Official Liu immediately said with enthusiasm, "I’ll write the report now and submit it so that the superiors are aware."
"Thank you so much, Official Liu, for your trouble." An Jing bowed her hands in thanks.
"It’s all part of the job," Official Liu said with a smile, walking over to his desk and picking up the brush to write the report on the paper.
Then, he stamped his own seal on the paper.
Next, he folded the paper and stuffed it into an envelope along with the drawings of the cylindrical cart’s structure.
Finally, he had the junior officials standing by rush to deliver the letter to the Agricultural Institute of the Prefecture for reporting.
The Agricultural Institute of the Prefecture is one level higher than that of the County, and the Prefecture has jurisdiction over the County.
An Jing and Xiao Changyi just stood there, watching everything until the junior official took the letter for reporting. An Jing then turned to Official Liu again to give her thanks: "I really can’t thank you enough, Official Liu!"
Official Liu adopted an even more humble demeanor, "It’s all part of the job."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, An Jing and Xiao Changyi, hand in hand, left the room where Official Liu worked.
It wasn’t until they were a good distance away from Official Liu’s office that An Jing spoke up, still in a low voice, "Husband, why do I feel that Official Liu was too enthusiastic today?"
His enthusiasm made her feel very uneasy.
Xiao Changyi glanced subtly at a corner not too far away, where someone was watching them. It was the junior official that Official Liu had sent with the letter.
"He was indeed too enthusiastic," Xiao Changyi said in a volume audible only to An Jing and himself. "Unusual behavior indicates deceit; he never intended to submit the report. That junior official is not far from us, watching. Don’t turn your head; it might startle the snake."
An Jing couldn’t help but feel angry, although she kept her voice low, "If he didn’t want to report, then he shouldn’t report. Why go through all these schemes and manipulations? Can’t an official just do their job properly?!"
As she spoke, An Jing became not only angry but also frustrated. She truly disliked deceit and intrigue.
"Why bother getting upset over such people? They’re not worth it." He paused, "This man’s career as an official has come to an end anyway."
An Jing chuckled, "Over such a trivial matter, you plan to end his career?"
Xiao Changyi said indifferently, "Of course, there’s more to it."
Upon hearing this, An Jing realized that Official Liu had committed a serious offense that mandated his dismissal; it was just that she was unaware of it. An Jing didn’t ask further but instead smiled, "Let’s wait a few more days. I want to see how he handles it when I ask him for the results of the report."
"Mm," Xiao Changyi had no objections.
Meanwhile, in the corner, once An Jing and Xiao Changyi had walked away, the junior official returned to the room where Official Liu worked.
As soon as the junior official entered Official Liu’s office, he closed the door behind him. Only then did he approach Official Liu and returned the letter to him.
It was clear that the junior official was accustomed to doing such tasks.
Seated in a pear wood chair, Official Liu took the letter from the junior official and tore it open, removing the report related to the cylindrical cart and the cart’s structural drawings.
First, he glanced at the two papers, and then with a smile, Official Liu tore them to pieces.
Tearing them up was not enough; he burned them, the envelope included.
Watching the flames consuming the letter in the basin, Official Liu’s smile grew wider: "Trying to compete with me, huh..."
He had written the letter in her presence, and he sent the letter in her presence, and she had seen the letter being sent. Whether or not the letter received a reply was entirely up to his word.