I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 92: Lin Shisan abuses his power in Xiyuan, and all the eunuchs feel as if they have lost their parents.

The twenty-sixth day of the first lunar month, early morning.

Lin Shisan arrived at the Xi'an Gate of the Imperial City. Lu Fang sent someone to tell him that today was the day for all the pet-raising rooms in Xiyuan to settle their accounts.

After a while, Lin Shisan will show off his official power in front of the eunuchs.

Just after crossing Xuanjin Bridge, he saw dozens of civil servants kneeling in front of Xi'an Gate, holding memorials in their hands and raising them above their heads.

Lin Shisan saw that the leading civil servant looked familiar: Isn’t this the censor who threatened to impeach them for their arrogance when Hu Zongxian and his men left the capital?
The leading civil servant was Zou Yinglong, a student of Xu Jie.

Lin Shisan walked around them and came to the big general guarding the gate and showed his entry and exit cards.

The big Han general said, "General Lin, please come in."

The Han general also belonged to the Jinyiwei. So he called Lin Shisan his official title in the guard, not "Lin Chuanfeng".

Lin Shisan asked: "Brother, what do those sixth- and seventh-rank officials kneeling outside do?"

The general of the Han Dynasty replied, "They are all censors from the Censorate and the Six Departments. They are kneeling to make a petition. They say they want to protect Shen Jingli, one of our Imperial Guards."

Since the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, whenever civil officials disagreed with the emperor, they would kneel down and make remonstrations. They called it "remonstration", but in fact it was to force the emperor to submit.

A kneeling protest involving dozens of people like this is only a small scene.

During the Great Ceremony Incident, Prime Minister Yang Tinghe led all civil officials above the ninth rank in the capital to kneel and make remonstrations.

According to the Ming Dynasty official system, there were 1,944 civil officials above the ninth rank in Beijing. There were 1,931 people who participated in the kneeling remonstrance.

It was also from that kneeling remonstrance that the Jiajing Emperor and the civil service group completely broke off relations.

However, this small-scale kneeling protest has nothing to do with Lin Shisan for the time being.

Lin Shisan entered the West Garden and came to the Leopard Room, where the ambassador was on duty.

The ambassadors, deputy envoys, eunuchs, and long-time attendants of the various chambers that kept the emperor's favorites had been waiting for Lin Shisan at the door of the duty room for a long time.

Seeing Lin Shisan coming, they swarmed around him and flattered him: "Oh, we'll have to trouble Lin Chuanfeng to write off the money today."

"Lin Chuanfeng is blessed with good fortune today. I think he will have another good luck."

"Lin Chuanfeng is an expert in raising pets, and he is the ancestor of us."

Lin Shisan coughed and said, "Okay everyone, let's go to the duty room and do some work."

The ambassadors of the sixteen houses, one city and one garden handed in the eighteen settlement account books.

They thought: We have already given Lin Shisan enough benefits. Today's write-off is just a formality.

Lin Shisan carefully looked through the account books for an hour but did not give the order to cancel them.

Ambassador Hu of the Bird House was a little anxious: "Lin Chuanfeng, can you hurry up and write off the money for us?"

Lin Shisan said: "No."

The eunuchs were dumbfounded. Wasn't it just a formality? Why was this guy brought to the court?

Lin Shisan spoke freely, "First, there are problems with your accounts. Take the insect house for example. Last year, we bought a first-class inferior crab for the greenhouse. It said it cost 130 taels of silver. But in Diaobang Street, this grade of crab only cost 50 taels of silver."

"The amount of silver doesn't match at all. How can we write it off?"

"Also, pets are divided into grades and products. The account says that a pet of a certain grade was purchased. Who knows what the actual grade is? I have to take a look to confirm whether it is true."

Ambassador Hu frowned and said, "Lin Chuanfeng, we have already spent last year's money. If you don't write off the old account, the money for the beginning of this spring won't be allocated. If the emperor gets the urge to see a new favorite someday, we won't be able to pay. Wouldn't that anger the emperor?"

Lin Shisan said, "As long as the amount of silver and pet items you use match, I will naturally write it off. But I have to check them one by one in a row of five and ten. Take the account book today and go to your bird room to check it."

The eunuchs were dumbfounded and looked at each other: Why is this guy so serious? Is he not going to do anything after taking the money? We have already given him a lot of gifts.

Ambassador Cao of the Insect House deliberately tried to test him: "Lin Chuanfeng, I wonder if your wife is satisfied with the Hetian jade bracelet I gave her a few days ago?"

Lin Shisan said, "My wife is full of praise for the Hetian jade bracelet." He changed the subject and said, "However, I want to remind you all. Whether you give me gold and jade jewelry or silver, it is all our personal relationship."

"Writing off accounts is a public matter. Public is public, private is private. Don't mix the two!"

The officials were like swallowing a fly: "Fuck! If we are not doing this for official business, why would we give you gifts? Great! You are accepting gifts but not recognizing the person who gave you them!"
Lin Shisan saw that the eunuchs had gloomy faces. He stood up and said, "Let's go to the Bird House to check first."

Lin Shisan left the Leopard Room and headed for the Birds Room. The eunuchs had no choice but to follow him.

Lin Shisan first entered the bird cage hall of the Bird House and carefully checked the hundreds of bird cages with the account book.

Ambassador Hu did not follow him in.

About half an hour later, a junior eunuch came out and said, "Lin Chuanfeng, ask Ambassador Hu to come in."

A group of eunuchs started to make trouble for Ambassador Hu: "Master Hu, we all came to the West Garden through years of experience, so don't lose face in front of that new official who's in charge of the fire!"

"Yes, be energetic!"

Ambassador Hu lifted the hem of his official robe, pouted his mouth and shouted angrily: "Zhao!"

All the eunuchs cheered in unison: "Well done!"

Ambassador Hu entered the Birdcage Hall with high spirits and a heroic look.

Lin Shisan's words made him stop talking: "My uncle said that the annual expenditure of the West Garden Bird House is the highest, even exceeding that of Tiger City. Is that right?"

The three words "my uncle" showed Lin Shisan's attitude: I am the nephew of the Prime Minister of the Ming Dynasty! No matter whether my mother has a blood relationship with him or not, he is my backer! If you want to show off in front of me, first look at your own weight.

Ambassador Hu was not very excited: "Ah, yes, yes."

Lin Shisan said, "The error in your account is too big! Look, record it here: buy a first-class yellow eagle-billed lark for 240 taels of silver. Keep it in 107 cages in the number C."

"Look for yourself. There is only one third-grade middle-grade red-breasted lark in the 107 cages with the letter C. Its market value is at most fifty taels."

Ambassador Hu explained: "I think... I think the bird was put in the wrong cage."

Lin Shisan said, "You locked the wrong birdcage? Then find me the first-class, top-grade eagle-billed yellow lark. Is there one in the birdcage hall?"

Ambassador Hu was speechless.

Lin Shisan pointed to the bird cage next to him and said, "It's written in the account book that in cage number C, 108, there is a top-quality hibiscus canary that you bought for 155 taels and 3 cents of silver. The silver was in both decimal and integer amounts, as if you carefully calculated and negotiated the price when you bought it."

"But what's locked up here is a white jade canary. It's only worth thirty taels of silver! That's a big difference."

Lin Shisan walked to another bird cage and said, "This black-throated grassfinch can be bought. But the amount of silver is wrong. A grassfinch is worth at most ten taels of silver, how come you quoted eighty-five taels? It's seven or eight times off!"

Although it was not yet the end of the first month of the lunar year, the weather was still very cold. Ambassador Hu's forehead was still covered with cold sweat: "This, this..."

Lin Shisan said, "The total amount written off on your Bai Niao Fang account last year was 28,000 taels. In my opinion, there is a shortfall of at least 20,000 taels! I don't even know if the change is enough."

After saying that, Lin Shisan threw the account book to Ambassador Hu: "I will admire the royal bird here again. You take the account book and go out and tell the other ambassadors that if they do the account like the Hundred Birds Room, then don't ask me to check it. Hurry up and re-do the account truthfully."

Ambassador Hu walked out of the Birdcage Hall dejectedly. The eunuchs surrounded him and asked, "How is it?"

Ambassador Hu said with a sad face: "We have finally met an expert this time. And an expert who likes to argue."

Ambassador Cao asked: "Why, he wants to make a Bao Long Tu? Damn it, if he wants to make a Bao Long Tu, don't charge us money!"

Another deputy envoy said, "I will report him to my superiors."

Ambassador Hu smiled bitterly and said, "Oh, go to your superiors to sue him? Our immediate superior is the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department. He is his uncle! Go to your uncle to sue your nephew? Are you tired of living?"

When the eunuchs heard this, they all frowned.

This is exactly when Lin Shisan wielded power in the Western Garden, and all the eunuchs felt as if they had lost their parents.

(End of this chapter)