Emperor Changle then selected three officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs to go to Fuzhou to provide disaster relief, and also selected three censors to supervise the use of funds.
Xu Zhiqiong kept his promise and asked each of the six officials to take office with a brocade box containing the head of the previous official, and rushed to Fuzhou with the officials.
At the same time, Xu Zhiqiong ordered the lantern man to monitor the porridges of all sizes. Anyone who could not insert tachyons into the porridge should immediately report to Xu Zhiqiong.
Three days later, Xia Hu sent good news. Hong Shanyi, the new head of the household department responsible for disaster relief, had increased his crime from four inches three to four inches five, and he began to take action.
Xu Zhiqiong sat in the Marquis Mansion and laughed for a long time.
Xia Hu was worried that he was crazy, so she cooked some plum blossom wine for Xu Zhiqiong. Xu Zhiqiong drank it and calmed down.
"I have to ask him how I can convince him and how I can prevent him from giving in to the disaster relief money."
Xia Hu pouted and said, "Why are you still planning to save him? I have sharpened my knife."
"Who is going to save him? Aren't I considering the next one?"
Xu Zhiqiong passed through the anchor point of the Punishment of Evil Sons and went directly to Fuzhou. He first asked Meng Shizhen to arrest Hong Shanyi, torture him, and find out his methods of embezzlement.
The number of people was not exaggeratedly reported, it was just a few thousand more, and Xu Zhiqiong tolerated it.
The price of rice was not excessively overstated, but it was overstated by 30%, and Xu Zhiqiong tolerated it.
So where did he get the money?
Even Xu Zhiqiong couldn't think of a way out.
Later, after careful inspection, we found out that Hong Shanyi claimed to have given meat to the victims.
"Where do you think this meat is?"
He said he stewed it in porridge every day.
Xu Zhiqiong specially took out a bowl of porridge from the porridge shed, held it in front of Hong Shanyi and said: "There is no meat in your porridge!"
Hong Shanyi said: "This meat has been stewed and turned into juice. You can't tell it!"
Xu Zhiqiong called the porridge cook again, and the cook said: "I have never seen meat."
Hong Shanyi said: "When I bought the meat, it was dried, chopped into fine pieces, mixed directly with the rice, and put into the pot together."
Xu Zhiqiong brought another half bag of rice and asked Hong Shanyi: "Is there no minced meat here?"
Hong Shanyi said: "The first batch of rice mixed with meat has been eaten, but the second batch of meat has not arrived yet and there was no time to mix it."
Xu Zhiqiong put the rice aside, stared at Hong Shanyi for a long time, and asked: "Let's not talk about Jill anymore. Tell me the truth. What should I do so that you are not greedy?"
"I'm not greedy..."
"Hit me!"
"Wait a minute!" Hong Shanyi cried, "Master Xu, you are too disrespectful of the rules and general principles!"
After hearing the general information, Xu Zhiqiong immediately became interested and ordered people to untie Hong Shanyi and prepare him two dishes and a pot of good wine.
"Tell me more about what a general concept is, and let me learn from it!"
"Master Xu Hou, you keep saying you want to provide disaster relief. The total number of victims is 20,000..."
"What nonsense!" Xu Zhiqiong said angrily, "There are more than 13,000 people, and you are still lying."
Hong Shanyi said: "That's all, there are more than 13,000 people, but that's a lot of people. I have two officials and more than a hundred followers. Fuzhou also sent more than a hundred followers. There are more than two hundred people.
You work non-stop for the victims day and night, shouldn’t you get more money? Even if you hire a laborer on the street, you still have to pay some money, right?”
Xu Zhiqiong's eyes widened and he said: "Don't you usually receive salary? Isn't this the duty of an official?"
"If I am an official in the capital, it is my duty to receive a salary, but to suffer in this remote place is beyond my duty. I should get more money!"
Xu Zhiqiong said: "You came to run an errand, and the court also gave you an additional subsidy, which is quite a lot!"
"What's the use of that little subsidy? It's just a hundred and ten taels of silver. Do I lack that much silver?"
Xu Zhiqiong said: "Then how much do you want? Is a hundred and ten taels of silver a small amount? It is equivalent to your salary for a year. Isn't this enough?"
Hong Shanyi sighed: "Master Xu, you are too young. Your current status is all based on chance and luck. You don't understand the overall situation and general nature of disaster relief."
"Aren't you here to listen to your advice?" Xu Zhiqiong poured a glass of wine for Hong Shanyi, "Tell me, what is a general body!"
Hong Shanyi said: "Disaster relief is a hard job. With more than 13,000 victims, we have to worry about food, clothing and housing, right?"
Xu Zhiqiong shook his head and said, "You worry about food, but you don't care about clothing, housing, or use."
"This... we have to worry about this in the future," Hong Shanyi paused and then said, "Let's talk about food. It is not easy to give the victims a bite of food.
You have to count the number of victims, right? You have to go around to buy rice, right? You have to hire people to build a shed and give out porridge, right? You can't disrupt the order, you have to prevent people from pretending to claim it, and you have to prevent the victims from causing trouble. If you talk about these things, he's fine. What to do?
With just the few subsidies given by the court, why should you let others work with you? You should be given more benefits, right?"
Xu Zhiqiong asked: "How much is appropriate?"
Hong Shanyi said: "The imperial court gave 100,000 yuan for disaster relief. I kept 50,000 yuan, not just for myself. I distributed it to my subordinates, so that they can take enough.
They will not deduct too much from the remaining 50,000 silver, and at least 30,000 silver can be used for the victims. This is my conscience in doing things, and this is the general purpose of disaster relief!"
Xu Zhiqiong said in surprise: "Did you just talk about conscience?"
Hong Shanyi nodded and said: "This is conscience! What's the use of just talking about being honest? If my subordinates don't get any benefits and don't contribute to me, not a penny of the disaster relief money will reach the victims!"
I have spent more effort than others, but I never get more benefits than others. Isn't this conscience? Isn't this the general rule? I have worked hard, who can know?
The victims have suffered, but they can only see their own suffering. They don’t know the suffering of being an official. The suffering of being an official is a thousand times more painful than that of the victims! But Hong is unwilling to speak out about this suffering!
The Hongs ask themselves: I am worthy of your kindness, and I am worthy of the common people. It is just a few words of complaint, and I will bear it."
"Are you responsible?" Xu Zhiqiong said with respect, "Master Hong, you are so generous!"
Hong Shanyi smiled bitterly and said: "Master Hou, why do you need to sneer at me? I am willing to bear the infamy, and I am also prepared to lose my official position. I can't keep this black hat. When I finish this errand, I will go to the Holy Father and ask for my resignation." ."
"Please resign? How can that be done? How can the imperial court leave a humeral pillar like you who understands the general situation!" Xu Zhiqiong poured another glass of wine for Hong Shanyi.
Hong Shanyi looked at Xu Zhiqiong and said: "Master Hou, people of the bright side don't speak secretly. How do you plan to deal with this matter?"
Xu Zhiqiong squatted in front of Hong Shanyi and said with a serious expression: "Looking at this matter in general, the court wanted to provide disaster relief and gave money. The victims needed the money to survive, but the officials in the middle also wanted to take the money, so This matter is really difficult to handle,
I spent a lot of thought and thought of this way. All the money from the court will be given to the victims, and the money from the officials will still be the subsidies."
Hong Shanyi sneered and said, "That subsidy is not enough."
"Isn't it enough?" Xu Zhiqiong said, "It doesn't matter, I will put my body on them again."
Hong Shanyi was stunned: "A piece of meat? What kind of meat?"
"What a body of flesh you have!" Xu Zhiqing said with a serious expression, "You are the backbone of the humerus who understands the general situation. It's not enough to bear only a few insults. You have to bear the burden of being cut into pieces by a thousand cuts!"
"Xu Zhiqiong, you..."
"Look at you, Mr. Hong, why are you so anxious?" Xu Zhiqiong pulled off a chicken leg and stuffed it into Hong Shanyi's mouth, "This is all for the sake of the general public and Mr. Hong's reputation.
As you just said, you have suffered a thousand times more than the victims of the disaster. Others don’t know your suffering, but you yourself are unwilling to talk about it. I feel really sad when you see it.
In this way, when I chop you, you keep complaining and tell me all the hardships of being an official. Tell me in detail, this time I will chop you with five hundred knives. Don't say it too fast.
While you are talking, other officials are watching. I have to let them understand the truth. If they are not greedy, they will receive subsidies and get promoted after completing their tasks.
If they are greedy, they won't get anything, and they still have to earn a living. If they are here and there, wouldn't the accounts be much better?
If they really don’t want to be officials anymore, and listen to the hardships you told me, I will just send them back to the capital and resign from their positions. I don’t think they are willing to let it go!"
"Xu Zhiqiong...you, how dare you kill me? I'm going to see the Holy One!" Hong Shanyi jumped up and started fighting with Xu Zhiqiong.
Xu Zhiqiong kicked him to the ground, turned around and asked, "Has the knife been sharpened?"
The executioner responded: "That's almost it."
Xu Zhiqiong reminded Hong Shanyi: "Eat quickly, it's almost time to hit the road."
…
After leaving the prison, the execution ground had been set up outside the door, and officials from Fuzhou, big and small, were invited to watch the execution.
Xia Hu was very dissatisfied: "My lord, if I let the executioner kill this guy, I won't be able to give all the credit to me."
Xu Zhiqiong pinched his face and said, "I will call the officials at this time. If you don't mind the blood, let the executioner leave the last knife to you."
Xia Hu looked happy: "Leave it to me, leave it to me. I'll do the autopsy. There's nothing to dislike about it."
On that day, Xu Zhiqiong beheaded Hong Shanyi and two other officials responsible for disaster relief alive in Luohuai County.
Of the thirteen officials who came out to provide relief, six died first, six were replaced, and now three more have died. The only ones who are safe and sound are the seven people who manage the river.
Back at the post house, Kang Shouming, the director of the Ministry of Industry, called the other five officials, each took one hundred taels of gold, came to Zhang Zhuyang, bowed deeply and said: "Zhang Yushi, thank you for saving our lives."
Zhang Zhuyang smiled: "Don't thank me, thank Mr. Xu. Remember what Mr. Xu said, none of us can bear the loss. I gave this gold to you, so just keep it."
…
Regardless of money or meritorious service, Xia Hu has really made a lot of money recently. She is an official every time, which is very sweet.
After picking up Hong Shanyi's crime, Xia Hu went to the Zhonglang Courtyard, kissed Xu Zhiqiong for a while, took the crime, and rushed to the Yin and Yang Division.
Before leaving, Xu Zhiqiong repeatedly warned: "Come back as soon as you get the verdict, and let the servants pick up the merits."
Xia Hu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've been serving people these few times."
In less than half an hour, Xia Hu ran back from the Yin and Yang Division: "Dr. Bai Yueshan asked you to go to the Rewarding Division, and Lu Changshi asked me to bring you a message."
Bai Yueshan is looking for me?
What can be done?
I must be asking me to send my sins to the underworld again.
It's okay to send it to the underworld, but the first step is to open the seal and let me see the soul of Emperor Zhaoxing.
If he refuses to agree, the matter will have to be dealt with with him.
Xu Zhiqiong told Xia Hu to stay at the Marquis Mansion, and went to the Punishment Department alone.
From the Department of Punishing Evil to the Department of Rewarding Good, Xu Zhiqiong walked to the foot of the hill and heard the familiar sound of the piano.
Is he going to test me again?
If I want to see the soul of Emperor Zhaoxing, do I have to listen to him play a few lines and then identify the tunes?
It’s a good thing I haven’t checked the fence anymore. This skill is really a bit rusty...
As soon as Xu Zhiqiong walked to the pavilion, he found that Bai Yueshan was not the only one in the pavilion.
There was an old man beside him, wearing a turtleneck gown that was not common in Daxuan, drinking tea and listening to music.
This old man is Du Chunze, Du Yanjun, the king of the Yinsi Wangan Yama Palace.
As soon as he saw him, Xu Zhiqiong's nerves immediately became tense.
"Shang Feng," Bai Yueshan pressed the strings and said with a smile, "I'll see you soon, Du Yanjun."
Before Xu Zhiqiong could speak, Lord Du Yan stood up and said, "Ma Changshi, we just met a few days ago."
Xu Zhiqiong cupped his fists and saluted: "I didn't know that Lord Yan was coming, but I came here empty-handed, and I still hope to see you forgive me."
Du Yanjun smiled and said: "As for Ma Changshi, Doctor Bai and I are close friends, and you are also a close friend of Doctor Bai. There is no need to be polite between us."
Bai Yueshan smiled and said: "Shang Feng, come and sit here."
What does Du Yanjun want to do when he comes to reward Shansi?
Force me to hand over the sins of Emperor Zhaoxing?
This is the judge's territory. How dare he force it?
Xu Zhiqiong was sitting in a small pavilion. Bai Yueshan poured Xu Zhiqiong a cup of tea: "Have a cup of tea to drive away the heat."
Xu Zhiqiong nodded and said: "It's not even May yet, but the weather is so hot. Du Yanjun, why are you still wearing such a thick gown in such hot weather? This kind of clothes is hard to buy in the capital, and you can only see it in the north."
"
His kind of long gown is indeed uncommon. Xu Zhiqiong has only seen it in Yonglu and Yongzhou, where wealthy businessmen like to wear this kind of high-collar gown. It can be regarded as a combination of clothing from the Xuan Kingdom and the Tunu Kingdom.
Du Yanjun sighed: "I am getting older, and I have been suffering from wind and cold in the past two days. You feel hot, but I still feel a little cold."
"I see, this junior has some medical skills and has a special herbal prescription for treating wind and cold. I will copy it to Yan Jun soon."
Du Yanjun cupped his fists and smiled: "Let Ma Changshi worry about it."
His collar is really high, and his neck is wrapped tightly, almost covering his chin.
I heard from Brother Han that when he fought with Gao Fu, he injured Gao Fu quite seriously.