Prime Minister

Chapter 494
Check public money, can not help but think of the public money case.

This was a political blow against Fan Zhongyan and other officials who supported the New Deal during the Qingli New Deal.

Officials generally have two classes of money, the first class is minister's money, and the second class is public money.

People who don't understand often confuse the second class.

All in all, the envoy's money can be put into the pockets of officials themselves, but the public money is the funds allocated to officials by the court, which can be used for officials' banquets, gifts, etc., but cannot be used privately.

This money is a bit similar to public consumption, and officials generally have problems with the use of this money.

Qingli new political affairs, the faction opposed to the reform is using this to attack Zhang Kang, Teng Zongliang, they are Fan Zhongyan's confidantes.

Finally, under investigation, Zhang Kang admitted that he privately used the public money to trade with the Fans, and also used it to hold interest, and even gave the shared money to some of his friends.As for Teng Zongliang, he was the most ruthless, and burned all the account books of the shared money with a fire.

So it can be seen that Zhang Kang and Teng Zongliang have problems with the use of public money.

If you really want to use this matter to deal with a certain official, it can be said that you can check it out.

Hearing that the government wanted to investigate Zhang Yue with public money, Ouyang Xiu couldn't help thinking of the incident between Teng Zongliang and Zhang Kang.

When Emperor Renzong sent Shengdu to investigate Teng Zongliang and Zhang Kang, Ouyang Xiu, who was an admonisher at the time, clearly opposed it.

Now hearing that the officials want to investigate Zhang Yue, Ouyang Xiu stood up again and said: "Officials, court officials can't help but waste public money now, it seems that Teng Zongliang and Zhang Kang were both people who respected Qi at the beginning, and they treated their friends very well. It is good to give money, and the gift is too generous."

"There is nothing wrong with excessive use of public money. As long as today's officials do not invade the provincial officials' money, they are regarded as honest officials."

The officials still respected Ouyang Xiu very much. He said to Ouyang Xiu: "Ou Qing, Teng Zongliang was severely punished at the beginning, not because he abused public funds, but because he burned the account books."

"Naturally, I want to punish Zhang Yue, because he beat up the court officials, not because he abused public funds. I have already decided on this matter, so there is no need for Mr. Ou to persuade him!"

Ouyang Xiu sighed, he had never seen such an official.But at this moment Zhang Mao is already surrounded by the prison guards with the palace guards.

As for Zhang Yue, after beating Han Zhi yesterday, he returned to the Yamen and lived in the official residence of Jiaoyin Prison.

The house I bought with great difficulty in Bianjing was destroyed by the flood, and now my mother and son live in the Wu Mansion, and I did not discuss this with Shi Qiniang, so I bought two bottles of wine and returned to Jiaoyin Prison After that, I poured myself a drink all night, and resolved the emotions in my heart.

When Zhang Maoze arrived, Zhang Yue had just been woken up by Cai Jing, and learned that Zhang Maoze had led the palace guards to surround the Jiaoyin Office, saying that he wanted to hand over the public money account book.

Zhang Yue didn't panic at all, and immediately took off the warehouse key tied around his waist, and asked Zhang Mao to open the account warehouse to check, while he continued to sleep under the quilt.

Cai Jing said yes, and immediately went out to meet Zhang Maoze.

At this moment, all the officials and scribes in Jiaoyin Prison stood at the porch and looked at them in surprise.Zhang Mao said to Cai Jing: "Have these officials ever paid the minister's money every month?"

Cai Jing replied: "Yes, each person's monthly food expenses are five pennies, three small banquets per month, and one big banquet every two months..."

"Is there any female music please?"

Cai Jingdao: "I didn't invite you. In the words of the judge, it's just an extra meal. These are counted as three rounds. Every three months, you will be rewarded with five rounds."

Zhang Mao thought to himself, Zhang Yue actually used all the public money for the welfare of officials in the yamen, how could there be such a clean and honest official?

Zhang Mao said: "Let them go home immediately and bring the credentials of the past few months, our family will check them one by one!"

Cai Jing asked: "Dare to ask, do you know that you want to be chased by branches and vines?"

Zhang Mao said: "That's right, if something happens, no one from the Interchange Office can escape."

When Cai Jing heard this, without saying a word, he immediately stopped all the affairs of the Exchange, including the salt and banknote transactions in the front hall, and asked all the officials, including those who asked for leave, to come to the Exchange.

With just a few words, Zhang Mao left a deep impression on Cai Jing's shrewdness.

Then Cai Jing opened the account room and took out the rolls of dusty account books.

Zhang Mao waved his hand and said, "Just check the public money account book."

Zhang Mao carefully looked at the entry and exit of the public money account book.

The public money handed over to Yin Prison was not embezzled for private use, secondly, no money for lending interest was taken out, thirdly, banquets were refrained from eating and drinking, fourthly, there was no private giving or receiving, and fifthly, there was no enrichment of private pockets.

Zhang Mao was surprised. At that time, all the public money abuses in the yamen, but the Jiaoyin Prison had none of them.

Is there really such an official in the world?
Soon, all the officials in the Yamen of Jiaoyin came from home with receipts.

Cai Jing first sent someone home to get his own receipt and showed it to Zhang Maoze.Zhang Mao saw that it was exactly the same as that recorded in the account book, and there was no discrepancy.

The same is true when other officials arrive from home.

Zhang Mao, on the other hand, was worried about leaving this matter to others, so he went through it himself. When he saw these officials handing over the note to him, there was a calm anger on his face.

Zhang Mao personally found a person and asked, "Is it possible that there is no fraudulent claim in the exchange office?"

The other party cupped his hands and said: "No, the monthly salary paid by the Intermediary Office is very sufficient, and the jailer also subsidizes us with public money. Since the imperial court treats me as a national scholar, I will repay it as a national scholar."

Zhang Mao thought to himself, if this is the case, then the so-called raising national scholars is nothing more than that.

Zhang Mao asked again: "If you tell a lie, do you know what will happen?"

The other party said: "I am a scholar, I will not lie."

After speaking, the other party left.

Zhang Mao checked halfway and found out that Bai had come, he said to Cai Jing, "Where is Zhang Taichang?"

Cai Jingdao: "I am resting in the house."

"Let's go see him."

Zhang Mao pushed the door open and left, but smelled the smell of alcohol, Zhang Yue was lying down in his clothes, not worried about the outside affairs at all.

"Zhang Taichang!" Zhang Mao said politely.

Zhang Yue woke up and looked at Zhang Mao with a sleepy face and said, "Is there anything wrong?"

Zhang Mao said with a smile: "Not yet."

"That's good," Zhang Yue said, "If you don't know how busy you are, let's go after dinner."

Zhang Mao said: "Don't dare to disturb, our family has to go back to the palace to report to His Majesty."

Zhang Mao did not rush to the palace immediately, but went to the kitchen of the Interchange Office to pack a meal for ordinary officials before rushing back to the palace.

Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang, and Ouyang Xiuye ​​haven't left yet.

Zhang Mao explained the ins and outs of the matter to the officials and the three ministers clearly.

Not to mention the officials themselves, even Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang, and Ouyang Xiu had expressions of disbelief.

Then Zhang Mao handed over the food packed from Jiaoyin Prison to officials and chief executives for review, and said that it was eaten by an ordinary official in Jiaoyin Prison.

Everyone looked around but saw fish, meat, vegetables, and small wine, and the staple food was polished rice brought from Huaisi.

This kind of meal is better than that of ordinary officials.

Han Qi, Ouyang Xiu, and Zeng Gongliang even tasted the chopsticks themselves, and the taste of the food was quite good.

Zeng Gongliang asked Ouyang Xiu privately: "Is Zhang Taichang really so clean?"

Ouyang Xiu said leisurely: "His wife is married with 20 guan, so there is no shortage of money to be an official."

"20? Seriously?"

Ouyang Xiu nodded and said: "Really, I am Baoshan of the two of you, and I saw it with my own eyes!"

(End of this chapter)