Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 475 Establishing Prestige
According to Huang Fei's experience in the first half of his life, if the liquidation of Huaidong could be implemented smoothly, it would be a hundred benefits and no harm to the court's control over the area. If any trouble occurred during the implementation process, he, as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, would have to step forward and take responsibility.

This was understandable. Although he made some compromises to protect himself, he was only looking for a win-win solution based on completing the emperor's order, but he never thought of ruining His Majesty's plan.

As for whether we can withstand the retaliation from certain people afterwards, we can only leave it to fate.

But to his surprise, His Majesty had no intention of using them to take responsibility. The request from Yingtian had just arrived in Gaoyou when this imperial edict came.

On the surface, this decree has nothing to do with the liquidation of Huaidong, let alone Huang Fei and the other two. However, all those who can get involved in this matter are well-informed and powerful. Who can't see the strong warning behind it?
It is not difficult to imagine what happened next. Fast horses crossed the river from Yingtian and brought back the messengers one by one. At this time, the Ming army's liquidation of the Huaidong area was completely unhindered. Clerks like Liu Shirong quietly took control of various prefectures and counties under the cover of this turmoil.

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"Wu Zhaomo, why are you here too?"

"I dare not refuse to come when the Lord of the Palace summons me."

At the gate of the prefectural government office in Gaoyou, an old man in plain clothes bowed from a distance when he saw Wu Zhaomo coming.

The old man's surname was Zhou, and he was the head of the household department in the government office. Wu Zhaomo was an official in the government office who was in charge of reviewing, organizing and filing documents.

In terms of official position, Zhou Zhushi, a clerk, naturally cannot be compared with Wu Zhaomo, who is of the ninth rank. But in terms of power and responsibilities, this household is in charge of Gaoyou's household registration, finance, land, taxes, salt affairs and other economic affairs. Wu Zhaomo, who only deals with clerical work all day long, is much inferior.

But then again, Wu Zhaomo, who was a ninth-rank official, finally had the title of Juren. Even though he was not as good as the Jinshi who had gone through the test of time, his status was much higher than that of the Zhou surnamed official.

Therefore, Zhou Zhushi, who had higher authority and responsibility, performed the ceremony promptly and diligently, and Wu Zhaomo also felt at ease accepting the ceremony.

These two people were important figures in the government office, so the yamen runners at the door would not stop them. Then the two of them entered the gate one after the other, and started chatting when they went to the inner courtyard.

"Teruma, what is the purpose of the prefect calling us here?"

"I don't know. The person who came just said that he wanted to drink with his colleagues."

As soon as he heard the word "Fu Zun", the corner of Wu Zhaomo's mouth curled up slightly. Then he just replied lightly and continued to walk inside. It was obvious that he had no interest in drinking together.

To be honest, his life was saved that day because of Liu Shirong's words, and he was very grateful to him.

But during this period of time, the other party was checking accounts and clearing out inventory, which caused unrest in the entire government office, and the gratitude gradually faded.

He could see clearly that the magistrate had earned 100,000 silver coins in three years, and Gaoyou relied on the canal's circulation in the west and the lucrative salt fields in the east. The man surnamed Liu must have spent a lot of money to get this lucrative job, and he went through so much trouble just to get his money back as soon as possible.

But then again, the imperial court has its own system, the government has its own rules, and the money didn't fall into the hands of any one person. What could he get out of this? Could he find a way to get more?
Thinking of this, Wu Zhaomo's dissatisfaction with this Mr. Liu became even stronger, but because of the gleaming knife he did not dare to say much. Then the two of them fell into silence and walked to the back yard.

At this time, several people had already arrived and there were not many empty seats in the hall. After some greetings, everyone rearranged their seats according to their status and then started chatting casually.

This conversation was quite particular. The one who had a good chat with Wu Zhaomo was the only remaining ninth-rank official in Gaoyou, while the ones who had something to do with Zhou Zhushi were the heads of various departments in the yamen.

In short, a large group of people were divided into two groups, and the main focus was on the following: snakes have their own paths and rats have their own paths.

This is the reality in the yamen.

Those who had achieved honors looked down on the clerks, while the clerks who held real power in the yamen looked down on the officials. However, this clear-cut situation did not last long. In less than half an incense stick of time, Liu Shirong had walked out.

It has to be said that one feels cheerful when good things happen to him. Although he is still of no rank and has not even had a good night's sleep in recent days, the pleasure of holding power over a state continues to stimulate his nerves. Even though he looks a little haggard compared to when he first arrived, his spirits are still high.

Needless to say, after Liu Shirong sat down in the main seat, he started talking directly.

"I invited you all here this time, firstly, to talk about the friendship between colleagues, and secondly, I have some questions that I need to consult you."

"Please ask your Excellency, we will tell you everything you know."

In response to Liu Shirong's questions, all the officials present showed an attitude of fully cooperating.

Seeing this, he nodded with satisfaction, then took out an account book and started flipping through it.

"The head of the barracks."

"The humble position is here!"

"According to the account books, the government office should have a total of 154 people in the Zhuangban, Kuaiban, and Zaoban. Why is there only 42 people now?"

After asking this question, Liu Shirong smiled and looked at the head of the military room standing in the hall. The man bowed and said confidently: "Reporting to the governor, in the 17th year of Chongzhen, I did have 154 guards in the third shift, but after the Tartars attacked, everyone fled and scattered, and finally only this number of people were left."

"Well, that makes sense, but I noticed that there are still 154 people on your list of pledges from the first half of the year. I don't know why that is?"

The head of the military station was stunned for a moment when he heard the words, as if he had never thought that the official would investigate so thoroughly. However, he had been working in the government office for a long time, and after a moment he replied with a normal expression.

"Reporting to the governor, after the Tartars occupied Gaoyou, they first ordered us to fill in the three shifts of yamen runners. Later, when they built a fort on the river, they transferred 112 of them there, so there weren't that many runners in the yamen anymore."

"Oh, I see. Why didn't you explain it earlier?"

Faced with Liu Shirong's questioning, the head of the barracks, who had been quite calm the moment before, immediately stopped talking. Then he bowed to the ground and admitted his guilt, seeming to be very frightened.

Seeing the other party's behavior, Liu Shirong did not pursue the blame for concealing the truth. After the other party knocked on the ground a few times, he raised his hand lightly and comforted him.

"Don't think that the Ming Dynasty doesn't care about the Tartars. All land under heaven belongs to the king, and all people are his subjects. The court just didn't investigate and the Tartars took advantage of it. Now we have recovered the lost territory and we will find out everything that happened in the past year." Liu Shirong paused, then he glanced around the hall and continued, "But the things committed by the Tartars cannot be blamed on you. If there are any questions in the future, just answer truthfully." "Yes! Your Excellency."

Now that Liu Shirong had expressed his stance, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. Then the head of the barracks retreated, sweating profusely, and his eyes fell on the head of the workshop.

"The accounts of the workshop are quite detailed, but there are no forts built by the Tartars around Gaoyou. Why are all the materials in the warehouse labeled as for building a fort?"

"Reporting to the Lord, this was all arranged by the previous Lord. I was really unaware of this."

The person in charge of the workshop seemed to be much less courageous than the one in the barracks. After Liu Shirong asked this question, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

Faced with such a situation, although Wu Zhaomo looked indifferent, the other leaders all looked as if they wanted to say something but hesitated, obviously feeling that it was extremely inappropriate to pursue the affairs of their predecessor.

Of course, Liu Shirong did not intend to pursue the matter further. He waved his hand at the other party, and the inquiry about the workshop came to an end.

Things had come to this point, and everyone could see that the new Lord of the Palace had set up a Hongmen Banquet, and everyone was naturally on high alert.

In the subsequent questioning, the people in charge either pushed the responsibility onto their predecessors and the Tartars, or found appropriate reasons to cover up the matter. In the end, Liu Shirong asked three or two questions in each room, but still could not find any flaws.

Seeing this, Wu Zhaomo couldn't help but mutter to himself.

There is nothing wrong with what the new Lord of the Mansion did. After all, if he wants to share the money, he has to control the way these people make money. Otherwise, how can he appease his confused superiors?

But this approach is too reckless.

Firstly, he shouldn't have gathered so many people together, and secondly, he shouldn't have started trouble so quickly.

The reason for not gathering together is not difficult to understand. In addition to the income that is tacitly approved by the higher-ups, there are many other things in the government office that cannot be disclosed. He gathered everyone together so blatantly that even if there were timid people who wanted to offer tributes, it would be difficult for them to reveal themselves in front of so many people.

As for why we shouldn't start trouble so quickly
It is said that only by knowing both yourself and your enemy can you fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.

Not only have these clerks spent most of their lives in the government offices, but their ancestors and ancestors have also been doing the same job. With their family background, these people have many ways of making money, and these officials would not be able to grasp them all without spending enough energy.

Moreover, these clerks are not ignorant. As long as they can get a position, they will naturally give a share of what they have extorted to the front. However, the new governor was in a hurry to check the accounts as soon as he arrived, and did not give the clerks a chance to express their feelings. What else could he be but anxious?
While Wu Zhaomo was thinking, one by one the officials passed on the news of Liu Shirong. Just when he thought that the new governor would return empty-handed, a wave of inquiries suddenly reached his ears.

"Wu Zhaomo, you are in charge of all the documents and records in Gaoyou. Have any of them been lost or omitted?"

When Wu Zhaomo saw that the other party was asking him, he was stunned for a moment.

Although his position can be called an official, his rank is only ninth grade, and his power is almost non-existent. The new governor obviously wants to squeeze money from the clerks, but I don't know why he asked him this.

His thoughts did not delay his actions. As soon as he finished speaking, he had already walked to the middle of the back hall.

"Reporting to the Lord, no."

"It's good that it never happened."

After a chuckle, Liu Shirong opened the account book in front of him again. After looking at it for three or five breaths, he called out the person in charge of the workshop.

"You purchased 350 pieces of wood on February 16 this year, and all the money you spent was paid by the household department, is that correct?"

"Reporting to the Lord, I have forgotten the exact amount spent, but the money was indeed withdrawn from the household department."

"Well, your entry, exit, payment, and write-off are all well documented, but why can't I see the relevant official documents?"

"Your Excellency! This is unfair! The purchase of timber was arranged by the Tartar commander himself. We do not have any relevant documents!"

Upon hearing the words, the workshop manager immediately started to explain, but Liu Shirong had changed his attitude at this time, and started to refute after he finished giving his reasons.

"Humph! Unjust? Even if it was really arranged by the Tartars, there would have been official correspondence between the various government offices afterwards. Now there is not even a trace of it in Zhaomo. Do you really think that I have been a clerk for more than 20 years in vain?! Come! Drag this guy away and torture him. I want to see why his original team of Ming Dynasty staff changed the rules in just one year!"

Damn!
As the word "clerk" was heard, the workshop manager's heart sank immediately.

Earlier they all thought that the new governor was just an official who passed the imperial examination, and they didn't think he could find any mistakes. But now they know that he is also a clerk who is familiar with the methods of the government. As long as they find clues, there is no possibility that they can't find any problems.

After all, as long as you want to check, there is no false account in this world that cannot be found!

As the thought came to his mind, all the strength in the workshop manager's body seemed to be drained away, and he slowly collapsed to the ground. If the soldiers had not come to drag him away, he would have fallen into the hall.

Seeing the situation come to this point, everyone present broke out in a cold sweat. His methods could probably be used to deceive the newly arrived official, but the new governor was a serious clerk, and his experience was probably richer than that of everyone present. Once he found out the clue, how could he hide it?

But how is this possible? How can a clerk be in charge of a state?
As the screams of the workshop manager continued to be heard, everyone in the hall had this question in their minds.

Perhaps Liu Shirong wanted to clear up the confusion for his subordinates, so after closing the account book, he put a smile on his face.

"I worked in the Yingtian Prefecture Yamen before, and was later transferred to the Ministry of Rites. Although I don't know why His Majesty sent me here this time, I think it was to stabilize the place as soon as possible." He paused for a moment, and then glanced around the hall before saying, "To be honest, I have no intention of making things difficult for you, but we also know the situation in the Yamen. It will be hard to hear the truth if we don't catch the flaw, right?"

Liu Shirong's tone was extremely kind, but the meaning in his words made people feel cold. At this point, he knew that these people should understand the seriousness of the matter. He then asked the head of the barracks in a low voice, "Barracks, do you want to talk about the third shift of yamen runners?"

(End of this chapter)