Beautiful step by step

Chapter 123

In this way, Emperor Qinglong's two decrees, one clear and one dark, completely solved the problems and potential hidden dangers encountered by King Duan, and the investigation of the northwest accounts was carried out smoothly.

Although Emperor Qinglong has been a benevolent monarch for nearly 40 years, the premise of this benevolent monarch is that you must first be a virtuous minister.Of course, his criteria for assessing good ministers mainly depend on their ability to govern. If corruption is not counted, the ministers in the court and in the middle of the country have a few brushes in their work.

Du Shangshu is one of the best. As a Jinshi in the eighth year of Jianwen, he was single-handedly promoted by Emperor Qinglong from the local county magistrate to the Minister of the Household Department.The most important reason for this is that he has a unique ability to manage accounts.Although he seldom handles the account books in person as his official position rises, but his experience is there, and the flow of the household department's comings and goings can hardly be hidden from his eyes.

After being the Minister of the Ministry of Officials for a long time, I will have a list of all the officials in the world in my heart.Similarly, after working as Minister of the Ministry of Households for a long time, I have a clear understanding of the account books of the states of Dai Viet in my heart.Normally, he just pretended not to know about the little tricks made by his subordinates, but now the emperor wanted to investigate, and he pinched his life and asked him to cooperate fully. Du Shangshu also took out the little inventory in Du Shangshu's stomach.

After the prince left, Duan Wang was invited by Du Shangshu into his usual study.It didn't take long for a box to be carried in, and after opening, there were more than ten thin account books inside.

"This is what the lower officials do when they have nothing to do."

Duan Wang picked up the top one, and on the somewhat yellowed cover was the 30th year of Jianwen.In his impression, this was the year when Wu Shangshu was promoted to General of the Northwest and took full control of the military power in the Northwest.

When I opened it, it clearly recorded every appropriation from the imperial court to the northwest.

"His Royal Highness, please turn to the back."

According to Dushang's book, King Duan turned to the back of the account book, and found exactly the same appropriation reasons, but the silver required on the back was much less than the one on the front.

"This is?"

Du Shangshu's eyes were a little far away: "His Royal Highness Duan Wang is young, and he may not know that the old minister has a nickname. The old minister's surname is Du, and the single name has the word 'gong', which is respectful and respectful. So the courtiers nicknamed the old minister Du Gongji."

"Stick?"

"That's the meaning of 'iron cock'. It's not that the old minister is stingy, but that the old minister has an account in his heart about how much money should be spent on what kind of things. Back then, His Majesty also took a fancy to this ability, so after the old minister retired, Make an exception and promote the veteran minister to the Minister of the Household Department."

"That……"

Duchamp wrote with a wry smile: "His Royal Highness Duan Wang was born to stand at the top of power. Some things may be difficult to see clearly. The common people either farm the fields, or do business, or have unique skills. After hard work, the officials collect taxes. All households are gathered together. However, the selection of officials is controlled by the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Etiquette and Education is controlled by the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Industry is responsible for building roads and bridges, the Ministry of War is in charge of defending frontiers and expanding land, and the Ministry of Punishment is responsible for the laws and regulations of the world. Apart from the six ministries, there are many others. Departments, these departments are linked together to maintain the order of Da Viet and complete the tax collection smoothly."

Shaking his head, Duchamp wrote with a look of reminiscence: "I was born in a poor family. When I was young, I watched my mother weaving. In my opinion, the whole Dai Viet is like the loom in my mother's hand. The links are intertwined, which one Even if the parts are broken, the country may be paralyzed. All officials know that the emperor is benevolent, and even if I want to allocate less money, they will have nothing to fear."

"This is the difficulty of Dushang's book?"

King Duan nodded, with a look of enlightenment on his face, he raised the account book and asked, "The comparison between the front and back of the account book is the actual appropriation by the imperial court and the real required amount?"

"The old minister has done the calculations, and if the numbers behind it are dialed out, it should be very easy to use."

It is affluence rather than just enough. Looking at the numbers with at least three times the difference between the front and back, Wang Duan frowned.

Previously, his thinking was similar to that of the prince. He knew the hard work of scholars, and even more so, the difficulty of passing exams in reading.The imperial examination was held every three years, and the top three selected a total of about [-] scholars.This probability is really too low, and those who can be named on the gold list are all extremely intelligent people.People like this can make a fortune in whatever they do, so it would be too harsh to just let them receive a little salary from officials and live a poor life.

However, the difference in the intuitiveness of the numbers now makes him feel hatred for corrupt officials for the first time.It is true that smart people are more likely to succeed than ordinary people in whatever they do.But since he chose the imperial examination and chose to be an official, he must abide by the court laws and regulations.Those who dislike being poor and poor officials can resign from office to do business or do other things. How many people are eagerly waiting for the official election every year.

Why do we want both the supreme power and the enjoyment of gold and silver mountains.It is really annoying to be so greedy to take advantage of everything.

"The Dushang book shows how greedy the money is. The imperial court has to close the accounts over the years. It is not easy to smooth out such a large deviation on the accounts."

Although it was doubtful, King Duan's tone was very firm.Although Du Shangshu's attitude turned upside down overnight for some unknown reason, it is an indisputable fact that he is willing to cooperate now.At the same time, he believed in his father's eyes in selecting candidates. Since Du Shangshu caught his eye for such a reason, and he was able to produce this box of account books today, he must know more than this.

"This……"

"Du Shangshu's account checking should be credited to the public, and I will report the truth to my father when I turn back."

Duan Wang tried to seduce him solemnly, he was a bit unfamiliar with this, but now he is doing it right.Last night, Du Shangshu was almost frightened by the Qinglongwei sent by Emperor Qinglong to warn him, but now these words hit his heart.

"Thank you, Your Highness, I can't finish talking about this matter in the Household Department Yamen, Your Highness, just follow me."

After making a gesture, Duan Chao secretly nodded.A black shadow flashed past, and the box that was placed between the two just now disappeared without a trace.

It's Qinglongwei again!
Walking tremblingly to the back of the yamen of the household department, Du Shangshu's hands were trembling as he led the horse.The two got on their horses, and King Duan followed him out of the city. After running for about half an hour, Du Shangshu stopped in front of a Zhuangzi in the suburbs of Beijing.

From the outside, it looks like an ordinary farm, even if you pass by, it won't attract people's attention at all.After entering, the Zhuangzi is full of grain harvested in golden autumn, and there are donkey saddles on the graphite beside the well. The original farmyard is very novel to Duan Wang.

Walking to the grain truck randomly placed in front of the house, Du Shangshu climbed up, and after a while of knocking, lifted a board.

"His Royal Highness, let's see."

After walking over, Duan Wang easily recognized the interlayer in the car body.Putting his fingers in to test the height, he said in surprise, "This... is as tall as the silver ingots cast by the official title. Not only the silver ingots, but also the silver bars and gold bars are made according to the same specifications."

This will surprise Du Shangshu. In his impression of King Duan, there are two things: first, he is favored by the emperor;

Unexpectedly, such a rich and idle person would accurately recognize the unique height of the official title and silver.As for the standard of gold and silver ingots for official titles, it was still formulated by him himself after he was promoted to Minister of the Household Department.Now Duan Wang recognized it at a glance, which made him feel good about him.

"I didn't expect His Royal Highness to be so observant."

Duan Wang sighed: "There is no way, the shopkeeper of Guangyuan Building only recognizes money but not people, but his family's dishes in Beijing are delicious."

Even if his focus is still on restaurants, it doesn't hinder Du Shangshu's favor.

"All the silver allocated by the Ministry of Household Affairs is transported to the northwest by my special personnel, and the local officials will sign and mark it after counting it. Over the years, some people have also suggested that they be directly detained in the capital. I can't control their corruption, but when the silver is in my hands There must be no mistakes. This is how they mess with the silver. Although the car that escorts the silver only goes once a season, the grain and grass are delivered every month. If you go a few more times, no matter how much money you have, you can bring it back. .”

Pointing at the interlayer of the truck, Wang Duan gasped and asked suspiciously, "Are they so bold?"

Du Shangshu asked back: "His Royal Highness Duan Wang will check the empty cars that are escorting good wages back to Beijing?"

Really not, Duan Wang thought and thought, most people would only check the amount of food and pay before the convoy set off, as for the empty car returning, who would care about that.

Feeling very heavy, while staying in the farm, King Duan listened to Du Shangshu explain how Northwest officials balance accounts, which is also simple and direct with Northwest characteristics.Where the person who combined the accounts in the middle of the account book did not pay attention, he blatantly tampered with various expenditures.Not only that, the iron smelting and fur business in the Northwest, those businessmen on the surface, are all inextricably linked with local officials.

"Most people just change their household registration, but in fact they used to be their servants," Du Shangshu said mockingly, "For example, Commander Wu is the school boy who has been with Wu Shangshu since he was a child. For many years, the old man has not been talented, and he has studied hard for nearly 30 years, and the old mother at home has been blinded by weaving and embroidering to provide the pen and ink for the unfilial son to study, and in the end it is even worse than being a slave to a rich family."

King Duan sighed in his heart, now he understood what kind of mood he was in when Du Shangshu said that "His Royal Highness, a noble man, was born to stand at the top of power".Commander Wu and Du Shangshu are two people, one is in the household department of the capital, and the other is in charge of the army in the northwest. It seems that the two have no intersection.But the officialdom has always been full of carrots and pits. Some people rely on nepotism to get to the top, and those who work hard are doomed to fail to get ahead.For example, Yan Heng, or Yan Heng who has not been discovered by his father.

The lenient father's benevolence unintentionally created many tragedies.

"Qinglongwei, please be sure to tell Father exactly what Du Shangshu said just now."

With the private seal of King Duan, Qinglongwei traveled day and night, and took half the time that King Duan returned to Beijing to rush back to the northwest, and recounted the situation to Emperor Qinglong.

And when he finished speaking, Father-in-law Sansi came to report that Commander Yan Dai intended to embezzle ink and relief money, but was seized by the governor of Chu on the spot.

Emperor Qing Long, who had been shocked so many times and was no longer able to get angry, rushed to the tent of the Disaster Relief Agency, and saw the carriage that was exactly the same as the investigation result of King Duan described by the dark guard.Unable to hold back his gloominess, he walked to the middle of the crowd, his expression was full of pain, but he still couldn't hide the excitement in his heart, and he smiled.

"I finally understand how the food and salaries in the northwest are transported to the capital."

(End of this chapter)