The next day, the cabinet issued an edict on three major events, each of which was shocking.
The first: The imperial court established the Integrity Institute, which transferred capable personnel from the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Household Affairs, Dali Temple, Jinyiwei and other departments to investigate corrupt officials.
The first dean, recommended by Xiao Feng, was appointed by Hai Rui, who had made outstanding achievements in Miao territory.
The second item: cancel the temporary supervision of the army and hand over military command to military generals. The patrol censor still cooperates with the generals for a long time and is responsible for the ideological work of the army.
The governors and general soldiers of various regions were rotated. During the exchange, only personal soldiers were allowed to be brought along, and subordinate generals were not allowed to be brought along.
The third item: salary increase, all officials receive a collective salary increase, and the salary increase is proportional to their official position.
The third incident successfully calmed down the commotion caused by the first two incidents. It's just that Pan Huang, Liu Tong and others, were still a little worried when they pulled out all the abacus beads in the household department.
"Mr. Liu, if Master Xiao just says a word, our Ministry of Household Affairs will immediately be short of money and food. With so many officials, the salary increase will be a huge sum!"
Liu Tong turned a deaf ear, lowered his head and focused on picking up his account books and abacus, as if he had suddenly become deaf.
After returning home, Liu Tong complained to his wife: "This little bastard stole the show, but it was me who suffered. My colleagues complained about my suffering for a whole day, how unreasonable!"
Madam was particularly happy today and didn't care about Liu Tong's complaints.
"Oh, weren't you very happy when I came back yesterday and said I was going to get a salary increase? Now I'm saying this again! Don't worry, Xiao Feng will definitely have a way!"
Liu Tong's eyes lit up when he saw the pastries wrapped on the table: "Xue'er is back home? Why didn't you stay for dinner? I even specially asked the housekeeper to buy meat bones..."
Madam whispered a few words in his ear. Liu Tong's eyes brightened even more, but he hummed dissatisfied.
"This little bastard has actually lied to us for so long. Xue'er did the same, and even helped him lie to us! I just said why there has been no movement..."
Who said there was no movement? Xiaomei was the first to disagree. She listened distractedly to what was happening next door and wanted to cover her ears.
I was wondering before. My uncle and the young lady have been married for so long and have been so quiet. I thought it should be like that!
Only now do I know that the real movement is like this!
This noise is so annoying. Either make it louder so that I can hear it clearly, or make it softer so that I can't hear it! This is neither big nor small, it is simply too inhumane!
Xiaomei sat up angrily, secretly leaned against the wall at the head of the bed, turned the teacup upside down, put her ear into the mouth of the teacup, and the sound was indeed a little louder.
"...Ms. sir, you... come over to your side! Go down a little bit!"
Xiaomei nodded secretly. This was the way of reasoning by the Protestant lady. It was said to be a trick to deal with the master, but Xiaomei was very doubtful about the effect.
Although the moves are good moves, the effectiveness depends on individual talent. The young lady's principles are not as great as those of the madam, so I'm afraid the effect will be limited.
Sure enough, after a short time of explaining the truth, my uncle changed his mind and no longer listened peacefully to the lady's reasoning.
"Xue'er, come over and go up a little..."
What kind of move is this? Xiaomei slowly fell asleep with doubts, and the teacup slipped on the bed. I was so sleepy that I couldn't sleep well for several days.
I heard the master say before that if you fail to pass the Jinshi examination, you have to wait for the court's call to replace the vacant officials before you have a chance to become an official.
But the summons from the imperial court is very random. Some candidates cannot wait for that call for many years. Those candidates are so pitiful...
In fact, the Ministry of Household Affairs is not yet so short of money that it is so difficult. The war has been won in the past two years, and the income has been good. Farmers can make money by trading with each other, and it has become easier for farmers to farm with peace of mind and collect taxes.
What's more, after Yan Shifan was killed, the money he left in various places was successively retrieved by Jin Yiwei according to the pictures. Jiajing was not embarrassed to keep it all for himself, so he distributed part of it to the Ministry of Household Affairs.
It’s just that income has increased and there are more places to spend money. Disaster relief was provided in spring and summer, preparations were made for the establishment of a navy, student aid in frontier areas, and the establishment of national squares. Although Xiao Feng said that Guofang will eventually make a lot of money, it is still in the investment stage after all.
Pan Huang asked his colleagues to put pressure on Liu Tong, just to prepare for a rainy day, hoping to put pressure on Xiao Feng in a curve, so that Xiao Feng could give Hubu a reassurance as soon as possible.
This trick is actually very effective. For example, when Xiao Feng caressed Liu Xueer's curves, Liu Xueer put pressure on Xiao Feng.
"Ms. sir, my father said that everyone in the household department was worried about not having enough money to spend, and he was so worried that he couldn't eat.
I said I don't care about this matter, women can't ask about things outside the home. But Peng'er said that dad really only ate two steamed buns for dinner..."
Xiao Feng smiled and covered Liu Xue'er with a quilt: "Don't worry, I will tell my father-in-law later that there will be no shortage of money. As long as the country is peaceful and the people are safe, will there still be a shortage of money?"
The next day, Liu Tong went to work very anxiously. Unexpectedly, all the officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs were smiling and relaxed. Pan Huang patted Liu Tong affectionately.
"Mr. Liu, I made a mistake yesterday. Unexpectedly, a sum of money entered the Treasury of the Ministry of Revenue early this morning. It seems that Mr. Xiao had already planned it!"
Liu Tong was puzzled: "Where did the money come from?"
Pan Huang whispered: "On the day Yan Song fell, many Yan Party officials were demoted and dismissed. At that time, they also checked their property, but there were not many.
This time, Hai Rui led the Integrity Council to counterattack. They suddenly paid a visit to these officials, whether they were in office or not, and they gained a lot! "
Liu Tong was stunned: "Do you still need to investigate someone who has been dismissed from office? I have never heard of it before!"
Pan Huang nodded: "Cha, I heard that not only those who have been dismissed from office will be investigated, but even those who are dead will continue to be investigated!
Some officials appear to be clean and honest, but in fact they separate from their children early and put all their wealth in their children's homes. This has also been found out!
There are also some officials who are more interesting. They make peace with their wives and then put all their money in the hands of their wives. This has also been found out! "
Liu Tong smiled bitterly and said, "These people can really think of any way to commit corruption. It's really hard for Hai Rui."
Pan Huang said with a smile: "Actually, what was found out is not the most tragic thing. The most sad thing is that after the divorce, the wife took the money and married someone else.
That's why a mute eats Coptis chinensis and cannot express the pain. They dare not voice their grievances or retaliate. The cuckold I brought was bought with my own money! "
Seeing the two people talking lively, the right servant couldn't help but come over and say.
"This is not too outrageous. I heard that two coastal officials were so greedy that they hired a large fishing boat overnight for fear of being discovered!
The whole family took their gold and silver treasures and hid in the fishing boat, trying to escape to Japan! It was discovered by the patrol boat! "
Liu Tong nodded: "Then he must have been arrested and tried! This charge is more serious than corruption!"
The right servant shook his head repeatedly: "It would be great if I could come back for trial! When the patrol boat found the fishing boat, there was blood in the cabin! It was so tragic.
It was because the fishermen attracted sharks when they threw the bodies into the sea that the patrol boat followed them. After interrogation, they found out that there were also children among the dead. They really had no descendants! "
Although Liu Tong is not very corrupt, he can't say that he has never been corrupted even a tael of silver. His calves are a little cramped.
"This, this, this, it's really too miserable. Those who are in office are also investigated, those who are dismissed from office are also investigated, those who are promoted to official positions are also investigated, those who are divorced are also investigated, and those who are separated from their families are also investigated.
If you don’t run away, you will be waiting to be investigated. If you dare to run away, you may have no descendants or your whole family. It seems that you really can’t be greedy! "
Seeing Liu Tong's face turning pale, Pan Huang knew that he was timid and comforted him: "It's not that harsh. I heard Zhang Juzheng say it today.
Hai Rui was too meticulous and strict in his investigation of the case. He also reported all the cases of people who had embezzled ten taels of silver, but Mr. Xiao rejected them one by one.
Mr. Xiao said that if those who embezzled less than five hundred taels in the past should recover the stolen money, the staff should write a bad review.
The point is that starting from today, the salary has increased, and everyone's life will be better. Let alone five hundred taels, no one dares to be greedy for one more tael! "
Liu Tong's complexion suddenly improved a lot. He silently calculated the total amount of corruption he had committed over the years in his heart, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Xiao Feng set a buffer amount, there were still many officials arrested, including both civilian officials and military generals.
These people were either dismissed from their posts, imprisoned or exiled, or even lost their heads in severe cases.
The families and relatives of these people naturally cried loudly and cursed loudly. And the person who was scolded the most was not Xiao Feng, but Xu Jie.
There were no short videos or the Internet in the Ming Dynasty, so people relied on court announcements and folk rumors to understand one thing.
The imperial notice clearly stated that Xu Jie, the chief minister of the cabinet, requested a decree from Long Live, demanding a strict investigation of corruption. Could the notice be wrong?
As for the rumors among the people, there is no doubt that they are all spread by Mr. Xu in the lobby of Shuntian Mansion, facing the people of the capital, speaking loudly.
"I must request an order to strictly investigate corrupt officials and let the people see the determination of the court! No one can stop me today. I am sworn in with corruption!"
Therefore, most people believe that Xu Jie started this anti-corruption storm! Such a strong-willed Xu Jie with a breeze on his sleeves!
Mr. Xu is wise! Xu seconded that he would not die a good death! The above two voices represent the most direct thoughts of people from different camps.
Xu Jiexu, who was too wise to die well, seconded the proposal. At this time, in his mansion, his face was as dark as Bao Qingtian, drinking one cup after another.
Xu Fan looked at his father and did not dare to speak. I originally wanted to help my father fight a beautiful comeback, and join the battle as a father-son soldier. Unexpectedly, Xiao Feng knocked down half of his household registration book.
The housekeeper came in worriedly and reported: "Sir, the doctor of the Ministry of Households has negotiated an agreement, and the doctor of the Ministry of Justice, Liu Tai, has jointly paid a visit to the master."
Xu Jie stopped his wine glass and said coldly: "Why did the two of them come to my private house instead of talking about it in the court? They are gone!"
The housekeeper turned to leave when Xu Jie suddenly said: "Wait a minute, let them go around in a circle and come in through the corner door. Don't let others see it!"
The housekeeper turned and left, and Xu Fan whispered: "Father, these two people have a bad reputation. They were both the backbone of the strict party before, but now they are like bereaved dogs.
They were all deposed from Zuo Shilang to Langzhong. Will my father see these two people and have some influence on him? "
Xu Jie glanced at his son: "Of course it has an impact, otherwise how could I have driven them away from the front door and sneaked in through the corner door.
You are right, they are lost dogs now. Moreover, Hai Rui is so close to investigating corruption now that he may not even be able to be a lost dog in a few days.
They came to me because they wanted to find a new backer to avoid this catastrophe. "
Xu Fan frowned: "In this case, it has been some time since the Yan Party fell. Why didn't they come before? It's a shame they could think of it in such a hurry."
Xu Jie shook his head: "Fan'er, don't underestimate these people. They have all served as Zuo Shilang. They are dignified third-rank officials, only one step away from the minister!
They are not fools. Before, when they came to see their father, he would not see them. What's more, there was no investigation into corruption at that time. They hoped that people would forget about them and try again later.
But now that Hai Rui is investigating so closely, our father and son happened to have a battle with Xiao Feng. Their noses are very good, so they chose this time very well. "
Xu Fan was silent for a moment: "Father, do you want to help them? Father, our Xu family is not completely innocent in this regard. I'm afraid it will get in trouble."
Xu Jie sneered and said: "Whether to help or not depends on what conditions they can come up with in exchange. If it is very useful, it is not impossible.
If you want to rely on gold and silver, my Xu family is not so poor that we can’t afford to eat. Is it worth it? The initiative is in my hands, so it doesn’t hurt to listen! "
While talking, Tan Tong and Liu Tai walked in one after another. Xu Jie had previously agreed with Xu, and the two of them were frequent visitors to the court and were very familiar with each other.
However, after the two of them were demoted to the rank of doctor, they lost the qualification to go to court. Xu Jie was promoted to the chief assistant, so naturally he rarely had time to hang out in various ministries. So it’s really been a long time since we last met.
When they met at this time, Xu Jie was also shocked. The changes between these two people must have been too great.
Tan Tong was a little better, but he looked very depressed and frightened. Even the sound of Xu Fan putting down the wine bottle made him jump with fright.
Liutai's mental state was just the opposite. His eyes were wide open with excitement, like two small eggs, breathing heavily and raising his arms, like a mad dog ready to fight at any time.
Xu Jie gave up his seat with a smile, then asked his son to avoid him, and ordered the servant to pour tea. Then he picked up the tea bowl and spoke slowly.
"You two brothers are here late at night, what are you doing?"
Tan Tong stopped talking and poked Liu Tai. Liu Tai looked around once more and leaned forward. Just as he was about to speak, he stopped and looked around again.
Xu Jie frowned secretly. He felt that Liu Tai's mental state was indeed not quite right. At that time, there was no such thing as mental illness. It was generally called phlegm confusing the mind, which was quite a precursor.
After Liu Tai repeatedly confirmed that no one was around, he lowered his voice, with an inexplicable excitement in his voice.
"Master Chief Assistant, the two of us are here to seek refuge with you. We hope to be of service to you!"
Xu Jie sneered in his heart, there are many people who want to serve me, who are you? But he was very deep and still smiled.
"The words are serious, the words are serious, I don't dare to take Mr. Liu's words seriously. We all serve the imperial court, so we must not say such things."
Liutai became anxious and said blankly: "My lord, what are you afraid of? Both of us are loyal to the master. I used to be loyal to Yan Shoufu, but now that I follow my lord, I will naturally be loyal to you!"
Xu Jie's heart trembled. This person is really a little abnormal. This kind of person is like a smoking firecracker. It may explode at any time. Don't get entangled with him.
So he stood up and stretched himself: "It's late at night. If nothing happens, you two can go back. I have to get up early to go to court tomorrow."
This may sound polite, but it is actually a very subtle mockery. I'm going to court tomorrow. You two little bastards who are not even qualified to go to court, get out of here and stop talking nonsense here!
Liu Tai was stunned and didn't speak for a long time. It was normal to talk about a contract, so he quickly took over the conversation.
"Sir, Brother Liu has been a little nervous because he was frightened by the people from the Independent Commission Against Corruption these days. He didn't speak clearly.
Brother Liu accidentally learned a big secret recently. This secret is related to Xiao Feng, Lu Bing and the old Taoist from the world view, and even to Long Live.
With this secret, you can force many people to form an alliance with you, and you can also make Xiao Feng and many people turn against you! "
Xu Jie's heart moved and he looked at Liu Tai. Liu Tai nodded eagerly, his eyes shining.
"I would like to dedicate this secret to you, Your Majesty, and serve Your Majesty in the future. I only ask that Your Majesty protect me and give me a chance to make a comeback!"
Xu Jie quickly turned many circles in his mind, then smiled slightly and sat down.
"It's a cold night for guests to come for tea and wine. Although it's elegant, it's too stingy. We are all ordinary people. Come, add some food and warm the wine!"
At noon the next day, Xiao Feng and Jiajing were also drinking. It was a medicinal wine brewed by Tao Zhongwen. It was fragrant. After drinking it, the whole body felt warm and very comfortable.
Jiajing had already drank half the pot first, and then suddenly felt that he wanted to share something good, so he sent someone to call Xiao Feng from home to drink together.
Xiao Feng didn't dare to ask about the formula of this elixir. Anyway, Jiajing's small body could handle it. The evil fire in his body had been integrated with Yu Dayou's internal strength, so there would be no problem no matter what.
When the two brothers were drinking happily, the little eunuch at the door ran to the door and bowed to Huang Jin repeatedly. Huang Jin trotted over and ran back to Jiajing after a while.
"Long live, there is an urgent report from Liaodong. A large number of Rakshasa people have been discovered on the western Liaoning Road, and a war has broken out with the Mongols and Jurchens. The General Soldier of Liaodong requested an order, do you want to mediate?"
Jiajing frowned: "Where exactly is it?"
Huang Jindao: "On the outskirts of Liaoxi Road, the Ming Dynasty did not have troops stationed there. This is the news from the Jurchens in Jianzhou. The Jurchen tribes in the western Liaoning area have asked Jianzhou for help."
The periphery of Liaoxi Road was beyond the actual jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty. It was the coldest place in Heilongjiang. Not only did the Ming Dynasty send no troops to actually govern it, but the Russians also had no permanent population.
Why did a fight suddenly break out in that place where birds didn't poop? Xiao Feng raised his own question.
Huang Jindao: "The specific situation is not clear. According to the news from Jianzhou Jurchen, it is said that there is a drought in Russia and Mongolia this year and there is a shortage of food.
Therefore, fishing and hunting teams were organized to fish and hunt in the no-man's land outside Liaoxi Road. Unexpectedly, this year the Jurchen tribe in Liaoxi Road also arrived there early due to food shortages.
The three parties were old enemies, so they naturally clashed with each other. The Mongols and Jurchens formed an alliance to fight against the Rakshasa people.
But according to the messenger, the Rakshasa people had sharp muskets and their cavalry were tall and fierce, so they had the upper hand. "
Jiajing glanced at Xiao Feng: "What do you think, junior brother?"
Xiao Feng drank the wine in his glass and stood up: "It rained this year, and there were sweet potatoes to replenish the food. The food is quite abundant, but there is a shortage of food in other places.
This is Ming's opportunity. We cannot sit idly by in this matter. Senior brother, I will go outside the customs again to deal with this matter. "
Jiajing shook his head repeatedly: "Junior brother, even if Daming wants to participate, you can't go. It's extremely bitter and cold outside the Liaoxi Road, and the road is too long!"
Xiao Feng smiled: "I don't have to go, someone will go. However, I have to discuss the benefits of Ming's sending troops this time!"
