Chapter 10 "Knowledge"

"Why do we need money again?" Wang Hengyue asked with a furrowed brow

These people, even for such a trivial matter, must make it known throughout the city. How am I supposed to lead my troops in the future?" Shi Fengrong laughed, not holding back, accepted the banknotes, and repeatedly said:

As soon as the young master left, Yu Lei quickly said to Wang Hengyue: "My lord, prepare another one hundred taels of silver."

The scenery along the way is beautiful, and although the distance from Chengdu to Leshan is nearly 300 miles, Wang Hengyue and his three companions do not feel troubled by the journey

Referred to as "Young Master," he is merely attending to the steward, serving things like a night pot. The young master weighed the silver and smiled, saying, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen; my master will be out shortly." As he spoke, he yawned and quickly apologized, saying, "I am very sorry; my master got up three times last night, and I had to attend to him. There are many official duties, quite a lot indeed."

"You must attend to Lord Shi, as that is of utmost importance." However, Yu Lei was not concerned at all and, with a smiling face, quietly asked, "How is the mood of Lord Guan today?"

With this approach, the ten thousand taels of silver that I have painstakingly earned will likely be spent in no time at all

Yu Leizhao glanced at the website www.hetushu.com and asked, "May I inquire, esteemed sir, how much silver did you receive for honoring the Ye family?"

Leshan City is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River, bordered by Meishan to the north, Zigong to the east, Yishi to the south, and Liangshan to the west

Seeing a person dressed in official attire walk out from within, it must be the officer Shi Fengrong. Wang Hengyue stood up and said: "I... Hengyue is here."

"You corrupt ancestor!" Wang Hengyue cursed inwardly again, and simply took out a one-hundred tael silver note: "Hengyue heard that the esteemed official had a joyous occasion yesterday and did not have the opportunity to offer congratulations. Here is a small token of my appreciation, and I sincerely hope the esteemed official will accept it."

This is an outright act of bribery. Wang Hengyue took out a box containing a gold watch and handed it over: "The United States has nothing of value, but this time Hengyue made a detour to Switzerland and brought back something. Please, Sir, take a look and see if it is appropriate."

In the era of Wang Hengyue, such questions were always asked in a roundabout way; who would be so straightforward? Wang Hengyue forced a smile and said, "Lord Mengye has recognized my abilities and has invited me to serve in the military."

Wang Hengyue was both angry and amused, wishing he could slap him across the face. How could someone who is so incompetent still use the phrase "busy with official duties"?

Wang Hengyue felt a surge of anger; he had yet to see Shi Fengrong, and the six hundred taels of silver were already gone.

Upon opening the box, a golden watch came into view. Shi Fengrong displayed an expression identical to that of Ye Xuanbiao on that day, repeatedly exclaiming "What a fine item!" After a long while, he reluctantly closed the box, saying, "Indeed, it is a fine item. Captain Wang, please take it back."

Upon entering, first serve the tea. Wang Hengyue then handed out a few coins. After a while, a young master came out while yawning. With a glance from Yu Lei, Wang Hengyue presented the seven coins that had been prepared in advance.

No exceptions will be made in the future, no exceptions will be made!

This is the benefit of giving red envelopes; the adults' moods are best understood by those who serve them closely. The young master glanced to the side and said softly, "You two have come at a fortunate time today. My master took a concubine yesterday and is in high spirits at the moment, so feel free to speak with him about anything."

Peter and the other two were arranged at the inn. Wang Hengyue was just about to set off when Yu Lei pulled him aside: "Are you really going to go empty-handed, my lord?"

Thinking it would not be inappropriate to bring Yu Lei along, I called Yu Lei to go out with me. We found a money shop where I deposited the ten thousand taels silver note that Qin Guangcheng had given me, exchanging it for two small silver notes and some loose change. Yu Lei, standing by, had the shop assistant cut the silver into several pieces of varying weights.

Wang Hengyue remained silent there, without a word

The Qing Dynasty had truly reached a point of irredeemable corruption; from top to bottom, no one was free from greed. A court like this, if it does not perish, would indeed defy all principles of justice.

Is there really such a profound knowledge in giving gifts? Wang Hengyue chuckled wryly as he rubbed his nose. Under Yu Lei's guidance, he prepared a red envelope containing three qian of silver and presented it to the doorman

He gave a wry smile, took out a gold watch, and it seems that this counterfeit item will have to take the lead this time

"Long time no see, long time no see." Shi Fengrong did not pay much attention to how the other party addressed him, casually saying "long time no see" without even glancing at Wang Hengyue. He sat down nonchalantly and asked, "How important is a squad officer in the new army? Whose connections did you leverage?"

Wang Hengyue took out a small piece of silver and was about to wrap it up when Yu Lei glanced at the piece of silver, which weighed over one tael, and said: "Sir, if you wrap too much, it will disrupt the customs. You should give three coins to the doorman, and when you go in later, give seven coins to the young master. For serving tea and water, a few coins will suffice. These are all established practices. If you give too much, it will actually break the rules. You have just returned from the West, and these matters in the domestic officialdom are not quite clear to you." He continued: "Sir, if you wrap too much, it will disrupt the customs. You should give three coins to the doorman, and when you go in later, give seven coins to the young master. For serving tea and water, a few coins will suffice. These are all established practices. If you give too much, it will actually break the rules. You have just returned from the West, and these matters in the domestic officialdom are not quite clear to you."

Upon arriving at Shi Fengrong's place, Yu Lei said in a low voice: "This is where we need to prepare the money."

"Is there a letter from Lord Yedu?" Shi Fengrong nodded.

Upon arriving in Leshan, the first thing to do is to pay a visit to my immediate superior, the commander of the 66th Brigade's second battalion, Shi Fengrong

Wang Hengyue originally did not know, but later Qin Guangcheng informed him that he had bribed Ye Xuanbiao with two thousand taels of silver, and mentioned the amount. Yu Lei pondered for a moment: "Since the official has rewarded Ye Duling with two thousand taels, the five hundred taels for Shiguan Dai must not be reduced under any circumstances"

According to the rules, one should refer to oneself as "this humble official" when meeting a superior, but Wang Hengyue found it impossible to utter those words. Instead, he simply referred to himself as "Hengyue," as he had the identity of someone who had returned from overseas, which he could easily use as a pretext.

The doorman's originally arrogant demeanor had indeed softened significantly. He asked Wang Hengyue to wait outside while he went in to report. After a quarter of an hour, the doorman came out, stating only that the officer was requesting his presence.

The adoption of a concubine by Shi Guandai, while not a major event, is nonetheless a joyous occasion, and money will certainly be indispensable for this matter

Wang Hengyue was taken aback for a moment, but soon came to realize that in the Qing Dynasty's officialdom, regardless of one's background or connections, it was impossible to accomplish anything without proper means.

Shi Fengrong glanced briefly and remarked, "So it turns out you are back from the West; no wonder you have gained the favor of the Governor. " Changing the subject, he continued, "The West is indeed wonderful; the Governor particularly enjoys Western goods, and even those below him share the same preference. As for me, I have never been to the West. Officer Wang, I am curious; what special products does your America produce?"

He cupped his hands and said: "I apologize, my lord is about to rise, please take a moment to sit."

Yes. Wang Hengyue handed over Ye Xuanbiao's private message.

This is a tribute from Hengyue. Although Wang Hengyue said this, he had already cursed the ancestors of Shi Fengrong in his heart.

"Who is the new officer Wang?" A voice came from inside, lacking in strength, suggesting that they did not sleep well last night

"How could this be? How could this be? I, as an official, am the most incorruptible and have never taken a single cent from my subordinates." Shi Fengrong's face blossomed with a smile, and he had already shifted the gold watch closer to himself.