Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing stood quietly to the side, listening silently without uttering a single word.

If even the secret guards personally assigned by the king couldn't find the slightest clue that the prefect was colluding with the bandits, then this matter probably doesn't exist.

Judging from this, Wang Mao was either mediocre and incompetent, or he sat in the seat of power and didn't care about his people at all.

Judging from his actions and behavior today, the latter possibility seems more likely.

Zhou Wenqing's eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment's thought, he spoke slowly, "Has anything been done regarding Fusu?"

"Sir, since the incident, the eldest son has not slept soundly, and all matters have been focused on capturing the thief and rescuing people."

The guard bowed slightly, lowering his voice even further, his tone carrying a hint of genuine respect:

"When Mr. Han and Mr. Yao led the search for the thieves' den and rescued the children, the eldest son was always there to look after them. He personally took good care of the rescued children and comforted the disturbed commoners one by one, calming their hearts and preventing any unrest."

"After the trip was over, the eldest son specially ordered the county magistrates of the surrounding counties to bring the local case files of theft and missing children to the prefect's office in batches. The eldest son personally supervised the work, watching the county magistrates exchange case files, comparing and verifying the origins, appearances, and reasons for the loss of children of the reporting households, and carefully matching the identities and backgrounds of the rescued children."

Upon hearing the phrase "interactive case files, case-by-case comparison," Zhou Wenqing's lips twitched slightly upwards.

clever!

The counties surrounding Luoyang were interconnected, and having them each carry case files and verify each other's information served as both a form of supervision and a check—no one dared to conceal or omit information under the watchful eyes of the public.

This approach not only saves the effort of top-down pressure, but may also yield some "unexpected surprises".

There's never a shortage of people in officialdom willing to report on each other. Since you're going to get into trouble anyway, why not drag a few down with you? Maybe I can even climb up the ladder by stepping on you!

Fusu has grown a lot, Zhou Wenqing thought with satisfaction.

The guard continued, "Once the blood relation is verified, immediately send someone to escort the child back to the county, where the county magistrate will personally escort him home to comfort his grieving and anxious parents."

This was also a brilliant move, Zhou Wenqing nodded to himself.

Instead of summoning the county magistrate, the county assistant magistrate was invited to witness firsthand the backlog of missing persons cases in his jurisdiction and compare them with the files of neighboring counties. The oversights in governance became immediately apparent, which placed a heavy burden on these local officials. Naturally, they dared not be careless when reviewing the files.

Otherwise, when he goes back to face his own county magistrate, his expression will probably not be very pleasant.

If you don't want the comparison to be too stark and offend your direct superior, you can only nitpick at others.

Then Fusu ordered the county magistrate to personally send the children back to their parents. This seemed to be an opportunity for these local officials to redeem themselves, but in reality, it forced them to do their jobs diligently and not dare to be perfunctory or negligent in the slightest.

Even if someone is usually dull and lazy, they have to pull themselves together and put on a show of being heartbroken and diligent.

Forget about comforting the family and apologizing; even if it means paying out of their own pockets for the child's medical treatment and medicine, and subsidizing the expenses, they have to grit their teeth and accept it.

Otherwise, when it comes time to settle scores later, the magistrate of the neighboring county will show remorse, hire renowned doctors for the victimized families, and compensate them with money—everything will be provided. And you? You'll have done absolutely nothing!

So, aren't you being insincere? Have you shown no remorse? Shouldn't you be punished more severely?!

Zhou Wenqing could almost picture the scene: in the prefectural governor's mansion, the county magistrates were gathered around their desks, each with a tall stack of files behind them. They were being watched by Prefect Wang in front and by the eldest son, Fusu, behind them, all sweating profusely and in a flurry of activity.

While scrutinizing the flaws in other people's case files, they were also on tenterhooks, fearing that their own case files might reveal some serious problems. Everyone was on pins and needles, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Meanwhile, the county magistrates might curse and grumble in their own homes, but once they stepped outside, they had to put on a smiling face, empty their pockets, hire famous doctors, and take their children to apologize to each and every household. Their hearts were bleeding, but they still had to say, "It's my fault, it's what I should do." If they encountered parents with a little more status or a stronger temper, they might even point their fingers at them, berate them, and beat them up.

They'd be beaten black and blue, and their ancestors for eighteen generations would be dragged out and cursed, but they wouldn't dare utter a single fart. Otherwise, they'd have to consider whether sending their descendants for eighteen generations to meet their ancestors would result in them being whipped like a top when they died.

Live it!

If they had done their best, they would have a clear conscience once they found their child. They wouldn't have to worry about the family making things difficult for them, so why did things have to come to this?

Thinking of this, Zhou Wenqing's lips curled into a cold, sharp smile, and he spoke softly:

"I imagine the petitions of apology submitted by the county magistrates must have piled up so high they could flood the main hall of the prefectural governor's office by now?"

The guard bowed his head and said, "Yes, the county magistrates have all submitted more than one letter of apology. However, they are currently preoccupied with the aftermath, including resettling refugees, comforting the people, and sorting out the case. They are all very busy. The eldest son is focused on practical matters and has no time to rush to investigate and punish. Please put the letter of apology aside for the time being, and let everyone listen to their duties while they are under investigation. We will deal with the case together after it is closed."

"Serving as a constable while under duress, is that what Fusu said?" Zhou Wenqing's eyes sharpened, and he immediately pressed for an answer.

"Yes." The guard immediately understood the key point that his master cared about, and quickly bowed and nodded in response. "The eldest son only explained this order to Prefect Wang in person. When Prefect Wang relayed it to others, the wording was not as clear. However, Prefect Wang has been trying to make amends as much as possible. In the eyes of others, it may seem like he is trying to make amends."

Zhou Wenqing didn't reply, his fingers gently stroking the jade pendant at his waist, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

Ha! How should I put it? This Wang Mao is definitely not stupid.

According to the law, if he truly did not collude with bandits, it would only be a crime of negligence, at most resulting in a salary deduction, reprimand, or dismissal. If he made proper amends, he might even be reinstated.

But despite his ability and skill, he allowed the chaos in Luoyang to continue unchecked...

In any case, this person should absolutely not be used anymore.

He ignored Wang Mao's matter and turned his thoughts to Fusu, a hint of approval gradually appearing in his eyes.

Fusu's methods of governing his subordinates also showed the demeanor of a great king.

"To serve as a constable while in disgrace" is not "to perform meritorious service while in disgrace." These two seemingly minor differences in wording carry vastly different implications.

"To atone for one's crimes by performing good deeds" is to give you the opportunity to make amends for your crimes, and if you succeed in doing so, you can be exempted from punishment.

You may serve as a constable while in disgrace, as long as you are dutiful and do your job well. Merits are merits, and demerits are demerits. Doing your job well is your duty, and it cannot at all offset your previous dereliction of duty.

That's the right way, otherwise things would get chaotic.

After hearing Fusu's handling of the matter, Zhou Wenqing was basically relieved. Everything was handled properly, and there was no need for him to investigate or supplement anything further.

I felt a strange sense of pride that came from seeing my own child grow up.

However, it's likely that Han Fei was involved in this system of checks and balances.

He gave a soft snort to himself.

This stubborn "Han Chen," I wonder how long he can keep up his act.