"Ha, hahaha......"

Zhao Mengqing laughed angrily, pointed at Gu Dingchen's nose and scolded: "Everyone is an official of the Ming Dynasty, so why bother to act here?" The lower officials are greedy, and the adults of the mansion are also greedy, but so what? Which of the officials of the Ming Dynasty has not been greedy? ”

Without waiting for Gu Dingchen to refute, Zhao Mengqing continued: "Emperor Taizu severely punished corrupt officials and corrupt officials, and ordered that if he embezzled more than fifty taels of silver, he would peel the skin and make a scarecrow. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 infoCan such harsh punishments deter corrupt officials? Why do corrupt officials still follow one after another? Have you ever thought about it? Emperor Taizu felt sorry for the people, but weren't the officials human? After decades of hard study, once Dengke should have been the envy of everyone, but just looking at the officials' fortunes, I thought it was called Huazi. If it's just a lonely body, but when it comes to the age of the middle sergeant and the official, which one doesn't have a family? It's only a pitiful few dozen taels a year, not enough to stuff your teeth, it's a joke to support your family! ”

The more Zhao Mengqing spoke, the more excited he became, and the muscles on his cheeks kept twitching: "Since His Majesty the Emperor doesn't think about the courtiers, then the officials naturally think of their own way, not to mention anything else, just say that the fire consumption intercepted in the local area and the ice and charcoal tribute dedicated to the Beijing officials, this can't be considered greedy, right?" If this is all greedy, the officials of the Ming Dynasty would have starved to death a long time ago. ”

Ten officials and nine greedy, this is the case.

In many cases, it is not the officials who want to be greedy, but the civil service system that forces them to be greedy. If you are not greedy, you will not be able to offer ice and charcoal to the officials, so naturally you will not be able to mix in the officialdom.

"Of course, I not only intercepted the fire consumption and offered ice and charcoal to the Jingshi, but also coveted the silver taels for the construction of the river embankment. Among them, the people of Futai also have a share. Xia Guan believes that if any official is replaced, it will be no exception. ”

Zhao Mengqing exhaled very happily after speaking.

As for Gu Dingchen, he had become silent from the initial shock.

Although what Zhao Mengqing said is vexatious, it is not completely unreasonable when you think about it.

At least Emperor Taizu was indeed too stingy in setting up the civil officials.

Thousands of miles to be an official, just for food and clothing.

In the Ming Dynasty, the status of officials and people was distinct. Countless people squeezed their heads just to be able to become officials, once the official robe is added, their families will become wealthy families in the local area, and the social status is not a little bit higher.

In addition to the status of officials, the most attractive thing is naturally the gray income brought by power.

Just like Zhao Mengqing said, since Emperor Taizu didn't let them get better, they would find a way to make themselves better.

Even Gu Dingchen has received the ice charcoal gift from local officials every year.

First, this is already a legal matter that the imperial court acquiesces into, and everyone accepts it.

Second, Gu Dingchen has a large family to support, and it is really not enough to rely on the meager fortune of the imperial court.

And Gu Dingchen is still the right attendant of the Ministry of Etiquette, plus the title of Cabinet Scholar. He is still like this, how can the five- or six-grade, six- and seven-grade officials in those places survive if they are not greedy?

But if only they could keep some fire for the ice and charcoal, why should they covet the silver taels for the construction of the river embankment?

Don't they know the importance of the quality of the embankment?

Linqing is close to the Yellow River and the canal, and once the Yellow River bursts, the whole of Linqing will be submerged. Hundreds of people will be drowned!

There must be a bottom line in life, and the same is true for being an official.

In Gu Dingchen's view, some things are allowed, such as ice and charcoal, such as fire consumption. No matter how honest an official is, he will accept this. This cannot be considered greed.

If you want to say that you don't intercept the fire consumption and don't pay tribute to the ice and charcoal, I'm afraid that the whole Ming Dynasty can't find three.

But you can't be insatiable and don't care about the lives of the people, right?

"You're wrong!"

Gu Dingchen clenched his fists and began to fight back: "This official believes that if he changes any official whose conscience has not been extinguished, he will not be greedy for the silver taels used to build the river embankment to enrich himself." ”

Gu Dingchen pointed to the sky with one hand: "There are gods in the three feet of your head, not everyone is as shameless as you." ”

"Really? That Chincha-sama is really a high wind and bright festival. ”

Zhao Mengqing sneered: "Do you know the particularity of Linqing? Everyone knows that there is money in Linqing, and the officials of the yamen are fat and oily. Therefore, officials at all levels would suggest that I pay an extra amount of silver. It is impossible to make up for this silver by intercepting the fire alone. If I don't touch the silver taels that built the embankment, can I conjure up these silver coins? ”

Gu Dingchen was stunned for a moment and said, "What do you mean by everyone?" ”

Zhao Mengqing felt aggrieved, and said loudly: "Naturally, it is the Governor's Mansion Yamen, as well as the two capitals and six ministries, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the General Political Envoy, and the thirteen supervising imperial histories!" Does Chincha-sama really think they're all clean? Lord Qincha said that you didn't take the money, and the lower officials believed it. But most of the officials took it. They don't ask where the money came from, they just take it! ”

All they have to do is take the money!

This sentence kept echoing in Gu Dingchen's mind, and the stimulated Gu Dingchen almost collapsed.

For some reason, Zhao Mengqing, who seems to him to be strong, always seems to be able to find a reason to refute.

"Surprised or not surprised, unexpected doesn't mean? Xiaguan told the truth to Lord Qincha that almost all the officials you can think of have taken this silver. The money for the construction of the river embankment seems to be very large, but in fact, more than half of it goes into their pockets. Aren't adults going to get rid of all the evil, why don't you get rid of these people together! In this way, Xiaguan Huangquan Road will not be too lonely! ”

At this moment, Zhao Mengqing had no scruples, and he spoke recklessly.

What can Gu Dingchen say at this moment? He found himself speechless!

If it is really as Zhao Mengqing said, the construction of the river embankment and the silver two finally entered the pockets of the Beijing officials, then the system of the Ming Dynasty should really be improved. Even the supervision group of the imperial historian is bribed and greedy, doesn't that mean that it is rotten to the root? By whom will oversee? Isn't this a prison guard stealing from himself!

If there is a problem with one person, then it can be said that the person has a bad character, but what if it is ten people, a hundred people, a thousand people have a problem?

What if something went wrong with the entire Ming Dynasty? That must be a problem with the system.

Although Gu Dingchen is very reluctant to admit this, it seems that this is probably the problem.

Even if there is no Zhao Mengqing, there will be Wu Mengqing and Liu Mengqing.

In this position, in order to satisfy your greed and the great appetite of the Beijing officials, you can't help but be greedy.

Not greedy? If you have been in office for less than a year, you will be transferred by the ministry with an excuse.

Just kidding, the big guys are counting on the Linqing magistrate to offer a large amount of filial piety silver, you say that if you are not greedy, you can not be greedy?

This point is probably a knot in the hearts of all the officials of the wealthy prefectures, and many of them have to tremble and take risks.

And this kind of thing, if there is a first time, there will be a second time.

Of course, all this does not become a reason for Zhao Mengqing to be greedy for ink. Even if he was forced to helpless, as he said, he made a big mistake.

"That's all I say, and I don't need to listen to your quibbles. Come on, bring it down! ”

Gu Dingchen waved his hand, and immediately two brocade-clothed guards stepped forward and dragged Zhao Mengqing down.

Perhaps knowing that he could not escape death, Zhao Mengqing laughed and said: "Master Gu, listen to someone Zhao's advice, don't bother to deal with any corrupt officials, if you can deal with one person, can you deal with all the corrupt officials in the world?" ”

Zhao Mengqing's voice became smaller and smaller, but Gu Dingchen's mood became heavier and heavier.

It took him a long time to recover and ordered the arrest of Sun Yan, the prefect of Dongchang.

This person is in collusion with Zhao Mengqing of Linqing Zhizhou, who knows the law and violates the law, and must be severely punished.

In addition, he also ordered people to go and take down all the people of Sanjitang.

If such a killer assassin organization is not wiped out and left to its own devices, the consequences will be immeasurable.

Unexpectedly, he came to Qing to supervise the dredging of the canal, and so many things were involved, which is really embarrassing.

Gu Dingchen decided to deal with these matters, and hurried back to Beijing to report to His Majesty and the first and second assistants.

Zhao Mengqing deserves to die, but some of the things he said are still worth thinking about. For example, why the officials of the Ming Dynasty are greedy, only by understanding this point can they prescribe the right medicine and come up with a good solution.

Otherwise, let these officials be greedy, and it won't take long for the Ming Dynasty to rot from the roots.

......

......

However, it is said that after Gu Dingchen beheaded Zhao Mengqing, Sun Yan and other corrupt officials, he conducted an investigation of officials in Linqing and even Dongchang Mansion.

Those involved in the deep case will be dismissed, and those involved in the shallow matter will also be reduced to deductions.

At this point, the ink corruption case came to an end, and Gu Dingchen was able to focus more on supervising the dredging of the canal.

After staying in Linqing for more than half a month, Gu Dingchen set off to return to Beijing.

Along the way, he was thinking about the problem of greedy ink, whether the stubborn disease that had plagued the Ming Dynasty for more than a hundred years could be banned in this dynasty?

If it can really be banned, what is the price to pay?

I'm afraid this is only known to the elder of the little pavilion.

There are two sides to the story.

But it was said that Emperor Zhengde was furious when he learned about Linqing.

The silver taels for the construction of the river embankment were allocated by him from the internal funds, which was equivalent to Zhu Houzhao's own pocket. It can be described as a gentleman's grace. But how did his courtiers repay him?

Instead of thanking the emperor, they put the silver taels in their pockets!

These are my money, how dare they!

As soon as Gu Dingchen returned to Beijing, he was summoned by the Son of Heaven before he had time to take a sip of tea and questioned him in the Wenhua Palace.

The Son of Heaven is in the palace, and the three scholars of the cabinet are in His Highness, and the atmosphere is very serious.

Gu Dingchen first reported to His Majesty the Emperor on the specific work of the Linqing trip, and then Zhu Houzhao asked about the points he was concerned about, and the most asked question was naturally the ink corruption case.

Gu Dingchen also prepared a lot for this, and answered them one by one.

The more Zhu Houzhao listened, the more angry he became: "This Zhao Mengqing, it's too cheap to behead him." In my opinion, to deal with such unrepentant corrupt officials, they should be executed by Ling Chi, or restore Emperor Taizu's skinning punishment and skin them one by one to make a scarecrow! ”

Belch......

At this moment, Xie Shen seriously doubted whether the old Zhu family had a violent gene.

It's okay to kill corrupt officials, but it's really unnecessary to skin them or anything.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't give clear evidence.

The fact that these corrupt officials dare to enrich themselves proves that they have a fluke mentality, or that they are ready to be executed in the East Window Incident.

Such a person can be described as a gambler.

And gamblers won't stop just because you add to the deterrence of torture.

In other words, whether it is beheading or Ling Chi, or peeling is a dead word, but the tricks are different, can you die a second time?

"Your Majesty, I think that the fight against corruption alone by increasing torture may not be effective."

"Oh? What is the best way to do it, sir? ”

Zhu Houzhao habitually cast a plea glance at Xie Shen for help.

Xie Shen said in a harmonious voice: "Back to Your Majesty, in fact, the most important thing in fighting corruption is to establish a sound supervision system. Raising the salaries of officials also has a good effect. ”

"The monitoring system? Isn't the imperial history of this dynasty used to supervise? ”

Zhu Houzhao was puzzled.

Xie Shen smiled: "Your Majesty, although the imperial historians have the responsibility of supervision, the coverage is too small. For example, His Majesty appointed a person to supervise the imperial history of Nanzhi, and his duty was to inspect the prefectures and counties of Nanzhi. But how can a person come over for inspection, and even if he does, how can he guarantee that this imperial history will not be bribed by officials who are greedy for ink? ”

This...... Zhu Houzhao was speechless.

Yes, this inspection system has been very problematic from the beginning.

For example, the uniqueness of the supervision of the imperial history makes it easy to go wrong in principle.

"I don't think just increasing the number of inspectors will do anything. If you want to change completely, you have to start from the roots. ”

"How do you get to the roots?"

"Your Majesty may wish to leave this task to the merchants."

"Merchant?"

Zhu Houzhao asked in disbelief: "How can this be?" With businessmen to ombudsman? Isn't that a joke, sir? ”

In Zhu Houzhao's heart, he still despises businessmen. After all, the Ming Dynasty is the Son of Heaven and the scholars who rule the world together, and there is nothing to do with businessmen.

"Your Majesty, businessmen are the ones who hate corrupt officials the most. Most of the money embezzled by corrupt officials came from merchants. Innocently taken money from the pockets of corrupt officials for no reason, these businessmen have long hated corrupt officials. It would be most appropriate to use a merchant to monitor officials. ”

Xie Shen's method is actually reversed. Merchants were wealthy, but lacked the means to protect themselves. In the eyes of corrupt officials, this is simply a fat sheep, and they are sorry for themselves if they don't slaughter them.

Ordinary ordinary people, how much money do you have for the small people? Even if the corrupt officials scrape the ground, they can't be greedy.

In fact, most of the income of corrupt officials comes from businessmen.

On the surface, businessmen are respectful to corrupt officials and even take the initiative to offer filial piety, but how many of them are willing to do so from the bottom of their hearts? Aren't they all forced to break their teeth and swallow them in their stomachs?

Those corrupt officials are insatiable people, this time they ask for 5,000 taels, next time it will be 10,000 taels, and there is no end to 20,000 taels.

The businessmen wish that the corrupt officials would die without a place to be buried, but they have no means of supervision and can only continue to be exploited by the corrupt officials.

If Zhu Houzhao had given Shang Jia the power to supervise local officials, the officials at the prefectural and county levels would certainly not be so blatantly corrupt.

This is actually considered from the perspective of human nature, and it is also the best way Xie Shen can think of to curb corruption at the moment.

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