Chapter 27 1. In order to obtain real evidence of embezzlement of disaster relief funds, Yan Jingming came up with a good idea

On the second day after returning to Taiyuan City, Ma Piyao reported to Zhang Zhidong that after a preliminary investigation of Guangxu's disaster relief funds for three, four, and five years, there were more than 300,000 taels of silver in the three years. Bao Geng, the feudal official who presided over the disaster relief, and Wang Ding'an, the main manager, were rich in corruption, but there was no conclusive evidence.Please give me an idea on how to carry out the next step of the investigation. In the afternoon, Bao Geng also came here on purpose, saying that he had made an agreement with the Qi family, and both the Qi family's father and daughter agreed, so why not ask them to come to Futai Yamen to meet.Ma Piyao's report made Zhang Zhidong very disgusted with Bao Geng and Wang Ding'an.He even regretted not visiting Jinci with them.After Zhang Zhidong said coldly, "Don't mention this matter again", he ignored Baogeng, making Baogeng very boring.

Zhang Zhidong thought hard about cleaning up the treasury. When summer comes, Chunlan brings Mrs. Tang's second son Ren Bing, Mrs. Wang's daughter Zhun'er, and Mrs. Chai brings Yan'er to Taiyuan.Sang Zhiping rented a few houses in a small street next to the Governor's Yamen to house his family.Dagen and his wife lived with Zhang Zhidong in the backyard of the yamen with Ren Bing and Zhun'er.From then on, the No. 1 Yamen, which was deserted in the morning and evening, began to be full of vitality. Sang Zhiping became the real teacher of the Zhang family.Ren Bing is smart and eager to learn, so he doesn't need the teacher to worry too much, he can still spare a lot of energy to do things for Zhang Zhidong.

Touched by Zhang Zhidong's sincerity, Peiyu also came to Taiyuan to be his quasi-qin teacher.Zhang Zhidong was very happy.Zhuner is lively and smart, and Peiyu likes her.Peiyu is kind and affectionate, and Zhuner loves her too.The two quickly got along well. In recent years, due to the sudden death of Mrs. Wang, Zhang Zhidong's heart was often hit by grief. In his spare time, what he misses most is his children in Beijing.The eldest son, Renquan, has already married and supported himself, so he is more at ease.After all, the second son, Ren Bing, is a ten-year-old boy, and his studies are the whole content of his life. He can rest assured that he has a good teacher to teach him.What worried him the most was this little Zhun'er.For a delicate girl, losing her mother at such a young age is the greatest pain in her life. Although Chunlan takes care of her in life, who will comfort her wounded young heart?Who was to be her teacher in the boudoir?Zhang Zhidong was deeply worried about this.Well now, Peiyu is here!The two of them seem to be destined for each other in previous lives, and they are intimate with each other.Hearing the cheerful laughter of Peiyu and Zhun'er from time to time in the backyard, Zhang Zhidong was very relieved.

At this time, an edict was handed over to the governor's office in Taiyuan: Yan Jingming, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, made a supplementary grant.He also ordered Zhang Zhidong to deliver the edict to Xiezhou Academy as soon as possible, and urged Yan Jingming not to resign, but to come to Beijing to take up his post as soon as possible.Zhang Zhidong was overjoyed when he saw this edict. First of all, he was pleased that the Empress Dowager was knowledgeable, unlike in the past where Yan Jingming was only reinstated as servant.If it is still treated from the second rank, maybe that stubborn old man will still refuse to accept it.In this way, it will be very embarrassing for him, the messenger, and it will be difficult for both sides to explain.Zhang Zhidong was grateful to the queen mother for giving him a lot of face.

What pleased Zhang Zhidong the most was that Yan Jingming taught him the Minister of the Household Department.Shanxi is poor.Money is tight, and any major tasks must be taken care of by the Ministry of Households in order to be feasible.In the past, I strongly advocated Yan Jingming to leave the mountain, but this time I wholeheartedly accepted it.How could the old man not know this?How can I ignore it in the future?The backing that brother Ziqing mentioned is really a good backing for Tianyuan to join! Thinking of this, Zhang Zhidong was very excited.And right now, Yan Jingming can also help with the matter of clearing the treasury.In the third year of Guangxu, Yan Jingming came to Taiyuan to assist Governor Zeng Guoquan in disaster relief as the minister of the Ministry of Industry.With his shrewdness and experience, he must have a general idea of ​​the collection and distribution of disaster relief funds at that time, and he should be consulted!Maybe it was this old man's great help that made the investigation of the treasury possible.

He handed over the important task of going to Jiezhou to Sang Zhiping again, and asked him to persuade Yan Jingming to go to Beijing via Taiyuan, and escort him all the way. After more than 20 days of long-distance travel, Sang Zhiping escorted Yan Jingming all the way to Yuci County, which is only 70 miles away from Taiyuan City.Apart from the two of them and a distant nephew of Yan Jingming, there was another person who came to Yuci with him.This person's name is Yang Shenxiu, his style name is Yiyou, he is from Wenxi, this province, and he is thirty-three years old this year.Ten years ago, Yang Shenxiu passed the examination, and he will pass the examination the next year.The Yang family is a big Wenxi family with rich family resources.Yang's father then donated money to his son, a member of the Ministry of punishment, Wailang.This is an empty title, and Yang Shenxiu is still studying at home.What he longs for is to be born in the two rankings.

In the third year of Guangxu, Yang Shenxiu couldn't bear to see the suffering of the villagers, so he opened porridge factories to relieve the victims, and spent a huge sum of money to buy medicinal materials and donate them to poor patients.Because of this, Yang Shenxiu's reputation spread far and wide.At this time, Yan Jingming was ordering disaster relief, so he hired Yang Shenxiu to come to Taiyuan to assist him in this important event. Yang Shenxiu is upright and meticulous.The disaster was serious, and the people were in dire straits, but many people in Shanxi official circles took advantage of their power and embezzled money and property.Yang Shenxiu was very resentful about this.He talked about this with Yan Jingming, and Yan Jingming was equally resentful.After receiving Yan's support, Yang Shenxiu secretly recorded a detailed account for future needs.After the disaster relief was completed, Yan Jingming left Taiyuan and went to Xiezhou Academy.Soon, Yang Shenxiu also returned to his hometown to continue his studies.Wenxi is adjacent to Xiezhou, and Yang Shenxiu often visits Xiezhou Academy to ask Yan for advice.Talking about the corruption in the officialdom, the poverty and weakness of the country, and the old people's hearts, these two teachers and students, who are more than 30 years apart in age, have many common emotions.

Sang Zhiping talked to Yan Jingming about the difficulties faced by the investigation bureau, and Yan Jingming thought of Yang Shenxiu, so he invited him to Taiyuan together.Yang Shenxiu admired Zhang Zhidong's name and readily agreed. In the evening, as soon as Yan Jingming and his party entered the city gate, they saw a man in the attire of a low-level official walking forward.Sang Zhiping smiled and said, "Guo Xunbu, when did you come?" Guo Xunbu said: "I received a letter from Mr. Sang the day before yesterday, and Mr. Futai arrived in Yuci yesterday. I have been waiting at the gate of the city for a whole day today, and I am finally looking forward to your arrival. Now please go to the county with Mr. Yan and Mr. Sang." yamen."

Yan Jingming was quite surprised when he heard that Zhang Zhidong came to Yuci to greet him in person, and said to Sang Zhiping: "Master Zhang is busy with official duties, yet he is still so polite, which makes this old man uneasy." Sang Zhiping said: "Master Zhang admires Elder Dan very much. If he is not busy with business, he would go to Xiezhou himself. He has already agreed with me that I will send him a letter when I arrive in Taigu, no matter how busy I am." , he will come to Yuci to greet him in person to show his admiration." Yan Jingming said repeatedly: "Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it!"

While speaking, Zhang Zhidong arrived at the gate of the Yuci County Yamen before he knew it, and a group of officials including County Magistrate Luo and Master He came forward to welcome him.Sang Zhiping made an introduction. Zhang Zhidong bowed to Yan Jingming and said, "I have admired Dan's reputation for a long time, and I admire him so much." Yan Jingming returned the salute and said: "Master Zhang came to Yuci to meet in person, I am ashamed." Zhang Zhidong said: "Danlao, a veteran of the four dynasties and a hero of Zhongxing, Zhidong did not go to Xiezhou to welcome him. It is already disrespectful. I hope Danlao will forgive him."

As he spoke, he introduced a group of officials from Yuci County to Yan Jingming.Yan Jingming pointed to Yang Shenxiu and said, "This is Xiaolian, Yang Shenxiuyi Village, Wenxi County. In the third year of Guangxu, he assisted me in doing relief work in Shanxi. He is a very bloody man who donates money for justice." When Zhang Zhidong heard that Yang Shenxiu had done relief work, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "Did Yang Xiaolian accompany Elder Dan to Beijing?" Yan Jingming said: "No, I specially brought him to Taiyuan to meet you." Zhang Zhidong turned to Yang Shenxiu and said, "Yang Xiaolian, please stay in Taiyuan City for a few more days, I have something important to ask." Yang Shenxiu said: "Your ruler has heard of your lord's reputation for a long time. Your lord is in charge of the Sanjin. This is the luck of the elders of the Sanjin. Your ruler is willing to drive for your lord." County Magistrate Luo greeted with a smile: "Please invite Mr. Dan, Mr. Zhang and everyone to join us. Let's talk freely at the banquet." The governor drove to the county seat, and this was the best time for the county magistrate to show his hospitality.Yan Jingming went to Beijing to be the Secretary of the Household Department, and staying here is also a good opportunity for the host to curry favor.Wouldn't it be a great thing to put the two things together!The Luo county magistrate mobilized all forces to clean the roads, clean the post house, collect delicacies, and prepare fine wines. He was busy for two full days.Tonight, the reception banquet at the county government office was held grandly and sumptuously: one table for the chairman, three tables for companions, all the good food from Shanxi Province were served on the table, and the whole room was full of red candles, which added a lot of lively atmosphere to the banquet hall. However, the sixty-five-year-old host and guest were frugal in nature and were not used to delicacies from mountains and seas. In addition, he was tired from the journey and had no appetite. He only took two sips of wine and moved his chopsticks a few times before shutting his mouth and not eating again.The first companion is not a person who eats and drinks.Before the age of forty, Zhang Zhidong was addicted to alcohol and was often drunk.After the age of forty, due to poor health, he also refrained from drinking too much.Therefore, this banquet, which was called entertaining Yan Jingming and Zhang Zhidong, became a gathering of officials big and small from the Yuci County Yamen.They toasted frequently at the companion table, persuaded each other to drink, chewed and devoured. Looking at this scene, Zhang Zhidong couldn't help frowning.He told County Magistrate Luo that tomorrow he will stay with Mr. Dan in Yuci for a day. There are important matters to be discussed, and all entertainment will be forsaken.Luo county magistrate was not easy to disobey, so he had to agree. The next morning, Zhang Zhidong came alone to the post where Yan Jingming was staying.He wants to have a long heart-to-heart talk with this former court official who has come back twice. Zhang Zhidong said: "Twenty years ago, Mr. Hu Wenzhong praised you as the number one person in Hubei's economy, and asked me to go to Wuchang to worship you as a teacher, so as to learn from your true talents and knowledge. My lord, this trip failed. It was a pity and a blessing that I was able to get to know you after twenty years! This time, the Queen Mother entrusted you with the important task of farming, which is exactly what everyone expects, and it is suitable for both people and land. You must I will once again show my hand to mend the sky, open up financial resources for the imperial court, and benefit the country. I will leave for Taiyuan tomorrow, and I will naturally let you stay in Taiyuan for a few more days. It’s just that there are so many people in the provincial capital, it’s hard to have such a quiet environment, so I chose Yuci to meet you first. One is to express my sincerity, and the other is to take this opportunity to have a talk with you. I have many things to ask you, please don’t be too blunt. On my face, open the mausoleum for me." Yan Jingming listened to Zhang Zhidong's opening speech with a solemn expression, and after pondering for a long time, he said: "Mr. Wen Zhong once mentioned Futai to the old man before his death, and praised Futai as the most intelligent young man he met, and his future is boundless. Duke Wen Zhong really knows people with great eyes, and Futai has achieved his official position today." "How can I compare with Duke Wen Zhong?" Zhang Zhidong said hastily, "Although Duke Wen Zhong is only the governor of Hubei, he is actually the pillar of the south of the Yangtze River. Today's Jin Fu can't compare with that of Hubei." Yan Jingming said with a smile: "With Futai's talent, if you keep doing it well, you will be a pillar of the imperial court in the future." Zhang Zhidong said: "Thank you, Myriad for your encouragement. I will do my best, and I hope to live up to the trust of the imperial court and my high hopes." Yan Jingming originally thought that Zhang Zhidong, who was born in Qingliu, would be full of morale, but unexpectedly he was so sincere, so he nodded and asked, "What is Futai going to say to this old man?" Zhang Zhidong paused for a moment, and said: "The imperial court ordered me to bear the burden of the Three Jins. I really want to do something practical for the elders of the Three Jins, but I often feel powerless. Shanxi has many problems. In my opinion, there are mainly three aspects. One is that opium poppies are widely planted in the countryside, competing with crops for land, officials and military camps eat more opium, and the atmosphere is decadent. The other is that from provinces to prefectures and counties, officials are corrupt, and officials at all levels are tired and lazy. The third is that the land in Shanxi is barren and there are very few products. The livelihood of the people is difficult and it is difficult to save themselves. The income of the government is exhausted and it is almost impossible to do anything.” Yan Jingming said: "I have lived in Shanxi for many years, and I have heard and seen the disadvantages of Shanxi. What Futai said just now are all the disadvantages of Shanxi. I often heard scholars in Jiezhou say that after Futai came to Jin, he tried to eradicate the disadvantages and clean up the folk customs. Scholars all praised Futai for its grandeur." Zhang Zhidong said: "To tell you the truth, since I came to Shanxi, I have taken tough measures in order to make a difference. For example, in eradicating poisonous plants and prohibiting opium smoking, I did not hesitate to use soldiers. I was not afraid of offending the squires." Now it seems that it has achieved some results. As for the rectification of officials and administration, I also want to use the check of the treasury as a gap to severely stop the corruption. I must also know that the Shanxi treasury has outstanding accounts for 30 years , isn’t this an outrageous thing!” "I know." Yan Jingming said solemnly, "As far as I know, Shanxi is not the only province where the treasury has been unclear for many years. Of course, Shanxi has been unclear for 30 years, and it does rank first in the country. For the other ten or eight years There are still several provinces that are unclear. The Empress Dowager wants the old man to be the secretary of the household department, but it is very difficult for the old man to find out the current inventory of money in each province. How will the minister of the household department do it. Hey!" After Yan Jingming finished speaking, he sighed heavily. After hearing Yan Jingming's exclamation, Zhang Zhidong suddenly had an idea and said: "When I was an idle official in the capital, I also heard from the officials of the department and courtyard that it was the most difficult to manage the six departments and several household departments in the past few decades. The military pay was huge. , The provinces pay very little, not only do not pay what should be paid, but also intercept the tolls from other provinces. No wonder the officials of the household department even said that the behavior of the provinces is like a green forest.” Yan Jingming interjected with a smile: "Hanlin turns green forest. This sentence was originally scolded by Li Shaoquan, but later it became a famous saying, widely circulated and applied." Zhang Zhidong originally wanted to say, "This is because more and more imperial forests like Li Hongzhang have turned into green forests." Thinking about Yan Jingming and Li Hongzhang having the same experience, such clear and angry words cannot be spoken in front of him, so He swallowed the words again, and changed his words: "All the provinces are complaining, saying that they have a lot of deficits, and the Ministry of Households can't do anything about them. As you said just now, to find out the current situation of treasury funds in each province, it is indeed the Ministry of Households. It is a big event. I think, after Danlao came to Beijing this time, the first fire was ignited on this matter, and Shanxi will provide an example for Danlao.” Yan Jingming thought, this is a good idea.After receiving the imperial decree to enter Beijing to serve as Minister of the Household Department, Yan Jingming has been thinking about it: in the name of a virtuous person, he has been thanked for the decree several times, but now he is taking up the post at the age of sixty-five, how many pairs of eyes in the world are looking at him Ah, if there is no achievement in the body, it will not only live up to the grace of God, but also damage your own reputation; if you want to make achievements, where should the achievements be based?Zhang Zhidong is indeed a smart man, and his idea can be said to kill two birds with one stone: firstly, it is to exchange for the support of me and the Ministry of Household Affairs, and at the same time, it is indeed an inspiration to the Ministry of Household Affairs.Well, such a thing that is beneficial to both him and me, both Shanxi and the court, why not support it? Yan Jingming smiled comfortably and said: "Zhang Futai, I fully support you in clearing up the accounts of Shanxi's vassal treasury for 30 years, and then invite the queen mother and emperor to make all provinces follow the example of Shanxi. Futai needs me to do something. Tell me!" Zhang Zhidong said happily: "Mr. Dan is really a person who does things with sincerity. With your support, things in Shanxi will be much easier to handle. To tell the truth from Mr. Dan, it is not difficult to check the treasury funds in general. Not to mention 30 years, even 40 or 50 years is not difficult. I just need to find a year with clear accounts, and start from this year, collect all the existing documents, and then Every year to do the accounts. As long as there are a group of careful and experienced accountants, it takes half a year to re-establish a set of accounts." Zhang Zhidong picked up his teacup and took a sip.From these few words, Yan Jingming could feel that the Qingliu governor in front of him had the aura of taking things lightly.He thought to himself: This person has the talent of being a prime minister. If the right time comes, his future achievements may not be as good as his master's. A thought popped up in his mind instantly. "I am not only trying to clean up the accounts of the treasury, but more importantly, I want to take this opportunity to rectify the officialdom in Shanxi." Zhang Zhidong put down his teacup and said with a solemn expression, "As I said just now, the officialdom in Shanxi extends from provinces to prefectures and counties. There are a lot of dirty officials, and it is rumored that the root of this is in the provincial capital, and because of the effect of others, it makes the official style of the San Jin worse." When Zhang Zhidong said this, he lowered his voice: "Through open and unannounced visits, I already know that the root of this is Baogeng, the current vassal. Baogeng's accomplices include Ji Ning Dao Wang Ding'an and Yangqu County Magistrate Xu Shilin. They were in Guangxu for three years. During the disaster relief, the partnership practiced fraud and embezzled a lot of money. I want to check the disaster relief funds by checking the treasury funds, find out Baogeng’s embezzlement case by checking the disaster relief funds, and then rectify the Sanjin by stopping Baogeng and others official style." Yan Jingming calmly said: "Futai just said that through open and secret investigations, it is known that the root is Bao Geng, as well as Wang Ding'an and Xu Shilin. Can you tell the old man about the suspicion in more detail?" Zhang Zhidong said: "Ma Piyao, the governor of Datong Prefecture, was an honest and reliable person recommended to me by Zhongcheng Jinglan before leaving. I set up the investigation bureau and used Ma Piyao. Ma Piyao checked the treasury funds for several months and found Bao Geng There are many doubts about Wang Ding'an. In addition, the yamen also received unnamed posts saying that Bao Geng, Wang Ding'an, and Xu Shilin were colluding and corrupting together. I have been with Bao Geng for a while, and I don't think he is decent. People. But now we don’t have any real evidence, so we can’t do anything. What’s more, Bao Geng is a high-ranking official, and Wang Ding’an’s background is not small, so we need to be more cautious.” "Futai is thinking about it." Yan Jingming said slowly, "I can tell Futai in detail about the disaster relief in the third year of Guangxu. In September of the third year of Guangxu, I was ordered to handle disaster relief matters with Zeng Jiushuai. Jiu Shuai fought for a long time, overworked and became ill. After Jiang Ning recovered, he returned to his hometown to recuperate. In the fourth year of Tongzhi, he was ordered to be the governor of Shanxi, but Jiu Shuai resigned due to illness. Shuai had no choice but to be appointed governor of Hubei. However, the military affairs in Hubei were not going well. In October of the sixth year of Tongzhi, Jiushuai unloaded Hubei Fuzhuan and returned to his hometown for treatment. This treatment lasted for seven years. He did not take over until February of the first year of Guangxu. Governor of Hedong Road. In August of the following year, he was appointed governor of Shanxi. The nine generals asked for leave to return to their hometown. It was not until February of the third year of Guangxu that they set off from Changsha, and arrived in Taiyuan at the end of April to receive seal inspection. " Yan Jingming picked up the old sunflower fan he brought out from Jiezhou, and slapped it twice casually.Zhang Zhidong listened and thought, why did Yan Jingming spend so much time describing the long process from Zeng Guoquan's defeat of Jiangning to his re-assignment of Jinfu?Do you want to tell me that Zeng Guoquan has been sick for more than ten years and lacks energy, which has caused the fatigue of Shanxi officials?Yes, after all, Yan Jingming and the Zeng brothers had the experience of fighting together, and he used this to get rid of Zeng Guoquan's responsibility. Zhang Zhidong said: "Marshal Zeng Jiu has been in the army for more than ten years. He has made great contributions to the court, but he himself fell ill. Elder Dan also suffered a lot for Ping Changmao and Nian Bandits." "The king's life is in his body, so he has to drive away sick. Since ancient times, there are a few good generals who are comfortable." Yan Jingming said while shaking the sunflower fan. Zhang Zhidong understood that the narration of Zeng Guoquan's experience was not only intended to excuse the old nine, but also implicitly implied in it to show his merits. Yan Jingming stopped shaking his fan, and continued: "In the third year of Guangxu, there was a severe drought in Shanxi. Before that, it had been drought for a year. The drought lasted for two years and caused Shanxi to suffer. Let me tell you a few words that the old man and Jiu Shuai would play on their heads." Yan Jingming closed his eyes slightly, recalling.After a while he opened his dim old eyes, and said back: "In ancient times, it was called Yi Zi to eat, and disintegration of bones to cook. Today, there is a famine in Jin Province, or father and son eat each other, or flesh and blood to disintegrate bones, there are everywhere. If it can be banned, isn't it a change in human relations!" Zhang Zhidong's heart was in pain as if pierced by a sharp knife. The phrase "eat by changing the child, and cook by analyzing the remains" was often seen in books when young, but I didn't really believe it. I suspected that the literati had exaggerated it.Unexpectedly, under his own rule, on this land five years ago, it would appear alive.What a horrible thing that is! The two were relatively silent, and the atmosphere in the post house seemed to freeze. After a long time, Yan Jingming finally said: "If two years of severe drought were like this, it would not have happened. This is because Shanxi is too poor. Even in good years, the common people can only be half-starved and half-fed, not to mention famine. What's more important Most of them are caused by poppy seedlings. Farmers in Shanxi are greedy for short-term benefits, so they waste their crops and plant poppies. They have not stored food in their homes for many years, and there are no food in warehouses in prefectures and counties. The mountains in Shanxi are steep and the roads are steep, and it is inconvenient to carry them. When the drought comes , but can’t buy soybeans and wheat with copper coins, so I have to wait to die.” "So the poppy seedlings must be eradicated!" Zhang Zhidong said angrily. "Yes, Futai's move is of great merit." After a word of approval, Yan Jingming continued, "At that time, I told Jiu Shuai that distributing money was the second priority. The first thing was to go to other provinces to provide food, and I asked the imperial court to order the provinces in the south of the Yangtze River Grain was used instead of silver, and it was quickly transported to Shanxi for emergency relief. In one year, a total of 3.4 million victims were relieved, 13 million taels of silver were used, and 1.6 million shi was used for grain." Zhang Zhidong interjected: "Shanxi has a population of 11 million, and more than 30% of the beneficiaries. The province's Dingyin is only three million taels a year, and the amount of silver used is as much as tens of millions. The merits of Dan Lao and the elders of the three Jin Dynasties , the mountains are high and the sea is deep!" "Futai, this old man can't bear it." Yan Jingming laughed.These words obviously made the old man happy from the bottom of his heart.He said happily, "First of all, this is the kindness of the imperial court, secondly, the donations of the provinces, and thirdly, the joint efforts of most officials and gentry in Shanxi. If the old man is alone, no matter how powerful he is, there is nothing he can do!" "Old Dan." Zhang Zhidong asked, "It is said that Shanxi gentry and merchants donated a lot back then. Do you remember the approximate amount of the money?" "This is an important thing that I want to tell Futai in detail. The emergency measures formulated by the Nine Marshals back then have achieved great success and great harm." Yan Jingming habitually picked up the old sunflower fan, shook it gently and slowly, and it took a long time before he said: "When the Hunan Army first started, paying the salary was the first headache. Zeng Wenzheng followed the example of the previous court and asked the court to Blank title licenses and blank medals were issued to reward gentry who donated money. The early Hunan Army’s food and salaries mainly relied on this source.” Zhang Zhidong knew that this method had been used since ancient times.False title license means that depending on the amount of donations, a title will be awarded accordingly, and a set of official uniform collar will be presented. When encountering festive ceremonies and banquets, this official uniform can be worn to show face, but there is no actual position and real power.This kind of exchange can satisfy the official vanity of many rich people.Usually, this authority lies with the imperial court, and the name on the license is filled in and issued by the imperial court.Zeng Guofan asked the court to issue a blank license, and he filled in the name, which means he took the power of the court into his own hands. Compared with the false title license, the merit card is lower.It is the record card of meritorious service.Soldiers made meritorious service in battle, and a corresponding merit card was issued depending on the size of the merit, and after a certain period of time, they could be promoted.Those who did not go to the front line to fight can also get merit cards by donating money.With merit cards, there is honor, and there are many benefits in the local area.This practice of opening up famous roads has indeed played a lot of role in emergency response in history. "Jiu Shuai moved it to Shanxi. He invited the imperial court for 2,000 blank title licenses and 2,000 blank merit badges each, and handed over the right to fill in the 4,000 license plates to the feudal official Baogeng, without asking any questions himself. , and that's where the problem lies." Now that he was talking about the key points, Zhang Zhidong stared at this old man with extraordinary experience with piercing eyes, wanting to remember every word he said in his heart. "Whether it is a license or a merit card, there is an original and a copy. The original is sent to the donor, and the copy is kept in the government archives for inquiries. If things are done impartially, the original and the copy are exactly the same, that is, the amount of donated silver, the level of title or The two copies of military merits are the same. If there is corruption in mind, the two copies will not match. The original copy in the hands of the donor is the real number, and the archived copy is less. The difference is the embezzlement of those who fill in. In addition, there are some people who donate too little money to issue licenses or medals, or some people donate money but do not need licenses. The money can also be filled by deacons without revealing it. Traces. These wrists were difficult to check even at the time, and after many years, it will be even more difficult to check." Zhang Zhidong felt cold when he heard this: Yes, how to find it?Isn't this still unsubstantiated? "There is an old saying that if you want others to know, you have to do nothing. If you really want to make up your mind to investigate, it's not impossible, but I don't know if Futai has really made up his mind?" Yan Jingming looked closely at Zhang Zhidong. "Please rest assured, Elder Dan, I made this determination half a year ago." "Zhang Futai, all matters in the officialdom are intertwined. If you investigate one matter, you will be involved in many things. If you investigate one person, you will implicate a group of people. There will be many unexpected troubles in the future. It will even bring extremely adverse consequences. Have you thought about all this?" Zhang Zhidong said firmly: "Mr. Dan, don't worry too much about me. I have never been afraid of people, and I will never bow to evil. I can do as many things as I want, and I can do as many people as I get involved. Check how many people." Yan Jingming smiled faintly twice, and said: "Zhang Futai, I admire your spirit very much. But I can't tell you the truth, your spirit can be used in the capital as a speech officer, and it can be used in Shanxi. Not being a governor." "Why?" Zhang Zhidong looked at Yan Jingming and said earnestly, "Please teach me Elder Dan." "Zhang Futai, when you first became an official in the frontier, you still don't know the real status of local officials. If you use the teachings of sages and the laws of the court to strictly measure these magistrates and county magistrates, it can be said that none of them is qualified. Therefore, it depends on whether an official is worthy or not. We can only look at the big ones and forget the small ones. Therefore, a governor must not think about punishing as many people as possible. Catch the leader and punish a few of the most serious accomplices. If all of them are punished, Who will do things for you? If they huddle against you, how can you stay in this province? So I advise you, you clear the treasury, just clear the disaster relief; if you want to participate, Let’s just impeach Bao Geng, Wang Ding’an and a few people who are extremely angry with the people.” Yan Jingming's words made Zhang Zhidong nod his head, and quickly said: "Old Dan is right. The ancients said that the clouds and water are so clear that there are no fish, and that people can see no one. I have read these words in the past, and I understand the truth. I don’t remember when it happened.” "Futai is a sensible person, and the old man just needs to click a little bit." Yan Jingming laughed, "Baogeng is greedy for money and goods. I noticed it in the third year of Guangxu. Wang Ding'an was greedy and shady. The reputation of Zhongzhong is extremely bad. Futai wants to use the two of them to clean up Shanxi officials. Provinces, we can also serve as a warning to corrupt officials in eighteen provinces.” "That's exactly what I thought. To tell you the truth, after I came to Shanxi, I gave the court's thank-you package that said 'Don't forget to manage the eight forms'. Some people criticized me, saying that I was ambitious and was not satisfied with being a governor. They covet the position of prime minister. They don't know my painstaking efforts, I want to use this place in Shanxi to set an example for the whole country." "Zhang Futai, this is what the saying goes, a sparrow knows the ambition of a great swan!" After all, he laughed. Zhang Zhidong also laughed loudly: "Old Man Dan said it well, well said it! A sparrow knows the ambition of a great swan!" "Zhang Futai, this old man can give you an idea, maybe you can get some real evidence." Beginning to touch the vital point, Zhang Zhidong quickly stopped laughing, and tilted his head forward to listen respectfully. "You immediately call out all copies of the licenses and medals issued in the third year of Guangxu's reign, select twenty or thirty of them with a large amount of donations, and then send people to the door one by one, asking them to bring out the originals, and compare the two, and the evidence out." What a great idea!Zhang Zhidong couldn't help admiring Yan Jingming's sophistication from the bottom of his heart.He excitedly took the sunflower fan, and while fanning Yan Jingming, he said, "Thank you Dan Lao for your guidance." "Also, Yang Shenxiu, whom I brought to you, had assisted me in helping me for a period of time, and was later sent by Xu Shilin. Yang Shenxiu suspected that Xu Shilin's hands and feet were not clean, and had secretly recorded an account. This sum The accounts are also available for your reference." "Thank you so much!" Zhang Zhidong got up happily, and said to Yan Jingming: "The two points you just said are of great benefit to the cleaning of the Shanxi feudal treasury. After talking all morning, I will accompany you for a walk in the courtyard. After lunch, I will ask you again." "Zhang Futai, please spare me the old man!" Zhang Zhidong stared at the rustic Da Sinong in front of him in astonishment, not knowing the meaning of these words. "You are only in your forties, and you are in the prime of life. You are sixty-five years old this year. How can you afford to accompany me! After lunch, you let me have a good rest. Tonight, I have something important to say to you!" Only then did Zhang Zhidong understand, and he said apologetically, "It's only my fault that I was eager to seek treatment, and I regarded Elder Dan as a Vajra Arhat. Well, please rest well this afternoon, and I will come to seek advice wholeheartedly in the evening."