Chapter 1349: Staying at home to maintain integrity
Early the next morning, Han Du was having breakfast when he saw the old eunuch walking in for the first time.
Surprised, Han Du pointed to the steamed buns and porridge on the table and asked, "Have you eaten since you came so early? If not, how about eating some together?"
The old eunuch laughed, actually sat down, reached for a bun and took a bite. Then he scooped out a bowl of porridge, lowered his head and took a sip.
Han Du looked at the old eunuch with strange eyes, not understanding what his behavior meant.
The old eunuch raised his head, glanced at Han Du, and said with a smile: "When the old slave was young, his family was poor, and all he wanted to do was have a mouthful of hot porridge. However, most of the time he ate wild vegetable leaves.
That’s all. Man, in fact, in this life, isn’t this a mouthful of hot porridge what you have been dreaming about? Of course, your steamed buns are also amazing, I feel they are no worse than those in the imperial kitchen.”
Han Du couldn't help but feel speechless as he watched the old eunuch shouting at each old slave. Looking at the vast capital, how many people dare to regard this bad old man as an old slave?
A companion to a king is like a tiger to a companion. Before the old eunuch, the eunuch beside Lao Zhu would be replaced almost every year or two. But it has been more than ten years since the old eunuch served Lao Zhu. And now, Lao Zhu
They were all very satisfied with the old eunuch and showed no signs of replacing him.
"I have always been timid, please don't scare me, father-in-law." Han Du tested the old eunuch's intention.
The old eunuch smiled and said: "Are you still cowardly? I have never seen anyone more courageous than you in my whole life. How many heads have you grown to dare to interfere in such a thing?"
Han Du immediately understood that the old eunuch was warning him to participate in persuading the emperor to increase his salary. He let out a long sigh, "Do you think this is what I want? I can't help myself!"
Now that he has decided to stand on Zhu Biao's side, he must always show his due role in front of Zhu Biao. Otherwise, what use will he have to him?
Not to mention that there is nothing wrong with Zhu Biao's move. It is also in line with the situation. The official salary has indeed reached the point where it has to be increased. If this problem is not solved now, there will only be endless troubles in the future.
Even if Zhu Biao's move was wrong, Han Du wanted to stand on Zhu Biao's side. These five tests of right and wrong, and the positioning, are very important.
After hearing this, the old eunuch nodded with a smile and said, "It's true that I can't help myself, that's how people are. By the way, where is Her Royal Highness the Princess? Can I allow this old slave to go and pay my respects?"
"An Qing is about to give birth and needs more rest now." Han Du's face was full of smiles. Before he knew it, An Qing was about to give birth to his third child.
The old eunuch suddenly
He was stunned for a moment, and then he quickly raised his hands and congratulated: "What a joy!"
"Thank you, thank you so much~" Han Du quickly returned the gift.
Then he asked: "I wonder if my father-in-law is here today. What are your orders?"
Hearing this, the old eunuch nodded slightly and said, "The Emperor has a decree to send you to the palace for an audience."
"Ah?" Han Du suddenly looked at the old eunuch in surprise. When Lao Zhu summoned him, why did the old eunuch not seem to be in a hurry? Not only did he sit down and eat a bun and a bowl of porridge, but he also chatted with him.
A while?
"Let's go quickly, don't keep the emperor waiting." The old eunuch smiled and motioned for Han Du to follow him into the palace.
Han Du didn't have time to think carefully and hurriedly followed the old eunuch.
Arriving at Qianqing Palace, Han Du saw Zhu Biao already sitting next to him.
"I pay my respects to the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince."
Han Du looked at Zhu Biao and saw him smiling and nodding secretly. Han Du suddenly felt something in his heart. It shouldn't be a bad thing if Lao Zhu summoned him today. In this case, why did the old eunuch act just now? Woolen cloth?
Lao Zhu glanced at Han Du while sitting upright, and said calmly: "Get up and sit down."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Han Du stood up and slowly walked up to the golden pier.
At this time, Lao Zhu took a sip of ginseng tea, put down the tea cup, and said: "I thought about it all night last night. If we can increase the salary of the officials on the grounds that the officials and gentry will not pay the grain, I still agree."
Han Du glanced at Lao Zhu in surprise. He didn't expect that Lao Zhu, who was always stingy, actually agreed. He subconsciously looked at Zhu Biao and saw Zhu Biao giving him a grateful look.
Han Du pondered for a moment and realized that his reminder yesterday must have worked. Compared with the fact that the rich in the world are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer because the officials and gentry do not pay their taxes, and the taxes on the poor people will become heavier and heavier, Lao Zhu is obviously still Those who are willing to spend money.
Lao Zhu himself had personally experienced the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and he knew very well what kind of things the poor and destitute people would do. Compared with the entire Lao Zhu family's world, some of the property was really nothing.
After a pause, Lao Zhu changed his tone and asked: "But if the salary is increased, will it be possible to prevent officials from being corrupt?"
Han Du shook his head decisively.
Lao Zhu immediately put his hand on the desk and turned towards Han Du
Leaning forward, he asked sternly: "What do you mean? I've given them more salary, but it still can't stop them from being greedy? Then why should I give them more salary?"
Han Du had no choice but to explain: "Your Majesty, the increase in official salaries is just to ensure the normal life of officials. As for the corruption of ink, which has never been eliminated since ancient times, how can it be that just because of a single increase in salary, no one will be greedy for ink anymore?"
"If the salary is enough, no one will be greedy for ink. Then the salary in the Tang Dynasty and the former Song Dynasty is more than ten times that of the Ming Dynasty. Is there no greed for ink in the Tang Dynasty and the former Song Dynasty?"
After hearing this, Lao Zhu immediately sat back. When he asked that sentence just now, he was eager to increase his salary. After that, he would no longer be greedy for ink. But if Han Du said this, then he would not The complex emotions of believing it.
However, after Han Du directly told him that it was impossible to completely eliminate Tan Mo by increasing his salary, Lao Zhu couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
However, Lao Zhu also had to admit that what Han Du said was reasonable. If increasing the salary could prevent the corruption of ink, then the salary of the Tang Dynasty and the former Song Dynasty should not lead to the corruption of ink. However, the tendency of corruption in these two dynasties was not the same. It is not weaker than other dynasties at all.
Lao Zhu pushed hard with both hands, and when Zhu Biao saw it, he quickly stepped forward to help him. After Lao Zhu stood up, he waved his hands and got rid of Zhu Biao's support, walked to the window alone, looked up at the sky and sighed:
"Is it really difficult to cure corruption and reach the sky?"
Han Du was silent for a moment, then raised his head and looked at Lao Zhu's back, and said: "Taimo can only channel it, not contain it. It can only reduce it as much as possible. As long as people's hearts are still chasing profit, it can't be cut off."
After hearing this, Lao Zhu immediately turned around, stared at Han Du and asked, "Do you have any way to reduce it?"
"I do have a plan." Han Du nodded.
"Oh?" Lao Zhu was surprised. Lao Zhu knew better than anyone how difficult it is to control corruption. Even peeling day lilies can't stop officials from being corrupt, and Han Du actually said he had a way?
Lao Zhu immediately sat back on the chair, waved and shouted: "Come here, give me some tea."
Then he looked at Han Du and said, "Speak slowly."
Han Du smiled and took the tea handed over by the eunuch, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and said: "Now the price of houses in the capital is very high. Even a three-level house in the outer city can usually be sold for four to five thousand guan."
The price is high. But seven or eight years ago, the price of a house like this was one or two thousand dollars. In just a few years, the price has dropped sharply.
It’s more than doubled. And if we were to build a house with three entrances in the outer city now, the material cost would not exceed a thousand dollars."
Lao Zhu also just learned about the price of houses in Beijing. If it weren't for Zhu Biao's report, Lao Zhu wouldn't have known that the prices of houses and rental houses in Beijing had risen to such a high level. But Lao Zhu didn't say anything about it.
In his opinion, these are common people's things, and it is a good thing to increase their prices.
But now Lao Zhu looks at Han Du mentioning it, but he doesn't understand what Han Du wants to express. "What does the price of the house you mentioned have to do with the control of corruption?"
Han Du did not answer Lao Zhu directly, but continued to ask: "Your Majesty, now a three-in house in the outer city is worth four to five thousand guan. Does your Majesty agree with this?"
Lao Zhu nodded, "Of course." This is the price among the people. Why does he disagree?
Just agree, Han Du nodded again and continued: "There is a saying that if you want a horse to run well, you don't give the horse enough grass to eat, but you have to hang a handful of grass in front of the horse. In this way
Come on, the horse will try his best to run in order to eat this handful of grass."
Seeing that both Lao Zhu and Zhu Biao were confused, Han Du smiled and continued: "Although the capital is prosperous, it is not easy to live in. If the emperor orders the Ministry of Industry to build a house in the outer city, it will be given to hundreds of officials to live in.
Set a rule that if an official can be clean and honest for ten or fifteen years, the house will be directly awarded to him. In this way, officials will have hope and will easily avoid corruption."
"Even if someone wants to bribe an official, how can he give out four to five thousand guan to bribe him in the first place? But it's only a few dozen or a few hundred guan. Everyone weighs the pros and cons in their mind, so how can they make the official give up?
The house you got?"
Lao Zhu suddenly understood and burst out laughing. "Okay, good idea. As long as they are not fools, no one will give up a house worth four or five thousand coins for tens or hundreds of coins."
Zhu Biao looked at Han Du with shock in his eyes. Such a difficult thing to control corruption was actually accomplished by Han Du. As soon as this strategy came out, officials who were not greedy by nature would not accept it easily.
Bribery, let alone bribery.
"Moreover, as the Ming Dynasty becomes increasingly prosperous, the price of houses in the capital will definitely continue to rise. By then, the value of a house will no longer be four to five thousand guan, and it is possible to even double it." Han Du laughed.
Then he said, and added, "All officials have suffered enough from the hardship of renting houses over the years. They all take the increase in house prices into consideration. There are no officials who don't understand this."