Chapter Thirteen: The Emperor's Ears and Eyes

  Ou Min likes to go to Qianji at Dongdemen for a basket of steamed buns as breakfast every morning. Every time he arrives at Qianji, it coincides with the opening hours of Old Wang's scissors grinding shop across the street. It can be said that Ou Min is a person who values rules and principles, and his daily routine never changes regardless of wind or rain.

  Today, however, Ou Min broke the rules and was late by half an hour. It wasn't that he overslept, but rather got held up at the intersection of Ding Street, where two ruffians were fighting, drawing in a huge crowd. Ou Min disliked the common people's habit of gathering to watch fights, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push his way through. So, for the first time ever, he broke his own rules and was late. In his heart, he was truly regretful - if he couldn't even keep his own rules, how could he set an example as a clean and upright official?

  Ou Min was a Guangdong Dao Manchu Surveillance Commissioner, responsible for impeaching corrupt officials, reporting on governance, reviewing criminal cases, investigating official etiquette, and supervising local officials' unlawful behavior. Although only a fifth-rank official, he wielded significant power, with the authority to reward or punish heavily, and could submit memorials directly to the Emperor without being subject to local officials' control, serving as the Emperor's eyes and ears.

  E Minsen was deeply favored by the emperor and was well-versed in the ways of the sage. He considered simplicity to be beautiful and extravagance to be shameful. Take this small steamed bun, for example. Even if a servant ran quickly, they would still not be able to taste the freshly steamed flavor. But he took pity on his servants and insisted on walking three streets to Qianji to eat breakfast, despite the hardship. Of course, at home, the servants had another story to tell - everyone cursed him behind his back for being stingy and unwilling to give them money.

  When he went out, O Min's robe was definitely patchwork, so even if Qian Zai ate three months' worth of small steamed buns at Qian's restaurant, neither Boss Qian nor his apprentices knew that this ordinary-looking old man was actually the Imperial Censor.

  "Old man, you've come a bit late today!" Familiar customer, Ah San chuckled and greeted him. Ah San's thin shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his bony chest, summer is just around the corner.

  E Mian nodded slightly to his partner, walked up to the table by the window, and slowly sat down with a swing of his robe. He was dressed simply, but every move he made was like that of an official, still so majestic.

  Soon, a steamer basket of hot and fragrant buns was brought up. Ou Min slowly savored the appetizing tea, and just as she finished her cup, it was time to pick up her chopsticks. At that moment, the freshly cooked buns were most delicious.

  Sipping tea, Ouyang Min stared out the window at the people passing by on the street as usual, feeling that something was off about Guangzhou for the past two years, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

  Suddenly, a green sedan chair appeared at the entrance of the opposite alley, with two bearers in front and back, and a steward-like person following beside it. The light blue satin robe was extremely bright, and the steward was dressed like this, indicating that it was not an ordinary family.

  E Mian hadn't shifted his gaze when he suddenly saw the sedan chair bearer in front of him stumble, and the carrying pole "cracked" and broke in two. The sedan chair also tilted forward violently, and the occupant was thrown out.

  "Ha!" Someone beside him laughed, apparently finding this scene amusing.

  Ou Min slightly furrowed her brow, feeling that the onlookers were boring. She was about to shift her gaze when she suddenly froze, seeing a woman in a white silk dress who had fallen from the sedan chair. The woman lifted her face, revealing golden hair and green eyes - surprisingly, it was a foreign woman. Ou Min's eyes widened abruptly, and gasps of surprise also came from the surrounding diners.

  The attendant beside the sedan chair had poor eyesight, and almost dragged the woman into the sedan chair. The customers of Qian's baozi shop ran out in a hurry, and the pedestrians on the street suddenly seemed to have been injected with chicken blood, rushing towards that alley.

  "Ah San, you've made progress today!" Boss Qian nodded in approval at his apprentice Ah San, whose face was full of praise, precisely because Ah San hadn't followed the crowd to watch the excitement.

  Ah San muttered: "What's so good to look at, afraid of inviting trouble, do you know whose house the foreign woman came out of? I'm afraid if I say it out loud, you'll all be scared silly."

  "Whose family is this? I'll go smash his old man's too in a bit!" A rather rugged-looking young fellow said loudly while settling the bill.

  "Ah San disdainfully curled his lip, 'Even if you had ten times more guts, would you be worthy?'"

  "I told you not to sell gimmicks, whose house is that?" Mr. Qian was also quite curious.

  Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Ah San couldn't help but feel proud, looking around and chuckling: "Don't be scared when I say it, you're all old customers, don't spread it outside, don't harm me Ah San..."

  "Out with it!" Boss Qian glared at him, his eyes bulging with rage, as if he wanted to grab the lazy young man's head and twist it off.

  The boss glared, but Ah San still had a cheerful expression, coughed, and everyone else held their breath. Only then did Ah San utter four words: "Guangzhou General".

  Looking out at the chaotic scene, Ou Min's already furrowed brow tightened even further as he heard Ah San's words, and it was as if he had been pricked by a needle - he almost jumped up: "Ah San, don't spout nonsense!"

  Boss Qian also scolded: "Can't you kid make some sense when you talk?"

  Ah San saw that everyone was skeptical, and hastily said: "This is what their own servants have said, it's that pale-faced kid who often comes to our shop to buy buns, named Longduo, he's a real person from the Imperial City's Zheng Bai Flag!" At this point, his face was full of envy.

  E Mian slowly sat back in his original position, and at this time the crowd that had gathered to watch the "barbarian woman" suddenly dispersed. It seemed they had been driven away. A customer who had just run out came back, cursing and saying: "You shameless foreign bitch."

  "Chūn shēng xiōng, zěn yàng le?" The young man who had just settled the bill and declared that he wanted to "smash someone's house" asked him.

  The guests' faces were embarrassed, and they leaned in to whisper a few words to the young man. The phrase "Guangzhou General" was faintly heard. The baozi shop fell silent for a moment before everyone went back to their own business, as if nothing had happened, just like the widow's collapse on the streets of Guangzhou could stir up the whole city's blood.

  Ou Min couldn't sit still any longer, this is unbearable! As the Guangzhou General, consorting with prostitutes has already violated the law, and yet he's actually messing around with a barbarian woman, causing a huge commotion throughout the city. If I, as an imperial censor, don't submit a memorial to impeach you, how can I face the Emperor? How can I face the great Qing dynasty?

  He didn't even eat his baozi anymore, threw a dozen or so silver coins on the table and rushed out of Qian's Baozi Shop in a flurry.

  ……

  The Governor's mansion in Guangdong, Ye Mingchen was tasting tea slowly and steadily, while Ouyang Min was speaking eloquently, listing the three major crimes of the Guangzhou general, and asking the governor to join him in submitting a memorial to impeach him.

  "Really?" Ye Mingxuan thought this matter was quite unbelievable. Could Fuliang be so confused?

  Ou Min's whiskers stood on end as he exclaimed, "Your Honor, I've made inquiries and it's clear that I'm not the one who wronged him. That island woman is a notorious prostitute from Hong Kong Island, with a name and everything - just investigate and you'll know!"

  Ye Mingchen's fingers lightly tapped on the table, and he was indeed in a difficult situation. After hesitating for a moment, he said in a calm tone: "In my humble opinion, it would be better to be more cautious. General Fuliang has only been in Guangzhou for a few days. Now submitting a memorial... this... wouldn't that be slapping the Emperor's face?"

  Ou Mian's face turned bright red: "It seems that Lord Zhitai only thinks of his own future!"

  Ye Mingchen slightly furrowed his brow, but he couldn't do anything about O Min's temper. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said: "Sir Shuai, one person's plan is not enough, brother, this draft can be sent or not, let's have someone review it first."

  "Who is it for?" asked O Min in surprise.

  Ye Mingchen smiled and spat out a few words: "Deputy Commander Jingxiang."

  E Mian's face was immediately disapproving, he naturally knew the roots of Jing Xiang, Huang Daitou, Zheng Qinwang A'ge, just an ignorant and untalented young whippersnapper.

  Ye Mingchen smiled and said: "When the Imperial Censor sees this Brother Jing, he will know that he is clever and resourceful, with a lot of insight, and will certainly enlighten you and me."

  Ye Zhao naturally wouldn't know that after just a few brief meetings, Ye Mingxuan would give him such a high evaluation. This Ye family member was not a simple person.

  …………………………

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