I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 141 Everyone, what should I do?
When we arrived at the right courtyard of Jinan Prefecture Yamen, there was a muddy field at the entrance with puddles everywhere.

When you walk in, the aisles and yards are full of water, there are muddy footprints everywhere, and there are wooden basins and barrels everywhere, discarded on the ground at random.

When they reached the second courtyard, Lu Chengju, the secretary of the Imperial Household Department, came to greet them. He was wearing a casual robe and a net scarf. He reeked of smoke and there were many mud and water stains on his clothes.

His face was dirty, with black marks running horizontally and vertically.

Seeing Zhang Juzheng come in with the governor Yuan Hui, the provincial governor Zhang Tao, and the commander Yang Hong, he hurried forward and said dejectedly: "Governor, governor, governor, and general, this humble official greets the four superiors."

"Go in and take a look." Zhang Juzheng said nothing and led everyone to the fire scene.

In addition to Yuan Hui, Zhang Tao, and Yang Hong, when Zhang Juzheng left the provincial government office, he also called Jinan prefect Zhao Puan and Licheng county magistrate Yang Xiu, who were waiting in the front yard, to follow him.

A group of people walked into the backyard.

The storage room of the Jinan Station of Taipu Temple was in a side yard in the backyard. There were four tiled houses, all burnt black. The doors and windows were all burned, and the inside was in a mess. In addition to the ashes and fragments of books on the ground, there was also water.

Zhang Juzheng walked around and pointed at the four tiled houses in the Jiageku and asked Lu Chengju, "Are you going to burn down these four houses?"

"To reply to the governor, the fire broke out at three o'clock last night. The night watchman discovered it in time and called the fire squad and several nearby stoves. Everyone put out the fire in time, and only these four rooms were burned."

Zhang Juzheng nodded: "This fire was quite well-behaved. Did everything in the storehouse get burned?"

Lu Chengju swallowed his saliva and said, "To reply to the governor, everything was burned. These few fragments are left. It is difficult to sort them out and nothing can be seen."

"The information that Fu wanted to know about the number of horse households, horse farms, and horse breeding and release numbers in the four prefectures of Shandong Province by the Imperial Household Department is all gone."

Sweat broke out on Lu Chengju's forehead. "I have nothing to say to the governor."

"No save file?"

"In reply to the governor, according to the rules, a copy should be made every year and sent to the Imperial Household Department in the capital for filing. However, our government office is short of money and grain every year, and lacks manpower, so we haven't made a copy and sent it to the capital for filing in ten years."

Zhang Juzheng was almost laughing out of anger, "Lu Sicheng, you mean, the account books of the Imperial Household Department in Shandong for the past ten years are all gone."

Lu Chengju secretly glanced at Yuan Hui, Zhang Tao and Zhao Puan, and the three of them glanced away intentionally or unintentionally.

Lu Chengju was a little panicked when he didn't get a response. More beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He answered with a stiff face: "To answer the governor, yes. The account books of the Imperial Household Department in Shandong for ten years are all gone."

Zhang Juzheng was so anxious that he stamped his feet on the spot: "What should I do? The emperor sent me to Shandong, and my important duty is to investigate the horse policy. Well, now I don't even know how many horse farmers there are in Shandong, or how many horse farms and fields there are. How can I report to him?

Lu Sicheng, how do you think I can report to the Emperor?"

Lu Chengju couldn't bear it any longer, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed quickly: "Governor, I have failed in my duty and deserve death! Please forgive me, Governor."

Zhang Juzheng looked at Lu Chengju and replied calmly, "You are an official of the Imperial Household Department. How to deal with you is up to the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of War to decide.

The problem now is that your cabinet was burned, and you didn't leave me any documents. How can I report to the emperor about Shandong's horse administration?"

Lu Chengju was speechless.

If there weren't a pile of mess inside that couldn't be covered up and I didn't dare to show them to you, would I have the guts to set fire to the warehouse?

Zhang Juzheng turned to Yuan Hui, Zhang Tao, Zhao Puan and others and asked, "My dear colleagues, what do you think I should do? How can I report to the emperor?"

I don't care what you do, just don't involve us.

Zhang Juzheng put his hands behind his back and walked around the Jiageku several times. Finally, he turned around and looked at Yuan Hui, Zhang Tao, Zhao Puan and others. He made up his mind, "Then we can only check and measure it."

Yuan Hui, Zhang Tao, Zhao Puan and others were shocked!
What are you checking?

What are you measuring?

"Since the account books are gone, I can only use a crude method. I can only send people to check the number of horse households in the four prefectures of Qingzhou, Jinan, Dongchang, and Yanzhou in Shandong. I can only measure the number of horse farms and fields piece by piece."

Yuan Hui, Zhang Tao, Zhao Pu'an and others were so frightened that their souls flew out of their bodies. Lu Chengju was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground and almost peed and shit. They could not be inspected or measured. If they were inspected or measured, all the cattle and dog treasures of Shandong Ma Zheng would be turned out!
"Yuan Fantai, Zhang Taishou, and Shandong Ma Zhengqing are inspecting and measuring, and we also ask the Provincial Administration and Jinan Prefecture to help. This governor will also write letters, asking Qingzhou, Dongchang, and Yanzhou Prefectures to cooperate well.

I know that the Shandong Provincial Government and the four prefectures of Jinan, Qingzhou, Dongchang and Yanzhou are very busy with government affairs. These extra trivial matters will add to your burden.

This governor will report to the court and request a group of censors and students from the Imperial Academy to be assigned to the four prefectures in Shandong to oversee the inspection and measurement. Yuan Fantai, Zhao Taishou, and the three prefectures of Qingzhou, Dongchang, and Yanzhou, please provide your assistance. "

We're not helping at all!
It would be even more incredible if we could invite a group of censors and students from the Imperial Academy to come and inspect and measure.

After such an inspection and measurement, the collusion between Shandong government and local noble families to embezzle the population of horse households and horse farms would be exposed.

By then it will be a shocking case.

They colluded with each other from top to bottom to sabotage horse politics.

Horse administration is a major military matter, involving the military preparations in the nine border areas.

Such a serious crime, no one could bear it, from the governor to the prefect and county magistrate.

Zhang Juzheng turned away and returned to the provincial government office. He then hung out the sign of the Shandong governor's office and summoned Shandong local officials one by one as per the usual practice.

Inquire about government affairs and perform routine duties.

Yuan Hui, Zhang Tao, Yang Hong and Zhao Puan gathered in the bond signing room of Jinan government office and nervously discussed countermeasures.

"Yuan Fantai, you are the highest-ranking official, why don't you come forward and talk to Zhang Futai?"

Zhao Puan said hesitantly.

Yuan Hui rolled her eyes at him.

I have only been in Shandong for two years. How much money have I given you? You actually want me to go against Zhang Juzheng's iron wall. Is it worth it?
Yuan Hui replied with a fake smile: "Zhang Futai, born in the Hanlin Academy, is a favorite student of Prime Minister Xu, and a tutor to the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince. He is respected in front of two generations of crown princes.

This time, I was ordered by the Emperor to inspect Shandong and take charge of horse affairs. I am old, so I will not get involved in this muddy water."

Zhang Tao, Yang Hong and Zhao Puan looked at each other.

They understood the meaning of Yuan Hui's words.

Listen to Zhang Juzheng's background, and you want me to step forward? Once I step forward, you will throw the blame on me!

Again, how much money did I take from you?!
"Tai Zhang, thank you for your help." Yang Hong and Zhao Puan said in unison.

Zhang Tao stared at Yang Hong and said bluntly: "Many horse households and horse farms are registered under the names of military households and guards. They are all in your hands. Once the investigation is carried out, General Yang, you will not be able to escape responsibility."

Yang Hong smiled bitterly: "I know I have a heavy responsibility and cannot escape responsibility. But I am just a warrior and I have no say in front of the governor. Besides, if I am sent to talk about the matter, will the governor think that everyone is looking down on him by sending a warrior like me to talk?"

That makes perfect sense!
But someone has to talk.

Dividing up the horse households and horse farms privately is equivalent to dividing up the court's money privately, which is also roughly equivalent to dividing up the emperor's money privately.

Everyone in the court knows the emperor's temper.

If he knew that someone had embezzled his money in Shandong, I'm afraid the whole Shandong would be wiped out!
Zhang Tao thought about it and came up with an idea: "We are all temporary officials, so we only get a small share of the benefits. The majority of the profits come from the local residents of the four prefectures in Shandong. They have to come forward to discuss this matter with the governor."

Several people's eyes lit up, "Zhang Nietai has a good plan!"

A few days later, Zhang Juzheng was busy in his study when his servant brought him a letter.

He took it and looked at it, then laughed. This person really showed up.

(End of this chapter)