Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: The Villain’s Sixth Day as Emperor~

Looking at the official seal Chu Xin handed over, and the long line of armored personal guards behind her wearing waist tags of the Capital Camp soldiers, a brilliant smile instantly broke out on the magistrate’s face.

“So it is Master Chu! Forgive my poor eyesight; I didn’t recognize you for a moment,” the magistrate said, bowing with a very humble attitude.

“You flatter me, Magistrate. It was my abruptness to arrive here without notifying you in advance,” Chu Xin replied with a smile, engaging in polite social pleasantries.

“May I ask what brings Master Chu to visit?” the magistrate asked tentatively.

“I don’t know who I offended in Xiaofeng County, but someone actually set an ambush to block me on my way home. If the Governor hadn’t assigned me these guards, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be seeing you today.”

Chu Xin sighed as she spoke. “But I am new here and was merely inspecting the surrounding farmland out of a sense of duty. Could such a thing really be an eyesore to someone? Or is there something wrong with the farmland in Xiaofeng County?”

“I ask the Magistrate to look into this. I would hate to leave my life here without knowing why.”

“Master Chu, there must be a misunderstanding. It was likely the work of bandits from outside the county,” the magistrate quickly retorted, trying to stop Chu Xin from pinning the blame on Xiaofeng County.

Xiaofeng County was under his jurisdiction. If anyone in the county tried to move against a Ministry of Revenue official like Chu Xin, he, as the magistrate, would be held responsible.

“Are there bandits outside the county? Has this been reported to the commander of the nearby garrison?” Chu Xin acted surprised.

The magistrate stroked his specially grown short beard and sighed lightly. “Master, you may not know, but these bandits hide in the mountains year-round and move to a new location every time they commit a crime.”

“By the time I request troops for suppression, the bandits have long since vanished. The garrison soldiers cannot stay here forever, so it always ends without results.”

Chu Xin nodded, appearing to accept this full-of-holes explanation. “In that case, I will stay in the county seat for a while. Later, I will write a memorial to the Governor to see if he can coordinate with the local garrisons to thoroughly wipe out these mountain bandits.”

The smile on the magistrate’s face stiffened slightly. However, since he had invented this excuse himself, he couldn’t take it back even if he regretted it; he could only thank Chu Xin in return.

“Thank you, Master. If the bandit problem can be solved, the people of Xiaofeng County will surely be grateful for your kindness.”

Chu Xin declined the credit: “The Southern Tour is the Emperor’s decree; we should remember the Emperor’s grace instead.”

The magistrate nodded repeatedly, raising his hands toward the north in a respectful gesture. “Master is exactly right. His Majesty is wise.”

After nearly an hour of back-and-forth testing, Chu Xin felt the time was right and made another request.

Chu Xin: “To repay His Majesty’s grace for promoting me to the position of Ministry of Revenue Secretary for the Zhejiang Bureau, I wish to borrow the archives in the yamen to understand the farmland situation in Xiaofeng County. I hope to gain some insights to share His Majesty’s burdens.”

With the reasons being both sharing the Emperor’s burdens and her official duties, the magistrate didn’t dare say no and could only agree with a smile.

“Can I go now? I am an impatient person; I like to do things as soon as I think of them,” Chu Xin said with a smile.

Too late to signal the County Vice-Magistrate to sabotage the files, the magistrate could only give a dry laugh. “Of course. I will lead you there.”

The magistrate felt a bit annoyed, but not overly panicked.

News of the Emperor sending an imperial envoy to inspect the South had already reached the ears of local officials. As long as they weren’t fools, they would have done more or less to cover up their dirty deeds.

The magistrate was no exception. Since he dared to tamper with tax revenues, he naturally prepared two sets of accounts. The farmland data and corresponding taxes in the yamen would not only show no problems, but the latter would even be slightly higher, making it look like last year was a bumper harvest.

Chu Xin was a woman of action. Once she found the relevant archives, she took root in the yamen and didn’t move.

She didn’t just browse; she brought her own brush and ink to transcribe the data, recording the amount of cultivated land in each area in detail.

This made the Vice-Magistrate, who came to check on her periodically, unable to sit still. He eventually sought out the magistrate privately to discuss it.

“Sir, we are fine on the tax side, but the farmland data doesn’t match the actual situation,” the Vice-Magistrate said anxiously. “The spies reported that what Chu Xin does most every day is watch farmers work. She has basically walked through all the fields outside the county.”

The Vice-Magistrate’s term was slightly different from the Magistrate’s; the former was evaluated every three years and usually needed two “excellent” ratings to be promoted in his third term.

Unless he met an influential superior to plan for him, a Vice-Magistrate would basically stay in that position until retirement.

In other words, the Vice-Magistrate had committed even more dirty deeds in Xiaofeng County than the Magistrate. His relatives, relying on his power, ran rampant in the county—seizing good shops and beautiful women. There were too many such villainous acts to count.

The magistrate was not alarmed and remained calm. “What are you afraid of? The farmland data is from three years ago. Isn’t it normal for land to change over three years?”

“Land transactions have deeds, and they were bought with cold, hard cash. Can she just confiscate them directly? Isn’t she afraid of inciting public rage?”

The Vice-Magistrate was still uneasy. “Sir, what if the Governor really dispatches troops to suppress the bandits? Do we have to send people to pretend to be the bandits being suppressed?”

The magistrate stroked his beard. “That is not for us to decide. I will write to the Prefectural Magistrate to let him know so he can be prepared if the Governor actually moves.”

“Recently, tell those relatives of yours to lie low. I see that this Chu Xin is someone who cannot sit still. After she finishes copying the archives, she will likely start secret and open investigations in the county.”

The Vice-Magistrate nodded. “I have already ordered them. Ever since your last reminder, I told them not to go out unless necessary and to stay home and read.”

“Even that nephew of yours has been warned?” the magistrate asked.

The Vice-Magistrate: “I warned him specifically. He has been confined at home for over ten days and hasn’t been allowed out the door.”

The magistrate hummed. “The Southern Tour will last until August at most. During this time, keep your guard up, don’t make mistakes, and certainly don’t let Chu Xin catch you making mistakes.”

In May, after copying all the materials she could find, Chu Xin indeed left the yamen. Instead, she began wandering through the county seat with her guards.

This time, Chu Xin did not hide her identity. The twelve personal guards following her were all clad in armor and carrying sabers.

Even if commoners hadn’t heard the news, they could see that Chu Xin, at the head of the group, was an official.

Since there were so few female officials, even if the magistrate tried to control news of her arrival, he couldn’t stop clever people from guessing her identity.

Chu Xin’s intention was to use this “flaunting” method to encourage oppressed commoners to take the initiative and report their grievances.

As long as someone filed a complaint, Chu Xin could seize the opportunity to make a big move.

However, Chu Xin didn’t expect that instead of attracting people with grievances, she caught the eye of girls who were participating in the imperial examinations for the first time.

Basically, wherever Chu Xin went, a few “little tails” followed her, looking at her with adoration, making Chu Xin feel quite embarrassed.

“Excuse me… are you Chu Xin, the Top Scholar Chu?” A girl who looked fresh as a flower finally mustered the courage to stand before Chu Xin.

“I am,” Chu Xin nodded.

“We… We plan to hold a poetry gathering the day after tomorrow. Would Master Chu be willing to grace us with your presence and judge us?” The girl was nervous, fiddling with her clothes as she spoke.

Chu Xin smiled and asked, “Who will be participating?”

“Basically all the girls in the county who have taken the county exam will be there. If Master Chu is willing to come, students from the neighboring counties will surely want to come as well,” the girl said, her speaking speed gradually increasing.

Girls from ordinary farming backgrounds might not have the chance to touch the exams just yet, but the daughters of wealthy families were mostly taught to read and write from a young age.

Perhaps not all of them had the ambition to enter officialdom, but no one didn’t want their life to be more comfortable.

Especially in wealthy families where the primary wife had only one daughter, these mothers mostly hoped their daughters would be the ones to inherit the family business.

“Barring any accidents, I should be staying here for another month or so. If you hold a poetry gathering, send someone to where I’m staying. As long as I’m free, I will attend,” Chu Xin said with a smile.

His Majesty hoped for more and more women to participate in the examinations and eventually enter the imperial court. As a subject, it was her duty to help His Majesty achieve this goal.

“What happened! How is the account book missing! How do you people do your jobs! Didn’t I say that no one is allowed to enter my study!” A look of genuine panic finally appeared on the magistrate’s face.

He wasn’t afraid of Chu Xin flipping through the archives in the yamen because those had been tampered with. He had always kept the real account books in a secret room in his house.

But now that the real books were gone, the magistrate felt like he was going to be finished at any moment.

“Sir, no one entered the study. The servants have been guarding outside, not a single person went in,” the butler was also stunned; he had always been very disciplined.

“Search! Search the premises immediately! Search every corner of the house thoroughly! Do not stop until you find the account books!” the magistrate almost roared.

The butler didn’t dare waste time and immediately called his confidants to begin the search. Whether it was the main chambers, the concubines’ rooms, or the rooms of the young masters and ladies, everything was turned upside down.

But even after working late into the night, the butler couldn’t find what the magistrate wanted. He was so drenched in sweat that his clothes were soaked.

“Sir, we’ve searched everywhere inside and out. We haven’t found what you’re looking for.” The butler swallowed hard, incredibly nervous.

“Who left the courtyard today? And who was responsible for guarding the study? Get out here!” The magistrate began to lose control of his emotions.

Those account books didn’t just concern his own life and property; they also involved many high-ranking officials above him.

If news of the missing account books got out, he might even be silenced to ensure the books could never be used as evidence.

“Sir, everyone is here. I’ve interrogated them three times. They all say they never entered the study, let alone dared to take anything,” the butler answered tremblingly.

“Sir, I asked the bailiffs who were tailing her. Today, Chu Xin was attending a women’s poetry gathering. She went early in the morning and didn’t return by carriage until late at night.”

“Of her sixteen guards, four stayed at home and twelve followed her. They were never seen near the residence,” the advisor said, wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

“Sir, according to my guess, anyone who could take something from your study without alerting anyone is either an inside thief or a top-tier expert.”

“Such experts usually have their own pride and aren’t willing to be used as mere soldiers, so I feel…”

The advisor didn’t finish the sentence, but his meaning was clear: he suspected an inside job.

The magistrate let out a slow breath. He had a similar thought. Chu Xin had been in Xiaofeng County for nearly two months, and all she had done was conduct field visits and flip through yamen archives.

Chu Xin hadn’t even found evidence of a Tax Bureau Ambassador’s mistake yet; there was no reason she could precisely know he hid the account books in the bedroom within his study.

Not to mention, Chu Xin had been mingling with that group of female students recently; her mind was likely mostly occupied by the upcoming prefectural exam.

“Take down everyone who was on duty or entered the study these past two days. Interrogate them thoroughly; you must find the location of the account books!” The magistrate gave a life-or-death order. He wanted to live, so he had to find those books!

“This matter must not be leaked! Everyone, keep your mouths shut!”

“Twenty-four prefectures. Only thirteen didn’t tamper with their taxes, and fewer than twenty magistrates haven’t taken bribes. Is this how they serve as the people’s ‘parents’?” Wen Qingyun laughed out of pure rage.

“If so much was found in just two months, wouldn’t it be impossible to find a single clean official if given two years?”

The commander kneeling on the floor didn’t dare respond. She had also been increasingly shocked during the investigation and hurried to deliver the findings.

“You say Chu Xin and Bai Siyang have also found many things privately?” Wen Qingyun asked.

“Replying to Your Majesty, Chu Xin is investigating land taxes in Xiaofeng County, Huzhou Prefecture. Bai Siyang is in Yongfeng County, Guangxin Prefecture, investigating the flooding of a large amount of cultivated land.”

“When I sent people to investigate local officials, we only quickly raided the secret accounts in their residences. In terms of actual evidence, they have even more in their hands.”

“If Your Majesty wishes to warn the officials of the South, you might want to start with these two places.”

The commander’s job was quick and direct; they went straight for the officials’ residences, looking for hidden compartments in their studies.

For items with less evidence, they made quick transcriptions and returned them; for those with a lot of evidence, they took the originals. This was how they gathered the most evidence in the shortest time.

Wen Qingyun didn’t speak, but her brows were furrowed and her expression was heavy.

The commander said no more, waiting for her sovereign to give an order.

After a long while, Wen Qingyun finally spoke. “How is the combat effectiveness of the local garrisons?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, the military funds are sufficient, and the soldiers are very energetic in their daily training,” the commander said with her head down.

That meant they were neither exceptionally good nor bad. Wen Qingyun tapped her finger on the table. “How is General Wang’s recruitment going?”

Commander: “When I left to return, General Wang Yuejiao had a total of 23,000 soldiers under her command, including 2,000 female soldiers.”

“Hmm, you’ve done well this time. Take a good rest first. Tomorrow, I will have the treasury officials send 5,000 taels of silver to you; distribute the rewards as you see fit,” Wen Qingyun said.

Thinking that the August provincial exams hadn’t started yet, Wen Qingyun decided to endure for a bit longer, choosing a few places to “kill the chicken to warn the monkey” and see if the aristocratic families were willing to step back.

The commander also let out a sigh of relief in her heart and bowed her thanks. “I thank Your Majesty for the reward.”

“Chu Xin, receive the decree.” A female official carrying an imperial decree arrived in mid-June with a team of Brocade Guards, accurately finding the courtyard where Chu Xin was staying.

After a brief moment of surprise, Chu Xin knelt properly on the ground. “This subject is here.”

“By the Grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Chu Xin, Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue’s Zhejiang Bureau, for her virtue… is hereby appointed to the post of Inspecting Censor and conferred the title of Gentleman of Devoted Service. She shall oversee the officials of Huzhou Prefecture, with the power to decide on minor matters immediately and report major ones for judgment. I bestow upon her a Shangfang Sword; she may execute any official of the sixth rank or below before reporting. Respect this.”

“I, Chu Xin, thank Your Majesty for your grace.” Chu Xin reached out to receive the decree. Her eyes still felt dazed as they touched the bright yellow silk.

“Master Chu, this is the sword bestowed by the Emperor. I hope you will preserve it well,” said the Brocade Guard Centurion who came with the team, presenting the sword representing imperial power with both hands.

“Thank you, Centurion,” Chu Xin took it carefully. The moment she gripped the scabbard, her heart was incredibly stirred.

The title of Gentleman of Devoted Service was equivalent to the fifth rank, and with the official post of Inspecting Censor, which allowed her to legitimately oversee Huzhou Prefecture, everything Chu Xin did now was lawful.

“Master Chu, this is something His Majesty asked me to bring and give to you,” the Centurion said, pulling a small booklet from his robe.

Chu Xin’s hands were getting full. She had to hang the sword at her waist to free her hands to flip through the booklet.

Before she had even read two pages, her expression changed. “Did His Majesty want me to have this?”

The centurion nodded. “Yes. We found this in the magistrate’s study. The accounts recorded in the booklet are only a part; the content is limited to the officials of Huzhou Prefecture.”

“His Majesty specifically instructed me to remind you, Master Chu, that when settling accounts with the officials, you must not affect the normal conduct of the imperial examinations.”

Chu Xin nodded slowly. Her excited heart cooled down instantly, and her grip on the booklet tightened.

“Could I trouble the Centurion to visit the nearby garrison station? I need the Garrison Commander to lend me a thousand soldiers to wipe out the mountain bandits around Xiaofeng County.”

The centurion nodded without hesitation. “Very well. Please wait for me for a short period, Master Chu.”

“Thank you, Centurion,” Chu Xin bowed in gratitude.

The news of the Brocade Guards bringing an imperial envoy could not be hidden, nor did it need to be.

Not long after the centurion left, the magistrate brought a group of yamen officials to congratulate Chu Xin.

“Magistrate, may I borrow the yamen?” A smile appeared on Chu Xin’s face. “Since His Majesty has given me the post of supervisor, I assume you won’t mind if I start with Xiaofeng County?”

The magistrate was all smiles. “Of course not. Please feel free to command me as you wish, Master; I shall obey in everything.”

“Then I trouble the Magistrate to post a notice saying that I will be presiding in the yamen for seven days starting tomorrow. Whether it is a small or large matter, people may come to me, and I will seek justice for them.”

Chu Xin’s tone grew firmer. She had the bestowed sword hanging at her waist; if the magistrate didn’t behave, she could theoretically draw the sword and kill him.

Chu Xin knew this, and the magistrate knew it even better. They didn’t dare oppose Chu Xin openly and could only nod in agreement to her requests.

“Sir, do I need to make some arrangements?” the Vice-Magistrate asked.

“Tell those relatives of yours to settle down. Silence those who need to be silenced. Absolutely no victims are allowed to reach the yamen gates,” the magistrate said, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

“Post the notices in the city and strictly inspect everyone entering. Do not let idle people in.”

“If asked, say that because of the recent bandit activity, we must strictly guard against bandits disguised as commoners to ensure Master Chu’s safety.”

“Especially those approaching the yamen—everyone must be questioned about their names, and their addresses and family members must be recorded. Only after registering these details will they be allowed to beat the drum and cry for justice. Understand?”

The Vice-Magistrate understood instantly. “I understand your meaning, Sir. You are wise.”

“Do it cleanly. Don’t let anyone pick out a fault. Remember, we are going through all this trouble for the Master’s safety,” the magistrate said with narrowed eyes, his gaze full of calculation.

If she wanted to use Xiaofeng County as an example to warn others, she would have to see if the “local snake” would agree.

On the first day of presiding in the yamen, Chu Xin handled a total of three neighborhood disputes.

On the second day, she handled two theft cases.

On the third day, after handling two debt disputes, she encountered a case involving the sale of a daughter.

Debt disputes were not hard to handle, but the daughter-selling case was a bit tricky.

A man named Liu Da owed his neighbor ten tales of silver. He had no money to repay the debt, so he sent his ten-year-old daughter to the neighbor’s house as a child bride, thereby having the neighbor cancel the ten-tael debt.

Liu Da stated that the neighbor had accepted the marriage between the two families and that his daughter, Xiaoya, had no objection. Only his wife was dissatisfied and beat the drum to cry for justice, insisting he was selling their daughter.

“Master, I am wronged! I am not selling my daughter; I am just poor and cannot give my daughter a better life, so I sent her to the neighbor’s house. I did it so Xiaoya could live a better life,” Liu Da kowtowed, stubbornly denying he had sold her.

“Master, Liu Da is lying! I heard him telling the neighbor he wanted to use Xiaoya to offset ten taels. After Xiaoya was sent over, no matter how they treated her, Liu Da would never interfere. What is that if not selling her?” Liu Da’s wife, Mrs. Wang, argued loudly.

“Where is your daughter?” Chu Xin frowned.

According to the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty, selling a daughter at will was a punishable crime. But if she was a child bride, it was considered an adoption for marriage and didn’t count as a sale.

“Xiaoya is sick and resting in bed,” Liu Da answered quickly. “Xiaoya is willing in her heart; it’s just this unreasonable woman talking nonsense.”

“Master! Xiaoya is not willing! She told me just a few days ago that she wanted to go to school to learn to read and pass the exam for a scholar’s degree!” Mrs. Wang immediately retorted. “It was Liu Da who drugged Xiaoya and forcibly pressed her thumbprint before sending her away!”

Chu Xin frowned. How could an ambitious young girl who wanted to pass the scholar’s exam be willing to be a child bride?

“Guards, find a doctor. Go to…” Chu Xin paused. “I will go personally to see if Xiaoya is willing or if she was drugged.”

Having seen almost no one beat the drum for justice for three days, Chu Xin had long since seen where the problem lay. It was just that because the magistrate’s excuse was so well-crafted, she had to turn a blind eye and wait for an opportunity.

And now, hadn’t the opportunity come?

Liu Da made a living by farming and lived in a village outside the county seat.

Chu Xin did not believe that when she personally went to the village to ask about land taxes, all the villagers would be willing to endure exploitation.

Of course, most importantly, those thousand soldiers from the garrison would arrive in Xiaofeng County by this afternoon at the latest.