Chapter 100 Entering the millet and the [secret system]
In the sight that is difficult for ordinary people to see, the huge turntable kept rotating. Finally, the blue light shined brightly, and a blue card jumped out and landed in front of Xiao Cheng.
Xiao Cheng's brows moved, but he did not immediately check the effect of this policy card. Instead, he looked at the huge turntable that gradually dissipated, showing his contemplation.
Among the cards that just flashed by but were not drawn, there was a card that made Xiao Cheng's heart suddenly move.
The card is called "Rusu Baijue"!
The practice of bringing grain to the government to earn titles was first initiated in the Western Han Dynasty. It refers to the wealthy people bringing grain to the government in exchange for titles, so that guilty people can be exempted from their crimes.
Although it was accused by later generations of selling out officials and corrupting the atmosphere of officialdom, in terms of effect, it became one of the sources of finance for the imperial court in the early Western Han Dynasty, and helped to enrich the border defense army in the Western Han Dynasty.
Previously, the Yun State had sent troops to attack surrounding countries for many years, so there was not much grain in the imperial treasury. Even if it obtained 60% of the financial resources of the Yun State Buddhism, and the gold and silver in the treasury were piled up, it would not be able to produce food for nothing. no?
Fortunately, Xiao Cheng easily accepted the power of the Za family at the beginning, and because of the war horse incident, he supported Shen Wansan's Shen's Trading Company. Only now, he has the ability to organize a group of merchants among the people.
With the approval of the imperial court and the organization of the Zajia family, these large private merchants now dare not disobey, so naturally they can cooperate with the imperial court to stabilize prices and provide relief to the people in the north.
However, businessmen are driven by profit-seeking nature, and now the plague in the north does not yet know when it will end.
As time went by, the merchants saw that there was no benefit at all from doing things for the imperial court, and the huge profits were at their fingertips, but they didn't reach out. It was inevitable that some people would have small thoughts.
At this time, the name "Rusu Baijue" flashed across his mind, which suddenly gave Xiao Cheng an idea.
Just like when the examination method was implemented in the first place, Xiao Cheng was not someone who could do nothing without the golden finger. Moreover, compared with the examination method, joining Su and becoming a nobility was not an extremely difficult thing to operate.
Xiao Cheng pondered for a moment and then said loudly:
"Someone is coming!"
In the Yangxin Hall, there was a young eunuch bowing forward, waiting for instructions.
"In passing the decree, I summoned the ministers, Ling Qucheng, Zhang Hong, the minister of officials, and Zhang Zhao, the minister of rites, to come and discuss the matter!"
The matter related to the granting of imperial titles is not a trivial matter, and the corresponding ministers still need to be summoned to meet and discuss.
When the young eunuch heard this, he quickly lowered his head and responded, running forward to summon him.
Xiao Cheng took advantage of this moment to take a closer look at the card he drew this time.
In the sight that only Xiao Cheng could see, blue light filled the sight. With a thought, the card effect appeared.
[Blue policy card, secret discount system
Card effect: After use, the probability of generating official handles is +35%
Card description: It is not easy to make people secretly play. If you ignore it occasionally, you will be deceived.】
The card I drew this time is a rare strategy card. Judging from the effect of this card, it is nothing more than a handle to make it easier to raid homes.
But in reality, it's obviously not that simple.
The secret system is the product of the Qing Dynasty, when imperial power reached its peak.
Officials of a certain rank are encouraged to submit the secret message in a secret form, put it into a delicate box and store it, and secretly send it to the minister's close family members. Only the emperor and the minister have one key to the secret message box.
In this way, the memorial written by the petitioner cannot be leaked, and can reach the emperor directly without going through any organization or personnel.
You must know that among the hundreds of officials in the imperial court, except for those who have responsibilities such as censors and can directly submit letters to the emperor, other general officials do not submit memorials directly to the emperor. Instead, most of them need to go through superior officials and various yamen.
Only after screening one by one can they be sent to Xiao Cheng.
Such a system naturally gives people the opportunity to manipulate things. Leaving things in and not doing anything, inadvertently losing them, etc. are often used to isolate the inside and outside of the palace.
The birth of the secret folding system is equivalent to another form of opening up the air. Ministers can express their opinions in a timely manner.
Ordinary officials did not have the courage to deceive the emperor anymore. After all, no one could guarantee whether any of his colleagues and subordinates would directly complain to the secretaries.
Of course, such a system also has drawbacks.
Appeals beyond the level, unclear responsibilities, leading to suspicion among superiors and subordinates, and the possibility of secretly subverting the system, threatening, and framing colleagues.
But even so, this secret system can greatly strengthen the imperial authority and stabilize the emperor's rule.
Thinking of this, Xiao Cheng nodded with satisfaction and thought silently:
Perhaps, we need help from the Mo family to create a batch of exquisite secret boxes!
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In the northern border of Yun State, under the jurisdiction of Huichuan County, it is the only place that leads to Jianchang Prefecture and the county seat of Heyi County.
Throughout the county, a group of children were heard happily whizzing past the streets in groups, cheering loudly:
"Master Hu is going to die, Master Hu is dead!"
The people in the city, who were busy making a living, were shocked when they heard this. They all poked their heads out, looked at the young men enjoying themselves, and said:
"Dead? Retribution has come. Are you really plagued?"
"Shh, keep your voice down..."
"Boy, what are you talking about? You don't want your life! If the Hu family hears it, it will bring trouble to the family."
The leading boy stopped for a moment, looked at the fearful villagers, deliberately amplified his voice, and shouted with great dignity:
"It's okay! Mr. Hu is dead this time. Mr. Hai from the capital has arrested the entire Hu family. At this time, he is being questioned at the county government!"
When the people heard this, their expressions became extremely weird.
Many of them had expressions of fear and panic on their faces at this time. They carefully looked around and saw that there was no Hu family member to see. They hurriedly pulled their family members away from here, for fear of talking nonsense with these half-year-olds who did not know how to live or die.
What does it have to do with it?
Some people felt a trace of compassion in their hearts. Seeing that the children were ignorant, they couldn't help but say:
"Silly boy, what do you know? Officials protect each other. Mr. Hu was captured and held captive for three to five days. After feeding the high-ranking officials from Beijing, he was naturally released."
"While the Hu family doesn't care about you, let them lead you and run away!"
"Oh, misfortune comes from the mouth, what a sin!"
When the young men saw that the villagers did not believe in them, they suddenly became anxious and started talking in all directions:
"It's true! Mr. Hu is really dead this time!"
"The Master Hai who came this time is really different."
"In front of the county government office, some members of the Hu family have been beaten to death with sticks!"
What he said made all the people stunned.
One of the boys still didn't believe it when he saw everyone, so he couldn't help but continue:
"Really, if you don't believe me, go to the county government office and take a look! That Hu Lao Er was beaten to a bloody pulp. The puppy was so scared that he peed after just one look at it!"
"You're talking nonsense! I wasn't frightened to the point of peeing...just, just, I was so anxious! Another child under ten years old, with water stains on his crotch, faced the gaze of all the villagers,
His face immediately turned red and he tried to defend himself.
Seeing all the children speaking in unison and swearing so emphatically that they didn't look like they were lying, the people couldn't help but feel shaken.
"How about going and taking a look?"
"Okay, let's go take a look!"
All the people thought about it, but couldn't bear the throbbing in their hearts. They put down their work and rushed towards the county government office in unison.
At this time, in the county government office of Heyi County.
Mr. Hu looked at his second son who was beaten to death with a cane, his eyes were bloodshot and red, and he roared angrily:
"You are looking for death! But a mere censor under the censor's mansion, with a rank of no more than 600 shi, dares to take human lives and kill the sons of a good family. Is there no one in my Hu family?"
Hai Rui was dressed as a censor, with a serious and strong expression. After hearing what Mr. Hu said, a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes, and he said:
"What a good son! Your second son, in the name of preventing the plague from spreading here, looked for beautiful women from good families in the market, and then directly deducted their identities as refugees from the Xia Kingdom, kidnapped them into your Hu Mansion, and bullied them wantonly. January
Within this period, there were seven or eight lawsuits involving human lives. How dare you call yourself a good man for such a crime!"
At this point, Hai Rui's eyes became even more murderous and he shouted:
"Zhidu, Zhangtang!"
Two men in their twenties and thirties with resolute and solemn faces immediately came out of the queue, raised their hands to Hai Rui and said solemnly:
"exist!"
These two people were two scribes temporarily arranged by the Yushitai before Hai Ruilin's departure.
Regardless of their temperament, temperament, or talents and abilities, Hai Rui was quite satisfied.
"The evil servants involved in the case will be found one by one. They will be given eighty-death punishments first, and then they will be taken to the prison and await the punishment of beheading according to the orders of the punishment cao!"
When Zhidu and Zhang Tang heard this, their eyes suddenly flashed with coldness, and they said in a deep voice:
"yes!"
These two men, in history, are known for their hatred of evil and their ruthlessness. Anyone who commits a crime will be punished with a rod first. Even if he does not die on the spot, he will lose most of his life.
I can't last more than a few days.
Mr. Hu's second son was beaten to death in their hands!
When Mr. Hu saw the two men who killed his son with sticks right in front of him, he struggled and roared:
"I want you to die! Die without a burial place! Hu Deqi, Taichang Cheng, is my brother. After you, no one can escape!"
Hearing this, Zhang Tang looked at Mr. Hu, with a cold smile on his lips, and said solemnly:
"Okay, Taichang Cheng Hu Deqi, I have already written it down for Lord Hai!"
Given the temperaments of Hai Rui and the others, even if his brother is the minister of the dynasty, Qu Cheng, the three of them would not mind a fight with him as long as they have conclusive evidence in hand.
What's more, the new yamen official positions in the court are almost completed, and all the subordinate officials of the Three Gongs and Nine Ministers have been merged into the Cao Cao. At this time, he is still Taichang Cheng. He has obviously been squeezed out of his empty post. How can he and
He was born in the imperial examination, compared with the current Hai Yushi appointed by His Majesty?
Hai Rui looked coldly and shouted:
"And you, Hu Deshou, colluded with the government, acted tyrannically, and took human life seriously. I can't grasp the crimes related to you with my thick hands. When Xia invaded before, you even committed treason and surrendered to the enemy. All kinds of crimes cannot be forgiven! I can't forgive you!
As a royal censor, I monitor the world on behalf of your majesty and sentence you to beheading. All your family property will be confiscated and your relatives will be exiled to the south. As long as the officials and Cao reply and agree, the execution will be carried out immediately!"
When Hu Deshou heard this, his eyes widened and he roared:
"How dare you! My brother is Taichang Cheng Hu Deqi. You are so brave, are you even risking your lives?"
Hearing this, Hai Rui snorted coldly and said:
"Yes, there is also Taichang Cheng Hu Deqi! He indulges his relatives and runs rampant in the countryside, and he can't get anywhere clean even if he thinks about it. When I return to Beijing to investigate, if I have evidence of his crime, I will also meet His Majesty and submit a letter to participate!"
At this time, Hu Deshou saw that Hai Rui was still tough and showed no regard for his backer. He suddenly panicked and shouted loudly:
"My brother is Taichang Cheng, my brother is Taichang Cheng...wuwuwu..."
Zhidu sneered, stuffed the piece of cloth he took from nowhere into Hu Deshou's mouth, and said:
"I know, Mr. Hai has already remembered it! Don't worry, your brother won't get it!"
After saying that, he signaled to the accompanying officers to push Hu Deshou down directly.
Hu Deshou was the mastermind, and he had to be punished if he was found guilty. After verification by the county and city, it was obvious that he could not be executed directly in the name of punishment.
Hai Rui's solemn voice condemning Hu Deshou just now was heard outside the hall.
The people who had gathered outside the county government office were silent for a while, and then suddenly burst into cheers and applause that resounded all around. Even many people who had been bullied and oppressed by the Hu family had red eyes, tears rolling down their faces, and they could not cry bitterly.
self.
Hai Rui lowered his eyebrows slightly and continued to shout:
"Heyi County Magistrate, Gou Xianglin!"
A fat middle-aged man wearing a county magistrate's uniform stood aside with his body trembling, and replied:
"Xia, the official is here!"
"What else do you have to say?" Hai Rui asked sharply.
Hearing this loud shouting, Gou Xianglin's heart suddenly jumped, his knees softened, and he collapsed to the ground, and he couldn't help but say:
"Xiaguan, I am wronged!"
Hai Rui slapped his palm on the desk and gritted his teeth and said:
"You are stupid and incompetent. You sit back and watch the powerful oppressing your neighbors and running rampant in the county. You turn a deaf ear to the injustices of the people! All these things have made you ashamed of your official position, your salary in the court, and your majesty's trust! I have no right to remove you from your official position, but
We will immediately submit a letter to the officials in the capital and the Huichuan County government and hand it over to a judge for conviction!"
When Gou Xianglin heard this, his body suddenly looked like a pile of mud, and he slumped to the ground helplessly.
The people outside the county government cheered even louder as they watched the arrogant Hu family collapse and the county magistrate who had colluded with them be taken down.
"People of Heyi County, thank you Hai Qingtian!"
"Written about Hai Qingtian!"
"I and the people of Yi County will never forget your kindness!"
When the words were excited, a group of simple people fell to their knees and slapped Hai Rui on the head several times.
Hai Rui's expression softened slightly after hearing the people's words of thanks. He saw the people kneeling down in unison, and walked quickly towards the county government office. But before he took a few steps, he immediately paused, then turned towards
He hid behind the county government office.
When Zhidu and Zhang Tang saw this, they quickly followed.
Zhang Tang looked at Hai Rui who hurriedly hid behind the county government office and asked with some confusion:
"Why are you hiding, sir?"
Hai Rui stopped and said in a deep voice:
"The people are excited because I got rid of the powerful bullies. If I come forward now, the people will not get up... You two, go and persuade the people to leave for me!"
Hearing this, Zhidu admired Hai Rui even more and couldn't help but admire:
"Your Majesty is so kind and virtuous that I really admire you!"
Hai Rui shook his head slightly, changed the topic and said:
"The matter here is finally over. I was trusted by Your Majesty and appointed as the supervisory censor of Jianchang Prefecture. I punished the evil tyrants in Huichuan County. After all, I overstepped my authority! And by staying here for so long, I have failed Your Majesty's trust after all. I
I will immediately write to His Majesty to apologize."
When Zhidu and Zhang Tang heard this, they immediately looked at each other and couldn't help but said with relief:
"I stayed to investigate, and I also heard that many refugees from the Xia Kingdom entered Heyi County. Who knew that this was just an excuse for the Hu family to bully the people and satisfy their selfish desires..."
"Yes, sir, your majesty will definitely be able to understand the secrets here!"
Hearing this, Hai Rui nodded silently and said:
"Pack up your head and tail and set off for Changning County, Jianchang Prefecture as soon as possible!"
"Yes!" the two responded immediately.
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In Changning County, Dao Yan looked at the second batch of supplies and food delivered with indifference in his eyes.
Captain Shi on the side looked happy and kept saying:
"The imperial court is really awesome this time. In just a few days, the second batch of food has been delivered. The quantity is large and there are so many types. This is really a big deal!"
The first batch of supplies arrived in an endless convoy, seemingly endless as far as the eye could see. However, among them, medicinal materials, cold-weather clothing and many other supplies accounted for half of the transportation capacity.
But the second batch of supplies before us was mostly grain, fruits, vegetables, wine and meat. Comparatively speaking, it was more than the first batch of supplies.
Dao Yan sneered and said:
"The person behind this is very resourceful, has a big appetite, and has great abilities and connections! He actually made it happen!"
Hearing Dao Yan's words, Captain Shi didn't react.
Dao Yan raised his hand slightly, stopped a vehicle transporting grain and grass, and motioned Captain Shi to come forward and check.
Captain Shi was a little puzzled. According to Dao Yan's words, he stepped forward and touched a handful on the sack. The next moment, Captain Shi's expression suddenly changed.
Touch it, something is wrong!
His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately pulled out the long knife from his waist and made a slash on the sack.
The sack was torn open, revealing the shredded bran inside.
Colonel Shi looked at Dao Yan in shock, then reacted suddenly, grabbed the caravan man who was transporting him, and said angrily:
"What is this? Where is the food?"
The boy who was caught looked confused. Faced with Colonel Shi's questioning, he stammered:
"I, I don't know..."
Dao Yan patted Captain Shi's hand slightly and said in a deep voice:
"It has nothing to do with him!"
Hearing this, Captain Shi let go of the man, looked at Dao Yan, and asked hurriedly:
"This, what is this?"
"Bran!"
"Aren't the previous vehicles all driven by food, wine, and meat?"
"That's for the officials and generals. Naturally, it's rice, food, wine and meat." Dao Yan said calmly.
Captain Shi's hands trembled, and he showed a trace of anger and said:
"How dare they! If they were placed in the army and embezzled military rations, it would be a major crime against the nine tribes!"
"What's so daring about this? Anyway, it's enough to supply the refugees in the city with food that can keep them alive. But what the officials and generals supply is not these things!"
Having said this, Dao Yan paused slightly, pulled Colonel Shi to a distant place where no one was around, and continued:
"One stone of grain costs eight thousand taels of silver, while one stone of chaff does not cost even 500 taels of silver. The northern border requires millions of stones of grain, and with a little effort, it is a huge profit of one or two million taels of silver. Some people will naturally sit down
Can’t stand it any longer!”
Captain Shi opened his mouth, looked at Dao Yan, and said with disbelief:
"Did you know about this from the beginning?"
When Dao Yan heard this, he nodded and said:
"The poor monk exchanged one stone of grain for three stones of bran. In this way, the poor monk can be more confident in saving the lives of millions of refugees in the city. And the person behind the scenes will spend gold, silver and energy to appease the officials in the city for the court.
, boost the morale of officials so that they can do their best work."
Although bran is difficult to eat, it is also grain crumbs and can satisfy hunger. The food and grass that could have saved one person can now save three people. There are also people who take the initiative to appease the officials for the court. What a good thing!
Dao Yan paused, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said:
"So I don't think this is a bad thing!"
Colonel Shi frowned and remained silent for a long time. He still didn't understand the key. He could only shake his head and said:
"I don't understand these twists and turns, but no one is in harm's way. That person can't possibly pay such a high price! Someone must have lost money in this!"
When Dao Yan heard this, he chuckled, nodded and said:
"Of course, Your Majesty, and the imperial court have suffered a loss!"
When Captain Shi heard this, he immediately shook his head and said firmly:
"Your Majesty has suffered a loss? That won't work. I will report it to the general and expose it to His Majesty!"
When Dao Yan heard this, he grabbed Colonel Shi and advised:
"Alas, don't worry. This plague is not over yet, and the people behind it are still useful! Also, if they dare to be so bold, they must have taken care of themselves, and we can't stop them."
Although Daoyan didn't know that Jin Tangfeng of the Za family was behind this because of his own environment and status. But he also knew very well that there were definitely not many people in the entire Yun Kingdom who could have such a generous hand.
If this matter is revealed, is there anyone who can help the court run and mobilize supplies?
And as Dao Yan said before, if there are people behind the scenes operating in it, in addition to suffering some losses for the court, it will be more conducive to preventing and controlling the plague.
Dao Yan had no position to refuse, and he even took the initiative to persuade Colonel Shi.
Hearing Dao Yan's words, Captain Shi looked anxious and said:
"Oh, Master, you are so confused! If this matter is found out, you will be dead! You have worked hard for several months to control the plague in the city, and you have a bright future. If you are unlucky because of this matter, I can't even save you.
Got it!"
Dao Yan looked at Colonel Shi who looked anxious in front of him and was really thinking about him, and suddenly laughed.
"Don't worry, in fact, His Majesty still has the court, so he won't suffer any loss, and he can even profit from it!"
As Dao Yan spoke, he winked slightly at Captain Shi.
When Captain Shi heard this, he was stunned again and said in confusion:
"What?"
When Dao Yan heard this, a cunning look flashed across his eyes, he lowered his voice and said softly:
"If you report it afterwards, your Majesty will just order the house to be confiscated! At that time, your Majesty will have used one-tenth of the original budget to prevent and cure the plague in the north. Can you still confiscate not a single fortune from that person's property...
"
Hearing this, Lieutenant Shi was stunned again.
After a long time, he scratched his head and muttered silently: