Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 400: What is the crime of the border soldiers?
The next day, Zhang Dai got up very early, had a simple breakfast at home, and then went straight to the capital.

Before heading to the Ministry of Personnel, he took a stroll back to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Although he was still on leave, he was already in the capital, and it wouldn't be right for him to emulate Yu the Great, passing by his home without entering.

During various ceremonies, the personnel of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were an indispensable part, but in ordinary times, there were basically no major events. In particular, Zhang Dai, as the Assistant Musician, had even less to do in terms of his responsibilities.

Of course, Ma Xielu, who worked in the same department, was still being used by various departments and was extremely busy, so he didn't even have time to stop and say a few words to Zhang Dai. But to be honest, despite being so busy, he was actually just busy doing nothing, without any real focus.

Ma Xielu took office earlier than Zhang Dai. After this year's examination, he completed his term and left office, becoming a former senior official and entering the official's term of service. Therefore, the results of this year's examination directly affect the length of his term of service and the rank of the official he will hold next.

At present, the one who can determine his future career is the head of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. After the departure of the Minister of Imperial Sacrifices, Cui Rizhi, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices did not appoint a new Minister, but instead appointed two Vice Ministers, Wei Tao and Xue Tao, to manage its affairs. Ma Xielu's evaluation needs to be determined by these two officials and submitted for supervision and verification.

Another one is Zhang Dai, who can influence Ma Xielu's grandfather and ultimately determine his exam results.

But now, this Ma Xielu neither knows how to flatter his superiors nor how to befriend Zhang Dai. Instead, he is being bossed around by his colleagues in various departments. Even if his colleagues unanimously say that he is a good person, whether someone is popular or not is ultimately not a formal political evaluation.

Others might just be saying it, but Zhang Dai genuinely felt that Ma Lizheng was truly excellent.

Because of this diligent colleague, Zhang Dai's work was much easier, so he wanted to help Ma Xielu out, at least to get him a decent score in the exam, so that he would have a better chance in the selection of officials later.

He inspected the office and figured that the officials of the various departments of the Ministry of Personnel should have returned to their respective offices, so he left the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and headed to the Ministry of Personnel.

Zhang Shuo currently serves as the Left Chancellor of the Ministry of Personnel and also as the Assessment Commissioner, so he has been using the capital province as his office recently. Zhang Dai came here and brought him some clean clothes.

"Your recent poems and lyrics in Qujiang are all quite good. Colleagues from the southern provinces have been coming to inquire about gatherings for days. After the examinations are over, we will hold a grand banquet for relatives and friends when you return home."

Zhang said he hadn't been home for days, but he was still in good spirits. When he saw Zhang Dai being led into the capital hall, he immediately smiled and said something.

“My grandfather is diligent in his work and is a rare example, but while he is busy with national affairs, he should also take care of his health.”

Seeing that Zhang Shuo's desk was piled high with documents early in the morning, a volume of official documents that was more than he had handled in the Taichang Temple in half a year, Zhang Dai was struck by the difference in the importance of different departments and was also a little worried about his grandfather's health.

"I am not a young man just starting out in officialdom; I know how to conduct myself properly."

Upon hearing this, Zhang said with a smile that for these political figures who once held power, power was the best medicine for curing diseases and prolonging life. Only when they were completely idle and had nothing to do would their bodies break down quickly.

Seeing that Zhang Shuo was busy with many cases, Zhang Dai did not disturb him further and then asked if he could learn about some recent matters concerning the Ministry of Personnel. Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo did not say much, but simply wrote a note and told him to take it to Wei Xuxin, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Although the heads of the Ministry of Personnel were the Left and Right Vice Ministers, which are equivalent to the current Left and Right Chancellors, the Vice Ministers were often just honorary positions. The real officials in charge of the provincial examinations were the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel.

When the public office still had its capital, it was usually supervised by the Ministry of Revenue, which was under the Ministry of Justice, while the Ministry of Revenue was responsible for the management of the expenditures. Now, the investigation into some financial matters from several years ago must have been initiated by the relevant departments of the Ministry of Personnel, which is why Zhang Dai came here to inquire.

Because Zhang Shuo reorganized the Council of State Affairs in his early years, establishing five offices under the Secretariat-Chancellery to directly connect with the Six Ministries, the powers of the Ministry of Personnel were greatly reduced. When Zhang Dai arrived at the Ministry of Personnel's office, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Wei Xuxin, was idly flipping through a collection of contemporary essays.

"Zongzhi is indeed a handsome and dashing young man. What brings you here?"

When Wei Xuxin saw Zhang Dai coming to visit, he immediately put down the book in his hand and greeted him with a smile.

He wasn't flattering him; rather, he was being sarcastic, because his nephew was Cui Zongzhi, the handsome son of Duke Cui Riyong of Qi.

"There is indeed a matter I wish to inquire about with Vice Minister Wei, concerning the recent investigation by the Ministry of Personnel into the remaining accounts of public funds..."

Zhang Dai first handed over his grandfather's note, and only after Wei Xuxin finished reading it did he explain his purpose.

He concurrently served as Left Remonstrator of the Secretariat, which was an official responsible for remonstrating with the government. He had a certain right to remonstrate with the government regarding the decisions and implementation of policies. He could directly inquire about the implementation of certain matters in the Ministry of Personnel, and then make comments and remonstrances after understanding the situation.

But rules are rules, and what truly forms an organization are individuals. As a mere eighth-rank official, it was virtually impossible for him to directly contact the higher-ups in the Ministry of Personnel to understand the situation. Therefore, he had to invoke his grandfather's influence; otherwise, Wei Xuxin probably wouldn't bother with him. Wei Xuxin had only recently entered the capital as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel from his position as the Chief Clerk of Lu Prefecture, and was not yet very familiar with the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. After reading Zhang Shuo's note, he summoned his direct subordinate and ordered him to collect and organize the relevant documents from the recent days and present them to him.

The subordinate was quite efficient; in just a quarter of an hour, he presented several scrolls of documents.

After browsing through the documents at his desk, Wei Xuxin nodded to Zhang Dai and said, "There is such a matter. Zhang Jingyu, the Left Assistant Secretary, and Wei Heng, the Assistant Secretary, jointly submitted a memorial stating that during the fifth, sixth, and seventh years of the Kaiyuan era, the various departments of the Ministry of Personnel had more than 7,000 strings of cash in principal and interest that should have been collected from the government offices, but no official document has been issued. This is a case of debt that should have been collected but has not been received, and a thorough investigation is warranted."

"The funds of various government offices have been suspended for several years now. The past returns and distributions have not been used for any purpose. According to the old regulations, we should appeal to the relevant authorities. If the source cannot be traced, then we should punish them. Why don't the provincial and central governments appeal to the Secretariat and the Chancellery, but instead pursue trivial matters?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai immediately frowned and said, "The other day, while I was walking through the neighborhood, I saw a group of people crying out for justice but having nowhere to turn. When I went in to ask what had happened, I learned that they were all families of soldiers who had been conscripted to the frontier. Their servants had been sent to the border, and they received half of their allowance as a reward. The remainder was paid annually with interest from the government's principal. Several years have passed, and the government suddenly started questioning them. These people were caught completely off guard..."

"Was this money used for the Long March troops?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Jiansu's expression turned serious. Before entering the court, he had served in various local positions for many years, including several years in Longyou and Hexi. He was quite concerned about matters related to conscription for border defense.

Therefore, after listening to Zhang Dai's explanation, he immediately stood up and said to Zhang Dai, "Zongzhi, please wait a moment while I summon the relevant people and ask them in detail before giving you an answer."

Knowing that Wei Xuxin wanted to summon someone to inquire about internal affairs of the Ministry of Personnel, Zhang Dai naturally felt it inconvenient for him to be present and listen in. So he stood up, excused himself, and went to another side room to sit and wait.

Soon, several officials from the Ministry of Personnel were summoned to the main hall of the Ministry of Personnel. More than half an hour passed before the summoned officials came out one after another, including Wei Heng, who served as the Left Assistant Secretary.

After leaving the main hall, Wei Heng did not leave directly. Instead, he looked at Zhang Dai's room for a long time, his eyes filled with vigilance and contemplation, which was generally unfriendly.

When Zhang Dai was summoned back to the main hall, Wei Xuxin's expression became much more solemn and serious than before.

“Zongzhi, you are a young and talented man, and you are deeply favored by the Emperor and given a high-ranking position. Most of your wise advice is accepted. Although I have been living on the frontier for a long time, I have heard a lot about your talent and deeds.”

Wei Xuxin waited until Zhang Dai had entered the hall and taken his seat before speaking again.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai's heart sank. If he started by praising himself, what he was about to say would likely be less pleasant.

Sure enough, Wei Xuxin then spoke up again: "Some things may not conform to the rules, but they are necessary due to the circumstances..."

"Does Vice Minister Wei mean that the Provincial Government's entrustment of the Imperial Guard to arrest those border people who are extorting old debts is an emergency measure? Then what is the urgency of this measure?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai frowned immediately. First, he flattered him, then he suggested expediency, clearly trying to settle the matter peacefully and persuade him not to pursue it any further.

"Although the government capital was abolished in the tenth year of the Kaiyuan era, and a separate tax was levied on the people of the empire to fund official salaries and food expenses, since the fourteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, Henan and Hebei have suffered repeated disasters. Although the disaster situation has eased, people's livelihoods remain fragile. Most of the tax revenue is retained in the prefectures for relief, in order to improve people's lives. In addition, there are affairs on the borders, and military supplies have increased dramatically..."

As Wei Xuxin finished speaking, his face was filled with worry, and he sighed, "Although the Finance Department has a budget plan, the national treasury is still suffering from daily deficits. I just inquired with my subordinates and learned that the provincial department has been in arrears with salaries for a quarter. This year's budget is not yet finalized, and the payment will have to wait until autumn. If there is no emergency, the officials of the provincial department may go hungry!"

Zhang Dai didn't have a deep understanding of finance. Although he knew the finances were in dire straits, he hadn't expected that even the officials in the Ministry of Personnel were owed a quarter's salary. It seemed that this was why the Ministry of Finance was resorting to all sorts of methods to generate revenue in order to get some subsidies.

“It is understandable that poverty leads to change. However, the families of those soldiers on the Long March had no stable livelihood and relied solely on tenant farming for a living. Their lives were impoverished, and even if they were tortured and forced to pay, it would only be a waste of money to abuse the soldiers!”

Zhang Dai quickly spoke up again, but then his thoughts suddenly shifted, and he continued, "Does the provincial governor intend to use this to intimidate the masses and embezzle the border people's rations?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Xuxin's expression became somewhat unnatural, and he sighed, "Officials in the capital receive meager salaries and often have to borrow money to make ends meet. If we don't show them compassion, I'm afraid they'll lose all interest in their duties and their official duties will be neglected!"

"What about those soldiers? They use their bodies as shields to defend the country and guard the borders, only to return home once every few years. And now they have to feed the court officials with their blood and tears. What crimes have they committed?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai immediately glared at him and demanded an answer.

(End of this chapter)