Out of Zhangjiakou, there is an endless grassland. In addition to the Taifu Temple Ranch on this side, there is also the Upper Courtyard Ranch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Therefore, on the way, I also encountered two groups of officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs outside the entrances and exits.

In addition to the horse plague that occurred in the left-wing pasture of Taifu Temple in Harani Dunjing, the adjacent Shangqiyuan Ranch not far away was not spared, and the official mentioned that the number of good horses that died violently also reached hundreds.

Cao Hao secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, now he is not afraid of natural disasters, but only [***]. However, when he arrived at the Halani Dunjing Ranch, he could not relax his heart when he saw the faces of the chief steward and the chief priest crying and mourning.

Since March 23, when the first plague horse was found to have fallen to the ground, more than 600 horses have been killed in the pasture, and more than 3,000 horses have been quarantined. Although the horse plague has been controlled to a certain extent after the isolation of the horses, the current number is alarming.

According to the custom handed down from the pasture, horses that were usually sick and dead were skinned and deboned, the bones were put into storage, and the horse meat was distributed to the herdsmen. But for the dead horses, the meat can only be dug and buried deeply.

The head of the ranch is called Baose, in his forties, and he is a man with red flags in Manchuria. Cao Hao was not unfamiliar with him, and he had seen him in the Pingjun Mansion in his early years. Speaking of which, the two still have in-laws. Baose's nephew is Zhong Hai, who married the eldest sister of Jueluo Seshtu.

Different from the head of the Nanyuan Horse Farm in the capital, Bao Se's position is the minister in charge of the two wings of the ranch (deputy commander), and the general leader of the two wings of Chahar "horse administration". Taifu Siqing and Shaoqing are in charge of the development and construction of pastures, and take reward and punishment measures to supervise.

In terms of grade, one of the ministers in charge and the Taifu Siqing are from the second grade, and the other is from the third grade, and the former is much larger than the latter. However, because Baose is a doorman of the Pingjun Palace, Cao Hao is still half of his master even if he does not have a forehead. Therefore, he did not take big.

Cao Hao went to the ranch for two days, and each time he counted the statistics reported below. With the increase in the number of fallen horses, I don't know that the faces of the deputy managers, wing collars, and pen posts on this side of the ranch turned green, and even the faces of the two subordinate officials brought by Cao Hao were difficult to look at.

This is, Tang Zhiyu also arrived in a carriage.

By April 5, more than 1,000 horses had died violently, and Tang Zhiyu's eyebrows had been locked. Cao Haoyuan is still strange, didn't he say that he would only be punished if he killed 100 horses for more than 13? However, I remember that this year is the year of ranch inspection, which is a three-year period. Presumably, in the past three years, there have been many sick and weak horses in the pasture. Combined, the number of horses far exceeds the amount of rewards and punishments.

After the tenth day of the fourth month, no more horses died, and the number of horses lost by this horse plague was also counted, 1,863. Above the pasture, the lingering smell of slaughtering horses wafted.

Cao Hao's errand is to count the punishments payable by the relevant personnel. From the shepherd and the deputy to the deputy chief and the chief manager, they must be punished with whipping according to the number of horses killed in the area under their jurisdiction.

When the subordinate handed over the checked list to Cao Hao and Tang Zhiyu, both of them were dumbfounded. According to this statistic, no one in this ranch can run, and everyone will be whipped. Of these, the heaviest were the sixty-four shepherds, who had four horses all killed, each with 400 lashes, eight shepherds with 200 lashes, and four shepherds with 100 lashes.

This is the difference between the same mouth, the punishment system implemented by this ranch retains the legacy of the Eight Banners before entering the customs, and it is mainly flogging, with no upper limit. However, fortunately, the Kangxi Dynasty, with the general flow, was implemented according to four folds, reflecting the "benevolence" of the holy monarch. Even so, not everyone can afford this one hundred and sixty lashes.

In addition to the canging of the ranch, the officials of the Taifu Temple in Beijing can't run. From remotion to recall, it makes sense. Although it is a natural disaster, it is necessary to pull out people to take responsibility, so as to save people from pulling it to other aspects.

The one on the dragon chair will never leave the slightest quarrel for the world.

Cao Hao is not afraid of demotion or dismissal, his current promotion speed is too fast, it is already eye-catching, and it is good to slow down.

At this moment, the official who came down to inspect the capital had already come down, and it was Yin Tebu, the secretary of the military department.

On April 14, under the observation of the military department and the officials of the Taifu Temple, the whipping on the ranch side began. The audience was full of wolves crying and howling, and it sounded very infiltrating.

Cao Hao looked at this bloody scene, but he almost vomited out the overnight meal.

Cao Hao looked a little numb, although most of those herdsmen were very healthy, but there were also old and weak people. Some of them were whipped dozens of times and never moved again, while others were convulsed and looked extremely miserable.

Although Cao Hao is not a good person, he can't bear to see these wranglers being whipped to death with his own eyes. He looked at Yin Tebu, who was watching the execution, and Yin Tebu's face was already dark.

In the end, he, the secretary of the military department, could not escape responsibility. He was not in the mood to gloat over Cao Hao, his stomach was already full of fire.

Now, just in time for a full bachelor's vacancy, Intebuben is the most promising candidate for promotion. However, after the extra-oral horse plague, his sin of "negligence" is inevitable, and it is great to be able to retain the title of Shangshu, and the scholar should not count on it.

In this way, he hated the people of the ranch to the core, and ordered the soldiers to beat them hard, and not to slack off.

When the soldiers came to report that two people had survived the torture but died violently, Cao Hao and Tang Zhiyu were both startled. Tang Zhiyu immediately stood up, took a few steps forward, leaned over and preached to Yin Te: "Lord Yin, although they are negligent, their crimes are not to death, this whipping ......."

Yin Tebu was already uncomfortable, and when he saw Tang Zhiyu giving these shepherds a head, he was even more annoyed. didn't wait for Tang Zhiyu to finish speaking, he said with a straight face: "What? Under this official order, do you still need to give advice? ”

Tang Zhiyu hurriedly said: "The lower officials don't dare to offend adults, but these shepherds, I'm afraid that many of them can't survive this one hundred and sixty whips." Can you be broad and divide this flogging into several punishments? Executions are carried out in stages, and there are precedents on the ranch side. ”

Yin Tebu sneered: "What a precedent! Where is the precedent, is there a holy decree, or is there a document from the ministry or the Taifu Temple? If it weren't for the negligence of management here, everyone would have been able to perform their duties, and this catastrophe would not have been caused! Lord Tang, if you have the leisure to manage everything, you might as well think about how to write a guilty excerpt! ”

Tang Zhiyu was speechless, and finally didn't say anything, and returned to his seat in a daze.

Cao Hao saw that Yin Tebu was going to order the continuation of the whipping sentence, turned his head and said, "Lord Yin, the longevity of the Long Live Lord has just passed......" Speaking of this, he closed his voice, and the rest depends on Yin Tebu to comprehend it himself.

Yin Tebu dared to reprimand Tang Zhiyu, but it was difficult to say Cao Hao. After all, in terms of grade, Cao Hao, a Heshuo forehead, is just one grade higher than his Shangshu.

Although Cao Hao only said half a sentence, Yin Tebu "knew the elegance when he heard the strings". The amnesty of the world on Wanshou Day is to show the emperor's "benevolence", if this side is really because of the whipping, ten or eight people died, and they were impeached by the imperial history, even if it is justified, it is also guilty of "cruelty".

Yin Tebu narrowed his eyes and looked at Cao Hao, not knowing if he was doing this for Tang Zhiyu's sake, or if he was kind enough to remind himself. No matter what, the anger in his heart has calmed down a lot now. So he ordered the order to be sent down and to carry out the flogging of the old and weak shepherds separately, one hundred lashes each time, and once every ten days.

Those punished with 100 whips and less than 100 whips of the shepherd, co-leader, military academy, Xiao cavalry school, wing collar, defense and others did not have that good luck, although the execution was only according to forty percent, but they were all drawn crying dad and mother, embarrassed.

Cao Hao only felt that his ears were about to be injured, looking at the scoundrel appearance of these people in front of him, where was the slightest bit of the spirit of the Eight Banners warriors. Less than a hundred years after the Eight Banners entered the customs, these banner people have long lost the prestige of their ancestors and have become moths.

From morning to afternoon, to dusk, the flogging was almost executed.

At this moment, Cao Hao heard Tang Zhiyu beside him snort coldly and said, "Do it yourself!" ”

Cao Hao turned his head to look, and saw Tang Zhiyu suppressing his anger and looking into the field, where it was the ranch manager Bao Se and the two deputy directors who were tied up.

There was such a big mistake in the pasture, and it was difficult for these three people to protect their tops, but before the officials were under the official document, they couldn't run away with this whip.

Cao Hao was in the ranch for more than ten days, and there were also a few petty officials who did not deal with Baose and came up to offer their courtesy, saying some miscellaneous things. Therefore, he knew where Tang Zhiyu's hatred came from.

According to the regulations, horses that have died of old age, weakness and illness in the pasture for three years are exempt from punishment as long as they do not exceed 1/3 of the total number of finished horses. In fact, this amount is already very lenient.

Since the establishment of this horse farm, there has been a bad habit from top to bottom, that is, to eat "empty salary", receive grain and grass for 100 horses or manage money, in fact, there are only **10 horses.

Because everyone has a head, they rely on the one-to-three limit, and they are not afraid of the triennial inspection, and divide the money left privately.

As a result, it is the scene that we have today. The horse farm that originally had 20,000 adult mules and horses was actually less than 18,000 horses; After this horse plague, the total number is only more than 15,000. With such a big hole, no one can afford this responsibility, so everyone can only be punished together. Even the officials of the Taifu Temple in the capital have to be dragged down by the greed here.

Tang Zhiyu was originally a disciple of Cao Hao, and he directly borrowed the light of the family and the palace to be fortunate to enter.

On this business trip, Tang Zhiyu saw that he didn't have a noble son's shelf, and he was sorting out the accounts outside the mouth, and he was also in good order, so he knew that he was underestimating him.

Because of the suspension of the whipping, an old shepherd who survived was able to make the little grandson specially send Tang Zhiyu milk dumplings to thank him for saving his life.

Tang Zhiyu was ashamed of it, because everyone saw him come forward to plead for mercy at that time, so he remembered the kindness of the suspension of the whipping on him. But he himself is very clear, where will Yin Tebu put himself in his eyes. What made Yin Tebu scruple was just Cao Hao's words. So, he told the Mongolian boy the truth and took him to Xie Caohao.

The little Mongolian boy saw that Cao Hao was surrounded by fierce and vicious entourage, and only thought that he was a powerful young master who casually whipped people, so he trembled and couldn't speak.

Cao Hao was still inexplicable, the little boy remembered his grandfather's instructions, knelt down and kowtowed a few times, then put down the milk dumplings, got up and ran away.

On April 16, after the ranch was finished, everyone returned to Beijing, but they were not as hurried as they came.

Among the people, Cao Hao's status is the most respectful, and Yin Tebu's official position is the highest, both of them have some scruples, and neither of them is willing to take the big. Therefore, no one proposed to go first, and everyone returned to Beijing together.

Cao Hao knew that his "commissioning the Taifu Siqing" should be the end. Although he is more than 600 miles away from the capital, he cannot escape responsibility as a "temporary chief" when it comes to accountability. Not to mention, there is also an alternate Daotai Ming'an waiting in the capital.

* The news of the accident at the Kouwai Ranch has spread privately in the capital.

When Cao Jia's family went to other palaces for entertainment, he overheard this incident, and said that his brother was about to be dismissed. She only knew that her brother had left Beijing on an errand, but she didn't know the details, so she was a little worried.

Back in the house, when Nersu returned, Cao Jiashi hurriedly asked why.

Nersu has also been inquiring these days, but there is no movement, and there is no bottom in his heart. But he was not afraid of his wife's worries, so he frowned and said, "How can the woman outside believe what she says when she chews her tongue?" Although Brother Hao is young, he has always been cautious in his actions, and he is also attentive in his errands, so I don't believe that others can find fault with him? It's just that he's jealous of his young and fast rise, so he just talks nonsense, and when his brother comes back from a business trip, naturally there will be no such nonsense! ”

Cao Jiashi was suspicious of her husband's words, and after all, she didn't worry about her younger siblings, afraid that she would be young and not think about anything, so she deliberately went back to her parents' house.

Chu Yu also heard this rumor, but he didn't believe it at all, he couldn't help but worry, and comforted Cao Jia's in turn.

Cao Jiashi saw that she had no heart and lungs, and she was not worried about her husband at all, she was a little dissatisfied in her heart, frowning, thinking about whether to teach this brother and daughter-in-law a few words. Even if she is younger, she is already the mother of her child, how can she still be like a child, and she can't be a husband at all.

Chu Yu saw that Cao Jiashi was a little unhappy, and said with a smile: "Sister, Chu Yu is not worried about his forehead, but he just knows that he has the ability, and those words outside that say that he is mediocre are not true." Huang Ma Fa has always been wise, how could he not know this? ”

doesn't talk about the Cao family's side, but says that the ninth elder brother and the fourteenth elder brother are tired of Cao Hao, and they all say that "God has eyes, so I don't have to ask the kid of the Cao family to take advantage". Ming An, who was originally staring at the position of Taifu Siqing, also thought that he had hope, and privately walked to the Eighth Elder Brother's Mansion a few times, and the filial piety he sent was a little heavier.

The smile on the eighth elder brother's face also increased, and he forgot the back of his head when he was unhappy in front of the emperor a while ago. He has worked hard all these years and stood out from the princes, and the royal father should look at it in his eyes. The reason why he was not consulted may be because he had other considerations, or maybe he was unwilling to let him get involved.

The sixteenth elder brother and the seventeenth elder brother were worried about Cao Hao, and when the two went to visit the fourth elder brother, they also made a special trip to ask about Cao Hao, and said if they could think of a way to protect it.

The fourth elder brother did not move, but just told the seventeenth elder brother not to be impatient, and the imperial father may not punish Cao Hao. If he and the sixteenth elder brother can't stand it and come forward to help Cao Hao speak, it will be easy to fall into his tongue.

Although they are of the same age, and it is common for them to have a more intimate relationship, after all, Cao Hao's identity is different, and he is no longer a guard or a companion, but a Beijing official of a high grade. If the sixteenth elder brother and the seventeenth elder brother do not know how to restrain themselves, it will only make the imperial history impeach Cao Hao for multiple crimes.

The sixteenth elder brother knew that the fourth elder brother was right, although he was anxious for Cao Hao, but he couldn't do anything. When he thought that Cao Hao was lazy, he said: "The heaviest punishment is just the dismissal of the official, but it's not nothing!" That guy Cao Hao has always been lazy, I'm afraid that he really wants to be like this, but he follows his wishes! ”

The seventeenth elder brother was a little unconvinced, and asked, "It's not so heavy, right?" It's amazing, this is not the right thing to do! He had only accepted it for a few days, and he was only 'commissioned', so why should he bear all the guilt? ”

The fourth elder brother didn't respond, and the sixteenth elder brother smiled bitterly: "This too servant Siqing's lack of two fights, and finally fell on Cao Hao, I'm afraid that people on both sides will hate him!" Who would believe that he didn't leave and didn't care about this at all. The seventh brother didn't dare to offend, and took advantage of this opportunity to not give Cao Hao small shoes, how could they step down? ”

After the sixteenth elder brother and the seventeenth elder brother left, the fourth elder brother stood in front of the study window with his hands behind his back, looking at the locust tree in the yard, and muttered for a long time.

Thinking of the news he had just gotten recently, he felt that he suddenly realized that he couldn't complain that the imperial father treated the Cao family differently, and that Cao Hao was young and talented, so he was taken care of by the imperial father, and it turned out that this was the reason.

Cao family, when receiving; Cao Hao is also a usable person......

(To be continued)