Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

"Zizhi, your hands are shaking terribly."

"Is the wind too cold, or is the paper too heavy?"

Chen Rang glanced sideways at Li Ping

The scissors in his hand made a harsh sound as they scraped against the leaves of the medicinal herb.

Li Ping shrank his neck and held the thin piece of paper up higher.

"Your Excellency, it's because I drank too much cold water last night that I felt a bit unwell."

"Drinking too much cold water is bad for your health. I have some freshly brewed hot tea here. Would you like a cup?"

"Thank you, sir, but I'm afraid of getting burned. Warm water is more suitable."

"Warm water is nice, but it cools down quickly."

Chen Rang placed the scissors on the stone table.

The smile gradually faded from his well-preserved, long face.

"Zizhi, you are a smart man. Smart people always speak with less effort."

Li Ping placed the piece of paper on the stone table and covered it with a teacup to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.

"You flatter me, sir. I just feel that the numbers in this booklet are rather glaring."

He pointed to the vermilion numbers on the paper.

"Two years ago, there was a severe drought, and the crops in the fields were almost dried up like firewood, but the government granary reported a loss of three thousand shi (a unit of dry measure) due to rain and flooding."

"What if we wait for the county's auditing officer to come, or for my senior fellow apprentice, the inspector, to have some free time?"

"If someone is sent to check, I really don't know how to cover for you, sir."

Chen Rang stared at the teacup, his fingertips twitching slightly.

A wisp of extremely fine spiritual energy flowed beneath the stone table, causing the dust on it to tremble slightly.

"Zizhi, do you think your senior brother can protect you for the rest of your life?"

Chen Rang's tone was somewhat cold.

"The mountain roads in Xiyun County are slippery, and every year more than one clerk falls into the ditch."

Li Ping took a half step back, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

That harmless smile still lingered on his face.

"You're right, sir. That's why I'm timid. When I was copying this number last night, I made several extra copies."

Chen Rang's eye twitched slightly.

Li Ping continued...

"One copy was hidden under the stove in my own home, and the other was sent to a blacksmith's shop outside the city through a third party."

"There's one more copy. I wrapped it in oiled paper and buried it under the incense burner at the City God Temple."

"What if the younger generation falls while walking or chokes to death while eating noodles one day?"

"My elder brother, Li Da, would burn these scraps of paper as paper money for the prefect and his teacher."

"Our teacher loved his juniors the most, and he was very kind to them when he saw this paper money."

"We will definitely send someone to Xiyun County to perform a religious ceremony for the younger generation."

The courtyard was deathly silent for a moment.

The spiritual energy at Chen Rang's fingertips dissipated.

He looked at Li Ping as if he were looking at a stubborn, unyielding piece of meat.

This kid is clearly just an ordinary person, yet he's meticulously planned his escape routes, even making his older brother, the blacksmith, a backup plan.

"Zizhi, you child, you just think too much."

Chen Rang suddenly laughed, the coldness on his face dissipating, replaced by the kind expression of an elder.

"I was just joking with you, look how scared you are!"

"How do you think the amount in the official granary should be changed to be the most appropriate?"

Li Ping leaned forward and softened his voice.

"Although there was a drought the year before last, a fire broke out in the mountains, burning down a corner of the official granary and causing a loss of three thousand shi (a unit of dry measure). What is the reason for this?"

Chen Rang raised an eyebrow

"Burning down the government granary? That's a serious crime."

"Don't worry, sir, what burned down were just some outbuildings used for storing miscellaneous items."

"As for the timber, I can find someone to cut down some inferior wood in the mountains to make up for it, and the county will not be able to detect any flaws."

Li Ping blinked.

"But what about the wages for logging?"

"And the guards of the government granaries also incur expenses."

Chen Rang picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"How do you plan to spend the money?"

"I believe the authority of the document room could be expanded further."

"From now on, all transactions involving the official granary will be conducted with the official seal of the clerk."

Li Ping rubbed his hands together, a greedy glint in his eyes.

"In addition, some of the spoiled grains will inevitably be moldy and need to be cleaned out."

"My family is large, and my elder brother is good at physical labor, so why don't I take on the task of cleaning up the moldy grains?"

Chen Rang tightened his grip on the teacup.

This kid has quite an appetite.

They demanded official seals for the granary and a share of the grain.

What rotten grain? It's clearly an attempt to use the pretext of spoilage to smuggle grain out of the official granary.

But right now, this kid has too much leverage over him, and with Ren Jun backing him up, a direct confrontation wouldn't be to gain any advantage.

"Since Zizhi is willing to share my burdens, I will naturally grant his request."

Chen Rang put down his teacup, took out a copper seal from his sleeve, and tossed it onto the stone table.

"From now on, you will keep the official seals of the document room."

"As for the moldy grain, you will be allocated fifty bushels per month, which you can dispose of as you see fit."

Li Ping grabbed the copper seal, stuffed it into his sleeve, and grinned so hard his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will make sure this booklet is beautifully made and that the county will not find any flaws."

Li Ping took his leave from the back office, only to feel the weight of the copper seal in his sleeve.

He hummed a little tune as he slowly walked towards the official granary.

In front of the granary gate, Uncle Zhou was dozing off against an empty grain sack, a glistening trail of drool still clinging to the corner of his mouth.

Li Ping walked over and kicked the empty wooden bucket next to him with his toe, making a dull thud.

Zhou Bo shuddered and suddenly opened his eyes.

Upon seeing it was Li Ping, he nearly dropped his pipe into the bucket in his panic.

"Oh my, Lord Li, what brings you here in person?"

"This place is very dusty, don't get your clothes dirty."

Li Ping waved the approval slip signed by Chen Rang in front of Uncle Zhou.

The vermilion seal on it wasn't completely dry yet, and it still had a fresh cinnabar smell.

"Uncle Zhou, the magistrate is kind to me and has granted me permission to clean the moldy grain in the granary."

"Ten bushels will be taken back today."

Uncle Zhou took the approval slip and rubbed his cloudy eyes.

He brought the approval slip to his nose and smelled it again, somewhat incredulous.

"Ten bushels?"

"Sir, this moldy grain... this moldy grain is usually just dumped directly into the ditch."

"You're carrying so much back, could it be that you're going to...?"

"Uncle Zhou, we both know the quality of the grain in this granary."

Li Ping patted Uncle Zhou on the shoulder and casually slipped him a small string of copper coins.

It was quite heavy, and it made a crisp sound when it hit Uncle Zhou's palm.

"When bagging, choose the ones that look cleaner."

"My family raises a few chickens, and they're very picky eaters."

"If I take it back to feed the chickens, and they won't eat it, then all my hard work will have been for nothing."

As Zhou Bo touched the copper coin in his hand, the wrinkles on his face instantly piled up like a steamed bun.

"Don't worry, sir, I understand."

"Although we're short of new grain in our granary, we still have some good quality grain from two years ago."

"I'll pick out the finest 'moldy grains' for you and pack them into bags right away."

Before long, ten shi (a unit of dry measure) of coarse burlap sacks were placed at the entrance of the official granary.

Li Ping used his fingers to pry open a seam in a burlap sack, grabbed a handful of grain, and looked at it.

Although the grains were somewhat dark, they were definitely not moldy or rotten, and even had a faint aroma of grain.

This old man is quite shrewd.

Instead of carrying it himself, he turned and went to the front hall of the county government office.

In the front hall, several bailiffs were squatting in the corner picking their teeth. When Li Ping entered, they all seemed rather indifferent.

Li Ping walked up to a thin young constable.

This constable was called Xiao Liu, and he was usually the least popular person in the county government office.

They did the dirtiest and most tiring jobs, and their salaries were often cut.

He was squatting on the ground, teasing an ant with a dry blade of grass.

"Little Six, are you busy?"

Xiao Liu looked up, stood up somewhat awkwardly, and hid the withered grass in his hand behind his back.

"Lord Li, is there anything you need?"

"Go and help me transport the ten bushels of grain from the granary gate to my house. Also, call Amu along."

Li Ping pointed to another honest constable standing nearby, who was holding a broom and staring blankly into space.

Xiao Liu looked somewhat embarrassed and glanced towards the back office.

"This... Lord Li, Chief Lin instructed us to chop all the firewood in the backyard today. If we run around, we'll be whipped."

"I'll talk to Lin Bing; you'll definitely get your share of the benefits."

Li Ping took out two handfuls of copper coins from his sleeve, stuffed them into Xiao Liu's hand, and gave some more to Amu.

"After you finish your work, come to my house for some meat. My sister-in-law just steamed some cured pork."

"Sliced ​​as thick as a finger, glistening with oil, and filling."

When Amu heard the words "cured meat," his Adam's apple bobbed, and he nearly dropped the broom.

"Lord Li, are you telling the truth? There really is cured meat to eat?"

Why would I lie to you? If you're late, my older brother can eat the whole plate by himself.

Xiao Liu stuffed the copper coins into his pocket and patted his chest to assure them.

"Alright! Lord Li, you should rest."

"Don't even mention ten bushels of grain, even twenty bushels, Amu and I could carry them back for you in one go!"

The two men, full of energy, lifted the sacks and headed out.

Li Ping watched their retreating figures and smiled slightly.

Most of the clerks in this county government office came from poor backgrounds; as long as they were given enough grain and copper coins, they were more effective than any grand principles.

Ten shi of grain

Li Ping kept only two shi (a unit of dry measure) at home. He had his elder brother, Li Da, take advantage of the darkness to haul the remaining eight shi to a dilapidated temple in the west of the city using a cart.

This place is home to many refugees who fled from the mountains. Most of them are ragged, with sallow complexions, and huddled together in the cold wind.

Looking at the cartload of grain, Li Da felt a pang of heartache; his rough hands rubbed the sacks again and again.

"Second brother, this grain was hard-won. It's enough for our family to eat for half a year, and you're just giving it away to them like this?"

"Brother, keeping this grain at home only invites trouble; giving it away is what gives us confidence."

Li Ping patted the sacks on the cart, making a dull thud.

"Distribute this grain among the women with children and the strong men."

"Remember, don't mention my name. Just say it was a gift from Lord Li of the county yamen's clerk's office."

Li Da scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.

"Since it's a grain delivery, why not mention your name instead of 'Lord Li of the Clerk'? Isn't that still you?"

"Brother, this is called having a legitimate reason, but what if you mention my personal name?"

"That's charity; but if it's a promotion to a clerical position, that's a favor from the government."

"They remembered the government's kindness, and from then on, when I used the seal of the clerk's office to command them, they felt it was only natural."

Li Ping sighed, thinking that his older brother's brain was indeed a bit slow, but he was obedient.

Li Da nodded as if he understood, and pushed the cart toward the dilapidated temple.

A restrained gasp quickly rose from the dilapidated temple, followed by soft sobs and expressions of gratitude.

Standing in the shadows at a distance, Li Ping watched the refugees express their deepest gratitude to Li Daqian, and felt a slight sense of relief.

These runaways, lacking household registration in the county, were seen as "pigs" by the government.

But as long as they are given a meal, they will become the most loyal bodyguards.

Just as Li Ping was about to turn around and go home, he suddenly heard a light footstep behind him.

The sound was extremely faint; if he hadn't now entered the Qi Refining stage and possessed hearing far exceeding that of ordinary people, he probably wouldn't have been able to detect it at all.

He stiffened, his right hand stealthily reaching for the short knife at his waist, his body slightly crouching, ready to pounce forward at any moment.

"Lord Li, it's so late, are you still admiring the moon in the west of the city?"

Someone spoke in a hoarse voice in the darkness.

Li Ping turned around and saw a tall, burly man emerge from the shadows.

The man, dressed in coarse cloth but with a county government-issued sword hanging at his waist, was Lin Bing's trusted subordinate, named Zhao Tie.

Li Ping loosened his grip on the knife, a smile spreading across his face, and casually patted the mud off his trousers.

"Oh, it's Brother Zhao. Patrolling the streets so late, he must be working so hard."

"The moon in the west of the city is indeed rounder than the one in the government office."

Zhao Tie glanced in the direction of the dilapidated temple, then looked at Li Ping, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

"Lord Li is truly a compassionate man; he just received his own grain and is already helping these refugees from the mountains."

"If the county magistrate found out, he might think that Lord Li thinks fifty bushels of moldy grain isn't enough to eat."

"Brother Zhao is joking. They're just some moldy, rotten grains. It's a waste to throw them away, so I just gave them to them."

"To prevent it from rotting in the warehouse and attracting rats."

Li Ping chuckled, took two steps forward, and closed the distance.

"Brother Zhao, it's so late, have you had any midnight snacks yet? My sister-in-law still has quite a bit of the cured meat she steamed."

"How about coming to my place for a couple of drinks to warm up?"

Zhao Tie shook his head and pressed the hilt of his sword.

"I'll pass on the drinking; I have official duties to attend to."

"Lord Li should head back soon; the night roads in the west of the city are not safe."

"You never know when a stray dog ​​might jump out and bite you painfully."

After saying this, Zhao Tie gave Li Ping a deep look, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.

As Li Ping watched the direction Zhao Tie had left, the smile on his face gradually faded.

Zhao Tie was Lin Bing's close friend, and Lin Bing was Chen Rang's lackey.

It seems that my every move is being watched by Chen Rang.

However, this is exactly what he wanted.

Only if Chen Rang perceives him as merely a greedy, opportunistic minor official will Chen Rang refrain from immediately overturning the table.

Inside the rear office of the county government, the lights were dim.

Chen Rang was sitting at his desk, holding a pair of scissors, casually trimming the spirit herb.

The leaves of the herb emitted a faint green glow, which looked somewhat eerie in the dimly lit room.

Lin Bing stood to the side, head bowed, expression respectful, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Sir, Zhao Tie just reported that the boy gave most of the grain he was allocated to the runaways in the west of the city."

Chen Rang stopped scissors in his hand, making a crisp metallic clang.

"Give it to runaways? He certainly knows how to win people over."

"Someone who's barely even begun to cultivate Qi, dares to try and act like a virtuous person?"

"My lord, keeping this kid around will only cause trouble. Should I find some brothers from the mountains to kill him outside the city...?"

Lin Bing raised his hand and gestured in front of his neck, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

Chen Rang sneered, picked up a fallen leaf with the tip of his scissors, and tossed it into the brazier beside him.

"idiot"

"He just received grain from me. If something happens now, Ren Jun will suspect me first."

"When the prefect investigates, will you take the blame for me?"

Lin Bing turned pale with fright and immediately bowed.

"Your subordinate deserves to die; your subordinate failed to consider the matter thoroughly."

"What does Your Excellency mean?"

"The autumn tax is approaching, and the county is pressing for payment."

"After the autumn tax is sent to the county, find an opportunity to make him get into trouble on his own."

Chen Rang slammed the scissors on the table, making a crisp sound.

"For example, if bandits from the mountains came down to rob grain, and he died in the line of duty while protecting the official granary, Ren Jun would find it hard to find fault with that reason."

Lin Bing grinned maliciously and nodded repeatedly.

"Your Excellency is wise. I will immediately arrange for his death to be just and proper."

"Remember, keep your hands and feet clean, don't leave any loose ends."

Chen Rang waved his hand, signaling Lin Bing to step back.

He looked out the window at the gloomy sky, a cold smile playing on his lips.

A lowly official, a mere mortal, also wanted to get a share of the pie at the mahjong table in Xiyun County.

It's practically suicide.