NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19 - Using Someone Else's Sword
Chapter 19: Using Someone Else’s Sword
In the official government office, several officers were providing updates on their work. Huang Jiang, who was responsible for overseeing relief efforts, appeared visibly dissatisfied as the situation in several counties under his jurisdiction was the most dire among all the officers.
In contrast, Qin Xuan was praised as the most effective officer in managing the relief efforts.
Huang Jiang’s performance was portrayed as the weakest among all the officers, while Qin Xuan’s performance shone as the best. Huang Jiang was perplexed by this outcome and asked Qin Xuan for an explanation.
In a private room, Huang Jiang questioned Qin Xuan about the situation, struggling to comprehend why he was being outperformed.
“Can you clarify this for me?” Huang Jiang inquired, his tone filled with frustration.
In this room, it was just the two of them.
“Huang Jiang, you claim to work for the country and the people, but let me ask you this: have you ever personally visited the disaster-stricken areas?” Qin Xuan sat down, gazed at Huang Jiang, and smiled as he inquired.
Huang Jiang shook his head in response.
“In this situation, giving orders to others is all you need to do. Going there yourself wouldn’t make much sense.”
“Have you ever witnessed the starving masses, with people resorting to eating tree bark and whatever they can find for hundreds of miles?” Qin Xuan continued his questioning.
Huang Jiang was shocked, as he had heard of these situations but never realized the extent of the problem.
“Huang Jiang, in such times, when people are starving, they will consume anything edible, even if it’s just bran. I used bran because it is essential for these people. So, with the use of bran, these supplies can reach the hands of the common people, and they can at least have something to eat,” Qin Xuan explains.
Huang Jiang was left bewildered. “But why doesn’t the grain I provide reach the common people?”
“I looked into this yesterday,” Qin Xuan responds. “The grain you provide is exploited at each level before it reaches the common people. One-tenth of what you provide reaches them.
Additionally, a considerable portion of the grain is embezzled. Given this situation, Huang Jiang, how do you expect to manage disaster relief effectively?”
Huang Jiang was left speechless, but then he blushed slightly and argued, “But aren’t those officers acting heartlessly? Isn’t it good to be just an officer who the people love?”
“During the current Ming Dynasty, this is how things work,” Qin Xuan countered. “If you don’t take it, someone higher up will. Your arrogance stems from the fact that your father-in-law is the Minister of Revenue. You don’t need to lower yourself. You can be just an officer because you have someone backing you. You can say such things because you have that protection.”
“Even if an assistant minister from the Ministry of Revenue asks you to raise a toast, you can refuse with a smile. You can be just an officer because you have someone supporting you. You are in a position to make such statements,” Qin Xuan directly lays out these facts, causing Huang Jiang’s expression to change slightly.
The system-provided information mentioned that Huang Jiang’s father-in-law was the Minister of Revenue. This reminded Qin Xuan of Hou Liangping from the TV series “In the Name of the People.”
Hou Liangping could be high and mighty, he could hold others accountable, and he had a good wife to support him.
“Wow, Qin Xuan is amazing. He even knows about this!”
“No wonder this guy’s father-in-law is the Minister of Revenue. It’s not surprising.”
The viewers were ecstatic as if they had discovered a new continent.
They realized that Huang Jiang might have felt surreal because he had such a background. He didn’t need to bow to others or lower himself for the sake of his livelihood. The key was that even if he disregarded his superiors, no one would dare to harm him. This allowed him to stand on the moral high ground as he did now.
In this AI-simulated historical world, individuals with such backgrounds were extremely rare. This disaster relief effort wasn’t as tumultuous as expected. Qin Xuan, who managed it exceptionally well, saw very few uprisings in his region. Meanwhile, the areas managed by Huang Jiang were plagued with unrest.
However, due to the intervention of Huang Jiang’s father-in-law in the court, Huang Jiang didn’t face any punishment. Back in the court, after the successful disaster relief effort, the provincial governor penned a commendation for Qin Xuan, and the emperor was delighted to hear about it, rewarding Qin Xuan for his exceptional work.
“Qin Xuan, I’ve heard of your remarkable performance in this disaster relief. Well done!” Upon returning to the Ministry of Justice, Wang Zhi commended Qin Xuan without any pretense.
Qin Xuan carefully observed Wang Zhi’s expression and sensed that the old man might have ulterior motives.
“Master, has any significant event unfolded in the capital recently?” Qin Xuan asked, noticing Wang Zhi’s unnatural demeanor and assuming that the old man had a new plan in mind.
“There isn’t anything significant happening, but the Ministry of Revenue has been quite active lately. They recently targeted Xue Shun, who has been dismissed from his position, though he remains in the Ministry of Justice.”
“However, the Deputy Minister of Revenue will not let go of the matter. Of course, Xue Shun isn’t blameless. Even after being dismissed, he hasn’t mended his ways,” Wang Zhi responded, feigning irritation.
Qin Xuan, realizing that Wang Zhi was dropping hints, inquired, “Master, have you filed a complaint against that Deputy Minister of Revenue?”
Wang Zhi nodded slightly and said, “I have lodged a complaint, but the evidence was lacking before. The Deputy Minister of Revenue remained unscathed.
However, I’ve just obtained the necessary evidence today, and his good days are numbered. Tomorrow, His Majesty will personally review the case. Take this and place it where it belongs.”
After speaking, Wang Zhi handed Qin Xuan a scroll wrapped in parchment.
“Remember, this is extremely important. Without evidence, you won’t be able to bring down the Deputy Minister of Revenue!” Wang Zhi stressed, then changed the subject and said, “Before you place it where it belongs, take a look at it to have an idea.”
When Qin Xuan unrolled the parchment scroll, he noticed that, apart from a few minor errors at the top, the rest of the scroll was blank.
Understanding Wang Zhi’s message, he responded, “I see what my uncle is hinting at. It’s been a while since we shared a drink, right?”
Wang Zhi subtly nodded and said, “Now that you understand, go quickly.”
Confused by the nuances of the conversation, some viewers wondered why Qin Xuan was assigned this task, but they couldn’t decipher the whole meaning.
Qin Xuan carried the parchment scroll and proceeded to meet Xue Shun.
“Xue Shun, the Deputy Minister of Revenue, has been relentlessly pursuing you. My mentor has been gathering evidence. Here it is. He wants you to safeguard it properly,” Qin Xuan handed the scroll directly to Xue Shun without much ceremony.
Xue Shun accepted it and replied, “Rest assured, I will take good care of it.”
“Since we’ve delivered the message, I’ll take my leave,” Qin Xuan said, bowing slightly, and then exited.
The scene shifted, showing Qin Xuan’s arrival at his nephew’s place.
“Big Brother Qin, you’re trying to get me killed, aren’t you? Come on, let me treat you to some drinks!” his nephew said warmly when he saw Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan waved him off and pulled his nephew close. “Tonight, I want you to find Xue Shun, get him drunk if possible, and when he’s inebriated, he’ll have a parchment scroll. I want you to set it on fire.”
His nephew widened his eyes, and then comprehension dawned. “Is this Uncle’s doing?”
“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t. Just follow my instructions.”
In the control room, Professor Yang didn’t know what to say. This was the cutthroat world of ancient politics.
“Professor Yang, I understand. Wang Zhi doesn’t have sufficient evidence to implicate the Deputy Minister of Revenue, so he’s having Qin Xuan find a way to destroy it. This way, the evidence will be considered mishandled by Xue Shun.”
“But the issue is that it doesn’t seem like the Deputy Minister of Revenue will be negatively affected?” The director understood partially but got confused again.
“What if, at this point, Xue Shun insists that the Deputy Minister of Revenue used his family’s safety to coerce him into destroying it?” Professor Yang asked in return.
“In that case, the Emperor will certainly order an investigation by the inspectors. During this time, all of the Deputy Minister of Revenue’s responsibilities will be handed over to someone else,” the director explained.
He was part of the system, and although he didn’t understand the specifics of ancient times, he could make inferences from his own experiences.
For instance, if someone were falsely accused, provided there was even a shred of evidence, they would be investigated, and all their responsibilities would be transferred to someone else.
“Yes, once the Emperor clears this up, someone else will have already taken the Deputy Minister of Revenue’s position,” Professor Yang explained.
The director broke into a cold sweat upon hearing this. One of his seniors had been through a similar situation. No wonder the role played by Qin Xuan felt so familiar!