Chapter 65 Section 65. Saving Competent Officials

A few tender soldiers were led by the inspector, and they took Ye Zisong into the temporary prison in the backyard of the imperial envoy's office, and the inspector assigned a guard to watch over him.Ye Zisong was actually carried into prison by the bidders.Li Bao learned from the guard that Ye Zisong was too sick to get up, and it was time to wait.Depending on the situation, this Ode to Ye Zi may not last until the day when the imperial decree is issued. Li Bao hurriedly reported the matter to Zeng Guofan.Zeng Guofan pondered for a while, and asked Li Bao to secretly invite a doctor to come outside and enter the prison to treat Ye Zisong. I know, tell me again and again.Li Bao left quietly.

Li Bao went to handle it himself, and it was really secretive. Two days later, Ye Zisong started to eat.Only then did Zeng Guofan put his heart into his stomach.Li Bao paid more and more attention to Li Bao, who was able to do things quietly and concisely. Even Wen Qing kept this matter a secret, so the governor's yamen naturally didn't know about it. Hechun asked the inspector almost every day how far Ye Zisong was sick, and He Chuntian was looking forward to the news of Ye Zisong's death, but Ye Zisong was getting better every day, Hechun and the inspector were secretly amazed.

Five days passed in a flash, calculated according to the time, even if the imperial decree was issued, it was still on the way, and Ye Zisong was already able to walk around the prison.Zeng Guofan and Wen Qing discussed and planned to interrogate Ye Zisong.Wen Qing has nothing to say. Zeng Guofan prepared instruments of torture that day.These instruments of torture are not for prisoners, they are for prisoners to see, and they are also for the governor's yamen and the inspector's yamen to see. The presiding judge was Zeng Guofan, Wen Qing also participated, and the copywriting was ready-made.According to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, the Minister of Investigation and Relief has the right to independently adjudicate the case, but it must be a relief case, and those unrelated to the relief case will be handed over to the local government for trial.The governor's yamen is not allowed to interfere when the disaster relief minister examines the relief case.If not, the Minister of Disaster Relief has the right to impeach the local governor.

Ye Zisong already knew that the head on his neck was kept by Zeng Guofan at the risk of punishment, and he was already grateful to the boss in his heart. Ye Zisong came from a humble background, and he was an early candidate for the imperial examinations. Because he couldn't make up enough money to go to Beijing, and Guangdong was far away from the capital, he didn't have the chance to be a Jinshi.Later, there was a "bandit meeting" in Guangdong, and the court called on the gentry to organize a group training. He also trained a group of people in Hua County.It happened that "bandits" attacked the county government, and he led people to resist, but succeeded.So he was recommended as a fourth-rank Xuanfu envoy, distributed to Shandong, and entered the official career since then.Ye Zisong's experience is quite similar to Jiang Zhongyuan's, but not as lucky as Jiang Zhongyuan's.

Ode to Ye Zi was brought into the lobby and knelt down in the middle. Seeing Ye Zisong, Zeng Guofan really recovered better than when he saw him, so he asked: "Ye Mingfu, you raise your head. Your case has already alarmed the court, and Benbutang and Mr. Wen are asking you something about your case." If so, you must answer truthfully and not lie." Ye Zisong knelt down, and replied respectfully: "Yes, you two, feel free to ask questions." Wen Qing whispered to Zeng Guofan: "The name is wrong, it should be called a criminal." Zeng Guofan nodded and asked, "Criminal, do you know what crime you committed?"

Ye Zisong replied: "I know, defrauding the emperor is a capital crime, and Zisong pleads guilty." Zeng Guofan asked again: "Is that all?" Ye Zisong replied: "That's all." Wen Qing suddenly asked: "Prisoner, why did you sell the government's relief food? Don't you know that this is life-saving food for the common people?" Ye Zisong blurted out: "The imperial government's food relief to Dongping County is only 10 million catties a year, but there are 154,700 people in my Dongping County, and each person has less than 60 catties of food. Three One hundred and sixty-five days, how can the people survive."

Wen Qing asked: "Then if you sell the relief food, won't you force the people even more to death?" Ye Zisong replied: "Zi Song sold a staggering 10 million catties of food relief, but bought 30,000 dans of sweet potatoes and 10 million tans of mulberry leaves for the people of Dongping County. Master Qian Gu remembers this account clearly, sir. Mingchao." Zeng Guofan asked: "Prisoner, of course you have your reasons for doing this. But you know that according to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, if local officials want to mobilize relief money and food, they must report to the chief envoy, who then reports to the governor. Yamen, it can only be carried out after approval. If you use food relief without approval, no matter what your intentions are, you will be beheaded, you should understand."

Ye Zisong replied: "Zi Song naturally understands the power of this, but Zi Song sent three petitions to the governor's office, but there was no reply. For this matter, Zi Song made a special trip to the provincial capital to appeal to Zhongcheng. Because there was no precedent, Zhongcheng did not dare to approve it. Zisong was forced to do nothing, so he decided to abandon the head on the item to protect the gruel in the bowls of Dongping people." Wen Qing asked: "Yezi Song, the emperor has ordered you to be executed, don't you feel wronged?" Ye Zisong replied: "Responding to your lord's words, Zisong doesn't feel wronged." Tears welled up in his eyes, he lowered his head, paused, and then continued: "As long as the people in Dongping can live, Zisong's head will fall off like this." Worth it! Zisong has already passed the age of knowing his fate, so what a pity to die!"

The hall was silent for a while, and the sound of slapping was clearly audible.The trial of the case could not go on, so Zeng Guofan had to ask Ye Zisong to be sent back to prison. After a while of silence, Wen Qing said to Zeng Guofan, "Disheng, have you ever thought that if a local official like Ye Zisong hadn't had some feud with the governor's yamen, someone like Hechun who has been in the frontier for a long time would , You can’t do this kind of murder. Didn’t you find out? Ye Zisong’s sentence of beheading was all caused by Hechun and the governor’s office.” Zeng Guofan thought for a while, then sighed and said, "I really don't know what people in the banner like Mr. He think. It's so rare for an official like Ye Zisong to serve the people wholeheartedly!"

Wen Qing said: "I dare to judge that there must be something hidden behind this case! It seems that we need to visit." "That's right." Zeng Guofan said, "For a private visit like this, it would be great to have someone here. I guarantee that within three days, the visit will be clear and clear. You and I don't need to bother." Wen Qing was surprised and asked, "Who are you talking about? Why can't I remember such a person?" Zeng Guofan smiled mysteriously, and replied, "Changshun's chief guard! If the chief guard is by your side..."

"Changshun?" Wen Qing was taken aback, and then continued, "If you don't tell me, I really forgot about him. He is now the top-ranking member of the palace, the first-class guard of the palace. It looks like he will enter the department soon. I'm afraid I won't have the opportunity to visit privately again!" Zeng Guofan said: "According to the officials, this long bodyguard, like Sushun, is capable of doing great things! He is serious in his work and never takes chances." Wen Qing pondered and replied: "It is true that great things can be done if you do big things, but you are a bit ruthless, I am afraid that a good death is rare! If not done well, even Duanhua, Prince Zheng, will be implicated by him." Wen Qing obviously meant Sushun .Zeng Guofan has always believed in the way of being an official that "live in groups and keep your mouth shut, and live alone and keep your heart". Therefore, he didn't want to talk about the right and wrong between the court and China, so he had no excuses, so he bowed his head and drank a sip of tea. Wen Qing understood Zeng Guofan, smiled and said, "Let's rest," and walked out of the lobby. Zeng Guofan returned to the bedroom, called Li Bao and Liu Heng to his side, and said quietly: "The hall has given you two an errand, and you can only do it quietly without making any publicity. Tomorrow morning, you two will change into casual clothes and go to the south of the city one by one. One goes to the north of the city. Remember, wherever the excitement goes, secretly ask if there is any festival with Zhong Cheng and Ye Zisong, the magistrate of Dongping County. The Ministry deduces that it is impossible for ordinary people not to talk about an official like Ye Zisong. Do not reveal your identity. You don’t need to go back to Xingyuan at night, you can stay in an inn or a theater. When will you come back after you understand it? Do you understand?” Li Bao and Liu Heng looked at each other, and replied: "Respond to your lord's words, I understand the humble position." "Okay!" Zeng Guofan waved his hand, "You don't need to see me tomorrow, go down." The next day, Wen Qing asked Zeng Guofan to visit the Guandi Temple in the south of the city.Zeng Guofan was afraid that no one would accept the imperial edict when the imperial edict arrived, which would leave Hechun with a handle, so he evaded his discomfort and politely refused.Wen Qing was really panicked, so he took someone to Guandi Temple alone. Here, Zeng Guofan sent his bodyguards to pass on to Tong Hongcai of Jining Prefecture and the current acting posts of Wenshang County, and the two of them brought the detailed records of food distribution, and came to the imperial envoy Xingyuan to ask questions.Ye Zisong's matter had no clue, so he had to put it aside for the time being. In the evening of the next day, Hongcai and the current acting deputy of Wenshang County came to the imperial envoy's office.Zeng Guofan let them and his entourage eat first, and then asked the current acting deputy of Wenshang County to come to the lobby for questioning. Because this is Zeng Guofan's investigation for relief, Wen Qing is not good and he doesn't want to intervene.Zeng Guofan had to ask questions alone. The copywriter and a group of guards were always on hand, so there was no need to elaborate. Li Yanshen, a native of Shanxi who was born in the second rank of Shandong Province, took over Ye Zisong's current acting position in Wenshang County.Letting the alternate Taoist magistrate, and it is a small county acting from the seventh rank, made Zeng Guofan very puzzled: "The Taoist is a fourth-rank title. As usual, no matter how tight the shortage is, it is appropriate to release the magistrate." As soon as Li Yanshen entered the lobby, he saluted and bowed to Zeng Guofan first, and called him an official without mentioning his professionalism;Zeng Guofan looked at Li Yanshen, who was in his fifties, wearing a shabby official uniform, with a yellow beard, tall and frail.How can this have the magistrate's style, he is clearly a down-and-out old scholar! Zeng Guofan coughed and began to ask: "Li Guan, how many years have you been in Shandong?" Li Yanshen stood up hastily, and replied with lowered hands, "It's been eight years since I came to Shandong as an official." Zeng Guofan quickly waved his hands: "Li Guan, you don't have to get up to answer." Li Yanshen still said very politely: "If you don't dare, it's better to answer standing up. My lord can just ask questions." Zeng Guofan had no choice but to say: "Li Guan, the Ministry Hall hasn't seen your resume yet, so you can introduce it briefly. The Ministry Hall also has a better understanding of you." Li Yanshen stood up and replied respectfully: "The lower official was a Jinshi in the seventh year of Daoguang. After the palace examination, he was sent to Jiangning Prefecture as an alternate county magistrate by the official department. He was in Jiangning for ten years and served as magistrate for two years. He was promoted to Guangdong later. Signed the prefectural council for one year. He was recorded as a great excellent by the Ministry of Officials, and was recommended by the Ministry to introduce him to Beijing. After the introduction, he was rewarded with the title of a fourth-rank Taoist priest and distributed to the governor’s office in Shandong. He was not afraid of being laughed at by adults when he said it. After waiting in Shandong for eight years, he was taken care of by Zhongcheng and let Xiaguan go to represent Wenshang County. The resume of Xiaguan is really simple, and it is annoying to bother adults." Zeng Guofan never expected such a thing to happen in the majestic Qing Dynasty!An official with two backgrounds has only served as county magistrate for two years and prefectural councilor for one year in 20 years, and he is still acting as an agent!If you say it, I'm afraid even the emperor himself won't believe it! A trace of pity grew from the bottom of Zeng Guofan's heart.Zeng Guofan sighed heavily, and said, "Li Guan, you must have brought all the records of Wenshang County's food and silver distribution details?" Li Yanshen replied: "Responding to your lord's words, all the six books are on Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang is waiting outside the door, and your lord can summon him at any time." Zeng Guofan said: "Submit it." Li Yanshen agreed with "Yes", then turned and walked out.After a while, he brought in a large bundle of account books, put his hands in front of Zeng Guofan, said "please take a look at it", and returned to the original place, still standing. Zeng Guofan opened the account page of the first book, and saw that there were a lot of dots on it, but he didn't see it when he read it on Wenshang, obviously it was added later. Zeng Guofan looked at it and asked: "Li Guan, what's the matter with the dots on the book? The head of the Ministry has seen this book when he was in Wenshang, and it has never been drawn in it." Li Yanshen replied: "Responding to my lord's words, the dots and dots on it were drawn by the lower official. After the lower official received the seal, he took the master to check each one according to the details, and found many difficulties. Solve the mystery. The lower officials couldn't solve it, so I drew some dots, and wanted to go to the state to ask Mr. Hong for advice after the verification was completed." Zeng Guofan asked: "Li Guan, don't go around in circles with the headquarters, just speak up if you have something to say." Li Yanshen replied: "Yes, my lord. I found a few people in Chengguan Town, and searched according to the album. The amount of food that this person received was the same as that registered. When I arrived at Baochang and Jiachang, the amount of food received was quite different from what was recorded. There was also a strange incident that the lower officials had never understood. For example, there was Xu Laosan in Twelfth Jia who had been dead for three years. He even received food relief." Zeng Guofan said: "Li Guan, why didn't you ask the master who went with you? These account books were all created by the master, and the source of the sums should be the most clear to the master." Li Yanshen said: "My lord taught me a lesson, but the former master has gone to Zhoushang with Lord Hong, and the current master is just as blind as the next official in Wenshang. He arrived on the same day as the next official." "Oh," Zeng Guofan nodded and said, "Li Jian, it's rare for you to be so careful! No wonder you haven't been able to get real shortages in the officialdom for twenty years. Good! You go down." Li Yanshen hurriedly saluted, and then slowly withdrew.After seeing him go out, Zeng Guofan shouted out of the door: "Chuan Hongzhou!" The door echoed repeatedly: "Chuan Hongzhou!"