Start a Ming Dynasty plane

Chapter 211 Bribing the Shangguan
Chongzhen two years, spring.

Lantian County has started spring planting, and the whole Lantian has regained its vitality. Although it did not rain when it was time to plant this spring, the land was very hard, but all the ice cubes transported to the field last winter melted, and the melted ice water, Watering the land instead of the spring rain did not affect the planting in Lantian County.

However, other places in Shaanxi are not as lucky as Lantian. The local officials did not act, and the people did not start to build canals spontaneously. As a result, less than [-]% of the entire Shaanxi can sow as scheduled this year.

This year's food shortage situation will not change, and the people of Shaanxi are doomed to live in dire straits.

Under such circumstances, the tax collectors Li Chaosheng sent to measure the land came back and reported that the area of ​​cultivated land in Lantian County had reached 18 mu this year, a full 13 mu more than the previous [-] mu.

Part of the [-] mu was reclaimed by the victims last year, another part was hidden by the former landlords, and the last part was added by secretly moving boundary markers in neighboring Chang'an, Hua, Zhashui, and Shangluo counties.

In the past, the boundary marker of Lantian was not far from Liudayukou, just three miles away from Yukou, but now it has been moved ten miles away. This was reported by the tax officials who went to the countryside.

Li Chaosheng was taken aback when he heard the report, and the tax official saw Li Chaosheng's loss of consciousness for a moment and said, "My lord, do you want to send someone to chase the boundary marker back? This is a bad rule."

After hearing this, Li Chaosheng waved his hands and said, "What's wrong with the rules? Tell Qingfeng to go to these counties to help them build the reservoir. What's wrong with a group of people who want to live a good life?"

"Yes."

After the tax officer notified, Qingfeng immediately sent people to these counties to build reservoirs and ditches.

Soon these places were also revived by Li Chaosheng.

Soon the summer grains were cooked, and the tax officer found Li Chaosheng again: "My lord, it's time for us to collect Xia Fu."

Hearing this, Li Chaosheng looked at the tax official and said, "How about the tax this year?"

The tax official took out the account book and said, "The court showdown is almost the same as last year. Each household needs to pay about eight renminbi in tax. Of course, you can add whatever you want, my lord."

Li Chaosheng understood what the tax official said. If you want to make a fortune as an official, where will the money come from if you want to make a fortune?

In addition to accepting some bribes, the big head is actually apportioning the tax burden here. The imperial court apportioned eight qian silver, can the magistrate himself not earn some?So some doubled, some doubled, and the tax burden of the people changed from eight qian to one tael, one tael, and eight tael, and there were even more unscrupulous people who could get the apportioned silver to two Two or more.

But no one cares about these things, and no one talks about them. After all, the officials of the entire Ming Dynasty are doing this, and they can't be banned, they can only watch.

Being an official for thousands of miles is only for making money. This is not empty talk. There was no one in the Ming Dynasty who did not make money. From the chief assistant of the cabinet to the low-ranking officials, they were all shot for corruption. There may be unjust, false and wrong cases, such as Meet someone like Hai Rui.

But if you shoot one after another, there must be a fish that slipped through the net. The disease of Ming Dynasty is already dying. The only real coup is to smash this Great Ming into pieces and reshape it.

"If you don't apportion it, it will be collected according to the imperial court's eight qian."

Li Chaosheng said to the tax official, who was stunned after hearing this: "No apportionment?"

The tax official's eyes widened. He has never encountered such a thing in his life. He has served several magistrates. Among them, the magistrate who is known as the most clean and honest has also shown off the tax of two dollars. Such a magistrate has been called by the people. Master Qingtian is now, and most of the county magistrates are greedy people, at least double the apportionment and receive one tael of silver.

Zhang Dezheng, the former county lord, paid twice the tax burden every time, but this time, the county magistrate did not pay a penny more, which caught the tax official off guard, and his face was full of surprise.

"Big, my lord, you really don't want to apportion?"

After hearing this, Li Chaosheng said: "If you don't apportion, the lives of the common people are hard enough, so let's stop burdening the common people."

The tax official was stunned for a while, and then bowed to the end: "My lord really loves the people like a son, and I thank you on behalf of the people of Lantian County."

Li Chaosheng glanced at the tax officer after hearing this, and waved his hand: "Okay, stop flattering, by the way, this time I won't engage in apportionment, and you guys don't mess with me, I will send someone to randomly Random checks, if you have a wrong mind, the public trial stand outside the city will still be there."

After hearing this, the tax official said: "Don't worry, my lord. Your lord will set an example. Whoever dares to do something, don't need your lord, I will take his skin off."

Li Chaosheng nodded and said, "That's good."

As Li Chaosheng said, the tax officer went to collect taxes, and soon the people were astonished to find out that the taxes in Lantian County were frighteningly low.

After paying the taxes, the common people still have some surplus. They really have surplus food for their families. Of course, the surplus food is not their own, but needs to repay the debt. When the disaster last year, all townships and villages in Lantian County The landlords and rich peasants left the food stored in their homes, and now after the big guys have a good harvest, they have to hand over the excess food to pay off their debts.

The common people have no objections, because the autumn grain has already been planted in the ground, and there is still water in the reservoirs of all towns and villages. At least the growth needs of the autumn grain are guaranteed, and there will be no large-scale reduction in production.

The grain donated by the landlords last year has been doubled this year. Everyone has a smile on their faces, and their trust in the county government and Li Chaosheng has also increased greatly.

The food was returned, and Li Chaosheng’s food was also doubled. Li Chaosheng put all the food in the warehouse. At the same time, Li Chaosheng began to call on the landlords in the county to sell the rest of the food to the county government, except for the food necessary to deal with the disaster. .

And Li Chaosheng began to call on landlords not to cling to the land, but to learn to do business, and not to be landlords and riches forever.

After the landlords experienced this incident, they began to set up their own caravans one after another and learn to do business.

Moreover, the county has uniformly measured the land of the landlords in the county this year, and made a new account. Of course, this new account is known to Li Chaosheng himself, while the imperial court continues to use the old account, which has less than 15 mu of arable land. At the request of Li Chaosheng, the master bookkeeper began to pay taxes every year in accordance with the practice of the counties.

Li Chaosheng used the tax revenue of the extra [-] mu of cultivated land to maintain the army, and even used the balance.

Li Chaosheng himself could charge a little more.

The tax burden of Lantian County is handed over in full, but the entire Lantian people are happy. This may be a rare thing that pays taxes cheerfully. Eight qian silver is really only eight qian silver. Less than half a load of food, such a good thing, not to mention this year, even when Zhang Juzheng was in power, there was no such a small tax.

Li Chaosheng specially posted the reminder document on the city wall. It was clear at a glance how much tax Lantian County was required to collect. Li Chaosheng even took pictures of two officers and soldiers, repeating the above content every day.

Li Chaosheng said that everyone should know that we did not take a grain of grain from the people of Lantian.

When someone asked who invented the act of pasting documents on the wall, the official words of the yamen servants were: "This is invented by Mr. Li. What is it called, the government document display column!"

Moreover, this display column must not only be displayed in the county town, but copies must also be sent to the village committees of each village.

Some people will think of Emperor Hongwu's system of suing officials by the people, but this system is more moderate. In addition, Li Chaosheng started to increase the salaries of civil servants in the county, at least to ensure that they can live without worrying about food and drink.

After this series, the entire political and rural atmosphere in Lantian has reached its peak, and Lantian even has the meaning of a paradise.

The people are actually wandering around. Who doesn’t have relatives and friends in individual counties, visit each other and chat with each other. When they learn that the tax in Lantian County is only eight yuan, the envious eyes of the people in other counties turn green. , It is said that that night, the boundary marker of Lantian County was passed down ten miles by the people of the surrounding counties.

When the tax officials and yamen servants in the surrounding counties came down to collect taxes, these people stared blankly and said that they were from Lantian County and were not under their control, which angered the tax officials.

The tax official quickly told the matter to the county magistrates in his own county, and the magistrates were also furious, so they reported the matter to Zhang Jinru, the magistrate of Xi'an.

After Zhang Jinru heard the news, he didn't get angry immediately, but asked his master recorder, how is the taxation of each county this year?
The chief bookkeeper flipped through the account books and said: "My lord, all counties have discounted taxes this year, only Lantian County paid the full amount of taxes, and even paid a little more. Those people in other counties handed over their taxes to Lantian County."

"Has there ever been a shortage?"

Zhang Jinru frowned and asked, after hearing this, the master said: "There is no shortage, pay in full."

Hearing this, Zhang Jinru rubbed his chin, then turned around and walked to his mansion. When he arrived at the mansion, Zhang Jinru just entered the door, and saw his wife wearing an expensive fox fur dress, looking beautiful in the yard.

Seeing Zhang Jinru coming back, Madam immediately said cheerfully, "Lantian County Magistrate Li Chaosheng sent someone to give us gifts."

Hearing this, he looked at the white fox fur on his wife and said, "This white fox fur is the best leather. I'm afraid it's worth a thousand taels."

After hearing this, the madam laughed and said: "Really? Then tomorrow I will go out and have a good look with the wives from various houses. I am so envious of them."

Zhang Jinru glanced at his wife and said, "Just wear it at home, don't take it out."

"what?"

Madam frowned, Zhang Jinru said with an ugly face: "Wealth does not reveal wealth, you want your husband to die early."

After saying this, Zhang Jinru looked at his wife and said, "By the way, Lizhi County gave you this white fox fur?"

After hearing this, Madam said: "I still have some gifts, but they are so mysterious that I am not allowed to see them. The person who gave them is still waiting in the side hall."

"Oh?"

Zhang Jinru was taken aback, then turned around and said, "Go to the dining room and wait for me first, I'll go and have a look."

Zhang Jinru rushed to the side hall, and saw an old housekeeper waiting there. Zhang Jinru smiled when he saw it. He knew this person, and he was the old-fashioned shopkeeper of Yuxianlou.

Seeing Zhang Jinru coming, the old fellow immediately stood up and said, "Master Zhang."

"Oh, old-fashioned, you need to come to see what your boss is giving you."

Zhang Jinru said with a smile, at this time the old man quickly said: "Master Zhang, my boss won't let me see this thing, it is sealed, and it is said that you like it, sir."

"Oh?"

Zhang Jinru was taken aback for a moment, and then he saw Lao Tu handing over a scroll with both hands. There was a seal on the scroll, and it seemed that no one had opened it.

Seeing this, Zhang Jinru's heart moved, and he immediately said to the old man: "Tell your boss that he has a heart."

The old man said at this time: "Master Xie, by the way, my boss also said that recently he found that the boundary markers in Lantian County are always running outside. This is obviously against the rules, and he was terrified, but the people have hidden the markers. We have not been able to find it for a long time, so please give me your instructions on this matter, otherwise the other county magistrates will definitely come to sue my lord for being tricky."

After Zhang Jinru heard this, he glanced at Lao Tu and said, "I've already sued."

"what?"

The old-fashioned face was shocked, and Zhang Jinru said at this time: "Zhashui, Shangluo, and Chang'an county magistrate's joint appeal are on my desk."

"My lord, this, what should I do, my lord has been wronged."

The old man immediately looked aggrieved and terrified, and Zhang Jinru's mouth curled up when he saw this, but he quickly said with a straight face: "Originally, this matter is definitely not in compliance with the rules, and you may even be held accountable to your lord."

"My lord, my lord is really wronged."

The old man showed a terrified expression at the right time, and Zhang Jinru was very satisfied. At this moment, the style of painting changed: "But this matter is not a big deal to me. Don't worry, I can help suppress it, but it's just a matter of time." I'm afraid they will make a fuss with Mr. Hong, the chief envoy, Mr. Hong is the most respectful of rules, so I'm afraid something will happen."

Hearing this, he said in an old-fashioned way: "With your support, my lord, our lord will not be afraid. As for Mr. Hong, we will also send someone to explain clearly. If there is nothing else, I will leave."

Zhang Jinru nodded and said, "Well, step back."

As soon as the old man left here, Zhang Jinru couldn't wait to open the scroll. Inside was a poster disguised as a painting. On the poster was Mr. Plaster Guo in a sailor suit with a charming expression on his face.

Zhang Jinru's eyes lit up when he saw it. This dress is so strange, never seen in his life, and this painter, beautiful, beautiful!

Zhang Jinru, the magistrate of Xi'an, is a refined man, and he only likes the erotic palace. This can be used as a breakthrough.

This was information from Li Chaosheng to Lao Tu, and the reason why he bought Zhang Jinru was that Li Chaosheng was in the development stage and didn't want to cause trouble. This kind of official who could be bribed was Li Chaosheng's favorite.

On the contrary, Li Chaosheng is more worried about Hong Chengchou now, and he doesn't know what attitude the chief envoy, who is known as the defender of order in Ming Dynasty, has on this matter.

(End of this chapter)