Chapter 257: The Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Court

The Ministry of Revenue's certificate was quickly issued, and Wenren Yuebai arrived outside the Ministry of Revenue on time the next day.

As he approached, officials from the Ministry of Revenue recognized him. Many of them came forward to greet him, but they seemed to be in a hurry to report for duty and did not have time to chat more.

Someone among them said, "Master Wenren is not feeling well, let's carry him in first!"

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Wenren Yuebai lowered his eyes somewhat awkwardly and allowed everyone to kindly carry his wheelchair over the threshold of the gate.

"Thank you all for your help. I can do the rest of the way by myself."

"It's okay, it's okay. I'll take Young Master Wenren there!" an official from the Ministry of Revenue said enthusiastically.

"Really, there's no need..."

Before Wenren Yuebai finished speaking, the other party had already taken the pass from his hand and learned the location of his temporary residence.

Wenren Yuebai was escorted all the way to the table, and then the other party left.

Wenren Yuebai sighed lightly, and then called the clerk assigned to him by the Ministry of Revenue.

"Please go to the Ministry of Revenue first and retrieve the tax list of the court for the past three years and give it to me. Then go to the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Finance to borrow the account books of the Ministry of Revenue and the Treasury."

The clerk looked somewhat reluctant, but said nothing and went about his work as he was told.

It was nearly three hours later that the things Wenren Yuebai wanted were finally delivered.

"Why does it take so long?" Wenren Yuebai asked with a slight frown.

"The Ministry of Revenue is not as idle as the Hanlin Academy. The officials in various departments are busy. It took a lot of effort for me to get the things you asked for. If any official needs them later, I will have to deliver them quickly." The clerk put a tall stack of books on the table, and his emotions were obviously reflected in his words.

What is the Ministry of Revenue? It is the place that manages the money and grain of the country! If you are smart enough and show a little more in front of your superiors to leave a good impression, they will promote you to be a small chief clerk, which is also a very lucrative job!

I don't know how much effort I put in to get into the Ministry of Revenue, and I thought I would have a bright future in making money from now on. However, before I had a chance to show my face in front of the bigwigs in the Ministry of Revenue, I was directly assigned here to help this runner-up from the Hanlin Academy.

You also have to serve the disabled.

Isn't this delaying my future?

Of course, he only dared to think about these words in his heart. Although this Master Wenren was ill, he was still the son of Lord Zuo Xiang after all. He could not afford to offend him no matter what, and he had to serve him well.

Wenren Yuebai didn't say much. He started to look through the tax list and asked about the opening hours of the Ministry of Revenue.

The clerk replied, "It's the same here as in the palace. We start work at 1:00 a.m. and leave at 1:00 p.m."

Wenren Yuebai asked again whether people were allowed to stay in the Ministry of Revenue after the office was closed.

The clerk suddenly laughed, "Of course, it's no problem if you want to stay here. We have all the beds and bedding you need!"

"That's good." Wenren Yuebai nodded. It took too much time to review these files today, and the planned progress could not be completed. So he could only leave later and leave after things were done.

…

The You hour has arrived.

As if he had been touched by something, Shen Qingzhou from the Hanlin Academy put down his pen, stretched his body, and began to tidy up his desk.

The other editors also stood up and walked out one after another.

"Hey, Brother Chen, is it time to get off duty?" Zhu Qingyan looked up and asked. She was so focused that she didn't notice the change in the sky outside the window.

Shen Qingzhou raised his eyebrows with great pride, and said confidently: "There is a sundial in the courtyard, go and see for yourself. It must be the evening hour now, there is absolutely no mistake!"

Zhu Qingyan nodded, packed up his things, and prepared to wait for Zhu Lan to leave the palace together.

…

Ministry of Revenue.

"Huh - the office is finally open!" Qiao Youyou glanced at the homemade hourglass on the table and stood up happily, but found that no one in the Duzhisi office looked up; everyone was busy at their desks.

She was the only one standing there, which looked very awkward.

Qiao Youyou gently poked Xiao Wan beside her, "It's time to go home, aren't you going home?"

Xiao Wan looked up at the sky outside and shook her head, "What are you doing going home so early?"

She was never used to leaving get off work while it was still daylight.

Qiao Youyou smacked her lips and looked at the people around her.

Some people are really busy, like Xiao Wan, but some people...

"Hey, Brother Zhao, it's already twilight hour and you're still not on duty?"

The colleague surnamed Zhao did not even raise his head. "I am busy. There are too many things to do. Official business is more important!"

Qiao Youyou came over and said, "But aren't you practicing calligraphy...?"

Brother Zhao covered the things on the table with his hands, turned around and glared at her in dissatisfaction, "What...what calligraphy practice! I was just copying down the amount of money and grain!"

Qiao Youyou curled her lips speechlessly and muttered, "Forget it, if you don't leave, I will leave."

After saying that, he took his things and walked outside, but ran into Min Yuan, the head of the Ministry of Revenue.

"Lord Min." Qiao Youyou bowed to him and continued to walk out.

"Stop." Min Yuan turned around and asked, "Where are you going?"

Qiao Youyou stopped and asked in confusion, "Isn't it the You hour when the court is dismissed? It's already the You hour... Oh no, it's already a quarter past the You hour, I'm going home."

Min Yuan looked at her from head to toe with a strange look, "Have you finished the work at hand?"

"It's done."

Min Yuan:......

It seems too desaturated.

"Li Bingbi, who wrote the Ministry of Finance's copywriting, is preparing to retire and return home. Starting tomorrow, you will take over his affairs."

"Why me?" Qiao Youyou asked, tilting her head.

Min Yuan's eyebrows were already knitted together. "I am the head of the Ministry of Finance, so I naturally have the right to allocate affairs. Do you have any objection?"

"Yeah, I can't finish it."

Qiao Youyou walked up to Min Yuan with a serious look on her face and counted on her fingers:

"Every day, I start work at 11:00 a.m. and leave at 12:00 p.m., which is six hours. Excluding the one-hour lunch break, there are still five hours left. Now, it takes me three hours to copy the money and grain income and two hours to settle the accounts, which is just the right amount of time.

If I am also given the documents for the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Revenue has stipulated that the office will close at twilight hour, how can I find the time to do it? If I cannot finish it at twilight hour, won’t that delay things?”

"Then keep doing it!"

"But the court is closed at twilight hour!"

Qiao Youyou looked at him strangely and pointed at the Ministry of Revenue’s regulations posted on the door. “Doesn’t it clearly state the time?”

"You, you..." Min Yuan stared, choking and unable to speak.

I have worked in the Ministry of Revenue for nearly twenty years, and this is the first time I hear someone dismiss the office on time and be so self-righteous about it!

"Master Min, if there's nothing else, I'll leave. If you go too late, you won't be able to buy any of the new steamed buns at the Zhengyang Street shop!"

Min Yuan looked at Qiao Youyou's light steps, and the surprise on his face gradually turned into anger.

Such a lack of ambition and laziness has simply lowered the efficiency of the entire Ministry of Finance! At the end of the month, if the Ministry of Finance is outperformed by other departments, it would be a great shame!

But after Min Yuan calmed down and thought again, Qiao Youyou was, after all, a newly-minted Jinshi, and also a Deputy Minister nominated by the Minister. If he just let her pack up and go home, it would be a bit unreasonable.

Never mind… considering that she is still young and a green hand entering officialdom, it is understandable that she didn’t understand things at first.

After much thought, Min Yuan decided to give Qiao Youyou a chance. He had done his best, and if she still didn't appreciate it... then he couldn't blame anyone else.