"Lord Xu, how do you start next?" Zhao Gou asked respectfully.

Xu Jingheng saw that Zhao Gou was respectful, and hurriedly said, "Your Excellency, ......"

Zhao Gou said: "Lord Xu, if it weren't for your guidance, I wouldn't know anything about it, so I shouldn't have to be restrained. Although I did not supervise the imperial history, I was the king of the county. However, now that I am a junior, why should I care too much about the size of my official position. ”

Xu Jingheng nodded solemnly, knowing what Zhao conceived to say, and he was not pretentious, and said in a deep voice: "In the opinion of the following officials, you can start with the household department." ”

"Tobe?" Zhao Gou was shocked.

"Yes, it's Tobe!" Xu Jingheng said solemnly, "The Ministry of Household Affairs is the organ in charge of household registration and finance, one of the six departments, which controls the territory, land, household registration, taxation, salaries and all financial matters of the country. Every year, all the silver and silver such as floods and droughts are allocated by the household department. ”

Zhao said: "What does Lord Xu mean, there are people in the household who are corrupt and pervert the law? ”

Xu Jingheng said: "Whether there are people who are corrupt and pervert the law, the lower officials have no way of knowing. However, the highest oil and water agency is the household department. Every year, the finances of the DPRK and the Central Government are allocated by the Ministry of Households, and even the Ministry of Household Affairs is under the management of the Ministry of Households. However, Ye Mengde, the head of the household, has no real power. ”

"No real power?" Zhao Gou was a little surprised, as the head of the household, how could he not have real power.

Xu Jingheng said: "Ye Mengde is Shaosheng four years to ascend to the Jinshi, born in a literati family, his grandfather is the Great Song Dynasty minister Ye Qingchen, successively served as Guanglu Temple, Jixian School Manager, moved to Taichang Cheng, into the Zhishi Museum; The fourth ancestor Ye Shen was a four-year jinshi in Xianping, and the official was Guangluqing; Mother Chao is the sister of Chao Bu, one of the "Four Scholars of Sumen". ”

Zhao thought and said: "It's really a child of a family, and his family is knowledgeable, no wonder he has become a secretary of the household." ”

Although Ye Mengde was born in a literati family, he learned his real talent to gain fame. Today's emperor is good at calligraphy and painting, Ye Mengde's literary style is graceful, and he is proficient in poetry and songs. Shao Sheng ascended to the rank of Jin Shi in the fourth year and transferred to the Dan apprentice lieutenant. Later, the current emperor ascended the throne and was promoted to a bachelor of Hanlin, and then he was transferred to the head of the household. ”

Xu Jingheng paused for a moment and said, "My lord, do you know why Ye Mengde became the head of the household?" ”

"Isn't his identity different?" Zhao Gou was surprised.

"Adults are clever, although not very correct, but there are also things in common." Xu Jingheng said with a smile, "Ye Mengde was promoted to Hanlin Bachelor, firstly because of his identity, and secondly, he learned it by himself, and that person also knows him?" ”

Zhao said: "I also know? ”

"Cai Jing!"

"What? Cai Jing! Zhao Gou was stunned, how could Ye Mengde have a relationship with Cai Jing, which made him a little puzzled.

"Ye Mengde was born in a family of literati, proficient in poetry and songs, and he is a famous minister." Xu Jingheng sighed, "In terms of talent, Cai Jing can be regarded as a talent, and his words must have been seen by adults." Ye Mengde and Cai Jing have a close relationship, all because they are both literati and ink writers. ”

At that time, Cai Jing was in a high position, and the two had a close relationship and frequent gatherings. The lower officials investigated and found that Ye Mengde's mind was not to use power for personal gain, but to learn from Cai Jing. Cai Jing recommended Ye Mengde to the emperor as a bachelor of Hanlin and praised this humanistic talent. ”

"The emperor also wanted to see Ye Mengde, and after knowing that he was a famous minister, he summoned him personally. Unexpectedly, Ye Mengde was quite talented and learned, and said: "Since ancient times, emperors have been governed, wide and narrow, and the scale is different, but it must start with the one who governs his heart first." Today, the country is in danger, the law is at stake, the talent is evil, and the people's feelings are solid. If you don't treat their hearts first, or lure them to profit, or trap them with their reputations, then the so-called safety, interests, evil, and weal and woe will not be reversed and transposed, but will they seek their merits? ’”

"The emperor saw that he was talented and learned, so he was promoted to a bachelor of Hanlin. Ye Mengde got his wish and entered the Hanlin Pavilion, and he devoted himself to studying academics, and even Cai Jingjing had less contact. After the fall of Cai Jing, the emperor Long Yan was furious and implicated a lot, but Ye Mengde did not have any punishment, but was promoted to the head of the household. ”

"The head of the household is not an ordinary official who can govern it, Ye Mengde is literary and conscientious, but he has no real power, and the household servant and others have set his power in the air, making him vain. It was only because those people relied on the power of Gao Yu and others to act as a blessing that Ye Mengde had no relationship with them that he would fall to this point. ”

Zhao Gou understood that although Ye Mengde's writing was good, he still couldn't really control the household after all. Although the household department says that it is not big or small, it is not a simple matter to manage. Now, Zhao Gou understands why Ye Mengde has no name and no power.

"My lord, what do you think?" Xu Jingheng asked.

Zhao Gou said with a smile: "Lord Xu has already arranged it, so why don't you say more, everything will be done according to what Lord Xu said." This time, we will start an inventory from the household department to see how many officials know the law and break the law, so that the whole Bianjing will have a real turmoil! ”

Xu Jingheng glanced at Zhao Gou with a little meaning, and said secretly: "This adult is really powerful!" ……”

Zhao Gou guessed well, Xu Jingheng had already had the idea of thoroughly investigating the officials of the household department, but he had not taken action, just because there was no one to support him, even the current saint was unwilling to support it, and he kept delaying. Zhao Gou knew in his heart that a thorough investigation of the household department could be regarded as a real start.

However, he also knew that the officials of the Ministry of Household Investigation were starting from the Sixth Department. Moreover, such actions can be regarded as justified, which is within their power. Xu Jingheng wanted to investigate, but he encountered too much resistance, with Zhao Gou pressing the formation behind him, and Shang Fang's sword, who dared to stop it.

Zhao Gou smiled and said, "Lord Xu, what's going on in the household department?" ”

Xu Jingheng pondered for a long time, thought for a while, and said, "Since the lord mentioned this matter, the lower officials will no longer hide it. In fact, the lower officials have long had the intention of checking the household department, and the reason why they have not moved is that the time is not ripe. Now, when the time is ripe, then the action can be launched, and the lower officials are worried that after a long time, some things will disappear without a trace. ”

When Zhao Gou heard this, he felt that there was something in his words, and said, "Could it be that this matter involves other things?" ”

Xu Jingheng nodded solemnly and said firmly: "The lower officials suspect that among the six departments, some people are greedy for disaster relief funds and form a party for personal gain. ”

Zhao Gou didn't understand, Xu Jingheng told the truth, he always suspected that someone in the six departments was greedy for disaster relief money, the cause of the incident was the uprising of Song Jiang, Fang La and others, and Zhu Mian's misdeeds in Suzhou, these things reminded him that the emperor once ignored the government and politics, so that the power fell and fell into the hands of traitorous ministers.

Although the power is sidelined, Song Huizong ignores the government and politics, but he is not really mediocre and incompetent, and he treats the people indifferently. At that time, droughts and floods occurred in the Great Song Dynasty year after year, and natural disasters were inevitable. Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty once issued a holy decree to allocate three million taels of gold from the treasury for disaster relief.

However, Xu Jingheng's private investigation found that only one million taels of this disaster relief money had reached the local area, and two million taels were missing. At that time, Xu Jingheng felt strange, so he secretly played it to the emperor, like a stone sinking into the sea, he knew that this matter must have been stopped by others, and he remained silent without evidence.

Since then, Xu Jingheng has found that some people of unknown origin appear in his house from time to time. So, Xu Jingheng stood still, pretending to be stupid and stunned, and did not dare to take any action. It wasn't until half a year later that the matter calmed down, and I didn't bring it up again today.

Zhao Gou was stunned, he didn't expect that there would be an unexpected gain from this visit, and secretly thought: "It's really the right one!" ”