The story that Qian Qianyi said may not be true, but it also shows that there is a possibility of flexibility in any situation, and a top-down system cannot be suitable for every place, and it is often necessary to make comprehensive considerations according to one's own situation. In many cases, this kind of top-down system can only grasp the general direction and general principles, and the binding force on special and small things is somewhat inadequate, and it should not be implemented mechanically to know how to be flexible. For example, most of the country is in drought, but there is a flood in one area, and the imperial court says that it is really stupid to organize people to divert water to fight the drought, and the areas where the flood occurs also do what is ordered.

After a few people finished eating, they went to the next room to drink tea, and Zhang County Supervisor said to Tu Zhixian: "At the beginning, the two adults said that two new conditions would be added to the election tomorrow, that is, the substitute election is not allowed and the people of the village do not choose the candidates of the village. ”

Tu Zhixian saw that in addition to Zhang County Prison, Yang Lian and Qian Qianyi were also looking at him, thought for a while and said: "The three adults forgive me, the lower officials did not notify them, because the time is still early, the lower officials have some opinions and want to explain to a few adults, it is really not too late to notify a few adults after relieving their doubts for the lower officials, anyway, Xiwangzhuang Township is less than ten miles away from the county seat." ”

County Supervisor Zhang said: "It's okay if you didn't go to the notice, at the beginning, the two adults also said that if you really notice, maybe no one will come tomorrow, and you can't choose candidates from your village, and those villages with candidates will not be interested in coming, what can you do in the county for a long time?" After finishing speaking, he expressed the worries of himself and Yang Lian.

Tu Zhixian couldn't help but feel a little funny when he saw that several people nodded slightly, thinking that he was still talking about being flexible at the beginning, but now he was worried that no one would come to the election to vote after telling the truth, it can be seen that these people are usually only talking, and they have no experience in dealing with the people.

Tu Zhixian thought for a while and said: "Forgive me, a few adults, this matter is actually very simple, but it is not very nice for the lower officials to say it." ”

Yang Lian said: "What's not to hear? Just try it. ”

Tu Zhixian said: "It's very simple, just say that if you come, you will vote for ten cents and take the money and leave, and those who don't vote or vote more will not be paid." As for saying that the people of the village do not elect the people of the village, we will not announce it, but we can just invalidate the votes of the people of the village at the end. ”

When the county supervisor Zhang heard this, he was shocked and said, "Isn't this deceiving the people? Let them go all the way to the polling place to vote, and finally say that the votes of their own village with candidates will not be counted, so they may be discussed by the people. ”

Tu Zhixian said: "Ordinary people call us parents, so in the eyes of parents, the people should be children, and the children themselves are used to coax, who have you ever seen reason with children who don't understand anything?" Because they don't understand anything, it's useless to talk about anything, and to deal with these people is nothing but beating or cheating, and the court strictly orders that they are not allowed to be rude to the people, and the rest is only coaxing. The people are less literate and unreasonable, and they can't be beaten if they can't be reasonable, and now they can't deceive it, then there is really no way, and the lower officials think that the only way to do it is to remove the invalid tickets directly, which is also the reason why the lower officials did not go to notify. ”

County Supervisor Zhang said: "What if someone knows about it in the future? ”

Tu Zhixian said: "If you don't say it, I won't say it, and the two adults don't say it, who knows?" Even if someone knows the truth in a few years, you and I will not be here for a long time, just to give Xinzhi County a chance to correct its mistakes and win the hearts of the people. ”

Qian Qianyi is also a person who knows how to be flexible, and when he saw that Yang Lian didn't open his mouth to object, he said: "Tu Zhixian has a good idea, do it before you come up with a better way, it's better to have an idea than not to have an idea." After finishing speaking, he turned his head to look at Yang Lian.

Yang Lian didn't express his position easily, from his heart he didn't agree with deceiving the people, but from his heart he also felt that Tu Zhixian's method was right. Seeing that he had said this, he didn't continue to talk about this topic, and turned his head to ask County Supervisor Zhang: "In the past, it was a mobile patrol to supervise several counties, but now each county has a county supervisor in addition to the fixed magistrate, do you two feel about cooperating for so long?" ”

Zhang County Supervisor said: "Xiaguan and Tu Zhixian cooperate well, I just supervise him to make his behavior generally meet the requirements of his superiors, and the specific things are Tu Zhixian doing, we can be regarded as a division of labor and cooperation." The biggest feeling of the lower official who has been a county supervisor for a few years is that he must endure loneliness in this position, and he must not be greedy for power, and he must let go of the magistrate to do things, otherwise he will be in a situation of fighting for power with the magistrate. ”

Yang Lian nodded and asked Tu Zhixian: "Does Tu Zhixian feel that it is convenient or inconvenient to have an extra county supervisor around him?" ”

Tu Zhixian thought for a while and said: "To be honest, I used to feel very inconvenient, but now I seem to gradually like to have someone by my side." ”

Yang Lian suddenly became interested when he heard this, and asked, "Why is there such a contrast?" ”

Tu Zhixian said: "In the past, the power of a county order was still very large, as the saying goes, the county is too guarded, although the current state and county officials in the Ming Dynasty will not careless about people's lives, but in front of the ordinary people, the power of the county is so great that it is not surprising that they can do whatever they want." The surrounding officials are called the county chief and the county every day, and after a long time, it will inevitably make people feel a little fluttering and think that they can really close the door to respect, at this time, someone is around at any time and says that you are not in line with the will of the people, and you do not meet the requirements of the superiors there, and there must be some discomfort in your heart. ”

Qian Qianyi nodded and said: "Yes, it is really good to be alone behind closed doors, which is why it is also a seven-rank official, some people would rather be the magistrate than be the capital and experience, and would rather be the chicken than the cow." Tu Zhixian finally felt that it was good to have a county supervisor by his side? Do you want to say a couple of words to make us happy? ”

Tu Zhixian waved his hand and said: "Lord Qian has misunderstood, Lord Zhang can testify that the lower officials have indeed had these changes, in the past, when Lord Zhang first came, the lower officials did feel a little uncomfortable, and later slowly felt that having a county supervisor by his side was not a bad thing." For example, when encountering unwarranted criticism from superiors, you can also have someone to bear the pressure together, and you can also ask if you have anything unstable, so as not to know what you have done wrong. The most important thing is that you can know the intentions of your superiors at any time, and you can also do it without spending much effort to let the surrounding officials assist in doing things. ”

Yang Lian said: "Yes, in the past, not being greedy for money was the minimum requirement of an official, and it can be seen from the emperor's forced request to implement the economic review system that the emperor could not see corrupt officials." Now there is a four-level auxiliary system, and both the governor, the supervisor, and the auxiliary government can do their own things well only if they are not greedy for power. ”

A few people talked for a while, and the next day's election was dispersed, and Yang Lian and Qian Qianyi lived in the county government that night, and it was very relaxing, they didn't know that those petty officials in the county were busy all night. Although Tu County Commander did not know the true identities of Yang Lian and Qian Qianyi, he also knew from the attitude of Zhang County Supervisor that these two people could not be lazy, and strictly ordered his subordinates to arrange the next day's election overnight.

Early the next morning, Tu Zhixian and Zhang County Supervisor and his entourage came to a fire temple in Xiwangzhuang Township, because there are not many rivers in Xiwangzhuang Township, it is difficult to save when there is a fire, and this place has become a place where the people ask God to bless and not start a fire. This fire temple is located in the traffic artery, along a few mud roads can lead to several villages, and there is a road for horse-drawn carriages to pass to the county, so every first and fifteenth day of the new year, people come to the fire temple to worship the gods, by the way to take some things to sell or buy some needed items back.

Next to the fire temple is a few acres of open space, there are many people here on the first and fifteenth days of the new year to set up stalls to sell things, sometimes there are also selling tea, telling stories and playing monkey plays, which is very lively. The election was set in the open space of the Fire Temple, and a few days earlier, the county had asked people to erect sheds and divide them into several rooms, so that Lord Qincha would have a place to change his clothes and rest, and a place to do something that could not be seen by outsiders. Now it is said that Lord Qincha did not come, only Tu Zhixian and Zhang County Supervisor sat on it, and other more idle people in the county government stood on both sides to show their prestige, and the busier ones were around to maintain order.

According to Tu Zhi County's suggestion, five large jars are placed in front of the five candidates, on which are written the words A, B, C, D, etc., which are used to distinguish between them, and when the time comes, the candidates who have already come here will come to the stage to meet everyone, of course, when the voting begins, the altars should be placed behind them so as not to see the people who vote. In order to distinguish which people belong to which village, several places are divided under the platform that are not next to each other, and some people are holding yellow books with names written on them to compare names. After a while, a person was called, and this person took a piece of white paper with the words "A, B, C, D" written on it from the organizer, and threw it into the jar behind the candidate he liked after taking the stage.

Of course, these people did not know that the ballot papers written with the word "A" were invalid if they were cast in the jar marked with the word "A", and of course the votes with the same words on the altar were invalid, in order to enforce the rule that the people of the village should not choose the people of the village. They only know that they can get a ballot to go to the stage to vote, and they can get ten cents before they step down after voting, and it is enough for ordinary people to know this. The vast majority of the audience were men over the age of sixteen, and there were a large group of old and young people, and there were also some women from poor families who came here with their families, in order to receive their own ten cents.

Before the election began, Yang Lian and Qian Qianyi came to the audience to listen to what the people had to say, and both of them wore half-new scholarly clothes, which looked like a student so they were not dazzling. They walked around and heard all the words of hurrying to get the money and leaving, and none of them said that they knew who they knew better about who they wanted to vote for, and they listened to Yang Lian and Qian Qianyi and shook their heads. Who knew that after just half a circle, I heard two scholars talking about it, because at this time, it was just when the candidates were announced, and the two scholars were commenting on who was worthy of the election and who was not worthy of the election.

One of the scholars said: "Brother Li, no one from our village has come to run for election this time, and the patriarch of your village has not come either?" ”

Another voice said: "Brother Lao Zhang asked, our patriarch didn't like to do this, so he didn't participate, and besides, it was a waste of time for us to participate." ”

The brother Zhang said: "I saw that the third old man on the stage looked very much like my previous husband, so I decided to choose him this time." ”

Brother Li objected and said: "I'm sorry Brother Zhang, I also think that old man is like the gentleman who taught me when I was a child, but that gentleman has beaten my palms a lot, although he is dead, I will not choose someone who looks like him." ”

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