Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 39

Dashun, Ma Ming, Liu Jing, Zhen'er and others looked at each other, not knowing why Chen Tingjing said this.The crime is clearly on Fu Lun's head!Fu Lun also felt strange, but it was inevitable to go down the stairs.He shook his head, as if he had just woken up: "Hey, hey, I'm so drunk..."

As Fu Lun said, he glared at Kong Shangda fiercely, with a look of indignation.Kong Shangda was surprised at first, but when he saw Fu Lun's eyes, he understood in his heart, and quickly prostrated himself on the ground: "This... this... I did this all by myself, and it has nothing to do with the Governor!"

Chen Tingjing turned to look at Fu Lun and said, "Master Governor, you must have sobered up? Kong Shangda has done so many bad things behind your back, and you are kept in the dark!"

After Chen Tingjing finished speaking, he ordered Ma Ming to take Kong Shangda down and put him in Xingyuan temporarily.Fu Lun was heartbroken: "Master Imperial Envoy, Fu Lun is really... really ashamed! I drank too much just now. This Kong Shangda, let me deal with it!"

Chen Tingjing followed Fu Lun and let him take Kong Shangda away.Fu Lun was full of embarrassment and annoyance, but he couldn't break out, so he said: "My lord, let Benfu take his leave first, and come back to apologize some other day!" Then he turned around to comfort Zhang Bang, "Master Zhang, Kong Shangda actually locked you up without telling me. Get up, lawless! Ben Fu will deal with him."

In fact, both of them already understood it in their hearts, so they didn't want to point it out.After Fu Lun finished speaking, he bowed his hands and hurried away.Chen Tingjing then ordered Zhang Qian to arrest Zhu Ren, ordered Lingling county government to release Zhen'er's father immediately, and returned all the stolen property of the Yang family.

Zhen'er knelt down and kowtowed: "My lord, Zhen'er, thank you for saving me and my father! Zhen'er's family kowtows to you!"

Chen Tingjing asked Zhen'er to get up, but Zhen'er knelt still and asked, "Why are you protecting Fu Lun?"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "Miss Zhen'er, I can't tell you clearly. Your Excellency the Governor is the official of the imperial court, and I have to play the Emperor Ming."

Zhen'er still couldn't get up, and said, "I can see you absolving Fu Lun everywhere!"

Chen Tingjing didn't know how to respond, so he looked at Zhang Qian.Zhang Bao said: "Miss Zhen'er, don't embarrass the imperial envoy right now, and talk slowly when you have something to say." Everyone persuaded for a long time before Zhen'er got up.

At night, Chen Tingjing and Zhang Qian were talking in Xingyuan.Chen Tingjing said: "You and I have been separated for more than ten years!"

Zhang Jian sighed and said: "Jia Yao has been married to my family for so many years, I have already been a grandfather, but I haven't seen my daughter-in-law yet! I'm really sorry."

Chen Tingjing said: "Family, country, and country. If you can take care of the country, you can't take care of the family. My mother was ill three years ago. I went back to my hometown to visit and saw my son-in-law and grandson. It is her blessing that Jiayao married into your Zhang family! "

Zhang Bao hurriedly said: "The dog is unworthy. After a few times, he has not improved. I have wronged Jiayao."

Chen Tingjing said: "You can't say that, as long as they live a good life, they may not all have fame!"

Zhang Bang shook his head and sighed again: "Oh, when it comes to fame, I'm really scared. I never imagined that Mr. Fu Lun is such a person! Back then, after I left the hall, I ordered the county magistrate. I was very poor, and I offended the officials by not paying them farewell. Since then, I have stayed in the county magistrate. Later, Master Fu Lun came and saw that I was capable of handling things, and guaranteed me to be the magistrate. I have always been grateful to him I didn't expect him to collude with profiteers and resell charity food!"

Zhang Bao said: "The previous governor, Mr. Guo Yonggang, was punished by the court, but he was wronged."

It turns out that it took about three months for local disasters to be investigated.It took about three months to report to the court from the province.The court review will take about four months.The imperial court also ordered all places to review it, which would take another three months.It will take another five months for the money and food from the imperial court to be allocated to the victims.With such a delay, it will take at least a year and a half, and sometimes as long as two years, for the common people to receive relief money and food from the court.Disaster relief is like putting out a fire. After a year and a half or two, people will starve to death!The victims could not count on the imperial court, so they had to flee, and what's more, they got together and became robbers.There really is a lot of trouble in Texas, that's how it came about.

After hearing this, Chen Tingjing asked, "What do you think is the crux?"

Zhang Jian said: "The crux of the problem is those adults and gentlemen in the capital! The Ministry of Household Affairs is too slow in handling affairs, and some officials even ask for favors. Mr. Guo was impeached because of ineffective disaster relief. In fact, the Ministry of Household Affairs should be responsible!"

Chen Tingjing asked again: "How did Fu Lun do it?"

Zhang Bao said: "I thought Fu Lun was just pedantic, but now that I think about it, I know he has evil intentions! He said it soundly, saying that the key to relief is to save the land. The land has something to go out, but the people have food to eat; the land has nothing to go out of." Even though the people are tired of gold and silver, they still have nothing to live on!"

Chen Tingjing asked: "So Fu Lun distributes disaster relief money and food according to the amount of the land?"

Zhang Jian said: "Exactly. There have been successive catastrophes in Shandong in the past few years, and many poor people have nothing to eat, so they sold their land cheaply. Zhu Ren, an evil gentry in Texas, bought an acre of land for ten catties of corncobs! , The relief money and food from the imperial court are distributed according to the land, most of them go to the rich, and there is not much left in the hands of the poor! There are also big families like Zhener's father, Mr. Yang, but they will be persecuted by the yamen!"

Chen Tingjing suddenly realized: "It's no wonder that rich families love their governors! Some governors only cater to rich and powerful families, and only the words of those rich and powerful families can influence the governors' official voice!"

Zhang Bao continued: "It is for this reason that the words of the ordinary people cannot be passed on to the court, and the governor can completely ignore the lives of the ordinary people. For example, Fu Lun, when it came time to distribute taxes, all his methods were reversed. Here we come. What he said, it is natural for the whole world to share the grace of the emperor and share the taxes equally. As a result, the taxes are paid on a head-to-head basis. Again, the rich benefit from the poor and the poor suffer! Ting Jing, let me write an excerpt for you. Your Majesty, you must take Fu Lun down!"

Chen Tingjing shook his head for a long time, and said: "Brother Zhang Qian, Fu Lun, you and I are no match for him now!"

Zhang Jian was very puzzled, and said: "He has committed a heinous crime! Such an official does not participate, it is against the law of heaven!"

Chen Tingjing whispered: "Do you still remember the two nonsense that Fu Lun said when he was drunk? That is not nonsense! Fu Lun is famous for drinking, he can drink non-stop all day long, and in the capital he claims not to be drunk for three days! "

Zhang Qian asked in surprise: "Fu Lun's mother is really the emperor's nanny?"

Chen Tingjing shook his head mysteriously, and said, "You shouldn't ask that. Besides, Fu Lun is still covered by a pearl!"

Zhang Qian sighed unceasingly, actually a little sad.The two remained silent for a long time, as if each had something on their minds.Zhang Jian suddenly said again: "If you don't join Fulun, how can you make a job with the emperor yourself?"

Chen Tingjing said: "I'm here to handle affairs, not people. Brother Zhang Qian, you have to learn to be devious when walking in the officialdom!"

Zhang Jian didn't expect Chen Tingjing to become so tactful, but because of his relatives, he couldn't speak directly.Chen Tingjing seemed to see his thoughts, but he didn't bother to explain. Instead, he said: "Not only will I not join Fulun, but I will also help him."

Zhang Jian was even more surprised, and asked: "It's fine if you don't participate, why do you want to help him?"

Chen Tingjing shook his head and said, "I'll talk to you later."

The next day, Zhang Qian resigned from Chen Tingjing and returned to Dezhou.Zhang Qian had a lot of words in his mind, and swallowed them all.He wanted to be considerate of Chen Tingjing as much as possible, and see how he behaved.Zhen'er was also going back to Ling County, so she happened to be on the same road with Zhang Qian, so she rode behind his sedan chair.

Chen Tingjing bid farewell to Zhang Qian and Zhen'er, and agreed with Fu Lun to go to Qianfo Mountain outside the city for leisure.The two went up the mountain in a sedan chair, with a cool breeze blowing through their ears, and their eyes were full of greenery.Halfway up the mountain, Chen Tingjing couldn't help admiring when he saw a colorful archway with the words "Qi Yan Nine Points" written on it.Fu Lun heard Chen Tingjing tsk-tsk, and told the bearers to rest.Dashun, Liu Jing, Ma Ming and Fu Lun's followers all followed from afar.Looking back at the foot of the mountain, the villages, official roads, and fields are all as small as a chessboard.

Chen Tingjing gazed into the distance, and chanted loudly: "Looking at Qizhou in the distance, there is a nine-point smoke, and there is a sea of ​​sea water in the cup."

After hearing this, Fu Lun clasped his hands and said, "Master Chen is really talented, and he can speak well!"

Chen Tingjing hurriedly shook his hand and said, "Your Excellency the Governor is exaggerating. This is Li He's famous line, and it describes the current scene."

Fu Lun blushed immediately, and laughed at himself: "Although Fu Lun has read a few books, he is a rough man in front of Mr. Chen. How can he know this? I heard that this is the place where ancient dragons dive. When I was in the People's Republic of China, I once plowed at the foot of Qianfo Mountain. When I first came to Shandong, I went up to the mountain to worship Emperor Shun to encourage the people to pay attention to farming."

"It's all thanks to the encouragement of the governor, the people of Shandong don't forget the fundamentals of farming!" Chen Tingjing nodded, and suddenly changed the subject, "Today you and I don't have official hats on our heads, and we are not in the official office. Two old friends, let's talk Bar."

Fu Lun pretended to be joking to cover up his inner embarrassment: "Baotu Spring is not a government office either! Imperial Envoy, if I hadn't invited you here today, I would really suspect that Qianfo Mountain also has hidden secrets."

Chen Tingjing laughed loudly: "The governor is just joking. You were deceived by your subordinates, and I will tell the emperor truthfully."

Fu Lun cupped his hands to express his thanks, and said again: "Master Chen, you have sharp eyes! I am so confused! This year, some places in Shandong have a big harvest, but some places have suffered heavy disasters. Why did I trust those villains! Taxes There is something wrong with distributing relief money and food according to the head of the population.”

Chen Tingjing said with a smile: "Master Governor, you should submit the book yourself, and I can present it to the emperor on your behalf. You may wish to plead guilty to the emperor for donating grain, and then make two requests to the emperor: one is that in the future, taxes will be paid according to the land. The average burden per mu, and the second is that the disaster relief money and food are distributed according to the head of the affected person."

Fu Lun knew in his heart that Chen Tingjing wanted him to eat his own shit, but there was no other way, so he said, "It's exactly, I've already thought about how to make an offer to the emperor."

Chen Tingjing nodded and said: "I think there will be problems of uneven taxation and improper distribution of relief money and food all over the country. If the emperor follows your play and orders the whole country to follow suit, you will have made a great contribution! If you admit one mistake, you will make two." For your merit, the emperor will definitely reward you!"

The two laughed loudly, and they didn't talk about business, they just pointed out the scenery and had a good time before returning.It was already time to light the lanterns when entering the city, Fu Lun respectfully sent Chen Tingjing back to Xingyuan, and then hurried back to the yamen.After entering the Governor's Yamen, Fu Lun Shui didn't even bother to take a sip first, so he led a personal entourage and hurried to the prison.He asked the jailer and his followers to stand at a distance, and went to Kong Shangda's cell alone.

Seeing Fu Lun suddenly, Kong Shangda's eyes lit up, and he pounced on him and begged, "Master Governor, I have followed you for so long, but you are so loyal! You must save me!"

Fu Lun sighed for a long time, and said with a sigh: "Shang Da, there are only two roads before you and me. One is that we both lose our heads, and the other is that you lose our heads alone!"

When Kong Shangda heard this, his face changed greatly: "Huh? Humph, there are two choices for you, but no choice for me!"

Kong Shangda wailed and yelled and cursed, only saying that Fu Lun was ungrateful and made trouble.Fu Lun was not angry, listening to him cry and scold.Seeing that Kong Shangda was exhausted from cursing, Fu Lun said: "It's not that I refuse to save you, but I can't save you! Shangda, if we both die, what will your wife and children do? As long as I live, your Wife and children, old and young, I won’t let it go!”

Kong Shangda wailed bitterly: "I am already dead, so I don't care about my wife and children! I will not die alone! If I die, I will drag you to die with me!"

Fu Lun stomped his feet and was furious: "You stupid bastard! I miss you and have been with me for many years, and I want to take care of you. Otherwise, I can kill you right now!" Fu Lun said, approaching Kong Shangda, and whispered, "If you don't listen to me, tomorrow the jailer will report to me that you committed suicide in prison!"

Kong Shangda glared at Fu Lun for a long time, then slowly lowered his head and said, "I have an eighty-year-old mother, how unfilial I am!"

Fu Lun slowed down his tone and said, "Don't worry Shang Da, your mother is my mother, and I will take good care of her."

Kong Shangda didn't say any more, just bowed his head and wept.Fu Lun said again: "Shang Da doesn't have to be so sad, man, he chopped off his head and got a big scar. Chen Tingjing is too powerful! He asked me to admit a mistake in front of the emperor and make two meritorious deeds, saying that meritorious deeds paid off. .But when I looked back, these three points made me admit my mistakes! I suffered from being dumb, and I still have to thank him for his kindness!"

Kong Shangda suddenly raised his head and said, "Master Governor, but have you ever thought about it, what will you do if the emperor thinks that your merits are not worth it?"

Fu Lun said: "If it is light, you will lose your official position, but if it is serious, you will lose your life!"

Kong Shangda had a fierce look in his eyes, and said, "Yong Shu thought that it would be better to let Chen Tingjing die first!"

Fu Lun shook his head again and again: "No, no, assassinating an imperial envoy is absolutely unacceptable."

Kong Shangda said: "How can the Lord Governor do it himself?"

Fu Lun asked, "What's your plan?" Kong Shangda said, "I'm going to die anyway, and I'm not afraid that I won't be reborn in the next life. Finally, I will present a plan to the Governor!"

Fu Lun said: "If Chen Tingjing can't go back to the capital, maybe you'll be fine. Tell me!"

Kong Shangda asked mysteriously, "Isn't Dezhou full of bandits?"

Fu Lun asked: "What do you mean, old master, to let the bandits kill Chen Tingjing?"

Kong Shangda nodded, and asked Fu Lun to lean over his ear and whisper.

(End of this chapter)