unclear

Chapter 477 Customs Law

"This... I wonder if your Majesty has any request?"

When talking about principles, the officials were very relaxed. They just said that they had read so many books by sages and had a lot of principles in their stomachs, but when it came to practical applications, they immediately became silent. Only Zhao Shiqing was standing, and it was difficult for the emperor to sit down even if he didn't say anything. He was afraid of losing the chance to propose a candidate, so he had better ask for the specific situation first.

"I don't ask for much. I just need to tell the truth to my superiors and strictly control my subordinates. But I don't have the broad-mindedness of all your dear friends. Anyone who accepts this job will be interrogated by Dongchang and Jinyiwei at any time. The accounts are If there is even a slight difference, the whole family will be executed. Anyone who is accomplices in the crime or who fails to report the knowledge will be executed once found out!”

Seeing the changes in the expressions on the faces of the ministers, Hong Tao couldn't feel happy at all. Putting aside winning or losing for the time being, with just this little courage, this little vision, this little appetite, I really don’t deserve to fight with myself, it’s too low-level.

There are so many traitors in history who have brought disaster to the country and the people, why haven't I caught up with a few of them? There are back and forth, there are losses and there are wins, and fighting is interesting and passionate. If you are always one-sided, your acting skills will deteriorate significantly.

"Your Majesty, no one can make mistakes without being a sage. If there is a slight deviation, the family will be destroyed. How should the courtiers deal with themselves?" Seeing that all his colleagues were frightened by the conditions offered by the emperor and did not dare to say a word, the minister of Dali Temple climbed up to the dragon. Take the initiative to stand up and salute, and speak out with integrity.

"What Gao Aiqing said is wrong! I have never demanded that you all should not make mistakes, otherwise there would be no civil and military personnel in the entire dynasty. I did not hesitate to violate the laws of my ancestors and offend the clan and court officials, and pushed forward the new policy step by step. Is it possible that we have come this far just to enrich some people’s pockets?
The customs office is different from other duties. Taxation and taxation are the lifeblood of the country. Anyone who dares to misrepresent it is digging at the foundation of the country and is a traitor to the country. However, God has the virtue of good life, so I will obey God's will and not kill or behead him. I will instead search my house and do hard labor until I die. I will not be pardoned in case of death. What does Gao Aiqing think? "

What, you dare to say that you are cruel, bah! It is a crime to show any mercy to thieves who steal the country. Since you think it would be too cruel to behead someone who embezzled a little bit of the treasury, let's do it. Let's follow the good example and not kill him. But it's even worse than beheading. Let's go dig rocks in the mines and watch the whole family die from exhaustion.

"...I think this is the way it should be!" Gao Panlong is really not afraid of the emperor's thunderous methods to fight corruption. His family is well-off, he has never been corrupt or bribery since he became an official, and he has never used his power to benefit the family. There is a saying that if you are upright, you are not afraid of a slanted shadow. To strike iron, you need to be strong. It is not about pretending not to be afraid, but really not being afraid.

"Very good! Shen Shangshu, I will draft an edict and submit it to the Ministry of Punishment to revise the "Da Ming Code". From now on, corrupt officials will act according to Gao Aiqing's advice!" Oh, you are arguing, okay, then let you try it What does it mean to be criticized by everyone?

"Your Majesty, corruption should be severely punished, but the selection of candidates for the customs is also urgent. I really can't think of a qualified person for the moment, so please make your decision."

Seeing that the only direct minister in the court who dared to challenge the emperor was in trouble, university scholar Weng Zhengchun had to step in to smooth things over. If this imperial edict is issued, no matter how good Gao Panlong's official reputation is, his colleagues will attack him.

Who among the officials of the Ming Dynasty dares to say that they did not commit corruption? Who can live decently on that little salary? This is no longer a matter of personal character, but the survival of the group. The difference is that some people take more and others take less, it is tacit understanding.

Anti-corruption? There is no emperor in the past who has not fought against corruption, but in the face of the power of the group, at best, they can only capture a few models and scapegoats to express their attitude. Whoever caught up with him would be unlucky. If he couldn't avoid it, he would find two scapegoats for surgery.

Death is nothing to be afraid of. As long as the benefits are sufficient, many officials are willing to die. When a person dies and his sins disappear, his family and family can still live in peace and security, provided that he keeps the money.

If officials who are found guilty of corruption do not behead their heads, but instead send their whole families to hard labor, this situation will not be sustainable. If you can’t keep your money or your family, or even affect the upward path of several generations, then who is willing to take the blame? With no one to take the blame, everyone can only take care of themselves, otherwise it will become a mess. By then, I'm afraid there will be a lot of killings, and the reputation of the civil service group will plummet. Without reputation and justice, there will be nothing.

Compared with the selection of customs officers, the future of all officials is more important. The emperor had been talking for a long time, and he probably understood what he meant. It was just to let the royalists take charge of the customs. What a big deal, it was easy to talk and discuss, and there was no need to go into such a big fight.

You can let anyone go, as long as it's not too outrageous, it doesn't matter. No matter who becomes the governor of customs, he cannot be alone. As long as there are officials and subordinates, in the end he still has to act according to the rules of the officialdom.

"Whether it is the talents recommended by your family or the talents recommended by me, as long as there is money to be made, there will be no shortage of temptations around me. Even if I are put in that position, there is no guarantee that I will always be able to escape the filth.

Saints do not always exist, but laws can last forever. I want to change my thinking and no longer rely on someone's integrity, but place my hope on the law. Here is the customs law that I have drafted. Please take it back and read it carefully, and then discuss it after you think about it. "

Hong Tao would not fall for such a thankless trick, let alone select the backbone of the royalist faction to serve as targets for the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty. But the customs still needs to be separated from the navy. Who should be in charge of it and what are the regulations? It does not rely on court recommendation or holy judgment. To change the way of playing, it should be legislated first and then open to recruitment.

All rules are clearly laid out. Anyone who thinks they have the ability can nominate themselves. If they pass the assessment, they will be appointed immediately. However, there will be supervisors at any time and place to follow the rules and regulations. If you are qualified, you can continue to work. If you are not qualified, I will be sorry and be punished according to the law. As long as there is corruption, it will not be taken lightly.

"Tell Li Ruzhang that starting from tomorrow, he will lead his troops to station outside Dongzhimen and Chaoyang Gate. Every day at 5:00 a.m., the city gates will be closed and they will practice defending and attacking the city. At 5:00 a.m., the city gates will be opened and they will return to camp to rest. I want to see if it is lead bullets. Hard, still hard-boned!”

The imperial meeting ended, but Hong Tao did not rest. The customs law is just an introduction. The reason why the six ministers and nine ministers were asked to take it back and study it carefully was to lure the snake out of its hole and see who would jump out to oppose it.

If it makes sense, it doesn't matter. The customs law can be discussed and even revised. This is the job of the officials themselves. But if you want to make trouble unreasonably, I'm sorry, just go home and do whatever you need to do. Whoever scolded him too harshly took the opportunity to demote him to a commoner and lose his retirement benefits, so as to save more money for the court.

Letting the Army march to the city in the name of drills is Chi Guoguo's deterrent, clearly telling some people that it is better to fight civilly rather than violently. The current emperor is no longer the dull prince he used to be. Not only does he have soldiers in his hands, he is also like a wolf and a tiger, and he is less likely to use evil thoughts.

"Long live my lord, if the Ministry of War asks why the Army is conducting drills in the east of the city, how should Governor Li answer?" Although Wang Chengen is not good at studying, he is very courageous, likes exciting scenes, and is a little afraid of the world being unstable.

When Yangxindian rebelled, he commanded the Cuju team to be on the front line, eager to fight the rebellion to the death. When the Jurchen soldiers came to the city, he stood on the city tower with a helmet and armor, asking over and over whether he would go out to kill the enemy. Now that he heard that the army was going to be transferred back to the city, he knew that there was going to be a big bustle again, and his eyes were full of blazing light.

"Then let the Ministry of War know in advance that it's my wish to not disturb the people and not enter the city. It's just a drill!" Unfortunately, it didn't work out every time. It was the same this time. The emperor's simple words made Wang Chengen excited. All disappeared immediately.

(End of this chapter)