Xiao Cheng returned to the second hall and stood up straight, but from time to time he raised his hand and scratched his body here and there.
Gu Zhengchen handed the letter and documents to Qin Song: "Ask Chengfa to send them out today."
Qin Song took the order and left.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Xiao Cheng and said with a smile: "Why, Lin Baifan still made you suffer. It seems that this guy is a brave person."
Xiao Cheng glanced at Gu Zhengchen with disdain: "I haven't showered in half a month and I'm itchy. How can you see that I'm suffering?"
"Half a month?"
Gu Zhengchen grinned and looked at Zhang Pei: "Please accompany me to Bu's house today. It feels embarrassing to take him with you..."
Before Zhang Pei could say anything, Xiao Cheng interjected: "The last time he took a bath was twenty days ago."
Gu Zhengchen pointed at the two of them and said helplessly: "Hurry up and take a shower. No wonder I always smell sour! Burn more hot water. Master, I have to take a shower and change clothes."
Outside the city, Xihou Village.
Shu Niang had a full belly, fetched water from the water tank, and was about to wash rice when the sound of joking came from outside the door.
Aunt Wang shouted to Shu Niang across the fence: "Gu Qingtian is amazing. He really killed two corrupt officials, Wu Kang and Qin Xin. This is because you are inconvenienced, otherwise you would definitely go and have a look. I heard that today All the drinks in Jinjiang City are sold out."
Shu Niang threw the water ladle into the water jar, straightened up, and said with a smile: "Those corrupt officials are finally dead, and our good days are not far away."
Mrs. Zhang walked out of the room and cursed: "After a few corrupt officials have died, there will be a few more corrupt officials. This happens every year. When will we change? Looking forward to a good life, it is better to look forward to you giving birth to a son and growing up." It’s better to farm and feed our family.”
When Shu Niang saw her mother-in-law saying this, she immediately lowered her head.
The first child was a girl, and she was often scolded by her mother-in-law.
However, she only said for a moment that she loved Xiao Yu a lot.
When Aunt Wang saw that Shu Niang was silent, she immediately retorted: "Mrs. Zhang, this is not right. Gu Qingtian is a good official. Without those yamen servants who often come to ask for taxes, and there are fewer corvee levies in the yamen, wouldn't it be better for us? Listen, Talk about the government office setting up something to raise money, Huang Ke is doing things in the government office, you can't let your son take advantage of the government office and talk about Gu Qingtian's fault at the same time."
Seeing Aunt Wang's sharp words, Shu Niang said quickly: "Aunt Wang, your child is not feeling well. He was still crying just now."
Aunt Wang didn't bother to talk to Mrs. Zhang and hurried home.
Zhang said angrily: "Good officials can also become bad officials. There are no clean hands in the officialdom."
Shu Niang knew that her mother-in-law had suffered a lot in her life. During the Yuan Dynasty, corrupt officials, like Wu Kang, Qin Xin and others, made excuses everywhere to ask for money and food, and even took away every grain of rice.
After decades of living, I have never seen a peaceful and prosperous age, let alone a good official who loves the people.
"Good officials can turn into bad officials, old man, that's so true."
A clear voice came from outside the fence.
Zhang and Shu Niang looked up and saw that the businessman who bought eggs before was here again, and he was back with Huang Ke.
Huang Ke raised the door and respectfully extended his hand: "Please come in."
Gu Zhengchen walked into the small courtyard with a smile and looked at Zhang's swollen belly: "I'm here today. I don't have any souvenirs. I brought some eggs and other things with me, just to supplement my nutrition."
Xiao Cheng handed over the basket.
Mrs. Zhang was a little at a loss. Why did the businessmen in the past still give gifts?
Huang Ke quickly explained: "This is the prefect of Quanzhou, prefect Gu."
Mrs. Zhang and Shu Niang were surprised and quickly knelt down to salute.
Gu Zhengchen stopped Shu Niang and helped Mrs. Zhang: "If you are a pregnant woman or an old man, you don't need to salute. I am here incognito, just treat me as a fellow countryman."
Mrs. Zhang was a little frightened: "Just now, the old woman spoke indiscriminately and bumped into the official..."
Gu Zhengchen smiled and said: "Your words are a warning to me, why do you want to quarrel with me? When I first became an official, I still knew my true intention and did something for the people and the country. But after I have been in the officialdom for a long time, I have seen a lot of intrigues and intrigues. I enjoy it." Once you are used to the dignity and power that comes with your official position, you will inevitably develop bad intentions, take advantage of the people, and indulge in pleasure. By then, the once good officials will be nothing more than corrupt officials despised by countless people in the market."
Zhang quickly said: "Gu Qingtian is a good official and would never do this."
Gu Zhengchen smiled and shook his head.
Who doesn’t want glory, wealth, and power?
The feudal era was enjoyed by those with power. The greater the power, the more you can enjoy. People who stand at the pinnacle of power can enjoy everything in the world, whether it is wealth, women, buildings, or wine.
Although there is only one position at the top, and it is labeled as the Lao Zhu family. But you can still enjoy countless benefits at the peak.
Many officials become corrupt in the process of climbing up, in order to climb up, to curry favor, to please, and for better enjoyment. Personal hedonism is not unique to later generations. There are such officials in every era, and the starting point of these officials is likely to be an upright official and a righteous official.
Gu Zhengchen is not sure whether he will lose his original intention in five years or ten years, but he is very sure that if he does not climb up, he will not be able to improve the Ming Dynasty. ideals will be out of the question.
I am not the emperor, so I cannot do whatever I want.
If I were born as Zhu Yunzhen, all the powerful people in the court would be killed, the powerful people in the army would be buried, and all the big private households would be cleaned up. As long as the problem of the vassal king is solved, if I want to improve the Ming Dynasty, I will take bigger actions. Few people can object...
It's a pity that I am not Zhu Yunwen.
In this life, I can only stay with Lao Zhu and Zhu Dalang, and use all my wisdom and means to transform the Ming Dynasty.
Seeing that Gu Zhengchen was lost in thought, Huang Ke moved a stool and said, "Prefect Gu, please sit down. I'll go get something right now.".??m
Mrs. Zhang watched Huang Ke take the shovel and return to the room. She immediately understood something, chased into the room, and stopped Huang Ke: "What are you doing?"
Huang Ke looked at his mother Zhang and said seriously: "Mom, after this period of observation, I can confirm that Magistrate Gu is a person like Bao Qingtian, who can make decisions for the people. I want to hand over the account book Only in this way can he be worthy of Hu Benmo."
Mrs. Zhang looked at the door and whispered: "My child, please think carefully. If the Bu family finds out that you hid the account books, our family will be doomed. You don't want Shu Niang to be like Hu Benmo's wife." Even if your legs are broken, mother doesn’t want the boat to sink while you are on the boat. Just let this matter go by and don’t mention it again.”
Huang Ke shook his head and said firmly: "Mom, now that I have the opportunity to redress Brother Hu's injustice, how can I not cherish it? If I didn't move forward because I was afraid of the Bu family, I have been working as an errand in the government office for these years and have endured it till now. What is it for?"
Mrs. Zhang looked at Huang Ke who had made up his mind, sighed, and pointed to the west room: "I moved the account book and buried it under my bed."
Huang Ke was stunned.
Mrs. Zhang turned around and sighed: "Mom is worried that one day you will be caught and handed over because you can't stand the punishment. No one will be able to redress the grievances of Hu Benmo and his family. That child of Hu Benmo grew up on my milk." Yes, they are my children just like you..."
Huang Ke burst into tears.
Huang Ke took out three account books and handed them to Gu Zhengchen respectfully: "Hu Benmo discovered many problems when he was keeping accounts in the government office. Not only were government officials embezzling and stealing, but he also used the government warehouse as a private warehouse. , in the name of public affairs, the property was secretly transferred out, and the person who received the property was Bu Xiu of the Bu family."
Gu Zhengchen looked through the account books. These account books were not consistent with the account books kept in the government office. It was obvious that this was an account book recorded privately by Hu Benmo.
"Huang Benmo crossed the Luoyang River. What was his purpose?"
Gu Zhengchen asked.
Huang Ke said solemnly: "When he goes to Fuzhou, he wants to hand over the account books to the provincial government office."
Gu Zhengchen turned over a page and said in a deep voice: "Even if he goes to Fuzhou, I'm afraid there will be no results and he will get angry instead."
Huang Ke nodded repeatedly, but was also very helpless: "Who else can we look for besides the provincial government office? Jinling Road is so far away that it is not a place where Hu Benmo can go. Besides, there are three political parties in Fuzhou, Hu Benmo thought , there will always be an honest official who participates in politics, and as long as one person is willing to investigate, then the affairs of Quanzhou Prefecture will be easy to handle."
Gu Zhengchen handed an account book to Xiao Cheng, then opened the second account book, and finally saw Bu Xiu's name, which kept appearing, and one of the items contained as many as five thousand pieces of silk.
"silk?"
Gu Zhengchen stared.
Zhang said at the side: "Prefect Gu came to Quanzhou Prefecture not long ago, but he didn't know something. Quanzhou Prefecture has paid two taxes over the years. Four counties have paid grain, and the other three counties have paid silk."
Gu Zhengchen was silent.
It is not a strange thing to pay two taxes to fold colored silk. For example, Lao Zhu needed cotton cloth and ordered many places to fold colored cotton cloth in autumn tax.
Zese is a way for the government to requisition materials and collect taxes.
But why does the Quanzhou government office need silk? Lao Zhu doesn't need to wear silk. And in the government's account books, there is no mention of folding colored silk at all.
Gu Zhengchen stared at Bu Xiu's name and suddenly realized what Wu Kang said.
Silk is not what the government wants, but what the Bu family wants!
The Bu family engages in Nanyang trade with the help of ships from the Shipping Department, which inevitably requires a large amount of goods. Silk can be said to be in short supply in Nanyang. The Bu family does not produce silk, and has never heard of the Bu family buying silk on a large scale. I wonder about their "purchasing channels" It's the government office!
Gu Zhengchen stood up, handed all the account books to Xiao Cheng, and said to Huang Ke: "With this account book, I can have an extra glass of wine when I visit Bu's house tonight."
"Are you visiting the Bu family?"
Huang Ke was shocked and quickly stopped him: "No, absolutely not. The Bu family uses Tongsuan and Tongzhi to collect the goods, and Tongsuan and Tongzhi collect the Bu family's money. Now that the government has cut off their financial path, how can they let it go? ?”
Gu Zhengchen looked deeply at Huang Ke and said with a smile: "Your name is not Huang He, why did you change your name to Huang Ke? You want to fight them. I am the prefect of Quanzhou, why are you afraid of them?"
