The rise of the late Song Dynasty reigns supreme

Chapter 191 Corruption Case

"Master Xu, what should I do next?" Zhao Gou asked respectfully.

Seeing Zhao Gou respectfully, Xu Jingheng hurriedly said, "My lord..."

Zhao Gou said: "Master Xu, if it weren't for your guidance, I would know nothing about it, so I shouldn't be restrained. Although I have not supervised the censor, I am also the king of the county. However, now I am a junior, so why should I be a senior official?" Care too much."

Xu Jingheng nodded solemnly, knowing what Zhao Gou wanted to say, he didn't pretend, and said in a deep voice: "As an official, we can start with the Ministry of Household Affairs."

"The household department?" Zhao Gou asked in surprise.

"That's right, it's the Ministry of Households!" Xu Jingheng said straightly, "The Ministry of Households is the organ in charge of household registration and finance, one of the six departments, which controls the territory, fields, household registration, taxes, salaries and all financial matters of the country. All the silver is distributed by the Ministry of Accounts."

Zhao Gou said: "Master Xu, do you mean that there are people in the household department who are corrupt and pervert the law?"

Xu Jingheng said: "Whether there are people who are corrupt and pervert the law, the lower officials have no way of knowing. However, the most lucrative institution is the Ministry of Households. Every year, the finances of the court are all allocated by the Ministry of Households, and even the salary is also managed by the Ministry of Households. But However, Ye Mengde, Minister of the Household Department, has no real power."

"No real power?" Zhao Gou was a little surprised. As the Minister of the Household Department, how could he have no real power.

Xu Jingheng said: "Ye Mengde was a Jinshi in the fourth year of Shaosheng. He came from a family of literati. His grandfather was Ye Qingchen, a famous official in the Song Dynasty. He was a Jinshi in the fourth year of Xianping, and he was an official at Guangluqing; his mother, Chao Shi, is the younger sister of Chao Bu, one of the "Four Scholars of Sumen."

Zhao Gou thought to himself: "He is really a child of a family with profound knowledge, no wonder he became the Minister of the Household Department."

"Although Ye Mengde came from a family of literati, he earned his fame through his real talents. The current emperor is good at calligraphy and painting, and Ye Mengde is proficient in literature and poetry. He is proficient in all kinds of poems and songs. Shaosheng became a Jinshi in the fourth year and became a Dantuwei. Later, when the current emperor ascended the throne, he was promoted to a Bachelor of the Imperial Academy, and then transferred to the Minister of the Household Department."

Xu Jingheng paused for a moment, and said, "My lord, do you know why Ye Mengde became the Minister of the Household Department?"

"Could it be that his identity is different?" Zhao Gou asked in surprise.

"Your Excellency, although it is not quite correct, but there is something in common." Xu Jingheng smiled and said, "Ye Meng was promoted to a Bachelor of the Imperial Academy because of his status, and secondly, he learned it by himself. That person also knows him. ?”

Zhao Gou said, "I know you too?"

"Cai Jing!"

"What? Cai Jing!" Zhao Gou was stunned. How could Ye Mengde have anything to do with Cai Jing, which made him a little puzzled.

"Ye Mengde came from a family of literati, proficient in all kinds of poems and songs, and he is also a famous minister." Xu Jingheng sighed, "Only in terms of talent, Cai Jing is considered a talent, and adults must have seen his calligraphy. Ye Mengde has a close relationship with Cai Jing, All this stems from the fact that both of them are literati."

"At that time, Cai Jing was very powerful, and the relationship between the two was very close, and they had frequent gatherings. The officials investigated and found that Ye Mengde's mind was not to use power for personal gain, but to compete with Cai Jing in terms of literary talent. Cai Jing recommended Ye Mengde to the emperor as a Hanlin scholar and praised him wildly. This man is talented."

"The emperor also wanted to meet Ye Mengde, and after knowing that he was a famous minister, he summoned him in person. Unexpectedly, Ye Mengde was quite talented and learned, and said to him: "Since ancient times, emperors have ruled in different sizes, wide and narrow, so you must first It starts with treating the heart. Today, the state is in danger, the laws are beneficial, the talents are upright, and the people's sentiments are solidarity. Four, the treatment is great. If you don't first cure the heart, you may lure it with money, or trap it with sensuality. , then the so-called safety and danger, benefits and harms, evil and good, and those who are in danger, are they not inverting their positions, let alone seeking their merits?'”

"The emperor saw that he was talented and learned, so he promoted him to a bachelor's degree in the Imperial Academy. Ye Mengde entered the Imperial Academy as he wished, and devoted himself to studying academics. Even Cai Jing had less contact with him. After that, Cai Jing fell, and the emperor was furious. Ye Mengde didn't punish him, instead he was promoted to Minister of the Household Department."

"Hubu Shangshu is not under the jurisdiction of ordinary officials. Ye Mengde is literary and conscientious, but has no real power. The Hubu Minister and others have emptied his power and made him have a false name. Just because those people rely on the power of Gao Qiu and others, Domineering, but Ye Mengde has cut ties with them, which is why he has fallen to this point."

Zhao Gou understood that although Ye Mengde's literary talents were good, he still couldn't really control the household department after all.Although the Ministry of Households said it was big or not, it was not a small thing to manage, and it was not an easy matter to manage.Now, Zhao Gou understands why Ye Mengde is famous but not powerful.

"My lord, what do you think?" Xu Jingheng asked.

Zhao Gou said with a smile: "Master Xu has already made arrangements, so why bother talking, everything will be done according to what Master Xu said. This time, we will start the investigation from the Ministry of Households to see how many officials know how to break the law, and let the whole There is a real disturbance in Bianjing!"

Xu Jingheng glanced at Zhao Gou meaningfully, and said to himself, "This lord is really amazing!..."

Zhao Gou's guess was right. Xu Jingheng had long thought of thoroughly investigating the officials of the household department, but he never took any action. It was because no one supported him, even the current emperor was unwilling to support him, so he kept delaying.Zhao Gou knew in his heart that a thorough investigation of the household department could be regarded as the real beginning.

However, he also knew the officials of the Ministry of Household Investigation, that is, starting from the Six Departments.Moreover, such an action is justifiable, and it is within their power.Xu Jingheng wanted to investigate, but encountered too much resistance, with Zhao Gou behind him and Shang Fang's sword, who would dare to stop him.

Zhao Gou said with a smile, "Master Xu, what's the matter with the household department?"

Xu Jingheng pondered for a long time, thought for a while, and said, "Since your lord has mentioned this matter, the subordinate officials will no longer hide it. In fact, the subordinate officials have long wanted to investigate the household department, and the reason why they have not moved is that the time is not ripe. Now , when the time is ripe, then we can start to act, the lower officials are worried that some things will disappear without a trace after a long time."

Zhao Gou heard that there was something in the words, and said: "Could it be that this matter involves other things?"

Xu Jingheng nodded solemnly, and said firmly: "The lower official suspects that some of the six ministries have been greedy for disaster relief funds and form cliques for personal gain."

Zhao Gou didn't understand, so Xu Jingheng told the truth. He had always suspected that someone among the six departments was greedy for disaster relief funds. Once the emperor ignored the government, so that the power fell to the hands of treacherous ministers.

Although the power fell to the side, Song Huizong ignored the government, but he was not really fatuous and incompetent, and he ignored the people.At that time, droughts and floods occurred year after year in the Song Dynasty, and natural and man-made disasters were inevitable.Song Huizong once issued an imperial decree to allocate 300 million taels of gold from the treasury for disaster relief.

However, Xu Jingheng's private investigation found that only 100 million taels of the disaster relief funds had arrived, and another 200 million taels had disappeared.At that time, Xu Jingheng thought it was strange, so he secretly played it to the emperor, like a stone sinking into the sea, he knew that this matter must be stopped by other people, so he kept his face without evidence.

After that incident, Xu Jingheng found that some people of unknown origin appeared in his mansion from time to time.Therefore, Xu Jingheng stood still and kept pretending to be stupid, not daring to take any action.It wasn't until half a year later that the matter calmed down, and it was only brought up again today.

Zhao Gou was stunned. He didn't expect that there would be unexpected gains in this visit. He thought to himself: "It's really the right time!"

(End of this chapter)