Chapter 35: What Kind of Person Are You?
Zheng Kaishan looked at Zhao Yucheng in disbelief.
Was this guy insane?
This was the Fengyang County Office, and Li Fan was a legitimate sixth-rank court official!
No matter how much Li Fan resisted arrest, Zheng couldn’t just kill him on a whim.
Now he understood clearly, this guy wanted to use him as a scapegoat.
If something happened to Li Fan, the blame would fall entirely on him.
Just as Li Fan had said, when the gods fight, it’s the mortals who suffer.
He needed to distance himself from this mess as soon as possible.
With a stern expression, he looked at Zhao Yucheng, “I am here under orders to protect you, Sir Zhao. Other matters are beyond my ability.”
Zhao Yucheng, seeing Zheng Kaishan’s stern face, couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and snorted lightly.
These days, it seemed anyone could defy orders.
Zheng Kaishan was merely a Jinyiwei escort, yet he dared to defy his commands, which was utterly ridiculous!
Pointing at Zheng Kaishan, he said disdainfully:
“What kind of person are you? How dare you defy my orders? Do you believe I can have you dismissed and investigated right now?”
Zheng Kaishan looked at Zhao Yucheng with indifference.
This guy was taking himself too seriously, a mere sixth-rank official acting so arrogantly, he was close to self-destruction!
Without a word, he turned and left.
Zhao Yucheng was stunned to see Zheng Kaishan walk away without paying him any heed, completely incredulous.
What the hell!
What was going on here?
The seven subordinates looked at each other, two of whom were responsible for the tax collection in the direct-controlled province, and were familiar with Fengyang.
They had been here twice before, and the previous leading officials had been very polite to Li Fan.
Li Fan had also taken good care of them, entertaining them well. After auditing the accounts and finding no issues, they left with gifts.
But this time, they encountered the fool Zhao Yucheng, who offended Li Fan from the start.
Now, he was even trying to get Jinyiwei to arrest him, a sixth-rank official, thinking he was Liu Bowen.
Even if Liu Bowen himself came, he would be courteous!
The two decided to stay out of it.
Zhao Yucheng was furious, pacing the hall, pointing at his seven subordinates and saying:
“What do we do now?”
The group exchanged glances, all looking helpless.
One of them, Zhao Yucheng’s confidant, stepped forward and said:
“Sir, if Li Fan is unrighteous, we can’t be blamed for being unkind. We can just go back and report that they refused to cooperate, and wouldn’t allow us to audit the accounts. Then it’s no longer our problem.”
Zhao Yucheng’s face turned dark as he looked at him, how could he suggest such a plan?
Master Liu sent him here to find evidence of Li Fan’s crimes.
If he returned empty-handed, what evidence could he possibly present?
Just as he was about to lose his temper, a man wearing an eighth-rank official uniform walked in and saluted Zhao Yucheng:
“I am Li Ruhai, the Assistant Magistrate of Fengyang County. The County Magistrate instructed me to accompany you in auditing the accounts. Please follow me.”
Zhao Yucheng saw that Li Fan had conceded and snorted coldly. No matter how strong Li Fan’s backing was, he still had to cooperate with the audit. Straightening his clothes, he said disdainfully:
“Lead the way!”
Li Ruhai respectfully led the group to the account room, pointing to a room full of account books. He said softly:
“Sir, here are the accounts of Fengyang. You may start your audit.”
Zhao Yucheng looked at the room full of account books and felt a bit overwhelmed. Even though Fengyang was just a large county, it shouldn’t have this many account books. It seemed more than even the main records of the Ministry of Revenue. He asked in confusion:
“We are only auditing six months’ worth of accounts. Why are there so many?”
Li Ruhai respectfully explained:
“Since Fengyang Prefecture does not have a prefect, all the internal affairs of Fengyang Prefecture are handled by Fengyang County. These are the accounts for the entire Fengyang Prefecture for the past six months.”
Zhao Yucheng looked at the room full of account books and felt a headache coming on. He took a deep breath. These accounts totaled in the tens of thousands. Sorting through them would not be easy. Since Master Liu had given the orders, he had no choice but to proceed. Luckily, he had brought enough people. He then said:
“Prepare some food first. We have traveled a long way and haven’t eaten yet.”
Li Ruhai pointed to a water jar in the corner and said:
“Sir, it is currently the autumn harvest, and everyone in the office is busy. We cannot entertain you. The water jar is filled with cold water; you may drink as you please. There is a basket of roasted soybeans; you can make do with them. I hope you understand.”
Zhao Yucheng looked at Li Ruhai in shock, unable to believe what he was hearing. He quickly asked:
“I am an official of the Ministry of Revenue. Is this how you treat your guests?”
Li Ruhai pretended to be embarrassed and said:
“The Emperor has decreed that every officer must practice frugality. These soybeans are what we have left. Instead of arguing with me, Sir, it would be better to start auditing. The summer harvest is about to end, and more account books will soon be sent here.”
Hearing this, Zhao Yucheng shivered. So be it, he thought. He could always spend his own money to eat out. Once he found evidence of Li Fan’s crimes, he would deal with these people accordingly.
The eight of them entered the account room and began preparing to audit. Li Ruhai locked the door from the outside. Zhao Yucheng, hearing the lock, immediately grew nervous and shouted:
“Why are you locking the door?”
“Sir, according to court regulations, no unauthorized persons are allowed in the account room, and the door must be locked.”
“What about using the toilet?”
Li Ruhai respectfully replied:
“There is a chamber pot inside. You can use it as needed. Please hurry with the audit. I must go to the countryside to collect taxes.”
With that, he left, and there was no more sound. Zhao Yucheng looked at the room full of account books and then at his bewildered subordinates, dissatisfied:
“Get to work quickly. If you’re hungry, eat the roasted soybeans. If you’re thirsty, drink the cold water. There’s a chamber pot for the toilet. We must clear these accounts as soon as possible.”
The subordinates could only obey and began working. Zhao Yucheng grabbed a handful of soybeans, sniffed them lightly, and found them particularly fragrant. He couldn’t help but start eating, finishing over a pound in no time. Feeling thirsty, he began drinking large gulps of cold water. After a satisfying burp, he found a comfortable position. Seeing Zhao Yucheng eating so heartily, the others also began to eat.
