Linzi County Ya.

In the study, Li Yun picked up the pen and wrote, Lin Qingzhu came to the room with hot water, although she was the real county magistrate, but she understood that without Li Yun's help, it would be difficult for her to be a county magistrate.

"Childe, take a break, you've been writing for a morning."

Lin Qingzhu willingly became a maid for Li Yun and took care of his food, clothing and daily life. It is said that in Qingzhi County for three years, 100,000 snowflakes of silver, but Li Yun's county order is a poor jingle.

Even the money to buy wine and drink for Cheng Chumo was not enough, and the three of them were all counting on Lin Qingzhu's meager income to live.

Cheng Chu, who has always been accustomed to eating oil and water, lost ten pounds of hunger, which is more realistic than exercise.

Lin Qingzhu handed over the towel, after washing his face with clean water, he came to the outside of the room to stretch his muscles, and in a morning, he described what he saw and felt along the way, as well as the things he experienced in Linzi, and recorded the letter in detail, ready to hand it to Chang'an.

After resting, Li Yun only felt that the courtyard was particularly quiet, usually at this time, Cheng Chumo would be noisy in the courtyard like a child who had not grown up.

"Qingzhu, where did the Iron Bull go?" Li Yun asked.

Lin Qingzhu looked around, but he really didn't see Cheng Chumo, this kid works out intensely in the courtyard on time every day, and he can't move every day, why is it unprecedented today?

"I don't really see him." Lin Qingzhu said, but said: "Son, don't worry, Tie Niu is not a child, this time is no longer, I don't know where to go to drink." ”

Cheng Chumo is addicted to alcohol, this thing can't run when he sees wine, but he also knows how to measure proportions, and he is self-disciplined, and he can't drink alcohol during practice time, but how did he make an exception today?

"Hey! I'm just worried that Tie Niu will be childish, so I'm afraid that he will cause something, this is not far from Chang'an, Tiangao Emperor, if he gets into trouble, no one will help him settle it. Li Yun said.

"Isn't this a child? Nothing will bother you. ”

Li Yun sighed helplessly, walked to the stone table in the courtyard and did it, held his cheeks, and said with a sad face: "It would be good if it was really as you said, not to mention offending the Gao family father and son, but saying that the construction of the embankment at the mouth of the Yellow River gave me a headache." ”

The Gao family father and son are in Linzi County, no, it can be said that they are pivotal in the entire Lincheng, just after coming to Linzi, Li Yun arrested Gao Changgong and pit the Gao family father and son with a lot of money, and now it is disturbing the banquet of the Gao family father and son, and this feud is settled.

Moreover, building rivers and embankments is a century-old project, which requires a lot of money, and money alone cannot be solved.

"What's so worrying about this, every year the imperial court will allocate disaster relief funds to the local government, isn't it easy to do?" Li Yun said.

Li Yun looked at Lin Qingzhu, who was very simple, and said, "Qingzhu, it would be nice if it was as simple as you thought, and I wouldn't worry about this matter." ”

"Isn't it?" Lin Qingzhu asked rhetorically.

The way of being an official is to care about the heart, the people, and the people. The so-called human nature is inherently evil, and greed is the source of evil, and it is endless.

Just as Lin Qingzhu said, the imperial court allocated two taels of disaster relief silver, but only two-three out of ten can really be used on the people, and one million taels of disaster relief silver can be used by the people, which can show that the official is a person of conscience.

But the fact is that the money that can reach the hands of the people is only a few, which is really a drop in the bucket.

After Li Yun finished explaining, Lin Qingzhu seemed to understand whether she understood or not, she was a scholar, and she had just entered the officialdom, where did she understand the connotation of these truths, Li Yun said again: "Let me ask you, every year the imperial court will allocate funds to control the river dam, every year, every year, build it every year, but why can't it be cured?" ”

Lin Qingzhu pondered for a while, and suddenly said: "Because the flood season broke out, the river embankment was washed away, so it will only be repaired every year." ”

Li Yun shook his head, nodded again, and said, "The flood season is just one of them, but it is not the fundamental reason. ”

"Why is that?"

"The main reason is that the disaster relief money was swallowed up by corrupt officials, and there were only less than 30% left in the county, and 30% of the silver was used to build the river and build a dam, and even the stone for repairing the river could not be bought, so how to build a century-old project? Therefore, when the flood season arrives, the river embankment will naturally be washed away by the flood, so it will be repaired every year. ”

Corrupt officials and corrupt officials have been the disease of officials since ancient times, and it is impossible for all the silver taels of the imperial court to reach the hands of the people, and the remaining silver taels are simply not enough to buy stones for repairing the river, but the task of the imperial court has to be completed, so it will be built with cheap mud and stone slag to build a dam, how can the dam bank built with this kind of thing stand the test?

"I see." Lin Qingzhu seemed to understand something, "But I heard that the water situation at the mouth of the Yellow River has been unstable recently, and it is very likely that there will be a danger of digging embankments, what if there is no silver?" ”

"The imperial court doesn't have any silver, so you can borrow it from those merchants, but I'm afraid it won't be a penny this year." Li Yun said.

"Because of the Gao family's father and son?"

She still understands these things in collusion between officials and businessmen, but now that Li Yun is an official, breaking with businessmen, he will inevitably taste the bitter fruits. And the Gao family's father and son are very powerful, and many merchants are looking forward to him, and they will definitely not lend money to the government.

And the government silver in the county treasury is only a hundred thousand taels, and it is impossible to build a dam and embankment.

"Is there nothing that can be done?"

"There are solutions, but they may not work." Li Yun said.

"What's the solution?"

Li Yun waved his hand and said, "Since there is no money in the county, it is naturally borrowed from Lord Taishou, but with the virtue of the Gao family's father and son, this road will inevitably be blocked." ”

"Is there no turnaround?"

"It's not nothing, our Taishou Lord cherishes his reputation very much, in the eyes of the outside world, he is a Qing official, and he is also very strict with the people in his family, if he can catch his handle, maybe he can get money." Li Yun said.

This is also a helpless move, the Gao family must have bought off Taishou, and Taishou will not be able to lend money to Li Yun, if he can catch Taishou's handle, as a threat, compared to money and reputation, Taishou will definitely choose the latter.

"Childe, Lord Taishou is your direct boss, wouldn't it be too risky for you to catch him?" Lin Qingzhu said worriedly.

"The so-called wealth and danger are sought, and extraordinary methods should be practiced at extraordinary times, which is also for the common people."

While he was talking, Cheng Chumo came back from outside with a depressed face, and took a sip of tea on the stone table in the courtyard, Li Yun asked, "Tie Niu, what's wrong?" ”

"Humph! What else, I got into a fight with someone and lost. ”

"Yo, there are even times when you lose, let's listen, who is it?" Li Yun asked affectionately.

"It's a man named Tao Qianming."

"Tao Qianming? Isn't this the son of Lincheng Taishou Taoyuan? ”