Chapter 78: Suspicious Night-time Bookkeeper

Li You got off the boat and then remembered that his sedan chair and entourage had been sent away by him, and no sedan chair was found nearby. In desperation, the inspector had to walk with his own legs.

He wanted to go back to Xishui Town because even the county town could not stay. Although Miss Yuncai was attractive, she might be more important than being stuck on both sides and being unfamiliar to Master Chen, and her future was more important, and she would go back to the inspection department to avoid these things.

When Li You arrived at home, he alarmed his father who had already fallen asleep. He stopped Li You in the atrium wearing a coat. Li You accused him and said, "I don't want to disturb my father anymore."

Father Li said, "It's my order. You will call me when you come back. I used to send someone to the county to ask you to go home, but I heard that you were fortunate to be left by the fifth-rank Tongzhi to invite you to drink. Even the county magistrate Zhou didn't have the same face. The waiter is really extraordinary now and has a great reputation."

Li You, who was rarely praised by his father, smiled bitterly in his heart. Is this wine so delicious? But there is no need to mention these useless things in front of his family. Li You boasted: "That's right, now I am more beautiful than Zhou County Magistrate Zhou, and you are much better than you in the past."

Li's father looked proud and said, "It's worthy of being my son. There are tens of thousands of people in the county. The Tongzhi Master only invites you to board the boat for wine. I also heard that there are good women accompanying you. If you are so close, you will not avoid suspicion. I believe you are very familiar with the fifth-rank master."

In order to satisfy his father's vanity and provide his father with boasting topics among neighbors, Li You continued: "It's not that my son bragging, but the Tongzhi Master also asked me. My son thought that there was no benefit, so he didn't do it for him."

Captain Li, who had been kneeling for the officials for a lifetime, felt honored and smiled, and his old face bloomed. "My son is so capable." He also said: "There is another thing I almost forgot to mention. The one named Li Zheng in the next room has passed the exam in the county. I should go to the Fucheng City to continue the exam in August. Since my son is so capable, I will ask the Tongzhi Master to do it."

What? Go to ask Mr. Wang? I thought about it and asked Mr. Wang for no reason, so something happened like this... Isn't it like a sheep entering the tiger's mouth? Li You suddenly screamed: "No!"

It turned out that his cheap nephew, Li Zheng, was about to take the exam for the scholar, and the county passed the exam in the first half of the year. In the second half of the year, the government examinations in our prefecture and the college examinations in September were all held in the prefecture city, and it was time to go.

Hearing Li You's rejection, Li's father said in confusion: "A place in the mansion is very simple for Master Tongzhi. If you give some gifts, he should have no reason not to help you. What's wrong with asking him?"

A simple favor with him and the other may cause a big problem that may cause Chen Magistrate Chen. No matter how you look at it, you will suffer a loss. Li You refused again and said, "You really don't want to ask him, your son has his own reasons."

"Today the old patriarch came to his house to talk about this and ask you what tricks you have."

Li You quickly put his body down and belittled himself: "Son, I, a small on-site inspector, are humble in the officialdom like an ant, and even if I serve, I am a real ninth-rank sesame official. There are no tricks? The mansion examination is taken together by the entire Suzhou Prefecture. There are many backgrounds and talents, so how can my son handle it."

Father Li nodded and said, "I said so too, and I went back to the patriarch. But later I learned that you had boarded the Tongzhi Master's boat and had a drink together, so I thought, "It's just a mere mansion trial, not just a scholar, or a matter of Tongzhi Master's words. So I went to find the old patriarch again..."

"Have you even collected other people's money?" Li You suddenly interrupted.

Li's father subconsciously said, "Ah, I forgot to want to... a bastard boy! You push all small things and you will stop them from becoming an official. How can you not recognize your relatives? How can you do this in the world? Li Zheng's examination for scholarship is a big event for my Li clan. How can you be so ignorant! How much money does it cost to be collected by the clan? What are you worried about?"

Li You said: "This is not a matter of money. It may be fine if you don't spend a penny, but you have to owe someone that is difficult to repay."

Father Li was angry and said, "Wouldn't it be better if you don't spend money? I have agreed to the old patriarch's request. You refuse and teach me where to put my face in the clan?"

Li's father was a yamen runner-up and had a lot of dealing with ordinary people. He paid for money and made a deal with the same goods as one hand. He didn't understand the mentality of not talking about money in the officialdom. He didn't know how powerful he owed favors. He also felt that he was helping with his relatives. If he owed favors, he would owe favors.

Not talking about money seems simple and there is no price, but the consequences may be more troublesome. In the officialdom, owing favors is often more serious than owing money. At least the money is easy to borrow and there is a quantity, but how to calculate favors?

Inspection Officer Li and his father really couldn't explain this problem. He couldn't stand the training of this retired captain at home. He left in anger and planned to go to the inspection office to sleep, but another surprising thing happened.

But it was said that the clerk in the inspection department who was on duty tonight was Guan. He comfortably poured himself and drank some wine in the class room, and put on a few side dishes, and ate them casually. When he was just at ease in the middle of the night, he suddenly saw Li You breaking in. He was so shocked that he opened his mouth and his beans fell out. His hands holding the chopsticks were trembling slightly, and he didn't know what he was nervous about.

Li You looked at the official tone and said, "Oh, are you on duty tonight? Do it well. Just drink and refresh yourself, don't miss it." He muttered in his heart, this person was unstable and could not bear to use it. When he saw the official suddenly checking the post, he was frightened and trembled.

He nodded again and said, "I went to sleep in the back. There are important things that can wake me up."

Guan Shuli looked at Li You's figure sank into the backyard, then he let out a long sigh and relaxed and sat down again.

Li You entered the bedroom, and the servant lit a candle and went out. Li You sat down and looked around. The bedding was complete. When he was about to go to bed, he suddenly remembered a question: "These pillows and quilts are not something left by his father-in-law..."

Thinking of this, Li You didn't want to take off his clothes and go to bed. He was bored when he sat down, so he returned to the front yard.

But the clerk Guan continued to eat and drink. The dark shadow in front of him flashed and saw the appearance of inspector Li again. He was frightened again, and the chopsticks in his hand fell on the table.

Li You became suspicious. Are there such poor psychological qualities among the government officials these days? He sat opposite Guan Shujian quietly and said, "Is it because there was thunder that shocked Guan Yingxiong?"

"No, no. I saw that the master was like a city god patrolling at night, with awesome power. How can I not be intimidated by my subordinates!" Guan Shuli woke up and said hurriedly.

This is a very special compliment? Li You was so funny that he almost couldn't help laughing, so he started chatting with Guan Shuli. Suddenly he remembered the conspiracy of big fish in silk weaving industry eating small fish that he learned today. How could he eat it without nodding, and asked casually: "Do Guan Shuli know how to run a business?"

Guan Shuli bowed and said, "I've asked, my sir, and I have some experience in this."

Li You just said casually, but he didn't expect that the clerk would dare to speak as he pleased.

"In this business, we should pay attention to three points: wealth, power, and people. Wealth is capital, power and power, and people are talents. Running a business depends on how much wealth you have, how strong your power and how many people you have."

It sounds interesting. Compared with his situation in his heart, Li You has a little bit of power in the county, but he has no wealth and no people. He asked, "Does these three points have to be done?"

"That may not be necessary. In the past, the King of Zhou divided the world into two parts and achieved great achievements; the Three Kingdoms, Wei and Jin Dynasties were also divided into two parts, so that they could unify the country. It can be seen that there are two points, but not all three points are all. Can you not attract people if you have money and power? Can someone still borrow money if you have money? Can someone still buy money if you have money?"

Li You listened to the freshness and praised: "I didn't expect what you learned in your heart is interesting, so let's talk about it in detail."

Guan Shuli didn't care about his complacentness, so he looked at Shichen and said, "It's late at night, sir, please go to bed. It's good that my subordinates are here for night. I will definitely explain in detail if I have time tomorrow. Don't let the adults rest tonight."

Li You was suspicious again. There must be something wrong with the Guan Shuister. He deliberately delayed leaving. The anxious Guan Shuister felt like an ant in his heart.

Seeing that the fourth day of the fourth day, the door suddenly ran into the class room and shouted: "There are eyeliners coming to report, and someone transports private salt at the dock! It's about a thousand kilograms!"

Li You slapped the table, but didn't ask the door. He turned his head and shouted to Guan Shujian: "What's going on!" Judging from his performance tonight, it must have something to do with him!
Chapter completed!