The Nanjing Household Department has a lot of things to do this year and is very busy. No problem, add more people!
Another large-scale creation of the Yellow Book, this time it is necessary to lay a good foundation for the new laws of the Jiajing Dynasty. No problem, add money!
"...The Yellow Book is an important matter, and the Ministry of Household Affairs in Nanjing has recommended that it be specially recognized. The Palace of State Affairs requested to add more officials and allocate special funds. Xia Congshou worked diligently and gave good advice. Yin Yizi was admitted to the Nanjing Imperial College and was granted additional funds. Doctor De..."
Xia Congshou knelt in front of Zhang Jin, listening to the contents of the imperial edict, his heart sank.
Faced with such a big event and such a huge amount of money, is this the efficiency in Beijing that it was decided immediately after his memorial arrived?
No, just wait for the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs to take action.
Now Xia Congshou took action, but on the surface it was purely based on work needs, so he received praise and rewards from the emperor.
But the affairs of Huangceku are under the responsibility of the newly added Nanjing Ministry of Household Land and Land Clearance Department? This department has not sent a doctor yet, but Huang Ceku's full-time director and treasury manager... are all officials sent from Beijing.
Xia Congshou naturally has the power to arrange how people manage and how money is spent. But, can he make random arrangements? Are the words above and below right?
Xia Congshou still had to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for understanding my situation and showing such kindness. I feel ashamed..."
A top-notch title of a Zide doctor, and a favor from Nanjing Imperial College: If you want to guard the authority of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs, you should always stay in Nanjing.
Zhang Jin smiled and waited for him to thank him and accept the order. After he got up, he said: "Xia Shangshu, since Huang Ceku has a new director, before Director Zhan takes office, our family will ask the servants to guard the door first."
"...as it should be."
"Congratulations to Xia Shangshu."
"...I'm sorry for bothering Eunuch Zhang." Xia Congshou handed the imperial edict to his son with both hands, and then took a calligraphy and painting from the butler's hand, "It's not respectful, I hope Eunuch Zhang doesn't dislike it."
"How dare you?"
Zhang Jin took the things over.
He was once the chief minister of etiquette, but now he guards Nanjing. There are only a few people who are qualified to thank him for delivering orders.
Zhang Jin knew how to handle the greetings and farewells between these people and him, not to mention the meaning of the emperor's decree. Could Xia Congshou not understand?
Seeing that he handed the calligraphy and painting to the young eunuch behind him to hold first, Xia Congshou felt a little relieved.
Being willing to accept it shows that this temptation has not led to a dead end.
At this time, he had a wry smile on his face: "Officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs in Nanjing, on top of their heavy official duties, they also encountered the Beijing inspection, so they complained a lot. When I took office in Nanjing, I lacked talents, failed to control, and worried about the court. I am really ashamed. Only Your Majesty, the Chief Assistant, and all the ministers in the imperial court have taken the clear view and agreed to solve my urgent problem. When everyone in the household department knows this good news, they will all be called saints and work hard."
In front of the emperor and his relatives and ministers, Fei Hong was the chief assistant.
At other times, Fei Hong was the general manager.
The difference of one word is a special thing in officialdom.
Xia Congshou humiliated himself in front of Zhang Jin and also complained, indicating that the Nanjing Household Department's complaint this time was caused by many reasons, and he just couldn't help it as the leader of everyone.
Zhang Jin smiled and said: "It's like this among the Nanjing ministries, and it's difficult for Xia Shangshu to do it. Your Majesty and Mr. Fei are understanding of this. Xia Shangshu, after receiving the decree, please submit a thank you note as soon as possible. "
"Natural... natural..."
After sending Zhang Jin off, Xia Congshou stood blankly at the door of the main hall of the house.
"Father, Your Majesty knows that things in Nanjing are difficult to handle. Then Enyin, let Sanlang..."
His son's joyful voice and footsteps appeared behind him. Xia Congshou suddenly burst into anger, turned around and slapped him: "Idiot!"
After the crisp sound, his son looked at his father with his face covered in confusion, not understanding why he commented like an idiot.
By conferring favor and patronage, isn't Your Majesty praising my father?
After Xia Congshou finished spanking his son, his palms were trembling and his steps were heavy.
Early in the morning, before he went to the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Jin came over to announce the decree.
The decree comes faster than the official document from the court.
At present, in the whole of Nanjing, how many people know about the court's decision and that a group of more than a hundred people will be appointed to the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs?
What is certain is that only Tobe knows it!
The reward has been given and the gift of thanks has been received. What will you do, Xia Congshou?
But what are Your Majesty, Fei Hong, Yang Tinghe and others planning to do! Do the dirty tricks in the Yellow Book Library really need to be thoroughly investigated and aired?
The additional allocation was only six to seven hundred thousand taels of silver, but the total number of fields that had been handed over to the world in a tricky way and whose records were faulty. After so many years of accumulation, was the total number hundreds of thousands of hectares, or was it a million hectares?
One acre of one hundred acres, one acre of land ranges from taels of silver to one or twenty taels of silver. What is the total number of interests involved? With officials and gentry on one side and ordinary people on the other, the imperial court was so confident that taking over Nanjing Huangceku with such fanfare would not cause big problems?
With only an extra six to seven hundred thousand taels of silver, he, Xia Congshou, could handle the matter of re-creating the Yellow Book properly and help the imperial court to safely go through a comprehensive clearing of land and land, which in every dynasty would inevitably lead to many deaths and lives. The difficulties of many things suppressed the stormy waves with total benefits reaching tens of millions of taels of silver!
This is what Xia Congshou relied on, but this imperial edict told him: Your situation is too small.
"...crazy, crazy..."
Xia Congshou murmured to himself that his son also thought his father was crazy. Why did he become hysterical after slapping himself?
Xia Congshou was indeed hysterical and he didn't know what to choose.
impossible. The idea of the emperor and the court was to direct the anger of so many officials and gentry fighting for land ownership with the common people to Xia Congshou: it was the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs who wanted more money to completely handle this reconstruction of the Yellow River. Registering important events.
There are so many officials and gentry who need to be forced to spit out the land they have obtained through unclean means. There are so many officials who have participated in tampering with yellow records at the county, prefecture, province, and ministry levels before. They may not have the courage to rebel. A few high-ranking officials must have the guts to vent their anger.
Fight for the power of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs? That's not the problem now.
The greatest authority of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs is the collection and transshipment of grain taxes from the four provinces, as well as Nanjing Huangceku and Yanyin. How much power we had before, now we have great responsibility!
Xia Congshou's face became paler and paler: When I went to the Ministry of Revenue today, how could I tell the officials below and ask them to do something?
Zhang Jin has stated that during this period, Huangceku is closed first and no one should go in or do anything.
Can't we just keep the status quo? For those fields that are now owned by wealthy officials and gentry, their psychological expectations have been lowered and they are already prepared to pay land taxes every year in the future. Isn't this enough?
Xia Congshou didn't have much time, because official documents from the State Council and the Ministry of Household Affairs in Beijing must also be on the way.
No matter how high the priority of the imperial edict is, it will not be much faster than the official documents delivered by Tongyi Bureau today.
He had only one day, or at most two days, to make a decision.
...No, now Beijing and the northern provinces are already looking at the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs from afar to see how the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs is doing.
After Xia Congshou received the praise, did he hinder it or take advantage of the situation to make contributions to the emperor?
"... Prepare the sedan chair and go to the Governor's Yamen!"
…
That day, Xia Congshou in front of Yang Tinghe was calm and wise.
Today, after the sedan chair of the Minister of Hubu stopped at the gate of Governor Yingtian's courtyard, Xia Congshou entered the courtyard with a heavy heart.
After seeing him in the official hall where Yang Tinghe met officials and entertained guests, Xia Congshou knelt down and worshiped him with great sadness and indignation.
"Xiaguan is public-spirited! Naturally, the cabinet knows how important the reconstruction of the Yellow Book is. Nowadays, the Ministry of Household Affairs has set up a special department to clean up the land. Nearly two hundred new officials have been sent to Nanjing. Xiaguan has been appointed to the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs, but he does not know that your majesty and the imperial court are involved. What is the strategy, what is the clever way to solve the fierce battle for land and land in various provinces! I live in the second rank in vain and know nothing. Please teach me what to do?"
He was kneeling, but his words were very sad and angry, which was not the same as his posture in front of Zhang Jin.
It was as if Yang Tinghe was one of his own and could speak his mind.
A dignified second-rank man, I don’t understand what the imperial court has to rely on to pick such a thing. Is Xia Congshou at fault?
"...Why should Rushan be like this? Get up first."
Yang Tinghe recalled his words "I am a public-spirited official" and went to help him up in person and asked him to take a seat.
That's right, the possible conflict of interest involved in the Yellow Book Library was his reliance, so his public-spirited intention to ask for an additional "good" old book and hundreds of thousands of taels of silver later was also his reliance.
Can anyone deny that making the Yellow Book as it was during the Hongwu and Yongle years is clearly creating a crisis?
But Xia Congshou's last words were his real complaint to Yang Tinghe, the court, and the emperor: As a second-rank high-ranking official, why are there some people who are on the advisory board, while others who are far away from the center are being pinched?
Who is worse than whom?
When Beijing is reforming government agencies, the central power distribution that began in the 16th year of Zhengde will always have winners and losers.
Xia Congshou was different from Meng Chun. He did not want to rebel. He just wanted to show his ability, emphasize the value of the existence of the Nanjing Household Department, and strive for the power that he should have as a second-rank official.
So the two of them sat down, and Yang Tinghe spoke first: "It's as clear as a mountain, why should I resign as the chief assistant?"
Xia Congshou's mood jumped out from the half-acted and half-real grief and indignation before, and he was slightly stunned: Yes, if we talk about power, doesn't the power of the general manager be great? For Yang Tinghe, that was already within easy reach.
"...I would like to ask you for advice."
Xia Congshou couldn't say: You are afraid that you will suffer disaster after being the party leader for a long time, so you should protect yourself wisely.
But he still knew very well how strong a will it would take to refuse such a temptation at that time, and there must be other considerations.
Yang Tinghe asked him: "Rushan thinks that with the establishment of a prime minister and a minister of state, governors in all provinces, twenty-four advisers, and seven people in the state hall, do these important ministers have greater power or heavier burdens?"
Xia Congshou didn't answer and sat there motionless.
"Have you received the order? Now that Rushan knows it, the burden is heavier, right?" Yang Tinghe smiled, "Rushan said that he lived in the second rank in vain and knew nothing. Doesn't it mean that those who don't know are not guilty?"
Xia Congshou had to answer this, but Yang Tinghe pointed out his resentment: "The government and the public will not think that Xianguan knows nothing! Xianguan is the first to bear the brunt. Is it possible to prevent Beijing from sending officials to thoroughly investigate the Yellow Book and clarify the world's land? Do you belong? Or do you ignore the need for steady implementation of the new law, causing panic among the officials, gentry, and officials in all provinces? The lower officials don’t understand, but the chief minister wants to wipe out centuries-old abuses in the land and complete his achievements in one battle? The chaos in Huguang is not far away!"
He was referring to Fei Hong, but in fact he was referring directly to the emperor.
Xia Congshou always believed that it would be better for the Ming Dynasty to retain the settings of the various ministries in Nanjing and leave a buffer in a place farther away from the emperor and the central government and in a more convenient place.
Things in this world cannot be black and white, there must always be a buffer zone.
Not only do they have to pay land taxes, but they also have to fight against the wealthy officials and gentry to divide their ancestral lands?
Even if it's just the fields they got uncleanly, they still belong to them at this moment.
No one is impatient?
How can an emperor always stimulate his subjects to rebel?
"Who said we need to thoroughly investigate the pornographic records? Who said we need to finish the work in one battle?" Yang Tinghe asked strangely.
Xia Congshou was stunned for a moment, and then became even more sad and angry: "So, the lower official is living in the second rank in vain and knows nothing!"
Yang Tinghe suppressed his smile, and the majesty of the chief minister for many years radiated out. His eyes were bright and he said coldly: "Why don't you become the chief minister, and then you will be satisfied?"
Xia Congshou suddenly felt a chill in his heart.
"You came here today, why do you need to do this show? You have met the governor, and you can talk to him about your behavior from now on?"
Yang Tinghe continued to output: "What? After becoming the second grade, you can no longer obey orders and act according to orders?"
"...That's not what I meant."
"In the 16th year of Zhengde's reign, you were still the right chief envoy of Fujian, and now you are the minister of household affairs in Nanjing. Did I treat you poorly when I was the chief assistant, or did your majesty fail to recognize your talents and appoint someone biasedly?"
"...I don't dare, the lower official."
But look at Zhang Fuking!
"Second grade, dignified. Kneel down before entering. Whose ears do you want these gossips to reach?"
Xia Congshou was sweating profusely: "I really don't have this intention."
Yang Tinghe then slowly softened his tone: "What can you think of, is it possible that all the princes in the court are idiots, and your majesty is also a foolish king, and does not know the pros and cons? Do you think that your majesty rewards you just to force you to go?" What are you doing? You are smart and have not taken issue with the capital of Nanjing yet, so you gave His Majesty and the imperial court the petition they wanted!"
"Xiaoguan..." Xia Congshou now felt that he was not so smart. Could it be that the Nanjing Household Department and his reaction were also part of the plan?
"The imperial court has decided to implement the new law this year to all provinces only to clear land and reform government agencies. The final result of clearing land will naturally be transferred to the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs. If the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs does not take this burden, then Beijing will do it. Now you have to If you choose, then choose well. Being able to choose well is your real talent!"
Yang Tinghe looked at Xia Congshou with a smile on his lips: "Rushan is willing to carry the burden, so the Holy Heart is greatly comforted and sends a decree to reward him."
"...Aren't you going to conduct a thorough investigation into the pornography register?" Xia Congshou's voice was much softer, and he looked at Yang Tinghe eagerly.
Then I also need to be able to know whether I can carry this burden!
Carrying a burden also depends on posture. How many sets of preparation plans have you made for the response of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs to the Qingzhang Tiantu issue?
"Investigation, of course, is necessary. What you do after checking the Yellow Book is very important. The Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs has been really afraid of investigation for more than two years. Has Rushan forgotten how he came to be in Nanjing?"
Xia Congshou was shocked.
Why did the Nanjing Household Department suddenly become ebullient this year when they encountered the Beijing Police?
In the third year of Jiajing's reign, Yin Mengchun of the Yingtian Prefecture and the Nanjing Household Bureau planned together and sent official documents to each of the four provinces where the Nanjing Household Bureau collected grain and taxes on behalf of the Nanjing Household Bureau. He was then taken away south by the Jinyi Guards and was accused of treason.
How many of the remaining low-level officials and clerks in the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs are actually always worried?
Could it be that checking the dirty books is only used to continue purging these low-level officials and "officials" in Nanjing?
Yang Tinghe looked at him with deep meaning in his eyes: "You were a Jinshi in the sixth year of Hongzhi. Xixian was the eldest uncle at that time, and his son Liu Dong was your official. I am not your master, but now I can give you a nod. "
"... I want to be taught by you, please give me a clear explanation from the cabinet."
"If you are not from Qingliu, you should have figured it out a long time ago." Yang Tinghe sighed, "If you want to implement the new law well, the biggest difficulty is not the officials, but the officials. In the reform of the government offices, all provinces have set up eight or nine grade officials, and given the grade , giving birth and salary, are your majesty and the imperial court going to support the officials who have feasted on the flesh and blood of the village, and coax them to help implement the new law? Expand the rural examination enrolment, add deputy rankings, when will everyone below the seventh grade understand clearly You are so righteous. There are so many government decrees that even some second-rank officials are not fully aware of them now! How much better is your Nanjing Household Department than a sieve?"
Xia Congshou finally had an enlightenment and bowed sincerely: "I know how to write a thank you form, and I also know how to use it this time."
To deal with the officials who handled the most official documents from the yellow records does not mean that we need to thoroughly find out which fields have changed hands and have problems and take them back from the current landowners.
However, the officials who helped many local people tamper with the yellow books were punished. Even if they did not take the initiative to cause trouble for some wealthy officials and gentry, in order to avoid disasters and for the sake of the new rules of rural sages, they would be divided into two categories. .
During this long period of only being an official, there were always those who were smart enough to find ways to get out of trouble proactively, either by donating their land to government officials, donating it to school land, or selling it at low prices.
The smart ones turned into village sages, old problems were solved, and new statuses were gained. Finally, those who clung to the land they had obtained by means of tricks were the next batch of targets to be implicated.
The imperial court is very good at playing with blunt knives.
Since the purpose is to be an official, how can it be publicized in advance? Which yamen's official documents don't pass through the hands of clerks first?
In the Nanjing Hubu Yamen, low-ranking officials with official status are still uneasy. However, the officials and servants working in Nanjing Hubu are still just servants and do not have the opportunity to obtain official status like other provinces.
"Going to the Qinhuai River to have fun again tonight?" The waiter on the other side of the concierge winked, "Recently, the girls' business has been entirely taken care of by us. The top brass in Tingxue Pavilion is now willing to meet people like us."
His good friend sighed: "Jingcha is so nice."
As soon as the Beijing inspection came, the officials of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades no longer dared to play around. The officials of the Department of Science and Technology were visiting everywhere.
Because the Kedao Yanguan is visiting everywhere, the officials who may be interviewed in their yamen see more smiling faces than before during this period, and there are even some "rewards" (sealing). silver.
I just hope there will be inspections in Beijing every year!
"You said that Sinong's petition will be approved by the court?"
"If you agree, it's a day of permission, and if you don't, it's a day of disapproval." He took a sip of tea and said lazily, "But if you agree, the processing fee for the yellow book copying will also increase. Not to mention seven Cheng, 35% is going to go up, right?”
"Thirty-five percent?"
Good friends admire.
Of course, for such a large workload as copying pornographic books, we need to hire someone else. If you want to work in the Nanjing Household Affairs Bureau, you will of course have to spend money to ask someone to intercede. If you want to tamper with the pornographic book, which time won't the top and bottom of your mouth be sealed?
Lord Shangshu asked for an extra 70%, but they only asked for an extra 35%. How conscientious!
"Master Shangshu has arrived."
The guard stationed outside the door shouted, and the two of them quickly changed their expressions and walked out of the porter's room, ready to welcome Xia Congshou.
Xia Congshou didn't look sideways when he passed by them, he just nodded with a straight face.
Wonderful indeed. If you have an official status, you will have another set of rules. It's a crime, easy to investigate. They are just officials and do not bear responsibility.
Give them official status first, and then get rid of them. Let them know that things will be different in the future. That is establishing new rules.
Xia Congshou originally thought that the court would be in trouble for the other hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, but now he suddenly wanted to understand why the court was so rich.
In local counties, how many families whose families have been officials for generations are actually richer than the family of the county magistrate?
He went straight to his official hall and saw Liu Dong sitting there. After seeing Xia Congshou, he stood up and saluted and said hello: "Da Si Nong."
Then, there is Tong Rui.
"What's the matter?" Xia Congshou sat down and looked at them.
"I heard that Eunuch Zhang went to Sinong's Mansion early in the morning to announce the decree?" Tong Rui asked solemnly.
"Then I went to Governor Yingtian's Ministry."
Xia Congshou was not surprised. He knew that when the dignified Nanjing garrison eunuch took people to his house, if there was an imperial edict, they would be served on a Huang Chou plate.
"Your Majesty has a decree?" Tong Rui naturally asked about the content of the decree.
Xia Congshou slapped his son hard, and those who were qualified to hear the imperial edict were strictly ordered not to talk nonsense. Tong Rui had no way of knowing the content of the emperor's edict.
But Xia Congshou just said dullly: "The other 70% of the silver is for sure."
"So fast?" Tong Rui was surprised, "How could the State Council and the National Policy Conference reach a decision so quickly?"
The Ministry of Household Affairs in Beijing has been promoted from the second-rank minister to the third-rank minister, to the fourth-rank general secretary... Just looking at the content of the government office reform, it is to enrich the government office structure and directly connect with the provincial governments for convenience.
How many reasons does the Nanjing Household Department have for its existence? How much authority will be reduced?
In this case, how could Fei Hong and Beijing's Minister of Household Affairs agree so readily to Nanjing's request?
Xia Congshou continued: "After Houhu is closed, our Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs will also set up a land and cleansing department. The person in charge is Zhan Rong, a first-class Jinshi of Xinke. In addition, there are 176 Xinke chief and deputy officials who are going south. , are all officials of the Department of Land and Cleansing. Most of them will go to various prefectures and prefectures after reporting to our Nanjing Household Department, and their envoys will be Yellow Register Inspectors and Inspection Commissioners."
Tong Rui opened his mouth, and then said angrily: "In that case, why not just set up a new Huangceku in Beijing!"
Liu Dong said in shock: "With such a sharp display, isn't the imperial court afraid that the world will talk about it and the government and the public will be shocked?"
"What are you talking about? What are you shocked about?" Xia Congshou glanced at him, "Is it true that the yellow book is indeed inaccurate and full of mistakes?"
Liu Dong also became like Tong Rui. He opened his mouth, but couldn't speak.
There is a problem with the Yellow Book, a huge problem, but it is a secret that everyone knows.
Who is going to take the initiative to tell the truth and let His Majesty order a thorough investigation?
"This is just because the officials in Nanjing have to respond to the Beijing inspection, and people's hearts are uncertain, so they sent more manpower. They are new officials and do not need to be inspected by the capital. They can concentrate on preparing for the yellow book and rebuilding things." Xia Congshou said, "Besides, the decree There was no mention of checking the yellow register for any errors. Those who stayed in Nanjing were only seven new scholars, making preparations in the middle."
"...Is this a good person?" Tong Rui said.
"You are a new official, and I am also a new official. Even if there is something wrong with the yellow list in the treasury now, can it be blamed on you and me?" Let’s wait until the official documents arrive and the people arrive.”
Twenty taels of silver per volume was lower than the budgeted cost in Beijing. Neither Xia Congshou nor Tong Rui had thought of making any money from this matter before. They only thought that since they were sent to Nanjing, they were afraid that they would have no chance of promotion, and the authority of the Nanjing Household Department could not be reduced - that was their hope for future status and influence.
But giving money and giving it to so many people who specialize in this matter, isn't this a seizure of power? Although this power still ostensibly belongs to the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs.
Tong Rui knew that now was not the time for discussion, so Xia Congshou finally told him the news first.
Liu Dong was named by Yang Tinghe at the "coordination meeting" before, but now he is more actively involved in the coordination meeting.
Is there no one who can stand up and say something for Nanjing? Nanjing should be the capital!
If the Xuanfu of Datong is in danger, the Tatar army will attack the city in an instant, and the country will hang upside down!
Since we must prepare our troops for the Northern Expedition, why should we cut off the retreat from Nanjing first?
He also returned to his office, laying out paper and writing hard.
Nowadays, only a high-ranking official like his father can inspire others and rein in the situation!
The person surnamed Xie doesn’t even want to talk about it, but the Liu family has always had the courage to make decisions!
(End of chapter)
