Han’s Son is Not a Slave

The Jiangning Governor's Yamen in Suzhou has been changed to the Jiangsu Governor's Yamen. As the first Jiangsu Governor, Jiang Guozhu is not without his heart. With the assistance of the sixth town stationed in Suzhou, in just a few months, Jiang Guozhu appeased the Changji Mansion in Susong Township, which greatly stabilized the civil order.

After the Lantern Festival, Jiang Guozhu was busy with a major event, which was very important. If he did a good job, it would not be difficult for him to enter the cabinet to worship the chancellor in the future. It's just that it is very difficult to start this matter. After all, he is the enemy of the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River. Jiang Guozhu is afraid that he will be bitten by the wolf if he fails to fight the wolf. From the south, there is a wind, saying that the emperor wants to open Enke. As soon as Enke opened, it was obvious that most of the gentry in Jiangnan had entered the court. At that time, Jiang Guozhu would be able to survive the oppression of public opinion in all directions and the counterattack of the gentry in Jiangnan.

Wanting to do it, but not daring to do it, Jiang Guozhu was really distressed. On this day, Yan Shaoqing, the prefect of Suzhou, heard something that made him even more arrogant.

Yan Shaoqing was originally the magistrate of Shanghai. When Zhang Mingzhen's army came, he would rather die than surrender, so he was favored by Jiang Guozhu and asked the Qing court to protect him as the prefect of Suzhou. After Jiang Guozhu descended to Ming Dynasty, this Yan Shaoqing also descended with him, still serving as the prefect of Suzhou.

The incident that Yan Shaoqing mentioned was that Ren Weichu, the magistrate of Wu County under his rule, was ordered by the government to clear the debt and replenish the treasury. As a result, there was a Weng Shuyuan in the county, whose family owed thousands of gold over the years. The Weng Shuyuan couple, their two daughters, and their old mother cried desperately, saying that the family only had a bowl of rice to survive, and that they had to eat rice husks, so that they could barely die of starvation. So poor because of this, how can there be money and food to pay. However, the Weng family was a big family in the territory, with hundreds of acres of good land. Although his fame was revoked, the yamen knew that he was lying, but they did not dare to insult him. However, the county government was in a hurry, and the officials could only come to his house every day to collect collections. This Weng Shuyuan was so angry that he wanted to commit suicide, and his wife and daughter guarded him every day to prevent him from committing suicide. The yamen had no choice but to report to the magistrate Ren.

When Ren Wei first heard about this, in order to express himself to the Shangguan, he asked the yamen to give the Weng family some power. As a result, the Weng family paid a hundred gold, but it was far worse than the amount owed. Ren Weichu slaughtered the chickens to warn the monkeys and stabbed the Weng family to death. This act scared Wu Zhong's family in arrears. Therefore, the scholar Jin Shengtan and others, out of sympathy for the Weng family and Wu Zhong who were summoned to the gentry, wrote a post to the crying spirit. The venue sued Ren Weichu.

"On the ninth day of the second lunar month in the first year of Dingwu, Jiangnan students served Wu Chong as Weichu. They were daring, deceived the world and destroyed their ancestors. , Rat's nest dog steals, steals and sells public food. The crime is outrageous, and the people's sentiment is boiling. People who read, eat the spirit of the country, should take the four dimensions and eight virtues as their model. Unexpectedly, they are dressed like beasts and beasts. There was no light, so I went to the Confucian Temple to cry..."

After reading Jin Shengtan and others' crying temple text, Jiang Guozhu was not angry, because this text not only wanted the court to punish Ren Weichu, but also aimed at him Jiang Guozhu, saying that Jiang Guozhu had helped Zhou when he was the eagle dog of the Qing court. Today, being an official of the Ming Dynasty is ruthless and ruthless, completely disregarding the life and death of the people in Suzhou, and ignoring the collection, only for political achievements, regardless of the hardships of the people.

Yan Shaoqing talked about another incident. He said: "Now the crying temple is becoming more and more prosperous. A gentry named Shao Changheng sold half of his family's 800 mu of farmland. But it was a sale, but it was a gift."

Jiang Guozhu was stunned for a moment: "This person is stupid, how can he give away his family property?"

Yan Shaoqing explained: "Sir, I don't know, this Shao Changheng gave away the property left by his ancestors. It was not stupid, but tax avoidance. The so-called sale is just to hide people's eyes and ears. The person who took over was actually colluding with him."

"I see."

Jiang Guozhu nodded, and he already knew in his heart that he had been an official for so many years, and he had no idea how the wealthy could avoid taxes.

Thinking of the intricate network of relationships among the gentry in Jiangnan, he sighed, knowing that he wanted to complete the mission given by King Qi and turn the four palaces in the south of the Yangtze into a place where the Taiping Army's money and food are important. , it is very likely that you will sink yourself into it. After all, there are many officials from Jiangnan in the Southern Metropolis Hall, and Qian Qianyi, the grandmaster, is the head of the Jiangnan gentry. Once he is demoted, his energy is limited.

"These scholars have grievances and grievances, and they go directly to the yamen to accuse them. Why gather people to cry in the temple? As for the settlement of debts in various counties, it is not non-negotiable. It can be cleared after a long time, but in recent years, money and grain taxes have always been paid. Let’s do it. What’s the point of gathering a crowd to make trouble? Isn’t this embarrassing for the government?”

Jiang Guozhu's tone softened, and he didn't really want to offend all the gentry in Jiangnan. King Qi didn't make a clear request for clearing the debt. As long as the money and grain collected can be passed, I'm afraid that there may not be public anger at King Qi.

"The adults don't know, this "crying temple" is a long-standing custom in Suzhou. The local economy is developed and the people are gathered. Before the Chongzhen Dynasty, whenever the government did something illegal or inappropriate, scholars would gather at the Confucian Temple. , wrote the "Book of the Tang Dynasty", weeping to the patriarch, the sage Confucius, and even called the people to report to the government."

"What is illegal? Is it illegal to pay grain and taxes to the state? Clearing the debt and accumulating grain is an important matter for the court. If everyone doesn't pay it, how will the court function?"

"Xiaguan knows this truth, but these people don't." Yan Shaoqing was also very embarrassed. He asked, "Sir, is this matter reported?"

Jiang Guozhu thought for a while, nodded and said, "Alright, Benfu will report it now, and King Qi will decide this matter."

Zhou Shixiang, who had just decided to send troops to Zhejiang from the sixth town, couldn't help laughing after receiving Jiang Guozhu's report, and then said to the left and right: "Jiang Guozhu is too timid and afraid of taking responsibility~www.wuxiaspot.com~ want me to do it all. Wang Lai will take care of him.... Arrest the few troubled talents first. As for the debts, Gu's attitude is very clear. Those who have money and food will be handed over, and those who have no money and food will clear their fields and return them to officials. ."

Later, Zhou Shixiang wrote a pen on Jiang Guozhu's sparse report and replied: "Money and grain are urgently needed by the military and the country. When managing officials of various sizes, it is necessary to supervise and urge them to complete the solution on time. It is a competent job. There is a lot of arrears, but there is very little complete solution, either because the former officials have accumulated a lot of money, which is a burden to the later officials, or because the officials have invaded and moved, and they have used the excuse of the people. , still have to be promoted and transferred. As a result, the Shangguan refused to do his best to supervise and urge, and some officials were negligent in exercising, and Zhiwu shied the blame. In the future, all officials in charge of money and grain, no matter how big or small, who are in arrears and participate in penalties, will all stop their promotion and transfer. You must wait until the money and food are settled and there is no debt. Please open the question and ask for a re-promotion. You will work with the various ministries and monasteries to set a time limit and order the settlement to be completed; Prescribing; if an officer with unfinished money and rations is promoted to transfer, he will be delinquent in the payment of arrears to the officer and will be ruled by the ministry for the crime of cheating."

Zhou Shixiang's reply is only one point. Jiangsu must strictly enforce the collection of debts. Anyone, whether it is a citizen or an official, who has arrears will be repaid. Otherwise, they will be deprived of fame and punished in prison.

After receiving Zhou Shixiang's approval, Jiang Guozhu took a tougher attitude and immediately ordered Yan Shaoqing to arrest Ni Yongbin, Shen Yue, Gu Weiye, Zhang Han, Ye Qi and other scholars who participated in the Crying Temple case. (To be continued.)