Chapter Twenty-Six: Visitors at the Qin Residence

Watching Fu Rugui, who seemed to care little about his duties and ignored him completely, Yu Qing felt even more stifled, and inwardly his complaints grew bolder.

“The entire ministry is in chaos, with those petty officials who have gained favor running wild—these days they treat the public office as their own private estate. All official business is neglected; most of them are absent five or six days out of ten, and lately, some have even taken government property home for themselves. Whenever there’s talk of the Ministry of Revenue’s task of raising funds and provisions, if Wang Zhengzhi is present, he’s all eagerness, offering plans and advice, acting every bit the minister in charge. But as for those of us loyal to the Minister of Agriculture, whenever we pass by, we’re met with nothing but cold indifference.

“Master Rugui! Don’t you realize? In this ministry, there are scarcely any left who remain steadfast by the Minister’s side as I do. It’s become impossible for me to find anyone for a quiet consultation, let alone discuss strategies for raising funds—or manage the specifics, which should be the clerks’ responsibility, shouldn’t it? We, as scholar-officials, following the Minister, must now be prepared to suffer!”

No matter how much Yu Qing grumbled inwardly, he could not disobey the Minister’s command. Step by step, he followed Fu Rugui to the residence of the Qin family in Chengqing Lane.

But as soon as they arrived, Fu Rugui grew tense, glancing about the houses with a furrowed brow.

Noticing Fu Rugui’s unease, Yu Qing asked, “Master Rugui, what’s wrong?”

“Something’s not right. It’s far too quiet here,” Fu Rugui replied.

Yu Qing shook his head. “What’s so strange about that? Every household keeps to themselves when they return home.”

But Fu Rugui only shook his head and said nothing more.

Zhu Cilang’s Qin residence was in the northwest corner of Chengqing Lane, a place frequented by many. For such a spot to be so utterly silent was certainly out of the ordinary.

As they spoke, they reached the gates of the Qin residence.

Yu Qing glanced at Fu Rugui, recalling the high hopes placed in him by Fu Shuxun to find Qin Xia. He cleared his throat, straightened his back, and strode up to the door, taking up the knocker and rapping firmly.

“Is Qin Xia at home? Yu Qing, Assistant Director of the Yunnan Purity Office of the Ministry of Revenue, calls upon you!”

No response—only silence.

Annoyed, Yu Qing knocked harder.

Bang, bang, bang...

Thud, thud, thud...

Fu Rugui looked up and around, sensing a gaze upon them from somewhere.

Yu Qing, seeing this, assumed Fu Rugui was trying to spare his pride after being ignored, and his own expression grew stern, his voice harsh. “Someone, open the door! What sort of hospitality is this? Where is the gatekeeper? Open up at once!”

He banged the knocker with even more force.

Still, not a sound.

“Outrageous!” Yu Qing fumed. “You refuse to open up? Shall I have this shabby door smashed down?”

With that, Yu Qing gave the door a furious shove—only for it to swing open at once, entirely unlocked.

As Yu Qing pushed the door open, Fu Rugui suddenly shouted, “Brother Yu, don’t go in yet!”

“What, is this a dragon’s lair? Qin Xia, show yourself! I am the Assistant Director of the Yunnan Office—how dare you show such disdain for your superiors, are you—”

Splat—

Just as Yu Qing shouted, a bucket of rank, murky water mixed with vegetable scraps was dumped from above, soaking him from head to toe, his hair coming undone and festooned with wilted greens hanging over his forehead in a most ludicrous fashion.

For a moment, the world seemed to fall silent, broken only by the clatter of the bucket hitting the ground.

As Fu Rugui recovered and hurried forward, a chorus of angry voices rang out:

“Someone! Beat these ruffians! How dare they come bullying the Qin household—do they think us defenseless? I, Zhang Zhen, do not fear you!”

“Li San, call up Seven Dogs, and my brothers—let’s teach these troublemakers a lesson!”

“Indeed! They’ve besieged our house, stopped us from buying or selling grain, vegetables, and meat—and today they dare pound at our gates! If we don’t thrash them until their own parents won’t recognize them, may my name be written backwards!”

Seeing the burly men converging, Fu Rugui, at first ready to fight in Yu Qing’s defense, realized something was amiss as he listened, and as two or three strong men closed in, he prepared to strike back.

But then, as Fu Rugui noticed a dozen or so elderly men and stout women quietly closing in with brooms, his expression changed completely. “It’s a misunderstanding! We are not here to cause trouble! We are Qin Xia’s trusted colleagues!”

In the study, four of the burly men who had charged to the door now knelt on the ground. The leader—a tall, broad-shouldered man with rough, dark skin and a square face full of indignation—stiffened his neck in protest. Next to him was a pockmarked man, a thin, wiry fellow, and a boy of perhaps eleven or twelve, lying on the ground, wide-eyed and fearful.

Zhu Cilang regarded Zhang Zhen, the leader, grasping a switch in his hand as he thundered, “Well! Such audacity! When honored guests arrive, you greet them with insults and blows—have you no regard for the law, either of the land or of this house?”

“But they acted just like those ruffians—” Zhang Zhen began to protest, feeling wronged, but his voice dwindled.

Meanwhile, Yu Qing, still toweling off his soaked clothing, gripped the cloth tighter, his teeth clenched in anger. Zhu Cilang was indeed a master of scolding one while meaning another.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang coldly declared, “You have broken household rules and insulted distinguished guests. I must punish you—do you object?”

Zhang Zhen trembled and replied at once, “This servant submits to any punishment the master deems fit.”

“We submit to the master’s punishment!” the other three echoed, voices quivering.

At last, Zhu Cilang turned with an apologetic smile to Yu Qing and Fu Rugui. “Forgive my poor supervision—I am deeply ashamed. I have already ordered my servants to prepare a feast by way of apology.”

Yu Qing, watching Zhu Cilang smile lightly in apology, saw in his eyes a frank and open light, as if he had just performed a righteous deed in purging evil. The thought infuriated him.

Beside him, Fu Rugui cast a sidelong glance, quickly seizing the moment. “Who could have imagined, Brother Qin, that your household would be in such peril? Even your own gate is a battleground—yet to have such loyal servants is a blessing, not a fault.”

Fu Rugui remained completely neutral, free of Yu Qing’s preconceived grievances, and saw clearly that it was Yu Qing’s own overbearing conduct that had led to the misunderstanding. Moreover, the more severely Zhu Cilang punished his servants, the more it stung Yu Qing and Fu Rugui—a slap in the face, for the loyal retainers were chastised, while those who had brought on this trouble were made to seem all the more villainous by comparison.