Chapter 128 As long as you obey, this young master will protect you from now on.
Jiang Yu was certainly not a spoiled brat. She was very patient. Even though she sat for almost half an hour, she didn't show any impatience on her face and kept her back straight the whole time.
"Are all the formalities completed?" Tang Boyang looked up and asked Jiang Yu, without explaining why she had been waiting for so long.
"Everything is taken care of," Jiang Yu replied earnestly and respectfully.
Tang Boyang nodded. "The position of Censor of the Ministry of Revenue was added five years ago. He is mainly responsible for investigating the flow of money in and out of the Ministry of Revenue. Therefore, this position requires familiarity with all the official duties of the Ministry of Revenue. Since you have just arrived, you should first go to the archives to organize the old documents and gradually learn about the various affairs of the Ministry of Revenue."
This meant she was being sent to organize the files. Jiang Yu stood up and bowed respectfully to her, "Yes."
Tang Boyang grunted again and waved for Jiang Yu to leave. Jiang Yu left with a calm expression, and Tang Boyang frowned slightly as he watched her retreating figure.
He naturally knew quite a bit about Jiang Yu, and he was also present during the Imperial Study's assessment. However, today he felt even more clearly that Jiang Yu was truly extraordinary.
Let alone a woman like her, even the most promising young talents from prominent families in the capital couldn't match her composure. Don't underestimate the importance of composure; it's a fundamental quality required for achieving great things.
Jiang Yu headed towards the Jiageku, an ancient archive. Located in the southeast corner of the Ministry of Revenue, Jiang Yu asked for directions as he walked. Reaching a corner, Jiang Yu stopped to figure out which way to go and heard a whistle.
She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man in his early twenties with red lips and white teeth peeking out from the corner of the wall. When he saw Jiang Yu looking over, he reached out and beckoned to her with his finger.
Jiang Yu stood there without moving. This man was dressed in a green official robe, the same style as hers, so he must be another investigating censor from the Ministry of Revenue. From what she knew, this man was probably the heir of the Marquis of Jinyang, a notorious playboy in the capital.
Three years ago, he was recommended to the Ministry of Revenue as a clerk, a seventh-rank official. At the beginning of this year, the Marquis of Jinyang manipulated things and promoted him to the position of Investigating Censor of the Ministry of Revenue. Compared to Jiang Yu's rigorous assessment, this guy had it much easier.
However, an easier assessment meant that the Marquis of Jinyang had to spend more money and connections. Otherwise, he wouldn't have started as a clerk in the Ministry of Revenue and only "promoted" to an investigating censor three years later.
In comparison, modern civil service exams are far fairer and more rigorous than those of ancient times. In modern times, no matter how high-ranking your father or grandfather was, you must pass the civil service exam to become a civil servant. Moreover, the entire exam process is monitored, eliminating the possibility of cheating.
Only by passing the civil service exam can the parents of the second and third generations have the opportunity to engage in certain maneuvers.
"Jiang Yu, right?" Li Zhengze, the heir of the Marquis of Jinyang, walked over and asked Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu nodded, and Li Zheng looked her up and down before leaning against a pillar and saying, "We have the same official rank. I am your senior, but you are a woman and a newcomer. As long as you are obedient, I will protect you from now on."
Jiang Yu nodded seriously after hearing this, "Okay, the Minister asked me to go to the archives to organize documents. I'm going to the archives now."
Li Zhengze curled his lip and whispered, "That... the old man did it on purpose, making me sort out that damn paperwork too. What a load of crap. I still have important things to do."
Jiang Yu nodded again, "Which way does Jiageku go?"
Li Zhengze thought she was well-behaved, so he didn't say anything else. He led her to the Jiageku storehouse and complained a lot about the bad things about the position of the Investigating Censor, such as it being a sinecure and not being able to get in touch with the core of the Ministry of Revenue.
Jiang Yu listened attentively, gleaning a considerable amount of information from his complaints. Upon arrival, the guards at the storehouse, having likely already received word of her arrival, smiled and handed her the keys, even offering to explain the storehouse's layout, but were shooed away by Li Zhengze.
Jiang Yu didn't care about this. She carefully walked around the cabinet and warehouse, gained a general understanding of the layout of the official documents, and had a plan in mind where to start.
In fact, the work in the archives is extremely important because a wealth of information can be gleaned from the files. Especially since this is the Ministry of Revenue's treasury, where major tax revenues, population registers, and various expenditures are all kept. She can learn an immense amount of information from here.
Li Zheng followed her around for a while, and when he saw her take the tax documents and walk to the side to look at them, he suddenly felt bored and called out to Jiang Yu, "I'm going out. If anyone comes looking for me, you hold them off."
Jiang Yu hummed in agreement and then lowered her head to continue reading the official documents. Li Zhengze found it boring, shrugged, and turned to leave. He dared not tease Jiang Yu; firstly, she was a woman, and secondly, she came from the Duke of Chu's mansion and was said to be the Duke of Chu's most trusted advisor, completely different from the previous Jiang Jiarong.
Although he was a playboy, he knew that there were some people he could mess with and some he couldn't.
Jiang Yu looked at the tax documents for a while, and then it was lunchtime. Xia He brought the food from the canteen, and the two of them sat down to eat together. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good either; it was edible.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yu continued reviewing official documents, and no one came to the archives. At 5:45 PM, the officials from the Ministry of Revenue gradually left. Jiang Yu recorded the documents he had reviewed, put them back in their original places, and then went home.
Along the way, Jiang Yu encountered many officials from the Ministry of Revenue, some he knew and some he didn't. He smiled and nodded to each of them. He didn't seek to befriend everyone, but he did his best to be polite.
Upon returning to the Duke of Chu's mansion, Jiang Yu saw Granny Feng, Lu Yifang's attendant, standing at the door. She greeted her upon seeing her. Knowing that Lu Yifang was worried that she might be mistreated on her first day on duty, Jiang Yu told Granny Feng, "Go back and tell Mother that today went smoothly and no one made things difficult for me."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "The food was also quite good."
After hearing this, Granny Feng said, "The young master's wife has been worried all day, and she can finally rest assured."
Jiang Yu nodded, and after Granny Feng bowed, she left. Jiang Yu then headed towards the Duke of Chu's study. When she arrived, the Duke of Chu was having dinner. Jiang Yu washed her hands and ate with him, recounting her experiences of the day as she ate.
After hearing this, the Duke of Chu said, "The Qingshan Earl's Mansion doesn't have much influence in the Ministry of Revenue; it only has Su Chengyi. And Tang Boyang is the Crown Prince's man."
Jiang Yu nodded, "He probably didn't mean to make things difficult for me. After all, I was in this position by myself, and it's normal for a newly appointed person to organize documents."
The Duke of Chu was pleased to hear her words, “Promotion is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires resources, opportunity, and your ability. You can’t rush it. First, establish yourself firmly in your position.”
Jiang Yu smiled, "I understand."
Let alone in ancient times, even in modern government agencies, seniority is still important. Even with connections, you still have to build up your resume.
The grandmother and granddaughter ate together, and then Jiang Yu returned to her own courtyard. After taking a bath, she read for a while and then lay down to rest.
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