Fu Shanhe

Chapter 295 The Art of Files

"Governor, those soldiers are doing whatever they want in the city. You can't just ignore them!"

"Yes, Your Excellency the Governor.

Look at us now, we have been bullied into what has happened to us.

In order to come and see you, I can only disguise myself as a servant.

If this gets out, everyone in the world will laugh at us!"

……

A group of gentry in coarse linen clothes kept muttering in his ears, but Jia Xiaochen remained unmoved.

At first he was really sick, but as the safety of Jinan City was guaranteed, he started to pretend to be sick.

Pretending to be sick won't solve the problem, but playing the victim can gain sympathy points.

Many officials were implicated in this northern barbarian invasion, and the imperial court could not have killed them all.

When getting along in the government, the most important thing is to judge the situation and know when to advance and retreat.

He had already submitted his resignation letter.

A governor who was bedridden and voluntarily resigned from his post did not stand in any way.

We are all in the same circle, and when things get like this, people usually don't go to extremes.

As long as the situation in Shandong does not deteriorate further, there is still a chance to land safely if we find someone to work with the court.

"Cough, cough, cough...

You said you want to commend Marquis Wuyang for his achievements?

That’s no problem; let the governor and the provincial judge do it.

I am not in good health, so I won’t get involved!

Cough, cough, cough..."

Jia Xiaochen's answer made everyone angry to death.

The outside was under strict inspection, so for this meeting, they walked from the mansion on foot.

Everyone put so much effort into it and finally managed to complete the connection.

I had originally wanted to have the governor come out and lead everyone to fight against Marquis Wuyang.

They never expected that when they got there, Jia Xiaochen not only did not show up, but instead played a trick on them by replying randomly.

"Governor, I'm not asking for credit!

The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner was arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

That bunch of warriors..."

Before the old man could finish, Jia Xiaochen interrupted.

"You want to buy me a drink?"

"Forget it, my body can't take it anymore.

In the early spring of next year, we will find ten or eight girls and get together again.

Cough, cough, cough..."

Faced with Jia Xiaochen's chaotic return, everyone was helpless.

The governor clearly didn't want to get involved, and they were unable to help the "bedridden" Jia Xiaochen to compete with Marquis Wuyang.

When the Censor was arrested, all the officials in the Shandong local government were terrified.

When a scholar meets a soldier, there is no reason to explain.

In normal times, they can fight against everyone, including the heavens and the earth, and their superiors, without fear, because everyone abides by the rules.

What Marquis Wuyang is playing now is not the traditional civil service politics, but a new game centered on the military.

As long as they don't cooperate, it will be considered as "colluding with the northern barbarians" and they will be arrested first.

There are not many people in Dayu's officialdom who can withstand investigation.

Once you get in, you will be able to find some problems.

At the very least, the punishment would be dismissal from office, at the worst, the entire nine generations of the family would be wiped out.

As the third-in-command Censor, he was killed like a chicken.

Without the governor taking the lead, other officials dared not to step forward.

If the local government does not step forward, they will have to take the field themselves and fight against Marquis Wuyang.

After looking at each other, everyone's faces looked unhappy.

In the past, when encountering such a situation of resisting the imperial envoy, the government would either instigate the Kong family to step forward or drag the vassal kings into it.

The current situation is special.

The Kong family had just lost the head of the family and also the legitimate heir. For the title of Duke Yansheng, the Kong family was fighting to the death.

At this critical juncture, no one dared to offend the court.

Even if the actions of the army to support the king caused damage to the interests of the Kong family, they could only endure it temporarily.

At least they will behave themselves for a few days before the imperial court confers the title of Duke of Yansheng.

Forget about becoming a vassal king. Prince De, the head of the royal family in the city, is still a baby.

No matter how you agitate, it's meaningless.

The imperial court would not believe that a baby could cause trouble, and trying to pass the blame would only make people laugh.

After the unpleasant meeting, the group was caught by patrolling soldiers less than 300 steps out of the governor's office.

"What are you going to do?"

Cao Guangyuan asked sternly.

After a "pop" sound, blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth.

The sudden change made the gentry, who were originally about to get angry, regain their rationality in an instant.

The group of officers and soldiers in front of them are not native to Shandong, and they will not give them face at all.

"Capture these traitors!"

Following the young general's order, a group of gentry representatives immediately became prisoners.

"General, this is a misunderstanding!
We are the gentry of the city, not rebels!
......"

Everyone's explanation was met with disdainful smiles from the officers and soldiers.

"Don't bully me for being ignorant.

When I was in Beijing, I met many dignitaries and gentry.

Who doesn’t have fine clothes and delicious food? How can anyone wear coarse cloth and linen clothes?

Now everyone is obeying the Governor's orders and staying at home enjoying a comfortable and comfortable life. Why would they dress like this?

I think you are clearly spies from the northern barbarians, who have sneaked into the city on purpose in an attempt to bribe the traitors.

While I'm in a good mood, tell me the truth quickly, otherwise if you lose an arm or a leg, don't blame me!"

Ye Hongchang said sarcastically.

Of course he knew the identities and backgrounds of the people in front of him.

It is precisely because we know this that we are here to arrest people.

After confiscating someone's property, both parties are bound to stand on opposite sides.

If we ignore this and allow these guys to continue to collude with each other, God knows how much trouble they will cause.

Now that these guys have revealed their flaws, they will naturally take advantage of the situation and take the initiative to make the case a success.

If we do not acknowledge the identities of these people, we can interrogate them as Northern Tartar spies.

Torture and forced confessions are basic operations.

Even if someone dies during the interrogation, it is not a big problem.

Once these people were acknowledged, things changed.

Not only are the procedures cumbersome, but there is also an unspoken rule in official circles that doctors cannot be punished.

These people are local tyrants. It would be difficult to produce evidence in a short period of time without some tricks.

"You...are disrespectful!"

Cao Guangyuan endured the pain and cursed angrily.

Among all the gentry arrested, he was the most unlucky.

Now he was filled with anger and many swear words came to his lips, but he forced himself to swallow them back.

A gentleman does not stand on dangerous walls.

After his attempt to introduce himself was ineffective, he felt that they were just a group of ignorant soldiers.

When you meet these people, no matter how you argue, you will only be asking for trouble.

The best option is to communicate with their superiors. Those senior generals would never dare to treat them like this.

Deep down, he had already thought of a way to take revenge.

Even if he couldn't get back the confiscated money and goods, he would tear these ignorant soldiers into pieces.

……

Capital.

The political aftermath of the fall of Nanjing is still impacting this ancient empire.

“Everyone has read the battle report sent by Liaodong Town.

My dear friends, what do you think? "

Emperor Yongning asked coldly.

If it hadn't happened, he would never have dreamed that the people below would dare to fool him like this.

Just two days ago, Liaodong Town achieved a great victory.

The battle report said that thousands of northern captives were captured. The Ministry of War sent people to verify the heads, but they didn't find a single real captive. This was a blatant killing of innocent people to claim credit, without even a hint of cover-up, and undoubtedly a challenge to the imperial power.

"Your Majesty, this matter requires long-term consideration.

Although the Northern Tartar Army showed signs of withdrawing, it had not yet left the territory of the empire.

Although Liaodong Town had many faults, they still guarded the Liaodong defense line.

The main reason why the grassland coalition forces invaded this time was because of problems in the Xuanda defense line.

The court’s next major military task was to rebuild the Xuanda defense line as quickly as possible.

As for the Liaodong front, let’s maintain the status quo for the time being!
Once the court has dealt with the troubles in other regions, we can consider this issue again."

Prime Minister Wan Junhui spoke first.

Deep down, he was also unhappy with Liaodong Town.

If possible, he would like to tear Liaodong's commander Zhong Jingming into pieces.

This guy's mess created a large vassal state for the imperial court.

Just because it’s difficult to deal with doesn’t mean it’s unmanageable.

Liaodong Town is tricky because the Liaodong generals are banding together.

As long as this group is disintegrated, the current predicament can be quickly resolved.

He may not be good at other things, but he is good at stirring up internal conflicts.

Once peace is restored in the world, he will be able to dismember Liaodong Town in less than three years.

"Where is the dignity of the court if they let them off so easily?
If we don't kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, more armies will follow suit.

Perhaps other military towns are not as strong as Liaodong Town, but that does not mean they cannot control the imperial court.

Once someone starts following suit, the situation will quickly get out of control.

Especially after the imperial court delegated power to local governors, we must be more vigilant against the expansion of local military governors!"

Jing Guoliang immediately objected.

There were many military groups in the Dayu Dynasty, but they can be generally divided into two factions.

One faction is the nobility faction, which is mainly composed of traditional nobility, including local hereditary military generals.

One faction is the Nine Frontier Generals, which are mainly composed of frontier generals and almost cover the entire border army system.

With the decline of the Weisuo system, the main military forces of the nobles were concentrated in the Beijing camp.

Facing the nine frontier generals, his words were not firm enough.

In name, the two sides check and balance each other, but in reality they are always at a disadvantage.

It is only thanks to the legacy left by his ancestors that he is able to outdo them in the court.

However, the nine frontier military families were closely connected with the civil officials, and the noble family only had an advantage in name, but was always at a disadvantage in the allocation of military funds and resources.

Now the situation has changed. The rise of the Guangdong and Guangxi faction has allowed the noble faction to regain its elite forces at the local level.

Combined with the strength of the Beijing Camp, their military power is no worse than that of the Nine Frontier Generals.

However, the military funds allocated to the noble families were less than a quarter of those allocated to the nine frontier generals.

The bulk of it was taken by the Beijing troops.

The military expenses of the local nobles' armed forces mainly come from the local government, and the central government's financial allocation is negligible.

The contradictions had long been deeply buried, and now the system of checks and balances among the nine frontier generals has collapsed, and the power of Liaodong Town alone is almost equal to the sum of the other eight.

It would be fine if it was just one dominant company, but Liaodong Town’s political performance is not up to par.

From the emperor to the officials, few had a good impression of them.

Even officials who participated in the smuggling trade were unhappy with the out-of-control Liaodong Town.

Making money is making money, but it does not affect everyone's status as "loyal ministers" of the Dayu Dynasty.

It is okay to keep the bandits for your own protection, but you cannot allow them to become really powerful, and you certainly cannot collude with them.

From the outbreak of the war to the present, the number of Northern Tartar heads captured by Liaodong Town has just exceeded a hundred.

Such a record could not even be ranked among the troops that came to support the king.

We can't attack Liaodong Town directly, but we can at least cut their military budget!

The imperial court only has so much money and grain. Liaodong Town can take less, so the nobles can get more.

We don't expect to have a 50-50 distribution with the border troops, but we still have to strive to increase the distribution ratio.

“Duke Chengguo means that some armies have begun to follow suit.

May I ask which army is so bold? "

Minister of War Wan Yuxuan spoke with gritted teeth.

Supporting Liaodong Town was definitely not what he wanted.

But reality forced him to take the lead.

For the Ministry of War, Liaodong Town is proud and can still be controlled in terms of logistics.

The military generals from the noble family are the ones who truly do not give face to the Ministry of War.

With the resurgence of the nobility, many powers that the Ministry of War had seized from the Governor-General's Office have now returned to the Governor-General's Office.

Just looking at how active Jing Guoliang is, you can tell that he is now very confident.

Many topics that were originally discussed exclusively by civil officials were also discussed by the nobles.

If we trace the root of the problem, it was the previous emperor who caused the trouble by appointing regents.

All other regent ministers were dismissed by Emperor Yongning, leaving only two nobles active in the court.

The authorization from the late emperor gave them the power to interfere in all affairs of the court.

So much so that most of the time, he, the Minister of War, lived a very depressed life.

The most typical example is personnel appointments. The local government submits a list of names, and the governor quickly reviews it and reports it to the emperor.

Many times, he, the Minister of War, only knew about the appointment after Emperor Yongning signed it.

Without their obstruction, a large number of children of nobles were able to serve in the army and quickly hold high positions.

Exceptional promotions have become a routine practice.

“Isn’t it obvious?
Jizhen has been very close to Liaodong Town recently, and the two major military families are almost becoming one family.

After being in contact for a long time, who can guarantee that they will not be affected?
In particular, some people in the court were advocating the merger of Jizhen and Liaodongzhen and the establishment of a unified Ji-Liao Governor-General to manage them.

Fortunately, Your Majesty is wise and did not fall for these people's tricks, otherwise the two towns would be out of control now!"

Jing Guoliang said with a smile.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not, as long as there are signs, it’s enough.

With the previous experience of Liaodong Town, the imperial court must learn lessons.

The quarrel began and soon turned into a party struggle.

As more and more officials joined in, many hidden problems were exposed in the process of exposing each other's secrets.

"enough!"

"I don't want to hear you quarrel!
"I hereby order that Liaodong's military commander Zhong Jingming be imprisoned and await his fate."

After saying this, Emperor Yongning turned around and left, leaving everyone looking at each other in bewilderment.

No one expected that the power struggle between the Governor's Office and the Ministry of War would lead to the downfall of the Liaodong governor.

……

Jinan City.

"My Lord, these are the information obtained from the torture of the Northern Tartar spies.

I have already sent people to verify, and most of them are real!"

Li Mu applied the eye drops without changing his expression.

It is very easy to obtain a confession from someone who is in prison.

No matter what these people's identities were before, the moment they were arrested and imprisoned, they became spies of the Northern Tartars.

But these people are not wrongly accused, as they have indeed had contact with the Northern Tartar spies.

It’s not that I want to betray Dayu, I’m just doing business.

Some of the dirty stuff looted by the northern barbarians ended up in their hands after being traded by Shanxi merchants.

During the transaction, many northern barbarian spies were able to sneak into the city.

Although they insisted that they were ignorant of the matter, the suspicion of collusion with the enemy still existed.

As an official who judged deeds rather than intentions, Li Mu naturally added the content of protecting the Northern Tartar spies from entering the city to the case file.

“These guys are so bold!

But given their identities, why would they collude with the Northern Tartars?"

After taking a glance at the case file, Marquis Wuyang's expression changed drastically.

I swear to God, he really didn't intend to make it so big.

According to the contents of the case files, few of the gentry in Jinan city were clean.

Attacking so many people at once made even him, the king's uncle, feel nervous.

But the contents of the case file are real.

Whether it was selling stolen goods for the Northern Tartars or covering for the Northern Tartars' spies to enter the city, these were all evidence of collusion with the Tartars.

Things have already happened, and you can't clear yourself of the guilt by saying you were not aware of it.

"My Lord, interests are what move people's hearts!"

“Although Dayu has been established for more than 200 years, there are still many people who have sympathy for the Mongols.

No matter how much our dynasty treats the gentry, it cannot match the degree of freedom given to them by the Mongols.

If the Northern Tartars make a promise, some people who want to become Confucian households will naturally be tempted."

(End of this chapter)