A Record of Officialdom

  But then San He Bao returned to the government office, saw his brother and asked about "how's that thing going". San He Bao said: "Don't mention it, this thing is messed up! Big brother, you'd better assign someone else, this thing doesn't look like it will succeed." The provincial governor heard these words, a basin of cold water poured down from the top of his head, stunned for a while, and asked: "Who exactly messed it up? I quoted a price, he should counteroffer; he countered with a higher price, I didn't agree to it, he left but still owed me an explanation. Where can he just say two thousand is two thousand and everything goes according to his wishes? It's better for this provincial governor to let him do it himself, no need to come find me. You brothers have several houses relying on me, the eldest brother, to help you with marriage arrangements, and also to donate officials. Old three, it's not that I'm being unreasonable as the big brother, but this matter is also for everyone's benefit, you doing your part as a younger brother shouldn't be too much to ask, how can you just go talk and say it's not successful? Moreover, at Nai's place, our department has so much silver going in and out, he doesn't want to give us the interest money, but he still makes a profit. For this little bit of interest, he's holding onto it tightly, I think he's not a good person!"

  Originally, Sanhe Bao came in with the intention of writing a contrarian article. He first said that it was unsuccessful, waiting for his brother to haggle over the price, using the "luring the boat to the shore" tactic. After seeing his brother's appearance, he later said something about letting him haggle, Sanhe Bao listened with great joy, thinking that this would allow him to lower the price, which is called "making a profit both inside and out". However, after hearing the second half, he was scolded by his brother for this long passage, and became angrily ashamed.

  Here is the translation:

  Originally, San Hebao was always very cautious in front of his older brother. But now, after being scolded by him, he thought that his hidden intentions had been discovered and heard his brother's condescending tone, so he couldn't help but flare up and speak out to his brother: "Older brother, don't talk like this. If you want to say it like this, let's settle our accounts once and for all." He Fan Tai said: "What are you talking about?" San Hebao said: "Settling accounts!" He Fan Tai said: "What accounts?" San Hebao said: "The accounts of dividing the family property!" He Fan Tai sneered coldly after hearing this, saying: "Old three, and your second brother and fourth younger brother, which one of you wasn't raised by me? Do you still want to settle accounts with me?" San Hebao said: "I know. When father was not around, there were over a million taels of silver left. First, you donated to become a county magistrate, donating over 100,000 taels and getting a real position; within three years, after mother passed away, the funeral expenses came to over 200,000 taels, making up for the deficit: your own name was already used up at that time. From then on, you just sat back and enjoyed the family property, but your household had many mouths to feed, and when you finished serving as a official, you owed another 100,000 taels or so. Relying on being a county magistrate didn't work out, suddenly wanting to rise high, donating to become a prefectural magistrate, introducing yourself through the back door, again over 200,000 taels. After arriving at the province, serving as the head of the salt administration for three years, it should have been possible to save two or three hundred thousand taels, but who knew you were still crying poverty, saying it was either true or fake. Serving as a deputy prefectural magistrate for a while, then getting fed up and wanting to take another post, 80,000 taels of silver to buy a secret protection, introducing yourself to the Ministry. Again over 300,000 taels, buying this salt administration position. Not one cent was our three brothers' money. Even if it were for our marriages or official donations, what we used could only be considered interest, never touching the principal. Now we are using our own family's money, no need for you to mediate! What marriage, what official donation, if you don't want to take care of it, just don't; as long as you return our money! We have money, so we're not afraid of not being able to marry or become officials!"

  He Fan Tai's face turned green with rage, like a winter melon, and he sat there in a daze, not saying a word. San He Bao saw that his brother had nothing to say, so he started talking loudly and boastfully about natural science and society. As he spoke, he walked around with his hands behind his back and his head held high. All that could be heard was him saying: "Let's not talk about family matters for now. Even if I were to take care of things on your behalf as a brother, you should think about it carefully: Wang Mengmei from Yushan owes 12,000, Zhou Xiaobianzi from Pingxiang owes 8,000, Hu Zigeng from Xinchang owes 6,000, Mo Guiying from Xupu owes 5,500, Lu Ziling from Jishui owes 5,000, Huang Tianfu from Luling owes 6,400, Zhao Linzhou from Xinjiu owes 4,500, Wang Ermei from Xinjian owes 3,500, Jiang Dahua from Nanchang owes 3,000, Kong Qinglie and Lu Ziting from Wuling owe 2,000 each. There are also those who owe 1,000 or 800, but I can't remember them all at once. At the very least, there are over 20 people who owe money. I have a clear account of every single one of them. This money didn't come from me helping you out as your brother, so where did it come from? You always say nice things, but when it comes to actual numbers, you're not willing to take out even half a cent. Now you're trying to settle accounts with me? Let's settle them clearly once and for all. If we can't figure it out, we can go to the county government in Nanchang and ask Jiang Dahua to mediate. If he can't handle it, there's still the provincial capital or the provincial governor. Or if need be, we can even go to the imperial court. I'll take you there myself. You should know that brothers aren't easy to bully!"

  Report to the capital immediately.

  Three Lotus Bags said more and more complacently, while the Prefect stared blankly, puffing out his chest, getting angrier and angrier, and finally said after a long time: "I don't want to be an official anymore! Everyone is poor and struggling, I work hard for what? Even my own brother doesn't take me seriously, what's the point of living in this world? It's better to shave my head and become a monk, at least it's peaceful!" Three Lotus Bags said: "You work hard for what? No matter what, it's not for others. You say your brother doesn't take you seriously, then you should show him the dignity of being an elder brother! Whether you want to be an official or a monk, it's up to you, it has nothing to do with others."

  He Fan Tai listened to this and became more and more angry. Originally lying on the bed smoking opium, he got up, threw away his pipe, and suddenly changed his demeanor. He smashed a tea bowl, spilled tea all over the bed, and wet a large piece of bedding. San Hu Bao saw him coming fiercely and thought he was going to hit him. Before he could react, He Fan Tai took off his horsehide coat, rolled up his sleeves, and pounced on his brother with a fierce tiger-like stance. Initially, after throwing away his pipe, He Fan Tai had intended to rush out and find the teacher to help him write a letter to the governor to report his illness. But seeing his brother's ferocity, he resisted with all his might while saying, "You can kill me!" At first, when the two brothers were arguing, the family members in the outer room were quiet and didn't dare make a sound. As things escalated, several older men came in to mediate, trying to persuade He Fan Tai to let go. One of them hugged him from behind, trying to pull him away, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't budge. Several younger servants didn't dare intervene and immediately ran to the back hall to tell the mistress, "The master is fighting with Third Master, and they're pulling each other's queues!" The mistress was shocked and rushed to the flower hall without even putting on her dress or bringing a maid. The servants saw her and quickly opened the curtain to let her in. She saw that the two brothers were still entangled and hadn't separated. The mistress was frantic and, using all her strength, rushed forward to try to pull them apart. But she couldn't budge them! One brother said, "You can kill me!" while the other said, "We'll die together!" The mistress cried tears of anxiety, saying, "What's going on?" While speaking, she was actually helping her husband and used all her strength to pull him aside. He Fan Tai saw his wife's distress and immediately softened, letting go and sitting down in a chair beside him.

  The three bundles were not prepared for his brother's sudden release of hands, and he continued to use all his strength to push forward. When his brother sat down, he stumbled and fell, hitting his head on his sister-in-law's belly. His sister-in-law was a woman who had been pregnant for three months and had no energy. She was hit by her brother-in-law's head and fell to the ground with a thud. The three bundles also climbed down and landed on top of the lady. He Furong looked at this, feeling both angry and anxious: he was angry that his brothers were not reasonable, and he was worried that his wife had been pregnant for three months and was already an old man with a beard. This concubine wife was married last year and only now had good news. If she miscarried because of this, it would be no joke. At the time, he couldn't care about anything else, so he personally came over, pulled his brother up with one hand, and used both hands to pull his wife up. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift her up. He saw his wife sitting on the ground, holding her belly with one hand, supporting her cheek with the other, lowering her head, closing her eyes, frowning, and sweating profusely. When He Furong asked her how she was, she just shook her head and couldn't speak. He Furong anxiously said: "I really don't know what sin I committed in my previous life to encounter you villains!" The three bundles saw this scene and slipped away quietly.

  When the lady came out, another servant rushed outside and shouted: "The old master is fighting with the third old master! You masters don't go to persuade them!" In an instant, all the masters received the news, including the official uncle, the second uncle, the aunt's husband, the grandson, the paternal uncle, the second master, and the nephew. They gathered together and went to the signing room to mediate. As they entered the outer room, the servant reported: "The lady is inside." Everyone stopped in their tracks, not daring to enter; several family members were also polite and stood outside listening. Later, they heard the third old master knock the lady down, and the lady cried out in pain. Everyone knew that things were getting out of hand, and even those who came to mediate were being beaten inside. Then they saw the third old master lift the curtain and come out, and everyone asked him what was going on. The third old master, seeing several elders in front of him, couldn't say it was his fault or his brother's fault, but said: "Our brothers' affairs are complicated, my anger has reached its limit, and I won't say anything about him!" After saying this, he slipped away quickly. The people here were still confused. Later, the accountant master and the second master of the family carefully asked the servant who was on duty in the signing room, and only then did they understand what had happened.

  The two old masters were about to ask more questions, but they only heard the lady inside shouting "ah yo ah" nonstop. It seemed that she had exerted herself too much earlier and was now in a precarious state, perhaps due to Third Master's rough handling of her. Everyone knew that the lady was three months pregnant and feared a miscarriage. Several people outside were discussing the nature of things, how they possessed spiritual characteristics due to their unique physical composition. Suddenly, they heard He Fan Tai shouting for someone to go call the midwife, and then he scolded the old mother in the upper room: "Are you all dead? Why hasn't anyone come out?" The servants heard their master's anger and quickly dispersed to make the call. Before long, Madame and Miss led a group of old mothers to the back of the screen door. The scholars had no choice but to withdraw. Madame and Miss led three or four old mothers inside, where they were scolded by He Fan Tai again. Everyone dared not speak. With great difficulty, five or six people carried the lady inside, lifting and pulling her along. He Fan Tai followed them upstairs, watching as they helped the lady onto the bed. When asked how she was, she couldn't say anything.

  He Fan Tai immediately called for someone to go to the government medical office and invite Zhang Cong, also known as Zhang Lao Ye, to come and take a pulse. Zhang Cong immediately put on his clothes and hat, came to the provincial governor's mansion, first fell into the official hall, handed in his name card, and waited until the attendant came out and said "please" before following him in. When they walked to the entrance of the mansion, it was the second master who led him in. Zhang Cong and this second master first accompanied each other with a smile, exchanged a few pleasantries, and unknowingly arrived at the upper house. He Fan Tai came out from the room to greet them, saying repeatedly "thank you for your trouble!" Zhang Cong saw his face and first paid his respects as an official, asked about his well-being, and said: "Madam is unwell, I should have come earlier to attend to her." He Fan Tai immediately invited him to sit down and told him the details of the illness. Not long after, the old mother came out to invite them in. He Fan Tai followed and let him enter the room together. Only then did they see a canopy bed above. Zhang Cong knew that Madam was sleeping on the bed and it was inconvenient to pay respects, so he just said: "Please give my regards to Madam." There was no response from inside the canopy, but He Fan Tai politely spoke with him for a moment. Then he sat down sideways on a stool in front of the bed, asked the old mother to bring out Madam's right hand and place it on three books, closed his eyes, lowered his head, and used three fingers to take her pulse at the inch, guan, and chi positions. After taking her pulse for about an hour, he took a look at the other left hand in the same way. Then he asked the old mother to go and look at Madam's tongue coating. He Fan Tai was afraid that the old mother couldn't be trusted, so he lit a candle, opened the canopy, and let Zhang Cong take a look himself. Zhang Cong immediately stood up, took a quick glance, and called for the canopy to be closed again, saying: "It's just a case of wind invasion, not a serious illness!" After finishing this sentence, he followed He Fan Tai back to the outer room to write a prescription. Zhang Cong said: "Madam's illness is originally due to liver damage from anger and frustration, and there is also a bit of force that has stirred up the fetal energy. It doesn't seem too serious." Then he wrote a prescription, which included white peony, bupleurum, coptis, and black mountain gardenia. After finishing writing, he handed it over to He Fan Tai, saying: "I don't understand anything, I just ask for your guidance, sir." He Fan Tai took it over, looked at it once, and repeatedly said: "You are very skilled!..." Then he saw that there was an additional note on the back of the prescription, which read: "Prepared by Zhang Cong, official physician of the government medical office, Jiangxi province". He Fan Tai smiled after reading it and handed it over to his attendant to take and hurry up to prepare the medicine. Here, Zhang Cong also stood up to bid farewell. Not long after, the attendant returned with the prepared medicine according to the prescription. In less than half an hour, Madam's abdominal pain had stopped. He Fan Tai finally felt at ease.

  Because of this matter, his brother was making trouble, and although the lady was ill, she didn't mind, but his brother refused to back down. This thing had to have a conclusion. The next day, He Fan went to the court and asked for two days off, saying he had a cold, but in fact, he was sitting at home angry. San Hebao also ignored him, making him even angrier, so he could only pretend to be fierce and go to the signing room to ask the teacher to write a letter to the protector, asking for sick leave; saying: "I don't want to do this official job anymore! I've worked hard for several years, but I'm not even as good as a slave, why bother?" The teacher refused to write it, and he begged him to write quickly. The teacher was anxious and whispered something in the ear of Er Ye, who was serving in the signing room, asking him to invite all the teachers from the combined yamen, including Shu Taigong and Shu Daxiong, to come and persuade him. In an instant, they all arrived. At that time, everyone was talking at once. At first, He Fan was stubbornly refusing to agree. Fortunately, two old men, a maternal uncle and a paternal uncle, had a plan in mind and said: "This matter is not right, we must call San Hebao to apologize and make amends, only then can this anger be dissipated." He Fan said: "Don't call him, that would kill me!" The maternal uncle said: "My nephew's words he dare not disobey!" Then he pulled the paternal uncle and went out together to find San Hebao.

  San He Bao had always been in charge of the accounting room in the yamen, and although he was his uncle's nephew, he often relied on him for support. So when they met, San He Bao followed the usual protocol and showed deference to his uncle. However, as soon as they were alone in the accounting room, his uncle's demeanor changed, and he spoke in a soft voice with a hint of a smile. His uncle called out to him in a drawn-out tone, "Old virtuous nephew," but seemed hesitant to say anything more. San He Bao sensed his intention and said, "Isn't it time for you to take leave? He's trying to suppress me, but I'm not afraid. Once he's gone, we'll settle the accounts." His uncle replied, "It's not that. You two are like brothers. Let's just say that you've been letting him have his way all these years, managing the accounts and helping him with external matters. He knows what's good for him, but since he's about to hand over power soon, he's feeling a bit down and is being obstinate." San He Bao said, "What did I do to provoke him? If I had indeed provoked him first, I should be punished accordingly, let him deal with me as he sees fit." His uncle said, "I'm not saying you're in the wrong! But since he's your elder brother, can't you just give in a bit and let me mediate between you two to resolve this matter?" His uncle also chimed in, speaking in an even more respectful tone than his uncle, addressing San He Bao as "Third Master".

  San He Bao listened and thought that this matter should have a conclusion. If it were to be delayed, not only would his 2,000 be lost, but also his own 500 heads would be wasted on others. After thinking of a plan, he said to his uncle and granduncle: "I don't want to hide anything from you. If he truly cares about my brother, this dispute originated for the sake of Jiujang Prefecture." He then explained everything from start to finish regarding the sale of the official position. The two men said in unison: "We are aware of that." San He Bao continued: "If he agrees to the 2,000 with others, I will make peace with him. If he still wants to put on airs and refuses to return my share of the family property immediately, I will leave at once; and from now on, he should not acknowledge me as his brother." His granduncle said: "What nonsense are you talking about? Everything is under your control. You say 2,000 is 2,000. My uncle told him to only ask for 2,000, and he dare not disobey!" Saying this, he and his uncle each took one of San He Bao's arms and led him to the contract room.

  The servants saw San Lao Ye coming and quickly rolled up the curtains. At this time, Shu Tai Ye and Shu Shu Ye, one in front and one behind, sandwiched San He Bao in between. San He Bao walked into the house and saw everyone standing up to greet him, except for his brother who was still sitting upright in his chair without moving. San He Bao looked at him and couldn't help but add more fuel to the fire. Luckily, Shu Tai Ye had a way with words and said, "What's going on between brothers that can't be discussed? Why make others worry about you two? I haven't eaten well since yesterday because of you two. Old Three, come here and call your brother 'big brother' first." San He Bao was full of resentment but had no choice, so he stiffened his face and called out "Big Brother" in a harsh tone. Before He Fan Tai could respond, Shu Lao Ye burst out laughing and said, "Alright, alright! You brothers are back to normal, and I can finally eat my meal!" Just as He Fan Tai was about to scold his brother in front of everyone, he saw the servant come in with a card that read: "Newly appointed Magistrate of Yushan County, Wang Meng Mei, pays his respects." This person happened to be one of San He Bao's clients, and he had given him 12,000 yuan. Today, he came to bid farewell before taking up his new post. He Fan Tai saw the card and changed his mind, thinking that this was a good opportunity for his brother. Unconsciously, his expression softened, and he said, "I have guests to attend to, you stay here and keep everyone company." Everyone chimed in, "Alright, we'll disperse too!" Shu Tai Ye, Shu Shu Ye, and the other teachers all left together, while He Fan Tai went out to receive his guests.

  Originally, the newly appointed Wang Mengmei of Yushan County was a skilled official. In the first half of the year, he had been in charge of several months of tax collection and had been too greedy for money, causing public discontent and numerous merchants to file complaints with the provincial government. The head of the tax office immediately reported the matter to the governor, who ordered Wang Mengmei's dismissal and the arrest of his subordinates for questioning. Later, it was found that he had colluded with his subordinates to extort money. Fortunately, the governor showed mercy and only punished the subordinates, while giving Wang Mengmei a severe warning, demoting him three ranks, and suspending his appointment for one year, thus covering up the matter.

  Coincidentally, He Fangtai was about to take office as the provincial governor and had received news that he would soon be reappointed. He then opened the doors wide and began to solicit donations from all sides. His brother also helped him, actively recruiting people. As long as they were willing to pay a large sum of money, their requests would be granted.

  Wang Mengmei learned about this opportunity and first asked someone to invite He Fangtai's confidant, San Hebao, to drink wine together. Coincidentally, it was San Hebao's birthday, so Wang Mengmei took the opportunity to send him a gift of several hundred taels of silver and invited him to watch an opera at a brothel. They gathered a group of sycophants and celebrated San Hebao's birthday together.

  That day, San Hebao was overjoyed and became close friends with Wang Mengmei. Coincidentally, the former magistrate of Yushan County had been dismissed due to a case. Yushan was a famous good position in Jiangxi, so Wang Mengmei found San Hebao and offered to pay him 10,000 yuan to help him get the appointment.

  San Hebao agreed to help and went to persuade He Fangtai. He Fangtai said that Wang Mengmei was a suspended official and that it would be an exception to appoint him, so he asked for more money. After some discussion, they added 2,000 yuan. Wang Mengmei also secretly sent San Hebao a silver note worth 2,000 yuan.

  San Hebao took the note with one hand while saying with his mouth, "Do you still want this, brother?" By the time he finished speaking, the note had already been put in his pocket.

  Here is the translation:

  It turned out that Wang Mengmei had only been to one yamen and hadn't even finished his term, withdrawing halfway. After returning to the province, he still had to settle accounts and attend social gatherings, and even gave some extra money to the patrolmen and clerks who had helped him in his time of need. This time, when buying a new position, he was lucky to have a friend from a money shop lend him 3,000 taels, and he also managed to get two expectant fathers - one a teacher and the other a second son-in-law - each contributing 3,000 taels, with the promise that after taking office, one would be in charge of the treasury and the other would handle documents. The three contributions totaled 9,000 taels, and the remaining 4-5,000 taels were made up by Wang Mengmei himself.

  On this day, as he was about to take office, he came to bid farewell, but it was just a formal courtesy, not worth detailing. After bidding farewell to his superiors and colleagues, Wang Mengmei led his family and all the attendants and servants on their way to take up his new post. They traveled for several days.

  The day before arriving at Yushan, an official announcement arrived, and soon the county's messengers came to welcome him. Wang Mengmei intended to take office immediately, as it was currently the time for collecting taxes, and not a moment could be delayed. He had originally planned to receive the seal of office that very day, but unexpectedly, it was already late in the evening, with only the lamp light remaining, which made him anxious and eager to get the seal right away.

  Fortunately, Old Master Qian came to persuade him, saying: "Today is already late, even if someone comes to pay taxes, we must wait until tomorrow morning. We don't collect taxes at night." Wang Mengmei listened to his words and finally had nothing to say. However, he didn't sleep that night.

  Around the fourth watch, he got up, fearing that he would miss the dawn and the previous incumbent would collect the taxes instead. When everyone was ready, they carried him into the yamen, where the sun was already high on the wall. After receiving the seal of office, he ascended to his seat, and it was time for the formalities - the presentation of gifts, the congratulations of the messengers, and other official business, which is not worth detailing.

  Borrowing money from colleagues when taking office.

  He was talking about his predecessor, the county official, who was a jinshi by origin, and was a gentle and peaceful person, but slightly lacking in understanding when it came to hearing and handling cases. As a result, the superior officials evaluated him as follows: "His judgment is muddled, and he is not suitable for governing the people. However, since he is a jinshi by origin, his writing skills are still good, so let's demote him to a teaching position." This evaluation was sent up, and the Grand Council drafted an edict that was usually not changed at all, but this time it was approved as is. The province received the telegram first, and then the official document arrived. Coincidentally, Wang Mengmei had manipulated things behind the scenes and got the position. When Wang Mengmei took office, his predecessor moved his family out of the government residence on the same day to make way for the new official. After settling accounts and handing over duties, he returned to the province without further ado.

  Zhangjing: an official title, a staff member of the Grand Council.

  When Wang Mengmei took office, everything else was fine, but his account room and draft case were all pregnant with problems. In the beginning, it was just a matter of slow response, but later on, this official gradually became like one of them. Wang Mengmei had a young nephew who also worked in the government helping to manage the account room, but he still had a clear mind. Seeing that things weren't going well, he told his uncle: "Since we took office over half a month ago, fortunately, it was during the grain tax collection season, so we can return their money and send them away, avoiding any damage to our reputation." His uncle listened, stunned for a moment, then said after a pause: "Wait, I have my own way of handling this." The young nephew saw that his words were not getting through, so he stopped discussing it.

  Originally, Wang Mengmei was the most despicable. After taking over, he retreated in everything, letting the other two do whatever they wanted, and when something happened one day, he would turn his face and take advantage of it, having them heavily punished or sent back to their hometown, eliminating future troubles. Not only did he get rid of their money, but also gained a good reputation, isn't that killing two birds with one stone? That's why he didn't care about what his nephew said.

  Back to the signing room, coincidentally that second master with a big belly, named Jiang Fu, came up to discuss official business. There was a case that Wang Mengmei had already dismissed, but Jiang Fu had received money from the plaintiff and came back again, insisting that Wang Mengmei issue an arrest warrant for the defendant. Wang Mengmei refused. The two of them argued for a while, with Jiang Fu muttering to himself and storming out after cursing loudly. Wang Mengmei didn't bother to argue with him, so he picked up a red pen and wrote a notice, posting it on the wall of the second hall to inform his colleagues and the doormen. The general idea was:

  This official is as clear as water. If there are colleagues, officials, and gatekeepers who are not at peace with their duties, who deceive and extort money from people, once discovered, they will be severely punished according to the rules, without any leniency. After this proclamation was posted, others were fine, but only Jiang Fu felt uneasy, looking unhappy. He returned to his room, thinking to himself: "He issued this proclamation to shut me down. On the one hand, it cuts off my path, and on the other hand, it uses its reputation for integrity to control us. Hmph! When there's food, everyone eats; when there's no food, everyone starves. I, Jiang Fu, am not someone to be trifled with. You think you can monopolize everything and make us all starve? That won't happen!" After thinking of a plan, the next day after the court session was over, Wang Mengmei had just entered when the clerks were about to leave. He beckoned them to stay, saying: "Everyone, wait! The master has something to instruct." They stopped and listened as he spoke in a drawling tone: "The master wants me to tell you that since he became an official, he has always been upright and never taken a single penny; moreover, he is very considerate of the people. He knows that the local people are suffering, and this year's harvest was not good. First, he wants those who have finished paying their taxes to be allowed to pay one by one, without being forced to pay extra. This matter has already been discussed yesterday, and once the rules are finalized, they will be posted. Second, for all of you clerks, apart from your regular wages and food allowance, the master will provide everything else, but he does not allow you to ask for more money outside. You should know that yesterday's proclamation stated that officials and their relatives are not allowed to extort money privately. If discovered, no matter who it is, they will be severely punished. Everyone, be careful!" After finishing speaking, he walked away, returning to his own room.

  String: refers to single certificates and vouchers.

  These books were different from the ones that had been taken away, and everyone was puzzled as to why the official had made such a move. They couldn't figure out what was going on in his mind. As a result, rumors spread quickly throughout the city, with people saying: "The old master is an honest official, and soon there will be a new policy to exempt taxes and eliminate extortion by bookkeepers." However, it was not the second item that caused a stir, but rather the first one, which made people think they could take advantage of the situation. After waiting for three days, no announcement came out, and during these three days, not a single penny of tax was collected. Wang Mengmei was very surprised, saying: "How strange! Not a single penny has been seen in these three days!" He sent his trusted men to investigate outside and only then did he realize what was going on. He was furious and wanted to immediately summon the court and have Jiang Fu beaten with 3,000 boards. Fortunately, he was persuaded by several masters not to do so, who said: "This matter is not good to spread around." Wang Mengmei said: "After this commotion, can I still collect my money?" Qian Guzi, one of the masters, replied: "Why not let him go? This matter will be considered as if it never happened. His words are not reliable, and surely these common people won't really refuse to pay their taxes."

  Here is the translation:

  Wang Mengmei saw that everyone was speaking reasonably, so she called the young master from the accounting room to come and tell Jiang Fu to leave immediately. The young master said, "What about the 3,000 yuan?" Wang Mengmei said, "Wait until we've investigated and made sure there's no problem, then we'll give it to him." The young master said, "I'm afraid this won't work out." Wang Mengmei said, "Why are you all hoping I'll take out more money? You're just happy when I do!" The young master was rebuffed and didn't dare say anything else, so he went out to talk to Jiang Fu. Jiang Fu said, "From the day Master took office, I knew my time here was limited. It's easy for me to leave, as long as you return my 3,000 yuan. There's one more thing: in the past, Master had said 'share good fortune together, share difficulties together'. Now that Master has been promoted and become wealthy, we family members have made efforts and lost money, but ended up with nothing. Please ask the young master to speak on our behalf and make some arrangements for us. Apart from interest, we should get some compensation. There are a few other cases where we made some money, small things like 10 or 20 yuan, no need to mention them. For example, the Kong family's inheritance dispute and the Hu-Lu marriage case, these two cases alone would be worth at least 5,000 yuan. Master's position is worth over 14,000 yuan, plus expenses, that's over 15,000 yuan. We family members have contributed 3,000 yuan, which is one-fifth of the total. How should we split it? Master is an official, a man of great talent and generosity, I'm sure he won't be stingy with us family members. Please ask the young master to put in a good word for us, and we'll come back tonight to await your response." With that, he withdrew.

  The young master was in a difficult position after hearing this, and he thought to himself: "He's good at speaking softly, but his words are as sharp as needles. Should I respond on his behalf or not? If I speak directly, my uncle's temper is not easy to deal with. Just now, I said one sentence and he scolded me, saying that I was helping outsiders ask him for money. But if I don't go back, soon Chuang Fu will come again to ask for a response, and how can I deal with him? To be honest, the three thousand yuan is not something that can be used as one wishes; now wanting to take it away from others is not right in my heart. Moreover, Chuang Fu is not someone who can be easily dealt with. Truly, one evil person after another, what method can I use to deal with them? Alright, let me go and find Auntie, probe her attitude and see how she feels, then make a decision." Having made up his mind, he called someone to ask where the old master was currently handling official business. He then snuck into the upper house and told his aunt everything from start to finish. He also said: "Now Uncle's intention is not to return the money for the time being. Chuang Fu is a very bad person, I'm afraid he won't give up easily. So I've come to ask Auntie for her opinion, what should we do?" Who knew that this aunt was stingy and only had income but no expenses, and she had the same temper as her husband. After hearing this, she said: "Young master, you must not agree to his request for money. Uncle obtained this position with great difficulty, in order to collect taxes and grain from the people. Being disturbed by Chuang Fu like this, many people have already stopped paying taxes for several days! Your uncle is furious because when he took office, he lent three thousand yuan, which was a meritorious act, so he won't deal with him. As for that note of money, it's not something to be taken lightly; we must investigate clearly whether there are any problems before giving it to him. If you agree to his request, your uncle will inevitably blame you again." The young master heard this and couldn't help but feel at a loss, and he didn't dare say anything else, so he could only awkwardly leave and return to the account room, feeling depressed. Suddenly, the curtain was lifted and someone walked in. Who do you think it was? It turned out to be Chuang Fu, who had come to ask for a response. The young master saw him and his heart skipped a beat. As for how he would deal with Chuang Fu, and whether Chuang Fu would give up or not, let's wait and see in the next chapter.