Yi Song

Chapter 124 The Arrogant Corrupt Official

At three o'clock in the morning, Liu Guozhang and his party, who were traveling in a hurry, quickly entered Songcheng, Yingtian Prefecture, Nanjing.

After entering the city, Liu Guozhang went directly to the Wuchengwang Temple in Yingtian Prefecture. It was temporarily requisitioned as the official offices of the Changshui Army Control Department and the Bianhe River Construction Department.

At the door, Yue Fei greeted him.

"Pengju, everything is done?"

"If you return to control, things will be settled."

"Okay. Are Deputy Zhang and that bastard in there?"

"They are all in the signing room, waiting for control."

"Okay, Yang Xiaojie, Ma Kuo."

"My subordinates are here!" they both responded in unison.

"Both of you, each with a hundred horse infantry, are on standby outside the Yamen. Zhou Juan and Yue Fei."

"My subordinate is here!"

"You two and twenty soldiers, follow me in and wait outside the signing room."

"Yes!"

"Wang Xun, Kuang Yousheng!"

"My subordinate is here."

"Take the rest of your troops and go to the barracks to rest."

"Yes!"

After making arrangements, Liu Guozhang took Zhong Shizhong, Zhong Lan, Liu Ziyu, Li Gang, and Zhang Meng and walked quickly to the custody room. Zhou Juan and Yue Fei followed closely with twenty fully armed soldiers.

Entering the signing room, there was an official in scarlet robe and an official in green robe sitting inside.

The official in Fei Pao was Deputy Envoy Zhang Cui. He was sitting behind the desk, immersed in the files and account books.

The green-robed official sitting about ten steps away was drinking tea leisurely and talking leisurely.

"The tea from your Xiuhe Division is too bad to be swallowed. Tomorrow I will bring you two kilograms of the best Huaixi tea."

Zhang Cui raised his head and glanced at him, with an indescribable expression in his eyes. He did not answer and continued to look down at the scroll.

The sound of Liu Guozhang's footsteps woke them up.

Seeing so many people walking in, the two of them had different expressions.

Zhang Li glanced up and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

The green-robed official's eyes flickered a few times, his face became a little solemn, but he still sat calmly.

Liu Guozhang walked straight to the front seat and sat down. He waved his hand casually and said, "Duanru Gong, Brother Yanxiu, Brother Boji, and Zhong Qilang, please sit down. Lao Zhang, hurry up and serve tea."

After Zhang Tie asked the servant to serve tea, Liu Guozhang asked: "Old Zhang, what does Wang Liusou say about this?"

"The high-ranking official Wang Chi who stayed behind in Nanjing said that this matter is related to the imperial mission of dredging the Bianhe River, and I have colluded with Changpingcang in Nanjing, so we have full authority to handle it."

"Have you got any official documents to hand over?"

"Yes, the official document was signed and returned on the spot. Here it is." Zhang Cui patted the document on the table and said.

"Then tell me what the situation is like?"

"it is good!"

Liu Guozhang and Zhang Cui answered questions and went directly to the topic.

Zhong Shizhong, Liu Ziyu, and Zhong Lan found it strange that Liu Guozhang's behavior was a bit strange.

Li Gang seemed to be used to the strangeness. He picked up the tea and pretended to be watching the fun.

Others don't know, but he knows a thing or two.

It was definitely a big deal to have Liu Erlang rush over in such a hurry.

It's a big deal, but it doesn't look like it's a good thing!

Liu Erlang will not stop without a few lives.

"I rushed to Nanjing four days ago, took your order, and immediately sealed all the account books in Nanjing Changping Warehouse and started to clear the accounts. Yesterday, I clarified the account books and conducted an on-site inventory in each warehouse. I checked them three times in a row. It was confirmed Correct. Han Shangxian, an official in Yingtian Mansion and in charge of Changpingcang affairs in Nanjing, also confirmed the accounting results are correct."

Having said this, Zhang Cui pointed at the calm man in green robe.

He stood up, cupped his hands and said, "I have seen Liu Tongzhi." Liu Guozhang glanced at him, but did not answer. He continued to ask Zhang Cui: "What is the result of the accounting?"

"After checking the account books for the past five years, Nanjing Cangping Warehouse has a shortage of 625,000 shi of grain. Now, there are only 43,000 shi of grain left in the warehouse, half of which is old rice mixed with sediment."

Liu Guozhang exploded when he heard this, "Such a shortage? Forty-three thousand shi. I have 237,000 people. I need 2,500 shi of food a day, which is only enough for seventeen or eighty days. It needs to be dredged for three days." Months, for the remaining days, let my people drink from the northwest wind!"

The Bianhe River was blocked for a while, and Bianjing was a little short on food. Chen Liucang had to look over there and couldn't move a grain. The Changshui Army's rations of more than 200,000 yuan could only be allocated from the Nanjing warehouse.

"Master Liu, I'm sorry, but you can't touch a single grain of these 43,000 shi of grain." Zhang Xi said.

"What do you mean?"

"These 43,000 shi of grain must be reserved to distribute Lumi to the imperial army and officials of Yingtian Mansion. I checked the account books and found that the Lumi arrears were four months in arrears. It's the end of the year and I have to make up for it. Otherwise, there will be trouble and no one will look good.

After trimming off the head and tail, 43,000 shi of grain is almost enough. Liu Daguan, you have to find another way to get the rations for the Changshui Army and Zuohu Camp. "

Zhang Cui spread his hands to express his love and help.

Liu Guozhang stood up, walked slowly to Han Shangxian, pointed at him and asked Zhang Cui: "Is this the thing that ruined the food supply in Changpingcang, Nanjing?"

"That's right. Han Guanren admitted it himself. He made false accounts and sold all the 625,000 shi of grain." Zhang Cui replied.

"Is Deputy Zhang right?" Liu Guozhang turned to Han Shangxian and asked.

"That's right. Deputy Ambassador Zhang is really a master of accounting. He keeps all the money, grains, rice, and vertebrae in his heart. The subordinates can't quibble, and they don't want to quibble. In the past five years, the 625,000 yuan in Nanjing's warehouse has been I sold all the grain and stone."

Han Shangxian was very calm and admitted cleanly.

"Hey! For a corrupt official to do what you do, you are really like a scorpion, you are the only one! You have been greedy for so much food, are you not afraid at all, are you not panic at all?"

Han Shangxian smiled faintly: "Why should I panic? Which official in the world is not greedy? From the imperial master to the secretary, who is not greedy? It's just greed for more and less. I was greedy for 620,000 shi of grain and sold it at a discount. Later, he received more than 400,000 yuan.

Among corrupt officials, they are neither too few nor too many. What do I have to fear? What's there to panic about? Liu Tongzhi is nothing more than impeachment of superiors and subordinates. What else can he do?

Of course, with the real evidence here, Liu Tongzhi’s impeachment is definitely accurate. Then there was the Secretary Xingwen who removed me from office and put me on trial in Nanjing city. So what?

I can't afford this 400,000 yuan alone. In Nanjing City and Bianjing City, up and down, dozens of high-ranking officials benefited from me. By the way, a few days ago, on the Official Longevity Festival, I presented a mutton-fat jade statue of the Supreme Laojun worth 10,000 guan, which received a certificate of commendation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. "

Han Shangxian calmly put down the tea cup in his hand and looked at Liu Guozhang calmly, with sarcasm hidden in the corners of his eyes that a blind man could see.

"Three trials are nothing more than dismissal and exile thousands of miles away. When I report to Bianjing, according to the ancestral custom of preferential treatment of civil servants, and because the favor comes from the top, I might change the sentence to a supervisor in a certain place. There are my classmates and classmates above, a little Let's do some activities, and add those noble people who took my money to help with the wind, and then change to Jiangzhou braiding.

It's close to my hometown and very prosperous. Now that I have a rich official purse, I can buy property there, bring the whole family there, honor my parents, and enjoy family happiness. Why not be happy! "

Having said this, Han Shangxian's face was filled with pride and he couldn't help but boast a few words.

"Twenty years of studying hard in a cold window, why? Isn't it just to achieve glory and wealth? Now that I have money, I will stay dormant for a few years, wait for the limelight to pass, and then be active again. There will be noble people who are willing to excuse me, and then resume my official position. To At that time, under Liu Tongzhi, we will be able to serve as ministers in the same palace again."

Everyone was silent.

Zhong Shizhong and Liu Ziyu knew that this was a bad habit of the imperial court, which treated officials very favorably, especially civil servants.

After the Xifeng Year, party strife intensified, which also had one consequence. As long as officials are not involved in party strife, the superiors will not bother to investigate deeply if you commit corruption or bribery, and will basically let it go.

In addition, now that the court is dominated by traitors and sycophants, who recognize money but not people, it is not difficult for Han Shangxian to get away with it easily.

Li Gang was filled with indignation and wanted to rush forward and beat up this embarrassing corrupt official.

But he suppressed his emotions and wanted to see how Liu Guozhang would handle the matter.

"Straight bitch! Look, look at this bastard's face! He's not ashamed, but proud of it! Are all the moral articles read into a fucking dog's belly?"

Liu Guozhang pointed at Han Shangxian and cursed him, which made him unhappy.

"Liu Tongzhi, after all, I am a good man who was a Jinshi in the Jichou Department of Daguan Dynasty in the third year of Daguan and was famous in Donghua sect. How can I allow you to insult me ​​like this!"

Liu Guozhang jumped up to Han Shangxian and cursed.

"You bastard! You stupid bastard! You are a pickling beast! You are a hozen with a bird! You are a dog thief who only poops on people and doesn't do anything else!"

You don’t like to hear it! I want to scold you a few more times, you bastard! Son of a bitch! Son of a bitch! Your whole family are all bastards! Old bastard, little bastard, male bastard, female bastard! What a bunch of bastards! "

He yelled and cursed incessantly, which made Zhang Qi, Zhong Shizhong, Liu Ziyu, Li Gang and others stunned, and made Han Shangxian's face change over and over with anger.

At the end, Han Shangxian breathed heavily and said bitterly: "You can just scold me! Apart from a few more curses, what can you do to me? I am a vulgar warrior, and I will not accompany you anymore! If you want to write an impeachment memorial, find a scholar who can write. I’ll write you one!”

After saying that, Han Shangxian was about to leave.

"Haha, I didn't say anything, who asked you to leave?" Liu Guozhang said with squinting eyes.

Isn't it the Cai family and his son who promised you to raid Tan Mo and sell it out, leaving yourself a mess?

That's right, I can't deal with you, I can only hand you over to Yousi. As soon as you go through the legal process, Cai Jing, who is in charge of the three things, will easily protect you with a flick of his pen.

That's why you are so confident! So arrogant!

Han Shangxian was upright and unafraid in the face of danger. He stood upright in front of Liu Guozhang with his head held high and his back straight. He asked impassionedly and disdainfully: "Liu Erlang, what means do you have, just use it! Do you still dare to hit me?" Can’t stop?

Haha, if you beat the imperial official, then you become unreasonable! Erlang, you should think twice before you act! "

(End of this chapter)