I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 224 Proofreading! Document Processing Master Shen Ziheng is Coming Soon!
October 15th, near noon.

Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) issued three imperial edicts in succession to address the controversy surrounding river management.

The first imperial edict ordered the Ministry of Works to dispatch a special envoy to Sizhou to investigate the specific impact of Gaojiayan on Sizhou and the ancestral mausoleum.

The second imperial edict ordered the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to go to Sizhou to inspect the feng shui of the ancestral tombs. If the possibility of flooding the ancestral tombs was high, the court would consider relocating the ancestral tombs and the people of Sizhou.

The third decree informed Pan Jixun, the Governor-General of the River Transport, that the river management project would continue as usual until the investigation results were released, with the people's livelihood as the top priority.

The officials in the court were quite surprised when these three edicts were issued.

Unexpectedly, in order to manage the river transport, the young Wanli Emperor came up with the idea of ​​relocating the ancestral tombs and the people of Sizhou.

However, there are currently no problems with the program.

If the ancestral tombs are likely to be flooded, and if the Imperial Astronomical Bureau concludes that relocating the tombs would not harm the dragon's energy, then the officials would have no reason to stop the relocation of the tombs or the relocation of the people of Sizhou.

Although both of these tasks are quite difficult to carry out, they are still very worthwhile compared to the costs of repeated river management and disaster relief over the years.

Two days ago, he submitted a memorial attacking Pan Jixun, the official in charge of river management.

A large part of it is driven by self-interest; they hope to use this as an opportunity to obstruct river management so that they can continue to seek personal gain in river transport.

This move directly shattered their little scheme.

When the prefect of Sizhou and the local gentry learn of these three imperial edicts, some of them will probably cry out in despair. Not only will they not get what they want, but they will also have to sacrifice for the overall interests of the people of Sizhou.

The investigation will most likely yield results by the end of the year.

The officials knew that the young Wanli Emperor's decision must have been supported by the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, and that there were no reasons to oppose it, so no one raised any further objections.

……

October 16th, early morning.

Wearing a brand-new scarlet official robe of the third rank embroidered with peacock patches, Shen Nian arrived at the Ministry of Revenue accompanied by Yin Zhengmao.

Since Shen Nian was promoted to the position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue at the end of September, he only visited his office at the Ministry of Revenue on the third day of October and left in less than half an hour.

Because the officials of the Ministry of Revenue had been on strike for several days and were quite busy after things returned to normal, Yin Zhengmao had not yet had time to introduce the officials of the Ministry of Revenue to Shen Nian.

However, since Shen Nian was in the Hanlin Academy and had served as the drafting and reviewing official for ten months, he was familiar with most of the mid-level officials in the Ministry of Revenue. He just couldn't recognize some of them.

Today marks Shen Nian's official commencement of his post at the Ministry of Revenue.

Every month thereafter, Shen Nian would choose to move to the Ministry of Revenue to work in the second half of the month. How long she stayed there depended on how much government business she needed to handle.

……

A moment later, in the front hall of the Ministry of Revenue.

Yin Zhengmao gathered together all the mid- to high-ranking officials and some clerks from the Ministry of Revenue.

The Ministry of Revenue was primarily responsible for managing population and land, levying taxes and corvée labor, supplying salaries and wages, overseeing granaries and factories, and managing the treasury.

The officials stationed at the Ministry of Revenue were mainly the directors, assistant directors, and clerks of the thirteen departments of the Ministry of Revenue, the supervisors and warehouse keepers of the various large treasuries of the Ministry of Revenue, and some clerks responsible for daily affairs.

Because Yin Zhengmao works in the cabinet.

The person currently in charge of the Ministry of Revenue is Liu Sijie, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Yin Zhengmao stood in the very center, with Liu Sijie and Shen Nian, who were a year older than him, standing on his left and right respectively.

Yin Zhengmao glanced at Shen Nian and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, I don't need to introduce this person in detail, do I?"

"Greetings, Your Excellency!" The officials below bowed to Shen Nian.

According to official etiquette, when the Minister and the Vice Minister are both present, the subordinates in the same office address the Left and Right Vice Ministers as the Left and Right Ministers, respectively. If the Minister is not present outside the office, he is addressed directly as the Minister.

Shen Nian, a twenty-nine-year-old official of the third rank, is now known throughout the court and the public.

"Gentlemen, please don't stand on ceremony! I am new to the Ministry of Revenue and there are still many things I don't understand. I need your help. Let's work together to improve everyone's performance and strive to complete the tasks assigned by His Majesty every time!" Shen Nian said politely.

Immediately, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue identified themselves.

After some more pleasantries, only Yin Zhengmao, Liu Sijie, Shen Nian, and two doctors of the fifth rank remained in the front hall of the Ministry of Revenue: Pang Shan and Feng Xuan.

Yin Zhengmao said to Shen Nian, "Ziheng, you will first learn about government affairs in the yamen. Liu Zuotang will make the specific arrangements, and Pang Langzhong and Feng Langzhong will assist you in your work. If you have any questions, ask Liu Zuotang. In the Ministry of Revenue, I will listen to him on ninety percent of the matters. I still have matters to attend to in the cabinet, so I will take my leave first!"

“No problem!” Shen Nian said with a smile.

Liu Sijie, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 26th year of the Jiajing reign. He was a low-key and pragmatic person.

He had resisted Yan Song and refused bribes from the princely government. He was the main compiler of the "Daily Records of the Wanli Emperor". There was no account book or document of the Ministry of Revenue that Liu Sijie did not know.

He was good at bookkeeping but not at being an official; otherwise, he might have been appointed to the cabinet long ago.

Shen Nian was aware of all of these things.

According to the imperial court's arrangements.

The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was in charge of household registration, land tax, and fiscal policies.

The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, whose position was below that of the Left Vice Minister, focused on the management of grain transport, warehousing, salt tax, and border defense.

When Shen Nian was handling the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue, he had the most contact with Liu Sijie, the Left Vice Minister.

Currently, Liu Sijie is the main person in charge of coordinating and directing land surveys across the country.

Liu Sijie remained expressionless after entering the front hall, and Shen Nian sensed that she didn't seem very welcoming.

After Yin Zhengmao left.

Shen Nian cupped her hands towards Liu Sijie and said, "Lord Zuo Tang, I will follow your arrangements from now on."

Upon arriving at the Ministry of Revenue, Shen Nian adopted a very humble attitude.

Liu Sijie said in a calm tone, "Lord Shen, the Ministry of Revenue is not the same as the Hanlin Academy. In the Hanlin Academy, you can get by if you can speak and write, but to be an official in the Ministry of Revenue, you have to work very hard. If Lord Shen is interested, you can categorize and summarize the recent expenses of the Grand Canal transport. If you are not interested, you can have Physician Pang and Physician Feng do it and then have Lord Shen check it. This may be more efficient!"

Shen Nian sensed something different in Liu Sijie's words.

Because of the nationwide land survey, the Ministry of Revenue is currently the busiest of the six ministries, and the Vice Ministers on the left and right are also responsible for accounting and compiling documents.

This statement contains a deeper meaning.

The real question was whether Shen Nian was there to gain prestige or genuinely intend to work for the Ministry of Revenue.

If you're just here to gain experience, then you can delegate everything to your subordinates. But if you're truly committed to doing something, then you should handle it personally.

After a moment's thought, Shen Nian understood why Liu Sijie was so indifferent to her.

The Ministry of Revenue is busy.

Liu Sijie very much wanted the court to send a Right Vice Minister who was as reliable as him to work together.

Shen Nian jumped directly from a fifth-rank Hanlin Academician to a third-rank official. Although he was eloquent and good at strategizing, the Ministry of Revenue needed experienced people who could sit still and work diligently to compile the accounts.

Even without using an abacus, one still needs to keep numerous data entries in mind.

Shen Nian was responsible for recording the emperor's words, giving daily lectures on the classics, compiling history, and writing articles.

There are many things to do.

He clearly felt that Shen Nian's job at the Ministry of Revenue was just for prestige; he might not actually do any work, but he was definitely going to claim credit.

He might be transferred to another government office as a vice minister in six months, or even directly join the cabinet.

Other officials in the Ministry of Revenue felt that Shen Nian had a bright future and would try to curry favor with him.

But Liu Sijie didn't care at all.

If it weren't for his interest in the nationwide land survey and the subsequent Single Whip Law, he would have retired long ago and gone home to live out his days.

Shen Nian paused for a moment and said, "This is the Right Vice Minister's official business, let me handle the accounting!"

"Alright, hand it over to me before noon tomorrow. Physician Pang and Physician Feng will do their utmost to assist you!"

After saying that, Liu Sijie left.

His indifference wasn't meant to intimidate Shen Nian; he was genuinely very busy.

Pang Shan, a senior official from the Ministry of Revenue, said to Shen Nian, "Lord Right, please don't take it to heart. Lord Left has always been decisive and efficient in his work. With our help, you will definitely be able to complete the task on time!"

“Yes, with us here, the reconciliation list will be completed by noon tomorrow. We only need to close the office for a short while tonight!” Feng Xuan added.

The two men treated Shen Nian with great respect. Shen Nian nodded slightly and did not refuse their help.

As a newcomer, he needed to understand the workload and difficulty of the task before he could determine whether he could complete the calculations on time.

……

A moment later, in Shen Nian's office.

Three clerks stood on one side, while two other clerks, responsible for serving tea and water, grinding ink, and running errands, stood at the entrance of the hall, ready to serve at any time.

About a quarter of an hour later.

Pang Shan and Feng Xuan, along with two clerks, carried most of the bamboo baskets of documents into the hall, then sorted them and placed them on Shen Nian's table.

Pang Shan said, "Your Excellency, this stack contains the grain allocated by the imperial court to the river transport in July, August, and September of this year; this stack contains the silver for transporting grain; this stack contains the registers for the construction of transport boats; and this stack contains the registers for river works silver..."

"Local river transport officials have already compiled these accounts, but our Ministry of Revenue still needs to compile a more intuitive account of the river transport supply and compare it with past accounts, and write a summary report to submit to the Cabinet."

"Lord Zuo has already prepared the template. What we need to do is summarize the accounts, compare them with previous reconciliation documents, and show the differences between the past three months and the past. We need to explain where the money was spent more or less, and where there were deficits..."

As Shen Nian listened, she flipped through the documents on the table.

He quickly realized what he had to do.

Shen Nian looked through the template provided by Liu Sijie.

He often saw these kinds of documents when the cabinet presented the results of the new policies. Shen Nian thought they were not complicated, but he did not expect them to be purely physical labor.

To complete this document, you must carefully read through all the documents on the table.

Shen Nian estimated that if he wanted to complete the task before noon tomorrow, he would definitely have to stay up all night tonight.

He looked at the two of them and said, "Are all the Ministry of Revenue's accounting documents compiled in this way? Do you often stay up all night?"

"Yes!" Pang Shan and Feng Xuan nodded simultaneously.

Shen Nian thought for a moment and said, "If I leave this matter entirely to you, when will it be finished?"

"what?"

Pang Shan and Feng Xuan were both somewhat stunned.

Shen Nian clearly promised to do it personally, and their task was supposed to be to assist, so how did it suddenly become that they were the ones who had to do it!
Feng Xuan was the first to react, saying, "It's probably...it's probably close to midnight!"

Shen Nian slowed down.

"You are here to do this today. I will not participate. You must submit it to me before midnight, and then I... I will stay up all night to revise it!"

"Yes!" The two exchanged a glance, a fleeting look of grievance crossing their faces.

They thought that Shen Nian might assign them the task because the calculations were tedious and tiring.

But to everyone's surprise, Shen Nian not only didn't do anything, but also planned to make changes in the middle of the night after the two of them finished.

The two of them could finish by adding or deleting a few lines at most, which would only take half an hour, and there was no need to stay up all night.

Shen Nian did this clearly to claim credit.

They worked hard, but all the credit went to Shen Nian.

The two men were shocked by Shen Nian's shamelessness, but since he held a high-ranking and powerful position, they dared not say anything.

"Take all these documents away. Go to the side hall to do the reconciliation!" Shen Nian said to the clerks beside him. "Bring over all the recent reconciliation documents from the Ministry of Revenue. The more the better. I need to check them!"

"Yes!" The clerks beside him bowed in unison.

Feng Xuan muttered to himself, "Sigh! The Ministry of Revenue has a vice minister who not only doesn't do any work but is also looking for trouble. We're in for a world of trouble!"

Before long, Feng Xuan and Pang Shan were the first to get busy in the side hall of the Vice Minister's Hall, leading three civil officials.

While sipping her fragrant tea, Shen Nian began to peruse the Ministry of Revenue's recent tax reconciliation documents.

looks.

The former is busy and tired, while the latter is relaxed and comfortable.

……

Afternoon, in the Left Vice Minister's Hall.

Liu Sijie learned from a clerk that Shen Nian had assigned the accounting task to Feng Xuan and Pang Shan and was reviewing the accounting documents he had previously prepared, which made her face darken.

"He is untrustworthy, afraid of hardship and fatigue. He clearly promised me, yet he still ordered two doctors to do it, and he didn't even participate in it. It seems I overestimated him before. Such a person is not worthy of being the Vice Minister of Revenue. When he finishes his work tomorrow at noon, I will first give him a good scolding, and then draft a memorial to impeach him!"

As for Shen Nian inspecting his financial statements, Liu Sijie was not afraid at all.

He believed that Shen Nian might be looking for something to use against him, but Liu Sijie was confident that if his accounting documents were incomplete, then all the accounting documents of the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty would be incomplete.

Currently, all accounts, data, and settlement documents of local government are based on templates created by Liu Sijie.

……

At 22:00 PM (亥正时), at the Ministry of Revenue.

Exhausted, Feng Xuan and Pang Shan handed the compiled settlement documents to Shen Nian.

Under the guidance of Yin Zhengmao and Liu Sijie, the two were very meticulous in their work.

Shen Nian could hand such a document directly to Liu Sijie without any problems.

After reading it, Shen Nian did not show the joy and praise they expected. Instead, she frowned and looked at the two of them.

"Just now, I noticed that many rooms in the Ministry of Revenue were brightly lit. Do you often stay up all night until now?"

"Yes, Lord Zuo Tang hasn't left yet, so naturally we dare not leave!" Pang Shan answered truthfully.

Shen Nian shook his head slightly.

"Doing things this way will make people sick. You must never do it this way again. Go back now. I will reorganize this settlement document!"

"Yes!" The two bowed and left the Vice Minister's Hall.

As soon as they reached a secluded and deserted spot, Feng Xuan couldn't help but complain, "This... this Right Vice Minister is going too far! He takes our work, pretends to stay up all night, and then claims the next day that he's the one who stayed up all night to do it. This... this is too blatant! This is completely different from the Little Grand Secretary we've heard about!"

“Yes! It’s impossible for Lord Zuo not to know about his forgery. Let’s see what Lord Zuo says tomorrow at noon. We also have our duties and responsibilities. We can’t let him drive us like this anymore!” Pang Shan said.

……

It's almost midnight.

Liu Sijie, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, walked out of the Left Vice Minister's Hall and noticed that the lights in Shen Nian's hall were still on. He couldn't help but sneer, "So young, yet he's already learned to act. He won't go far!"

Liu Sijie knew that Shen Nian was there to gain experience at the Ministry of Revenue.

Shen Nianruo was diligent and conscientious. Even if he could not make a great contribution to the Ministry of Revenue, as long as he did not give bad orders and affect the work of the officials in the Ministry of Revenue, he would not say anything.

After all, Shen Nian climbed the ranks through a series of innovative policies and strategies, and was never known for his "diligence and pragmatism," so it was normal that he couldn't handle the work of the Ministry of Revenue.

But he didn't expect that Shen Nian would not only not do anything, but also try to steal the credit and hard work of the Ministry of Revenue officials.

Liu Sijie is ready; she will write a memorial to impeach Shen Nian tomorrow.

……

Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!

Right Vice Minister's Hall.

While busy at work, Shen Nian suddenly sneezed three times in a row. He muttered, "Who's cursing me?"

Shen Nian changed his mind at the last minute and handed over all his tasks to Pang Shan and Feng Xuan not because he was lazy, nor because he was unable to do them.

Rather, he saw the shortcomings in the current Ministry of Revenue's accounting documents.

He plans to develop a more efficient accounting template tonight, which will save time and effort for officials from the provincial and county levels down to the six ministries, and will also make things more convenient for the young Wanli Emperor and his cabinet.

This will eliminate the need for officials in the Ministry of Revenue to stay up all night from now on.

Otherwise, from the nationwide land survey to the implementation of the Single Whip Law, a large number of officials and clerks in the Ministry of Revenue and local governments responsible for this matter would have been overworked and died.

(End of this chapter)