Fukang'an took the tea offered by the servant, gently rubbed the blue and white porcelain covered bowl, and said, "Mother's birthday is coming soon, so our marriage will have to be postponed!" He then looked at Yan Ning's reaction.
Yan Ning held the covered bowl in both hands, her eyes glazed over, thinking about E Lan from earlier. She hadn't clearly heard what Fu Kang'an said, only vaguely responding. Fu Kang'an put down the covered bowl, looked at the dazed Yan Ning, and didn't disturb her. The servants standing to the side exchanged glances, and at Zhu Xiang's signal, left the room.
Hearing the servant close the door, Yan Ning snapped out of her daze, her eyes wide as she looked at Fukang'an, and said in a sour tone, "How many women do you have?" Fukang'an frowned slightly, tilting his head to think, a barely concealed smile playing on his lips, "Ahem... I don't know!"
"Do you know that many years from now, a man can only marry one wife!" Yan Ning said angrily, lowering her head.
Hearing Yan Ning say this, Fu Kang'an didn't think much of it, assuming she was just jealous, so he got up to hug her. Just as he stood up, Zhao Xing announced from the doorway, "General, Eunuch Gao has delivered a decree that the Emperor summons you!" He took Yan Ning's hand and said gently, "Go back to the Fu residence first. I'll take you to see your mother another day when I have time!" With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and went out with Zhao Xing, who was waiting outside.
Thinking back to her hasty farewell with Heshen that day, Yan Ning wondered what rank he had risen to now, so she instructed the servants driving the carriage to change the direction of the carriage to Heshen's residence.
"My lord, it's Miss Yan Ning!" Liu Quan, who was standing beside the sedan chair, saw Yan Ning get off the carriage and said to Heshen inside. Heshen's eyes flashed, and he shouted "Stop!" before stepping out of the sedan chair.
Yan Ning stepped down from the carriage and saw He Shen's sedan chair at the door. Just as she was about to leave, she walked over, and He Shen also got out of his sedan chair. "Lord He, where are you going?" Yan Ning asked with a smile.
Heshen smiled without saying a word, looking at Yan Ning. Liu Quan replied, "My master is going to take up his post at the Chongwen Gate Tax Office!" Thinking that she would have nothing to do when she returned, and having never seen an ancient government office before, Yan Ning looked at Heshen, smiling silently.
Heshen understood and waved his hand, then said to Liu Quan with crescent-shaped eyes, "Go and fetch a set of men's clothing!"
Inside the tax office at Chongwen Gate, the yamen runners were whispering amongst themselves as they looked at the newly appointed Heshen.
"Another one. Last time, that official didn't even know how he died unjustly!"
"Chongwen Gate is said to be a lucrative post, but those who come and go and collect taxes are either officials, merchants, or peddlers. Who dares to offend the officials? And the money from the small merchants is skimmed off layer by layer, so there isn't much silver left in his hands."
"Isn't that right? Wasn't the previous magistrate beheaded because the government was running a deficit?"
"Sigh, just this pile of old grievances alone will keep him dealing with them for a year and a half."
Yan Ning listened to this, looking worriedly at Heshen, who sat calmly. Heshen glanced at her, his crescent-shaped eyes filled with a deep smile. "Someone, bring all the account books from the first year of Qianlong's reign to the present to the courtyard!"
Everyone looked at the pile of accounts, weighing dozens of kilograms, in the courtyard with expressions of anticipation and excitement.
"He actually wants to make a splash as a new official, but these accounts are so numerous that they would take decades to sort out!"
"Hehe... Just wait and see the show!"
Heshen paced back and forth in the courtyard with his hands behind his back. Yan Ning walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "Lord Heshen, are you crazy? There are so many account books. Even if you put them there and used machines to sort them out, it would take you months!"
Although Heshen didn't understand Yan Ning's words, he could tell from her expression that she was worried about him. He patted her shoulder to reassure her, then slowly walked to the mountain of account books and asked, "Have all the officials arrived?" His subordinate replied, "Reporting to Your Excellency, they have all arrived!"
"Good! Men, burn these account books for me!" Heshen said in a powerful voice.
"Burned?" everyone present exclaimed in surprise. Although the yamen runners didn't understand what was going on, they dared not disobey their boss, so they quickly grabbed lit torches and burned the mountain of account books. In an instant, smoke billowed from the backyard of the yamen, and the red flames illuminated the bewildered faces.
While burning the accounts, Heshen ordered his men to count this year's tax revenue and seal it away in the treasury. The remaining thousand or so taels of loose silver were distributed among the yamen runners. Heshen stood up from his chair and walked to the middle of the runners.
He said loudly, "I am new to the government office, so I have to make a good impression. All the profits you have made in the past have been burned up with that fire. What was just distributed was the last bit of surplus of the government office. Although my rank is low, I can still make decisions on this matter. If you want to leave, take this money as your severance pay. If you don't want to leave, take it as your salary in advance from the court."
Heshen paused, scanning the expressions of the various constables, and continued, "There's only one condition: once you've taken the money, everything must be done according to my rules. If anyone brings up past grievances or disobeys, I dare to take your place with my own hands!" He then pointed to the east gate, his eyes sharp, "Those who wish to leave will not be kept; those who do not wish to leave will obey my orders!"
The yamen runners were already stunned by how their new superior would handle the accounts, and after hearing Heshen's words, which combined kindness and severity, they dared not murmur anymore. They exchanged glances, knelt on the ground, and said in unison, "Your subordinates are willing to obey your orders, sir!"
Heshen stood in the middle of the crowd, his hands clasped behind his back. The peacock emblem on his official robes was so lifelike it seemed ready to spread its tail and steal the spotlight. His alluring appearance revealed his masculine nature, and his eyes were resolute and determined.
After displaying his official power, Heshen began a large-scale layoff, forcing several customs chiefs and their relatives to resign. Those recommended by various princely residences were also dismissed. With the corrupt officials who had amassed wealth gone, those remaining were the backbone of the organization.
Looking at the decisive and efficient Heshen, Yan Ning sighed inwardly. It turned out that his rise to power was not solely due to flattery, but rather the lucrative Chongwen Gate was probably the first step in his rise to prominence.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Fukang'an stood beside the Emperor, who looked at him with loving eyes and said, "Your mother's birthday is in a few days. I cannot go, so you shall make all the arrangements!"
Fukang'an knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
A trace of sorrow flashed in the emperor's eyes, and he lamented in his heart that all the joy of family life had been buried in the Blessed Mansion and could never be found again.
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