A fast horse galloped out of Lingqiu City, appeared at Guangling Station in the dark, and arrived at Yanghewei's governor's office the next day.
Although national mourning has an impact on people's lives, it is not as great as the impact of officials.
During this period, few officials dared to act recklessly. Even though the power of the Ming Dynasty was no longer as powerful as it was during the Hongwu and Yongle years, the officials below still treated national mourning with caution, for fear that someone would report them if they failed to do anything well, and thus lose their hat.
"Excuse me, please go in and report. I'm a soldier from Lingqiu Garrison. My master sent me to deliver an official document to the Inspector." Huang An's soldier took out the official document from his arms and handed it over with both hands.
The soldier outside the government office took the official document and said, "Wait here."
After saying that, he turned around and entered the government office.
A patrol officer is different from a governor.
The inspectors of various places are all served by the imperial censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Their rank is not high, usually only seven ranks, but they are very powerful. They are appointed once a year. They patrol on behalf of the emperor and inspect officials in various provinces, prefectures and counties. Important matters can be directly reported to the emperor. Judgment, small matters can be handled by oneself.
The soldier took the official document and walked outside the back Yamen. When he met the staff beside the patrol officer, he hurriedly stopped and saluted and said, "I have seen Mr. Tian before."
Staff Tian nodded, and when he saw the official document in the soldier's hand, he asked, "What is that in your hand?"
"This is an official document sent by Lingqiu Guards to the Inspector." The soldier replied respectfully.
"Give it to me. I'll give it to the Inspector." Staff Tian reached out to take the official document from the soldier's hand.
The soldier hurriedly handed over the official document with both hands.
Holding the official document in his hand, Staff Tian said, "The person here is Lingqiu Guard Huang An?"
The soldier shook his head and said: "That's not true. The person who came is a soldier from Lingqiu Guards Mansion, and he is waiting outside the government office!"
Staff Tian thought for a moment and said, "Go and bring the person in and ask him to wait outside the hall. Maybe your Excellency will meet him."
"Yes." The soldier bowed and left.
Staff Tian, holding the official document, turned around and walked into the back office.
In the back office, the patrol manager Liu Bingyuan was dressed in plain clothes. He pressed the cuff of his right hand with his left hand and held a langhao pen in his right hand. He was bent over and practicing calligraphy on the table.
As a royal censor who was born as a second-ranked Jinshi, Liu Bingyuan liked literary works and liked to make friends with literati. Even the two staff around him were also people who liked literary works.
When Liu Bingyuan saw Staff Tian walking in, he smiled and said, "Mr. Tian is here just in time. Take a look at these words I just finished! Are there any imperfections?"
"Your Excellency's handwriting has always been admired by my generation. It's okay to appreciate it. If you want to raise questions, it would make the students ashamed." Staff Tian covered his face and sighed.
"Haha." Liu Bingyuan laughed twice and said, "You don't have to belittle yourselves. As long as you practice diligently, you will still achieve some success."
"Your Excellency, you are exaggerating." Staff Tian bowed his hand.
Liu Bingyuan put down the brush, cleaned his hands in the copper basin, wiped the water stains on his hands with a silk cloth, and then said: "Mr. Chen and I just mentioned Mr. Tian, but in the blink of an eye, Mr. Tian came to the back office. , barely can be regarded as a word that comes true."
After saying that, he picked up the tureen at hand and took a sip of tea.
Staff Chen on the side said with a smile: "He knew that you were splashing ink again, sir, and came here smelling the fragrance of ink."
"Haha." Liu Bingyuan stroked his beard and smiled.
Staff Tian smiled and said: "If the student knew that you were so interested, the student would have come here a long time ago and asked the student to correct his words."
"It's not too late now. Why don't Mr. Tian write a few words and give them to the adults to look at and give some advice by the way." Staff Chen said.
"That's great." Staff Tian said with a smile, "It's a student's blessing to be corrected by adults."
"Okay, okay, you two are flattering me too much, a little too much." Liu Bingyuan waved his hands modestly, but the joy on his face could not be hidden.
"Your Excellency is too modest." Staff Chen raised his hands and said, "Your Excellency's thin golden body has even been praised by Chief Minister Fang."
Hearing this, Liu Bingyuan's face flashed with pride.
As a censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, his handwriting can be praised by the chief minister. This is an incredible achievement and something he has always been proud of.
"Sir." Staff Tian took out the official document from his sleeve and said, "When the students came, I met someone below who sent an official document, saying that it was sent by the soldiers sent by Huang An of the Lingqiu garrison."
"Huang An?" Liu Bingyuan thought for a moment and said, "He is a guard at Lingqiu. Even if he has official business, he should report it to the General Military Mansion or the Governor's Yamen. There is no need to send it to the officer."
Staff Chen said: "Maybe it's something important."
"Forget it, show it to me." Liu Bingyuan stretched out his hand.
Staff Tian hurriedly handed over the official document in his hand.
Liu Bingyuan opened the official document and frowned gradually as he read the contents.
After a while, Liu Bingyuan, who had read the official document, slapped it on the table and said dissatisfiedly: "This kind of matter can be left to Governor Liu or General Zhang. What does Huang An mean by sending the official document to me? Let me leave this matter to you." Will I stand up for him and join the governor’s meeting? What nonsense!”
Staff Tian on the side carefully picked up the official document, read it over, and handed it to Staff Chen on the side.
I saw him say: "The official document said that Liu Heng, the bandit leader of Lingqiu, was causing trouble in the place, and the governor accepted bribes from him. This matter really needs to be found out, but it is a major case that shocked the court."
"It's a major case that I can't handle," Liu Bingyuan said.
Staff Chen, who finally read the official document, looked puzzled and said: "If this matter is completed and the governor of a province is moved, it will be extremely beneficial to your prestige. Maybe after returning to Beijing, you can be promoted to the sixth department and serve as a member of the first term." Wailang."
"Sir, what Mr. Chen said makes sense." Staff Tian agreed.
The Yuanwailang of the Sixth Department started from the fifth rank, and would be sent to other places in the future, at least starting from the fourth rank. Their staff could also rise with the tide, and they might have the opportunity to serve as the staff of the local governor in the future.
Liu Bingyuan said: "You are not in the officialdom, so some things are not clear."
Looking at the gazes of the two staff, he continued: "Now that the new emperor has just ascended the throne, the government is unstable, and local officials like the governor will not change easily in a short time, so even if I get the memorial, it will not be the same." I will only be detained by the Holy Emperor, but I will offend a governor for nothing."
Seemingly thirsty, Liu Bingyuan picked up the tureen and took a sip of tea.
After putting it down, he continued: "Nowadays, Liaodong is rotten. After the defeat in the Battle of Sarhu, the imperial court has been defeated several times in Liaodong. Most of the central part of Liaoning is occupied by the Jurchens. The imperial court is in need of border town governors who know how to fight. , As for the matter of accepting bribes, it is nothing at all. Nowadays, no one in the imperial court is short of Bing Jing and Tan Jing sent by local officials."
"Your Majesty means that we don't care about this matter." Staff Tian said.
Liu Bingyuan stroked his beard and said: "It's not that I don't care, I just don't care for the time being. I have heard about this tiger character flag. It is a famous big business in Lingqiu. When the government stabilizes in the future, I won't have to worry about not having a chance to deal with it."
"My lord is still very thoughtful and the students admire me." Staff Tian bowed and saluted.
Staff Chen on the side also saluted.
