yet, so what's mine is yours." Wang Xian shook his head. "Didn't you think the same way before, when you sold everything to pay for my treatment?"

"Second Brother." Wang Gui was deeply moved. "I'm so happy, I haven't raised you in vain. But you should be the owner. Hire me as a manager, and I'll be content."

"Annoying." Wang Xian waved his hand impatiently. "I have no interest in business. If it weren't for your dream of opening a paper mill, why would I buy it?" He coughed and called in Shuai Hui. "Take my brother to complete the transfer, and don't let him nag."

"Second Brother..." Wang Gui grinned, looking both amused and moved.

"Brother, don't argue," Shuai Hui laughed. "Don't you know our master's word is final?" He pulled Wang Gui out of the office.

"Ah..." Wang Gui looked back at his brother with deep emotion. He never imagined that his lifelong dream would be realized by his brother.

After Wang Gui left, Wang Xian smiled bitterly. The family's external debts were not yet paid off, and now he had another 220 taels of debt. He estimated that Wang Gui's workshop would need a large sum of money to start, and where would he find the money? If only he could collect autumn grain every month.

While he was worrying, Wu Wei lifted the curtain and came in, smiling. "Master, someone has come to deliver money."

"Who's delivering money?" Wang Xian was puzzled.

"Zhou, the grain merchant," Wu Wei said, presenting a gilded invitation. "He's here to deliver an invitation to the master."

"Unsolicited kindness." Wang Xian glanced at the invitation. The place was the Little Qinhuai, and he couldn't help but swallow. "I have to go home for dinner tonight."

"Then I'll decline for you." Wang Xian, now the head of the Revenue Office, was not someone everyone could see.

"Wait," Wang Xian asked, "Why did you say he's here to deliver money?"

"He's probably here to ask the master to sell the old grain from the Changping Warehouse to him." Wu Wei explained. "Every year, when the new grain is collected, the Changping Warehouse sells off a batch of moldy old grain at a discount and replaces it with new grain. He comes every year."

"So it's about buying the moldy old grain..." Wang Xian was puzzled. "We should be the ones begging him, why is he coming to me?"

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