This knife from Jiankang was rushed to Shen Yi after traveling 600 miles from the inn.
Mr. Shen just read the letter once, then put it away and stuffed it into the envelope. Then he looked at Jiang Sheng and said slowly: "I still have something to do here. When you go back, go find Ling Su and let me know." He is waiting for me at my residence."
Jiang Sheng nodded, then turned around and trotted all the way to help Shen Yi run errands.
After Jiang Sheng left, Shen Yi put the letter into his sleeves, turned around and returned to the private room. He smiled at the chief envoy in the private room and said: "I have to read the urgent letter from Jiankang. I am neglecting the feudal lord." ."
Cheng Tingzhi sat in his seat and said with a smile: "Scholar Shen is so polite."
After Shen Yi sat down, Cheng Fantai stretched out his hand to add a cup of hot tea to him and said with a smile: "Senior Master Shen has won the favor of the Holy Spirit at such a young age. It is really enviable. Unlike the people of my generation who have worked hard for decades. Years ago, I was still doing nothing."
Shen Yi's ears were already filled with calluses hearing such words.
People in the officialdom are friendly on the outside. They say nice things to others when they see them, and they have to say nice things. Mr. Shen’s most notable feature now is his youth, so no matter who you meet, as long as you say nice things to him , most of them praise him in terms of his youth.
Although Cheng Fantai's words are a bit cliché, there seems to be some additional meaning in the cliché.
"If the feudal government is inactive and there are so many people in the officialdom, they will jump into the river."
Mr. Shen picked up the tea cup, offered tea to Cheng Tingzhi instead of wine, and said with a smile: "The chief minister of a province, who was placed in Dachen sixty or seventy years ago, is the first constitution of the province. I think Cheng Fantai is old. It’s not that big. In the future, it won’t be difficult to be promoted to Jiankang, rank among the Nine Ministers, and become the Prime Minister.”
Sixty or seventy years ago, when the capital was still in the north, the governors of each province were not sent on a regular basis, but on special occasions. At that time, the chief envoy was indeed the head of the province and was in charge of the civil affairs of the province.
"Scholar Shen is joking."
Cheng Tingzhi lowered his eyebrows slightly and sighed: "Except Fujian, which province in this dynasty has someone who can influence the government?"
"Cheng was thrown into this position. Not to mention his embarrassing status, he doesn't even have much real power. His official career has come to an end."
This is a rare truth.
The chief envoy originally had to obey the arrangements of the governor's yamen, but now he, the right chief envoy, has a left chief envoy above him. This feeling is almost more aggrieved than that of the prefect of Fuguo provincial capital.
There are only two reasons why he was placed in this position.
The first is that his foundation is shallow and he does not have enough political resources to help him climb to a better position.
The second reason is...
Offended.
And he is someone who has offended the officials.
No matter what the reason is, Cheng Fantai's official career is indeed in jeopardy. Even if he serves as chief envoy in Fujian for several terms, he will not be promoted. Even being promoted to a stable position may be a luxury.
Even now, he has no sense of presence in the Fujian Provincial Government.
Except for the governor and the chief envoy of Zuo, the inspectors of Zhensi and the commander-in-chief of Dusi basically didn't take him seriously.
It is precisely for these reasons that when all Fujian provincial officials avoided seeing Shen Yi, he, the right-hand chief envoy, took the initiative to give Shen Yi a greeting card and invited Shen Yi to dinner.
Because Cheng Fantai felt that Shen Yi's arrival was an opportunity for him.
A rare opportunity to turn around.
After Cheng Fantai lowered his head and took a sip of tea, he raised his head and looked at Shen Yi. After being silent for a while, he slowly said: "Is Bachelor Shen coming to Fuzhou this time to investigate the Japanese case?"
He looked at Shen Yi and said calmly: "Perhaps Mr. Cheng can help a group of Scholar Shen."
Shen Yi was slightly stunned.
He glanced at Cheng Tingzhi in surprise.
Because this Fujian vassal was beyond Shen Yi's conventional understanding of officials.
Even if you are a normal person, when you meet a stranger for the first time, even if you are very chatty, you will not get particularly close to each other.
And this is even more true for officials.
Unless they are in the same camp, or are classmates in the same hometown and same year, or have a relationship where the interests of master and apprentice are completely bound, everyone will be suspicious when talking to unfamiliar officials. If you should not say anything, you will never Said.
And what Cheng Fantai just said can no longer be described by the four words "Jiao Qian Yan Shen Shen".
Geng got to the point where he was a little short-sighted.
Shen Yi was silent for a while, then sat opposite Cheng Tingzhi, and sighed with emotion: "Although I have not been an official for a long time, this is the first time I have seen an official speak so directly like Cheng Fantai, which makes me a little bit embarrassed. I’m not used to it anymore.”
"Mr. Cheng has been suppressed by Fujian officials for three years."
Cheng Fantai looked at Shen Yi and said with a smile: "It has been six days since Bachelor Shen arrived in Fuzhou. I also sent people to check up on Bachelor Shen for six days and considered it for six days."
"Now that I've thought about it clearly, there's nothing to worry about."
Shen Yi was thoughtful. He looked at Cheng Tingzhi and asked with a smile: "The unknown vassal investigated me and found out what?"
"Scholar Shen is His Majesty's hand extending to the southeast."
Cheng Tingzhi lowered his head and took a sip of tea and said slowly: "As of now, it seems that Bachelor Shen's hand must first clean up the Japanese pirates along the coast. This step has been accomplished very well by Bachelor Shen."
Cheng Fantai was silent for a while, then lowered his eyebrows and said: "If Cheng's guess is correct, the next step for Bachelor Shen is to establish a shipping department along the coast. This has also been completed by Bachelor Shen in Zhejiang. Cheng sent people to Checked the situation of the shipping department in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province..."
"I heard it went very well."
He looked at Shen Yi and asked slowly: "The next step should be to establish a shipping company in Fuzhou?"
Shen Yi doesn't have the temperament of a mother-in-law. Now that Cheng Tingzhi has been honest with him, Shen Yi has nothing to hide, so he nodded and said: "Next year, the imperial court will establish a shipping company in Fuzhou."
"This Fuzhou Shipping Company cannot be built."
Cheng Tingzhi shook his head, and then said slowly: "The local gentry in Fuzhou have a strong sense of clan, and they stick together and are very united. These gentry are almost monolithic in collusion with the local officials and gentry in Fuzhou. The imperial court wants to establish a market in Fuzhou." Si, grab a bite of food from their mouths..."
He looked up at Shen Yi and said in a calm voice: "Then, within a year or two, large-scale smuggling will occur along the coast of Fuzhou, and if the local government doesn't take care of this large-scale smuggling..."
"A shipping company cannot manage this."
Shen Yi took a sip of tea, thought for a moment, and asked, "What if the Shipping Company can distribute some of the profits to the local government?"
"How much can the Shipping Company share?"
Cheng Tingzhi said calmly: "Cheng has already learned about the Wenzhou Prefecture Shipping Department. Now it should be 10% of the tax. Even if the City Shipping Department gives all the profits to the local government, it will only be 10%."
"And many of these local officials are doing business together with local nobles, and they benefit from it, which is more than 10%."
Cheng Tingzhi looked at Shen Yi and asked, "How can the Shipping Company divide it?"
Shen Yi frowned slightly.
The situation in Fujian seems to be far more complicated than that in Zhejiang.
Although there are some problems with Cheng Fantai's understanding, for example, after the Shipping Department collects taxes, those merchants can still divide the remaining income with local officials.
But if local officials hold a large stake in local business, then they will probably not be willing to support the existence of a shipping company.
Large-scale smuggling seems to be an inevitable situation...
Once large-scale smuggling occurs and local officials continue to condone it, even if the Fujian Shipping Department is established, it will exist in name only.
After thinking for a while, Shen Yi looked at Cheng Tingzhi and asked, "What good strategy does Cheng Fantai have?"
"Overthrow Fujian officialdom."
Cheng Tingzhi's tone was calm, but the words that came out of his mouth were earth-shattering.
"In Fujian, from the governor's yamen, to the sansi yamen, and then to the local government yamen and county yamen, there are not many clean ones. There is no need to clean up the lower yamen like the fuya, county yamen, etc. immediately, and there is no way to clean them up. It's clean, but the Governor's Yamen and the Sansi Yamen have to be replaced from scratch to ensure that the court's policies can be implemented."
Shen Yi was silent for a while.
"Cheng Fantai just said that the Sansi Yamen is not clean, and the Chief Envoy is one of the Sansi Yamen."
"I'm not clean either."
Cheng Tingzhi admitted this matter generously.
"I have collected a lot of money during my three years in Fujian, but I have to collect this money, otherwise I may die in a foreign country before my term as chief envoy is completed."
"I took the money."
Cheng Fantai said slowly: "Only then can they feel at ease."
Shen Yi smiled: "Then how does Cheng Fantai plan to overthrow Fujian officialdom?"
"I have evidence in my hand."
Cheng Tingzhi looked calm and said quietly: "I have some evidence in my hands of the governor's yamen and the third division's yamen of corruption, bribery, and collusion with the local government. Although these evidences are not enough to shock the imperial court, as long as the imperial court is willing to investigate, This evidence is enough."
He looked at Shen Yi and said slowly: "Scholar Shen can directly reach Heaven. I hope that Scholar Shen can convey Cheng's words to the Holy One."
Shen Yi took a deep breath and said slowly: "What happens after overthrowing Fujian's officialdom?"
"I will be the governor of Fujian."
Cheng Tinghe answered without hesitation: "I can assure your Majesty that the Fujian Shipping Department will operate normally next year. As long as I am here, the Fujian Shipping Department will operate for one day..."
"When I'm in Fujian for one day, I will help your majesty to straighten out the officialdom in Fujian!"
Shen Yi lowered his eyebrows and said, "Cheng Fantai is also greedy for ink."
"This is exactly what His Majesty holds."
Cheng Tingzhi looked calm and looked at Shen Yi calmly: "Whenever Your Majesty feels that I am not doing well in Fujian, you can use this as a reason to throw me into the dust at any time."
Hearing this, Shen Yi couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Cheng Fantai's words really opened my eyes."
Cheng Tingzhi exhaled a breath of turbid air and lowered his eyebrows: "Cheng, you are just forced to give it a try. If your Majesty does not agree..."
Shen Yi interrupted him.
"If His Majesty does not agree with the views of the feudal lord and does not deal with these corrupt officials in Fujian, then he will not deal with you, the lord and feudal lord."
"but…"
Shen Yi paused and continued: "If His Majesty agrees..."
He looked at Cheng Tingzhi and said sadly: "Then Cheng Fantai, your reputation in official circles will be completely ruined."
Report your colleagues, report your boss, and climb to the top...
From then on, Cheng Ting knew that this man's reputation in the officialdom would be completely ruined. Even if he took the position of governor of Fujian, he could only stop at this position. Whether he was transferred to another province or promoted to Jiankang, he would not be able to do anything. possible!
Because other civil servants...
There is no room for him anymore.
Mr. Shen spoke in a deep voice.
"Your official career will only end in Fujian, and you will never go any further!"
Cheng Tingzhi laughed at himself: "I have already stopped being the chief envoy. If I can do something for Your Majesty and the court and bear some infamy, Cheng would be happy to do so."
"Well."
Shen Yi looked at the Fujian Chief Envoy whom he met for the first time with a somewhat complicated look in his eyes.