gnovel Chapter 23 Keeping accounts is not a good habit
Chapter 23 Keeping accounts is not a good habit
Shen Ce rubbed his eyes, glanced at the sky outside, and suddenly sat up. The sun was about to rise, and he was going to be late.
A young person who has been poisoned by the 996 work schedule for a long time has absolute self-discipline regarding working hours, and at the very least, cannot come in right after the boss.
I can't help but sigh. Being an official is so hard. Last night, I interrogated prisoners in the first half of the night and wrote memorials in the second half. I had only been lying down for half an hour when I had to get up before the rooster crowed. Being an official is harder than selling sweet potatoes.
Shen Ce spent most of the night working in the official residence, so he didn't return home. Instead, he stayed in the official residence of the Imperial Inspector. He washed his face with cold water and struggled with his official robes for a long time before finally getting dressed. He wished he had his jade pendant; wearing this green robe was so cumbersome.
Pushing open the door, a refreshing earthy smell wafted out. The ground was still wet, and Shen Ce tiptoed around the puddles.
The entire government office was extremely quiet. There wasn't a soul in sight. The people from the Dali Temple were really diligent. When they had a case, they were like hunting dogs, sniffing and searching everywhere, determined not to give up until they got what they wanted.
As soon as Shen Ce left the Dali Temple's official residence, he sensed something was wrong. He had clearly not approved any money or grain, so where did all these craftsmen and bricks come from? Some were transporting materials, while others were building scaffolds, all very busy.
Could it be that Zhang, the temple official, was so kind as to pay out of his own pocket?
With curiosity, Shen Ce walked to the wall and frowned when he saw the damaged parts at the bottom. There were clearly still damaged parts below that had not been repaired, so why were bamboo scaffolds erected first?
Once the scaffolding is up, how can the work below be done? The foreign craftsmen who can work in the Eastern Palace are all the best of the best; they would never make such a common-sense mistake.
So Shen Ce grabbed the craftsman off the bamboo frame, pulled him by the collar, and yelled, "Where did this farmer come from, pretending to be a craftsman? Come on, I'll take you to the authorities."
"Sir, sir, please forgive my ignorance." The official residence of the Imperial Inspector was nearby, and the craftsman, being dragged along, couldn't help but beg for mercy: "This was ordered by the magistrate of the Imperial Household Department. We had no choice but to obey orders."
Hearing this, Shen Ce finally released his grip, and while doing so, helped the craftsman straighten his collar. He said with a smile, "So it was your idea, sir. I was wrong about you. I thought you were some ignorant farmer pretending to be someone else."
"Take this, go get yourself some wine when you get off work," Shen Ce stuffed several dozen coins into the craftsman's pocket and turned to leave.
He sensed a conspiracy. The temple must have taken some action, otherwise they wouldn't have prepared materials overnight and sent people into the East Palace to start repairs as soon as it was light. It was all just a vanity project.
It's a vanity project, meant to be seen by others. Is it for the Crown Prince, the Grand Tutor, or all the officials?
It's not good for you to show it to anyone, no matter who it's shown to.
My first rejection of the memorial was well-reasoned and supported by evidence. The second one, while stricter, still uncovered some loopholes and even offered helpful suggestions...
Shen Ce couldn't figure it out for a moment either, but he walked quickly toward the Imperial Household Department.
Halfway there, they saw a young eunuch hurrying south. Shen Ce shook his head. Who was Li Er looking for so early in the morning? There were some well-known officials waiting right in front of his door.
Upon entering the main hall, seeing the two clerks busy at work, he said, "You two clerks, first deliver the prepared memorials to the Grand Master, then summon Chief Clerk Qian, Chief Clerk, Chief Clerk Shu, and all the chief clerks of the Six Ministries to the courtyard."
The two looked up, about to ask a question, when Shen Ce interrupted them coldly, saying, "Don't ask, just do it now."
The two clerks quickly got up; one picked up the documents on the table, while the other hurried outside.
In the courtyard.
Shen Ce stood with one hand on his hip and the other on his sword, ignoring the people in the courtyard. The sword at his waist seemed out of place with his green official robe, but Shen Ce paid no attention to that. He remained silent, simply drawing and sheathing the sword repeatedly. The blade scraped against the scabbard, making a hissing sound.
After a long while, he looked up at the sky, estimated that the time was about right, and stopped what he was doing. He then said to the crowd present, "When I was still a squad leader, I heard from the guards under my command that the clerks in our Court of Imperial Sacrifices have dirty mouths and dare to say all sorts of deadly things."
"Yesterday I had some free time, so I found a soldier from the garrison and asked him to identify the person who had been gossiping that day."
"Unfortunately, that clerk was not only loose-lipped, but also dishonest, and I caught him alive."
Upon hearing this, everyone present exchanged frantic glances, then closed their eyes to recall which minor official had asked for leave that morning, or who had been absent.
Seeing the panicked looks in everyone's eyes, Shen Ce said calmly, "Don't worry, I won't implicate anyone. As long as you weren't involved, I won't report it to the authorities. As for the crime of negligence, we can handle it internally within our Court of Imperial Sacrifices."
Seeing that no one spoke up, Wan Lushi, being the eldest among them, took the lead and said, "Registrar Shen, now that the man has been arrested, he can be handed over to the authorities for investigation. Why have we been gathered here?"
"It was because that minor official couldn't withstand the torture of the Dali Temple and confessed everything. Others present also participated."
"Dali Temple?"
"Who?"
Shen Ce's words struck everyone like a thunderbolt. The fact that the registrar didn't ask the Ten Commands Office to investigate but instead went to the Court of Judicial Review changed the whole situation.
If it were someone from the Ten Prefectures, perhaps the person behind that minor official could find a way to help. But the Court of Judicial Review... forget it. They're all ravenous wolves that devour people without spitting out the bones. It won't work no matter who you ask. Registrar Shen is determined to make this case solid.
Shen Ce ignored everyone's questions and kept looking towards the door. After a short while, the long-awaited sound of horses' hooves finally came from outside.
So he walked briskly up to Wan Lushi and said in a low voice, "I'm going to confiscate your property."
"Would you like to hear the results?"
Wan Jigang, his beard trembling, pointed at Shen Ce and said, "You! How could you, Registrar Shen, do this? I am an official, not one of these clerks around me."
The six chief officials: "......."
Shen Ce took out a fish-shaped talisman from his pocket and waved it in front of him: "Will this work?"
Wen Wuyin, who had just entered the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was so excited that his heart was about to jump out of his chest. It was a big case! He had been in this position for two years, and he couldn't touch this person or that person in the Eastern Palace. He was extremely frustrated.
Yesterday an official came knocking on my door, and today the case was solved by raiding my home. Such merit is enough to make my blind superior open his eyes and take me seriously.
He dismounted, took out account books and testimonies from his saddlebag, called to his men, and rushed into the office of the chief clerk of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
As he walked, he cupped his hands and said, "Registrar Shen, I have not failed in my mission. This morning, I searched the home of the offending official and found an account book and a testimony from his relatives. I have come here to arrest him."
Shen Ce didn't turn around, but turned to look at Qian Yanxiu beside him, and asked with a smile, "Manager Qian, how long are you going to keep up this act?"