Rebirth: From being expelled from the imperial court to becoming a high-ranking official

It's the end of the year in a blink of an eye, and Qin Yunhe and Li Chang can't go home for the New Year this year.

Li Chang's own house has not been fully built yet, so he has not yet brought his family over.

The official residence Qin Yunhe rented was not very big, and he was still in the probation period, so naturally he did not bring his family over.

Although Lin Zhaotang and He Wenshuang did not go home for the New Year, they were not lonely because their families were here.

Since Li Chang and Qin Yunhe could not go home for the New Year and neither of them had any family members in Beijing, they naturally decided to celebrate the New Year together.

Both sides had people buy all the necessities for the New Year early on.

Zhang San, Li Si and Li Chang had been away for a year, and Zhuzi and Qin Yunhe had also been away for a year. They all had families, so two days before the seal, Li Chang and Qin Yunhe let them go home for the New Year, leaving only a few servants.

Qin Yunhe wrote a letter back early, asking Yuru to remember to prepare New Year gifts for teachers and relatives as usual. He also wrote a letter to the teacher to report on his work during this period and reminded him to take care of his health.

It was sealed quickly and it was New Year’s Eve in a blink of an eye.

Qin Yunhe and Li Chang had people put up Spring Festival couplets and prepare New Year dishes early.

There was no ups and downs during the Chinese New Year. After eating the New Year’s Eve dinner, everyone stayed up all night together before going to bed.

After New Year's Day, before the seal was opened, Li Chang and Qin Yunhe first visited their fellow townsmen in Beijing together, and then each of them visited their familiar senior colleagues.

Qin Yunhe had no time to visit Lord Wu Tonghuo when he was working in the local government before. Now that they are both in the capital, as a junior, he naturally has to pay a visit.

Now Lord Wu and Mr. Gu often corresponded, and he became more intimate with Qin Yunhe. When he learned that Qin Yunhe was coming to visit, he asked someone to bring him in in a moment.

"…Yes, now that you have been selected as the Censor, you have lived up to your teacher's expectations. You must be more careful in investigating and rectifying cases in the future, and don't embarrass Old Gu."

"Yes, I will follow my uncle's teachings and will not disappoint my teacher and uncle."

Qin Yunhe knew that Lord Wu was really treating him as a junior and giving him advice, so he naturally bowed and agreed.

Qin Yunhe knew that many people would come to visit him during the New Year. It was a great honor for Lord Wu to take the time to see him, so he chatted with Lord Wu for a while and then said goodbye and left.

The capital is different from other places. There are countless officials, big and small, and most of the colleagues do not go home. Qin Yunhe and Li Chang naturally have many colleagues and seniors to visit, so they have almost no free time in the few days before the opening of the printing after the New Year, and it is not much easier than the previous shift.

In a blink of an eye, the seal was opened, and Qin Yunhe actually felt relieved.

When he went to work again, Censor Tian had already been ordered to go on an inspection tour to Henan.

As for those who were suspected of pretending to be good people, their investigation has basically been completed, and the Censorate will report the investigation results together with the Dali Temple.

In the end, it was found that there were eight people who had pretended to be good people by taking lowly positions. Some of them had taken the imperial examinations falsely, and some had paid donations falsely. It was ruled that their official titles and positions had been revoked. From then on, the people and their descendants were not allowed to take the imperial examinations or pay donations to become officials.

Those who knew the truth but still gave a guarantee would be stripped of their titles, while those who were unaware of the truth but gave a guarantee would have one subject suspended from the exam.

The local county officials who have signed a guarantee for the test-takers will be fined one year's salary and kept on observing the consequences.

As for the county and prefecture officials who received reports without investigation and arbitrarily signed a pledge on behalf of the fraudulent donor, if the donor has already been appointed to a vacant position, the relevant personnel will be demoted one level and transferred to another position to retain their positions.

It was found that he had accepted a large sum of money and had given a guarantee despite knowing that his assets were not clean. He was immediately dismissed and handed over to the Ministry of Personnel for punishment.

Any clerk or registrar in the local county government offices who was involved in accepting bribes and secretly falsifying registers will be dismissed and never employed again.

He also ordered each province and prefecture to conduct self-inspections of local people who pretended to be good citizens, and to report any findings immediately without concealing them.

Mao Liang's crimes had happened before, but they were usually investigated and punished as soon as they were discovered, and if they were not discovered, they would be left unresolved. Unexpectedly, this time the court conducted a strict investigation and imposed severe punishment.

Not to mention Henan Province, all the government offices in prefectures, counties and districts were in a state of panic, strictly checking the assets of the students and candidates under their jurisdiction, and also checking the records during their tenure, for fear that there might be omissions or fillers.

Naturally, students and candidates from all over the country were all nervous, and some even pretended to be citizens of the country.

This was supposed to be a good thing to clear up old malpractices and improve discipline, but it caused some chaos.

Qin Yunhe's daily duties in Beijing were nothing more than reviewing case files.

There will be a county examination this year, and both Li Changyu and Fan Hong will take part.

The county examination was held in February, and Qin Yunhe received letters from the two people in March.

At noon, Qin Yunhe looked at the letter from his students and couldn't help but smile.

A colleague saw this and couldn't help but teasing, "Did Sir Qin get such a happy response after receiving a letter from his wife?"

Qin Yunhe smiled even more and looked up at his colleague: "It's a letter from my student. He took the county exam earlier this year and passed it. He was reporting to me proudly."

Qin Yunhe smiled and shook his head as he spoke. This Changyu, even a county exam was so lively.

Thinking about it, he felt a little emotional and melancholy. The little kid who was only four years old and ran around to play with him when he was copying books has grown up now.

It’s a pity that I’m not around, so I can’t praise him in person, let alone reward him.

"So you are Mr. Qin's student. It is really gratifying to see your progress. My son also returned to his hometown to take the county exam this year, but I don't know if he passed it yet..."

After returning home in the evening, Qin Yunhe wrote a letter to Li Changyu and Fan Hong respectively. On the one hand, he praised the two children for their hard work over the years and lived up to expectations. On the other hand, he reminded them not to be proud and to prepare well for the provincial examination in April.

Finally, he promised to have two children, and if they could pass the provincial examination, both of them would be rewarded.

More than two months later, another letter came from home, saying that Li Changyu and Fan Hong both passed the provincial examination.

Although I knew that they would have no problem passing the county exam with their current level, I didn't feel relieved until I was sure that both children had passed.

Soon, Qin Yunhe's probationary period had completed a year.

This year, Qin Yunhe's review of case files also uncovered several cases that were questionable, incorrect, or had inaccurate sentencing or improper citation of laws.

He didn't know how others performed in reviewing case files during their probation, but he felt that he had tried his best and at least had not slacked off.

In June, the Left Censor-in-Chief arranged for an examination of those who had been selected as Supervisory Censors last year.

Everyone took written tests and interviews, and on June 28th, Qin Yunhe was actually appointed the post of Censor-in-Chief.

When Zhuzi came out of duty, he smiled and asked Qin Yunhe as soon as he saw him, "Did you really appoint him as the Censor?"

Qin Yunhe was slightly surprised: "Is it so obvious?"

"My lord, you are fine. I saw Hesheng was very happy. I thought that my lord had been promoted to a regular employee."

Qin Yunhe looked back with amusement and saw He Sheng's face full of joy.

He Sheng is a family servant, so basically he has to go wherever Qin Yunhe goes. If Qin Yunhe cannot be converted to a regular employee and needs to be transferred or selected again, he can only follow him around.

Now that Qin Yunhe has officially taken office, he has settled down, so he is naturally happy.

Qin Yunhe said as he got into the car: "Ask the kitchen to make two more dishes tonight so we can celebrate together."

Zhuzi smiled and called the carriage back: "Thank you, sir."

He Sheng said, "Sir, now that you have officially assumed the post of Censor, and a year has passed, should we go and ask the stranded sir if he can move out?"

Qin Yunhe hesitated for a moment and said, "Wait a minute."

The rule for official residences is to move out within three months. This gentleman stayed there for so long that he actually took up Qin Yunhe's place.

The gentleman had previously given a message to the clerk in charge of the Censorate, saying that he would only stay for one year.

Logically speaking, Qin Yunhe has done his best and it's time to go and ask.

He knew that if he really asked the adult, he would probably move away on his own.

However, Qin Yunhe heard that the gentleman was quite old and in poor health, and had no children at home but only an old wife.

It's not like he has no place to live now, so there's really no need to rush to get rid of him.

But he also knew that things couldn't be delayed any longer.

If they wanted to bring Yuru and her son over, it would definitely be better for them to live in the official residence of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. If Yuru and her son couldn't come, Chi'er couldn't come either, and she and Hesheng weren't young anymore...

Zhuzi and Qin Yunhe had known each other since childhood, so he naturally understood his character and personality, so he advised: "Sir, we all know that you have good intentions, but we have been here for a year, you can't always live apart from your wife, right? The official residence was given by the Procuratorate, and we didn't occupy it by force."

Qin Yunhe thought for a moment and said, "How about this, you go back in a few days and bring the lady here first... and get the testimony..."

The official residence here is indeed a bit small.

Qin Zheng and Qin Ci are still young, so they have plenty of time. But Ruyi is not young anymore, so I am afraid she can't stay at home for a few more years. It is better to stay with her for two more years before she gets engaged.

Zhuzi had no choice but to sigh.

Several people were riding back in a carriage. On the way, they met Li Chang, who was also returning home from work. Qin Yunhe told him the good news of his promotion.

Li Chang was naturally happy for him: "Congratulations, you finally got a permanent job. It's a rush today, let's celebrate together another day."

"By the way, Yunhe, my new house has been prepared and is almost ready. I plan to move in during the next holiday. Come take a look then."

Li Chang was particular about it. After a year of hard work, he finally built the house and purchased all kinds of furniture.

"Okay, just in time to congratulate you on your new home."

A few days later, it was time for the holiday again. Qin Yunhe took the gifts and went to Tongyi Street in a carriage.

Before it was repaired, Qin Yunhe had come here with Li Chang to see the house, so he knew the address.

Moving into a new house should be done early. When Qin Yunhe arrived, Li Chang had already moved in and was just instructing the servants to move a few ornaments to new places.

"Zigao, congratulations on your new home and welcoming Jinari. Congratulations."

Li Chang turned around and said with a smile: "You've come just in time. Can you help me see if this pair of vases can be placed here?"

Qin Yunhe never cared about these things, and said with a smile: "I think it's good, very pleasing to the eye."

Zhuzi and Hesheng gave the gifts they brought to the servants.

Li Chang turned around and saw that Qin Yunhe had also given him a pair of fish basins, which were of very exquisite design.

"Hey, Yunhe, you picked a nice pair of fish basins. You have good taste. They are perfect for my new home."

As he spoke, Li Chang took the fish basin and looked at it carefully, and then he decided to choose what kind of fish to put in it.

Then he asked the servants to arrange it for a long time, and it seemed that he really liked it.

Qin Yunhe didn't care much about the layout, so he just smiled and watched him busy himself.

After a while, when Li Chang had finished his work, he remembered to show Qin Yunhe his house.

Li Chang's new house has only two entrances, but the depth of the courtyard and the space between the houses are sufficient.

"There are too many rules in the capital, and I didn't dare to build it too big, for fear of exceeding the rules."

Li Chang took Qin Yunhe to look around the inner and outer courtyards, and then took Qin Yunhe to see his study.

They each found a chair and sat down. Li Chang said, "Finally everything has been settled. In a few days I plan to ask Zhang San and Li Si to go home and bring their wife and children over. What about you? Do you want to bring your sister-in-law over?"

"I was also planning to bring Yuru and Ruyi over. When the time comes, let Zhuzi go back with them, and let Yuru and my sister-in-law come together."

"You won't take the testimony?"

"The official residence here is a bit small. I'm afraid it can't accommodate so many people."

Li Chang said: "If I were to say anything about you, you are too considerate of others. You could have been considerate of the senior who had resigned and allowed him to stay there for a few more months. But it has been a year, and you have done your best. Why do you have to make it so difficult for yourself to help others?

There has to be a limit to kindness.”

"I know, it's not hard for me. That gentleman had sent someone to tell me that he would only stay for a year." Qin Yunhe pondered for a moment and said, "I thought that if I waited a little longer, maybe they would move out on their own. I've already waited for a year, so a few days won't make a difference."

Qin Yunhe originally thought that he would have to wait at least another month or two for this matter, but he did not expect that just as Zhuzi and Zhang San and Li Si left the capital, the steward came to tell Qin Yunhe that the former censor who had lived in the official residence had moved out.

Zhuzi had already left, so Qin Yunhe took advantage of the day off to go take a look at the official residence with Hesheng.

The official residence here is indeed larger than the one in Guihua Lane, and there is an additional back house.

The whole yard was very tidy. There were a few fish in the big vat in the yard. There was also a pomegranate tree planted in the corner, which was full of pomegranate fruits.

There is a wooden frame under the eaves, with several pots of flowers on it, one of which is planted with red peppers.

He Sheng was delighted and said, "This gentleman is quite interesting. He even grows his own peppers."

Qin Yunhe knew what he was happy about, so he pointed to the side room and said with a smile: "How about you and Chi'er live in that room when the time comes?"

He Sheng blushed: "Thank you, sir."

The two men went into the house again to take a look.

The room was also very clean, so clean that almost nothing was left except the original furniture and belongings of the official residence.

But it's not like there's really nothing left.

Qin Yunhe saw a letter and a book on the desk.

Qin Yunhe was a little surprised, as the book and letter were obviously left for him.

There were only a few words on the letter:

Your Excellency’s approval.

I am old and weak, and I am stranded in Kyoto. I am grateful for your hospitality. I have a humble pen that is worth reading, and I would like to give it to you. I hope you will not lose your ambition and realize your grand plan.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the Heyoutong.

Qin Yunhe put down the letter and looked at the book: Caolu Cundu.

When I opened it, I found it was a document of organized and recorded verdicts. According to the beginning of the document, this gentleman had served as a magistrate for three years, then became a judge in the Dali Temple and a secretary in the Dali Temple. Later, he was demoted to the position of magistrate in Luyang for some reason, and then was recruited as a censor.

Until last year, he had to return home due to illness.

This book is a record of the cases that this adult has handled.