Chapter 105: Fiscal Regulations

Chapter 105: Fiscal Regulations Act

The next day was their day off, and they returned to their room. Zheng Shanci closed the bedroom door and kissed Yu Lanyi's eyes, his voice low, "Why are you staring at me?"

Yu Lanyi blushed, not expecting Zheng Shanci to notice, and only muttered, "Can't I even look? You're mine."

"You can look, and you can touch too."

Yu Lanyi bit Zheng Shanci's neck.

Zheng Shanci tilted his head back, gasping, his breath hot against Yu Lanyi's face. Yu Lanyi pushed too hard, pushing Zheng Shanci onto the bed to untie his belt.

He pushed too hard.

Zheng Shanci, caught off guard, fell onto the bed.

Today, they had gone to visit Zheng Shanci's father-in-law, and Zheng Shanci was wearing a purple long robe that accentuated his tall figure. His fair skin and dark eyes met Yu Lanyi's, a smile on his lips, the jade crown glowing softly.

In the end, Zheng Shanci had to take charge.

At first, Yu Lanyi tried too, but soon he ran out of strength.

Early in the morning on their day off, Zheng Shanci and Yu Lanyi went to the Duke's residence to pay their respects to the Old Duke and the Duchess. They were led to the main hall, where they first greeted the Duke and Duchess.

"Hello, Uncle," Yu Lanyi said, addressing the Duke.

Zheng Shanci followed suit, "Hello, Uncle."

The Duke seemed weary and forced a smile. When the Old Duke arrived, he excused himself to attend to matters, leaving the two to meet their grandparents.

"Hello, Grandfather, Grandmother," Zheng Shanci said respectfully.

"Sit down, we're family, no need for formalities," the Old Duke said, pleased with Zheng Shanci. He was also satisfied that Zheng Shanci had worked diligently in the provinces for three years. These days, the younger generation can't handle much hardship, but Zheng Shanci endured and did well. He wasn't someone who just wanted to cling to the wealth of the Marquis's family.

"That's right, Grandfather has always been kind to us," Yu Lanyi said.

"Well, if you say so, then I must be a good grandfather. You little rascal," the Old Duchess said, laughing as she pulled Yu Lanyi closer.

The Duchess smiled and said, "Lan Yi is just like before, still like a child."

"To me, you're all still children," the Old Duchess said, smiling. "Our own children are good. I know Lan Yi used to be willful, but now that he's been through hardships with Shan Ci, he deserves to be pampered now that he's back."

The Duchess nodded with a smile and treated Zheng Shanci with much more warmth.

"Mother, I'll go and instruct the kitchen to prepare a feast."

"Go ahead."

After the Duchess left, the Old Duke asked Zheng Shanci if he was getting used to the affairs of the officialdom.

Zheng Shanci replied, "I'm getting used to it. But I always feel like I don't know enough and need to keep studying."

"Having that attitude is good. The Ministry of Revenue's affairs are complex, and you hold a substantive position. Take it step by step, steadily," the Old Duke said, admiring Zheng Shanci, and invited him to take a walk in the garden.

Among the younger generation of the Duke's household, He Ming had been spoiled by his mother and was only mediocre. He Tong, the eldest son and heir, was outstanding compared to his peers, and the eldest grandson was strict with himself.

He liked Yu Zhangxing and also liked Zheng Shanci.

He chatted with Zheng Shanci, discussing books. He found that this grandson-in-law could hold a conversation with him, with insightful views. He grew even fonder of him.

Yu Lanyi chatted with the old lady, “Grandmother, why does Uncle look so worn out?”

“You’ve noticed too, he’s terrible at hiding his emotions,” the old lady sighed.

Yu Lanyi: “…”

“His Majesty gave your uncle a high-ranking title, but it’s just a figurehead position. He’s really stewing over it. That’s how it goes—one emperor, one set of ministers. A figurehead role is fine—less responsibility.”

The old lady had a clear perspective; her son wasn’t favored by the emperor, but He Tong was valued in official circles. That’s just how noble families work—some younger generations are pampered, while others have to endure tough training. Ancestral glory doesn’t last forever.

It’s not exactly a proud topic, and it’s awkward to discuss. Her son’s been down in the dumps for ages, and now even Lanyi has noticed—it puts him at a disadvantage.

“You’re still young; don’t worry about these things. Is Shan Ci good to you?” The old lady pinched Yu Lanyi’s nose. “I thought you and your husband would bring back a child.”

“We’re taking it as it comes,” Yu Lanyi whispered.

“As long as your husband doesn’t cheat, especially not fathering any bastards before you, that would be terrible. Your grandfather has concubines too, but they’re kept in line and don’t stir up trouble.”

Yu Lanyi frowned, “Zheng Shanci promised me he’d never take a concubine.”

The old lady patted Yu Lanyi’s hand, “That’s good.”

She didn’t say men always lie, but Zheng Shanci hasn’t taken a concubine in three years. Maybe he’s actually a one-woman man.

At noon, they stayed for lunch at the Duke’s estate. Zheng Shanci met He Tong, who was handsome and well-mannered, calling Zheng Shanci “cousin-in-law.”

Zheng Shanci called him “Big Cousin” and there was also “Second Cousin.”

He Ming had a new spouse by his side, a quiet man who smiled slightly at Zheng Shanci and Yu Lanyi.

This was He Ming’s new husband—a relative of the Duchess from a prominent local family.

Yu Lanyi peeked curiously, noticing that this second cousin-in-law was as gentle as the second sister-in-law. The first sister-in-law didn’t count—she was all fake.

He Ming was polite and respectful to his second cousin-in-law.

Not every couple starts with love.

After the meal, Zheng Shanci and Yu Lanyi went back together. Yu Lanyi stayed quiet and eagerly asked Zheng Shanci, “We don’t have children yet. Don’t you want to take a concubine?”

“No, what does that have to do with children?” Zheng Shanci said seriously in the carriage, “We promised to spend our lives together. Why would I take a concubine and make myself unhappy?”

“Men always lie,” Yu Lanyi said angrily. His father had said so.

“I don’t lie,” Zheng Shanci thought for a moment, “I’ll never lie to you, ever.”

He didn’t want to be separated from Yu Lanyi because of anyone.

“Alright, let’s not think about it anymore. We finally have some time off. The afternoon and evening are ours. Where do you want to go?” Zheng Shanci cleverly changed the subject.

“I want to go boating,” Yu Lanyi, distracted by Zheng Shanci, said enthusiastically.

This season was perfect for boating, so Zheng Shanci hired a boat. He knew how to row, so there were only the two of them on the boat. Zheng Shanci also brought his fishing gear.

Yu Lanyi: “Zheng Shanci, can you handle this?”

Zheng Shanci nodded, “I’ve rowed before.”

Yu Lanyi stepped onto the boat and went inside the cabin. He had bought pastries and sweet wine, sticking his head out to beckon Zheng Shanci.

Zheng Shanci bought Yu Lanyi's favorite roast duck.

After Yu Lanyi got on the boat, he hugged Zheng Shanci and said, "Zheng Shanci, you're so thoughtful, you even remembered to buy me a duck."

Ducks in the capital were pricey, so Zheng Shanci thought he'd make Yu Lanyi some fried chicken when he got the chance. The two happily bought some food and boarded the boat.

Zheng Shanci rowed the boat with tools and sweated. When they reached the center of the lake, he put the tools away and went into the cabin to eat pastries and duck with Yu Lanyi.

The scenery at the center of the lake was beautiful, with lush green mountains in the distance. The lake still had a chill, and Yu Lanyi played with the water for a while before lying in the cabin, quietly feeling the buoyancy on the water.

They spent the afternoon on the boat and returned home in the evening.

The next day, after Zheng Shanci arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, he handed the account books of the prince's residence to Director Jin. Director Jin nodded and assigned some official duties to Zheng Shanci. From then on, this part of the work no longer needed to be handed over by Director Jin, as the minor officials silently placed the documents on Zheng Shanci's desk.

He had passed his probation period and officially began handling the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue.

He first had his subordinates organize the documents by category before handing them over to him. He already had experience handling documents locally, so dealing with these was much the same.

He got to know some folks in the Ministry of Revenue, but Secretary He gave him the cold shoulder. Secretary He held a lower position than him, and Zheng Shanci paid no attention to him, only dealing with him officially. As long as it didn't delay matters, he wouldn't care how Secretary He behaved. If Secretary He openly showed dissatisfaction, that would be another matter.

At noon, he went to the dining hall to eat, and Cui Ziqi called him to eat together.

They swapped stories about the grind in the Six Ministries.

Cui Ziqi was doing well in the Ministry of Punishments, having risen to the position of Director, which lightened his workload and made things more streamlined. Xiao Gaoyang, a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, was even busier. The Ministry of Personnel was always swamped, and young guys like him were worked to the bone.

"Yesterday was a day off, and I wrote a few more poems at home. Listen to them," Du Ning enthusiastically recited his poems.

Only Xiao Gaoyang showed any interest in poetry, chatting with Du Ning for a bit. Zheng Shanci wasn't proficient, so he couldn't judge. Cui Ziqi simply had no interest.

"Someone in the Ministry of Revenue might ask you to handle some accounts, so be careful," Cui Ziqi secretly reminded Zheng Shanci.

Zheng Shanci was startled—was it about cooking the books?

Indeed, no matter the dynasty, being an accountant was the easiest way to get framed and end up crying in a cell.

Zheng Shanci nodded solemnly; he'd make sure to cover his back.

Du Ning: "Brother Zheng, don't overthink it. You'll get the hang of it once you're more experienced."

Shi Xuan, the Director of the Board of Rites, was eating very simply, only taking some meat dishes. When he first returned from the monastery, he had been eating vegetarian meals and looked quite haggard. Later, he started eating some meat again, though not much, but he wasn't thin, having learned Shaolin kung fu from the monastery.

He looked at Zheng Shanci and said, "As Vice Director, your job is to assist the Director of the Ministry of Revenue. Just do your part well. If you want to move up, try to get Vice Minister Mei's attention. You might also want to befriend Brother Mei; he thinks highly of you."

Cui Ziqi was taken aback: "Brother Shi, you're talking a mile a minute—what's gotten into you? Have you lost it?"

Shi Xuan fell silent.

He had once convinced his elders to shave their heads and become monks, but after leaving the monastery, he became aloof and rarely spoke. His family said he was practicing 'silent meditation.'

Zheng Shanci nodded gravely, "Thanks for the advice, Brother Shi."

Shi Xuan had entered the officialdom earlier than him and held the position of Director of the Board of Rites, so in this regard, Shi Xuan was his senior.

Shi Xuan pretended to be reserved and hummed in acknowledgment.

Zheng Shanci returned to the Ministry of Revenue and found reconciling the accounts quite tedious, as it was easy to strain his eyes. All the information was on a blank sheet without headings, so he taught his subordinates to create tables, which improved efficiency and made reviewing the accounts easier.

At first, the subordinates struggled with it, but after a few days, they started to see the value of the tables.

"Lord Zheng, you are truly remarkable."

"Lord Zheng, you are so clever."

The subordinates sincerely praised him, feeling truly blessed to have a superior like Zheng Shanci. At least, Zheng Shanci never passed his own tasks down to them. Once they finished their work, they weren't sent to help out elsewhere.

Director Jin received the financial accounts and was astonished by their clarity. He remained silent at first, then sent someone to investigate and soon learned of Zheng Shanci's achievements.

"Truly, a person like this is bound to stand out no matter where they go," Director Jin remarked as he handed the accounts to Vice Minister Mei, who inquired about the ingenious mind behind them.

Director Jin replied, "This is Lord Zheng's idea."

Minister Lei reviewed the accounts, which were clearly laid out with deficits and surpluses highlighted in different colors, and was thoroughly impressed.