"Yes!"
Those who could remain in the Ministry of Personnel were all exceptionally astute.
Their skill in reading people was second to none. Seeing his displeasure, no one dared to say anything superfluous at this moment.
After a few subordinates responded, they quickly retreated in unison.
Bai Shizhong then slowly made his way to his office within the Ministry of Personnel.
Although he hadn't been there for many days, his office was meticulously cleaned by dedicated staff, leaving the entire room spotless.
As soon as he sat down, someone immediately brought him a tea set.
"If there's nothing else, you may leave. I'll call you if I need anything!"
Looking at the unremarkable red clay tea set on the table, Bai Shizhong nodded with satisfaction and casually dismissed the attendant who was waiting nearby.
"Yes!"
After the attendant left, Bai Shizhong skillfully took out a pinecone from a wooden box beside him.
He lit it with a fire starter and then placed it into the small, fist-sized red clay stove.
He expertly boiled water, prepared the tea, and served it. Only when the first sip of tea touched his lips did he close his eyes in contentment.
This was, after all, the office of a Grand Councilor. As passing attendants walked by, they subconsciously quieted their footsteps to avoid disturbing the Grand Councilor resting in his office.
Bai Shizhong greatly enjoyed such details.
Only at these moments, and under the admiring gazes of others, could he find a sliver of dignity as a Grand Councilor.
The hard work of many days was now to be the stepping stone for others, which made Bai Shizhong feel a little uncomfortable.
The art of tea could calm the mind and spirit. While it couldn't solve worries, it could temporarily cast them aside.
After drinking tea for a while, Bai Shizhong's mind finally found some peace.
Even the frustration of being reprimanded by Cai You the previous night had dissipated considerably.
Having not visited the Ministry of Personnel for many days, and feeling bored, he began to examine the official documents placed on his desk.
Basically, all urgent documents were personally delivered to the Government Affairs Hall by the attendants. What remained on the desk were those that were not particularly pressing.
After casually flipping through a few, he suddenly saw a familiar name.
Zhong Shidao's transfer document. After his promotion to Grand Councilor, it had indeed been processed quickly, and now it only awaited his seal as the Minister of Personnel...
Looking at the date, this document had been placed here five days ago.
"My Lord, His Highness Prince Yun just sent a letter, asking for your personal verification!"
Just as he was about to pick up the seal, a clear voice came from outside the door.
"Let him in!"
Upon hearing it was someone from Prince Yun's residence, Bai Shizhong was taken aback but said nothing further, merely giving an instruction.
"Greetings, Chancellor!"
"Where is the letter?"
Seeing the person sweating profusely, Bai Shizhong said nothing more and simply extended his right hand.
"Here!"
As the person spoke, he quickly took out a letter from his bosom and respectfully handed it over with both hands.
"Did His Highness say anything?"
While examining the wax seal on the envelope, Bai Shizhong asked casually.
"His Highness said the Grand Councilor would know upon seeing it!"
Hearing this, Bai Shizhong had no choice but to raise his head and glance at him again before reaching out to open the envelope.
After reading the contents and confirming the handwriting and the final signature, Bai Shizhong's pupils involuntarily constricted.
"Go back and tell His Highness that I am aware of this matter!"
Although somewhat surprised, Bai Shizhong still said nothing.
"Yes!"
After the person left, Bai Shizhong once again fell into contemplation.
Zhong Shidao was already of such an advanced age, and retirement was imminent.
Anyone with discerning eyes in the court could see that this expedition would likely be Zhong Shidao's last time on the battlefield.
At this juncture, Zhong Shidao offending Tong Guan was indeed quite surprising to him.
Although Tong Guan was narrow-minded, from his entry into officialdom until now, he had personally taken action against very few people!
Although this letter was sent by Prince Yun, the writer was Tong Guan. The furious Tong Guan did not conceal his anger at all. Even from hundreds of miles away, Bai Shizhong could feel Tong Guan's rage from this thin letter.
At least for now, Bai Shizhong's relationship with Tong Guan was still relatively harmonious. Although he secretly looked down on Tong Guan to some extent, their interests were ultimately aligned.
Whether from affection or reason, at this moment, Bai Shizhong had to stand on Tong Guan's side.
"Someone!"
After a moment of thought, Bai Shizhong picked up the brush on his desk, dipped it in thick ink, and heavily stamped the transfer document before calling out to the outside.
"How can such an important document be stained with ink? Take this document to the incinerator and have them prepare a new one!"
Bai Shizhong emphasized the word "new" at the end.
"Yes!"
Xin Zhu, who was waiting, responded, took the document, turned, and walked out.
From beginning to end, he had not looked at the document in his hand, only glancing at the marking on the cover, he roughly understood what was happening.
Documents that reached Bai Shizhong's desk had undergone thorough examination. Such a basic error as ink smudges could not possibly occur with these documents.
However, since his superior had spoken, he naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to argue with Bai Shizhong.
The character "official" had two mouths, and a higher rank crushed a lower one. Moreover, the gap between them and Bai Shizhong was more than just one rank.
Such practices were commonplace in the Ministry of Personnel, or rather, in the entire imperial document system.
Especially when dealing with official documents concerning an official's status, if the proper courtesies were not extended, or if one's backing was not strong enough, it was perfectly normal for documents to be delayed for three to five months.
If someone dared to offend a superior, or offend a powerful figure in any part of the process.
It was considered normal for a document to go through the various imperial offices thirty to fifty times.
Even if the matter eventually escalated, it would ultimately be deemed a mere clerical error.
"Steward Xin, what brings you here?"
Seeing Xin Zhu arrive, Old Liu, who was in charge of incinerating documents, quickly stepped forward with a smile.
Although just a Yuanwailang (a minor official rank), everyone in the Ministry of Personnel knew that Xin Zhu was Bai Shizhong's confidant.
"Take this document and burn it. It's been stained with ink!"
Xin Zhu naturally paid no attention to the fawning of these minor clerks and directly took out the document from his sleeve.
"Yes! Why bother you to personally come with such a small matter? You could have just sent someone to say a word!"
"Alright, hurry up and throw it in, I have other things to do!"
On this hot summer day, with such a large furnace in the courtyard, Xin Zhu was unwilling to stay here any longer.
"No problem! Watch closely!"
Seeing the impatient expression on his face, Old Liu took the document and turned, tossing it into the furnace behind him.
However, what Xin Zhu didn't notice was that in that very moment of turning, the usually timid Old Liu, like lightning, replaced the document he threw in with a blank one from his sleeve...