Rise From the Humble

The next morning, the cool breeze was cold, and there was still a thin layer of mist in the sky, covering the trees that were still losing their leaves in the distance. Clumps of withered and yellow grass on the bumpkin not far away were swaying left and right in the cool breeze, as if welcoming guests. Same.

Outside Guo Guanyin Gate outside Yingtian City, Zhu Ping'an, Chu Xiong and other officials from the Punishment Department, led by Mr. Nie Tai, gathered in Changting with the Chief Secretary, Nanjing Six Ministries and other officials to await the arrival of the new Zhejiang Inspectorate and Supervision Censor, Hu Zongxian.

Officials from different yamen, led by their respective bosses, greeted each other and then waited in separate areas.

The rising sun rose slowly in the eastern sky, but there was still no movement on the official road to the north, and no one could be seen.

The Chuxiong man was relatively fat, and after standing there waiting for a long time, his body couldn't bear it. From time to time, he stretched out his hands to rub his thick waist. He couldn't help but said half-complainingly, half-jokingly, "Tsk, who dares to believe it if you put it in front of me?" We, a group of officials starting from the fifth rank, went out of the city early in the morning to meet a seventh-rank official."

"Hey, Fatty Chu, do you dare to wait until the new Zhejiang Inspector and Supervisor arrives to say this in front of him?"

Zhang Chufeng snorted and said excitedly to Chu Xiong.

"Oh, it's a cheap way to provoke a general, a clumsy trick to borrow a knife. I'm not stupid, so I won't be fooled by you."

Chu Xiong snorted, glanced at Zhang Chufeng with narrowed eyes, and rolled his eyes disdainfully.

Zhang Chufeng sneered, "Haha, Fatty Chu, you are also good at gossiping behind people's backs."

"No, you are wrong. I don't just talk nonsense behind people's backs, I also say it in front of others."

Chu Xiong squinted his eyes and stared at Zhang Chufeng, and said seriously.

Zhang Chufeng chuckled disdainfully, expressing that he didn't believe Chu Xiong's words.

"You don't believe it?!" Chu Xiong grinned, "For example, I often talk about you in front of you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chufeng's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he turned his head to ignore Chu Xiong. Seeing this, Chu Xiong's fat face smiled brighter and brighter, like a victorious rooster.

"Brother Zhu, why do you think our new Zhejiang Inspector Hu, Mr. Hu, is here so slowly? He really can keep his composure." Chu Xiong approached Zhu Ping'an and whispered with a slight complaint.

Zhu Ping'an smiled slightly and replied softly, "I asked Taizu to stipulate that the censors who patrol and supervise can only ride donkeys and not horses when traveling. Mr. Hu came to his post on a donkey, so he arrived late."

Indeed, Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated that the supervisory censor could only ride a donkey, not a horse, when traveling.

Because of the great power given to the patrol and supervisory censors, the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, in order to strike a balance and prevent the patrol and supervisory censors from becoming bigger, not only limited the grade of the patrol supervisors and supervisors, but also made many restrictions in other aspects. In addition to not being able to ride donkeys when traveling, Emperor Hongwu also stipulated that the censors on patrol could not eat geese. In the war-torn times of Emperor Hongwu, geese were relatively rare and expensive, and banquets with goose meat were more classy. For example, Zhu Yuanzhang often rewarded his ministers with goose meat to show his favor. This is also one of the reasons why everyone talks about the unofficial legend that Zhu Yuanzhang rewarded Xu Da with roasted goose, which caused Xu Da to suffer from gangrene and die. Zhu Yuanzhang restricted the censors who were patrolling and supervising from eating geese, which was a restriction on the censors who were patrolling and supervising in terms of treatment.

However, any system is afraid of time, and the original intentions and good intentions of Emperor Hongwu were ignored in later generations. In later generations, with the overall improvement of the status of civil servants and the expansion of the power of the patrol censor, the ropes that Emperor Hongwu bound to the patrol censor were gradually broken away, and the status and power of the patrol censor became greater and greater. Today, the imperial censor can not only ride a horse, but also eat goose meat, braised, steamed, and grilled as he wants. If we could really implement the rules set by Taizu, why would all the high-level people go out of the city to meet the low-level supervisory censor today?

If we go back further, in the late Ming Dynasty, the censors and censors have really become powerful ministers. Arrogance and luxury, corruption and bribery, and violation of the law are common occurrences.

However, Hu Zongxian is different.

Zhu Ping'an forgot what he read in that book. Hu Zongxian came to Zhejiang to take up the post of supervisory censor. He really came on a donkey.

Zhu Ping'an combined the records and comments of Hu Zongxian in historical books and unofficial histories, and has no doubts about this record.

"Haha, Mr. Zhu has read so many books. However, as the ancients said, it is better to believe in books than to have no books. Although Taizu stipulated that the censors who patrolled and monitored could only ride donkeys and not horses when traveling, but those are all old people. It’s almanac, and now, the censor who patrols and supervises can already ride a horse and eat geese." Zhang Chufeng said with a smile at the side.

"Really? Thank you Mr. Zhang for your advice." Zhu Ping'an twitched his lips slightly, first cupped his hands to express his thanks, and then said honestly, "But I think Hu Yushi came late, maybe he really did it according to his ancestors' wishes." He's coming on a donkey."

"And riding a donkey?! Haha, Master Zhu is really young." Zhang Chufeng couldn't stop laughing.

"Hehe, let's just wait here. Anyway, we have nothing to do. Why not come to Yabo?"

Chu Xiong came forward again and grinned.

"What's Yabo?" Zhang Chufeng asked with raised eyebrows. He lost to Chu Xiong one hundred taels last time, and he is still bitter about it. He always wanted to win back. When he heard Chu Xiong talk about Yabo, he naturally became interested.

"Hey, weren't Brother Zhu and Brother Zhang just discussing whether Hu Yushi came to his post on a donkey or on a horse? Why don't we ask Yabo whether Hu Yushi came to his post on a donkey or a horse this time. Anyway, I have nothing to do. Sitting is also idle, Yabo is killing his time, isn’t he happy?!”

Chu Xiong suggested with a grin.

"I have no objection, I just wonder if Mr. Zhu dares to insist on his opinion?" Zhang Chufeng twitched the corner of his mouth and asked Zhu Pingan.

"Isn't it too bad in this situation?" Zhu Pingan said with a simple face.

"It's just Yabo, why not?! When Zhang Shangshu took office last time, we still bet on how many followers he would bring?!"

Zhang Chufeng curled his lips relentlessly.

"That's right, little brother Zhu, don't worry, there were several officials from the yamen involved last time. It's just Yabo, it's harmless."

Chu Xiong also said with a smile.

"Is it really okay?!" Zhu Ping'an confirmed with an honest look.

"It's really okay." Zhang Chufeng nodded vigorously.

"Little brother Zhu, don't worry. If there is any problem, I will take care of it. I will ensure that little brother Zhu is fine."

Chu Xiong took over everything.

"Well, Brother Chu has already said this. I can only be respectful and obey your orders." Zhu Ping'an nodded helplessly.

"Good." Zhang Chufeng smiled happily and said immediately, "A gentleman's words are hard to catch up with, so it's settled."