I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1015 They say they won't bow down for five pecks of rice, yet they all toil for it.

If it were just Fan Yuanshan's personal enjoyment, he could persevere through his own willpower, but the predicament he encountered was not just his personal one.

His father-in-law was a great help to him; it was his father-in-law who gave him the opportunity to study. His wife's only wish was for her father-in-law to have a more dignified 60th birthday.
The child is about to start school; falling behind even one step means falling behind at every step.

Filial piety and the education of offspring—for a person of the Ming Dynasty, this was an extremely severe test.

Fan Yuanshan's annual salary was 28 taels of silver. If the performance evaluation taels were added, he could receive a staggering 36 taels of silver each year, almost the same annual salary as a soldier who had to risk his life on the battlefield. If Fan Yuanshan were not in the capital, this amount of silver would be enough for him to solve all his predicaments.

But he's in the capital, and now he only needs to be a little lenient to make a lot of money flow into his pocket.

A voice kept telling him: Just do it once, just this once, and you'll get fifty years' worth of salary. Everything else will be fine.

"Phew, finally finished sorting it out. Time to tidy up and rest." Fan Yuanshan didn't leniently handle the matter. Instead, he circled all the problems in the accounts and wrote an investigation report, which he would submit to his superior, the tax inspector, tomorrow.

Why not raise the gun barrel an inch higher and let Chen's Sugar Shop pay 12,000 taels less? If Chen's Shop could have a better life, it could offer discounts to the people who buy sugar and give the artisans more wages!

This was clearly a win-win situation, but Fan Yuanshan insisted on showing off his official power. The court took the money, so Chen Ji had no choice but to exploit his subordinates to squeeze all the money back!

Firstly, even if the gun barrel is raised an inch, all the silver will go into the hands of Chen's owner. Chen's owner will not give any discounts, nor will he let the craftsmen have an easy time.
Secondly, this is tax evasion by Chen's Sugar Shop. The tax bureau is investigating and pursuing the matter. It is a debt owed by the owners of Chen's Sugar Shop in order to evade the taxes they should have paid. This is a debt, not an overpayment.

Finally, Chen's Sugar Workshop will exert downward pressure, and there will naturally be unseen forces to intervene, preventing it from gaining sufficient market share. Craftsmen, dissatisfied with their wages, will choose to leave Chen's, and Chen's Sugar Workshop will face operational difficulties.

The capital of the Ming Dynasty and Songjiang Prefecture were places where the commodity economy was transformed. The production relations here were mainly large-scale free employment, rather than the strong personal dependence of the past. Once you came to your shop and became your apprentice, you were expected to be grateful to you and even work like a slave for life.

That's the relationship between slave owner and slave. I sell my labor, and you pay me. It's only natural. It's not a favor.

Just as Fan Yuanshan was about to turn off the lime torch, a figure walked in.

"Commander Fan, busy?" Zhao Mengyou walked in with two commanders and said with a smile, "I saw that your lights were still on, so I came to check on you."

"Greetings, Commander Ti." Fan Yuanshan cupped his hands above his eyes, bowed respectfully, and then straightened up, smiling as he said, "Chen's accounts have just been settled."

Zhao Mengyou took Fan Yuanshan's documents, glanced at them, frowned, and said, "This matter concerning Chen Ji is a hot potato. Our accounting staff are all avoiding it, fearing that they will get into trouble. In the end, it will fall on Director Fan."

“The head of Chen’s business is a man with connections to all sorts of people. He has some connections with the Marquis of Wuding’s mansion. You’ve got quite the nerve.”

All the clues were found by the tax inspectors. In the preliminary investigation, they had already made a preliminary estimate of the scale of tax evasion, but how much they could find out sometimes depended on personal connections.

There is a street in the western part of the Ming Dynasty called Wudinghou Street. This was one of the most powerful and influential families in the Ming Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Renzong, there was also a Consort Guo.

Empress Zhang and Consort Guo vied for the emperor's favor. When the emperor died, Empress Zhang added Consort Guo to the list of those to be buried alive with him, which caused some trouble.

"Commander Ti is joking. Chen Ji does have some connection with the Marquis's mansion, but this tax evasion was not ordered by the Marquis. If the Marquis investigates, he will investigate the owner of Chen Ji, not me, an official serving His Majesty." Fan Yuanshan was not too worried. Marquis Wuding would not cause him any trouble. If he did, it would be equivalent to saying that he, the Marquis, ordered the theft of His Majesty's silver.

It is true that Marquis Wuding is powerful, but Earl Wuqing Li Wei and His Majesty's maternal grandfather were also severely punished for stealing money from the court and His Majesty.

"Director Fan will understand." Zhao Mengyou shook his sleeves and said with a smile, "I was originally planning to come to you tomorrow, but when I was on patrol, I saw that your light was still on, so I'll give it to you today, so you won't keep thinking about it."

"This is the property deed for Da Shi Yong Fang. Take a look. If there are no problems, sign and stamp it here."

Fan Yuanshan accepted the house deed with a solemn expression, his heart pounding several beats faster. The news of the house allocation had been circulating for a long time. After all this time, the official residence had just been built, and now Fan Yuanshan was entitled to a share?!

Your Majesty really wants to allocate houses!

What merit or ability does Fan Yuanshan possess to be allowed to live in this official residence within the inner city of the capital?
Dashiyongfang was adjacent to the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) office, bordered by West Chang'an Street to the north, Xuanwumenli Street to the west, the inner city wall to the south, and the Jinyiwei and Five Military Commissions offices to the east. It was truly at the foot of the imperial city, right under the emperor's nose.

In the twelfth year of the Wanli reign, the Ministry of Revenue clarified the property deeds of the left and right wings of the imperial court and reclaimed them at a fair price. In the fourteenth year of the Wanli reign, the left wing was completely demolished and rebuilt to construct the Left and Right Official Residences of the Ming Dynasty.

The left official residence was the residence of officials from the Six Ministries; the right official residence was the residence of military officers and officials from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

This residence changed with the official's rank, and was considered a type of official residence. If the official was demoted, dismissed, or died, the official residence would be reclaimed.

There's one bad thing about the Left Official Residence: there's a prison in Dongjiangmin Lane. It's called a prison, but it's actually the Ministry of Revenue's second computing center. Only accountants with real skills can get into this prison.

Locals didn't consider this place a prison; they called it the Left Account Prison.

The official residence had two schools, the left and right. The two schools had different focuses: the left school emphasized literature and history, while the right school emphasized mathematics. Although the focus was different, the courses were the same.

The official residence was one of the methods the Ming emperors used to deal with their court officials, though this was, of course, only in the emperors' own perception.

The emperor thought to himself, "These ministers collude with officials outside the capital all day long, setting up guild halls and having their own retainers. They send all the officials and clerks of the capital to these official residences, where they are kept under the watchful eyes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and their hounds. They'll be punished for their secret collusion, for violating the curfew, for indulging in debauchery, and for accepting banquets!"

This shows that the emperor was somewhat arrogant.

Of all the officials in the capital, how many are qualified to establish their own private academies? Among the four provinces of Qi, Chu, Zhe, and Jin, how many possess the prestige of Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong, with their lackeys and cronies throughout the court? And how many are qualified to secretly collude with each other?
And those banquets, those extravagant feasts—how much sincerity is there in the toasts and drinks exchanged between these officials and their rank?

There are great scholars among whom to talk and laugh, and no unlearned people among whom to associate.

The world has classes. They use all their strength to leap over the dragon gate and squeeze into the official class, but they still have to pretend to be polite to these ignorant people for a meager living. Do they really want to do this?

It is said that one should not bow down for five pecks of rice, yet everyone toils and struggles for five pecks of rice.

Fan Yuanshan received the Right Official Residence, a ninth-rank residence, a small courtyard with only one entrance and five rooms: the main house, two side rooms on the east and west sides, and two wing rooms on the east and west sides. It occupied no more than three-tenths of an acre, but it was more than enough for Fan Yuanshan.

"Your Majesty hasn't rested yet? It's already midnight." Fan Yuanshan suppressed his excitement and noticed His Majesty's vermilion annotations on the signature form as he signed. The ink was fresh and clearly had been written not long ago.

His Majesty's imperial edict reads: "Fairness breeds clarity, and integrity breeds authority."

This saying comes from the "Official Admonition Stele," which reads: "Officials do not fear my severity but my integrity; the people do not admire my ability but my impartiality. Impartiality prevents the people from being disrespectful, and integrity prevents officials from being deceitful. Impartiality breeds clarity, and integrity breeds authority."

This quote was also used by Duke Wencheng, Wang Chonggu, in his book "Being an Official" (The Self-Cultivation of the Five-Step Snake).

Officials never feared the strictness of their superiors, but rather their incorruptibility.

The common people never submit to the officials' abilities, but to their impartiality.

When officials are just, the people will not dare to be negligent; when officials are honest, clerks will not dare to easily bully or insult them. Therefore, justice leads to a clear and just political system, and honesty naturally inspires authority.

Clearly, the first group of people to receive the official residence were officials who, through extensive investigation, met the criteria of being fair and impartial and being honest and upright. In other words, those who did not receive the deed were likely to be investigated or were not so clean and needed to be observed further.

"His Majesty has just rested, and this was just delivered by Xiao Chidao." Zhao Mengyou nodded. Fan Yuanshan was a smart man. His lack of skill in scheming was not due to his ignorance of human relationships or stupidity, but simply because there were some things he disdained to do.

"Your Majesty, you are truly diligent." Fan Yuanshan's eyes brightened. He had been busy day and night these past few days, and he had some resentment in his heart, but when he heard that His Majesty had just finished his work, that resentment dissipated.

Comrades travel together and enjoy themselves; friends come from afar—is this not a joy?

Zhao Mengyou thought for a moment and said, "There's one more thing you need to be prepared for. At the latest, the day after tomorrow, you may be transferred to the Censorate, from the ninth-rank Left Accountant to the seventh-rank Censor of the Censorate, still in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but in the Anti-Corruption Division."

“This time, our Tax Inspection Institute has transferred a total of thirty people from the Anti-Corruption Division. You are in charge, so keep an eye on them and don’t let them go astray.”

The Anti-Corruption Bureau was located in another courtyard. Although it belonged to the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it was very close to the Five Military Commands and was no longer under the same jurisdiction. From now on, Fan Yuanshan would no longer be under Zhao Mengyou's control.

"Hmm?" Fan Yuanshan frowned. Zhao Mengyou's words contained a lot of information, and he needed to digest them properly.

After processing all the information, Fan Yuanshan said with some difficulty, "Can I not go?"

"You're being promoted from the ninth rank to the seventh rank, which is a promotion, not a demotion. What's the reason for not going?" Zhao Mengyou asked, somewhat puzzled.

Fan Yuanshan sighed and said, "Commander, the Tax Inspection Office is quiet, peaceful, and clean, without so much filth. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has to deal with officials, so it's not quiet at all. After all this, I'm afraid I'll end up in the Left Account Prison."

"In the tax audit office, the tax auditors are local gentry, powerful families, and merchants. They deal with people under the officials selected by the government. As an official selected by the government, I can naturally be ruthless in the face of the law. But in the anti-corruption department, I have to deal with officials selected by the government, which is a bit more complicated."

“I am not a man of integrity like Xu Chengchu. If I cannot maintain my sense of justice, I am afraid I will die.”

Fan Yuanshan dared to show no mercy to Chen Jifa because he and Marquis Wuding were both officials and part of the ruling class.

"You're studying at the Institute of Science and Engineering, are you studying class theory?" Zhao Mengyou asked in surprise.

The Ming Dynasty scholars and officials were very fond of the theory of contradictions and strongly disagreed with the theory of class. Even at the Royal Institute of Technology, very few people chose to study the theory of class; they mostly chose the theory of contradictions, the theory of public and private interests, and the theory of production. In fact, the Royal Institute of Technology did not have any teachers who specifically taught the theory of class.

Aside from self-study, one can only listen to His Majesty's monthly lectures at the Yilun Hall about class hierarchy, and even then, there's no guarantee of getting a chance to ask questions, as His Majesty is indeed very busy.

Class theory is not easy to learn. If you really delve into it, you are prone to confusion about class identity, morality, and the differences between real classes. This confusion is very dangerous and can cause a lot of bewilderment, and may even lead to doubts about the position of emperor.

Should there really be an emperor? Wouldn't it be better if there weren't? This is already extremely treasonous.

According to Zhao Mengyou's understanding, anyone who can truly master class theory is a traitor, and none of them are innocent.

“I did take class theory,” Fan Yuanshan said, looking around. “I got a perfect score on the graduation exam.”

Fan Yuanshan not only chose to study it, but he studied it very well. In his class, 283 students took the elective course on class theory in the first year, but only 23 students took it in the graduation exam in the fourth year. He was the only one who got a perfect score, and the rest just barely passed.

He also received a comment from His Majesty in imperial ink: "A single spark can start a prairie fire."

"This..." Zhao Mengyou felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, as if he had been struck hard on the head with a sledgehammer, his head buzzing. As the commander of the Imperial Guard, he had a major traitor right under his nose! And a trusted confidant at that, the Left Accountant of the Tax Bureau!

"Which volume have you studied?" Zhao Mengyou asked, somewhat absentmindedly. Fan Yuanshan replied very honestly, "I've finished the third volume, the 'Struggle' volume. The exam mainly covers the third volume. The book is unfinished. His Majesty said there's a fourth volume, but it's not suitable for the present time, so he won't pass it on."

"Therefore, I am more suited to be an accountant at the Tax Bureau."

Zhao Mengyou suddenly stood up and said, "No! Once the Chen's Sugar Shop case is finished, go report to the Anti-Corruption Department! You don't need to come to the Tax Inspection Institute the day after tomorrow."

This hot potato has now been transferred to Grand Secretary Lu Guangzu, instead of Zhao Mengyou. Fan Yuanshan is the censor Lu Guangzu specifically requested to be in charge of all accounting matters.

Zhao Mengyou looked at a burly man beside him and said seriously, "Commander Chen, take two men to help Magistrate Fan pack his things. After Magistrate Fan takes office, come back to receive orders."

Chen Qianhu immediately felt immense pressure, as if this seemingly minor job transfer involved the life and fortune of the Commander-in-Chief.

"Commander, this isn't appropriate for me." Fan Yuanshan was about to say something more, but Zhao Mengyou hurriedly left with another commander.

"Imperial Censor Fan, it's getting late. I, Chen, will escort you home." Having received orders from his superiors, Commander Chen was determined to carry them out. No matter what, this hot potato had to be delivered safely; nothing could go wrong at the tax office.

"Thank you, Commander Chen," Fan Yuanshan said helplessly, even his form of address had changed, it was clear that the Tax Bureau could not keep him.

After Fan Yuanshan returned home with the property deed, his wife was naturally overjoyed. Under some inexplicable pressure, the case of Chen's Sugar Shop was handled quickly and was completed in a single day.

Chen's Sugar Shop was still struggling, but after hearing from somewhere that the commander-in-chief had ordered strict supervision, it stopped struggling and immediately sent the tax receipts for 1.2 taels of silver to the tax office without waiting for the tax office to issue the receipts.

A tax stamp is a valuable document specifically used to pay taxes, serving as a final act of respectability.

Once the tax audit process is initiated and you receive a tax payment reminder, it's equivalent to being marked by the tax authorities. They will then conduct strict inspections. Anyone who has done business knows how terrifying it is to be targeted by government agencies, especially such secret agents and violent agencies.
If you evade two taxes, you'll have to pay double the fine. There's no third overdue payment notice. If you evade taxes a third time, your property will be confiscated.

In a feudal imperial system, if someone were to reach into the emperor's pocket, an emperor with real power and imperial authority would never hesitate to use violence.

If you don't have any rice in your hand, even the chickens won't come.

Therefore, when powerful figures, wealthy merchants, and tycoons are investigated by the tax authorities, they will also conduct their own investigations. The tax authorities will be a little slower, which gives them the opportunity to pay back taxes. If the tax authorities do not have enough tax receipts, they will buy them from others. Some people specialize in the tax receipt business to avoid being targeted by the tax authorities.

Tax auditing is a very complex matter, and the cost of tax auditing is not low. The tax audit institute also holds a positive attitude towards the issue of paying taxes by purchasing tax invoices.

Those who voluntarily pay taxes are not enemies, but rather people who can be won over. The more people who voluntarily pay taxes, the fewer tax evaders there will be, and the tax authorities will be able to accurately target the die-hards.

This aligns with the first principle of tax auditing: conditional probability.

Chen's Sugar Shop has room to maneuver here: by paying the tax invoice, the tax audit process won't be initiated. Chen hopes that Mr. Fan can be lenient and pay as little as possible, so that the case will be closed and won't be reopened.

That's how it is in government offices; reopening a case is extremely difficult.

The tax bureau was open to negotiation from the very beginning. This was a compromise made by the imperial court to save on administrative expenses, and it was also a way to maintain a more dignified appearance.

But since the commander had ordered strict supervision, Chen's Sugar Shop dared not have any more tricks up its sleeve.

Zhu Yijun obtained all the case files for the small case of Chen's Sugar Shop. He had always paid attention to his student Fan Yuanshan. Zhu Yijun had read all forty-four cases, and Fan Yuanshan had already lived up to Zhu Yijun's initial investment in him.

"Has Marquis Wuding arrived?" Zhu Yijun asked, putting down the case file.

A young eunuch hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I have been kneeling outside the gate for almost an hour. Marquis Wuding said that Your Majesty is busy with state affairs and he is kneeling and waiting for Your Majesty. It is not too late to summon him when Your Majesty remembers him."

The young eunuch intended to report it proactively, but Marquis Wuding prevented him. Marquis Wuding then knelt for an hour, waiting for the emperor to finish dealing with the memorial.

Everyone knows that His Majesty is very busy. Whenever there are other arrangements for the day, the light in the Imperial Study will be on until midnight. It is only because His Majesty has practiced martial arts for twenty years and is in good health that he can work so hard.

"Xuan."

"Your Majesty, this sinful subject pays his respects. Long live the Emperor!" Marquis Guo Dacheng of Wuding knelt on the ground and said tremblingly, "This sinful subject only heard about the tax collection by the owner of Chen's Sugar Shop yesterday. Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was due to a mistake in management and was not intentional. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities. You talk a good game, but without your backing, would this Chen Dongjia dare to go to the tax office? And people found out and reported it to me. What a disgrace!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Guo Dacheng finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that no formalities were necessary. He did not want the Marquis of Wuding's mansion to follow in the footsteps of the Earl of Wuqing's mansion.

Guo Dacheng was the eighth Marquis of Wuding. He inherited the title in the 44th year of the Jiajing reign and became a Red Helmet General in the 45th year of the Jiajing reign. From the second year of the Wanli reign, he did not attend to official duties but instead followed three high priests (three dukes) to be responsible for various sacrificial affairs of the Ming Dynasty, including performing suburban sacrifices on behalf of the emperor at the Western Hills Imperial Mausoleum, Nanjing Xiaoling Mausoleum, the Three Mountains and Five Sacred Mountains, and the Temple of Confucius.

This Chen's Sugar Shop is their family business. The younger sister of the owner of Chen's Sugar Shop was a maidservant who came with Guo Dacheng's wife when they married.

Even this relationship with the maidservant was something Chen Ji had to beg and plead for; otherwise, Chen Ji's sugar shop would have faced difficulties at every turn.

These days, any merchant guild without anyone backing them up is like crossing a volcano in the sweltering summer heat – they don't even have a shady spot to hide from the flames.

Logically speaking, even if Chen's Sugar Shop was raided three times for tax evasion, the raid wouldn't have reached the Marquis of Wuding's mansion. Guo Dacheng shouldn't be so panicked. But His Majesty's pursuit is always unreasonable; he only believes in collective punishment, and whoever has taken something must return it with interest.

When Guo Dacheng learned of this, he was so angry he wanted to kill someone.

With a business worth tens of thousands of taels of silver a year and profits of tens of thousands of taels, stealing a mere ten thousand taels of silver is simply asking for a beating.

"Don't make things difficult for Fan Yuanshan. Censor Fan is still useful." Zhu Yijun specifically reminded him that this matter should end here. If there are any further developments, don't blame the emperor for being ruthless.

Guo Dacheng pondered for a moment before replying, "Your Majesty, I am terrified. Fan Yuanshan is a rare upright and honest official in our dynasty. Our dynasty is in dire need of capable people. How could I dare to make things difficult for him?"

"There are those who are virtuous and upright, but few who possess both qualities. Out of the 120,000 officials in the bureaucracy, those who possess both can be counted on one's fingers."

There are very few upright and honest officials.

Seeing that Guo Dacheng was a reasonable person, Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "It's good that you have this intention. In the 23rd year of the Zhizheng era, during the Battle of Poyang Lake, the Duke of Ying was seriously wounded, but he still fought to the death and pursued Chen Youliang, defeating the enemy at Jingjiang Estuary. In the first year of the Wu dynasty, the Duke of Ying was in Taiyuan. He launched a night attack on Wang Baobao's camp and almost captured Wang Baobao alive."

"The Marquis of Wuding's family has been with the nation through thick and thin. It has been passed down from the Hongwu era to the present day and has its own family precepts. Do not make a mistake."

Marquis Wuding, Wang Baobao, was incredibly good at running away. Each time, he would escape with only a few riders. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty would not have suffered a major defeat in the northern expedition against Lingbei.

Zhu Yijun mentioned Guo Ying, the Duke of Yingguo. In the Battle of Taiyuan, Guo Ying launched a surprise attack on Wang Baobao's camp and almost captured the legendary Wang Baobao alive.

Guo Ying later conquered Yunnan and pacified Liaodong, thus escaping the Lan Yu case. During the Jianwen era, Guo Ying also fought against Prince Yan, Zhu Di, with Li Jinglong, but they lost. After Guo Ying's death, Zhu Di, who was already the emperor, posthumously granted Guo Ying the title of Duke of Ying.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Guo Dacheng hurriedly bowed his head again. This time it was a lesson, next time it would be punishment, and the third time it would be stripping him of his title, and the Wuqing Earl's Mansion would be gone.

Guo Dacheng naturally had to learn from his experience. As long as he didn't provoke His Majesty's wrath, his family could continue to be hereditary and prosperous, and his family could remain so illustrious as long as the Ming Dynasty was at its peak.

"Your Majesty, I take my leave." After listening to His Majesty's admonition, Guo Dacheng left the Imperial Study in Tonghe Palace.

After Guo Dacheng left, Feng Bao placed Grand Secretary Lu Guangzu's memorial in front of His Majesty and whispered, "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Lu wants to return the goods and send Fan Yuanshan back to the Tax Bureau."

"This is what he specifically requested. It's only the first day, and he wants to return it. Is state affairs a game? Does he think he can do whatever he wants?! Does the court belong to Lu Guangzu?" Zhu Yijun said, holding the memorial with slight dissatisfaction.

Fan Yuanshan was doing well at the tax bureau, and even managed to get the deed to the official residence.

Lu Guangzu wanted people, but he didn't dare to ask for them himself. He went to Zhang Juzheng, who argued with the emperor before he finally got them.

"Well, if I were Grand Secretary Lu, I would indeed have to return him." After reading the memorial, Zhu Yijun suddenly felt that Grand Secretary Lu's request was not too unreasonable, because Fan Yuanshan had become a completely different person after being transferred from the Tax Inspection Bureau to the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

On his very first day, Fan Yuanshan addressed everyone in the Anti-Corruption Department:
Heaven does not bestow power upon man, nor does the earth lend him profit. All titles, positions, wealth, and ranks are given by man himself. Without hard work, one cannot establish a foundation; without struggle, one cannot solidify one's roots. Through struggle, power and privilege are attained; through labor, benefits arrive. Even the natural cycle of life and death is not bestowed by Heaven, nor by any divine intervention.

Zhu Yijun was the author of Volume III of The Theory of Classes, and he fully understood Fan Yuanshan's meaning: Heaven has never endowed mankind with any rights; all existing human rights are given to mankind by mankind.

Any status, wealth, fame, etc., are achieved through labor and struggle. The extent to which one's rights are attained determines the extent of one's rights. Human rights have no sacredness whatsoever; even survival is no exception.

Fan Yuanshan not only said it, but more importantly, he did it. He believed that:
To combat corruption, we must mobilize officials and the people to fight corruption, seek clues from among the masses, cast ten thousand iron boxes for grievances, and place them in the bustling streets of prefectures and counties throughout the country. They will be inspected monthly, and any officials who dare to obstruct the process will be punished along with their accomplices.

The performance evaluations of governors, imperial inspectors, and censors of the Censorate were all included in the assessment.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau's original intention was to curb the scale of corruption, but Fan Yuanshan's actions were even more dramatic than those of Zhu Yuanzhang back then.

This iron box was placed at the entrance of a busy street, right in front of everyone. If the local officials obstructed it, the people would naturally know. If the governor, the imperial inspector, or the censor opened the box to inspect it, they could report it directly and be punished along with the others.

Being implicated by others can affect your family.

Within the imperial court, factions were numerous, and an official could be involved with several factions. The same was true in local areas; neither the imperial court nor local government offices were ever a monolithic entity.

The officialdom is the biggest arena for fame and fortune in the world.

The dangers of infighting in local government offices even surpass those in the imperial court. Once it is determined that those guilty of the same crime are jointly punished, this iron box becomes a vortex and a tool of struggle. Countless eyes are watching, and the slightest movement will be known to everyone.

Fan Yuanshan's method, which utilizes human nature, has a certain possibility of being realized, but it cannot be used.

If this iron box is really sent down, everyone will be in danger, and the local government will be too busy fighting amongst themselves to do anything else.

“Minister Fan is indeed a bit extreme, but his idea is very good.” Zhu Yijun agreed with Fan Yuanshan’s approach.

He thought it was worth a try, for example, arranging several hundred people in the capital, and several hundred people in Yingtian Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture, to see the effect.

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely not advisable!" Feng Bao quickly pulled back the emperor, who was eager to try. This was not a good idea. If this were done, factional strife would break out, and the excellent reform situation would likely become fraught with danger.

(End of this chapter)