Chapter 4 Fourth Railway Official

There is one car that we can ignore because there is really nothing that deserves our attention.That is a car dedicated to various workers to stack suitcases, baskets, lay out and other groceries.But in this car, there are always people in a hurry, because whenever these workers find that the palace robes they are wearing are covered with bituminous coal grease, they will go to this car to replace them.But do I know if they can be replaced at any time, not necessarily within the specified time.I have passed through that car several times, but I didn't see anyone changing clothes, and no one came to stop me.Although I have obtained the Queen Mother's permission to walk as much as I want, I think they must have a secret code. When I go there, they will specifically violate it, and start to change after I pass by. their clothes.

After this utility cart, there is another cart containing a group of very special characters, that is, a group of officials on the Jingfeng Railway; there are quite a few articles to write about them.Maybe it's because they are ridiculously mediocre, or because they are enough to represent the corruption of Manchu officialdom. Although they are "railway officials" in name, they can't do any official business at all. They can't have any other role for the Jingfeng Railway except to enjoy huge profits.This time, half of the reason why they accompanied them was because the Queen Mother mistook them for their special knowledge about railways and wanted them to take care of the trains and protect their safety; but the other half of the reason was because they wanted to Take this opportunity to get some extra benefits.So, on this royal train, they are the most special group!

This group of railway officials, of course, also has a leader.Of course he was a man in a very rich official uniform, and his name was Meng Fuxiang.A person with a very dignified appearance and a very important position; at least, he thought so himself.Most of the income of Jingfeng Railway was enjoyed by him alone.In fact, however, he did nothing at all.But fortunately, he didn't do anything, because his knowledge of railway management was really less than that of a primary school student; if he took power in his arrogance and started to do things himself, the railway would be really bad!Although he has nothing to do, he has no free time, because he is busy all day trying to figure out how to make money.

Now let's talk about what these officials are in charge of in the car?Their first task was to inspect the three drivers, the four stokers, and the six gatekeepers that I have just mentioned.These officials are then used to monitor their services.Meng Fuxiang divided these officials into several groups, with two people in each group.A group was sent on the locomotive to monitor the three drivers and the four stokers; to see if they had done anything wrong.But, my God!It was the driver who drove the train off the track, and they didn't know it! However, because they were officials after all, the workers had to obey the orders they issued no matter what.For example, they tell a driver or a stoker what to do; the driver and the stoker must at least move, although they want to look to the left, the driver and the stoker must look to the right, because they are very stupid!But can't move.

What these officials pay most attention to is not whether the speed of the train is appropriate or whether the firepower of the boiler is sufficient. They just keep a close eye on each driver or fireman, and prevent them from sitting down privately, so as to violate the Queen Mother's order. As long as they don't see anyone sitting in the car privately—including the fireman shoveling coal on the coal pile—and no brakeman walking on the roof of these yellow cars privately, their mission is self-righteous. Complete.However, even such simple tasks, they are tired enough; because they have to monitor all the time, and they cannot sit down.

Here, let me tell you a few more details. Of course, Meng Fuxiang also has one or two important assistants. Although he doesn't do anything himself, how can he teach these assistants how to start as assistants?But since he is a relatively important senior official, he must have several assistants as usual.And these assistants were accompanied by other assistants.So a bunch of them is a lot.This situation has become an irreversible habit for hundreds of years in the officialdom of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.Whenever a person gets an official position that can make a lot of money, as a rule, he must take all the men of his relatives with him, and stand in their positions as important assistants.Therefore, if you want these people to take the money and really do something for the country or the people, it would be as impossible as asking a rooster to lay eggs!

Meng Fuxiang—now dead for many years—was the director of the Jingfeng Railway at the time.What he did was merely the inflow and outflow of money.Although on the surface he was appointed by the empress dowager, if someone captures the chief eunuch Li Lianying and uses fierce punishments to force him to tell the truth, we will know Meng Fuxiang's position. He spent a huge amount of sports expenses. Bought from Li Lianying. Therefore, Meng Fuxiang was absolutely unworthy of the position of director general.He is simply a completely useless puppet.Readers please pay attention to the following, you can believe it.Because the queen mother was anxious to know something about trains, she sent someone to summon Meng Fuxiang. When he came, of course he kowtowed respectfully first, and when he stopped, he didn't dare to raise his head even though he stood up. , always looking at the floor, waiting for the Queen Mother to ask.

"What is it that makes this train move?" Her Majesty's first question. "Back to the Queen Mother... to the Lafayette," Meng Fuxiang had a stuttering disease, because his speech was very slow and intermittent and incoherent. "It's the workmen on board that move the train!" "Are we afraid we don't know! Now, just ask you, how do they move the train?" "Slave, damn it! Slave...slave doesn't know! Slave...don't...don't dare to turn back!" "I remember at the previous station," although his reply was so disappointing, but the Queen Mother insisted on asking him. "Because of one thing, our car used to go backwards, tell me now, why can these wheels roll both forward and backward?"

"Slave... Slave... I know... I know... I know! Go back to the queen mother! This is done by the driver!" "Then how did they stop the car?" "Back to the queen mother! Six people jumped out of the car, rushed to the last car, and grabbed the roulette wheel. As long as they grabbed it with all their strength, the car would stop!" Perhaps this answer was more accurate than Meng Fuxiang himself thought; because he always thought that the gatekeepers must have stopped the train abruptly. Judging from the above questions and answers, readers may want to ask, then what qualifications do you have to be a railway official under the rule of the Manchu Qing government?The answer is very simple.As long as you can buy it with money, you are qualified!As for how they can go on, as long as they have flexible means, it will be fine!For example, like my second elder brother Xunling, he is a railway supervisor; but what is he supervising?Not only do I not know, even he himself does not know!The reason why he can get this position is simply because he is an international student who graduated from a certain army school in France.

On the surface, not only was the empress dowager often deceived by Yi's courtiers, but even the railway officials seemed to have deceived Yi very badly.In fact, why doesn't Yi know it, but Yi just pretends not to hear it!Because these people are as hopeless to Yi as all the red tape in the palace; this is what Yi has to endure.But I can make a conclusion. Based on my experience in the palace, the empress dowager knows all about the characteristics of Yi's subjects, such as arrogance, vanity, hypocrisy, etc., and she knows them well. Very accurate! When we saw Yi talking to Meng Fuxiang, we believed that there were only two thoughts in Yi's mind at that time: one was to drive him out, never to see him again;...the other was to laugh at him in front of him.But Yi also knew that if Meng Fuxiang was really driven out, the person who replaced him later might be even more unbearable.Then laugh at him? ...Neither!Because the empress dowager's dignity is what Yi has to maintain!

In the car, although there is no morning ceremony every day, it seems to be a day off; but all the etiquette must be maintained as usual.Only those of us who serve as female officials are more fortunate.Because if we find something ridiculous.If you feel like laughing, just head back to one of our own cars and laugh out loud!