Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 265 Looking up, it's like seeing the Big Dipper.

For the next two days, Pei Zhouxian stayed in the prefectural government office reviewing all the decrees issued since Yuan Fu entered the prefecture, as well as the relevant documents from the various departments under the prefecture.

He had been criticizing Yuanfu for being far inferior to his father in character and style, which was actually somewhat unfair. Yuanfu wasn't entirely without the father's traits; at least in the handling of official documents in the prefecture, he didn't show any serious problems, which shows that he had put a lot of thought into the management and processing of official documents.

If this is merely a perfunctory inspection, the investigation could be considered closed at this stage. Further investigation, regardless of whether any problems are uncovered, would at least cause significant disruption to normal state affairs.

The imperial inspectors did not have a deep understanding of the situation in various places. They would only continue to investigate after they found obvious oversights and flaws on the surface.

This was not a perfunctory or superficial visit, because these envoys were originally temporary assignments, and the Tang Dynasty alone had hundreds of prefectures and counties.

These prefectures and counties are different in region and in terms of local customs. The imperial court cannot possibly have a comprehensive grasp of all the changes in personnel and circumstances. As long as some deep-rooted problems have not caused too serious consequences, the central government is often completely unaware of them.

They can only supervise and manage the most superficial indicators. In other words, as long as the facade is done well, the prefectural governor is equivalent to a local emperor, able to do whatever he wants within his jurisdiction.

However, Pei Zhouxian came to the state with a clear mission, and with Zhang Dai as his henchman to guide him on which aspects were easiest to find problems, and of course, his own personal experience was also indispensable.

In short, no matter how thorough the official paperwork of the prefectural government is, there are definitely problems in Bianzhou. The current investigation is just to determine whether the problems are big or small.

Next, as the ceremonial procession arrived in Bianzhou, Pei Zhouxian once again expanded the scope of his supervision, no longer just burying himself in his documents.

His first step was to lead men to seal off and inspect all official granaries and warehouses within Bianzhou to see if the contents matched the records in the prefectural government's documents. Next, he set aside a courtyard within the prefectural government to house the relevant personnel for oversight; any prefectural or county officials who had reports or surrendered themselves could appeal there.

Finally, and most importantly, personnel were dispatched to visit villages and post notices at checkpoints, calling on the people to file lawsuits to report misconduct, dereliction of duty, and crimes of oppressing the people by local officials.

Using this last point basically means taking a hard and severe approach. Even if the crimes found in the end are not enough to bring Yuan Fu down, it will be very difficult for him to continue serving as the governor of Bianzhou, because his official authority has been greatly damaged, and it will be extremely difficult for him to govern the people again.

Pei Zhouxian's radical actions stemmed not only from his deep-seated prejudice against Yuanfu, but also from the fact that while the official documents in the prefecture were quite impressive, the actual situation within the prefecture was extremely dire.

If the state government becomes embroiled in a prolonged disciplinary turmoil, with everything brought to a standstill by personnel disputes, the situation will undoubtedly spiral further out of control. The people, driven to desperation, may become increasingly resentful and erupt into unrest, making the situation even more complex and dire.

The opening of channels for public litigation and reporting at present makes it easier to grasp the facts and evidence of violations and crimes committed by state and county officials. On the other hand, it also helps to properly guide public sentiment, allowing the pent-up resentment to be vented, thereby enabling people to engage in self-rescue in the disaster with a more positive attitude.

The disaster is an objective reality, and the people will inevitably suffer, lacking clothing and food. However, if a corrupt official is executed every day to show them, the people's sentiments will be greatly comforted.

If we can combine the punishment of corruption with proper relief arrangements, then even the most severe natural disasters cannot dampen people's desire for a better future.

With the opening of the reporting channel to the public, the most swift and enthusiastic responses came from the city's merchants and wealthy households.

The various heavy tax policies implemented by Yuan Fu in the state undoubtedly caused them the most harm. The once bustling city of Bianzhou became desolate, and all kinds of business plummeted. Commercial activities were severely impacted, and they had to pay taxes that were many times higher than usual. They also had to suffer from the extortion and bribery of the state officials, making their lives extremely miserable.

In particular, the state government recently demanded to inspect their assets and wealth, seemingly intending to implement a harsh policy of taxation, which has made these people even more suspicious and uncertain, leading them to flee the state and seek help everywhere.

Fortunately, the imperial court has finally dispatched high-ranking officials to investigate the state. Naturally, they will all rise up and confess to Yuan Fu's various atrocities in the state, hoping to set things right and restore order to Bianzhou!

As these wealthy households voiced their grievances, more and more problems surfaced. One particularly significant and serious issue was that the amounts they reported being levied did not match the state registers and treasury records, with discrepancies reaching several times the original amount.

Having received a warning from Zhang Dai beforehand, Pei Zhouxian was not surprised by this situation, and his attitude was simple: whoever had a problem would be investigated.

This is easier said than done. Those qualified to line their own pockets and profit from corruption are often the powerful figures within the state government. Their positions may not be prominent, but their authority is crucial, allowing them to engage in rampant embezzlement. Now that these individuals are all under investigation, the state affairs they were responsible for must naturally come to a halt. And these personnel are not just a single line of communication, but rather a network; the exposure of one person could cripple the entire network.

Therefore, even some of the accompanying officials advised Pei Zhou to proceed cautiously and not to act rashly, lest the situation collapse.

Faced with this kind of advice, Pei Zhouxian simply said coldly, "If all these things were truly beneficial, why would we need to enter the prefecture? As long as these big rats are not killed, the people's resentment will not cease. Man-made disaster has already occurred; it is too late even for a moment, let alone delay!"

Of course, this is an expression of moral stance. In reality, the fact that so many people were being investigated has indeed caused great chaos in the state. It has also made some uninformed people panicked, unsure whether the situation would improve or worsen.

However, Pei Zhouxian alleviated the chaotic and distressed situation with just one move. He sent his men to the areas surrounding Bianzhou, especially the various passes and forts, to spread the word that all the corrupt officials in Bianzhou who were good at extortion had been caught and were being investigated, that all the taxes levied at the Bianzhou markets had been abolished, and that a list of the prices of all goods in the Bianzhou markets had been copied and posted.

Although Yuan's return to the prefecture caused a period of economic downturn in the city, Bianzhou's geographical location as a major commercial metropolis in Henan remained unchanged. Numerous caravans of passengers and goods remained around the prefecture, but they hesitated to move forward due to fear of harsh policies and heavy taxes.

Upon hearing this news, the merchants were overjoyed. Some hesitated, while others, seeing the soaring prices due to the shortage of goods, were immediately tempted and rushed to Bianzhou with their goods.

Within just a few days, the once deserted market suddenly became bustling with activity. With a large influx of fresh goods, public sentiment was naturally calmed. The previously high prices quickly fell back due to the abundant supply of goods.

One of the most important functions of the government in ancient times was to collect taxes, especially in times and regions of peace.

More than half of the officials in the entire prefecture have been dismissed, which seems very serious. However, those investigated were basically officials who were previously active on the front lines of exploitation and heavy taxation. It was precisely because of the excessive activity of these people that the people's livelihood in the city was depressed.

While the temporary disruption caused by these individuals' arrests has subsided, the people's spirits have naturally calmed down as the situation improves. Even if their circumstances don't improve immediately, they are certainly not as bleak as before.

"These officials in Bianzhou are really greedy!"

Zhang Dai rode his horse along the main street of Bianzhou City, watching as cartloads of stolen goods, confiscated from the homes of various officials, were transported into the prefectural government. He couldn't help but sigh.

Xu Shen has also been assisting in the case recently. Although he does not have law enforcement power, he helps with some paperwork and also guides the raiding team.

Upon hearing Zhang Dai's lament, he sighed and said, "Prefect Pei is discerning and vigorous in punishing corruption. If it weren't for this thorough investigation, I wouldn't have known that so many corrupt officials were hiding in the prefecture!"

Chen Shicao's household had hundreds of servants, all of whom were government slaves whom he had taken in and hid in his estate outside the city to work. Behind the estate was a cellar where he left his servants, whether old or sick, to die on their own. When he went to investigate, he found more than a hundred corpses in the cellar, which was truly shocking!
His daughter was supposed to marry into the Zheng family of Xingyang this year, and they had already spent millions on her dowry and jewelry! That...that must be the Chen family's daughter..."

Zhang Dai looked in the direction of the sound and saw a haggard young girl in a white dress in the procession of prisoners. She was quite pretty, but the tragedy of her family had taken its toll on her, which was a real pity...

It's not a pity. As Xu Shen said, if this woman marries into the Zheng family of Xingyang this year with a generous dowry, she will have successfully gone ashore and will be impossible to trace back to. She will have transformed from a family member of a criminal official with a long list of crimes into a prominent lady.

But now remarrying into a prestigious family is out of the question. If she wants to see him again in the future, she'll probably have to go to Pingkangfang or Xintan Ship Market to work in the entertainment industry. This is truly a case of "the swallows that once graced the halls of the wealthy and powerful now flying into the homes of ordinary people."

Putting aside his slightly wicked sense of humor, Zhang Dai rode into the prefectural government office and met Wang Changling and others who had been detained for many days in a separate hall. He said somewhat apologetically, "I've been busy with many matters and only now have I had some free time. Do Wang Da and the others resent my lateness?"

"Having known each other for a long time, we know that Liu Lang would never abandon us. However, there is a good friend here who is eager to see Liu Lang."

Wang Changling and the others rose to greet them. At the same time, a tall, unfamiliar man approached, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, “My name is Gao Shi. I am the one who has been eager to see the Sixth Brother, Wang Da Kou. You can call me the Sixth Brother, I am thirty-five years old! Your reputation for benevolence and righteousness is well-known. Now that you are here before me, I look up at you as if I were seeing the Big Dipper!”

(End of this chapter)