Lu Baichuan nodded; he had originally planned to do the same.
The fact that someone can cheat the people for so long and still be grateful to them shows that they are a very capable and resourceful person. He wants to meet them in person.
After being persuaded by the two, the Emperor Emeritus finally calmed down. It was getting late, so Lu Baichuan went back to his room to rest.
Having taken a nap in the afternoon, Lu Baichuan wasn't very sleepy now. He lay flat on the bed with his head resting on his arms, missing his wife and children who were far away in Changzhou.
If he were going back alone, he would probably be reunited with his wife and children by now. But with so many people with him, and this kind of thing happening on the way, it will probably take him quite a while longer.
I wonder how things are going on their end. His daughter must have grown up quite a bit. When he goes back, she probably won't even remember him.
Thinking about this, I felt a little sad. He couldn't be by his wife's side when their son was born, and now that their daughter has just been born, he has been away for several months again. His guilt towards his wife is almost overflowing.
Unable to sleep, I got up, wrote a letter, and sent it out, explaining the current situation and promising that I would get things done as soon as possible and rush back.
After finishing his business, he went back to sleep, and the next morning, just as dawn broke, he set off for the county town.
The county magistrate here is named Bao Tianlin. After making inquiries, Lu Baichuan found that he had a good reputation and everyone he asked had a praising expression.
It's no wonder that the villagers, fearing that their local officials would be implicated if they let the cat out of the bag, kept speaking well of Bao Tianlin.
However, it wasn't without flaws. Lu Baichuan discovered that Bao Tianlin liked to go out for drinks and had several girlfriends. They would order drinks together every time they went.
Don't underestimate this seemingly trivial matter. Brothels in this era were very expensive. In addition to the money he gave to the madam, he also had to give money separately to the girls he was with, and even buy them cosmetics, jewelry, and other items.
These are all huge expenses, and even if Bao Tianlin has assets under his name, he can't afford to spend them like this.
To be even more certain, Lu Baichuan also used his authority to investigate the source of Bao Tianlin's money at the money exchange, and sure enough, he found many sources that were unclear and difficult to explain.
Having obtained this evidence, Lu Baichuan secretly went to Bao Tianlin's study and, based on his years of experience, found some account books that Bao Tianlin had hidden in a secret compartment.
Only upon closer inspection did I realize how wicked this person was. They kept several ledgers, each recording different things: taxes in one book, and others for gifts and other embezzlement...
Lu Baichuan took them all out at once and put them in his pocket, and also took a few letters with him.
These letters were correspondence with the prefect, and apart from some that explained work matters, most were private exchanges.
From these letters, Lu Baichuan learned that Bao Tianlin was cooperating with the prefect. He would give 40% of the taxes he embezzled to the prefect. The two had a good relationship and addressed each other as brothers in the letters.
After doing all this, Lu Baichuan went out for lunch before showing up at the county government office.
Logically speaking, it would be more authentic to go disguised as an ordinary person at this time and try to extract information from him. However, Lu Baichuan did not want to waste time on this matter. When he arrived, he immediately showed his identity card and was escorted inside by the constables.
Upon receiving the news, County Magistrate Bao Tianlin also rushed over. When the two met, Bao Tianlin was flattered and bowed to Lu Baichuan.
"This humble official was unaware of the General's sudden visit and apologizes for not welcoming you properly."
"Lord Bao, there's no need for such formalities. I am merely here on the Emperor's orders to conduct a spot check of various government offices, and I will leave after a brief inspection."
We have the evidence, so there's no need to waste any more time. We just need to look at the fake accounts he made and make a clear comparison to convict him.
"Of course, of course. General, you have worked hard on the road, and I should cooperate. I wonder what you want to investigate? I will have someone prepare it. Also, has the General had anything to eat? Perhaps I can arrange something for you."
Bao Tianlin had a big smile on his face, and his words and actions were very proper and appropriate. If Lu Baichuan hadn't already obtained the evidence, he might have been deceived by his appearance.
"No need, I already ate before I arrived. Have someone prepare more."
He walked in calmly and gently. Bao Tianlin was not nervous at all. He smiled and told people to make preparations while he chatted with Lu Baichuan.
His deceptive manner makes it easy for people to believe he is an honest and upright official, since the government office is dilapidated and it's hard to imagine that such a person would usually endure such a shabby life.
Lu Baichuan didn't point it out, but said as if they were having a normal chat: "This government office looks very old, even more dilapidated than I imagined."
Bao Tianlin said with a smile, "Hehe, General, you don't know, although our yamen is dilapidated, the people here live in peace and prosperity, and every household is well-fed. The money in the yamen is used to help the people live, so I don't have much money to repair the yamen. But it doesn't matter. Since I sit in this position, I have to be responsible for the people here. It's okay to be poor."
These words were well-said, not only telling Lu Baichuan that the people under his rule lived in peace and prosperity, but also that he was an honest and upright official who used his own enjoyment for the benefit of the people.
Who wouldn't be confused by this?
Lu Baichuan showed a very admiring expression, gave him a thumbs up, and praised, "It is a blessing for the court and the people that Beiyan has such a good official as Lord Bao. I think you will not disappoint me during the inspection later."
Bao Tianlin nodded in agreement: "Of course, of course, thank you for your trouble, General!"
As they spoke, they arrived at the place where Bao Tianlin usually handled official business. The yamen runners had already prepared everything and thoughtfully served tea and snacks.
Bao Tianlin invited Lu Baichuan to take a seat, while he stood obediently to the side and watched. If Lu Baichuan encountered anything he didn't understand, he could explain it to him.
What was shown to Lu Baichuan was naturally already processed; most of it was good, with only a few minor flaws, but to a completely tolerable degree, so that no one would say anything upon seeing it.
There were too many documents for Lu Baichuan to read in a short time. He had also said that he would only conduct a spot check and would not read all of them. So after reading a few, Lu Baichuan took out his notebook, wrote "excellent" on Bao Tianlin's page, and stood up to say, "I am very satisfied with the overall situation. I will report it to the Emperor truthfully. I hope that Lord Bao can continue his efforts and wish him a promotion."
Bao Tianlin was all smiles: "Thank you for your kind words, General! You have come all this way, why not have dinner and stay overnight before you leave? I will make all the arrangements for you."
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