The harm to aristocratic families is as great as rebelling against thieves.
The latter seems as fierce as fire, but there is always a way to put it out.
The former has existed since ancient times. Everyone can see that the aristocratic family is digging into the foundation of the dynasty, but there are few means to control it.
Zhou Yi slowly shook his head: "You are not the first to say this, and you will not be the last. The evil in the family is not a reason to become a corrupt official."
"Ahem, cough, that's easy to say!"
After the prisoner told the story about the Lu family, he seemed to completely let go.
"My officer... my parents starved to death because the officials embezzled the disaster relief food. Back then, I swore to take the imperial examination to clean up the world!"
Zhou Yi was a little more interested: "Tell me about your experience that you thought was bitter and resentful, but was actually a commonplace experience?"
"..."
The prisoner was quite helpless, but his death was not far away. This was probably his last words to others before execution.
"After ten years of hard work, I became a Jinshi. I was appointed as an official in a certain place. I thought I could show my ambitions. However, all the government officials were occupied by local wealthy families. They were unable to leave the government hall and it was difficult to enter the countryside."
The prisoner glanced at Zhou Yi: "The most difficult one among them is a lowly subordinate like you."
Zhou Yi nodded slightly, the imperial power and the subordinate officials share the same world, is it just talk?
"After traveling to several counties, not only did I fail to achieve anything, I became the laughing stock of my fellow students, and received negative comments every year!"
The prisoner murmured: "How can I have any ambitions in such a wasted time? Just let them go, read and write every day, and ignore the Yamen affairs."
Ideals and prospects have been wiped out by reality and turned into comatose officials.
Zhou Yi asked: "What does this have to do with the Lu family?"
"In the sixth or seventh year of Hongchang's reign, he went to Changfeng County, which coincided with floods... Rivers overflowed, and people were fish and turtles."
The prisoner recalled: "As usual, I submitted a memorial and asked the Ministry of Household Affairs to allocate money and food for disaster relief. According to the procedure, the court had to come to inspect the disaster first, and then draw up disaster relief regulations. It took a long time to go back and forth."
"People in major disasters are almost dead, so just spend less money. Small disasters will pass by themselves, and there is no need to save them."
"I never thought that the imperial court would quickly order to transport grain from several surrounding counties and allocate another 300,000 taels of disaster relief money."
"With such disaster relief efforts, Changfeng County will be able to easily survive the floods. I have been sleepless and wasted ten years, and finally I can do something for the people to fulfill my parents' last wish!"
The prisoner paused when he said this: "When there was a famine back then, my parents warned me on their deathbed: I will be a good official in the future and save the people from disaster!"
Zhou Yi straightened his posture. This prisoner was indeed somewhat different from the previous one.
There were a lot of corrupt officials in the Tianlao. Zhou Yi listened to their reasons for making money. It seemed strange, but in the end it was the desire for pleasure.
"Just when I was overjoyed to prepare for disaster relief, people from the Lu family came."
The prisoner said bitterly: "A humble disciple is pointing at the emperor's disciples and yelling at them. The Lu family asked for food and silver from the imperial court. Why should they be distributed to the people?"
"However, this also made me realize that why the imperial court allocated money and food had nothing to do with the memorial!"
Zhou Yi said: "In the end, the disaster relief money and food were sent to the Lu family?"
"What can I do?"
The prisoner said: "Changfeng County belongs to Luyang Prefecture, and the Lu family has been in business for thousands of years. If you say no, you will embezzle money and food that day and commit suicide out of fear of crime!"
"And after that?"
In fact, Zhou Yi can guess the subsequent development without asking.
"The money and food were sent to the Lu family, and the people in Changfeng County suffered heavy casualties, so they had to sell their sons and daughters to make a living..."
The prisoner sighed: "Back then, I was rated as top grade. The inspector praised me for loving the people like a son and for my merits in disaster relief. A year later, I was transferred to Luyang Prefecture as a general magistrate!"
The local prefectural general magistrate is also in the seventh rank, but if you move from county to province in one step, it is considered a promotion.
After a natural disaster, the Lu family made money and land, the prisoner was promoted, and everyone was happy!
"From then on, I became an official of the Lu family. I got the top grade every year. In more than ten years, I was promoted to the position of shepherd of Luzhou and took charge of the government."
The prisoner laughed and said: "The classmates who I laughed at back then have become close friends one by one. In order to be with me, they gave me money, gave oirans, wrote poems, and flattered me to the best of my ability!"
"From now on, I will be greedy when I have money, sell out when I have an official position, and be unrestrained..."
"It's also lawless!"
Zhou Yi snorted coldly. This man had experienced wastage and despair, and was completely degenerated by the fear of death.
The prisoner's eyes were dark and his voice was hollow: "What is law? It is the method of the imperial court to govern and control the people! What is heaven? Your Majesty is heaven, the court is heaven, and scholars are heaven!"
Zhou Yi said: "However, you are going to die now."
"The moment I became a lackey of the Lu family, I was already dead."
The prisoner's eyes were empty and lifeless: "So what if you kill me? No one can change the officialdom, and no one can save the court!"
Zhou Yi said coldly: "Every corrupt official counts, and if he is caught, he will be skinned and washed."
The prisoner said: "Those who have been replaced are another group of corrupt officials!"
Zhou Yi asked: "So the imperial court sucked?"
The prisoner shook his head slightly, pointed at his face and said, "It's not that the imperial court is bad, nor is it that the aristocratic family is bad, it's that the scholars are bad!"
Zhou Yi was slightly startled. This guy is indeed a little different from the previous corrupt officials. He asked curiously: "You are the Lu family's dog and you are an official in Luyang. Why did you end up in the sky prison?"
"The master has fattened the dog, so he must kill it and eat it, lest the dog one day turn around and take over."
The prisoner said: "In this way, the Lu family not only robbed money, but also gained people's hearts. The corrupt officials who caused harm to one party were caught by Mr. Qingtian of the Lu family, and the people clapped their hands and applauded!"
"It seems you are not the first dog."
"Not the last one either."
"You never thought about resisting?"
"is that useful?"
The prisoner's rhetorical question made Zhou Yi stunned for a long time.
Thinking about a family that has been passed down for thousands of years is terrifying. Without cheats and plug-ins, there is really no way to start.
Leave the cell.
Zhouyi informed Zhu Xiaowei of the results of the interrogation.
"The Lu family!"
Lieutenant Zhu's eyes widened: "Doesn't that mean we can't catch him back?"
Zhou Yi wondered: "Lao Zhu, you have a problem. Why are you so concerned about this matter?"
"It's okay, it's okay! Lao Zhou, you are busy, I have something to go out for."
Lieutenant Zhu denied it repeatedly, cupped his hands and ran away.
Zhou Yi frowned slightly: "Isn't Lao Zhu just hooking up with some big shot to do things for others? A few million taels of silver is enough to support an army. Those are the only people the entire Fengyang Kingdom can use!"
It's not that I'm worried about Captain Zhu's safety. Everyone must bear the consequences of the path they choose.
Zhou Yi is worried about causing disaster to Yuchi. If Captain Zhu is suspected of a major case, his usual friend will inevitably be affected.
…
A prophecy.
The first month of the eighteenth year of Hongchang.
Before the New Year's celebration has completely dissipated, a shocking case occurred in Fengyang Kingdom, causing turmoil in the court.
Zhao Chi, the prince of the prison country, intends to kill the king!
Jinyiwei caught the imperial chef on the spot who was trying to poison him. After interrogating him overnight, they found the dragon robe and jade seal from the East Palace.
According to the confession of the eunuch of the East Palace, the prince ordered that on weekdays he should be called your majesty, the prince concubine should be called the queen, and the other concubines and concubines should correspond to the harem.
Faced with conclusive evidence and irrefutable, Zhao Chi admitted that he had colluded with the Zhenguo government in an attempt to rebel.
Hongchang was furious!
The Forbidden Army surrounded the Zhenguogong Mansion, and the Jin Yiwei searched the city for relevant princelings.
Lieutenant Zhu is the new pawn under the Crown Prince’s command!
