Chapter 6 As the old saying goes, "Offering unsolicited favors is a sure way to gain favor..."
The day off was as short as a nap. At 3:45 a.m., Lin Yan once again squeezed himself into the office of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Sacrifices.
The air was filled with the familiar smell of ink and a suspicious odor similar to leftover snacks; I wondered which colleague had left their food unfinished in the office.
Lin Yan had just settled his venerable, all-night-cultivation-like appearance behind the mountain of official documents, and before he could even gulp down a mouthful of hot water, a shadowy figure precisely and with a hint of malice loomed over his desk.
Looking up, Zheng Jing's face was smiling like a withered chrysanthemum, his wrinkles revealing his guilty conscience that he needed something from someone. He was clutching a stack of papers tightly in his arms, as if he were holding a hot potato, or as if he were holding a family heirloom that had just been dug up.
"Good morning, Lord Lin." Zheng Jing's voice was deliberately lowered, with a slight tremor of ingratiating intimacy. "You...you've had enough rest, haven't you?"
Lin Yan didn't even lift his eyelids, just grunted an "Mmm" as a response.
He knows Zheng Jing too well; this attitude is definitely not a good thing—either he's trying to shift the blame or he's setting a trap.
As the old saying goes, "Those who offer unsolicited kindness are either up to no good or are thieves."
Sure enough, Zheng Jing glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention before carefully placing the stack of papers on top of the pile of budget files awaiting approval on Lin Yan's desk, his movements as gentle as if he were placing a newborn human cub.
"Lord Lin, look, it's just a small matter..." Zheng Jing rubbed his hands, his smile faltering. "It's just a few names of monks and Taoist priests, and a few ordination certificates. The paperwork... cough, the paperwork is basically all done, all that's missing is your stamp of the Ministry of Rites."
Lin Yan's gaze fell on the stack of papers.
Monk or Taoist register? Ordination certificate? Zheng Jing's furtive manner was practically screaming "I have a problem" on his forehead.
He casually picked up the top certificate and glanced at it.
Jest.
This name, Huigen?
Whose face is so big?
He doesn't look like he has any innate wisdom.
His place of origin was vaguely written, and his lineage and school of thought were completely unheard of. Furthermore, the so-called "local official seal" attached to it was so blurry that it looked like a map left after a child wet the bed.
Lin Yan tapped the blurry seal with his fingertip, said nothing, but looked up at Zheng Jing with an expression that seemed to say, "Are you kidding me?"
Zheng Jing felt a chill run down his spine under Lin's gaze, his smile froze on his face, and his voice lowered even further: "Lord Lin, you see... could you make an exception for this? It's just a matter of getting a stamp, it'll be quick! I definitely won't cause you any trouble!"
He paused, as if remembering some powerful backer, and straightened his back slightly: "Besides, this is the Ministry of Justice... that Chief Wang from the Ministry of Justice had someone put in a connection for him. You know Chief Wang, right? His father-in-law is..."
"Which official from the Ministry of Justice?" Lin Yan's voice rang out calmly, not loud, but like a block of ice hitting Zheng Jing's foot, interrupting his next words.
Zheng Jing choked: "Uh... well... Chief Clerk Wang from the Ministry of Justice..."
"Chief Wang?" Lin Yan put down the ordination certificate, leaned back slightly against the creaking wooden chair, his eyes calm and unwavering. "What's the connection between him, the chief of the Ministry of Justice, and the ordination certificates of monks and Taoist priests in the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Sacrifices? Is he the one who wants to become a monk? Or is a relative of his going to be ordained? Does he need to personally act as a go-between?"
Lin Yan picked up the ordination certificate and flicked the blurry official seal with his fingertips: "The procedures are basically complete? Chief Zheng, is your 'basic' standard some kind of bottom line? With the seal so blurred, are you planning to let His Majesty's discerning eyes play 'Guess Who I Am'?"
Wang, the head of the Ministry of Justice? The one in charge of beheadings has extended his reach into the Ministry of Rites, which is in charge of kowtowing? That's quite a long reach.
Who cares who his father-in-law is? No matter how powerful his father-in-law is, can he be more powerful than the emperor? The emperor dislikes religious expansion, yet he dares to do such a thing. It's not like his head is mismatched with his neck and he wants to move.
You want me to stamp this shoddy stuff? Zheng Jing, are you idiot or did you just ignore me or did you get your head stuck in a door? Don't drag me down with you if you're looking for trouble!
Zheng Jing's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and he almost fainted from Lin Yan's rapid-fire, non-swearing barrage of insults.
He was sweating profusely, speaking rapidly: "Lord Lin! You can't say that! Chief Wang was just... he was only doing it out of courtesy as a colleague. If we don't do what he asked of us, wouldn't that be making enemies for no reason? Chief Wang is in the Ministry of Justice. What if we need to ask him for help with something small in the future, and he gives us a hard time? That would be a huge loss, wouldn't it? Besides, it's just a favor. Once the seal is affixed, no one will know. Who will investigate? Why bother..."
"No cover." Lin Yan uttered two words crisply, as if cutting off all of Zheng Jing's hopes with scissors.
He slowly pushed the stack of substandard ordination certificates and registers back in front of Zheng Jing: "The procedures are incomplete, the seals are unclear, and the source is unknown. The official seal of the Ministry of Rites is for imperial law, not for personal favors. Zheng, if you want to give favors, use your own private seal. I can't interfere. The seal of the Ministry of Rites is not acceptable."
Zheng Jing still speaks with the air of a modern relative or elder, always saying he needs to ask for favors. Tell me, do I need to ask for favors for small matters, but is it useful to ask for favors for big matters?
It would be better to risk entering the palace to see the emperor using the Golden Shadow Guard's badge.
Zheng Jing was both angry and anxious as he looked at the "hot potato" that had been pushed back to him. He pointed at Lin Yan, his fingers trembling, "You! Lord Lin! You... how can you be so stubborn! You won't listen to reason! You've offended Steward Wang, you'll be in big trouble later! We're all in the same government office, we'll see each other all the time, do you have to push things to the extreme?"
Lin Yan laughed. He was wearing an official hat, not a lightning rod.
Have you not heard anything about His Majesty's strict control over religion? Or do you think Wu Haimin will take care of things if the sky falls?
I don't know if Wu Haimin can withstand it, but I'm sure my small body will be the first to be smashed into a meat pie!
Seeing Zheng Jing's exasperated face, Lin Yan smiled instead. His smile was as gentle as a spring breeze, but his words sent a chill down Zheng Jing's spine: "Master Zheng, you're overthinking it. I, Lin Yan, act only according to the rules. I'm not afraid to offend anyone. As for whether it looks good or not..."
He picked up another document that needed to be approved, titled "Correction to the Prayer for Rain and Mountain Worship Procedures," and slowly opened it: "My face is naturally like this. Thank you for your trouble. Goodbye."
Zheng Jing was speechless, his face turning red and white in turns. He grabbed the stack of returned ordination certificates and registers, turned around angrily and left, his sleeves billowing with a gust of resentment.
Watching Zheng Jing's hasty retreat, Lin Yan's fake smile instantly crumbled, leaving only impatience in his eyes.
You dare threaten me? You want to cause me trouble? Fine! Today I'll include you, Zheng Jing, along with that powerful Wang, the head of the Ministry of Justice, in my work report to His Majesty!
Lin Yan grew angrier the more he thought about it. The resentment he felt from being disgusted by Zheng Jing was mixed with an impulse to "I'm going to file a complaint today." He pulled open the bottom drawer of the table and precisely pulled out several sheets of paper with a special texture and no markings.
This is the "secret report paper" that Kim Il gave him.
Lin Yan spread out the paper, dipped his brush in ink, and meticulously began writing today's "Secret Guard Work Log".
He first followed the rules and wrote down the date and location, then changed his tone and got straight to the point.
[...Zheng Jing, the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Rites, arrived at my desk at the beginning of the morning today with seven registers of monks and Taoists and three ordination certificates, requesting that I affix the seal of the Ministry of Rites. Upon examining the documents, I found that the names, origins, and lineages of the monks and Taoists were mostly unclear, and the seals of the local officials attached were blurred and illegible, clearly indicating irregularities. Zheng Jing was evasive and initially tried to persuade me with the excuse of it being a minor matter. After being refused, he even invoked the connections of Wang, the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Justice (name to be verified), and his father-in-law to exert pressure, claiming that not doing so would offend people and that affixing the seal would go unnoticed. I firmly refused, reiterating the laws of the court. Zheng Jing left dejectedly. However, his actions were suspicious, the origin of the ordination certificates he carried was questionable, and moreover, he openly interfered with the duties of the Ministry of Rites' Ministry of Rites by using his position as an official of the Ministry of Justice, showing contempt for His Majesty's clear decree to strictly manage monks and Taoists. His intentions are despicable...]
Lin Yan wrote quickly, his pen tip dancing across the paper, carrying a righteous and awe-inspiring air of "I'm going to rid the people of this scourge today."
After writing the last word, Lin Yan blew on the ink to dry it, carefully folded the secret report, and stuffed it into a specially made hidden pouch in his bosom, placing it together with the token that was neither gold nor wood.
After doing all this, he finally let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden.
As for whether Zheng Jing and Wang Zhushi will be in trouble tomorrow? That's something His Majesty should worry about.
Lin Yan, today's duty as a bodyguard has been successfully completed!
A note from the author:
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Little Lin, who always tattles [droopy-eared rabbit head]
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