Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 149 Does the Emperor understand Jiangnan?
Xiao Daheng walked up to him and looked down at him.

"Pingyi Bo inspected all the camps and warehouses and checked the account books. In the past, when we defeated the Japanese, the navy did have some spoils. Not only Japanese ships, but also Japanese swords and armor. Now, the account books and the warehouses don't match. You were Caojiangdu Yushi before, didn't you find out these things?"

"Geng Dingli, you certainly know how much wood, nails, and paint are needed to build a boat, and how long it takes. The Cheng family doesn't sail on the sea, so why build two Japanese ships? To show off on the Yangtze River?"

"The two ships were expensive to build, and they only robbed five ships of grain. How much is the grain of the five prefectures of Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou worth? This imperial envoy thought that they might be reluctant to destroy the ships just for this one deal. But this imperial envoy really didn't expect that the Cheng family, who thought they had connections in Jiangnan, would not be willing to destroy the two ships."

Mr. Xiao shook his head. "They are so bold. One dares to challenge His Majesty in the capital, and the other dares to pretend to be a Japanese pirate to intercept grain and kill people in Jiangnan. They are so bold that the Cheng family has been captured and taken to Nanjing, but the Cheng family farm there has not caught fire! When this imperial envoy passed through Yangzhou and sent people there, the two Japanese ships were still hidden in the Cheng family dock safely."

It is impossible for Japanese ships to appear out of thin air.

No matter where they came from, as long as they could appear in the Yangtze River with such brazenness, Cao Jiangdu Yushi could not escape blame.

But that would just be a dereliction of duty.

But if this Japanese ship came into the hands of the Cheng family from the navy, that would be a different situation.

If those two ships were still there, someone in the navy would be able to recognize them.

"You are used to being in charge of your subordinates, so how could you know that they often don't obey your orders? You say that they do what you say, and you say how to do it, and you say that they do it exactly the way you say it? It's okay that your servant is afraid of things, but do you know what's the most ridiculous thing?"

Geng Dingli looked at him.

"The funniest thing is that after all this time and after you arranged so many things, no one really helped you pass the news to Jingjiang. Clearly, a stranger came and sealed up the Cheng family's manor, and the magistrate of Jingjiang knew about it, but you didn't know, and neither did your nephew-in-law."

"For such a long time, apart from you, the officials in Nanjing have not gone around to inquire about these things. The Japanese pirates entered the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal to rob food, and Jiangdu Yushi Cao was responsible. His Majesty was furious, and everyone knew that someone would come out to calm the emperor's anger. Geng Dingli, everyone pushed the wall down. They chose you, and now, you are so righteous?"

"Report!"

A voice came from outside the hall: "My Lord, there is another letter from outside the camp, saying that it is from the Minister of Rites of Nanjing, and it can only be delivered to the Imperial Envoy in person."

Geng Dingli looked over there with difficulty.

Not long after, he saw a familiar face.

After delivering the letter, the housekeeper of Ye Xianggao's family didn't even look at Geng Dingli. He bowed and left.

Xiao Daheng held the letter without opening it, and sighed as he walked back.

"Your house was searched, but the gates of Nanjing were wide open. You were doing justice all day, but I don't know how many letters were sent to Nanjing at full speed."

Xiao Daheng raised the letter and said, "Things have come to this point, and this imperial envoy has seen it clearly. Geng Dingli, you are very courageous. You dared to do this alone, and let the bigwigs in Nanjing City believe that there is no evidence to implicate them. But you are willing to take such a risk, so you must have something to gain, right? Now that you have come to nothing, are you really going to be so righteous and pay with the lives of your nine clans?"

"...Even if the dismissed official committed corruption and neglect of duty, is he worthy of being punished by the nine generations of his clan?"

He couldn't bet on whether the two Japanese ships were really there, but he knew that he would be found guilty to some extent.

Geng Ding firmly agreed with Xiao Daheng's inference.

Only then did they realize that those who had the real power in Jiangnan were not those high-ranking officials in Jiangnan, but those who paid taxes.

As soon as the tone loosened, Xiao Daheng nodded immediately: "This condition, I can discuss with you. How to redeem yourself depends on what kind of files you can let me present to the emperor!"

He could tell that Geng Dingli was actually negotiating conditions.

Ye Xianggao's letter was still lying aside and unopened, but Geng Dingli's defenses had already been broken by Xiao Daheng.

When disaster strikes, everyone flees, leaving him alone to take the blame? If they had already agreed to let him take the blame, how could there be so much information from various places that he didn't know, or that he knew was false information?

He knew that even if the timid servant arrived in Jingjiang, it would be useless.

I'm afraid I'll be caught red-handed. Why would I need to use myself as bait today to lure out more letters from Nanjing?
"Then the revolutionary officer will really tell you everything he knows." Geng Dingli also showed a sneer on his face, "Then let the revolutionary officer tell His Majesty the Emperor about Jiangnan!"

It seems that the emperor doesn't understand Jiangnan at all.

……

"You are new officials, newly minted scholars who have read a lot of books but have never experienced anything. You are going to the prosperous south of the Yangtze River!"

Inside the Qianqing Palace, at this moment, the emperor was speaking to the new scholars who were about to take up their posts in Jiangnan.

Cheng Qinan and Meng Xikong were among them, as well as Gong Nai from Mengyin, Shandong.

The palace examination asked about the situation in the nine borders after the Ningxia Campaign, the Korean Campaign, and the Battle of Songshan. He was only ranked third and was not even qualified to participate in the subsequent selection of Shujishi.

Now that he has been appointed to the post, Gong Nai is going to Jiangxia County in Wuchang Prefecture, Huguang.

It is adjacent to the county town of Xi, adjacent to Wuchang Prefecture, and adjacent to Huguang Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office!
Commit sin!

Zhu Changluo sat on the throne, and this was their collective farewell.

Everyone listened attentively to the emperor's instructions.

"The land tax in Nanzhili, Huguang, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces was managed by Nanjing. The salt tax of the entire Ming Dynasty was managed by Nanjing. Every year, the gold, silver, and grain were transported from the south to the north via the canal! Another set of government offices in Nanjing, the capital, guarded the financial and cultural foundations of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Changluo looked over and said, "You all come from the north! I said that Jiangnan still holds the foundation of Ming culture and education, and you may feel unfair. Gong Nai, your family has five Jinshi in five generations; Jiejing Fu, three of your five brothers have passed the Jinshi exam. What do you think?"

Needless to say, although Gong Nai was ranked third in the end, there were people who passed the imperial examinations in every generation within the Five Dynasties.

The Xie family in Hancheng County, Tongzhou Prefecture, Shaanxi Province, has three brothers who have passed the imperial examination and one who is a juren candidate. Xie Jingfu and his eldest brother Xie Jingya passed the imperial examination together, and a new couplet has been hung in their hometown: Longmen has beautiful and talented people, and the brothers are as beautiful as the three handsome men born in the Jade Palace; Xiangling has outstanding people, and the brothers are as beautiful as the two golden steps.

Their third brother, Jie Jingbang, passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi in the 23rd year of Wanli's reign. He was previously included in the list of the earliest batch of Beijing censors and is now the Right Censor of the Household Department.

When the emperor asked him questions, Gong Nai only said some empty words, such as "Thanks to the relocation of the capital to the north, the emperor resides in the north, the nine borders are peaceful, and now the northern provinces are also full of talents, which is very different from the beginning of the country. The Gong family has five generations who have passed the imperial examinations, all of which are the grace of the emperor."

The Sutra Explanator is now only thirty-two years old. He has broad ears and a calm demeanor.

"My hometown is adjacent to the Nine Borders. I believe that the reason why Jiangnan can have such a prosperous economy and culture is because of its stability. Without Your Majesty sitting in the capital and the soldiers of the Nine Borders obeying your orders, there would be no stability in Jiangnan. If the enemy threat had not been resolved, my brothers would not have been able to pass the imperial examinations together. The foundation of the Ming Dynasty is still in the capital and the Nine Borders. If Jiangnan is arrogant, it is mediocre and shallow. In the past, when the Japanese pirates were a disaster in Jiangnan, the court's financial situation suddenly became difficult, which is a clear proof!"

"Well said!" Zhu Changluo nodded approvingly, glanced at Gong Nai, and then looked at the others, "Among the new Jinshi this time, you all will be appointed to Jiangnan together, and there will be imperial envoys going south to handle cases. Why should we be secretive about some things?"

They are all smart people who have overcome one level after another. They know that the current situation is delicate and that the journey will probably be bumpy and difficult.

"In Jiangnan, countless families have produced many Jinshi and Juren, dating back to the Tang and Song dynasties and as recently as Longwan. In Jiangnan, rivers and lakes are densely distributed, making travel convenient. The country has been prosperous for a long time, and industry and commerce are thriving. In Jiangnan, families have spread out and married from generation to generation. Gentry, merchants, and clerks can find relatives from the same clan, hometown, and in-laws wherever they go."

"But the reason why the big trees in the south of the Yangtze River can grow so luxuriantly and with such tangled roots is because the north is guarding the border wall and resisting the northern invaders! Fathers and brothers guard outside, and the children farm inside. But over time, many of the children, gardeners, and farmers guarding the south of the Yangtze River have become pampered masters. They often hide the good grains and fruits, and use all their land to harvest only the bad grains and wild fruits that grow with difficulty in the gaps between the big trees, and then send them to the north for their fathers and brothers to chew, and they think they are supporting the family!"

"You northerners know that after your fathers and brothers laid down their weapons, they could still pick up the hoe and know how to take care of the fields and crops at home. Today, I appoint you new officials from the north to go to Jiangnan. You will be farmers, weeding, loosening the soil, and pruning branches. Those who grow crops know that weeds must be removed and the fertility of the soil must be cherished. Fruit trees do not bear more fruits just because they have more branches. But now, Jiangnan seems to have gradually forgotten this truth."

"You are all my first batch of disciples. I hope you will have a bright future." Zhu Changluo stood up. "If you don't understand Jiangnan, I do. If you have any hesitations, please submit them to the emperor! Come, I will give you a banquet and send you off!"

(End of this chapter)