The salaries of officials in the Ming Dynasty were the lowest in history, and they could only maintain a decent daily life. As a result, there was polarization. Poor officials even relied on "Beijing debt" to survive. In the hands of corruption, their farmland and their homes were decorated with wooden ceilings. .
When it comes to which department has the most money, in a stable environment, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of War are all Qingshui Yamen, and most upright officials come from these three departments. The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Household Affairs must be well connected. After all, one manages people and the other manages money. But when it comes to the department with the most oil and water, it has to be the Ministry of Industry.
The salt affairs were under the control of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the water transportation and river channels were under the control of the Ministry of Industry. The Ministry of Industry not only had jurisdiction over the Baoyuan Bureau for minting money, but also had some minting rights. Merchants levied bamboo and wood taxes, salt and tea taxes, commercial goods taxes, etc., which brought a steady stream of gray income to the officials of the Ministry of Industry, so there was a "Metal Industry Department and a Banking Department".
The south of the Yangtze River is prosperous. There is an endless stream of merchants coming and going every day. The docks are crowded with people. In the eyes of the officials from the Ministry of Industry, they are all walking in pieces of silver. They line up to put it into their pockets every day. No one can resist being tempted.
If things go on like this, the treasury loses a lot of money every year. Money is used everywhere, but it cannot collect so much money. Now the treasury is an empty shell, so naturally these fat sheep have to be caught and slaughtered.
Yangzhou River Governor's Office has many branches under its jurisdiction, such as Guangling, Hanjiang, Jiangdu, etc. Almost every branch has officials on the list. Looking at these officials, Bao Baotou fell into deep thought. As the saying goes, pick a weak persimmon and pick a weak one. He was still too old, so Su Xiaolou fell in love with Dai Qingyuan, the minister of Baoyinghe Daosi, who had just taken office at the beginning of last year.
Su Xiaolou is good at dealing with officials who have ideological problems at a young age.
Early the next morning, Su Xiaolou, Bao Baotou and his party rode on their fast horses and headed towards Baoying County. Baoying County was only thirty miles away from where they lived. They rode hard and arrived in less than half a day.
Although Baoying is a county, its prosperity and liveliness are not inferior to those in the center of Yangzhou. There are endless carriages and people on the streets, and the sounds of vendors are heard one after another. There are many shops on both sides of the streets, including teahouses, restaurants, pawn shops, and workshops. There are also small vendors holding raincloth tents in the open space next to it. As expected, any small county in the south of the Yangtze River should not be underestimated.
When Su Xiaolou and others arrived in Baoying, they first found a restaurant, and after solving the first big thing in their lives, they found a toilet and solved the second big thing in their lives, and then went straight to the Hedaosi County Government Office.
Baoying County Hedaosi County Government Office is located in the center of Baoying County, which is very unsuitable. The entire county government office is in disrepair, as if it has been cut into pieces by the butcher's knife of time. The plaque at the door is dim and irrelevant, and everyone has seen it. The color of the vermilion paint is unclear, and the low courtyard wall seems to peel off if touched.
Although there has been a saying from ancient times that officials do not cultivate government offices, one cannot judge those who are greedy or non-greedy at face value. It cannot be said that they have a high-walled courtyard at home, a loving wife and concubines, and hundreds of acres of fertile land.
After Su Xiaolou and others were notified, they were invited into the front hall by the Yamen servants. A young man in official uniform quickly came out and greeted Su Xiaolou and others politely.
This Dai Qingyuan looked to be in his twenties. When he heard that Nanjing City's Jin Yiwei and the criminal police chiefs were visiting, he felt bad. They didn't look like they were here to chat and drink tea, but they seemed to be here to arrest someone.
Dai Qingyuan pretended to be very calm: "I am Dai Qingyuan, the chief minister of the river department of Baoying County. I wonder what you two sirs are doing here?"
Bao Captou looked serious and asked sternly: "There is a god three feet above your head. Master Dai lives on your salary and reads books about sages, but now you have become a moth in the treasury. Don't you feel ashamed?"
Dai Qingyuan's body suddenly covered his head: "I wonder what Dai means by this, sir?"
"I don't know what you mean?" Bao Captou sneered: "Master Dai's mouth is as tough as the dams of the Yangtze River. Someone has already reported to us that you accepted bribes and secretly let salt cargo ships into the ferry. What else does Master Dai want?" Explained?"
Dai Qingyuan's eyes widened: "I have never done these things before. Someone must be seeking personal revenge. You can't trust the words of these villains!"
"Master Dai, don't get excited. Master Dai may not have done it on purpose. He was just coerced. Let's sit down and talk slowly." Su Xiaolou persuaded him amiably: "Your officials from the Ministry of Punishment just like to make trivial matters bigger. Master Dai, we Jinyiwei are all very good and will give others a chance to change their ways. I just can’t bear to see a talented person like Mr. Dai go astray, so I’m here to help you.”
Su Xiaolou and Bao Baotou, one pretending to be a white face and the other a red face, sang and sang in harmony.
"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief, no! Sir, I really didn't do those things. Sir, you are aware of this!" Dai Qingyuan was about to cry but had no tears.
"Master Dai, if you have this attitude, I can't save you. I believe Master Dai has heard that many officials have mysteriously disappeared recently. I don't know whether they went underground under the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal or in some smelly ditch. Or it’s being eaten by maggots in the soil.”
The arrester said impatiently: "You don't need to tell him so much. Just take him back to the prison and there will always be one of the instruments of torture that he will use."
Bao Bao raised his hand to summon the government officials to take Dai Qingyuan away. When Dai Qingyuan saw that he was really coming, he panicked and his legs felt a little weak. He backed away and looked at Su Xiaolou with pleading eyes: "Master General Banner, please save me. ! Lord General Banner, please save me!"
Su Xiaolou watched Dai Qingyuan being taken away indifferently. Dai Qingyuan struggled with all his strength, but he was just a weak scholar who could not escape the shackles of the big and powerful government officials. He shed tears of fear and cried at the top of his lungs: "Sir, I have recruited you. I am willing to recruit you. Don't take me away, my lord!"
When Su Xiaolou heard this, he looked at Bao Bao Bao and realized that this kind of junior official who just entered the officialdom is easy to deceive, and he is still a corrupt official with just such a small amount of ethics!
