EBE Chapter 259 Don't worry, Sixth Brother never forces anyone to do anything against their will.
Chapter 259 Don't worry, Sixth Brother never forces anyone to do anything against their will.
"Xiao Jiu, you really want to go to the Ministry of Revenue with Sixth Brother, right? It's alright, you can speak your mind if you have any complaints. Sixth Brother isn't an unreasonable person. Don't worry, your Sixth Brother is very fair and just in his work, and he never forces anyone to do anything. He always puts the principle of voluntariness first..."
Yin Tang had a million reasons not to respond to Yin Zuo's high-sounding nonsense, but he was a man of principle. Faced with Yin Zuo's threatening gaze, and then with Kangxi watching him menacingly from the side, and Yin Zhen, who had somehow woken up and was now coldly trying to freeze him, did Yin Tang dare to say a word? The answer was obvious: he wouldn't dare.
"Look at the question Sixth Brother asks! Of course I volunteer to follow you to the Ministry of Revenue. Didn't you say before that the national treasury is the foundation of our Great Qing? If we can't purge these corrupt officials from the court this time, it will shake the foundation of our Great Qing. I may not be very capable, but I am willing to follow you and learn from you. I don't ask for anything in return for the country or the people, I only ask to have a clear conscience..."
Good heavens, look at his impassioned speech! Anyone who didn't know better would think he was going to the front lines to fight the enemy. He doesn't even ask for anything in return for the country and the people, he just wants to have a clear conscience. Xiao Jiu, how can we have a clear conscience after hearing what you've said?
The day after the decision was made, Yinzhuo brought his little follower Yintang to the Ministry of Revenue for his shift. Yintang looked at the mountain of account books on his desk and then at the various exquisite breakfasts laid out on his sixth brother's desk next to him, and he immediately felt resentful.
"Sixth Brother, why don't you turn your precious head and look at your poor little brother? We both came to work hungry, so why do you have breakfast while I don't? Why do I have mountains of easy accounts to handle while you're as relaxed as if you're on a spring outing? I don't care, I'm hungry too, I want to eat."
Yinzhuo was sitting there lost in thought when Yintang's loud shout startled him so much that he nearly fell to the ground. After finally regaining his balance, the first thing he did was naturally to settle accounts with Yintang, the culprit. Yintang had been punished by his sixth brother countless times since childhood, and he knew every look, expression, and movement of Yinzhuo when he was angry like the back of his hand. When he saw Yinzhuo get up, Yintang had only one thought in his mind—it's over, my life is over.
Over the years, Yinzhuo had disciplined Yintang countless times. He was incredibly skilled at beating his younger brother, Yintang, and could almost always predict Yintang's every move with precision. His ruler never missed its mark, and in no time, Yintang was begging for mercy.
"Gently, gently, Sixth Brother, please have mercy and forgive your little brother this time. I really didn't mean to do that. I was just a little upset and my mind went blank, so I did something stupid. I apologize to you. But I'm really a little hungry. Can't you share some of that stuff in front of you with me?"
Upon hearing this, Yinzhuo glanced at the food laid out on the table in front of him, then picked out a few of Yintang's favorite dishes and pushed them towards him. He then picked through the pile of food, choosing two dishes for himself, while letting Akshang take the rest to share with the guards. This way, it wouldn't be a waste of his fourth brother's good intentions.
"If you want something to eat, why don't you get it yourself? Do you think I'd stop you? I woke up really suddenly this morning, and my temples have been throbbing a little. After you yelled at me, they're hurting even more now. Here, you check those ledgers first. I'll go rest in the back and help you when I wake up."
Given how agile Yinzhuo was when he ran away, how could anyone tell that he had a headache? Yintang knew exactly what kind of person his sixth brother was, and he didn't believe a single word of what he just said. He was just trying to fool a ghost by saying that he would come back to help. If he believed it, he would be a fool.
Yinzhu slept from morning until late afternoon before waking up. After washing up and getting ready, he hummed an unknown tune as he headed towards Yintang's workplace. There's a saying that no matter who it is, they're bound to have a bad attitude once they start working, and that's exactly the case for Yintang right now. He hasn't moved an inch since he sat down and opened the account books this morning. He only had a quick bite for lunch and has been busy ever since. There are still several account books left on the stacks of books on his desk. If he wants to finish organizing them all today, he'll probably have to work late into the night.
"Hmph, Sixth Brother, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself. You slept quite well. Sigh, I'm not so lucky. I'm just born to be a workaholic. See this pile of ledgers? They all have to be finished today. I've been sitting here working ever since you went to sleep, and I haven't even had a hot meal yet. You, on the other hand, slept until now. Why didn't you sleep a little longer? In another hour or so, we would have finished our shift."
Even though Yin Tang's words sounded sarcastic, Yin Zuo didn't refute a single word. After all, what he had done today was indeed unethical. He had clearly said he would come to help after taking a nap, but he had slept until now. Yin Zuo walked up to Yin Tang, raised his hand and patted his shoulder, and pulled him up from the chair with a little force!
"Sigh, Xiao Jiu, why are you learning from Third Brother? Why do you keep spouting such sour things? It was indeed Sixth Brother's fault today. I only planned to take a nap and then come help you, but who would have thought I'd sleep until now. Here's what we'll do: get up and go outside for a walk to stretch your muscles. Give me the rest of these account books, and I promise I'll finish them before dark. Don't worry, it won't delay anything."
In other aspects, Yinzhen wouldn't dare say he could definitely surpass his sixth brother, but when it came to manipulating abacus beads, Yinzhen felt that at least among the brothers, if he said he was second, no one would dare claim to be first. It wasn't that he thought his sixth brother was bragging; it was just that he had only processed a few ledgers in a whole day, and trying to finish the rest before dark was simply an impossible task.
Yinzuo had no idea what Yintang was thinking at the moment, otherwise his slight sense of guilt would have disappeared by now. After pulling Yintang up from his seat, Yinzuo sat down and then beckoned Akshang over.
"Hatu, go to the carriage and get that little black bag for me. Akshan, move a chair and sit opposite me. Here, this is the new ledger. After Hatu brings the things, I'll be in charge of settling accounts, and you'll be in charge of recording them. Don't worry, as long as we work together properly, we'll be home before dark."