Chapter 24 Before Returning to Beijing (Part 2) Two Chapters in One
In the study, Zhao Junchen was preparing the memorial to be presented to Emperor Deqing after returning to Beijing.
There are two memorials.
The first memorial was Zhao Junchen's report to Emperor Deqing on the current situation of Lu'an Mansion. In fact, in the final analysis, this was just a request for merit.
Since ancient times, throughout the dynasties, disaster relief has often been the most problematic link, and the resulting civil unrest has been countless. It can be said that there are very few solutions that can be solved as cleanly and without leaving any consequences as Zhao Junchen's. It is not too much to ask for credit for this.
As for the second memorial, it was Zhao Junchen's support for Emperor Deqing's southern tour - this was a great opportunity to please Emperor Deqing, and Zhao Junchen would not miss it.
As for the concerns about the lack of money in the Ministry of Revenue and the expense of people and money during the southern tour, Zhao Junchen already had a countermeasure after thinking about it for a night, so he was not worried.
In fact, even if there is no countermeasure, Zhao Junchen will still firmly support Emperor Deqing's southern tour.
There is a saying in later generations - "The butt determines the head." Now Emperor Deqing is Zhao Junchen's biggest and only support, so for Zhao Junchen, nothing is more important than pleasing Emperor Deqing - this idea although It's quite a villain, but it is indeed Zhao Junchen's most sincere thought.
Just when Zhao Junchen had just finished writing the first memorial, Xu Qingyan pushed in and reported to Zhao Junchen: "Master, Liu Changan and Zhang Daoquan are here."
Zhao Junchen frowned subconsciously, raised his head and asked, "Did the two of them come together?"
Xu Qingyan shook his head and said, "They didn't come together. The front and rear feet just happened to bump into each other."
Zhao Junchen nodded and said: "Bring Liu Changan to see me first, and let Zhang Daoquan wait in the side hall for a while."
Xu Qingyan nodded and accepted the order, and after a while, he led Liu Changan to the study.
………
After Liu Changan entered the study, before he had time to kneel down and salute Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen waved his hand and said: "That's all, I have told you so many times that when meeting in private, these official etiquette can be avoided if possible. You don't mind. Trouble, I am still causing trouble."
Liu Changan still knelt down to Zhao Junchen to greet him, then stood up and said with a smile: "My lord, you have a broad mind and don't stick to trivial matters, but I and other subordinate officials cannot break the rules. Please forgive me."
Zhao Junchen smiled and shook his head, but in his heart he was satisfied with Liu Changan's compliance with the rules. He pointed to the chair next to him and said, "Sit down and talk."
After Liu Changan sat down, he reported to Zhao Junchen: "Sir, you will invite local officials and squire elders to a restaurant for dinner tonight. I have already arranged it, and it will be at Fu'an Restaurant. Lu'an Mansion is located in a remote place and is not as good as the capital. In a prosperous place, Fu'an Restaurant is already the best restaurant in Lu'an Mansion. Although it is not luxurious, the dishes are quite complete. What do you think, sir?"
Zhao Junchen nodded, and while checking the memorial in his hand, he said: "Just look at the arrangements for some small matters. I trust your ability."
"Thank you for your trust, sir." Liu Changan looked happy and said respectfully: "However, I didn't expect that you would return to the capital so soon. I should have hosted a banquet in Lu'an Mansion to see you off, but I didn't expect that you would be returning to the capital so soon." I have made you waste money, I am ashamed, I am ashamed.”
After Zhao Junchen checked the memorial and found nothing wrong with it, he closed it and put it aside, then raised his head and said with a smile: "It's just an opportunity to get together. It's the same for anyone who throws a banquet, and how much money they can spend." How can I talk about spending money for just one piece of silver? Speaking of which, after I came to Lu'an Mansion, all the local officials and squires and merchants in Lu'an Mansion took good care of me and supported me. I hosted a banquet, which is also It should be."
Hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Liu Changan looked touched and sighed: "My Lord's broad-mindedness really makes me sigh with emotion..."
In the middle of the conversation, Zhao Junchen waved his hand and interrupted: "You and I are already familiar, so there is no need to be polite here. I called you here today because I have something to give you."
Liu Changan sat upright, with a serious look on his face, and replied: "Please give me your instructions."
Zhao Junchen said slowly: "Because of your Majesty's urgent recruitment, I will go back tomorrow. Everything in Lu'an Mansion, including disaster relief, will be your priority from now on. Now the locust plague is about to be extinguished." , the relief work is also going well, after I return, you have to pay close attention to everything, don't let it start in a hurry and end in a tail end."
Liu Changan solemnly said: "My lord is teaching you that your subordinates must follow your lord's teachings carefully and will not let you down."
Zhao Junchen nodded and asked: "I have been preparing to return to Beijing today, and I was not able to kill the locusts with the people in person. Is everything going well?"
Liu Changan suddenly smiled and said flatteringly: "I am just about to report to you, Your Excellency. The news that Your Excellency is going back to Beijing has spread throughout Lu'an Mansion in less than a day. The people still don't believe it. I'll see you today." I didn’t really believe it until I became an adult. Nowadays, few people are exterminating the locusts beside the grass field, and most of the people have left."
Zhao Junchen frowned and asked, "What's going on? Is it because the people are not willing to exterminate the locusts just because I'm not here? Your local government doesn't care? Aren't you afraid of the recurrence of the locust plague?"
Seeing that Zhao Junchen was a little unhappy, Liu Changan quickly explained: "My lord, you have misunderstood. According to the information obtained by the official, the people left one after another to make the Ten Thousand People Umbrella for you, my lord."
After a pause, Liu Changan continued: "My lord, everything you have done for Lu'an Mansion these days has been seen by the people. They are reluctant to leave you, but they also know that they cannot keep you, so they can only do it for you." Make some Wanmin Umbrellas to show your gratitude. Although Wanmin Umbrellas are called Wanmin, each one can have hundreds of names on them. However, the people of Lu'an Prefecture all want to leave their names on the Wanmin Umbrellas given to you. I guess. Wait, when your Excellency leaves tomorrow, I am afraid that the number of Wanmin Umbrellas I will receive will be no less than a hundred. It is unprecedented. After this incident, Your Majesty, I am afraid that your reputation will be remembered for eternity."
After hearing Liu Changan's words, Zhao Junchen was slightly startled. He opened his mouth to say something, but gave up. What followed was a long expressionless silence.
The Wanmin Umbrella was originally an umbrella given by the people in ancient times to praise the virtues of local officials. The umbrella is decorated with many small silk strips, and the names of the donors are written on the silk strips.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the flavor of the Wanmin Umbrella changed. Before local officials left office, they would force local gentry and people to give them the Wanmin Umbrella. The more Wanmin Umbrellas a local official received, the more face he gained.
But in the Ming Dynasty, the meaning of the Ten Thousand People's Umbrella was still very simple. If a local official could receive the Ten Thousand People's Umbrella when he left office, it meant that the local official was definitely a good official. Zhao Junchen was not a local official, but an imperial envoy on behalf of the emperor. While inspecting the place, one could actually receive Ten Thousand People Umbrellas, and according to Liu Changan, there were no less than a hundred umbrellas, which would definitely shock the government and the public.
Although this approach was initiated by the people independently, the benefits of improving Zhao Junchen's reputation need not be mentioned.
But at this moment, Zhao Junchen's first subconscious reaction was not happiness, but guilt.
Even Zhao Junchen himself could not think of this.
No one knows the essence of what Zhao Junchen has done in Lu'an Mansion these days than Zhao Junchen himself.
To put it nicely, Zhao Junchen is putting on a show to improve his reputation; to put it more unpleasantly, Zhao Junchen is fooling the people for his own benefit.
The common people are ignorant and superstitious, and are always easily deceived and fooled by superiors; the common people are also simple and kind-hearted, but they often understand the principle of repaying kindness better than those superiors who have read the books of sages.
………
"What I have done these days is just a last resort to reverse my unfavorable situation, and I have also done a lot of practical things for the people. It is much better than those corrupt officials in the late Qing Dynasty who forcibly asked for the Wanmin Umbrella from the people. "
Thinking like this, perhaps because of self-comfort, Zhao Junchen's complicated mood finally calmed down a little.
On the other side, Liu Changan continued to describe to Zhao Junchen the grand occasion of the people making the Ten Thousand People Umbrella for Zhao Junchen, with a somewhat "honorable" look: "Sir, you don't know that in order to make the Ten Thousand People Umbrella for the Lord, the people Most of them donated their best fabrics. It is said that those who are making Wanmin Umbrellas now have their yards filled with all kinds of fabrics. Because many people are illiterate, in order to be able to use the silk on Wanmin Umbrellas Leave your name on the note, and look for someone to write it for you everywhere. Those literate people are now full of people..."
Halfway through his words, Zhao Junchen suddenly interrupted Liu Changan and asked slowly: "Master Liu, in your opinion, what is an 'official'?"
Liu Changan was slightly stunned, not understanding why Zhao Junchen suddenly asked this question, but he still answered cautiously: "In my humble opinion, the so-called official means acting on behalf of the emperor to protect the people, assisting the emperor, serving the court, and protecting the common people. quiet."
Zhao Junchen smiled, nodded, and said: "If you look at it this way, you can't be wrong. Then I will ask you again, how many categories are officials divided into?"
Liu Changan was stunned again, not knowing what Zhao Junchen was thinking. After hesitating for a moment, he replied: "This... I have never thought as deeply as your Excellency, but I have never thought about this issue before, and I have never thought about it." Please give me some advice."
Zhao Junchen said softly: "Throughout the ages, in the eyes of the people, officials have been divided into three categories, namely, honest officials, corrupt officials and incompetent officials. The ancients once said that upright officials prosper the country, corrupt officials harm the country, and incompetent officials harm the country. But in my opinion, they are the most serious." False. But in my eyes, there are only two categories of officials, namely capable officials and mediocre officials. If an upright official only has virtue but no ability, he is just a mediocre official. How can he rejuvenate the country? Since ancient times, those so-called upright officials have harmed the country. Are there too many examples of the country? If a corrupt official can benefit the people, even if he embezzles some money, as long as the amount is not too large, he is still a capable official. How can he harm the country? Those famous and virtuous ministers in the past dynasties, and Which one is the truly upright official?"
Zhao Junchen sighed softly and continued: "My official salary has never been much, but for official business and face-saving, what is the lack of money? With that little official salary, how can it be enough? Therefore, for corrupt officials, I don’t hate this official, because most of the time, if an official is not greedy, he will not be able to survive. But besides being greedy for money, he should also do more for the court and the people. As long as the people can survive, as long as the world can be stable, who will Do you care about those trivial matters of virtue? However, I hate officials who have neither virtue nor ability. These people have no other use except harming the people and the world."
Hearing that Zhao Junchen supported corrupt officials so blatantly, Liu Changan was dumbfounded, but also felt some empathy in his heart. He subconsciously clapped his hands and praised: "Your Excellency is very knowledgeable, and I admire you."
Zhao Junchen snorted lightly and then said: "In my opinion, there are two categories of officials, but there are four grades. The superior grade means both capable and virtuous. Such officials are difficult to find in a hundred years, and it is impossible to say that they are saints. It's too much. I ask myself that I can't do it. If you are middle or upper class, you have ability but lack of virtue. Although you are only second class, you can only meet it but cannot ask for it. In the Ming Dynasty for hundreds of years, I can be called The middle and upper class are only a few people such as Zhang Juzheng and Sanyang; while the lower class are virtuous but incompetent. Although there are some such officials every few years, they can manage a county well. The land has reached its limit, and most of the time it is good without causing trouble; as for the lowest level, it is the officials who are incompetent and without virtue. Throughout the dynasties, there have been countless such officials like crucian carp crossing the river."
Having said this, Zhao Junchen looked at Liu Changan with a smile and asked: "Speaking of which, I would like to ask you, in your eyes, what is my rank? And what rank are you?"
Liu Changan was shocked when he heard Zhao Junchen's question. After he could no longer sit down, he wanted to get up and kneel down to apologize.
However, just as he raised his buttocks, Zhao Junchen glared at him and said, "Just sit like this and answer my questions truthfully."
Liu Changan had no choice but to maintain his posture, half touching the chair. He felt more uncomfortable than kneeling. His heart was racing, thinking about how he should answer Zhao Junchen's question.
What rank of official is Zhao Junchen? If it was to flatter him, then Liu Changan would naturally say that Zhao Junchen was superior and had both virtue and ability. However, Zhao Junchen had already bluntly stated that he could not be such a "sage" before, so he also asked Liu Changan to speak truthfully.
What rank of official was Liu Changan himself? Liu Changan naturally hopes that he is the upper-middle class, but according to Zhao Junchen, during the hundreds of years of the Ming Dynasty, only a few people, such as Zhang Juzheng and San Yang, could be called the upper-middle class. How can he, Liu Changan, dare to compete with the world's chief cabinet minister?
After hesitating for a long time, Liu Changan finally replied: "Sir, in the eyes of the lower officials, you are a middle-class official. Although you rarely refuse the filial piety from below, you can still do practical things and good things for the court and the people. Now Lu'an The gratitude that everyone in the family can't thank you enough is proof that in the future your reputation and status will definitely not be lower than that of Mr. Taiyue, Sanyang and other ancestors."
Zhao Junchen nodded and continued to ask: "What about you?"
After Liu Changan gritted his teeth, he finally said: "The lower official's ability is limited and his conduct is average. Naturally, he is a lower class official."
After saying this, Liu Changan quickly added: "However, I want to learn from you, become a middle-class official, serve the court, and benefit the people."
Zhao Junchen nodded and said: "You are self-aware. These days, I have heard many people's complaints against you. I can privately increase taxes by 70% in one go, forcing people to boil with resentment. An official like you , but it deserves to be rated as superior or inferior."
Hearing this, Liu Changan didn't know why Zhao Junchen was beating himself up? He quickly knelt down in front of Zhao Junchen and said with a cry in his voice: "Sir, I have been wronged."
"Oh?" Zhao Junchen sneered: "So many people have wronged you, didn't they? Didn't you increase the taxes?"
Liu Chang'an quickly explained: "Sir, after hearing the old man's complaint against me that day, I was really puzzled. I also checked it in private, but found that there was another reason. Last year, I did increase taxes. But it was not because of selfish desires, but because he wanted to strengthen the dam of Taihang Lake, and the official only raised the tax by 20%, but he did not expect that when it came to the counties, most of them turned into a tax increase of 50% and went to the people. , and it has become a tax increase of 70%. I am really unjust."
After hearing Liu Changan's explanation, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but be stunned.
Deception from top to bottom is a common practice in official circles, but Liu Changan's explanation is quite possible to be true.
Zhao Junchen suddenly mentioned these things today, firstly out of emotion, and secondly to give Liu Changan a beating.
After these days of observation, Zhao Junchen found that although Liu Changan was a corrupt official, he was still capable of doing things. He was prudent, thoughtful and experienced, which was close to what Zhao Junchen considered to be middle-class and superior abilities.
The most important thing is that Liu Changan has no big ambitions and is quite obedient. Zhao Junchen, who is eager to recruit party members, naturally intends to recruit Liu Changan for his own use.
And if you want to conquer someone, the best way is to use both kindness and power.
Therefore, although he felt that Liu Changan had been wronged, Zhao Junchen still snorted coldly and asked: "So, I have wronged you?"
Liu Changan shook his head quickly and said: "Of course your Excellency did not misunderstand the official. It was the official who knew people poorly and thought poorly. He was not only deceived by the officials below, but also caused the people to suffer. This is a sign of the official's incompetence."
Zhao Junchen nodded and said slowly: "It's good if you can understand this. These days, Lu'an Mansion can successfully exterminate locusts and provide relief smoothly, which is also inseparable from your efforts. In my opinion, as long as you are willing , you may not be able to become a middle-class official in the future, but you must also understand the right rules."
Hearing that Zhao Junchen's tone softened, Liu Changan was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly: "I understand, I understand. Thank you for your guidance."
After beating it with a stick, you will naturally be given a sweet date.
"Get up. I just mentioned it casually. I didn't mean to blame you. I think it scared you." After Liu Changan got up, Zhao Junchen handed the memorial he had just written to Liu Changan and said: "This This is a request for merit written by me, please take a look at it."
After Liu Changan took it respectfully, he opened it and his heart, which had been frightened just now, was suddenly filled with surprise and excitement.
It turned out that Zhao Junchen's report, in addition to reporting the current situation of Lu'an Mansion to Emperor Deqing, also greatly praised Liu Chang'an and suggested to Emperor Deqing that he be transferred to the capital and promoted to Reward to encourage officials all over the world.
Liu Changan is now the fourth-grade prefect, which is the limit of the local official's grade. If he is promoted to another level, wouldn't he become a third-grade or even a third-grade court official?
In the Ming Dynasty, promotion from the seventh to the sixth grade was one hurdle, and promotion from the fourth to the third grade was another hurdle. If you could not overcome this hurdle, you would never have the hope of promotion, and you would have to wait to retire and return home.
And if Zhao Junchen can help Liu Changan overcome this hurdle, for Liu Changan, it will be no different from the reinvention of Entong.
"Xiaguan, Xiaguan, thank you sir"
After reading this memorial, Liu Changan knelt in front of Zhao Junchen again and said in a trembling voice.
Liu Changan himself has sufficient qualifications, but he has no backing, so he has been in the position of prefect of various places for three terms, and has always been in the embarrassing position of being able to be promoted but not being able to be promoted.
And this is one of the reasons why Zhao Junchen values Liu Changan. Promoting Liu Changan, considering Zhao Junchen's status in front of Emperor Deqing and Liu Changan's own qualifications, is not difficult. The investment is not big, but the rewards are much. Not only can Liu Changan be accepted as his For his own use, he can also gain access to the network of contacts that Liu Changan has operated in various states and governments over the years.
Originally, Zhao Junchen intended to let Liu Changan serve as the salt transportation envoy to help Zhao Junchen control this extremely important link of salt transportation. However, there were too many people eyeing this position, and even Zhao Junchen would not be able to grab it easily. The most important thing is, Although Liu Changan is capable, he has no courage or initiative. Even if he is asked to serve as the salt transport envoy, I am afraid he will not be able to control the situation.
In this case, it would be better to let Liu Changan be a third-grade imperial official. At least Zhao Junchen would have a lot of yes-men in the court, and he would be able to help Zhao Junchen with advice if something happens.
Seeing Liu Changan's grateful look, Zhao Junchen smiled slightly and said: "I estimate that after you finish the affairs of Lu'an Mansion, the Holy Father's decree for you will probably arrive. By that time, your official will If you are promoted to a higher rank, you will be at least a third-rank official in the imperial court, so you no longer need to call yourself a junior official in front of me."
Liu Changan said quickly: "My lord is joking. No matter what position I take, I will definitely follow my leadership."
By saying this, Liu Changan made it clear that he wanted to join Zhao Junchen.
Zhao Junchen smiled and said: "No need to be so polite, get up. You also know that I don't like these false courtesy. However, when you come to Beijing to serve as an official in the future, you must remember what I said to you today. , I don’t hate corrupt officials, but I hate incompetent corrupt officials.”
"I understand that I will never let you down in the future."
After Liu Changan stood up, his attitude towards Zhao Junchen became more respectful.
Seeing Liu Changan like this, Zhao Junchen shook his head and said, "That's all, let's stop here today. That Zhang Daoquan has been waiting for a long time. I also have something to tell him. You go and do things first."
Liu Changan was slightly stunned. He didn't understand why Zhao Junchen valued Liu Changan, a magician, but he still bowed and said: "Then I will take my leave."
After Liu Changan left, Zhao Junchen shouted toward the door: "Qingyan, let Zhang Daoquan come to see me."
