Save the Bachelor of Heaven

"Mr. Ji laughed." He Shen said with a smile, "Come on, I'll make an apology to Mr. Ji!" As he spoke, he ordered the food and wine to be placed on the table.

"Mr. Ji, please!" He invited with a smile.

Xiang Nan nodded, and sat down with him, "Well, the wine is good wine, and the food is good food. Why is Mr. He so kind to entertain me, a prisoner?"

"Mr. Ji, I can only share this wine and food with you." He Shen smiled, "In "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", there is a section where Cao Cao and Liu Bei cook wine with green plums and talk about heroes. I am here with a certain person tonight. I want to talk to Mr. Ji."

"Okay, since you and your lord are so interested, then I'd rather be obedient than respectful." Xiang Nan laughed, "What do you want to talk about with your lord?"

"Mr. Ji is in prison now, so talking about the wind and the moon at this time and place is unavoidable." He Shen said with a smile, "Mr. Ji, let's talk about the Yancheng case."

"Okay." Xiang Nan nodded, and then said, "My lord, I have read all the accounts of Yancheng officials, and I have to say, it is really shocking and sensational!

These officials divided up all the government's disaster relief funds, and only distributed some bran and wheat chaff to the victims. They were really insane and inhumane. "

"I know." He Shen nodded, "But does Mr. Ji know that one catty of rations can be exchanged for three catties of bran. In this way, originally only one person could be saved, but now three people can be saved.

Mr. Ji, you know those victims are so hungry that they can eat anything. Tree roots, turf, and soil are all edible. Mr. Ji, have you ever seen a person who was bloated to death after eating Guanyin clay? Bran is considered a good thing for them. "

"Hehe, fallacy!" Xiang Nan sneered, "My lord, if the officials of Yancheng really exchanged all the disaster relief funds and rations for bran, so that the people would live three times as much, then I can still agree with you. .

But in fact, they put 90% of the money and food into their own pockets, and only used 10% to buy bran and distribute it to the people. In this way, ten percent of the people could have been saved, but now only thirty percent could be saved. Seventy percent of the people starved to death.

Isn't it worth beheading such an official who harms the country and the people, fishes the common people, and harms the public and private interests? Do you still want to raise your eyes for this kind of official? "

...

"Mr. Ji, to save the people, save the officials first. If the officials can't survive, why should you save the people?" He Shen immediately retorted, "There are thousands of victims, who will give them the relief money? Rely on those big and small officials. Only when they are fed will they be willing to do things."

"Hehe~" Xiang Nan laughed angrily, "eating the king's salary, sharing the worries for the king. Those officials receive the salary of the court, which is enough for their living expenses. In addition to the usual exorbitant taxes and private donations, it is enough to support their lives. Purse.

The imperial court raises soldiers for a thousand days and uses them for a while. In the face of a catastrophe, they should serve the country. But this catastrophe has become an opportunity to make a fortune for them. From the mouths of the hungry victims, take away their last morsel of food. How cruel, how cold-blooded? "

"Mr. Ji, what you said is just the truth in the book." He Shen smiled, "Eating the king's salary, sharing the worries for the king! This sounds nice. But when a catastrophe comes, how many people are willing to take the initiative to help you?" Do you share your worries?

It's good to just ignore it and just stand by and watch. There are many people who shirk their responsibility and muddle through things. What's more, it is common to take advantage of opportunities to make a fortune.

Mr. Ji, let me ask you, in the past dynasties, have there been more corrupt officials or honest officials, more capable officials or more mediocre officials? "

"Corrupt officials are like the sands of the Yellow River, honest officials are like phoenix feathers. Mediocre officials are like crucian carp crossing the river, and capable officials are like a feather in auspicious light." Xiang Nan sighed.

"Oh, so I can only use these mediocre and corrupt officials for disaster relief. If I want to get them moving, I can only feed them first." He Shen explained, "I, the Minister of Military Aircraft, would not have their support." , that's a fart, easy for me!"

"Talking to your lord, at first glance, it sounds like you have some difficulties and you have to do something about it." Xiang Nan laughed, "However, don't speak secretly in front of people who understand.

Corrupt officials are rampant in the Qing Dynasty, and you and your lord should bear a lot of responsibility. For example, the officials of Yancheng, big and small, have paid tribute to you and your lord over the years.

You promote and protect these corrupt officials, suppress and demote those honest and capable officials. Once a catastrophe is imminent and you need to employ people, you will feel that no one is available.

And my lord, don't you feel that you are contradicting yourself and that you have to blame yourself? "

He Shen was a little embarrassed when he heard what Xiang Nan said.

...

"If you tell my lord that if you don't feed corrupt officials, they won't do anything. This is also talking about yourself." Xiang Nan laughed again, "My lord, you are the most corrupt official in the Qing Dynasty. Even if you look at the past dynasties, Your embezzlement gains are enough to be among the best."

"Mr. Ji is really eloquent, which makes He feel ashamed." He Shen said with a smile, "But have you ever thought that you are so talented, honest, upright, loyal to the emperor and love the people.

But why has his official career been so wasted all these years and has not been reused. On the contrary, is she going straight up with a certain Qingyun and being favored by the emperor? "

Xiang Nan smiled and stopped talking.

Of course he knew why. If He Shen is the world's most corrupt official, then Qianlong is the world's most corrupt emperor.

The so-called Shiquan martial arts, Siku Quanshu, six southern tours... all need money, and the money is like running water.

In order to fill the shortfall in the national treasury, he reused Heshen to help him raise money. For this reason, the crime-discussion silver system was even introduced, allowing corrupt officials to pay money to exonerate them, which made Qing officials corrupt and fearless.

The so-called prosperous age of Kangxi and Qianlong, when it came to Emperor Qianlong, it went from prosperity to decline. At the end of his reign, the rule of the Qing court was declining day by day, the people were in dire straits, and there were frequent civil upheavals.

In the first year of Jiaqing, the Sichuan-Shaanxi White Lotus Sect revolted. It took nine years for the Qing court to suppress the rebellion, mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops, and consumed 200 million taels of silver, which was equivalent to five years of treasury revenue. This also emptied the treasury of the Qing court and greatly reduced its national power.

However, although Xiang Nan knew this, he would not be so stupid as to criticize Qianlong in front of He Shen.

Even if there are only two of them in prison now, he will not be outspoken and tell the truth.

...

"Mr. Ji, I always think, if you and I can join forces, wouldn't we be able to achieve great things?" Seeing that Xiang Nan was silent, He Shen immediately laughed triumphantly.

"My lord, if you and I join forces, disaster will be upon us." Xiang Nan said with a smile, "The reason why the emperor wants to use you and at the same time send me to Yancheng to investigate the case, don't you understand the joint? "

He Shen was taken aback.

"Divide and conquer, check and balance each other, this is the emperor's way of governing." Xiang Nan laughed, "So stop thinking about it with your lord, the more fierce the two of us fight, the better for each other."

"Mr. Ji is right, He has been educated." He Shen nodded with a smile.