On the first day out of Beijing, we stopped at Tongzhou Station, thirty miles outside Beijing.
The yamen of Shuntian Prefecture is responsible for handling the emperor's mission. The emperor's palace has already been arranged and renovated. After the emperor, concubines and others are sent in, they have to accept the yamen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Rites, and the Beijing Camp. Wait until everything is ready. , I was already so tired that I was exhausted and couldn’t cheer up.
However, when everyone got on the boat, everyone in Shuntian Mansion felt relieved.
Then a beaming one.
If it's so appropriate, wouldn't it be an excellent evaluation?
The next day, the emperor and his party boarded a boat and sailed along the canal to Tianjin, a journey of more than two hundred miles and taking one day.
Shortly after noon, dust was flying in the distance, and no one knew how many horses were rolling over the ground!
The footman who was waiting at the door of the post house ran all the way in to deliver the message. Several people from the Tianjin prefecture came out to greet him. The person who came was also in front of him, but it was not the imperial chariot, but the leading minister of bodyguard Zhu Shi.
Behind him were a group of royal guards.
Zhu Shi got off the horse and said with a serious smile: "Are you ready?"
"Already reported to the superior officer."
It was only a few dozen miles from Dingzigu to Tianjin City. They sent people to re-lay and clean the pavilion. In the middle of the official road was a newly erected colorful shed. Red, green and colorful silks and satins were swinging back and forth in the wind. A red carpet was drawn from the reception pavilion. They spread their beds down the steps to a stable outside the city.
This is a separate courtyard that was requisitioned by the imperial court.
A little further away, there are eighteen specially polished and painted artillery pieces, each with three gunners. In the open gun box at your feet, yellow salutes are laid out one by one. In front of it, there are soldiers from the patrol battalion wearing brand new military robes. They were full of energy and lined up to wait.
While he was talking, the imperial chariot came from the west. In the shadow of the yellow dust, there was a slanting halo shining, and the brocade clothes were like embroidery, like a five-color golden dragon, coming slowly.
The chariot stopped steadily in front of the red carpet. The two young eunuchs stepped forward and opened the yellow curtain with the golden hooks in their hands. The emperor, who was calm and self-confident, appeared in front of everyone:
The emperor wears a Yishan crown with upward folded corners, a yellow dragon robe with a coiled collar and narrow sleeves, and a belt made of gold, jade, amber, and rhinoceros that is particularly conspicuous.
The goatee was neither long nor short, showing the emperor's maturity and majesty. His eyes were calm and he seemed not to notice the officials who were kneeling on the ground.
"The governor of Tianjin, my minister Zhou Chang, bows to the emperor, long live long live long live!"
"General Tianjin, Wang Fuchen, pay homage to the emperor..."
"Get up!"
Zhu Yixi looked at the group of people and felt the heat wave-like weather. The ground was probably burning hot from the sun, and it was really uncomfortable to kneel down.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
All the civil and military personnel quickly stood up.
Although Tianjin Prefecture is affiliated to Hebei, it is an important gateway to Beijing. Its status is extremely high, and civil and military appointments are always used with caution.
In Tianjin, in addition to letting the generals lead the troops to protect and station, there are also thousands of naval troops here.
Although its navy is affiliated with the Bohai Navy, it is under the direct control of Tianjin and its main task is to protect Tianjin.
Zhou Chang saw that the emperor got into the carriage again and went straight to the camp.
Just when he was stunned, a eunuch came over: "Prefect Zhou, come with me!"
"yes!"
His face was full of joy, and he couldn't wait to take out a few gold circles from his arms and stuff them into the hands of the young eunuch.
The latter's smile became more genuine: "Prefect, don't be too panicked. The most important thing when meeting you is your manners. I know you haven't met you many times, so you are in an unusual mood!"
How many times was that? That's not the case.
Zhou Chang kept talking, but his face looked like he was listening.
"Some people's legs were shaking non-stop, and some even had weak legs and fainted. It was a huge loss..."
The eunuch led the way and laughed at the officials wantonly.
By belittling them, it made him feel extra happy.
"Forget it, I'll tell you a piece of good advice, assuming you know the truth: Your Majesty hates lies the most."
The eunuch had had enough of joking and said with a serious face: "Whether it is misfortune or joy, we must report it truthfully. Don't blur it out or try to cover it up."
As he spoke, he turned his head and whispered: "Although Jin Yiwei has retracted his claws, his eyes and ears are still there."
"If you don't do well, your official position will be hard to secure."
Zhou Chang's heart trembled.
Well, he is also planning to report the good news but not the bad news.
After all, who doesn't know that the current emperor loves martial arts and martial arts, but he doesn't expect to have such a temper.
Taking him to the courtyard, the emperor had already changed into his regular clothes, a blue and white silk dress, very loose.
He was lying on the lounge chair he had brought from Beijing, leaning on the pillow and blowing the cool air, as if he was still in Beijing at this moment.
"Your Majesty, people are here."
"Um!"
Zhu Yixi raised her head and glanced at the Tianjin magistrate.
To be honest, although the prefects are also fourth-rank officials and need to be approved by the emperor, how many prefects were there in the Ming Dynasty?
On average, there are eight or nine prefectures in a province, and now there are about 230 prefectures and 1,600 counties. It can be said that there are a huge number of people-friendly officials at the bottom.
At the same time, compared with the county magistrate, the prefecture is different from the prefecture-level cities in later generations. He does not have his own territory. He is the kind of role that is passed down from the top to the bottom, with some supervisory responsibilities attached.
Although the position of the Tianjin prefect is important, it is far inferior to a fourth-rank official in Beijing.
At this time, Zhou Chang had a dark complexion, a goatee, long and narrow eyes, and sparse eyebrows. He looked like a clown.
But his long career in officialdom has given him an aura that is far different, causing his appearance to be ignored.
He had a stack of Zhou Chang's resume in his hand. Zhou Chang, named Peigong, was from Jingmen, Hubei Province. He lost his father when he was young. When he was ten years old, Li Zicheng attacked Jingying County. His mother, Mrs. Sun, was martyred and died, leaving her helpless.
Later, he became a state soldier and a minor official, barely surviving.
But later he married the daughter of a scholar, encouraged him to do so, resigned from his official position, and resolutely took part in the child examination.
At the age of twenty-five, he passed the exam to become a scholar. Later, at the age of twenty-seven, he passed the exam and was appointed as a county magistrate in Guizhou.
After three years of evaluation, I got an excellent result.
Moved to the county magistrate of Xiongxian County, Hebei Province.
In less than two years, the county was in great turmoil, so he was moved to the Tongpan of Hejian Prefecture.
Repeatedly solving unjust, false and wrong cases, and accumulating old cases, and getting good results.
As a result of winning the title three times, the Ministry of Civil Affairs was moved to the post of Tianjin Magistrate last year.
He is only thirty-six years old this year.
He was promoted to magistrate in nine years, and when he was still a civil servant, he was considered outstanding.
However, turning to another page, there are only a few strokes from Jin Yiwei, pointing out his background: Zhang Tongchang, Minister of the Ministry of Industry.
He and Zhang Tongchang were both from Hubei, and Zhou Chang had close contacts with him.
Zhu Yixi didn't pay much attention to this.
Whether now or in future generations, officialdom has always upheld the rule of man.
The new people are not as good as the old people, and the wise people are not as good as their own people.
Who doesn't have a few people in the bag?
If you want to be in power, you must get help, and your people will be obedient and useful. This alone is enough.
In the officialdom, from top to bottom, there is a network of relationships, including classmates, classmates, fellow villagers, teachers, and in-laws, and then they get mixed up with each other. It can be said to be extremely tangled.
"But Zhou Chang, Zhou Peigong, why do these names sound so familiar?"
Zhu Yixi muttered: "This seems to be a TV series about the civil servants of the Kangxi Dynasty!"
No matter what, if you can leave a name in history and be promoted by a TV series, you must be capable.
You can see it from your resume.
Zhou Peigong had a flexible mind and was good at using laws, so he was like a fish in water in the local area.
You know, getting excellent in the evaluation three times in a row is more difficult each time, because not only the officials are paying attention, but other opponents are also paying attention.
If you don’t have any real skills, you will easily fall over.
"How is Tianjin Prefecture? This time I am lucky enough to be in Tianjin. Isn't it a lot more troublesome for me in Tianjin?"
"The people of Tianjin were all happy after hearing that the emperor was coming. They all said that in the twenty years since he ascended the throne, the emperor had comforted the people, and his holy heart always showed mercy to the people. The people were looking for opportunities to repay the emperor. This time the emperor came, In addition to admiring the beauty of the sky, the people can also express their filial piety to the emperor.
Therefore, many wealthy households donated nearly half a million yuan, and no one among the common people felt tired. "
The emperor knew clearly that he was saying good things, but he was still satisfied with himself and smiled without saying much. After all, people like to flatter.
Furthermore, he has put away so much suffering for the people of the entire Ming Dynasty, and it doesn't matter if he suffers a little for the people.
"How is Tianjin Mansion now?" Zhu Yixi changed direction and asked casually.
Zhou Peigong was stunned, and then said: "Tianjin is the gateway to the capital and the hub of the canal. Both the north and the south meet here. It is indeed a battleground for military strategists."
"Nowadays, thanks to the blessing of sea transportation, Tianjin Prefecture is increasing its taxes. In the prefectural city alone, there are no less than 200,000 people. Now the outer city has been expanded again and again..."
"As for taxes, Tianjin paid 3.5 million yuan to the court last year, the 20th year of Shaowu..."
Zhu Yixi nodded slightly.
Among all the prefectures in the world, Suzhou ranks first, with an annual income of 4.8 million yuan. Relying on the export of porcelain, tea, and silk, it has created countless rich people.
Then came Songjiang Mansion.
The emergence of customs has allowed a large number of goods from the entire southern Zhejiang and Sunan regions to be exported to Songjiang Prefecture, and there are also Yangtze River freights, which can benefit everyone and the location.
Therefore, in just a dozen years, its population exceeded 2 million, and its tax revenue was 4.2 million.
It can be said that surpassing Suzhou Prefecture is just around the corner.
Tianjin's seaport and customs, coupled with Beijing's huge spending power, have contributed to the city's prosperity.
Especially the rise of the textile industry has made it the first capital in the north.
As far as he knew, the population of Tianjin Prefecture now exceeds one million, and the number of foreign workers is nearly 100,000.
One hundred thousand female and male workers worked together in the factories to create this city.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yixi smiled and said: "I know that when you were on duty in Hebei, you were a stern man, but you also had the courage to get rid of bad governance. Therefore, your official reputation was very good while you were in office! But it was not good among the people."
"As far as I know, when you were in Guizhou, you were gentle and gentle in politics, and almost governed by doing nothing. So what's the difference?"
"Your Majesty."
Zhou Peigong was delighted. The emperor was paying attention to him. He hurriedly said:
"Guizhou is inhabited by Han and barbarians, and there are countless mountains and ridges. It can be said that there are eighteen bends in the mountain road, and there is no plain at all."
"The yield per mu is only about a hundred kilograms. It is extremely difficult for both Han people and barbarians."
"In such a situation, we have to treat it leniently and do nothing, so that the people can live in peace and contentment."
"And the land of Hebei has been rich since ancient times. It is also close to the capital, and the way of education is prosperous, so the people are happy to play."
"In the city, the people like to sing operas, listen to music, wrestle, and fight crickets. But among the people, some obscene temples are popular, and the people are immoral, and there are countless cases of cheating and prostitution..."
"Furthermore, according to my opinion, lawsuits are a source of endless annoyance and competition for bribes. Therefore, strict governance can shape the people's culture and guide them for good."
Zhu Yixi nodded, what he said made sense.
In other words, this is the traditional Confucian view.
"You have done a good job in regulating taxes in Tianjin."
“There is no saint like the Emperor.
Tianjin's grain and tax are complicated and complex. I dare not say that I have devoted all my efforts in taking office, but I do not dare to feel exhausted at all. I just hope to be able to compare the money and grain, live up to the court's kindness in raising scholars, and live up to the people's ardent expectations.
Today, after listening to the emperor's heavenly instructions, I should be more dedicated and conscientious in serving my purpose, and I will definitely clean up all the bad money and food policies one by one! "
Zhou Peigong had worked as a minor official, so he knew everything about the yamen situation. He could not pass the test for concealing reports and filling in the numbers in the past.
Within three months of taking office, he asked officials at all levels to spit out 20,000 silver dollars.
The officialdom of Tianjin government was in chaos.
Especially the county warehouses are in a hurry, rushing to fill the treasury and recalculate the accounts, for fear of being audited.
During the Shaowu Dynasty, taxes were collected by the local commercial tax bureau, but the money and food after the proportional accounts were used by the local authorities.
Under such circumstances, all kinds of reckless use of money and food naturally exist and cannot be avoided.
After all, this kind of corruption is too minor compared to exploiting people.
In official circles, it is basically a matter of turning a blind eye, as long as it is not too much.
After all, isn’t being an official just for wealth? By the way, I would like to say long live your Majesty.
"good!"
After praising him, the emperor let him go.
At night, he disguised himself and entered Tianjin City.
Nowadays, most cities in the Ming Dynasty have curfews, and only some large cities are brightly lit and unrestricted.
Tianjin City is among them.
It has been here more than once in the past, and Zhu Yixi is very familiar with it.
There is a steady flow of people and rows of delicious food, which is quite a bit like the liveliness of a night market in later generations.
Zhu Yixi looked at it seriously, isn't this the prosperous age?
He looked around for a while and then paid no attention to it. Instead, he found a few ordinary people and asked about the prefect.
In this regard, Zhou Peigong gave many thumbs up.
It is said that all officials are honest and capable officials.
This is confirmed by Jin Yiwei and the official department, and it is true.
When we arrived at the wine shop, all the three religions and nine streams were there, and there were all kinds of things during the discussion.
Some criticized Zhou Peigong for appointing private individuals and nepotism.
Some people say that he treats others harshly, and whenever he encounters any trivial matter, he will scold him at least, or slap him in the face at worst.
His image became fuller in an instant.
He didn't care about the side issues. In short, Zhou Peigong was indeed a talent.
With a decision in mind, the emperor returned to his retreat.
After resting for two or three days, the fleet entered the canal and officially embarked on its way south.
Zhou Peigong watched the fleet leave: "The Mingjun in the prosperous age has enjoyed the country for a long time. Why do I think that something is wrong..."
