Bachelor

Chapter 471 Disagreement
"I saw Zhang Cong when I came here just now." As soon as Zhang Cong was sent away, Yang Tinghe saw Yang Yiqing talking and walking towards the guard room.

"Yang Xiang, I told him to come here." Yang Tinghe pointed to the chair: "Sit down."

"This cunning villain, why did you ask him to come here?" Yang Yiqing was very unhappy.

Yang Tinghe said calmly, "Just ask about the He Gong case."

Yang Yiqing was even more annoyed, and he didn't feel it, and said, "Shoufu, if you want to ask about the Hegong case, you can just consult me ​​directly. Yang Yiqing stays in the cabinet all day, are you afraid that you won't be able to find anyone?"

Yang Tinghe knew that Yang Yiqing had an upright character, so he said what he said. This is certainly a good quality that a scholar should have, but sometimes it would offend others.Fortunately, he and Yang Yiqing are colleagues in the three dynasties, and he knows the basics, but he doesn't take it to heart.

Yang Shoufu did have his own intentions when he asked Zhang Cong to come here today, but it is inconvenient to explain this meaning clearly to Yang Yiqing.

Yang Tinghe didn't explain directly, but said: "Your Majesty asked Zhang Cong to be the imperial envoy. I asked him to come here. Apart from learning about the He Gong case, I also wanted to talk to him about the Overwatch Council."

Yang Yiqing said with a grim face, "If this kind of villain was placed in the past, when I, Yang Yiqing, was in charge of the three sides, I would have already cut it down with military law. Such a despicable person actually became a speech officer, it is really slippery in the world. Ji. He is a mad dog. If he really became an imperial envoy, why doesn’t he open his mouth and bite? This matter is absolutely impossible. According to Yang Yiqing, it is better to conclude the He Gong case earlier and send him back to Nanjing. Back then, the chief Lord Fu dismissed villains like Zhang Cong and Huo Tao one by one, and the atmosphere in the court was lifted. You made such a determination back then, but now you are soft-hearted. In this way, won't it make the honest gentlemen in the government and the public feel cold? "

Yang Yiqing's attitude was very bad, and only he had the qualifications and prestige to get angry in front of the chief assistant.

Yang Tinghe was not angry either, he just said: "Ying Ning's words are wrong."

Yang Yiqing didn't sit down, just stood in front of Yang Tinghe: "What did I say wrong, and I still ask for advice?"

Yang Tinghe explained patiently: "Indeed, as Ying Ning said, the inspectors' officials should be people of high moral character, so that they are qualified to hear rumors, so that they can be the eyes and ears of the court, and only then can they maintain integrity. But don't forget that the most important thing for a speech officer is to be independent. Zhang Cong is now being beaten by everyone, and no one is close to him. But isn't this the most qualified speech officer? He has no friends and no party, especially Go it alone."

Yang Yiqing sneered: "He has no friends and no party, but Mr. Shoufu, Sun Xun said that a gentleman has a party, and a villain has no friends. A man can go to the point where he doesn't have a single friend. Zhang Zong can do this. Don't you explain the problem?"

"Isn't a loner without any friends a qualified spokesperson? Besides, this is what His Majesty meant."

"This is chaos." Yang Yiqing disapproved: "Your Majesty has suffered such chaos since he took the throne. As prime ministers, we cannot sit idly by. This Zhang Cong must go back to Nanjing."

"Even if we want him to go back to Nanjing, we have to wait until the Hegong case is over." Knowing that he couldn't convince Yang Yiqing, Yang Tinghe sighed unconsciously, and the wrinkles on his face deepened.

"Okay, it's enough to have Mr. Shoufu." Yang Yiqing sat down on the chair and said loudly: "It's not easy to try the case of He Gong, just..."

"Just what?" Yang Tinghe's wrinkles deepened, but he looked at Yang Yiqing sharply.

Yang Yiqing didn't notice Yang Shoufu's strangeness, and said loudly: "It's very simple, Wang Shu is greedy for money from Mohe workers, the amount is huge, and he has a great relationship with Suining Dashui, so he can be rebellious and decisive; The murderer of the Ninghe embankment, kill him." He said "kill him" with a murderous look, after all, he was a former trilateral commander who led the Shanshan frontier army, and he didn't hesitate to kill people.

Yang Tinghe said "Oh": "What next?"

"Then, those officials who accept bribes must not be let go. Such moths must be severely punished by the national law. I plan to arrest them one by one according to the account book. According to the amount of bribes, those who should be dismissed should be dismissed, and those who should be imprisoned."

Yang Tinghe shook his head again and again: "It's not right."

Seeing Yang Tinghe's refusal, Yang Yiqing raised his voice, "These corrupt officials have already violated the national law, so naturally they are governed by the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Does Lord Shoufu have any other opinions?"

"Hey." Yang Tinghe sighed again, and said patiently, "Ying Ning, running a country is not running an army, you can't do it just by using thunder!"

Yang Yiqing said angrily: "What did the chief assistant say? Could it be possible to let these corrupt officials go?"

Yang Shoufu stretched out his hand and pressed down, signaling Yang Yiqing to calm down, but he said something else: "The salary of my court officials...Since ancient times, the salary of hundreds of officials has never been so low. Cabinet ministers like you and me can't afford it for a month. Only 87 shi."

Yang Yiqing didn't understand why Shoufu would talk about this, he felt strange, and sat down on the chair: "It is indeed relatively meager, please tell me, my lord."

Yang Tinghe went on to say: "The 87 stones are real objects, but the officials have to use silver everywhere to maintain their families, and it is impossible to distribute all rice. The monthly salary of the servants in the family, the salaries of the officials under him, which one is not a huge expense But in my Ming Dynasty, the world was peaceful and the country was prosperous. The price is so low. When I get the Lumi and exchange it for cash, I will lose a lot of money in the middle. In fact, all the officials in my dynasty are poor. Ah. How can officials serve the country if they don't feed them?"

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Yang Tinghe's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty: "Like Wang Shu's case, so many officials are involved. In fact, many officials' lives are already poor, and the annual ice ceremony and charcoal fire account for their income. For the most part. This is also a customary rule in the officialdom. As long as the court does not bend the law for personal gain, the court will turn a blind eye. If this road is also closed, the court will not be able to maintain it. Many officials involved in this case, in fact He is fairly clean, and has made a lot of achievements in politics. It would be reckless to catch them all in one go without distinguishing between black and white."

Yang Yiqing was furious, and stood up with a bang: "Shoufu means to let them go. Our imperial examination is to serve the king, the country and the people, not to get rich. Yang Yiqing did not dare to say what Shoufu said. agree."

Yang Tinghe smiled wryly: "All in one go... Hey, Ying Ning, you are not in charge of the family, and you don't know how much money is worth. I'm old, I can't do it, and I can't work for a long time. In fact, the three old people in our cabinet are also tired. It's time Come down. His Majesty has ordered Zhai Luan to work in the cabinet as the left servant of the Ministry of Rites. In the future, he will promote a few new people. I am going to leave, and I have to hand over all the property to you. Ying Ning, have you ever thought about it, Hegong? The case arrested more than 100 officials at once, and if we go deeper, we don’t know how many people will be involved. In this way, the six ministries will be empty, how can the court still operate? There is an old saying in our hometown that a good man has three gangs. There is also a saying that , the prime minister can hold a boat in his belly. Some things should not be taken too seriously."

Whether it is withholding taxes or accepting tribute from local officials, it is a customary rule in the officialdom. For more than 100 years, everyone has passed this way.Now, Yang Yiqing wants to break this stereotype, how can he still be the chief assistant.How could Yang Tinghe trust him with such courage?
Yang Shoufu felt a wave of powerlessness in his heart: "Ying Ning, you have offended all the officials. In the future, if the court has something to do, who will be willing to contribute. We cabinet members are nothing more than paper makers. Where there are loopholes, we will make up for them. Why should there be a distinction between black and white, good and evil?"

"False!" Yang Yiqing sneered.

"Ying Ning." Yang Tinghe was still trying to persuade him.

"This is a fallacy!" Yang Yiqing was so angry that his throat was dry, and he didn't care about all that. He picked up the cup of tea that Zhang Cong had just drank, took a sip, and then spit it out with a puff.He shouted angrily: "Come here, what kind of tea is this? It stinks. Bring another cup!"

"Yes." A small official hastily brought over a cup of tea.

Yang Tinghe waved his hand and said: "I have something to talk to Yang Xiang, no one is allowed to come in."

When the little official went out, Yang Yiqing took a sip of tea and continued: "Shoufu, the human heart is not enough to swallow an elephant. Although the saint said that human nature is inherently good. But who in this secular world is not selfish?" If left alone, Yang Yiqing does not think that those corrupt officials will find out their conscience. Taizu used severe punishments to punish corrupt officials, and the effect was good. In "A Brief Record of Awakening Corruption", Taizu said that officials who are not only punished The imperial court pays more attention to salary, is not satisfied, refuses to benefit the people, and only focuses on corruption and breaking the law. Is it possible to complain about the death of the family? Now, if we do not set out to offend the officials, but focus on indulgence, this officialdom will continue to rot until out of hand."

Yang Yiqing spoke righteously and strictly.

Yang Tinghe sat softly on the chair, with a deep tired tone in his tone: "Ying Ning..."

"Shoufu doesn't need to say anything."

Yang Tinghe: "I'm old, I can't think about things in my mind, and I feel tired when I think about it. This old man is going to submit his resignation to His Majesty in a few days. Please resign as the chief assistant of the cabinet. Ying Ning, you are a veteran of the three dynasties, and the position of the chief assistant must be I'll leave it to you. From now on, you will be the head of the officials. But have you ever thought about it, if you take advantage of this river engineering case to wipe out the Six Departments, and even cut off the livelihood of the officials, what good will it do for the country? Without the support of hundreds of officials, how can you govern. Your majesty is growing old and thick every day. Long live, that is a proud person with strong opinions and methods. If you follow Wuzong's old things and insist on breaking your sex, without restraint, this Where is the country going?"

There were old tears in Yang Tinghe's eyes: "When a person is old, he should let go when it's time to let go, but why can't I feel relieved? Ying Ning, it's actually fine for us to be members of the cabinet. The relationship, the relationship between the officials and His Majesty, is enough."

Hearing Yang Tinghe's heartfelt words, Yang Yiqing's eyes suddenly became hot: "Shoufu, once you leave, leave such a big stall to me, so that Yang Yiqing can afford it?" He suddenly understood that Shoufu asked him to let him go The reason for the officials was that the emperor would take the opportunity to expand the imperial power to the point where no one could restrain it.The country needs a strong central government, but does not need a strong monarch.

(End of this chapter)