The night before, for the unscrupulous officials of the Sixth Route Shipping Division, Han Gang was in a bad mood for a night.

The next day, Han Gang saw Han Jiang outside the Xuande Gate, and the prime minister's face was also ugly.

Because of the escort shift, Han Jiang rarely came a little early, but by the prime minister's side, there was only one Zhang Qi to talk to him.

The two Zaisuke stood side by side, but there was no flattery, which was completely different from the usual situation.

It's all about looking at the wind.

Han Gang thought about it, stepped forward and saluted Han Jiang.

"Yukun." When Han Jiang saw Han Gang, he didn't even return the salute, so he hurriedly asked, "Have you read the report of the Sixth Route Shipping Division yesterday?" ”

Han Jiang is old and has a high status, so he doesn't need to cover up his mood, and he doesn't need to pay so much attention to the details.

"Is that the report? Han Gang also saw it. More than 30 ships were damaged in a month, and more than 20,000 stone grain were lost. ”

Han Jiang sneered: "Xue Zizheng is gone, so he dares to fool people!" ......" he said to Zhang Qi again, "Jiang Zhiqi has been in office for a few months, but the situation is getting worse and worse, what has he done?" ”

Jiang Zhiqi, the current Jiang and Huai shipping envoy, was nominated by Zhang Qi, and was questioned by Han Jiang, and Zhang Qi also felt embarrassed.

Jiang Zhiqi has always been known as capable in the DPRK and China, and he is good at both water conservancy and financial management.

Although he has always been regarded as a traitor in the court because of the impeachment of Ouyang Xiu, who recommended him, no one has ever questioned his talent. It is precisely because of this talent that Jiang Zhiqi can stand tall in the court.

Speaking of which, the current shipping envoy, like Shen Kuo, is always downwind, and he always bites back. Ouyang Xiu died in depression in the south, thanks to Jiang Zhiqi who exposed the ugliness of Ouyang Xiu's family.

remembered Shen Kuo from Jiang Zhiqi, and Han Gang remembered another thing by the way - Shen Kuo's cousin is Jiang Zhiqi's father-in-law, which can be called not a family not entering the door. However, Shen Kuo's niece married Jiang Zhiqi to be a stepmother, and unlike the Hedong lion of Shen Kuo's family, she can turn her husband around.

However, Jiang Zhiqi's performance this time was far from sorry for the evaluation he received.

However, during this time, Han Gang cooperated happily with Zhang Qi, so he helped him out of the siege, "Actually, Uncle Jiang Ying can't be blamed, he is a rat trap." The rules left by Xue Xiang, he didn't obey it, and he didn't follow it. ”

"I don't know what to do, I should put business first. Otherwise, what would the imperial court do if he put him in the position of the six-way shipment?! Jiang Zhiqi is known for his financial management and luck, how could he be so confused. Han Jiang snorted angrily.

"There has just been another batch of new people in the shipping department, and Uncle Jiang Ying wants to take care of the interior, and it will take some time."

In fact, from the March report of the shipping department, we can see some signs. It was the first month after the Bianhe thaw and the restart of the Gang Transport, and the attrition rate of the Gang Ship exceeded the level of the same period in the past few years, but not much, without much attention.

But since then, the loss rate of Tsunafune has increased month by month, and even if the three Zaisuke in the government hall are sluggish, they will soon see that something is wrong. However, at that time, I thought that it was the result of the transfer and demotion of an important official that Xue Xiang had promoted, and as long as a competent person was dispatched to take charge of the shipping department, this small problem could be solved. It was for this reason that Jiang Zhiqi was sent to be the shipping envoy.

It's a pity that the expectations of the political affairs hall have failed him, and the situation in the shipping department has not gotten better, but worse.

"Oh, since Yukun said so, what should I do next?"

"What do you say about Ming Ming's participation in politics?" Han Gang threw the ball back, he was talking to Zhang Qi, not Jiang Zhiqi. The rest should be Zhang Qi's business.

"It's up to the prime minister." Zhang Qi asked back to Han Jiang, "What should Xue Xiang say about the rules left in the shipping department in the past?" ”

"People have made mistakes, but they have no mistakes. Xue Xiang's sin has nothing to do with his actions in the Six-Way Shipping Division. Han Jiang affirmed Xue Xiang's past achievements.

"Yukun?" Zhang Qi turned back to ask Han Gang again.

Han Gang said: "In the past, the rules set by Xue Xiang in the Six Routes Shipping Division allowed the imperial court to lose hundreds of thousands of stone of grain every year. Since it is a good law, of course it should stay. ”

"In this case, I will inform Jiang Zhiqi like this, let him take care of the inside of the yamen, and next year's Gangyun must return to the previous situation." "Give Jiang Zhiqi another chance, if he can't arrange the Gangyun affairs, he should go to supervise the liquor tax."

"It's best to make it clear that next year's grain loss rate must not be higher than the average level of the previous five years, otherwise the six routes of the shipping division will be grinding and surveying for one year, and if the amount of damage far exceeds the average of the old year, then don't blame the knife of the imperial court for beheading people."

"Yukun's is good." Han Jiang immediately said,

Zhang Qi also nodded. He didn't mind washing all six shipping divisions now.

"And what about this year?"

Han Gang asked again, looked up and looked around, Su Song also arrived at this time, but when he saw the three Zaifu of the political hall gathered together, talking with a serious face, he did not come forward to say hello, but stood aside from afar.

"Those cunning thieves must be severely punished."

Han Gang heard Han Jiang's murderous voice.

It's no wonder Han Jiang is angry. After Xue Xiang fell, the grain loss rate from the south immediately rose, what did the shipping department want to prove, and there was no way without Xue Xiang?

Where does this put the face of the prime minister?

Without the old cat, the rats are indeed proud. But isn't this also to say, the rest of the cats can't catch mice? It's clearly a rebellion.

"Corrupt officials have to be punished severely." Zhang Qi also agreed. The officials in the shipping department are not considered scholars. And he also stirred a real fire on the officials of the shipping department who did not know whether they were alive or dead.

"Then send them all to the Western Regions!" Han Gang proposed.

"All?" Zhang Qi was taken aback.

On the Bianhe River, there are only tens of thousands of people related to the Gangyun, including the Xiang army of La Fiber. It is still impossible to send tens of thousands of people to the Western Regions. But blindly shouting, fighting, shouting and killing is not necessarily useful for low-level officials. I also know how the imperial court could really kill so many officials, but transferring to the frontier is the best punishment.

"Arrest all the people who were in the last batch to transport the grain to Beijing, whether it is the non-commissioned officers of the military academy or the people, and ask who is the mastermind and who is buying the grain. The thief who buys the stolen goods, slash! For the rest of the prisoners, let them choose between beheading and exile. ”

"That's very good." Han Jiang nodded immediately.

"Yukun, all the criminals can't be exiled to the Western Regions, there is a shortage of people everywhere."

There is a lack of household registration in the frontiers, and there is a shortage of people in the southeast, northwest, and north.

Let's not talk about the Western Regions and Jiaozhou. It is the most populous Hebei, like Cangzhou and other places along the coast, which are also sparsely populated.

In the huge Cangzhou, north of Cangzhou City, south of the Jiehe River, one hundred and fifty miles from north to south, and more than one hundred miles from east to west, there is not even a county seat. Although this is the mouth of the Yellow River, there are many swamps, and the geology is saline-alkali, which is not very suitable for farming, but there are still many people in the northwest who are not suitable for farming to grow and reproduce there, and the northern part of Cangzhou is uninhabited, which is too wasteful - you can't grow grain, but you can also grow cotton.

At this time, more and more court officials came to the city gate, and Han Jiang, Zhang Qi, and Han Gang, who stood in front of the gate to discuss the Bianshui shipment, became more and more the focus of attention.

Han Gang had some mischievous thoughts in his heart, if they mistakenly thought that the three Zaifu of the Eastern Mansion had made some big moves in the court, it would be interesting.

"Brother Mi Ming is right." Han Gang didn't delay in speaking, "According to Han Gang, it is time to change the law, and with exile, there is no need to ask about the capital crime, and it will avoid the trouble of the three law divisions." ”

The so-called heavy law is the area where criminals in serious crimes such as robbery are all sentenced severely, and the upper limit of punishment is generally taken.

And the system of emphasizing the law was started by Emperor Renzong. At that time, in order to supplement the military expenditure against the Western Xia, the tax was raised a lot, and thieves from all over the country flocked up, according to Ouyang Xiu's words, 'one gang is more than one', so in Jingshi and other places, the criminals were punished with heavy laws to curb the rampant crime. Due to the implementation of the system of heavy legal land, more and more Luzhou states have been classified as heavy legal land, and the number of people sentenced to death has also risen sharply, and it has been almost 40 years now. Every year on the winter solstice, thousands of people are executed.

In the past two years, the number of people who have been executed has decreased. Last year, it was in the name of praying for the emperor, and this year it is the queen mother's virtue. In previous years, it was three or five thousand, and in the past two years, it was five or six hundred, unless it was a heinous crime, or a felony of murder, the rest were all changed to exile, mainly in the northwest, but also in Lingnan. Generally, depending on the severity of the situation, the distance is decided, and it becomes a forgiveness that cannot be returned, and can only be in exile for a lifetime.

"The law is in name only, of course it can be abolished, as long as you don't kill people, you can be exiled."

Han Jiang readily agreed with Han Gang's opinion, fewer prisoners were executed, which can be regarded as a bright spot in governance. Just like a prison is empty, it is auspicious, killing fewer people is a good thing in the eyes of Confucianism, and in the eyes of Buddhism and Taoism, it can be regarded as accumulating yin virtue.

"It's long overdue." I don't know if Zhang Qi reciprocated the favor, or if he really thought so, he slapped his palm to Han Gang, "If you say that you are exiled, you can still be distributed to the field and plant, such a punishment is too light." Fortunately, there is one that cannot be forgiven. ”

"Indeed."

No matter where in Kansai, as long as the prisoners are exiled, they will be allowed to farm honestly, except for the pardon and no one, everything else is too lenient.

"Yukun, how about you mention this matter first? ……”

The sound of the horn sounded on time, covering up Han Jiang's problem. The sound of gunpowder exploding in the chamber of the cannon replaced the bells of the past, and it has been the signal for the opening of the imperial city for almost a year, and everyone up and down has become accustomed to it.

was about to enter the city, Han Jiang didn't say much more, let Yuan Sui lead the horse, and then turned over the horse - only the prime minister could ride into the Xuande Gate.

Looking at Han Jiang's back, Zhang Qi's eyes showed a faint envy, and then he hid it again.

Han Gang retracted his gaze and smiled slightly, waiting for the city gate to open.