Let you play a corrupt official, are you saying you want to make progress?

Chapter 10: If You Don’t Take It, How Can We?

“Well, eradicating the bandits is a significant achievement, and since this Wen Ping is so capable, he’s indispensable for such matters!” Qin Xuan agreed.

Wang Zhi was right. If you don’t take some measures with people like this, the consequences could be disastrous. If everyone started behaving this way, what was the point of the Ministry of Justice?

People would report to their superiors for every little thing. If dissatisfied with someone like Qin Xuan, they can report it to the Minister of Justice. If they were unsatisfied with the rewards, could they go straight to the Emperor? In that case, everything would fall into chaos, and this was not what Wang Zhi wanted to see.

So, Wang Zhi hinted to Qin Xuan that there were bandits. Some netizens found this confusing.

[Qin Xuan, are you repaying ingratitude with kindness? Dealing with bandits is a good job. Once you have achievements, promotion is not a problem.].

[Are you upstairs out of your mind? Haven’t you figured it out? This employee has already committed a grave offense by disregarding his superiors.

If we don’t handle this properly, set a precedent, and enforce the rules, won’t everything fall into chaos?].

[But there’s no punishment. They even want him to go out and achieve something.].

[You’re thinking too much. When dealing with bandits, you can only get the credit if you come back alive.].

Some internet users gained a better understanding of Qin Xuan’s behavior in the story.

“Wow, with your explanations, I’ve figured it out!”

“Exactly, Wang Zhi is dissatisfied, but to maintain a friendly image in front of Wen Ping, he has to put on an act. But when Wen Ping directly accepts the benefits, he’s doomed.”

“Impressive, this kind of smiling tiger is terrifying. I bet Wen Ping will always think highly of Wang Zhi! It’s so complicated. I prefer the simplicity of our world now.”

“Indeed, if we were to time travel back, we’d never survive. It’s too challenging.”

The netizens sighed, recognizing the complexity of people from ancient times. They would distort the truth, making black appear white and white seem red. They couldn’t openly express anger but would resort to covert actions.

Human hearts are truly mysterious.

“So, I don’t envy Qin Xuan for eating this meal. It’s too dangerous. One small misstep and you’re done for!”

“Who can argue with that!”

The netizens continued to discuss while on the stage, and time passed quickly. Soon, on the stage, it was the second day. Inside the inner hall, Wang Zhi’s nephew came to report.

“Sir, yesterday we went to clear out the bandits, and we encountered fierce resistance from them. But fortunately, our people were brave, and we completely wiped them out!” The nephew said excitedly.

Since coming to the Ministry of Justice, this was the second time he had achieved something. If this continued, he could expect a promotion. He hadn’t entered through the imperial examination system, so promotions for him were quite different from someone like Qin Xuan, a legitimate scholar. He needed to accumulate a lot of achievements.

Bandits were classified as major and minor, with minor bandits not earning much merit.

Wang Zhi, without even raising an eyebrow, asked, “What about casualties?”

“Seven or eight of our comrades were wounded, and one of them was killed in action,” the nephew replied.

This casualty rate was relatively high, but the wounded comrades were in good condition.

“Alright, provide compensation for the wounded comrades, and what’s the name of the one who was killed?” Wang Zhi asked casually.

“His name was Wen Ping, I think?” The nephew scratched his head, pondered for a while, and finally remembered the name.

“But sir, I can’t help but feel that there’s something suspicious about Wen Ping’s death,” the nephew remarked.

“You’re mistaken,” Wang Zhi’s expression turned serious.

Upon hearing this, the nephew wisely remained silent.

After a moment, Wang Zhi’s expression softened, and he said, “The bandits were rampant this time, and our casualties were not insignificant, especially with someone killed in action.”

“I will report to His Majesty that this was a large-scale bandit attack.”

“Thank you, Uncle!” The nephew quickly responded.

“While you’re outside, call me Wang Zhi!” Wang Zhi warned.

“Of course, Wang Zhi. There are no outsiders here, and Qin Xuan is not a stranger!” The nephew playfully stuck out his tongue.

Qin Xuan also stood by, smiling.

“Alright, you can go now. Make sure to spread the word about Wen Ping’s deeds to your comrades!” Wang Zhi impatiently ordered.

Wen Ping was now considered to have met his fate. With that, the nephew left.

Inside the inner hall, only Wang Zhi and Qin Xuan remained.

“Wise nephew, you’ve done well. How do you find the Assistant Minister of Justice?” Wang Zhi suddenly asked.

“Well, the Assistant Minister of Justice, Xue Shun, is highly capable, but he has a few idiosyncrasies,” Qin Xuan thought for a moment and then answered.

He had some knowledge about the people around Wang Zhi, thanks to the information provided by the system.

“Impressive. This young Qin has insights into the officers at the Ministry of Justice. Quite remarkable, truly remarkable. Without this knowledge, things might indeed go awry!” Professor Yang, watching in the studio, exclaimed in excitement.

The performance of this young Qin far exceeded his expectations. Without in-depth knowledge of these nuances, he wouldn’t have believed it.

“Qin Xuan must have put in a lot of effort. Indeed, success favors the prepared. Our station has hit the jackpot this time!” The station manager couldn’t praise Qin Xuan’s performance enough.

On Qin Xuan’s side, Wang Zhi, upon hearing Qin Xuan’s response, nodded slightly and said, “I wasn’t asking about that person. Xue Shun is also my student, and he has no issues with his abilities. What I wanted to know is what the position of Assistant Minister of Justice is.”

Qin Xuan quickly knelt and said, “Master, you have shown favor to your student. Xue Shun is highly capable, and your student wouldn’t dare to covet that position.”

Wang Zhi still had an appreciative look in his eyes and waved his hand, saying, “Alright, get up.”

“Xue Shun is competent, but he tends to draw too much attention to himself and doesn’t always have clean hands. Several officers from the Ministry of Revenue are preparing to impeach him.”

Qin Xuan remained silent, waiting for Wang Zhi to continue.

“I’ve received information that the Minister of Revenue will lead the charge in impeaching him today,” Wang Zhi continued.

“Is Master suggesting that I impeach him to get ahead of the Ministry of Revenue?” Qin Xuan asked tentatively.

“Yes, you proceed with the impeachment, and I’ll submit the memorial to His Majesty. If the officers from the Ministry of Revenue impeach him first, the new Assistant Minister will likely end up being from their faction. We need to keep such individuals under our control,” Wang Zhi revealed his true intentions.

[“Oh my goodness, is this for real? It hasn’t been that long, and my Qin Xuan is on the path to promotion?”].

[“Too fast, way too fast, couldn’t have imagined it!”].

[“Absolutely, Qin Xuan is amazing. If it were me, I’d have just helped the Ministry of Revenue with the impeachment.”].

[“Wang Zhi is a master at playing the balance game. In any case, no matter how it goes, the Assistant Minister will be their person.”].

[“I really couldn’t have predicted this. It’s incredible!”].

The netizens were quite excited. The storyline was indeed thrilling.

“By the way, my nephew is quite exceptional, but last time he had the money from the small vendors, he didn’t take it. It seems he’s not the type to be greedy for wealth. If he still refuses the compensation from the Ministry of Revenue this time, you should talk to him and persuade him,” Wang Zhi mentioned casually, with a purpose in mind.

Being upright and honest is a good quality, but if one wants to rise in the ranks, there’s a limit to how much they can be promoted.

“Master, rest assured, I’ll remember it. Your nephew only wants to advance, and it seems he doesn’t place much value on money,” Qin Xuan reassured.

This was Wang Zhi’s nephew, and if it were an ordinary person, he might have been dismissed long ago. The scene on the stage began to change. Now, it was only Qin Xuan and Wang Zhi’s nephew in the room.

“Qin Xuan, did you summon me for a particular reason this time?” The nephew asked, rubbing his hands.

He had vaguely heard from his aunt that Qin Xuan was an exceptionally capable person. His recruitment and promotions were arranged by Qin Xuan himself, who was also his uncle’s trusted confidant.

“This is your share of the compensation for this time,” Qin Xuan took out a small box from the table, and when he opened it, it revealed Officer Silver. Although it wasn’t much for officers like them, it was already quite substantial.

The nephew, seeing this, kept pushing it away, saying, “Qin Xuan, you know I’m not fond of money. I just love promotions. Just help and guide me in the future.”

Qin Xuan shook his head and said, “Heh, I know you want the promotion, but if you don’t accept this, how can I accept it?”

The nephew was left bewildered.

“If I don’t accept it, how can Wang Zhi accept it? If Wang Zhi doesn’t accept it, how can you and I progress? How can you become a high-ranking officer in the court?” Qin Xuan stated frankly.

This left everyone stunned, in shock, and speechless.

[“Wow! That makes so much sense!”].

[“He’s so strong. No wonder Wang Zhi likes Qin Xuan. If it were me, I’d like him too!”].

[“Exactly, where can you find such an understanding subordinate?”].

In the studio, the station manager didn’t know what to say. This dialogue was too explosive. Even though it sounded like twisted reasoning, it made perfect sense.

“Station manager, can we continue like this?” The female leader expressed concerns.

The show was great, but this dialogue was just too intense!

“It should work. Our people are upright and unafraid of scrutiny, and besides, as Qin Xuan mentioned, he’s a corrupt officer.”

“Since he’s a corrupt officer, these words fit the context,” the station manager decisively said.

However, he was also slightly puzzled about where Qin Xuan had learned all this. He wasn’t just an ordinary staff member but a genuine corrupt officer.

Qin Xuan’s words were even edited into memorable quotes:

[“My Qin Xuan must have put in some effort. Without a bit of skill, you couldn’t say these things.”].

[“Exactly, he’s so strong, and what he said makes perfect sense. If I were the nephew, even if I were upright and not greedy, I’d still accept the money. Without money, how can you make progress?”].