Northern Song Dynasty Text Copyist

Chapter 5 First Test

With Liu Laocao's approval, Shen Zhong'an set up a display in front of the Registrar's Office.

The archives were piled high with old documents, including household registrations, taxes, lawsuits, corvée labor, and relief loans from previous years, making it as difficult to search for as one might as well find a needle in a haystack.

Shen Zhong'an, however, remained calm and unhurried. He first spread out all the scrolls of paper scattered on the ground, categorizing them into piles for household registration, taxes, lawsuits, corvée labor, and relief loans.

After categorizing the documents, they were rearranged according to the order of dates. The old documents were a jumbled mess, but the new documents became clear and easy to understand.

Then, a scribe was summoned to bring a stack of sturdy, thick parchment paper. The household registers, tax books, and important official documents were numbered one by one, either by A, B, C, D, or by I, II, III, and IV, with each book having a unique number.

Finally, take thin bamboo paper, cut it into a book by hand, write it in detail, and make a general catalog and index book, showing the category, number, year, month, shelf, and layer.

At first, Liu Laocao was quite disdainful when he heard that Shen Zhong'an wanted to sort out the documents.

The new registrar, Shen, seems to be someone who can't stand the tedium of paperwork. Instead of focusing on reviewing files and handling affairs, he's busy with these tedious tasks of classification and numbering, which are probably more show than substance.

After Shen Zhong'an divided the documents into five categories, Liu Laocao casually went to find the tax books from the previous summer and autumn. In the past, he would spend half a day searching through them, but this time he only took a quarter of an hour or two to pull them out, and his thoughts changed slightly.

Although this registrar Shen's actions seem like a pointless exercise, his methods are actually quite convenient.

After Shen Zhong'an arranged them by year and month, the old scrolls were lined up like a flock of geese. When Liu Laocao went to pick them up, he could usually get them in less than a quarter of an hour. He couldn't help but nod to himself, thinking that Shen Zhong'an was indeed a very organized person.

Half a day later, Liu Laocao went into the cabinet to look for an old relief loan document from the eighth year of the Yuanfeng era, and as usual, went straight to the cabinet.

"Please wait a moment, sir."

Shen Zhong'an called out to him, and Liu Laocao turned around, looking puzzled.

"When searching for texts in the future, you can first consult this book and follow the clues to save some effort."

As he spoke, Shen Zhong'an handed the index book he had just finished to Liu Laocao.

The documents are right on the shelf; this is just redundant, like taking off your pants to fart.

Liu Laocao complained inwardly, but Shen Zhong'an was a rank higher, so he dared not disobey and had no choice but to patiently open the book.

Upon flipping through the book, Liu Laocao's eyes immediately lit up. The index clearly indicated the category, year, number, and shelf. After flipping through only two or three pages, he found the location of the document he needed.

Following the index book's guidance, it took Liu Laocao no more than four or five minutes from entering the room to having the book in his hand—faster than ever before.

Old Liu still didn't believe it, thinking it was just a coincidence. He tried three or four more documents in succession, and found them all in a short time, without missing a single one. His heart was in turmoil.

This newly arrived Registrar Shen is truly a man of great talent!

Liu Laocao had been a clerk in the county government for his entire life and knew the ins and outs of the place well. The chaotic state of the official documents was the root cause of how clerks manipulated the truth, controlled officials, and engaged in corrupt practices.

Now that Shen Zhong'an has organized things this way, the catalog is clear, the numbering is precise, and the retrieval is smooth. From now on, the clerks will have no room to hide documents, delay, extort money, or make things difficult in secret.

Having offended the clerk just a few days after taking office, Registrar Shen's days ahead are not going to be easy!

Although Liu Laocao was one of the veteran officials under Wang Dianli and had followed him around doing a lot of things like taking bribes and demanding favors, Liu Laocao was different from Wang Dianli. He respected capable people from the bottom of his heart, and Shen Zhong'an, who was now showing off his skills, was one of them.

After taking the documents, as he was leaving the registrar's office, Old Liu finally couldn't resist his own conscience and turned back to give a word of advice.

"While Clerk Shen's method is good, it may infringe upon the interests of certain individuals. I urge you to exercise caution in the future!"

Shen Zhong'an was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, but then he realized that the "some people" Liu Laocao was referring to were Wang Dianli. He did not press the matter further, but cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will keep it in mind."

Although it is said that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake, this does not mean that one should always back down. I am just doing what I should do. If the other party feels that I have harmed their interests and tries to trip me up, then we shall see whether the local clerk Wang is one foot taller or I, the transmigrator, am one foot taller.

Bah! It should be "the devil is one foot tall, but the righteous are ten feet tall!"

After thanking Liu Laocao for the reminder, Shen Zhong'an took out books such as "Official Document Format" and "Tax and Rent Book Format" and carefully read through the documents, referring to the regulations in them.

Just after dawn the next day, as the county yamen finished its roll call, a crisp clinking of waist tokens came from outside the yamen. Two Kaifeng prefectural constables, dressed in blue and black official robes and wearing bronze prefectural yamen tokens around their waists, strode in with their heads held high.

Upon reaching the front hall's porch, one of them patted the wooden plaque in front of the government office and loudly proclaimed, "The various departments of Kaifeng Prefecture are issuing a directive: urgently request the tax documents from Chenliu County for the past three years' summer and autumn harvests. Any delays in the prefectural government's affairs are unacceptable to you!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Laocao hurriedly walked out of the clerk's office, a respectful smile on his face, and bowed deeply, saying, "Both officers have worked hard. Please come to the front hall for tea. I will go and inform the registrar to retrieve the documents."

"No need to trouble you, old man, I'll be right there." Before the words were even finished, Shen Zhong'an had already emerged from the storeroom carrying the index book. "May I ask which three years and which quarter of tax documents you two officers require?"

The lead constable glanced at Shen Zhong'an, noticing his young age and neat but unassuming attire, and his tone became arrogant.

"Enough with the nonsense. We need all the tax documents from the past three years, both summer and autumn! Bring them here immediately, we need to rush back to the government office to report."

Shen Zhong'an nodded in agreement and turned back to the storeroom with Liu Laocao. The two constables sat outside the hall, chatting and joking over tea, having a great time.

They had only exchanged a few words in jest when Shen Zhong'an led Liu Laocao out of the storeroom again. The two constables, thinking that the two hadn't heard clearly what documents were required, opened their mouths impatiently, about to repeat themselves, but Shen Zhong'an spoke first.

"Gentlemen, please take a look. These are the tax documents submitted to the government for the summer and autumn taxes of the past three years. Not a single one is missing, and they are all arranged in order of year and month."

Upon hearing this, the two constables were stunned and stood there for a long time before they reacted and got up to check the document number with some doubt.

"How could it be so fast? We've been running around to various counties for years trying to get documents, and every time it takes an hour, or even half a day. But today in Chenliu County, it was all done in a quarter of an hour? Did you get advance notice and prepare in advance?"

"You jest, sir. It wasn't prepared in advance..." Shen Zhong'an pointed to the index book in his hand. "I just recently sorted all the documents in the county government office by category and date, and compiled an index. Finding the file by the book is naturally quick and easy."

No sooner had he finished speaking than two more yamen runners hurried over, looking anxious.

"Registrar Shen, the criminal division urgently needs the original copy of a land dispute case filed by villagers. The magistrate needs it for court. Please fetch it as soon as possible!"

Shen Zhong'an nodded in response. Without asking any further questions, he turned around and went into the storeroom. In just five minutes, he came out with a scroll of legal documents in his hand and handed it to the yamen runner.

These days, the yamen runners of Chenliu County had already gotten used to the high efficiency of Shen Zhong'an, the new registrar. After thanking him repeatedly, they hurriedly headed to the main hall with the documents in their hands.

By this time, the two Kaifeng constables had already put away their arrogance and leaned close to Shen Zhong'an to look at the index book in his hand. They were amazed to see that the entries were clear and the annotations were detailed, making it easy to see what kind of document it was, what year and month it was from, and what shelf and layer it was stored on.

"Shen, the registrar, is truly skilled! We have never seen such a method of sorting out documents and compiling indexes in the government office, even though we have seen countless documents from various counties. You are truly a remarkable person!" the head constable praised.

"You flatter me, sir. It's just a simple categorization to make it easier to search."

The two constables marveled at the sight. As they walked out of the county government office, they kept looking back. After returning to the prefectural government office, the two told everyone they met about what they had seen in Chenliu County.

"The new registrar of Chenliu County is an extraordinary person! Documents that used to take half an hour to process can now be retrieved in less than a quarter of an hour, and the storeroom is perfectly organized, without a single thing out of order!"

The news spread quickly through the post stations, government officials, and clerks, reaching ten people from one to a hundred, and within half a day, it had quietly spread throughout the various departments of Kaifeng Prefecture.

"Chen Liu's registrar, Shen, was the most talented in official documents among all counties in the capital region."

Not long after the yamen was reopened at noon, Magistrate Luo Shi walked lightly to the Registrar's Office.

The shelves and archives used to be a mess, but today they are completely transformed. Five categories of documents are arranged on separate shelves, each with a wooden label indicating the category. Index books and numbered documents are neatly stacked on the desk. Shen Zhong'an is sitting at the desk, checking old documents against the "Official Document Format" with a focused expression.

Luo Shi paused by the door, his gaze sweeping over the shelves and storerooms, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. He stepped forward and gently tapped the table: "Zhong An."

Shen Zhong'an looked up upon hearing the voice, stood up and bowed: "Your Excellency."

"No need for such formalities..."

Luo Shi raised his hand to stop Shen Zhong'an from bowing, picked up the index book that was placed on the table, flipped through several pages, and finally his fingertip landed on the numbers A, B, C, and D.

"Zhong'an, I have a question for you. How did you come up with such a wonderful method?"

It's just a simple list of A, B, C, and D, yet it manages to organize all the complex documents of the county government in a clear, organized, and easy-to-search manner. In all my years of service, I've never seen such a convenient method.

"My lord, this is not some ingenious method; it is merely a personal habit."

From childhood, the student has always been fond of order. Whenever he handles a book, he must first classify it according to the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, and then sort it by volume. He can only read with peace of mind if he has everything sorted out in an orderly manner. Otherwise, he will feel restless and unable to sit still, as if he is being scratched by an itch.

This document reorganization was merely applying my childhood reading habits to official duties; hopefully, it will come in handy.

The original owner did not have this habit. Shen Zhong'an was referring to the habit he developed while working part-time at the school library during his graduate studies. In 21st-century terms, this is a typical case of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"I see!" Luo Shi stroked his beard and smiled. "Good habits lead to great achievements. If you weren't so methodical and meticulous, you wouldn't have been able to come up with such a practical method. It shows that you need to be attentive in everything, and even in the smallest details, you can find the real skill."

"You flatter me, sir. Organizing documents is the clerk's duty. It is my duty to save the county magistrate some effort." Shen Zhong'an bowed again in thanks.

"The prefectural government has been pressing for documents lately. You can teach your indexing method to the clerks in each department. From now on, the documents of Chenliu County will be processed according to your method, so that Kaifeng Prefecture can see the excellence of Chenliu's administration."

"Here you are."

Less than a quarter of an hour after Luo Shi left, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the yamen. Before the yamen runners in the corridor could announce his arrival, a figure in a blue turban and black robe rushed straight toward the chief clerk's office. It was none other than Wang Dianli, the head of the six clerks.

His face was so gloomy it could drip water, and the respectful and dignified demeanor he usually maintained had completely vanished. He didn't even notice the clanging of the official badge hanging at his waist, clearly because he was extremely anxious.

As Wang Dianli stepped into the chief clerk's office, his gaze first fell on the neatly arranged documents in the archives, then on the index book spread out on the desk. Instantly, his heart sank, and a chill ran down his spine.

Just now, a scribe rushed in to report that Shen Zhong'an had organized the documents in the Registrar's Office in perfect order and had even received the approval of Prefect Luo Shi. At first, he did not believe it and thought that the newcomer was just messing around on a whim.

Now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I know that what my subordinates said was true. Shen Zhong'an's move has really changed the world in the Registrar's Office!

The numerous and chaotic documents and paperwork in Chenliu County were the very reasons why these veteran officials held power and controlled other officials.

In the past, whether it was commoners submitting petitions, yamen runners collecting documents, or government offices requesting documents, they could use excuses such as "the documents are hard to find" or "the files are messy" to delay, shirk responsibility, extort money, and profit from it.

But now that Chenliu County's clerks have a reputation for being well-organized, how can he continue to abuse his power and line his own pockets by relying on his official duties?

Consumed by rage, Wang Dianli was about to explode on the spot, his lips moving as he was about to rebuke Shen Zhong'an for meddling.

Unfortunately, Shen Zhong'an was not alone in the office. Six scribes from various departments were gathered around the desk, listening to Shen Zhong'an's instructions to organize the documents of their respective departments, their eyes constantly glancing in his direction.

With so many people around, if he were to make a scene in public, it would spread that he, the clerk, couldn't tolerate the new registrar. Not only would he lose face, but if the word got back to Magistrate Luo Shi, it would be a huge loss.

Wang Dianli took a deep breath and swallowed back the reprimand that was on the tip of his tongue. His face turned from gloomy to green, then from green to white. After a long while, he finally squeezed out a sentence through his teeth.

"Registrar Shen...you are truly very capable."

From Liu Laocao's few words of advice, Shen Zhong'an had already guessed that his actions had offended Wang Dianli. Therefore, he no longer bothered with pretense and replied in a businesslike manner:

"You're too kind, Clerk Wang. Organizing documents and standardizing paperwork is the responsibility of the Registrar. In the future, I will trouble you to urge the clerks in each department to cooperate in organizing these matters so as not to delay official business."

Wang Dianli was already furious, and now he was rendered speechless by Shen Zhong'an's words. He could no longer maintain any dignity, glared at him fiercely, turned around abruptly, flicked his sleeves, and strode out of the clerk's office.

The yamen runners under the eaves were all frightened and gave way when they saw his unfriendly expression.

The scribes inside also sensed something was amiss. They glanced up discreetly, and seeing that Shen Zhong'an remained calm and focused on instructing the organization of documents, they lowered their heads again, not daring to say a word.

Shen Zhong'an watched Wang Dianli's departing figure and sighed inwardly.

The tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease; the days to come will likely not be peaceful.