Idle courtiers

Chapter 143 A Shallow Talk

Zhou Nan finally waved his hand angrily: "Go and tell Old Man Ding that I am in this situation thanks to him, and I will never dare to go to his place again."

A few more days passed, but no one in the government office paid any attention to Zhou Nan.

It was already summer, and it was the wheat harvest season, and the yamen suddenly became busy.One is to collect the summer grain tax sent to Fucheng by the counties; the other is to resettle the refugees.

The specific affairs of local officials are mainly divided into three parts: taxation, public security, and culture and education.

Not to mention the boy's trial, taxation and public security are good opportunities to make political achievements.These two matters are directly related to the evaluation of officials at the end of the year. All the officials have been sent out, and the government has quieted down.

All of this has nothing to do with Zhou Nan. If he offends the magistrate, the Criminal Justice Department will not give him a chance to stand out.

It was hot in the yamen, and the courtyard where Zhou Nan lived did not have a single tree. Given his rank, he was not qualified to sit in the cool hall.

After being exposed to the sun for a whole morning, by noon, the ground was scorched white by the heat.Eager to steam away, there is no one left in the house.

After eating, Zhou Nan stared in a daze for a moment in the room, completely drenched in sweat.

If this goes on like this, I will suffer from heat stroke. Forget it, I'd better go home. Anyway, I'm just a decoration here, I can come and go freely, and no one cares.

Zhou Nan stood up and walked for a while in a daze.Suddenly there was a cold air, and when I looked closely, I saw a strange scenery in front of me.A small lotus pond, with two tall banyan trees growing on the edge of the pond, completely covering the sun above the head.

"I was really confused. I accidentally came to the Shanyang County Yamen."

Just as he was about to turn around and go back to the government office, he saw an old man in Taoist robes coming out of the next room. It was Ding Qiguang, the magistrate of Shanyang County.

He happily waved the folding fan in his hand: "Is it such a pleasure to have friends come from afar? Zimu, I asked Deputy Wang to come over and talk to you. Why did you come today?"

You are a god of plague, do I still dare to touch you, since I met your young master, I haven't had a smooth time.Zhou Nan muttered in his heart, and bowed his hands to salute: "I have seen the county magistrate."

"Zimu, you and I are a family, why should you be so polite? I don't have anything else in this place, but it's a rare shady place in this city. Since we're here, let's sit down and talk. The Mingqian Lu'an melon slices I picked this year are very good , the tea is clear with the sun forever, and the elegance is light with plum blossoms. The slanting moon pierces the gap in the wall, and the thin smoke cage is next to the water."

By the water, a small stove has already been set up, filled with the fragrance of tea.

Zhou Nan felt disgusted when he heard the words: Returning to the family, is it because I want to call you uncle to make me happy? It's really unlucky to be your junior for nothing.

He sat down on the stone bench under the tree, and took a tea bowl handed over by a county magistrate.After taking a sip, he said: "The county lord is in great spirits. During the summer harvest season, you still have half a day's leisure, my lord. You are at ease, not surprised by favor or humiliation. You have the character of sages and celebrities, and you are a role model for us."

Now is the summer harvest season, the government affairs in the yamen are busy, and Huai'an city, the Shanyang government office, is an important waterway, with a cloud of merchants, so it is too busy to touch the ground just to collect taxes every day.

However, I heard people say that the first thing Song Kongdang did when he came to Huai'an as the magistrate was to transfer the power of commercial taxation to the government.When it comes to summer and autumn, he will send people to supervise and guide the work, and further seize power.

This is to offend the boss, and this is the tragedy of Fuguo County.

Ding Qiguang couldn't hear the irony in Zhou Nan's words, he laughed and pointed his fan at Zhou Nan: "Zimu, when I was young, my house was full of people and it was very lively. However, one day suddenly Regret, all the glitz is just a fleeting cloud, and what can be done after the debauchery and gold fascination, you can’t be under the shade of a tree, a cup of tea and a book, leisurely and leisurely. The so-called, sit and watch the waves come and go, and quietly hear the flowers bloom and fall.”

Zhou Nan: "The county's family is rich and noble, and there is no need to seek for rice and rice. If this is the case, why bother to study and become an official?"

"Otherwise, if you don't read books, you will see mountains as mountains and water as water. How can you feel the interest of the half-acre square pond in front of you, and the sky, clouds and shadows lingering together?" Finally, Ding Qiguang smiled and said: "Old man I heard people say that Governor Zhou was cast idle in the government office, and his will was a little depressed. You must know that the sky is strong, and a gentleman should not be decadent if he strives for self-improvement."

Zhou Bo was annoyed: What a surname Ding, the reason why I am in this position is not because of you, a relative who got out of nowhere.You are so fucking deprived of all your powers, you only know how to hide in the county government all day drinking tea and reading books, you are a shrinking turtle, and you are trying to persuade me to be stronger, do you have any face?

Ding Qiguang also sat down, took out a white piece from the Go box, and placed it on the star position on his left hand: "Zimu, I have nothing to do, how about we talk about a game?"

"It's boring to play, so let's add some prizes, one penny and one game." Zhou Nan picked up a black stone and put it down next to the white stone: "Whoever first connects five stones in a line wins."

Go, I'm sorry, but it requires super computing power. I'm a liberal arts monk, but I'm not good at it.Moreover, this thing is too talented. If you can't become a national player at the age of 12, you will have no hope in your life. Master, I don't have the talent in this area.

Zhou Nan is good at backgammon. When he was in college, he even bought a few chess books and memorized dozens of variations.

"Gobang, it's indecent." Ding Qiguang shook his head, but still complied.

A game of chess ended quickly, and Zhou Nan won.

Ding Qiguang suddenly said: "Recently there are a lot of refugees. If we don't provide relief properly, I'm afraid there will be troubles. I heard that last year, Zimu converted the refugees into military households and placed them in the salt field. This kindness has inspired me a lot. "

Zhou Nan felt that he did a good job in this matter: "The county lord is absurd."

Ding Qiguang: "Didn't your Andong County ask the government office for resettlement funds for the refugees? Since last year, the imperial court has successively allocated money to the Huai'an government to help the victims, with a total of 30 taels."

Zhou Nan was taken aback: "So much, I haven't seen any money!"

"That's right, this matter is handled by the government alone. In order to prevent the money from being distributed to the victims, the common people ate up all the money they got, and then waited for it. The prefect of Song gave a booklet for relief with work... The matter is That's it."

It turned out that the Huaihe River flooded every year, and the dams had to be raised every year.Therefore, the imperial court set up a river yamen in Huai'an City, which is responsible for the water conservancy of the Yellow River and the Huaihe River.Every year, tens of millions of taels are needed for water conservancy funds alone. Therefore, rivers and water transport were the two big money eaters in the Ming Dynasty, and the chief officials of the two major yamen were also high-ranking officials at the ministry level.

The river worker is a big piece of meat, and anyone wants to take a bite.

Therefore, Song Zhifu was moved, and prepared to use the excuse of work for relief to profit from it.

Originally, if you, a local magistrate, stretched your hand into the river and touched other people's cakes, that would be a taboo in the officialdom, and you would also be strongly opposed by the river officials.It's strange to say that the imperial court approved the prefect of Song's book as soon as it was handed over.

This thing was weird from beginning to end.

After listening to Ding Qiguang's words, Zhou Nan was puzzled: "The county lord, what are you doing with me?"

Ding Qiguang didn't directly answer Zhou Nan's question, saying: "In my dynasty, there has always been a system that non-jinshi are not allowed to be officials. Miscellaneous officials have been ups and downs for a lifetime. At most, they are just like Xiong Tuiguan, who is a seventh-rank official. If you want to be a Zhengyin official It's impossible. Zimu, you have taken a step that is difficult for ordinary people to go from being an official to a court official with your military merits. Are you willing to live a mediocre life as a regular seven-rank miscellaneous?"

Zhou Nan: "It doesn't matter if you are willing or not, I don't understand what the boss said."

Ding Qiguang: "Zimu, if you want to go further, you have to do something."

"What work?" Zhou Nan asked feebly, thinking: Mr. Zhou, I'm alone now, and in the yamen, I'm just a deaf ear—a display.Even if you want to make political achievements, others will not give you the opportunity.

Ding Qiguang suddenly lowered his voice and said: "The old man has found out clearly that after the imperial court appropriated 30 taels of silver last year, Song Kongdang actually spent only 11 taels of silver on the river construction, and the Huai River embankment just piled up a section of loess at will. Make a show. The rest of the silver is divided among the big and small officials in the yamen. The prefect and the same prefect each get [-]. There is also [-] entries. You and I might as well work together to get the proof, and catch all the people in the government office."

"Ah!" Zhou Nan was dumbfounded, unable to think for a moment.

This is 30 taels of silver. If it is exposed, I don't know how many people will be killed.

Ding Qiguang said again: "After the old man came to Shanyang County, because he was only close to officials and Shanyang County had the most refugees, the prefect of Song Dynasty tried his best to drag this county into trouble. The old man is a clean and honest official, so how can he be willing to join forces with others. In order to get rid of Song Kongdang's entanglement, so Report him for embezzling 50 taels of salary."

At this time, Zhou Nan suddenly realized that I said why Ding Qiguang was so naive, so there was no deep meaning.

He sneered at his words again in his heart: Are you an honest official?It's just coaxing children, you old man spent your whole life in order to be a seventh-rank magistrate, and you just told me to sit and watch the waves bloom and die, and quietly hear the flowers bloom and fall, but in fact you still want to get promoted and make a fortune.If this shocking case is exposed, old man Ding will definitely be rewarded by the court for his great contribution. The post of magistrate can be won, maybe he can be transferred to the Sixth Department of the Central Committee to be a doctor or something?He boarded Song Kongdang's pirate ship. Although the two classmates could rebuild the old one, the benefits in hand were only a few thousand taels of silver. Converted into RMB, it was only a few hundred thousand yuan. How could it be as attractive as being a high-ranking official? .

Thinking of this, Zhou Nan felt strange again: "Severely punishing the country's thieves is the unshirkable responsibility of the upright people of our generation. However, the county honor can go to the court on this matter, why do you drag down the officials?"

Ding Qiguang smiled and said: "This matter involves officials from all over the government. It is a case. Zimu might as well write a letter to Nanjing Tang Yingde Tangbutang first."

What an old fox, Zhou Nan couldn't help but spit in his heart.

The old man didn't know where he found out that he had been Tang Shunzhi's staff, and that he was recommended by Old Tang to be the governor.That is to say, from the day Zhou Nan got this official position, he has been branded as a disciple of the Tang Sect on his forehead.

This case is of great importance and involves a wide range of people, but it cannot be handled by a small magistrate of Shanyang County. If Tang Shunzhi intervenes, the matter will become simple.

Based on Zhou Nan's understanding of Tang Shunzhi, this person is a gentleman, if he knew about this, he would definitely not stay out of it.

He was suddenly moved, if he could wipe out all the government officials, then six or seven official positions would be vacated.With my own merits, as long as Mr. Tang recommends it again, maybe I can be promoted to the seventh rank.

This is a great opportunity, how can I miss it?
Still, he felt something was wrong.

The Fuyawo case is a bomb, and if one is not careful, the relevant people will be blown to pieces.Ding Qiguang has been an official all his life, according to Zhou Nan's observation, this person is not only good, but also very cunning and slippery.

I have only met him twice in total. Although we are relatives in name, no one takes this relationship seriously.

Is it possible that such an important matter related to one's own wealth and life should be entrusted to someone who has just met?
It is not the principle of people in the officialdom to talk shallowly and deeply, and there must be ghosts in it.

(End of this chapter)