Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 93 Adoring Wen and Upholding Officials

Autumn is cool and refreshing, Chongwenmen.

Although this is not the main south gate of Beijing City, this south gate to the east is the first choice for ordinary people and scholars to enter the city, so it has always been bustling and lively.

At this time, it was noon, and it was the busiest time for this city gate to come and go.

A fair-skinned old man in common clothes, wearing a bamboo hat and leading a donkey out of the city, was walking out of the city with the flow of people.

Everyone is running around for life, so they are in a hurry, so they don't pay special attention to the people next to them.Even if Zhu Youtang appeared here, if he didn't reveal his identity, they probably wouldn't take a second look.

But at this time, a young scholar suddenly rushed out of the middle of Chongwenmen Inner Street, and violently pushed down a passerby, causing the passerby to scream.

When the surrounding people saw such a reckless scholar, they couldn't help but pay attention to him.

"Master Li, Master Li, you quietly left Beijing today, and you are going to live in seclusion from us, you must take care!" the young scholar's eyes were moist, and he shouted emotionally to the old man leading the donkey in front of him.

Huh?
The people around looked at the young scholar one after another, and they also noticed the old man in civilian clothes who was standing in front of him. Dare to say that this old man in civilian clothes is still an official.

A good-natured person saw that the other party was actually wearing common clothes, and couldn't help but said in confusion: "Which official is this? It doesn't look like a high-ranking official!"

"Li Shangshu, you have been in charge of the Ministry of Households for several years, and asked the late emperor to be frugal, so that the big warehouses can be used in a moderate way, and the taxes of all people in the world will not be increased by one penny, and the useless expenses will be reduced by more than one million yuan. Now you resign and leave, with only one donkey and one bag to return. Township, so clean as water, please be respected by the students!" Tears rolled down the young scholar's cheeks, and he bowed to the ground.

"Is this Minister of the Household Department an upright official?"

"Yes, didn't you hear that you live in a big mansion?"

"You know what a fart, that house was rented by Li Shangshu!"

"It's not easy for Li Shangshu! For the dignity of the court officials, and for the convenience of going to the court, all the official salaries are spent on renting houses!"

……

Only then did the people present realize that this little old man in commoner clothes, a bamboo hat, and a donkey in his hand turned out to be Li Min, the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, an upright official who was ignored by them.

"Li Shangshu, why did you leave?"

"The loss of Li Shangshu in the Ming Dynasty is like the loss of Kong Ming in Shu!"

"Li Shangshu has been an official for dozens of years without taking any money, so he is worthy of our Ming Dynasty's upright official!"

……

A few scholars suddenly appeared from the crowd, and praised Li Min who was holding the donkey again, performing an emotional scene on the wide green brick street.

"Is this Li Shangshu really a good official?"

"Of course he is a good official, Li Shangshu is upright and honest!"

"Isn't it? Today, the son values ​​the eunuch, but despises the virtuous gentleman. It's really heartbreaking!"

"If Your Majesty can reuse Li Shangshu and other good officials, why don't you worry about the prosperity?"

……

Under the advocacy of some caring people, Li Min resolutely became the number one upright official of Ming Dynasty, and even pointed the finger at Emperor Hongzhi, the faint emperor who was far away from the virtuous officials.

The emperor who abolished the upright officials is naturally the most stupid emperor in the world.

Li Min turned on the donkey, turned his back to the scholars who saw him off, and waved goodbye: "Masters, I, Li Min, have been an official for decades, and I only want to serve the country and be loyal! Although I can't fulfill my ambitions today, I am worthy of heaven and earth. Go, let's continue together!"

"Li Qingtian, have a good trip!" Several scholars exchanged glances, and immediately bowed to Li Min who was riding on a donkey.

The scene where all the scholars sent Li Qingtian off couldn't help but make the people nearby burst into tears.

Due to deep-rooted class concepts, ordinary people have a natural awe and trust in scholars, and an official who is praised by scholars is naturally a good official.

"Bon voyage Li Shangshu!"

"It's such a good official, what a pity!"

"The court has no way, let such a clean and honest official hang up his boots and leave today!"

……

Seeing such a touching scene, the people present, although they didn't know about Li Min, an upright official earlier, many simple people also knelt down to give the blessing.

Due to the difference in class, ordinary people are doomed not to see through the truth of the upper class.

This has been the case from ancient times to the present. We only know that rich people advocate frugality and wear 200 yuan watches, but they don’t know that they live in luxury houses with billions of dollars, and even collect hundreds of millions of famous watches.

Now Li Min is an upright official riding a donkey empty-handed, but there are already beauties waiting ten miles away, and there is even a 17-year-old girl at home to fill his concubine room.

Li Min heard the growing commotion behind him, but knew that more and more people were kneeling to see him off, so the corners of his mouth could not help but slightly rise.

Stupid people, people who are ignorant and ignorant.

The guards of Chongwenmen had already noticed the movements on this side, and when they saw that the high-ranking Hubu Shangshu was about to leave on a donkey, they immediately cleared all obstacles and gave the green light to let him go.

Just as Li Min was riding a donkey and was about to pass through Chongwenmen and leave the No. [-] city in the world, there was a sudden rush of hoofbeats behind him, galloping towards this side.

Seeing this, the scholars and the public kneeling here to see him off, the young scholar who was the leader at the beginning wanted to stop him, but seeing the menacing approach of the other party, he had no choice but to get out of the way.

"Lord Li, please stay!" Song Cheng, a member of the Ministry of Punishment's Department of Cleaning Officials in Zhejiang Province, chased after him with his troops, and called out to Li Mindao with an expressionless face.

Naturally, Li Min heard the commotion behind him and saw that the person who came was a young man wearing a fifth-rank official uniform. He dared to flatter him, so he said arrogantly, "Which yamen are you from?"

"The lower official Song Cheng, a member of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs in Zhejiang Province, is here to invite Mr. Li back to the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice!" Song Cheng looked at the once high-ranking Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and directly explained his intentions.

At the beginning, Li Min only felt that a member of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, Wailang, was not worthy of the stage at all, but when he heard that the other party wanted to ask him to go back to the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, he immediately raised his eyes and said, "Are you here to arrest this official?"

"Exactly, now please go back to the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice with my lord!" Song Cheng met Li Min's surprised gaze, looking businesslike.

"Ah? Is this upright official about to be arrested?"

"What kind of upright official is that? Have you ever seen an upright official who is about to go to jail?"

"Hehe... From my point of view, this is a big corrupt official, and now something has happened!"

……

Seeing that the officials of the Ministry of Criminal Justice were going to arrest Li Min, the people watching finally realized that they might not be the upright officials in front of them, so they seemed to be belatedly talking about it.

Li Min listened to the voices of comments around him, and suddenly felt his face dull and angry: "Why do you, a small member of the fifth-rank criminal department, Wai Lang, arrest this old man? This old man is an official of the second-rank official!"

"It's based on the law of the country! Come here, and take Mr. Li back to the yamen of the Ministry of Criminal Justice!" Song Cheng naturally knew that he was not worth mentioning in the eyes of the big shots, but he still ordered very forcefully.

Two of the accompanying personnel were Jin Yiwei, and they seemed very blunt and said: "Master Li, please!"

Li Min couldn't figure out what was going on, so Dang even asked angrily: "What's wrong with me? I've been clean all my life. You are obviously abusing your power. Your Majesty must be deliberately targeting this old man!"

"Stop pretending to be a clean official, we have just found the account book!" Song Cheng looked at the other party's dishonesty, Dang even revealed lightly.

Just earlier, when Zhu Youtang got the deposit note of 210 three taels, he suddenly matched the number "210 three" disclosed by Xie Ke earlier.

When they went to the Xinyi Money Shop with the deposit checks, not only did they get 210 taels of silver, but they also got the account books that had been sought for many days without success.

what?
Hearing this result, Li Min looked at Song Cheng in disbelief, and immediately shook his head and said, "Impossible! If you found the account book from Xie's house, you would have arrested people according to the order!"

"Xie Yikui hid the account book very deeply. Didn't he arrest people just after he found it? This water transport is really full of people, Mr. Li, please go back with us!" Song Cheng looked at Li Min with a look of unwillingness to give up. Dang even revealed his appearance.

water transport?

When Li Min heard these words, he immediately realized that the other party was not trying to blackmail him. Even though he fell to the ground, he knew that he was really going to fall this time.

The surrounding people realized that the Minister of the Household Department was actually pretending to be an upright official, and they all cast contemptuous glances.Throughout the ages, there have been many officials seeking fame, but there are indeed not many who can play so much.

On the other hand, those Qingliu officials who were gearing up for a big fight were hit hard again, and the news that Xie Yikui's account book had been found was like a sharp sword piercing into their chests.

(End of this chapter)