jdhmnovel Chapter 371 We must live up to the title of "Local Official"
Chapter 371 We must live up to the title of "Local Official"
Before Yang Shaofeng even left the county government office, he bumped into several inspectors who had come from the capital to Zhaoyuan County, as well as an official dressed in the robes of a seventh-rank official.
"Prince-in-law?"
Upon seeing Yang Shaofeng, the head inspector immediately bowed and said, "This humble servant, Wang Mancang, pays respects to Your Highness, the Imperial Son-in-Law."
The official standing next to the inspectors also bowed to Yang Shaofeng and said, "This humble official, Liu Jinxue, pays his respects to Prefect Yang."
Yang Shaofeng was slightly taken aback and asked, "What's going on?"
It's not surprising that the head of the inspectorate recognized him, after all, the inspectorate was Lao Deng's personal guard, and he had Limpy Wu and the Prince Consort's personal guards by his side. It would be strange if the head of the inspectorate didn't recognize him.
The problem lies with that seventh-rank official.
According to the rules of officialdom, one should always address officials by their higher rank. For example, Yang Shaofeng held the titles of Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant (first rank), Prefect of Dengzhou (fourth rank), Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies (fifth rank), and Magistrate of Ningyang (sixth rank). These four positions were of different ranks, but in official circles, Yang Shaofeng was generally addressed as Imperial Son-in-Law, even big shots like Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen.
If there are any exceptions, they are the officials directly under Yang Shaofeng, such as Xu Jingyu, the magistrate of Penglai County, and Lu Buping, the magistrate of Qixia County.
However, Liu Jinxue did not address him as "Prince Consort" but directly called him "Lord Yang," and there was no such person in the Dengzhou officialdom.
Just as Yang Shaofeng was pondering this, Wang Mancang directly cupped his hands and replied, "Your Highness, this Magistrate Liu is the newly appointed Magistrate of Zhaoyuan. The official document from the Ministry of Personnel will be delivered soon. As for the original Magistrate Fang..."
Wang Mancang glanced at Fang Kejian, who was being held by the guards of the Imperial Son-in-Law's mansion, and gave a barely perceptible smirk before continuing, "This Magistrate Fang is in big trouble. We have been ordered to arrest him."
Damn it?
Yang Shaofeng glanced at Wang Mancang and Liu Jinxue, then turned to look at Fang Kejian.
Sending an inspector to Zhaoyuan County to arrest a minor official of the seventh rank, and even preparing a replacement for him, is a style of behavior very much in keeping with Zhu Yuanzhang's traditions.
But what exactly did that bastard Fang Kejian do to alarm Old Zhu?
Speaking of which, am I, the prefect of Dengzhou, a little incompetent? How could I have failed to discover a talent like Fang Kejian sooner?
After pondering for a moment, Yang Shaofeng simply looked at Wang Mancang and asked, "What did he do wrong?"
Wang Mancang said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I don't know much either, except that it's related to the account books he submitted to the Ministry of Revenue."
Upon hearing the words "ledger," Yang Shaofeng immediately understood what was going on.
The blank seal case, you know.
According to the rules set by Emperor Zhu, local officials had to send people to the Ministry of Revenue every year to "verify the accounts of money, grain, and military supplies," which meant submitting the year's accounts to the Ministry of Revenue for verification.
The officials of the Ming Dynasty, wanting to avoid trouble and also to line their own pockets, brought blank account books to the capital. They worked together to falsify accounts while drinking tea to deceive Emperor Zhu.
As for Fang Kejian, that idiot... given his audacity in embezzling county treasury funds, it's not surprising that he was implicated in the blank seal case.
The only thing that Yang Shaofeng was curious about was who had exposed the blank seal case before him?
People do things?
Yang Shaofeng turned and glanced at Fang Kejian, then instructed the guards of the Imperial Son-in-Law's residence: "Hand this idiot over to Inspector Wang and have him hand him over to Magistrate Liu."
After the guards of the Prince Consort's Mansion handed Fang Kejian over to Wang Mancang, Yang Shaofeng turned his gaze to the newly appointed magistrate Liu Jinxue: "You should first complete the handover with Fang Kejian and re-verify all the county's money and grain accounts."
The Empty Seal Case has been detonated. Regardless of who detonated it, the Ming Dynasty's officialdom is about to be plunged into a bloodbath, and countless officials will lose their heads as a result.
What about Dengzhou Prefecture?
Of the ten county magistrates in Dengzhou Prefecture, how many will eventually remain?
After pondering it over for a while, Yang Shaofeng simply instructed the commander of the Imperial Son-in-Law's personal guards: "Send someone to fetch the princess into the city to rest. We need to stay in Zhaoyuan County for a few days."
……
The government office was dilapidated, the houses were low and cramped, the streets were full of potholes, and the people were dressed in rags.
Yang Shaofeng surveyed everything before him, then suddenly sighed and said, "Magistrate Liu, you are now the magistrate of Zhaoyuan County. What are your plans for the future?"
Liu Jinxue cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, I plan to follow your instructions and first check all the county's money and grain accounts, then check the household registers and land registers, and then encourage agriculture and sericulture next spring."
Yang Shaofeng hummed in agreement and pressed further, "How do we encourage farmers to engage in sericulture?"
Liu Jinxue was slightly taken aback. While pondering, he tentatively said, "This humble official will go to each village and community to explain the planting season to the people?"
Upon hearing Liu Jinxue's answer, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but rub his forehead and said, "You've farmed before? You know how to farm?"
Seeing Liu Jinxue shaking his head blankly, Yang Shaofeng sighed slightly and said, "Those farmers have been farming all their lives, which one of them doesn't know how to farm better than you?"
"If you really want to do a good job of encouraging farmers to start farming, take advantage of the time before the New Year to travel all over Zhaoyuan County, visiting each village and household to understand the situation of the people."
"After the New Year, His Majesty and the court will allocate some oxen and plows to Dengzhou, and Zhaoyuan County will definitely receive some as well."
"When the time comes, you will organize the people to collect farm tools, and then arrange how the people will take care of the oxen, how many households will share one ox, and arrange for the able-bodied people in the county to help the widowed, orphaned, lonely, old, weak, sick and disabled people."
"If there are signs of drought, we should dig lakes to store water in advance; if there are signs of flooding, we should dredge river channels in advance."
"As for when the people start to cultivate the land and what they will plant in the land, you, who do not know anything about farming, should not talk to the people about the planting season or other nonsense. They know better than you how to farm."
Yang Shaofeng's words were quite impolite, and Liu Jinxue blushed with embarrassment. After a long while, he bowed and replied, "Yes, I have remembered everything."
Seeing Liu Jinxue's flushed face, Yang Shaofeng patted Liu Jinxue's shoulder again and sighed, "The common people are already suffering enough, but then the former magistrate of Zhaoyuan, Xu Zheng, resold plowshares, and the former magistrate, Fang Kejian, embezzled money and grain."
"You are the third magistrate of Zhaoyuan. Since His Majesty has appointed you as the magistrate of Zhaoyuan, it means that His Majesty believes in your ability and character. You must not let His Majesty down and fail to live up to His Majesty's trust and expectations. You must also live up to the title of magistrate of the county."