Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 192

At the break of dawn, the side gate of the Duke’s Manor opens. A carriage rolls out slowly, turning a corner before heading onto the deserted streets.

Pei Che sits inside the carriage, his eyes closed as if resting, but in truth, he calculates something in his mind. Today marks his first official day in office. As a newly appointed official, he must follow the proper schedule for attendance and proceed with caution to avoid giving anyone grounds to accuse him or file a report against him.

Losing his position is a minor concern; the greater worry is losing the opportunity to legitimately access the household register records. Until he finds Zhao Wei, he can’t afford to let his guard down. The deaths of his parents are a thorn in his heart, and now that he has finally uncovered a lead, how can he, as their son, fail to investigate it thoroughly?

“Master, we’ve arrived,” comes the voice of the coachman at some point.

Pei Che lifts the curtain and steps out of the carriage. After sending the coachman away, he enters the Ministry of Revenue alone.

Compared to yesterday’s bustling office full of activity, the Ministry at this hour is eerily quiet. Following the directions provided by the Left Assistant Minister the previous day, Pei Che reaches the attendance room, where he finds only one clerk on duty, sound asleep at the desk.

Pei Che taps the desk, and the man abruptly sits up straight. Though his eyes remain closed, he immediately begins speaking.

“My Lord, you’ve arrived! Please mark your name in the register.” As he speaks, he pushes the record book, which has been under his arm, toward Pei Che.

After this, the man seems to wake up fully. Upon seeing Pei Che, he displays a brief look of surprise. Before Pei Che can clarify his identity, the man’s expression shifts to one of understanding.

“You must be the newly appointed Lord Pei, correct? Your name has already been added to this page. Please mark it.” He quickly flips the register to the page containing Pei Che’s name.

“And how did you recognize me?” Pei Che asks, taking the brush and circling his name.

“My Lord, your distinguished reputation precedes you. Who in Liangjing wouldn’t know of Lord Pei’s elegance and talent? I wasn’t on duty when you came yesterday, but the Assistant Minister gave clear instructions to add your name to the register. I didn’t expect you to arrive so early.”

Pei Che chuckles softly, finding the clerk rather amusing. Glancing around, he asks, “What time is it now?”

The man doesn’t understand why Pei Che asks this question. He glances at the nearby water clock before blurting out, “It’s already a quarter past the Hour of the Rabbit.” Then, realizing something, he quickly adds, “Lord Pei, are you wondering why the other officials haven’t shown up yet?”

Pei Che nods. “I’m new here and unfamiliar with the customs of the Ministry of Revenue. I fear acting improperly. Could you give me some pointers so that I can avoid making a fool of myself?”

“Lord Pei, you’re too kind. You can just call me Hu San,” the man replies. “I wouldn’t dare call it advice, but this is how it always is at the Ministry. As long as you arrive at any time during the Hour of the Rabbit, it counts as attendance. That’s why the other officials haven’t arrived yet.”

“No wonder. It seems I’ve been too abrupt today and even disturbed your rest, Brother Hu.”

Hu San hurriedly waves it off. “You’re too polite, my lord. For clerks like us, we have to arrive two quarters earlier than the officials, regardless of when they show up. It’s just that I’ve caught a cold recently and became a bit lax, dozing off at the desk. Please don’t hold it against me.”

Hu San is slightly nervous. He is merely a lowly clerk; a single offhand remark from Lord Pei to the Assistant Minister could easily see him dismissed from the Ministry of Revenue.

“I have no intention of blaming you, so there’s no need to be nervous,” Pei Che says with a smile. “Since I’m early today, how about you tell me more about the Ministry’s rules? Would you be willing, Brother Hu?”

Hu San lets out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief and begins explaining some of the Ministry’s practices. Occasionally, he unintentionally mentions details about the officials there.

Pei Che listens with genuine interest, nodding in approval from time to time. His encouragement greatly motivates Hu San, who becomes increasingly enthusiastic as he speaks.

Pei Che quietly notes the key points in his mind. Hu San, having worked in the Ministry for many years, is well-acquainted with numerous people due to his attendance responsibilities and knows more about the workings of the office than even some senior officials.

It isn’t until footsteps sound outside that Hu San reluctantly stops. He finds this Lord Pei to be as the rumors suggest—polite and humble, a true gentleman. Despite his noble status, Pei Che shows no trace of arrogance.

In truth, Pei Che hasn’t always been like this. While he never deliberately makes things difficult for subordinates, he hasn’t gone out of his way to build connections either. In his eyes, there is always a natural divide between nobles and commoners. However, his perspective has gradually changed over the years under the influence of Jiang Miao. He begins to believe that relationships shouldn’t be determined solely by rank or status.

As more people arrive for attendance, Pei Che bids farewell to Hu San and heads toward the duty room.

Finding the door locked, he waits outside for a while before seeing someone dressed similarly to Hu San strolling over. This man has a large ring of keys hanging from his waist and is likely the one Hu San mentioned—the person responsible for unlocking all the duty rooms before the Hour of the Rabbit.

It seems that even among clerks, their status and treatment vary greatly. As the man passes by Pei Che, he gives only a perfunctory bow, barely bending at the waist, and straightens up before being told to rise. He proceeds to take out the ring of keys, unlocks the duty room door, and leisurely moves on to the next one.

Hu San lets out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief and begins explaining some of the Ministry’s practices. Occasionally, he unintentionally mentions details about the officials there.

Pei Che listens with genuine interest, nodding in approval from time to time. His encouragement greatly motivates Hu San, who becomes increasingly enthusiastic as he speaks.

Pei Che quietly notes the key points in his mind. Hu San, having worked in the Ministry for many years, is well-acquainted with numerous people due to his attendance responsibilities and knows more about the workings of the office than even some senior officials.

It isn’t until footsteps sound outside that Hu San reluctantly stops. He finds this Lord Pei to be as the rumors suggest—polite and humble, a true gentleman. Despite his noble status, Pei Che shows no trace of arrogance.

In truth, Pei Che hasn’t always been like this. While he never deliberately makes things difficult for subordinates, he hasn’t gone out of his way to build connections either. In his eyes, there is always a natural divide between nobles and commoners. However, his perspective has gradually changed over the years under the influence of Jiang Miao. He begins to believe that relationships shouldn’t be determined solely by rank or status.

As more people arrive for attendance, Pei Che bids farewell to Hu San and heads toward the duty room.

Finding the door locked, he waits outside for a while before seeing someone dressed similarly to Hu San strolling over. This man has a large ring of keys hanging from his waist and is likely the one Hu San mentioned—the person responsible for unlocking all the duty rooms before the Hour of the Rabbit.

It seems that even among clerks, their status and treatment vary greatly. As the man passes by Pei Che, he gives only a perfunctory bow, barely bending at the waist, and straightens up before being told to rise. He proceeds to take out the ring of keys, unlocks the duty room door, and leisurely moves on to the next one.

Pei Che decides not to argue with him. A person with such an attitude surely has someone powerful backing him. Until he uncovers Zhao Wei’s identity, it is best for Pei Che to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

…

“My lord, these are the household registry books for Liangjing. They’re all here,” the leading clerk says, pointing to the ground. The group, all scholars, has been carrying the heavy load for quite some time and is drenched in sweat.

Pei Che follows his gesture and is momentarily stunned. These few heavy black wooden boxes all contain the registry books? No wonder the clerk confirmed his order several times before setting off to complete the task.

“Does my lord have any other instructions?” Seeing Pei Che remain silent for a while, the clerk hesitates before taking the initiative to ask.

“That’s all. You may go,” Pei Che replies, withdrawing his gaze and signaling for them to leave.

Once the group departs, Pei Che lets out a deep sigh. It seems that searching for someone in Liangjing is indeed like finding a needle in a haystack. Trying to locate someone named “Zhao Wei” from these boxes of records is going to be an incredibly daunting task.

Pei Che walks over to the nearest box, opens it, and decides to start there. Taking two books from the box, he returns to the desk and begins flipping through them. Household registries don’t need to be read in detail—he only needs to skim the pages quickly and look for entries with the surname Zhao.

However, while the process sounds simple, it is far from easy. After a while, his eyes start to feel strained. These registry books have been stored for years, and every page he turns releases a puff of dust into the air. Under such conditions, going through all of them is no small feat.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Pei Che refocuses and continues his search.