Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 161 Shocking Case of Fraud (End)

In the feudal era, no matter which dynasty, the laws on paper were relatively complete.

But in actual implementation, they are usually ineffective and full of loopholes.

This is not surprising, because legislators and executors are usually not the same people, and there is even a huge identity gap between them.

Legislation is relatively easy. A few literati get together and work on it, and they can issue a law.Of course, whether it can be used or not is another matter.
However, law enforcement is an extremely costly activity.What’s even more frightening is that it doesn’t happen overnight, but permeates every day of the daily work of relevant agencies.

This cost includes but is not limited to time, money, manpower, etc.

When law enforcement agencies have limited resources, they can only try to save law enforcement costs. Otherwise, let alone getting things done, law enforcement officers may be exhausted from the high-intensity work within a few days.

Specifically it can be understood as:

As long as nothing serious happens, the relevant law enforcement agencies can just fool around.

For example, the Ministry of Punishment during the Sui and Tang Dynasties had a very narrow scope of authority. It was limited to executing executions on civilians and officials below the seventh rank, but generally did not have the power to punish.The power of punishment basically belongs to Dali Temple, and middle- and senior-level officials are also under the supervision of the "menxia province" among the three provinces.

Why is this so?Because the Punishment Department’s affairs cannot be completed, they can only be transferred to other departments!

So in other words, if an official breaks the law, he will not be punished by the Ministry of Punishment at all.To find connections to smooth things over, you also have to find connections in Dali Temple.

Well, to sum up, the Ministry of Punishment basically doesn’t care about criminal law, it’s just in name only.

So what other responsibilities does the Ministry of Punishment have that it can offer?
As a department with a higher status than the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Rites among the three provinces and six ministries, what do the officials of the Ministry of Punishment do?What power do they have to support the position of this department?
The answer is simple, that is, various audits in Datang.

Including but not limited to: internal and external gifts, funds, salaries, public houses, honors, redemption, apprenticeship courses, arrears, and military supplies, equipment, and income from purchases and settlements, etc.

The Ministry of Punishment is responsible for the audit and verification of these projects.

The Ministry of Justice is more like the "Audit Office" of Fang Chongyong's previous life, rather than the "Ministry of Justice".

Even though the Ministry of Punishment has a lot of control on paper, there are a lot of specific regulations, which seem to be very powerful, and seem to be more sophisticated and complete than the relevant departments in Fang Chongyong's previous life.

But in fact, these are just deceiving people.

The "Bibu Department" in the Ministry of Punishment is specifically responsible for these audits, but how many people are there in this department?

There are only four people in charge of Bibu, 14 people in Bibu Lingshi, 27 people in Shulingshi, one person in Jishi, and four people in Zhanggu, adding up to a total of 50 people.

The Tang Dynasty was so big and its territory was more than ten thousand miles.Just fifty people are going to audit all the relevant government affairs reports in the Tang Dynasty.Let alone humans, even if they are replaced by robots and work day and night, they can only accomplish a drop in the ocean.

What's more, these central officials don't have long working hours.

According to the explicit rules of officialdom in the Tang Dynasty (the unspoken rules only made things lazier), central officials spent at least one-third of the year on vacation.The economy of the Tang Dynasty was at its peak during the feudal era. There were so many various matters that needed to be audited that no one could count them even if they counted the pages of audit documents.

There are no computers, no calculators, no overtime work at night, plus the work efficiency of the feudal era.

Just think about it with your toes and you will know how tricky this is!
It is a typical system that "looks beautiful" but is actually completely useless.

Therefore, the real daily business of Bibu Division is to casually look at the general list sent by the following states or various Jiedu prefectures.No problem, just check the box, and then go drinking with your colleagues after get off work, go to Pingkangfang to meet prostitutes, and vent the frustration of work on Hu Ji's white body.

That's it, there's no end to the work, health is more important.

However, at this moment, in the Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment and on the desk of the Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment, there was a report from Liu Yan, the head of the Bibu Department of the Ministry of Punishment.Now that the sky has darkened, Zhang Jun, the Minister of Punishment, is reading the document written by Liu Yan under the candlelight.

Zhang Jun is the son of Zhang Shuo, a famous prime minister in the Tang Dynasty. He is good at writing, but knows nothing about mathematics and auditing!Zhang Jun was once in the same party as Zhang Jiuling, Zhang Jiuling was Zhang Shuo's student, Yu Wenrong was Zhang Shuo's political opponent, and Li Linfu received great favor from Yu Wenrong.

So naturally, this continual relationship escaped the factional purge a few years ago. Now that Zhang Jun and Li Linfu are at odds in the court, it is no surprise that he seeks refuge with Left Prime Minister Zhang Shougui!

They are considered comrades!
Liu Yan was considered an official with outstanding professional abilities in the Ministry of Justice, and he was even the "child prodigy" appointed by Li Longji.Zhang Jun didn't dare to neglect Liu Yan's audit report, but he didn't quite understand what the other party wrote, so he was always in trouble.

Fortunately, although Zhang Jun did not understand the process, he did understand the conclusion.

The last sentence in Liu Yan's report put it bluntly: Most of the economic data reported to the court in the past four years by the five states under Hexi Jiedu Prefecture were fabricated. It's just that the accounts are very good-looking, but there are flaws. Very little.

Four of the states, he was convinced, were absolutely false data. Only Shazhou could not find any flaws for the time being. But since there were problems in other states under the Jiedu Prefecture, Shazhou's data must also be false.

As for the nest case, everyone knows that even if there is white sand in the black sand, it is difficult to be alone.

Liu Yan believes that the person doing this accounting in Shazhou is definitely a local official with strong professional ability.He recommended this person to Zhang Jun, Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishments, saying that it was a pity that he was a non-local official and had falsified accounts. He should come to the Ministry of Punishments for an interview. If he qualified, he could be promoted as an exception.

The criminal problem of the other party is not something Liu Yan should be concerned about. He only provides "professional advice".

As for the imperial court sending people to check, it was found that there was no problem with the treasury in Hexi and there was no false report.That may be because... the wealth of the Hexi region has far exceeded the court's expectations and the false data reported by them!
The local authorities deliberately underreported, rather than deliberately overreporting.Past audits were too sloppy and ignored this point.

Liu Yan's report was "technical" and did not say what the officials in Hexi were like. He only said that the data reported in Hexi in the past four years were false and that other matters should be decided by Zhang Jun, the Minister of Punishment.

However, as an old bureaucrat, Zhang Jun naturally guessed some clues.

If there is no grain in the granary, but it is reported to be full, then of course it can be easily detected. Just send professionals to pry open the cellars of the granary one by one and take a look.As long as the granary is empty, no matter how hard local officials try to cover it up, they can only bribe the inspectors.

However, if the granary is obviously full of food but reports that there is no food for disaster relief, it will not be easy to find out.

Because these grains can easily be moved elsewhere!
It is impossible for the local inspection officials in Hexi to conduct door-to-door searches. It would be too easy for the local government to find something fishy.And it is not ruled out that they bribe the officials sent by Chang'an to inspect.

"Reverse operations" like this are very confusing.

Of course, there is only one reason why the place is rich but is called poor by the court:
Local officials did not want to pay more taxes to the court, and then pocketed the excess in their own pockets.They simply don't want to report real data and use it as a political achievement to get themselves promoted.

On the contrary, I think it is more satisfying to hold real money and silk in my hands.

Things like drawing conclusions are not the responsibility of Liu Yan, the head of the Criminal Department and Bibu Department.Liu Yan still acted very seriously when he was an official. He said what he should say, and what he shouldn't say, he left the right to speak to his immediate superior, Zhang Jun, the Minister of Punishment.

If Zhang Jun said there was no problem with the local government in Hexi, then there would be no problem.When the emperor asked about something, Liu Yan would be exempted from liability if he took out this report. The unlucky one was Zhang Jun.

If Zhang Jun said there was a problem, then this matter would be a major case!It’s so big that even Zhang Jun himself might not be able to carry it!
Because in the past three years, the data reports from Hexi have been audited and approved by the Ministry of Punishment.

Liu Yan is a new official who was promoted from Xia County magistrate to the Ministry of Punishment this year.The Ministry of Punishment had not discovered the problem in Hexi Jiedu Mansion before, but it was discovered by Liu Yan this year. What does that mean?
The past audit reports were personally approved by Zhang Jun!As the head of the Criminal Department, Zhang Jun has great responsibilities!
When a major case comes out, it's a shame to slap him in the face. It's very likely that he will give his political enemy Li Linfu a pigtail. Naturally, he can't keep his position as Minister of Punishment, and it will be bad then.

Zhang Jun tapped his fingers on Liu Yan's report, hesitating in his heart whether to sign his name on it and write down his own suggestions.

He found a confidant in the Ministry of Justice and asked him to quickly go to the Political Affairs Hall of Menxia Province to find Left Prime Minister Zhang Shougui, and told him that he would open a room in a brothel in Pingkangfang tonight, and the two of them would discuss it carefully. Let’s talk about this.

Zhang Jun smelled the smell before a storm.

……

In the pharmacy of a medical center in Liangzhou City, Dr. Li met his adopted daughter Anaye, whom he had not heard from for many years and only had some legends about her.Finding that the other party's attitude towards him did not seem to have changed, Medical Officer Li slowly felt relieved.

He knew that Fang Chongyong did not tell this innocent child who had grown into a grown-up girl about Anaye's life experience.

Looking at Anaye's fair little face, she couldn't hide the spring feeling, the dots of red hickeys on her neck, and her already charming and charming figure.Doctor Li sighed helplessly and asked, "When did it start?" "When?"

Anaye asked doubtfully, slightly stunned.

Then she suddenly realized, rolled her eyes, lowered her head in embarrassment, and stopped talking.

If you want to say when the two of them started cuddling and kissing, it started a long time ago, almost two years ago. But when it comes to the love between a man and a woman, she is still a virgin and it hasn't even started yet.

So Anaye didn't know how to answer her father, Medical Officer Li's question. She couldn't say that there was nothing between her and Fang Chongyong, right?
Now as long as the two of them are together, there will be no day without cuddling or kissing?

"Is he okay with you? Why do you have time to see me this time?"

Medical Officer Li asked slightly dissatisfied.

Anaye basically enjoys the treatment of "the governor's wife" in Shazhou. With Fang Chongyong's popularity in the local area, she really gets what she wants on weekdays. She doesn't want to miss Sichuan. Of course, she doesn't want to go back to Liangzhou to visit her old man. Father.

Besides, Fang Chongyong had a lot of things to do on weekdays, and he also needed a careful woman by his side to take care of his daily life. Anaye felt that she couldn't leave her for a moment.

Now that I think about it, they are really sorry for Dr. Li, who raised Anaye since childhood.

"Alang is very good to me, um, very good. Father doesn't have to worry."

Anaye whispered, like a child who had done something wrong.

"You are so busy on weekdays, why do you have time to come back to see me, an old man? I heard that your medical skills are very famous in Shazhou, and you have seen many patients. You should have very little free time."

Doctor Li asked doubtfully.

In fact, Fang Chongyong's reputation in Hexi over the years has been astonishing.As Anaye's adoptive father, Dr. Li also followed him and received all-round care from Hexi Jiedu Mansion, and his life was very comfortable.

Medical Officer Li knew very well that Fang Chongyong's power in Hexi was so great that he could almost describe it with his hands and eyes reaching the sky, so he was very worried about Anaye falling out of favor.

It’s definitely not good for a woman to find a man who is too cowardly, but it’s not good for a woman to find a man who is too powerful. If he doesn’t have any ability, he really can’t be tied down.

"Well, this time, something happened to Alang. Hexi Jiedushi was in an emergency and asked him to come to Liangzhou on official business. In order to take care of his daily life, I came to Liangzhou together and stopped by to visit my father."

Anaye answered honestly, almost making Doctor Li angry to death.

Anaye has been honest since she was a child, and she will be the same when she grows up. She can't even lie!
Let’s just say I came here specifically to see if I would die!

"In that battle four years ago, I provided wound medicine to the border troops in Liangzhou. When I learned that Shazhou was besieged, Suzhou and Guazhou were occupied by Tibet, and Shazhou's communications were blocked, I have been worried about your safety.

Later I learned that Fang Chongyong led troops to independently lift the siege of Shazhou, and sent troops to intercept and kill the retreating Tibetans, but in the end he received no commendation.

He looks so much like your father! "

Medical Officer Li couldn't help but let it slip.

Anaye covered her mouth and laughed: "Father, you can brag. I won't laugh at you. How can you compare to my Alang?"

"Hmph, your father and I were very brave when we went into battle to kill the Tubo people! How can we not compare to Fang Chongyong, a brat who couldn't even hold a knife!"

Medical Officer Li blushed and argued hard!
The conversation between Anaye and her adoptive father, Dr. Li, was casual and warm, and the pharmacy was filled with a relaxed atmosphere.

But in the study room of Hexi Jiedushi, the atmosphere was so solemn that it was about to explode. Everyone could only hear their own heartbeats.

Including Wang Jue, the envoy of Hexi Jiedu, all the bureaucrats of Hexi Jiedu Mansion were looking at Fang Chongyong who was reading the government report in front of the desk.Everyone wanted to ask, but they were afraid of interrupting the other person's train of thought.

“The audit books submitted to the imperial court in recent years are indeed very problematic and some of them are sloppy and must be redone.

Let Wang Jieshuai do it for you on how to operate it specifically.

But one thing is certain, that is, a scapegoat must be introduced in this matter to take all the blame.Moreover, this person must also know the ins and outs of these data, and must be able to answer fluently when being interrogated by officials from the Ministry of Justice.

In this way, the matter can be fooled.Anyway, saints don’t care about right or wrong. "

Putting down the account book, Fang Chongyong sighed and said.

This bunch of feudal bureaucrats are not merciless when taking money, but they are too sloppy when it comes to fraud, and they have no professional qualities at all!

Once a professional carefully examines it, you will definitely be able to see the signs.

As the governor of Shazhou, Fang Chongyong personally wrote the reports for local data falsification, carefully calculated, and regarded false calculations as true calculations, never borrowing from others.

This is called: the most false report, the most true thing!
"Yang Yan, come out and take the blame. Hexi Jiedu Mansion will take good care of your family."

Wang Jue pointed at a local official in his early twenties and said.This man's green official robe doesn't even have any patterns on it. He's not even an official!

Of course, for such a big thing, the result of taking the blame is basically just going on the road happily without even going to jail.

"Wang Jieshuai, why is it me. I have said before that there is a problem with the receipts in Jiedu Mansion this year. It was you who were lazy and didn't listen, so something went wrong now. But this is not my responsibility, why should I You have to stand up and take responsibility..."

The junior official named Yang Yan wanted to forcefully defend himself, but Wang Jue interrupted him rudely:

"Can you refuse this matter? What is your identity? Do you think you are Fang Shijun? Are you worthy of refusing?
Fang Shijun is willing to find a solution for us even without taking any money.When everyone shared the money, why didn't you refuse? "

After hearing this, Yang Yan stopped talking. This was his Achilles heel.Hot money is not so easy to get, which shows Fang Chongyong's foresight.Yang Yan has always regarded Fang Chongyong as his first idol and believes that given time, he can achieve Fang Chongyong's level.

No money stumps a heroic man.

Who doesn’t have to take care of the family these days?Without the extra "salary" provided by the Shazhou Caravan, it would be difficult for him to support his family.

"Yang Yan, you resign first. Hexi Jiedu Mansion will say that you are just a temporary appointment of the government and you have long ceased to work in Jiedu Mansion. Then you follow me to Chang'an and work by my side. I will handle this for you. The matter is covered up."

Fang Chongyong looked at Yang Yan and nodded with a smile.

Seeing Yang Yan in a daze, Wang Jue kicked the opponent in the crook of his knee, and the latter knelt down following the force.

"What kind of virtue are you! Fang Shijun is saving your life and you still don't thank me!

You don’t want to live anymore, but we still want to live!Do you know the seriousness of this matter? You idiot! "

Wang Jue, the governor of Hexi Province, pointed at Yang Yan who was kneeling on the ground and cursed loudly.

"Thank you Fang Shijun, thank you Fang Shijun."

Yang Yan quickly knelt down and kowtow, so angry that his teeth almost broke.

In his opinion, everyone in this room, except him and Fang Chongyong, are all a bunch of idiots!
　Please vote, it’s the last day of this month
　　
　
(End of this chapter)