Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 193 0188 [Corrupt officials also want to make progress]

(Zhu Ming is the court official who knows the state. In the last chapter, he had a brain twitch and wrote it as the Beijing official who knows the state.)
Zhu Ming didn't immediately criticize the two people, because the rules that have lasted for decades must have been issued by the imperial court.

"When did firewood harvesting and animal husbandry begin?" Zhu Ming asked.

Cao Yuangui replied cautiously: "During the reign of Emperor Shenzong, the imperial court ordered the people to move out of the mountains, and only five households were left to worship Yaoling for generations. The five households also strictly set aside farmland and firewood forests, and were not allowed to cultivate and cut firewood beyond the scope. The surrounding people are strictly prohibited from farming. , firewood harvesting and animal husbandry.”

Zhu Ming asked again: "How to sacrifice?"

Cao Yuangui said: "The magistrate of this county pays homage once in spring and autumn. If a magistrate takes office, he will come to offer sacrifices in person in the first year of taking office. The court offers sacrifices from time to time, and officials send clan members or civil servants to offer sacrifices."

"In the past few decades, how many times has the imperial court sent people to sacrifice?" Zhu Ming asked.

Cao Yuangui said: "Twice. Once in the Shenzong Dynasty, and once three years ago."

Zhu Ming asked, "What virtue does Yao have?"

Cao Yuangui thought that this was an examination of education by Zhizhou, and quickly said: "Yao's virtue is to select talents, implement benevolent government, set calendars, clarify five classics, control floods, obey Nanman, and Zen Yushun."

Zhu Ming asked again: "What is benevolence?"

Cao Yuangui said: "The benevolent loves others."

Zhu Ming asked again: "What is benevolent government?"

Cao Yuangui said: "Punishment is reduced, taxes are light, and farming is easy. The strong man spends his spare time cultivating his filial piety, loyalty and trust, entering to serve his father and brother, and leaving to serve his elders."

Zhu Ming looked at Wang Tian again: "What does the county magistrate think?"

Wang Tian has never dared to steal the magistrate's limelight, but now he is named and questioned, and immediately added: "If you get his heart, you have a way, get together with him if you want, and don't do anything you hate."

Zhu Ming asked: "What do the people desire? And what do they hate?"

Cao Yuangui already felt that something was wrong, and after weighing it over and over again, he replied seriously: "What the people want, they will have enough food and clothing; what the people hate, they will donate miscellaneous labor."

Zhu Ming asked: "If the people are not allowed to farm, and if the people are not allowed to harvest firewood, how can they get enough food and warmth?"

"This..." Cao Yuangui said, "The mausoleum of the ancient sage king should not be offended by emotion or etiquette. What's more, the court has an order, and the courtiers dare not disobey it."

Wang Tian buried his head and did not speak. The county magistrate was responsible for the prefect's questioning, and it was inconvenient for him to come forward as a county magistrate.

Zhu Ming said: "The huge Gulin Mountain has a radius of [-] miles, and the common people rely on its trees for food. How can it be banned? Presumably there are not a few illegal loggers."

"That's true," Cao Yuangui said, "There are a lot of people in the mountains who steal."

Paper-making workshops are easy to ban, but how can the common people be banned from chopping firewood?
The previous officials always turned a blind eye, otherwise they would have sent someone to guard them all day long?

But just three years ago, Song Huizong sent people to sacrifice to Yaoling, and the imperial envoy discovered that there were signs of logging in the mountain.As a result, the officials in Lei Ze County were put down, and the county magistrate was directly demoted to Guangnan, and the successor officials never dared to neglect.

Cao Yuangui and Wang Tian sent a team of archers to inspect every three to five days.

They don't have any bad intentions, they just want to complete the task.

The archers took the opportunity to fish for the common people, and beat the board if they caught it, and bribed them if they didn't want to hit the board.Sometimes they couldn’t even catch anyone, so they casually pointed to the farmer’s house and said, “The firewood in your house must have been felled from Gulin Mountain.

If the higher-ups issue a random government order, the lower-level ones will seize the opportunity to reap the benefits of the people.

For the protection of Yaoling, it is no longer a matter of banning farming, harvesting, and grazing, but grassroots law enforcement officers blackmailing the people under the guise.

Zhu Ming said: "Emperor Yao is a sage king of three generations and the most benevolent king. If he knows that his tomb has harmed the people, he must be very unhappy. How can we go against Emperor Yao's wishes? The exact location of Yao's mausoleum is unknown. It is only necessary to mark out a restricted area for worship. Outside the restricted area, the common people should be allowed to harvest and cultivate firewood. In this way, we can respect the Emperor Yao and love the common people."

"But the order of the court..." Cao Yuangui was very embarrassed.

Zhu Ming said: "Let the archers not harass the people first, and we will neither admit nor prohibit the illegal harvesting. I will go to the imperial court to redefine a restricted area, and will not interfere with the people outside the restricted area. If something happens, we will Take it!"

Cao Yuangui looked at Wang Tian, ​​and Wang Tian looked at Zhu Ming.

The two magistrates did not dare to disobey Zhu Ming's order, but they were afraid of being blamed by the court.

Zhu Ming was worried that something would happen, this kind of verbal promise was too nonsense.

"Bring a pen!" Zhu Ming shouted.

Wang Tian got up immediately and came back with a pen, ink, paper and inkstone.

Zhu Ming wrote in black and white, ordering Lei Ze County not to interfere with the people's firewood harvesting.

"Don't worry?" Zhu Ming pushed the writing paper over.

This is too crazy, a flagrant violation of the emperor's order, and it is easy to be caught by political opponents. The two county magistrates were a little dumbfounded.

What Cao Yuangui said before was just for the sake of fame, but now that Zhu Ming wrote it down in black and white, he realized that Zhu Ming was really thinking about the common people.

Cao Yuangui's official career has been bumpy, and his edges and corners have long been smoothed out. He has no political ambitions and is purely making money to dawdle.

But Zhu Ming's words and deeds stung his heart, and he couldn't help standing up and bowing: "The prefect's virtue is ashamed, and I will definitely do it."

Wang Tian also quickly flattered: "The prefect is dedicated to the people, and the people of Puzhou are really the blue sky!"

Those who are selfless and fearless will surely win respect.

The premise is that Zhu Ming's order will not violate the interests of the two county magistrates.

Prohibiting the common people from logging and farming would do them no good, and it would have to waste manpower to implement it. Cao Yuangui and Wang Tian had long since given up on it, and Zhu Ming just fulfilled their wish today.

The valley tree is the dog tree, and the valley forest and mountains are full of dog trees.

This kind of tree is hardly used as a building material, but it is used to make paper and burn firewood.And it grows extremely fast. As long as papermaking is banned, the burning of firewood by the people will not have the slightest impact, and it will not cause damage to the mountains and forests at all.

Zhu Ming said: "Tomorrow, the two of you will follow me into the mountains and re-demarcate a restricted area. Outside the restricted area, people will harvest by default. You can make arrangements. I will go back to the hotel to rest first."

The two got up quickly and accompanied Zhu Ming to the hotel.

After he came back, Cao Yuangui called the governor: "Immediately find all the residence reports within three years!"

Not long after, the secretary brought a stack of newspapers.

Cao Yuangui and Wang Tian, ​​together with a group of civil servants, carefully checked the residence newspaper, trying to find out information about Zhu Ming.

After only a few minutes, a civil official shouted: "Zhu Ming, the third person in the palace examination in the fifth year of Zhenghe, is awarded the Jinshi and the rank!"

Cao Yuangui said: "Everyone read last year's Dibao again."

Soon another civil official shouted: "The third Jinshi, Zhu Ming, is awarded Wen Linlang and Tai Xuezheng!"

Wang Tian said: "To be able to teach Taixue Zheng for the first time, there must be someone in the court."

Immediately, someone shouted again: "Tai Xue Zheng Zhu Ming, meritorious in his speech, specially transferred to an official, promoted to Chengwu Lang."

Cao Yuangui compared the dates of the two mansion reports, and said in horror: "In two months, you have been directly promoted from the selection to the capital official?"

Wang Tian shouted: "Look at this year's Dibao again, the last two or three months."

Seeing the latest appointment, a civil official said dryly: "The promotion is so good... so fast! Tai Xuezheng is also in charge of the Guozijian library Zhu Ming, who made great achievements in making Dasheng movable type and Dasheng ink. He was specially transferred to two officials and promoted to Tong Zhilang , Quan Fa dispatched to know the affairs of Puzhou."

Cao Yuangui and Wang Tian immediately looked at each other in blank dismay.

Wang Tian smiled wryly and said with emotion: "It took me eight years to advance from the seventh level of selection to the fifth level of selection. For our magistrate, it only took two months to select a person to be promoted to a Beijing official, and it took only two months for a Beijing official to be promoted to a court official." for a year."

Cao Yuan retired from the subordinates, leaving the two of them alone, pondering: "Looking at his faction, it's not like those who cling to traitors, how did he get promoted?"

"Who knows?" Wang Tian couldn't figure it out even if he broke his head.

Both of them have no background, and they can't find a chance to cling to the traitor party.Although there are various kinds of corruption in normal times, they are self-confident and clean, and even attribute the disadvantage of promotion to the traitor's disorderly government. They also resent the traitor.

Even if Zhu Ming passed the imperial examination, if he wants to be promoted to a court official, it will take ten or eight years under normal circumstances, and even if he is supported by someone in the court, it will take five or six years.

What the hell is being promoted to an official in one year?

This was not the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, there were not many Jinshi. Li Di, the most prominent family in Puzhou, changed from the number one scholar to the prime minister in only 12 years.

Now, with more wolves and less meat, normal promotion is too slow.

Cao Yuangui's appointment as county magistrate in Lei Ze was just a transition, and he didn't have too many conflicts with county magistrate Wang Tian. He said: "This magistrate dares to plead for the people in black and white, and he is so young. I think he has some ambitions. Be careful in doing things in the future. Some, it’s okay to get a little less money, the important thing is to follow his will.”

"He wants to govern with benevolence and love the people, so we should also govern with benevolence and love for the people," Wang Tian said, "This man is a court official who knows the state at a young age. If there is no mistake in the future, he will be a prime minister!"

The two county magistrates looked at each other, feeling that their chance had come.

They have serious Jinshi backgrounds, and they have already got enough qualifications, only one Shangguan is cultivated and promoted.

Not to mention anything else, if their Jilu officer wants to be promoted, he must pass Ju Ming's review.Just a random card from Zhizhou can get them stuck for at least three years!
And if their assignments want to be promoted, Ju Ming also has the right to recommend them, and the speed must be faster than the normal grinding.

The entire Jingdong Road is being sucked blood by Kaifeng Mansion.

Lei Ze County, which is a bit bigger, also has a magistrate and a county magistrate at the same time, and the money from corruption must be divided.No matter how levied and extorted, how much money can he get?
It's better to be less greedy, curry favor with the promising Zhizhou, and take this opportunity to complete the leap in official career.

If Zhizhou became the prime minister in the future, they would belong to the early subordinates, and belong to the hardcore confidants.Riding on the east wind and soaring upwards, maybe he can still be a court official in this life!
Even if you want to be greedy, wait until you get transferred to a good place.

Cao Yuangui said: "The plan for now is to join hands with you and me to restrain the gang of subordinates and try our best to please the prefect!"

Wang Tian said: "The chief secretary will also be brought here. He is also a non-commissioned officer and wants to be promoted just like us."

Fortunately, although the population increased in the late Northern Song Dynasty, the arrangement of officials did not change. Otherwise, with the number of household registrations in Lei Ze County, a county magistrate and a county lieutenant would have to be appointed.

That's called redundant officials. The county magistrate, county magistrate, county magistrate, master book, and county lieutenant, five officials serve the people at the same time, and the people in the whole county can't be grateful?

By the way, regardless of the mediocrity of Song Huizong, during his reign, the population of the two Songs reached its peak.

Especially the Fangtian Order at the beginning of his ascension to the throne, and the refinement of Baojia in the middle of his reign, a large number of hidden household registrations were found out, and even the financial revenue reached its peak.

Feng Hengyu is not just bragging!
That night, the two county magistrates also called the chief secretary to a meeting, and determined the policy of "government with benevolence and love for the people".

At the same time, they sent their confidants to Tokyo to inquire about the news, trying to find out the way of Ju Ming thoroughly.

This can be reserved for later use. For example, if it is found out that Zhu Ming has offended Cai Jing, if one day Zhu Ming loses power, he can go to Cai Xianggong and take out Zhu Ming's black materials to join the traitor party.Such a betrayal of the benefactor is easy to be despised, unless the temptation is irresistible.

The next day, the county magistrate, county magistrate, and master secretary, together with a group of subordinate officials, surrounded Zhu Ming and went to worship Yaoling.

By the way, re-delineate the restricted area to leave enough space for the common people to collect firewood.

(Thanks to the leader of Guoyang Qianxing for the reward, and by the way, I dared to ask for a monthly ticket.)
(End of this chapter)