At the beginning of the day, at the Wanminsi Yamen (official residence of the Ministry of Civil Affairs).
Jiang Jinxiao held a half-cup of cold tea, checking the disaster relief details compiled by his subordinate.
The floods are severe. What was submitted yesterday was the initial draft. Each item, including food, medicine, disease prevention, dike construction, and reconstruction, requires more detailed estimates.
For grain alone, ten coins for one bushel was simply impossible.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs had to consider factors such as the granaries in various regions, the grain reserves held by major grain merchants, the impact of floods on the autumn harvest, the proportion of corvée labor, and transportation routes.
The compiled budget data is extremely large and complex; even a small error could result in a difference of tens or even hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, so we must be very careful.
Just then, the sound of the black armor clashing shattered the cicadas' chirping.
"The imperial edict has arrived—"
The high-pitched voice of the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial pierced the summer heat, and twelve Qilin Guards filed in.
"Jiang Jinxiao, Junior Commander of the Wanmin Division, seize him!"
Jiang Jinxiao was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stood up. In his haste, the tourmaline on his five-beam crown crashed into the sandalwood table: "What are you doing!"
The Qilin Guard ignored his questioning and rushed forward to twist his arms behind his back.
“You…you all! I am an honest and upright official, but I simply cannot produce more disaster relief funds, yet you have humiliated me to this extent…”
Amidst the uproar, the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial chuckled and unfurled the imperial edict on yellow silk:
"Jiang Jinxiao, the Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, in the sixth year of the Chengguang reign, when a dragon overturned in Linhai Prefecture, he melted down gold bricks under the guise of disaster relief and hid them in the floor tiles of his study, totaling 8,600 taels."
Jiang Jinxiao let out a hissing sound as if air was leaking from his throat, and his legs under his official robes suddenly twitched uncontrollably.
The hall fell silent instantly; the truth could not be discerned from their descriptions.
"take away!"
Within an hour, the news of Jiang Jinxiao's arrest spread throughout the capital, and the civil and military officials fell silent in fear.
Perhaps Jiang Jinxiao really did commit corruption, but it just so happens to be such a coincidence.
He had just offended His Majesty in court, and within an hour his home was confiscated and he was imprisoned.
Those with better connections learned more details: the arrest was made by the Qilin Guard, not the Ministry of Justice, but by the Xuanji Terrace.
The Xuanji Terrace, personally overseen by His Majesty, monitors the entire realm; it is a sword hanging over the heads of all officials!
No one knows how much intelligence the Xuanji Platform possesses, and no one can guarantee that the sword won't fall into their hands.
This day was spent in anxiety by many, until finally it was time to go off duty.
Before Pei Xuanyun even turned into the alley where the Prime Minister's residence was located, he saw a long line of carriages.
They lined up in a long queue without any markings, making it impossible to tell whose carriage it was.
Everyone saw Pei Xuanyun return to the mansion, and visiting cards fell into the gatehouse like snowflakes.
After waiting for half an hour, no one entered the mansion.
Finally, someone couldn't resist any longer. It was unclear whose servant it was, but he covered his face and went into the gatehouse.
"You are... Manager Sun?"
The man had no idea that the chief steward of the prime minister's residence was waiting in the gatehouse.
Manager Sun cupped his hands in greeting, without asking who the visitor was.
At this time, officials from all sides would certainly not come in person; instead, it would be trusted confidants who were not often out and about.
"The master is tired and cannot see any guests, but he instructed me to deliver a message to your subordinate."
The man quickly returned the greeting, his attitude respectful, "Please speak."
"Losing money is a way to avert disaster."
The area in front of the Prime Minister's residence was bustling with carriages and people, but no one was able to enter. However, they all received a single sentence.
They came and went, only gradually dispersing when the moon rose high in the sky.
——————
After leaving the palace, Qin Zhaoyue went straight back to the princess's residence. She spent half a day in anxiety, and even her lunch consisted of only eight dishes.
Only when the moon was high in the sky and no imperial edict of punishment arrived did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
I had a big, delicious meal that night, and ate until my stomach was round and full.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, he was now reclining on the couch, flipping through the household's account books.
The original owner of this body wouldn't care about these things; lax management inevitably breeds cunning and slacking servants.
However, rumors have already spread throughout the mansion that Jiang Xue has betrayed her master and her entire family has disappeared. Now, no one dares to show their faces, and they can have some peace and quiet for a while.
The two stewards from the front and back yards stood with their heads bowed below the hall, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Snap!
The ledger fell at their feet, and the two men immediately knelt down.
"You call this an account book?"
At this point, there was no bookkeeping method that required "for every debit there must be a credit, and debits and credits must equal each other." It was simply a list of income and expenses.
Even so, there was no categorization.
For something as simple as repairing a roof tile, how much does it cost to hire a worker today, how many materials were used tomorrow, and how much did it cost in the end?
A simple matter is hidden in dozens or even hundreds of details over half a month. Can anyone understand this ledger?
It's okay if you don't understand!
The lack of oversight and the shoddy work are one aspect, but the more chaotic the situation, the easier it is to manipulate things.
"You can't even categorize and keep accounts properly, what use are you to me?"
The two stewards immediately broke out in a cold sweat. "Your Highness, this old servant deserves to die!"
Qin Zhaoyue nodded. "Right? You all think he deserves to die, don't you? Why don't you just go and die?"
Manager: !
No, "damn it" is just a figure of speech; I don't really want to die.
"This old servant is guilty; this old servant has failed to discipline his children properly."
The quick-witted one immediately changed his story, and the other one followed suit.
"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish, but it also can't be too murky, can it?"
"Yes, yes, yes..."
"From now on, we'll conduct unannounced audits. If any problems arise, no matter who's responsible, you two won't be able to breathe."
"yes!"
The two supported each other and left, trembling.
The servants must be disciplined immediately, because Her Highness the Princess is truly killing people!
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