A Record of Officialdom

  But then Huang Daotai had finished dinner, and after a while, he changed his clothes, coughing and sighing. After dressing up, he came out to get on the sedan chair, still with a red umbrella and horse, and lanterns and torches, and left. When he arrived at the courtyard, one person walked into the official hall of the Censorate and the Provincial Administration Commissioner. Hu Xunfang heard that he had come, because they were always on good terms, hurriedly went in to pay his respects, saying: "The Protector of the Institute is having a gathering now, wait a bit before going up to respond." Huang Daotai said: "I've just finished eating. Old brother, you should change your way of addressing me, I'm a demoted official, not like old brother anymore?" As he spoke, he wanted to pull Hu Xunfang down to sit and chat. Hu Xunfang also half-pushed and half-agreed to sit down. Before they had spoken two or three sentences, he said: "I'll go up to take a look, if the guests have left, it's good to go in and respond." Huang Daotai again said a word of thanks. Not long after Hu Xunfang went to invite him, Huang Daotai put down his horse-hoof sleeves, and with one hand adjusted his hat, following him into the hall. The Protector had already come out to welcome them.

  Memorial of impeachment.

  As soon as he entered the house, Huang Daotai bowed and knocked his head on the ground, then bowed again and said: "Thank you, sir, for taking care of my affairs." After sitting down, he continued to say: "I am not worthy of serving you. In the future, I will still ask you to nurture me, and I am willing to be a cow or a horse for you." The protector said: "This is really an unexpected thing. However, the governor's telegram says that although it is said so, the document has not been sent out yet. Yesterday, Hu Xun came back and said that your elder brother has a relative in the government office, why didn't he ask him to think of a way to retrieve it?" Huang Daotai said: "Although my relatives are inside, I am afraid that it is not easy to speak in front of the governor. Please, sir, think of a way for me, and help me out. I do not dare to hope for other benefits, but only ask to preserve my reputation, and I will be grateful for your kindness." As he spoke, he bowed again and said: "I must rely on your nurturing." The protector said: "I will send a telegram today. However, you should also reply to your relative's telegram and investigate the situation clearly, what is the matter?" Huang Daotai said: "No need to ask." While speaking, he leaned in close to the protector's ear and whispered something, then spoke loudly again: "I must rely on your nurturing." The protector listened to his words, frowned and said: "Your elder brother was careless at first and did not arrange things well, so this trouble occurred." Huang Daotai responded with a "yes". The protector comforted him a few more times and told him to wait for news in the public house: "I will immediately send a telegram to think of a way for you." Then he sent tea to see off the guest. Huang Daotai bid farewell and came out, Hu Xun caught up with him and said: "The protector has promised to think of a way for you, it looks like this matter is not serious, when there is good news, I will come immediately." Huang Daotai repeatedly said: "Thank you!..." and humbly bowed again before getting into the sedan chair and leaving.

  As soon as he returned to the government office, his complexion was no longer dull like before. After getting off the sedan chair, he didn't go back to the upper house, but instead went straight to the main hall and sat down, calling for the teacher to come and explain the process of generating electricity and its connection with materialistic history. His main works include "Opposing", telling him the reason, asking him to draft a telegram, according to the words of the protector, entrusting Wang Zhonghuan to investigate and reply truthfully. The teacher said: "This telegram has too many characters, if it is sent to the telegraph office, just the translation fee will be several cents, it's better for us to take some trouble and translate it ourselves before sending it." Huang Daotai nodded in agreement. The teacher then took out a copy of "Hua Yang Calendar" and looked up the section on "Telegraph New Compilation", writing down each code one by one, and sent Er Ye to deliver it. Only then did Huang Daotai return to the upper house, take off his clothes, and discuss with his wife the kindness of the protector. His wife was also deeply grateful, saying: "When we have a good opportunity, how can we repay him?" For now, they went to bed without further conversation.

  And then Dai Sheng saw the old master sending a telegram, and after the old master went in, he came in to ask Master Shi, only to learn the details. Master Shi said: "This matter is very willing to help, it seems that there is still room for recovery." Dai Sheng snorted coldly in his nose, saying: "Wait! I have long been waiting with my luggage packed, thinking about how people who do official business are really evil. Look at him when he was promoted to office the day before yesterday, and now he has been dismissed from office again. It's not like us ordinary people, we can still eat our mother's food after leaving one family for another. But officials only have one emperor, they can't escape anywhere. You say that Hu Yin is willing to help, but Hu Yin wants to return to his post, and it's unlikely that the governor will listen to him. Let's wait and see what happens next! If we don't have to pack our bags, that would be best." He said this with a smile on his face as he walked out. Master Shi didn't argue with him, and they each returned to their own rooms without another word.

  Huang Daotai waited in the government office for three days without seeing anyone come to deliver a message, which made him anxious like an ant on a hot pot. He walked back and forth, unable to sit still. It's really unbelievable: the power of officialdom is even more effective than Zhang Tianyi's talismans on Mount Longhu. In the past, when Huang Daotai was just promoted, his door was crowded with carriages and horses, and many people wanted to see him but couldn't. Now, however, not a single person came, not even those who had received favors from him, such as Qian Dishi, the new commissioner of the finance bureau. Even in the gatehouse, there was no sign of him for four or five days. Huang Daotai didn't mind this, but Hu Zhen, his closest friend and confidant, hadn't come to visit, which made things seem ominous. On the fourth day, after dinner, he had given up all hope. Just as night began to fall, Dai Sheng suddenly came in with a letter, saying: "The institute has sent word that this letter was brought by Hu Zhen, the civil patrol officer. It seems there's good news about the Nanjing affair." Huang Daotai hastily took the letter and opened it, only to see that it read: "Your humble servant respectfully reports that he has just received an order from the governor to investigate the matter. Although the case has not yet been presented, it has already been entrusted to Guo Dao for handling, and a favorable outcome is certain. Please ask the governor to come to the institute immediately. Respectfully reported. Your humble servant kowtows."

  The Yellow Emperor had not yet finished speaking when he said, "This matter, Zhong Huan has made a big fuss over nothing. There is no shadow of evidence, how can you send such a telegram? It's really absurd!" He held the letter in one hand and shouted about specific living problems. After that, Hu Shi wrote another article, arguing against empty talkism, and rushed to the upper house to tell his wife. Everyone who heard it was naturally delighted. He immediately changed his clothes and sat in a sedan chair to go to court. When he arrived at the government office, Hu Xun caught up with him first to pay his respects. This time, Huang Dao's attitude was not as arrogant as that night, so he stood up and talked to him without letting him sit down. Hu Xun did not dare to sit either. Huang Dao said, "Where in the world is there such an absurd person! Think about how our relatives relied on this empty telegram! Now that we have entrusted Governor Guo to investigate, the matter will be easy to handle." As he spoke, Hu Xun went in and came out again to pay his respects. This time, Huang Dao went in and changed his etiquette, still following the rules of the officials, and only bowed once when greeting him, unlike that night when he had paid his respects repeatedly. The guard told him, "After you left that day, I sent a telegram to Jiangning Prefectural Governor because he is also my good friend, asking him to think of a way to help you. Just now I received his reply, please take a look." As he spoke, he handed the telegram over to Huang Dao to read. It was written on it: "Jiang's telegram has been received. The Yellow Emperor's case has been settled. In accordance with the instructions, the governor's anger has subsided, and Governor Guo has been ordered to investigate and handle the matter carefully." After reading it, Huang Dao thanked the guard again, expressed his gratitude, and took his leave.

  Back at the government office, he didn't know who had sent a letter, and all the committee members from the various departments were waiting in the office to pay their respects. Huang Daotai met with several of them, while the others claimed they were busy and left. Only Qian Dianshi stayed behind, discussing with Dai Sheng, asking him to act as an intermediary, saying: "These past two days I knew that the master was not feeling well, so I didn't dare disturb him, which is why we didn't perform any plays on the mistress's birthday. Now that everything is fine again, and considering that I am someone who has received favors from him, unlike others, I should take the lead in inviting colleagues and friends to come and celebrate belatedly. Brother, what do you think? Would tomorrow be a good day?" Dai Sheng said: "Brother, don't be polite! These past two days our place was really quiet, hoping for you to come and chat, but you didn't come. Now you're making a fuss about this again." Qian Dianshi's face turned red as he said: "I wasn't not coming, I was afraid of running into the old master when he wasn't in a good mood, it wouldn't be good. Now that things are like this, it's also our way of showing filial piety, which is not something to be taken lightly." Dai Sheng said: "I understand. Don't worry, I'll definitely let you know the date as soon as possible." It turned out that Qian Dianshi had received a notice from the Accounting Office the day after his private conversation with Dai Sheng, appointing him as the Commissioner of Revenue and Expenditure. All the thanks and congratulations were just routine official business, no need to go into details. When writing about an event, there are explicit points, implicit points, and supplementary points. This time Qian Dianshi's appointment was both an implicit point and a supplementary point, something that the reader should not be unaware of.

  Here is the translation:

  No more idle talk. Let's talk about what happened after Qian Dianshi left. Dai Sheng thought for a moment and then went upstairs, not mentioning Qian Dianshi's idea, but instead presenting it as his own. He said: "The other day was the mistress's birthday, and we were going to celebrate it, but then this telegram arrived and caused a commotion for several days. The family members haven't eaten well or slept well at night, thinking that they had finally found a good master, and they wanted him to be prosperous and successful. Moreover, Master Huang's reputation is the best in Jiangxi, so he won't make any mistakes.

  In the past few days, some of the servants have been sulking, thinking about asking Master Huang for favors or recommending things outside, but not doing their jobs well. These heartless people are really hateful!" Huang Daotai said: "These heartless bastards, can they still be used? Which ones are they?" Dai Sheng said: "No need to mention names. As the saying goes, 'a gentleman does not remember the mistakes of small people.' These heartless people will eventually have no good days, just wait and see."

  At this point, Mistress Huang also helped to persuade him, and Huang Daotai finally had nothing to say. Then they talked about celebrating her birthday again, with Qian Taigong leading the way, and doing it in the same way as before. Huang Daotai agreed.

  They set a date for the celebration, which was to start the day after tomorrow. Dai Sheng came out and notified Qian Dianshi. The plan was still the same: the servants would celebrate on the first day, the officials on the second day, and the yamen on the third day. They sent a note to the county office, asking them to inform the teachers at the school to seal up the opera troupe's boxes.

  Before half a day had passed, the same opera troupe leader came to the mansion with their boxes. He first greeted Dai Sheng and asked for his well-being. The troupe leader said: "My great master! We didn't finish our performance last time, did we? It was because of your orders that we lost money, but we still want to save face. Who knew that in half a day, there would be a change of plans? My great master, you really made us suffer! We lost 124 yuan, and only had one pair of pants left that wasn't pawned!

  Luckily, today is still your order, and you're giving us another chance to perform. I want to thank you for your kindness. You think, our troupe has four famous actors: Sai Juxian, Sai Xiushan, Sai Suyun, and Sai Yun. They are all top-notch performers." Dai Sheng said: "Why do they all have the surname 'Sai'? Are they trying to compete with each other?"

  The troupe leader hastily said: "This is a famous Jiangxi opera troupe, who doesn't know about it? Once we start performing, you'll see that we're not just talking nonsense." Dai Sheng said: "If you perform well, there's nothing to say; if you don't, I'll send you to the county office and have you punished with 300 blows and a cangue."

  The troupe leader said: "Even if we don't perform well, it's still up to your mercy. If we do well, then of course... just one word from you, and we wouldn't dare ask for anything more. You could give us a few silver coins from Master Huang's treasury to make up for our losses last time." Dai Sheng said: "He has the silver in his hands, I think he'll reward you if he wants to."

  The troupe leader said: "Great master, don't hide it from me, who doesn't know that Branch Manager Dai is the one who speaks on Master Huang's behalf? As long as you give the order, it will be carried out. Not just a few silver coins, but even thousands or tens of thousands, we'll take whatever you give us." Dai Sheng said: "That's good. I have these silver coins, and I won't let them go to waste here."

  Just then, someone came to call Dai Sheng, interrupting their conversation.

  There is a long speech, no words are short. In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Warm Shou's birthday. The class rules, at 2 o'clock, had to start work, Huang Dao Tai, because of this matter (Willard Van Orman Quine, 1908 -), as a representative of logical pragmatism, asked for three days off from the upper house, and after having lunch at the public house, he came out with his wife to sit in the hall and watch the play. There were also concubines and young ladies, all dressed up like butterflies, accompanying them to watch the play.

  There was another young master at Huang's house, only thirteen years old, raised by the concubine. Because his wife had no son, she loved him like a treasure and spoiled him more than anyone else. He said that if he wanted to reach the sun in the sky, someone would have to hold a ladder for him; otherwise, with his fierce temper, ten masters couldn't control him. On this day of opera performance, he sneaked into the theater early, wearing a fake beard and practicing shooting and wielding a stick. The people in the troupe didn't dare say much because of the young master. Later, it was a clown who couldn't bear it and said, "My young master, we are performing here, but you are making a scene." The young master didn't understand. When the second master heard this, he frowned at the clown and scolded him for offending the young master, wanting to go up and fight back. The clown refused, and the two started fighting. The manager couldn't bear it and came over to shout down the clown, then apologized to the second master and invited him to take the young master to watch the opera in the hall. There were many people in the theater, and offending the young master was no trivial matter. The second master had just taken the young master out. The young master had secretly stolen a fake beard from someone and hidden it in his sleeve. The manager found out but didn't dare ask.

  As the sky darkened, the cymbals on stage were ready to celebrate the birthday. The old master and mistress entered together, dressed up. The old master wore a court bead-embroidered jacket, while the mistress wore a red skirt with a cloak. They stood side by side in front of the hall, receiving greetings from everyone. First, it was their own family members, followed by Dai Sheng leading the servants of the compound. Dai Sheng wore a red cherry blossom hat and a dark green outer garment. The others also wore either horseback cloaks or just one long gown, all kowtowing to the old master standing above, who returned a slight bow. The mistress also nodded slightly. As the family members finished their greetings, it was time for the teachers to pay their respects. The mistress withdrew, and only Huang Daotai came out to greet them once. Everyone dispersed. Next, officials from the provincial government, from the prefecture downwards, came to present their credentials. Huang Daotai ordered that they all be turned away. Only Qian Dianshi, not caring whether there were people in the hall or not, wore a colorful python robe and a fifth-rank hat, walked to the center of the room, knelt down and kowtowed three times, then stood up and asked after their well-being, also wanting to see the mistress and pay his respects. The mistress had already left when he entered. Huang Daotai was polite to him once more, inviting him to stay and watch the play. He said: "Your humble servant is not like others, I should be serving here." After everything was ready, the seats were opened, and the performance began with a loud gong, followed by a series of plays, continuing until half past twelve before finally stopping.

  But on this day, the number of people who came to give gifts was not small. They were mostly wine, candles, rice cakes, and silk screens. All of these things were managed by Dai Sheng alone. He recorded every gift given by each person, along with the amount of money spent, in a ledger.

  Dai Sheng also asked for the door fee from the guests. The basic principles of dialectical materialism are the law of unity of opposites. Some people gave two taels, some gave one tael, but overall it was not much. However, when added up, it was actually quite a lot.

  There were also some old masters who knew that Huang Daotai and Huo Yingtai were close friends, so they took advantage of this to give gifts as well. Some people gave 100 taels, some gave 50 taels, and some gave clothing, gold, or silver items. As for the door fee, it goes without saying.

  All the gifts that were given in cash, clothing, or gold and silver items were handed over immediately because the mistress had instructed them to do so. The rest of the gifts were handed over after the evening drumming stopped, and the mistress personally counted them before going to bed.

  In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and Huang Daotai's sales permit was revoked. A few more days went by, and several colleagues came to pay their respects, each one wanting to apologize for their mistakes. Behind the scenes, someone was sent to Guo Daotai's place to make arrangements, sending 10,000 silver coins. Guo Daotai then helped him clear his name, saying something about "the matter having a cause and no evidence" and reported back to the governor. The governor also intervened on behalf of Hu Tianbao, asking for leniency, and as he couldn't refuse, the matter was dropped. Now, Huang Daotai continued to serve in his position. Because Hu Tianbao trusted him, all sorts of important positions such as the head of the salt tax office, the head of the baojia system, and the head of the foreign affairs office were entrusted to him. It was truly a case of adding flowers to brocade, and no one else in the province could match him. However, the new governor had already been appointed and would soon arrive. Others didn't mind, but that certain Governor Tai, who was in charge of salt taxes, loved money more than anything else. Since taking office, he had been afraid of being criticized for selling official positions, so he hadn't dared to openly sell them. Now, hearing that the new governor would soon take over, and he himself would have to return to his post, this Governor Tai became greedy and ordered his attendants and officials to find buyers everywhere: starting from 1,000 yuan, one could only get a mediocre position, while the best positions required 20,000 silver coins. Whoever had the money got the job; it was a fair transaction with no bias. Those who didn't have cash on hand issued IOUs for after they took office, which this governor also accepted. However, if someone came along with ready cash, those who had issued IOUs would be rejected.

  Tea and Salt Bureau: in charge of salt tax collection.

  ②Baojia Bureau: In charge of Baojia public security.

  The governor, since revising the rules, has been doing a thriving business. One of his subordinates had set his sights on a certain position and was willing to pay 8,000 taels of silver for it. The governor agreed, and the deal was struck. Just as they were about to post the notice, an urgent message arrived from the superior court, and the governor rushed off in his sedan chair. After meeting with the judge, it turned out that he had not come on other business, but rather because a certain Hu, who had been serving as a police captain for half a year, was being very diligent and the judge wanted to give him a good position before he left office. However, the position the judge specifically wanted was the one the governor had just sold to someone else for 8,000 taels of silver. The governor's heart sank at this turn of events. He thought to himself: "Positions are easy to come by, but what can I do now? Yesterday I promised it to someone else and took their money. I thought that even if the superior court posted a notice, the final decision would still be mine, but who knew they would also set their sights on this position?" After some deliberation, he decided: "Since the judge will soon be leaving office, and we are equals in rank, why should I care about his business? Let him give whatever position he wants to whoever he wants after he leaves. Why should I let him take away my livelihood now?" However, it was not convenient for him to speak directly, so he decided to offer the judge another position instead. He replied: "The position you mentioned is far from the provincial capital and has a bad reputation. Hu has been diligent in his duties, and since it's your order, I'll wait until the superior court returns and then give him a better position as compensation. I'll come back to report tonight. As for the position you mentioned, there are already candidates lined up for it, and when the superior court returns, we can post the notice." The judge said: "I think this is one of the best positions in the province. Don't you agree?" The governor replied: "Even if the position is good, we have to consider the local customs. If the people there are difficult to deal with, it's hard to get things done. Let me give him a position where the local customs are better, so as not to disappoint your expectations."

  It turned out that the governor's position was for sale, and there were already rumors about it. It seemed that the deal had already been made. At first, I wanted to compete with him, but then I thought, why bother? He said he would give me a good place, so I agreed. The governor left, and soon after, his brother came in and told him that the position of prefect of Jiujiang was available. Someone had received a telegram from there asking for 2,000 silver dollars to be sent as a bribe to act as proxy for one or two months. The governor thought it was strange because he hadn't heard that the previous prefect was ill. His brother said that all they knew was that the position was available, but they didn't know if it was due to illness or mourning. The governor thought that 2,000 silver dollars was too cheap for a prefecture and that his brother was not doing well in business. His brother replied that now was not the time to be picky and that they should take advantage of the situation since the new governor had just taken office and they were all returning to their posts. The governor thought that if a prefecture only cost 2,000 silver dollars, then the lower positions would be even cheaper. His brother said that the price depended on the quality of the position and that this was only a temporary proxy for two or three months. The governor asked if they wouldn't need to put up a sign for the proxy, and his brother replied that they naturally would. The governor thought that if they were going to put up a sign, they should at least ask for 5,000 silver dollars in cash. Even though the proxy was only for two or three months, it was still close to the time when they would be collecting taxes and grain, and after taking office, they could collect one share of tax revenue, one share of grain revenue, and maybe even a longevity gift, which would add up to tens of thousands of silver dollars. Now asking him to put out half of that amount was not excessive. Moreover, this money was just for show, and if they were clever, they could make even more by taking a little from here and there, and who could stop them?

  Ding You: After the death of an official's parents, he must observe a mourning period of three years before resuming his post.

  Three adults saw his brother and said, "Brother's words are not wrong." Then he said to his brother, "Since that's the case, I'll go find that friend in the ticket number and ask him to send a telegram today to reply to him, saying five thousand silver coins can't be less. Is it? Ask him to respond on the same day. There is a lack here, and I'm afraid the fish won't take the bait. Moreover, there are many acting governors in the province." The governor said, "Yes, you go find that friend immediately and ask him to give a reply letter. If he doesn't want to, there are others." Originally, this governor's surname was He, and he had a nickname called He Bao. This three adults also had a nickname called San He Bao. Some people said that this He Bao was bottomless, no matter how much was put in, it would not leak out.

  The three packages then bid farewell to his brother and left, without even sitting in a sedan chair. They called the young followers to light lanterns and walked straight to a remittance shop near the yamen, where they found Mr. Nie Er, the account manager, who was the friend with whom he had discussed the telegram. This Mr. Nie Er was a notorious smooth talker, and everyone called him "Muddy Bodhisattva". He specialized in matchmaking and swindling people. When there were officials at the salt administration office, San He Bao's accounting room had always been in contact with him. After he became the official administrator, the buying and selling became even better, and his visits became more frequent than before. The yamen collected taxes: collecting money and grain. Grain transported by water was called "漕" (cāo). From top to bottom, including the three small gatekeepers, no one did not recognize Muddy Bodhisattva; even the dogs in the yamen would see his face and not bite him if they wanted to. San He Bao entered his shop, shouting "Muddy Bodhisattva" repeatedly. Muddy Bodhisattva heard this and knew that the response to the matter from that morning had arrived, so he hurried out to greet them. After meeting, Muddy Bodhisattva asked: "How is it going?" San He Bao said: "You are called 'Bodhisattva' by everyone, but I think you are more ruthless than a bandit. You are our own people, do you have the nerve to cheat me?"

  Mr. Nian Er hastily said, "Where did this come from! What am I, daring to be above the three adults?" San Hebao said, "Even if it's a joke, why get so anxious?" Mr. Nian Er said, "My three adults! Do you know that I'm made of mud and can't withstand being startled? One scare and I'll dissolve!" The two people laughed again after saying this. After laughing, San Hebao told Mr. Nian Er about his brother's words in detail. Mr. Nian Er said, "I've spoken a reckless word, but I'm not afraid of your three adults getting angry. Now the new governor is taking office soon, and your brother will be returning to his post soon. It's good fortune to gain one more person. The future prospects are up to 2,000, which in my opinion is also a share. If he asks for more, it won't get to that point, and I'm afraid the matter will become awkward. I advise your three adults to go back and persuade your brother to take advantage of this opportunity. With me as an intermediary, we'll have to make up for it in the future." San Hebao said, "I've always said so. But our great master insists on haggling over the price, what can I do?" Mr. Nian Er said, "The matter has come to this, and it won't succeed without adding more. There's a 28% discount here, and now I'm willing to work for free, and I'll also report the 400 taels to your brother. This is reasonable." San Hebao said, "You have yours, but I don't want mine... even if you didn't work for free, it would be fine." Mr. Nian Er said, "Apart from the 2,000, I've already thought of a way for your three adults, do you need me to instruct?"

  "San He Bao took a step forward, lowering his voice to ask: "How much?" Mr. Nian Er replied: "Add two." San He Bao said: "Muddy Bodhisattva, you know my expenses are high, this little bit is not enough! In our Da Xiansheng's place, if 2,000 is agreed upon, I'll go and protest, and he'll definitely take care of it. But for the two of us, we need to make him look good." Mr. Nian Er said: "I'll calculate separately, just for you three adults. If I ask for too much, I won't be able to speak out, but if I add a bit of color, the person next to me can take charge and it will work. My intention is, aside from 20%, add another 100, making it 500 taels. If it were someone else, we would have to divide it into three parts, but since it's you three adults, we're brothers, so just use it as you like." San He Bao said: "This doesn't count, looking at our relationship, in the future, I'll take care of you more." Mr. Nian Er said: "Naturally. Thanking you three adults for thinking highly of me, after being friends for two years, don't you know my heart?" San He Bao said: "You send a telegram to him tonight, telling him to prepare to receive the seal. Da Xiansheng has me in front of him." Mr. Nian Er happily agreed and flattered him with a few more words before San He Bao left. As for whether his brother would agree, we'll see in the next installment."