Qing Yao

Chapter 196 Finally, he looked like an official.
The duties of the Imperial Censor are extensive, encompassing responsibilities similar to those of the Inspectorate, the Office of Political Ethics, the ICAC, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Clean Governance Committee, and the Independent Commission Against Corruption in Zhao An's previous life.

At the same time, the Imperial Censor in charge of transporting grain had some power to mobilize troops.

Because the predecessors of the three positions of Imperial Censor of Grain Transport, Imperial Censor of Salt Transport, and Imperial Censor of Agriculture were the Imperial Inspectors of the Ming Dynasty.

The fact that the Imperial Censor could tour the country on behalf of the Emperor shows his high rank; the fact that he could report major matters to the Emperor for decision and make quick decisions on minor matters shows his great power; the fact that he could speak frankly and without fear about the gains and losses of the government and the benefits and harms of the military and the people shows his broad responsibilities; the fact that Imperial Censors were punished three degrees for their crimes shows his strict accountability.

Therefore, the governor granted "military power" to Lord Zhao.

Of course, the governor's purpose was certainly not to hope that Lord Zhao would send troops to suppress the canal gang and escalate the situation, but only to hope that Lord Zhao could take targeted action against some canal gang thugs during his actual inspections, so as to make an example of them.

If the canal transport authorities make a slight concession, the canal shutdown issue can be resolved satisfactorily.

This has always been the government's usual way of dealing with incidents involving too many people; even if it doesn't deal with them beforehand, it will still hold them accountable afterward.

Furthermore, Fu, the governor of Jiangsu, was also dissatisfied with the canal transport authorities and could not stand to see the canal workers dare to organize and resist the government.

Therefore, it was indicated to Lord Zhao that they could strike hard against the ringleaders.

Why doesn't the governor do it himself?

To put it bluntly, he didn't want to get the trouble out of his own hands. If he really got involved, the anger of the canal workers might shift from the canal transport office to him, the governor of Jiangsu.

Lord Zhao's identity is quite intriguing. Neither academic officials nor censors are under local jurisdiction, making him the most suitable person to take the lead in cracking down on these issues.

Zhao An also attaches great importance to the word "strike," but who to strike may be different from the governor's idea.

The madmen of the Grand Canal gang must be cracked down on, but who to crack down on and who not to crack down on requires careful consideration.

Therefore, Zhao An was very grateful for the governor's support of his work. He planned to take this opportunity to "reorganize" the Yangzhou branch of the Canal Gang from top to bottom, so as to achieve his absolute control over the Yangzhou branch of the Canal Gang.

In other words, it's called cleaning.

Cleanse Zhang Baofa's remaining influence and establish Zhao Shaojun's absolute prestige in the branch.

On the third day, staff from the Censorate of the capital arrived in Yangzhou. This time, Prefect Fang Weidian accompanied the Censorate staff to the Prefectural School to complete the onboarding procedures for Commissioner Zhao.

Lord Fang had to step in, because the position of Inspector of the Grand Canal was very prestigious and held great power.

Combining Zhao Youlu's previous position as a temporary appointed education commissioner and his status as a bondservant, Lord Fang came to the conclusion that this Zhao Youlu was going to "fly away".

He has great potential for a career in government.

When the governor was leaving, Fang went to see him off. Before he got into the carriage, the governor said to him, "Your Yangzhou has produced two good officials. One is Ganquan County, which has brought benefits to the people, and the other is Zhao, the committee member of your prefectural school. You, as the prefect, should cultivate them well."

According to the governor, he will definitely recommend these two people to the court next year. This means that Lord Fang must re-evaluate the two and adjust his mindset. Therefore, he decided to personally accompany the people from the capital to the prefectural school to complete the onboarding procedures for Commissioner Zhao.

This was to show that he, as the prefect, valued the young commissioner Zhao, and also because the visit came from the Censorate, an agency specifically tasked with "keeping an eye on" officials.

The officials from the Censorate who came to Yangzhou to announce the appointments made by the imperial court were of a very high rank. They were not ordinary staff members such as scribes and clerks from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites, but Gao Deyin, the head of the Personnel Office, who held a sixth-rank official position.

Gao, the chief clerk, was highly educated. He was a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the 48th year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign. After completing his internship, he was directly assigned to work in the Censorate.

They are truly a breath of fresh air.

The Personnel Office, where they worked, was a core department of the Censorate. It controlled the personnel files of censors and staff members of the Censorate. If they performed well in the performance evaluation after their term, they had a very high probability of being promoted to the rank of Left or Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, a fourth-rank official. Even if they were not promoted and sent to other places, they would start as a prefect, a fifth-rank official, or be transferred to one of the Six Ministries as a secretary. After about ten years of hard work, they could usually become important officials.

It was a highly desirable position for Han Dynasty officials, second only to the Hanlin Academy in terms of promotion opportunities.

Besides processing the onboarding procedures for the newly appointed Imperial Censor Zhao Youlu, Chief Clerk Gao's visit to Yangzhou on behalf of the Censorate was also to "inspect" Zhao Youlu as a person.

It was the intention of Lord Ji Yun, the Left Censor-in-Chief.

The Left Censor-in-Chief was a high-ranking official in the Censorate. The Manchu Left Censor-in-Chief was Shu Chang, who had served as Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi and Governor-General of Huguang. He and Ama Shuhede were listed in the Ziguang Pavilion as the top fifty meritorious officials in the pacification of Jinchuan.

Like the Six Ministries, the officials in charge of the court were all of high rank, with Manchus being the most respected and Han Chinese the next in rank.

Lord Ji was very interested in the story of Zhao Youlu from Yangzhou. In addition, Heshen’s tireless efforts to cultivate Zhao Youlu made Lord Ji even more curious about him.

Originally, the two parties had not completed their work, but the old master suddenly ordered the Censorate to grant Zhao Youlu a part-time position as the Inspector of the Grand Canal, which made Lord Ji Zhao Youlu's direct superior.

As his direct superior, Lord Ji naturally had to pay extra attention to this subordinate who was quite popular with the old master.

Otherwise, this kid would have used up all his flattery.

Zhao An had previously asked Mr. Lü, who served the governor, what level of reception to give to the staff of the Censorate. Mr. Lü gave a very important suggestion: one level higher.

This "one level higher" means giving one level higher than the regular red envelope. Zhao An listened to this suggestion, but it wasn't one level higher, but three levels higher.

They gave this Master Gao a red envelope containing a full thousand taels of silver.

The two attendants who came with him were each given 150 taels of silver, and the four guards were each given 80 taels of silver.

This money wasn't paid by Zhao An personally; it came from the prefectural school's public account and was the kind of legal gift money that could be officially reimbursed.

The term "pure stream" simply refers to the high-ranking and influential figures working in the supervisory departments, who have significant say in matters of state. However, it does not mean that those in the "pure stream" do not accept bribes.

Officials in the capital were never as wealthy as local officials, and those in the "pure stream" (a term referring to officials in the central government who were not wealthy) had an even harder time.

People like Gao Deyin, who passed the imperial examination and were assigned to work in the Censorate, actually had very low incomes. They also had to eat and socialize with colleagues, fellow graduates, and fellow townsmen, and attend various poetry and literature gatherings to expand their network. Their "social" expenses alone amounted to two or three hundred taels of silver per year.

However, Master Gao's actual salary was only sixty taels a year, and his allowance for maintaining integrity was only eight hundred taels. In addition, he had to send money back to his hometown from time to time to support his parents, cover his own living expenses, and entertain poor relatives who came to the capital to freeload from time to time. At the end of the year, he basically had no money left in his pocket and even had to borrow money to celebrate the New Year.

Therefore, upright officials were also frequent customers of pawnshops and money shops in the capital, and the "banks" were willing to do business with them.

Last year, a landlord in my hometown encountered some trouble and asked Magistrate Gao for help. Magistrate Gao then wrote a letter to the county magistrate. Upon receiving Magistrate Gao's letter, the county magistrate naturally gave this upright official face and immediately stepped in to resolve the landlord's problem.

For this, Gao, the steward, received 150 taels of silver from the landlord. He was so happy that he secretly changed into plain clothes that very night and spent the night having fun in Qianmen Hutong.

In fact, the trouble that the landlord encountered could also be handled by the local scholars who had passed the imperial examinations, but the cost would be far higher than that of the scholars who had passed the metropolitan examinations. This was because the scholars had to smile and fawn over the powerful figures in the county, and they had to go through the formalities of entertaining guests and meals. The whole process would cost at least several hundred taels of silver.

However, for a high-ranking official like Gao Deyin, who had passed the imperial examination, a single letter was enough to resolve the matter.

Since the goods were of good quality and inexpensive, the landlord naturally asked him for help.

This fully demonstrates that local officials have a sense of "awe" towards officials in the capital, because no one knows when an official in the capital might become their superior, or rise rapidly in the imperial court and become someone who can influence the fate of local officials.

This was also reflected in Prefect Fang of Yangzhou. Although he was several ranks higher than the other party, Prefect Fang was particularly polite to Magistrate Gao, addressing him as "Master Gao" repeatedly, as if afraid of slighting this upright official working in the Censorate.

As usual, Manager Gao accepted the red envelope from Zhao An without looking at it immediately. He simply had one of the staff members who came with him process Zhao An's official paperwork, then excused himself to go to the outhouse. Once inside, he quickly opened the red envelope and discovered a thousand-tael silver note inside. How can one describe Manager Gao's reaction?

Excited heart, trembling hands.

This thousand taels was like a timely rain, solving the major problem that Master Gao was facing at the end of the year.

When he returned to Zhao An's office, although he still looked stern and proper, his eyes were undoubtedly much gentler and kinder.

After receiving his official credentials as the Imperial Inspector of the Grand Canal, Zhao An casually asked a staff member where the Imperial Inspector's office was located in Huai'an.

He was told that he did not have an office.

It wasn't that his position as the Imperial Inspector of the Grand Canal was temporary; rather, it wasn't.

To be precise, it existed forty-five years ago, but it doesn't exist now.

There used to be a dedicated Imperial Censor in charge of the grain transport in the Jianghuai region. However, after the tenth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, it was stipulated that the Censorate would no longer send special commissioners to Huai'an. Therefore, the Imperial Censor in charge of the grain transport in Huai'an became a concurrent title of the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and the River Conservancy Commissioner.

In other words, for a full forty-five years before Zhao An, Huai'an had no imperial censor in charge of transporting grain, and therefore, no dedicated censor's office.

There were no dedicated guards or subordinate officials.

Like the supervisors, Zhao An was still a lone commander.

This made Zhao An somewhat frustrated, but he dared not show it on his face. After completing the formalities, he invited the prefect and Chief Clerk Gao to a casual meal.

There was plenty of meat and fish, of course. After the meal, we were supposed to arrange for Manager Gao to receive business hospitality. After all, Yangzhou's "slender horses" (a euphemism for prostitutes) are famous throughout the world. It would be inconsiderate of Manager Gao to come all this way and not make arrangements for him.

Zhao An himself doesn't frequent brothels, but he likes to invite others to do so.

Unfortunately, brothels are currently a good way for officials to build relationships.

Even though the old master repeatedly stipulated that officials were not allowed to enter such places, there are always ways to circumvent the rules. The old master only said that officials were not allowed to enter brothels, but he did not say that they could not bring girls out.

Yangzhou has many top-tier venues that are not open to the general public; those who frequent them are either extremely wealthy or powerful.

If there's no sign, then it's not considered prostitution.

Unexpectedly, the prefect also had relevant arrangements. Zhao An certainly couldn't argue with the prefect. Before he could even sit down at the prefectural school, Vice Principal Ma rushed over, saying that a large group of soldiers had arrived outside the school, and the captain in charge specifically requested to see the principal.

"A soldier?"

Zhao An was puzzled. He hadn't mobilized any troops, so where did these troops come from?

Puzzled, he arrived at the school gate and learned that the soldiers were sent by the government office to escort Lord Zhao on his investigation in Huai'an.

It was a "surprise" that the governor specially arranged for Lord Zhao before he left, because the governor knew that the inspector of grain transport was just a figurehead, so he thoughtfully presented Lord Zhao with a set of ceremonial regalia.

The captain leading the team was named Hou Feng, a name that sounds very auspicious. The reverse of the name means "to be enfeoff as a marquis," suggesting that his parents had high hopes for him when he was born.

But he probably won't be able to be ennobled, since he's only in his thirties and has only managed to become a seventh-rank officer.

He sounds like a seventh-rank official, but he actually only commands three or four hundred soldiers. Judging from this, he should be at the battalion commander level.

His power was far less than that of a county magistrate, who was also a seventh-rank official.

General Hou clearly knew that he, a seventh-rank official, could not compare with the civil officials, so he was particularly polite to Lord Zhao, whom he was to protect, and directly offered him a salute.

The hundred soldiers he brought were considered the elite troops that the Yangzhou garrison could boast of, but in Zhao An's eyes, these soldiers were truly indescribable.

Their morale was extremely low, and their weapons and equipment looked old and worn. Zhao An doubted whether the muskets the soldiers were carrying could even fire.

Calling these soldiers a militia is an insult to militias.

However, this was a kind gesture from the Governor and the Assistant Minister, and Zhao An had to accept it. After thinking for a moment, he instructed Vice Principal Ma to withdraw five hundred taels from the prefectural school's public account, giving one hundred taels to Captain Hou, twenty taels to each of the lower-ranking officers, and three taels to each of the soldiers.

After weighing the silver pouch in his hand, Commander Hou shouted happily to his men, "Why don't you thank Lord Zhao for his reward!"

"Thank you for the reward, Lord Zhao!"

The soldiers, who had received their pay without having done any work, were all smiles. Their listlessness was instantly revived, and their ranks even started to look presentable.

Sure enough, money makes everything easier.

After having Vice Principal Ma temporarily arrange for Commander Hou and his party to rest and wait at the prefectural school, Zhao An took a carriage to the Xiangtang of the Yangzhou branch of the Canal Gang. In addition to inquiring about the latest situation, he also asked Ding Jiu to assign him a few capable fighters as his personal bodyguards.

There's no new information, things are just at a standstill. The canal transport office is like a tortoise, not moving, and the canal gang members responsible for cutting off the canal have no choice but to stay put as well.

Let's see who can outlast whom.

Upon hearing that the young master needed a guard, Ding Jiu quickly recommended someone: Baili Yunlong, who had recently led his canal workers to defeat the Jiao family's thugs with bamboo poles, causing them to flee in panic.

"Baili Yunlong?"

Zhao An nodded, because the name Baili Yunlong sounded like that of a master among masters, and he had proven his skill in actual combat. It had to be him.

Ding Jiu hurriedly arranged for someone to summon Baili Yunlong. After the man arrived, Zhao An discovered that this expert had an ordinary appearance, was dark-skinned and thin, and looked to be under thirty.

He doesn't look like a master who can defeat many with few.

Then, thinking that appearances can be deceiving, he smiled and nodded to Baili Yunlong, who was unaware of the situation.

Ding Jiu explained his intentions, and Baili Yunlong agreed without hesitation. He went back and selected ten skilled subordinates to accompany him and protect the young lord's safety.

In addition to Baili Yunlong and his ten men, Zhao An also asked for Ren Chaoyang and Zhuang Yingjiu to liaise with the Yangzhou and Huai'an branches.

Once the team was assembled, Zhao An didn't wait until tomorrow and set off directly for Huai'an.

He was riding in a horse-drawn carriage, with a mounted commander and four subordinates in front, followed by soldiers on foot. They carried long plaques issued by the Censorate, reading "Imperial Appointment Inspector of the Grain Transport," and also had avoidance signs. The procession looked quite impressive.

Sitting in the carriage, Zhao An felt a sense of pride for the first time, as if he were finally acting like a person, no, like an official.

Overjoyed, he would occasionally lift the carriage curtain and survey every building and pedestrian along the roadside with a disdainful look.

(End of this chapter)