Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

Chapter 409 The lost Situ Fang, the year-end bonus is here (please subscribe!!)
"I have agreed to pay the year-end bonus, dear friends, please do not push yourself too far!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice.

The voice was cold and filled with anger.

quiet--

After the words fell, the entire Tai Chi Hall suddenly became quiet.

The officials who were still shouting and wailing all looked like miniature ostriches, burying their heads deeply.

The officials who had previously asked for a salary increase were even more frightened and shivering.

Seeing that all the civil and military officials were so cowardly, Ouyang Lun was a little bit open-eyed.

I thought he was the king, but it turned out that they were all made of bronze!

We have tried all the methods and atmosphere for you, but in the end you have become cowardly.

"Consort Ouyang really tried his best for the welfare of officials like me!"

Forget it.

"Consort Ouyang, you are simply a role model for us!"

After speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang waved the sleeves of his dragon robe heavily, turned and left.

Ouyang Lun muttered.

"Even Lao Zhu must have misunderstood, right? He is very petty, so I have to be more careful recently."

"That's pretty good too."

The officials expressed their gratitude one after another.

In the Tai Chi Hall, applause and cheers immediately rang out.

You are really a bunch of pig teammates. You deserve to be squeezed and exploited by Zhu Yuanzhang. If you are sent to the new century like this, you are definitely destined to work illegally. You don't even know how to fight for your own rights.

"If there is anything needed, Prince Consort Ouyang will just arrange it!"

"That's right! His Majesty was obviously angry just now because of the salary issue. If the entanglement continues, His Majesty will probably kill someone!"

The officials expressed their opinions to Ouyang Lun one after another, and after speaking, the officials left en masse.

You are all so cowardly that we alone can't defeat Zhu Yuanzhang's thick legs.

"Today Prince Consort Ouyang is waving the flag and shouting for us, and we will definitely speak out for Prince Consort Ouyang in the future!!"

Ouyang Lun returned the gift, "My lords, I am doing this to help myself. We have worked hard for a year, so what's the point of asking for a year-end bonus? No problem!"

The words fell.

"Let Prince Consort Ouyang take his time and let's not disturb him."

The civil and military officials in Taiji Hall who dared not complain and Ouyang Lun who looked helpless were left behind.

Soon only Ouyang Lun was left in the Tai Chi Hall.

"Contradict His Majesty again and again? I didn't!?" Ouyang Lun said with some confusion.

"But Prince Consort Ouyang still stood up bravely, which really makes us admire him. However, this is really too dangerous. Accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger. If you are not careful, you may die."

"Ouyang Prince Consort, we are actually very happy to get the year-end bonus. You really don't have to contradict His Majesty again and again just to give us a salary increase. This is not a good thing for you!"

"Ouyang Prince Consort, don't be humble now. We all saw it just now. His Majesty's eyes could kill people, but you dare to stand up for us. I have to say that you are the first person I have ever seen who dares to do this with His Majesty. I admire those who speak!”

"I just want everyone to know that as long as you work hard, do things well, and achieve results, the year-end bonus will be very generous, and the desire to work hard next year will be even stronger!"

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately glared at Ouyang Lun with a fierce look, and did not give Ouyang Lun anything to react to. "Since my dear friends have nothing else to do, let's stop here today and retreat from the court!!"

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang leaving, the civil and military officials quickly raised their heads. The ministers did not leave, but surrounded Ouyang Lun.

"Let's go now, I haven't even finished speaking yet."

"If you misunderstand, just misunderstand. Now all Ming officials owe us a favor!"

"We will definitely keep this kindness in mind!"

"Ouyang Prince Consort, you are such a good person!"

"Yes! That is Ouyang Consort. If it had been anyone else, he would have been killed by His Majesty."

"Your Majesty, my son-in-law"

"If it weren't for Prince Consort Ouyang's 'year-end bonus' plan, my family would almost be in trouble."

Ouyang Lungang handed over his hand and was about to speak.

"You must take care of yourself!"

"Damn it! I just wanted to ask if I should show it to His Majesty first after the taxes are calculated. I have no intention of continuing to forcefully raise the salary! How are you all so impressed with yourself!"

Ouyang Lun thought for a while, then left the Tai Chi Hall with his hands behind his back.

Another official spoke.

Ouyang Lun said speechlessly.

"My lords, please rest assured. After I go down, I will definitely urge the Ministry of Accounts to complete the calculation of the year-end bonuses as soon as possible and send them all to your lords!"

Beijing, heaven and earth.

In a certain private room.

Some officials gathered among them.

After washing their feet, they all sat in a private room, listened to ditties, ate and drank, and it was very lively.

After three rounds of drinking.

The officials started talking.

"I heard that this morning, Prince Consort Ouyang proposed to give year-end bonuses to all officials and also asked for an increase in officials' salaries!"

"What's the result? Does His Majesty agree?"

"I agree, but I don't fully agree."

"How do you say this?"

"His Majesty promised all officials year-end bonuses, but he refused the salary increase. Even though Prince Consort Ouyang argued hard, His Majesty has not yet agreed."

"How much is the year-end bonus? Your Majesty is really stingy."

"That is, in the past two years, the national treasury has become more abundant, and the people have lived a good life. However, the salaries of those of us who are officials have not changed at all. Your Majesty, seeing that we have worked so hard, should give us an increase."

"You expect His Majesty to give you a salary increase? In the next life, if Ouyang Consort hadn't taken the initiative this time, he wouldn't even have a year-end bonus!"

"Hey - something is better than nothing. Getting the year-end bonus should allow us to drink a few more glasses of wine." These officials are all officials below the fifth rank. They are the most numerous in the capital and even the entire Ming Dynasty. Of course, they are also interested in salary. The most important thing to rely on is that most of the high-ranking officials in the court have their own ancestral property. Even if they don't, Zhu Yuanzhang will reward some from time to time, and they can live a comfortable life no matter what, but the same cannot be said for officials below the fifth rank. They are not even qualified to contact Zhu Yuanzhang. .

They naturally have their own ambitions when they become officials, but they also need to consider food, clothing, housing and transportation. Who doesn't want to live a better life.

In the past, the Ming Dynasty was poor as a whole. Although these officials lived in poverty, they were still more than above or below. But now the situation has changed. The income of ordinary people has gradually increased, and the income of some ordinary people has exceeded theirs.

Afraid of comparison, these officials immediately changed their minds.

"Hey, the family next door to my house used to make a living by making handicrafts. A few years ago, they went to Beizhili. Last year, they came back and established a handicraft trading company. They made a lot of money. Not only did they have a bigger yard, And I also bought a Hongqi carriage, which I don’t even own yet!”

"What are you talking about? My aunt's cousin's son's friend from the same village went to four southern provinces to contract wasteland to grow sweet potatoes. Now he is worth more than one million taels of silver. Now he has settled in Guangzhou City and bought a seven-income house. My house is still squeezed into a dilapidated yard with two entrances!”

"Don't talk about these people. Those who go to work in Beizhili are better than us. It is said that they have nearly ten taels of silver a month! In a year, that's almost a hundred taels, which is as much as the hundred-two-year salary of a fifth-grade official like me. Same."

"Hey, if Your Majesty doesn't give us a salary increase, we officials may not even be as good as ordinary people in the future."

The officials' words were full of disappointment.

Originally, they were envious when they saw that people's lives were getting better and better. Ouyang Lun's proposal of year-end bonuses and salary increases gave them hope, but Zhu Yuanzhang's ruthless rejection made them sink to the bottom.

"His Majesty has rejected all the suggestions put forward by Prince Consort Ouyang. It seems that His Majesty is determined not to give us a salary increase!"

"Your Majesty is so ruthless in doing this. He really doesn't know that it is getting harder and harder for us low-level officials to do this."

"Let's just be content. Being able to survive until now is already very good. Those officials who died due to the Yang Xian case, the Hu Weiyong case and other cases, we are much luckier than them."

"Too."

"Let's not discuss this anymore. If Jin Yiwei's spies listen to it, it's hard to say whether our lives can be saved, let alone a salary increase."

"That's right, drink and drink!"

Three more days passed.

After Zhu Yuanzhang rejected the salary increase, no official mentioned it again.

But there is something wrong with the atmosphere in the officialdom.

Officials have become taciturn. The lower the rank, the more so. They go to the yamen to do things and leave when the time comes. They have no passion for doing things and are unwilling to do more things.

This situation is also reflected in the morning meeting. The smiles on the faces of the officials are significantly reduced, everything is done in a formal manner, and their speeches are concise and concise.

No officials will actively put forward suggestions for governing the country, and no officials will take the initiative to take on the additional tasks proposed by Zhu Yuanzhang, which often need to be designated by Zhu Yuanzhang himself.

Situ Fangbang, a doctor in the Ministry of Industry, was one of them.

In the past, Situ Fang was active in doing things, but since he heard that Zhu Yuanzhang personally vetoed the salary increase, he suddenly felt that he had no hope for the future.

As a fifth-rank official of the Ming Dynasty, Situ Fang's annual salary was only one hundred taels of silver, but he had to support a family of more than 20 people. Because he was an official, his parents, wife, children, and brothers could not do business. More than a dozen people crowded into a two-entry courtyard.

Of course, life can be lived, but the lives of the surrounding neighbors are getting better and better.

Coupled with the slowly rising prices of daily necessities such as rice, flour, and oil, the life of Situ Fang's family has become increasingly tense.

"Husband, why are you back so early today?"

Seeing Situ Fang coming back, Situ Fang's wife immediately came over to greet him.

"I will naturally come back when the class ends." Situ Fang said calmly.

"Husband, this is not like you! In the past, you always had to take the initiative to do things until late at night. Why do you leave work on time these days? Is it because the superior officer is making things difficult for you or is neglecting you?" The wife asked with some worry.

"Madam, Shangguan treats me very well, it's just that I don't want to do it myself." Situ Fang said helplessly: "Where are my parents?"

"Dad is feeling a little unwell, and mother is taking care of him in the back room." The wife sighed.

"Dad, if you don't feel well, have you called the doctor?" Situ Fang asked quickly.

"Originally I wanted to call a doctor, but my parents stopped me. They said calling a doctor would be a waste of money. My whole family depends on your salary to live, and I can save whatever I can." The wife said softly: "Husband, don't worry. , I have been helping people collect shoe soles for the past two days. I can pay for it tomorrow, and I will ask the doctor to take a look at it tomorrow. "

"Ma'am, thank you for your hard work. It's a lot of money to hire a doctor, and it's a lot of money to get medicine." Situ Fang sighed, and seemed to have made a decision in a moment, "Madam, I want to resign."

"Husband, no!" the wife said quickly: "Husband, you have been studying poetry and books for more than ten years before you can pass the exam and become an official. After so many years of hard work, you have become a doctor of the fifth grade of the Ministry of Industry, and brought glory to the Situ family. Menlin, if you resign, what will happen to your parents?"

"But if I don't resign, how can I support you with my small salary? Your Majesty has already said that his salary will not be increased, and I, Situ Fang, have no one above me, and I will not be able to curry favor with my boss. I will probably only be a doctor in the Ministry of Industry in this life." It’s over!”

"During this period, I have received invitations from many trading companies. They valued my abilities and promised that if I went to their trading company, they would be willing to give me this amount of salary."

Situ Fang stretched out five fingers of his right hand.

"Five hundred taels?!"

The wife was quite surprised.

Situ Fang shook his head, "It's not five hundred taels, it's five thousand taels!"

hiss--

Hearing this number, the wife immediately took a breath of air, "Five thousand taels, even a first-grade official doesn't have an annual salary of 5,000 taels, right?"

"Madam, the salary of a first-grade official in the Ming Dynasty is only five hundred taels, but if I go to a construction company, I can have an annual salary of five thousand taels, which is ten times that of a first-grade official and fifty times my current salary!"

"I only need a year to let you live in a big courtyard!"

"If that's the case, we don't have to be this official. No matter what you do, husband, I will support you! Is it just about my parents?"

"I will discuss it with my parents later. If they agree, I will resign tomorrow!" Situ Fang said solemnly.

The voice just fell.

There was a knock on the door outside the house.

bang bang-

"Excuse me, Sir Situ Fang, the doctor from the Ministry of Industry, lives here?"

There were voices outside the house.

Situ opened the door with confusion, only to see an official standing outside the door, dragging a cart of wooden boxes behind him.

"I am Situ Fang, who is your Excellency?"

"I have met Mr. Situ. I am promoted by the Ministry of Household Affairs to the official Qiu Zhang." The official bowed his hands in salute.

"It turns out it's Mr. Hubu Qiu. I wonder what Mr. Qiu wants from me?" Situ Fang returned the greeting with his hands raised, looking confused. He didn't remember any dealings with Hubu.

"Back to Master Situ, I have been ordered by Ouyang Shangshu to distribute the year-end bonus according to the list."

Qiu Zhang waved his hand, and one of his men took out a small box from the carriage and handed it to Situ Fang.

"This is my year-end bonus?!"

Situ Fang was a little happy. Although this small box didn't seem to contain much money, he finally had enough money to pay a doctor for his father's treatment. He was full of gratitude to Ouyang Lun in his heart.

But what Qiu Zhang said next made Situ Fang change from happy to shocked.
(End of this chapter)