Chapter 5 The fifth chapter is favored by Yao Lin Chuzhao to tell the disaster relief officials to govern the police emperor's heart

"Yes, slave leader!" He Shen hurriedly kowtowed in agreement, and when he got up, he suddenly felt his legs were a little weak and his head was a little dizzy. This sudden luck made this shrewd person a little dazed, and even the surrounding scenery was instantly blurred ... Swinging leisurely, followed the introduction of the eunuch Wang Baxie into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and saluted in the main hall to Qianlong's Xumizuo during the court meeting. Utensils, a large gold leather cabinet that can only be opened by climbing a ladder, and an extra-large porcelain vase that is thick enough for two people to hold together... These objects have been seen before, but now I feel that they are everywhere. He didn't wake up until he knelt on the bright gold brick floor in front of Dongnuan Pavilion and touched his forehead with his hands.This is an exquisite character, and he immediately realized that even if there is an earthquake at this moment, he must take care of himself. Not only can he not make mistakes in his words and actions, but he must also try his best to invite friends!The thumbs of both hands were pinching the middle knuckles vigorously, and they had already calmed down, and they had enough energy to wait for Qianlong to ask questions.

Qianlong, however, seemed to ignore his thoughts at all, and sat cross-legged on the big kang of the warm pavilion by the glass window as usual. : "Where did you work before? I look familiar." He Shen moved and was taken aback.Apparently he didn't expect to ask this in the first sentence, and thought about meeting each other and said: "The servant was doing divination on the red flag. Although his family fortune was in the middle of nowhere, because he was the descendant of Mian Xunchen, he had a third-class light car in the shade. I went to study in Xian'an Palace, and after my father died, I went to Agui's army to make up for a share of money and rations. I was destined to work as an errand in the army plane, and I often had to visit Shengyan from afar. The emperor saw that the slave was familiar, and it was a blessing for the slave."

"Ha, is the one under Zhenghong's banner inside Deshengmen?" Qianlong looked at He Shen and asked again, "What's your Manchu surname?" "The slave's old Manchu surname is the Niuhulu family of the Ying'er branch. Zhenghongqi is not in Deshengmen, Deshengmen is a territory under the leadership of Zhenghuangqi." Qianlong nodded, and asked again: "Since he has a world job, he is also a member of the old surname, and his father is an official. Naturally, he has a proper amount of money and food. Why did he go to Agui Yingwei to serve as a soldier?"

"Back to the master!" He Shen was more careful, bumping his head on the ground, and replied: "Although my father has been the governor of Fujian for many years, in fact, the family has no savings. My younger brother and Lin are clever and studious, so I hired teachers and studied for him. Expenditures are a bit beyond the means. In the midst of hardships, the slave couldn’t bear his mother’s laundry and sewing, so he randomly found an errand to help the family...Because he went to serve as a soldier behind his mother’s back. The servant was knocked down to the ground with one palm, and the servant got up and kowtowed to apologize, and the old man hugged the servant again and cried loudly, "My son... I don't blame you... I blame your father for being incompetent, and your mother does not." Incompetent...'..." Speaking of this, He Shen's past is flooding up like a tide, tears are pouring out, his voice is hoarse, and he sighs and kowtows in a hoarse voice: "Because the slave has nothing but Chinese, Mandarin (Manchu), Mongolian, He is fluent in Western languages. Agui's army also appreciates him very much, and he was promoted to the military post at the age of fifteen..."

He was half-truth and half-false, and he made a statement in such a eloquent manner that he was also full of anxiety.In fact, the real reason for running away that year was that he "crashed food" every day in places like Dalang Temple on Qipan Street, made friends with a bunch of cronies for gambling, and sold lotus flowers in cockfights and running dogs (to lure a girl from a good family to sell to a wealthy family for kickbacks.), and suffered from his mother. Punishment, the name of the soldier in a rage, but what the parting mother and son said was true.Back then, Agui was moved to tears when he heard this, but today he used the old trick again, Qianlong had never heard of it, his heart was sour and his eye circles were already red, and he secretly sighed in surprise: this is actually a good man with both loyalty and filial piety. , it is rare that the children under the banner are still so promising...Yin sighed: "I didn't expect you to be so young and have such a rough life experience, it makes me sad to hear it!" Changing to Manchu, he said: "But you are not good at academics after all. .Although you are diligent in your errands, you should read more books and learn more from Agui Fuheng. There are some things that cannot be accomplished simply by good intentions."

He suddenly spoke in Manchu, and He Shen immediately pricked up his ears. He listened quietly, thinking that someone must be criticizing his suggestion of crimes and the Chongwenmen tariff errand. Ding must, and also replied in Manchu: "He Shen has been deprived since childhood, his mother is weak and his younger brother is young, and he can't concentrate on studying because of his livelihood. Not only should he learn from Fu Heng and Agui, but Liu Yong and Li Shiyao are also role models for slaves. Discussion According to the "Book of Rites", the eight-discussion system in the annotations of the "Book of Rites", discussing relatives and nobles, discussing meritorious deeds, and opening a way for officials who accidentally stumbled and committed crimes, so there is this suggestion. As for Chongwenmen tariffs, there are indeed The disadvantage, the servants think, is not that the inspection is too strict, but that there is no distinction between public and private. Anyone who passes the customs on a business trip or officials from other provinces pays regulations and silver taels should be exempted from customs duties, because this customs regulation has not been changed since the Ming Dynasty. The slaves are in charge of the rectification and are eager for success, lest they change course easily and give the subordinates a chance to take advantage of it. When it comes to seriousness, one is that the slaves do not know how to adapt, and the other is that some officials do not know, thinking that the slaves have been shot into their own pockets , so there was some misunderstanding. The emperor was kind enough to teach Hai, and the servants had to reflect on themselves, revise the system, and strictly implement the rules after the emperor was invited.” Because I can tell Li Shiyao’s customs clearance He recounted it lightly, avoiding the emotional plot between the two, and said: "The slave is going to design a big name, Chongwenmen tariff, from now on he will call himself private and not public!"

"Okay!" Qianlong was very happy when he heard his play, which was detailed and well-organized, and he couldn't help admiring him: "It's good to say that it's private and not public, good! The principle of setting up crimes is also very clear. Even so However, it is still impossible to carry out the implementation of a clear edict, because it is easy to leave a fluke heart for corrupt officials and activate his greedy heart. There is nothing wrong with stricter tariffs. However, some members of the Bailian sect in the mainland are also swaying. It is a tax that has been missed. It can supplement the national use, warn officials and open the way for them to make up for themselves, and the root is good governance." He moved down from the kang, walked at a leisurely pace, and nodded for a long time, then said: "Kneel down, I I want to eat, and I have to call a meeting with the Military Aircraft Department, so that I can go back and clean up the errand, and I have a favor for you." Said and waved his hand.He Wen hurriedly knelt down three times and kowtowed nine times, but exited the Hall of Mental Cultivation step by step.When he arrived at the door of the accounting room, Wang Lian came out a few steps earlier, and with his hands outstretched, he put an oil coat on him, knotted the buttons and tied it with a belt, and said with a low laugh, "Is it He Ye? Jin Zhongyu Gu The answer is like a ring! My lord looks a bit dizzy, his face is white! Look at the heavy snow, wandering outside the Xihua Gate, your boots, hat and gown are all soaked..." Said, a pair of wooden The grass sandals were put on his feet again.He Shen just woke up from a big dream, rubbed his face and stomped his feet, thanked him and left the Chonghuamen.

...A Gui, Ji Yun, Liu Yong, and Li Shiyao in the Military Aircraft Department just had lunch at this moment.There are four dishes and one soup in the general room for the Minister of Military Aircraft on duty. One serving of soybeans, carrots and pork belly is roasted three times, one serving of pork belly with winter bamboo shoots, one serving of stir-fried green celery, one serving of stir-fried lamb liver with green peppers, and one serving of fried lamb liver with green pepper. The pot of tofu gluten noodle soup, pleated buns and steamed buns are enough. They are all eaten clean, and even the plates are rinsed with hot water. I heard the eunuch say, "Long live God just ordered to pass the meal." Knowing that "calling in" is too early, Li Shiyao was in a hurry to go to Tianjie to see the snow, and Ah Gui smiled: "Shi'an accompanied him for a walk, and Ji Yun and I held a military plane and watched the snow fall. To Gaotao," Liu Tang guessed that the two of them were talking alone, smiled and handed Li Shiyao a fur coat, put on an oil coat, and said: "Brother Li, you go ahead, I will follow."——So The two came out one after another.

The so-called "Sky Street" is actually such a short section from Longzongmen to Jingyunmen. As soon as you leave the military plane, you will be on the "street".It was just after noon at this moment, and the weather was like this again. The six ministries, three divisions, and all the yamen were resting. There was no urgent military situation, and no one came here. In confusion, Luo Yu swayed and fell onto the flat and vast square.In the north is the jade belt with clear water and Hanyu bridge railings, and across the bridge is the tall Qianqing Gate. In the south is the majestic Palace of Preserving Harmony. Snow wings pierced into the sky, carved urns towering, dark and quiet, pressed on the snow, slid along the palace wall, two rows of sixteen large gold vats were lit with charcoal fires below, curling up light smoke, dissipating in the wind as if startled Lost, from Qianqingmen to Longzongmen, Chonglou, the back left gate, the back right gate...Zhou Za all stood upright with Shanpu camp guards on duty, and all of them became snowmen, standing motionless in the overwhelming snow.The awe-inspiring Dragon Tower and Phoenix Palace are decorated in such a way that they give people a more solemn and magnificent feeling. The two walked slowly on the snow and didn't speak for a while. They didn't stop until they stood in front of Jingyun Gate. Melt snow water.

"Look at this place, it's really breath-taking." Li Shiyao sighed: "What is the title of the golden list in the ten-year cold window, what is the building of teeth and opening a mansion to live in eight houses, conferring a wife, a son, a family, and a ancestor, all have become insignificant. I am as respectful as you I’ve been here for a long time, it’s commonplace, I really feel like I’m in a palace in the sky.” “I don’t dare to think like this. Because ‘the palace in the sky is right behind’ and I’m afraid that Qionglou Yuyu, the heights are too cold!” Liu Yong’s The voice is dry, (speaking in the snow and snow, the tone is always dull. Readers may wish to try) "Jia Yan said that when he was a county magistrate, he went to the countryside in the hot summer, and he sat in a car with two people. The small sedan chair was hot and thirsty and sweating profusely. Through the window of the sedan chair, I saw women and children eating watermelon on the road, their mouths and faces full of watermelon, and they wanted to get off the sedan chair to beg for a bite. I heard the woman teach the child:' Look at people, sit in the sedan chair and be carried away, whoever gets out of the sedan chair will be respected by others - they are all individuals, and they are in the sky! If you want to go to the sky, there is only one way, study hard and make a fuss!'People Now, the circumstances are different, and the things to think about are different."

Li Shiyao nodded silently, and looked at Liu Yong against the snowy light. This is a man who looks very similar to his father Liu Tongxun, but Liu Tongxun is capable and neat, but he looks a little rough.The last time I went to Beijing on a business trip, I couldn't meet Liu Yong. It has been seven years since I saw him. Liu Yong's face has hardly changed, but he has lost a lot of weight. His bronze-colored square face has sunken a lot. He picked up the golden pheasant, which was as wide as a big cloth bag on his body, and stared at the snow scene with half-closed eyes, a bit like an old stork looking for food in the snow on the frozen riverside. I don't know what he was thinking.After a long time, Li Shiyao sighed, "Your back is a bit bent." "With bowed legs and a hunchback, someone behind him is already called 'Liu Luoguozi'." Liu Yong smiled with a calm expression, "To tell you the truth, in addition to seeing drivers and doing things, I spend at least five hours a day at my desk, walking They all bow their heads to think about things, and there is one who is not stooped! My father died in a sedan chair on the way to court. Dare to love my body..." He sighed again with a smile, "...I don't dare to love my name. Some people say that I am 'Liu Qingtian' because I have no injustice in my hands, and some people say that I am 'Liu Butcher' and a cruel official , I also accepted it with a smile. I took twelve apprentices of Huang Tianba to Sishui County, Shandong Province to arrest Liu Qide, Liu Xianlu and his son. Thousands of rent-resistant tenants surrounded me for three days and three nights. I came down, pulled out the yamen and killed seventy-four people, it was raining heavily, and the streets were full of red water...The troublemakers in Yushui County trembled when they heard my name—isn't this a "butcher"? Actually, they didn't know Well, that big family is so dry that not a single blade of grass can grow, and the iron plate rent refuses to be reduced, forcing people to have no way to live. I really want to kill some of these landlords. But they didn’t violate the king’s law, so they can only be reprimanded The thing——I saw with my own eyes the mob uprising. It was really a scene of one man instigating chaos and thousands of people. There were fires and smoke in every village, and there were red-eyed tenants everywhere. Hammers, guillotines, hoes, sickles...even rolling pins and kitchen knives They were all used, and they came up like a torrential flood, one layer after another retreated... I still have lingering fears after thinking about it! This palace existed in the Ming Dynasty, and Li Zicheng still entered it? I read "" "Jiashen Chronicle", on March 19th when Li Zicheng entered Beijing, more than ten thousand people in the palace were desperate, and the corpses of those who robbed their wealth and escaped suicide were all over the palace, and the place where we were standing was full of human corpses..." He cried out He took a deep breath, shivered and stopped talking.Li Shiyao had led troops to suppress the rent-resisting and rebellious disciples several times, but he had never been surrounded by rioting peasants. Hearing and thinking about it, it seemed as if he had seen it himself. , What you think is burying corpses in the snow, what a disappointment—you drew such a horrible picture for me!” Liu Yong also smiled, and said: “I’m tired, just for the sake of Don't let people really see this painting, you've got a mental block." Once they gave up their hands, the two walked slowly westward, and when they returned to the door of the signing room at the military plane, the leader of the two men's clothes and hats was full. It's a thick layer of white velvet. As soon as they entered the door, both of them were stunned.I saw Ah Gui sitting cross-legged by the window, and Ji Yunwen sitting under the kang beijuan table, both of them looked dumbfounded.Kneeling under the kang was an official, whose red tassels had been picked off from the top of the blooming coral. It was obvious at a glance that he was a second-rank official who was in mourning for Ding You.Due to the glare of the snow outside, the room was dark and blurry just after entering the room, and it was only when he calmed down that he saw clearly that it was Yin Jishan's son Qinggui!Li and Liu's eyes met almost at the same time: Yin Jishan is dead! "Brother, please get up..." After a long time, Agui raised his hand feebly.The two eunuchs hurried over to help Qing Gui.Ah Gui said again: "This is really an unexpected change. Fu Hengzhongtang has returned to Beijing due to illness these few days, and he has been busy taking care of this matter, so he has not visited the mansion. A child went to see it on my behalf yesterday, and he said that Yuan Changgong is still in good spirits. How could he have thought that he would let go all of a sudden..." He coughed twice, and then took a handkerchief to wipe away his tears.Ji Yun said: "The Shuzhai Festival is so sad and precious, you are not suitable to see him now. Let's pass in the sign and go in. If there is a decree from the Holy Spirit, I will also consult and arrange it with the Ministry of Rites." Qinggui heard a bow and agreed "yes", and cried: "A few imperial physicians have checked the pulse, and they all said that it might be a closed day before the beginning of winter. The winter solstice is approaching, and seeing that the old man can still get up and walk around, he asked his grandson to endorse. He made up his mind and thought that the doom had passed. The seven days before that were extremely joyful, he called the whole family to his room, and after having dinner together, he asked his younger sister Yong Qiu to play him a song "Ming Quan", and said with a smile: "There is nothing more joyful than this in life. I am like Yongqiu at this age, accompanied by my father Rehe. I was able to play the piano and poetry and was known by the holy ancestors. I have been an official for over fifty years. The Lord has always been kind to me, starting with playing the piano and ending with listening to the piano, God loves me so much..." He said a lot of words, saying it was his last words, the family felt that it was inauspicious, so they stopped after persuasion .Unexpectedly, on the second day, I was lazy to eat and drink, and woke up during sleep.It doesn't look like a serious illness. He has always been on a diet, and his family members are not panicked.Brother Abida went there last night, chatting and laughing, one hour after he left, the old man suddenly wanted to take a bath, and he waited for him to take a bath, lying on the kang to rest, the whole family and the great doctor stayed in the outer room) God At dawn, I heard the old man say, 'It's so cold!The road is so long...' We rushed in, and we have lost our pulse..." At this point, Qinggui was choked up and couldn't speak, and his breath was so hoarse that he wanted to let go. But weeping and mourning are not allowed in this place, Agui waited for him to calm down a little, got down from the kang and stroked Qinggui's shoulder and said: "Brother, please go back to the mansion, there are many important things in the family waiting for you, you must be sad and obedient. Ahdis The two nephews of Bida want to take some extra burdens for you, so we'll go in right now." He also ordered the eunuch, "Bring Master Qinggui out of the Xihua Gate, and send him back to his residence to repay me." Here, Qing Gui went out, and Bu Yi came in with his head full of snow, and said: "Long Live Lord has already had lunch, call A Gui, Ji Yun, Liu Yong, and Li Shiyao to go in." The four people hurriedly bowed and agreed, and hurriedly ended Stop, follow Bu Yijing to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.Wang Baxie had already been waiting outside the hall under the eaves. When he saw them coming in, he helped them take off their oil coats, changed their boots, wiped off the snow from their heads and faces, cleaned up and dried them before leading them into Dongnuang Pavilion to meet Qianlong. "Just now people from the House of Internal Affairs came in to report the matter. Yin Yuanchang has gone this morning at the acquaintance of Yin and Mao." Qianlong did not sit cross-legged on the kang as usual. Holding a piece of Chinese jade, he seemed to be thinking about something, and also seemed to be looking at the calligraphy and painting on the north wall. His face was calm, and his tone was as usual, without looking at the crowd, he said: "Excuse me, sit on the scorpion." Turning his face away, he walked to the chair beside the couch and sat down, holding tea and blowing the foam on the surface of the cup without saying a word. The four ministers looked at Qianlong intently. "Li Shiyao," Qianlong's dark pupils looked at Li Shiyao, who was not seated, and asked, "How is Guangdong's harvest this year?" Afterwards, there were few males, and last year this year was actually a complete harvest, but the eastern part of Guangdong was so ripe that three crops of rice came out, and the market price of rice was only two cents and three cents for two consecutive years. The slaves feared that the low price of grain would hurt farmers, so they bought surplus grain at the official price of three cents, and used it Come to give relief to the west of Guangdong, so that the two ends are evened out, and the price of grain has also risen to three cents and two." Qianlong pondered and asked again: "In this way, isn't the Guangdong fan treasury running into a deficit again?" Li Shiyao said, "The slaves dare not use the treasury silver unless they ask for an order. The silver comes from two sources. One is foreign merchants, who all rushed to the island outside the mouth and wanted to go ashore to pay for security protection. I suppressed bandits to maintain peace, and they paid This money is fair and honest. The other thing is to collect donations from the gentry, and the reason is the same." This was one of the things he was most proud of during his tenure, and he did it neatly. Nagging, because it is also cut and cut, it is clear and correct.Agui and Agui who were sitting next to each other secretly drank tea and admired them. But Qianlong was very interested in this, his face changed from dignified to calm, nodded and said: "Very good. But I am afraid that these rich people will not give up their good fortune? People want to ask, we donate taxes, you suppress bandits What are you going to do about it?" Li Shiyao laughed and said, "Master, plucking hair from an iron rooster is a slave's job. All were adjusted, and 700 sergeants were transferred from the green camp to guard the defense. From the lobby to the two miles outside the gate of the ceremony, there was a martial law. Foreigners and Chinese were arrested, imprisoned, beaten, and killed. The whole class was endless. Two of the "watching ceremony" were frightened and fainted, and the rest of them were all ashen-faced after the trial. Please donate the booklet. The master repeatedly admonishes the slaves during his majesty's speech. This is called "combining grace and power". These iron roosters plucked their own feathers and gave them away, and the slaves did not force them - so that the money will be there. Foreign merchants They are orders, no money, no food, vegetables, and fresh water; the gentry are solicitations, and if they give him their own wishes, everything will be settled in a stable manner." It is not branched but not overgrown, but it is colorful, and the decisive and terrifying scenes of killing and cutting are added without losing the opportunity to "sacrifice" words, and all the achievements and achievements are attributed to the king.Everyone was horrified. "Well done!" Qianlong frowned when he heard this, and sighed, "A big official in the frontier should have this kind of character! It's a pity that there are not many foreign governors who are willing to serve the country and the people like this. You are from Hunan and Jiangxi. Jiangnan came to Beijing along the waterway, right? Look all the way, how is the river engineering? You have probably noticed the floods and droughts in several provinces?" Li Shiyao pondered for a moment, even if he "doesn't pay attention" to these things, he can say the same thing, but as long as he opens his mouth, the corruption of the river works, the ravages of floods, droughts and locust plagues, the hardships of the people, and the greed and brutality of the officials are hard to conceal. The governors of all provinces along the way have committed all the crimes.But if he said "I don't know", he would immediately lose his mind, and he would take the lesser of both ends. He cleared his throat and said, "The slave also made a detour to Wuchang to see Lemin. Full of tips, Le Min originally reported that it was a good harvest, but the whole province was annoyed by him, and complained to me: "To tell the truth, I said that I took credit for selling well, and I told lies. I will see the master in the future." Blushing, how can I hide it from my master?' I reported an eleventh annual income to the household department. He was worried that there was no place to put the grain, and mildew was a big deal. The warehouse has also been in disrepair for many years, and he dared not move it when he bought grain. Ku Yin. The slave gave him an idea and wrote directly to Zhaohui. The new grain will be used for military supplies, and Zhaohui will spend it from military expenses. -" "Wait a minute," Qianlong waved his hand to stop him, and asked, "Don't rush to talk about other provinces. It's a matter of course that if you get 12 points of the harvest, you will get 12 points. Obstruction? Tell me!" "The emperor lives in the ninth level, and he hangs his clothes to rule the world. How can he know such petty tricks as foreign officials?" Li Shiyao sighed, "Even Agui Jiyun has never been a local official, and Liu Yong is in charge of prisons, so he may not be thorough. For example, when I take over as a county magistrate, firstly, I have to compare with my predecessor, and I must account for the full amount of the predecessor's deficit. It is really no difference in the comparison of anchor baht. I will make up for the deficit as soon as I take office. This is political achievement. Where does the money come from? Come on? I can't spend money on gold and silver, and the fire consumption is returned to the public. I can only make up my mind based on the annual income. If there are eight points, I will repay five points. Natural disasters! The emperor is most concerned, and I will definitely make up for it. Next year In 90% of my life, I report 60% of the time. Not only is the county well-off, but my superiors also see that I am getting better every year! Le Min is so full of scales. He originally thought that there was already a lot of inventory surplus last year, and the actual report this year will not hurt. Everyone is making money. There is a disaster in another place, and the master adjusts his money to be more generous. Unexpectedly, there are rumors in the various departments that he wants to curry favor with the army, and the script that has been drawn up has been rewritten. Criminal name, and there is no limit on the consumption of money, so where can I get money if I don't make a decision on the age?" After saying that, he sighed. Qianlong gritted his teeth and said nothing, knowing that it was a huge mistake, how much money had flowed away silently through this gap, but it was absolutely impossible.Just thinking about it, Ah Gui said viciously: "The emperor is as benevolent as heaven, and he exempts money and food every year, so that the people can live comfortably. These officials are so unreasonable and contemptuous of the law. It is extremely hateful! This slave asks the emperor to issue a decree to punish everyone. Those who hide their wealth and invite buyers to flatter their hearts and win the exam will be tested by the Ministry of Officials to prove that not only can they not be promoted, but they will also be severely punished!" Qianlong shook his head and said, "No way. This is different from disaster relief. , Filling the pockets of the hungry people layer by layer! As a result, only four or five out of ten of the hungry people’s mouths are left, but those who should be relieved still have to be relieved. "The sage's enlightenment is as if you can see the fire from a thousand miles away!" Li Shiyao felt that the words were speculative, so he became energetic and said, "This is a word of true benevolence! The difficulty is that it is difficult to distinguish the truth from the false. If there is a real disaster, if there is no relief, then Something big is bound to happen, and everything can be fooled, except the stomachs of the people. The slaves came all the way, and the worst disaster was in the Huaibei area. In autumn and August, the crops were destroyed, and more than 200,000 hungry people fled to southern Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, and Huguang take advantage of the food, and the people who stay in the yellow-flooded areas are old people, women and young children. In some places, there is a deserted swamp for tens of miles, and there are no fireworks in the villages. There are more than a dozen villages who rely on Avalokitesvara soil There are people who can't defecate and bloat to death every day. I heard that there are human flesh workshops in the mountainous area of ​​Western Anhui. The poor people even sell their children and daughters and wives to the workshop to feed the passing guests. Standing miserable, terrified, and restless. On the way, the servant wrote to the governor of Anhui, asking him to give emergency aid and distribute food as soon as possible. I don’t know what the situation is now. In this weather, I don’t know how many people died in the snow!” He wrinkled tightly He frowned, thinking of the miserable scene on the thousands of miles of yellow flooded road, his face became pale, he took a long breath, bit his lower lip and didn't say any more. For a while, the hall was deathly silent, and only the dancing snowflakes outside the hall could be seen from the window, and the only thing that could be heard was the monotonous "clicking" sound of the big golden clock.Liu Yong thought of the conversation with Li Shiyao on the street just now, and thought of the hazy hell on Huaibei Road where the crows were hungry, the westerly wind and the leaves were falling, next to the warm animal charcoal stove, one after another, he felt shudders in his heart.Ah Gui and Ji Yun are assistant ministers, they knew that the sufferings of the world are different from the eulogy articles reported by the officials, but they never expected that the suffering was so miserable that their hearts kept sinking. Sinking...Thinking of Qianlong's New Year's Day admonition: "There is a room in the world that is not safe, and a man is not able to eat, that is the responsibility of the prime minister", and immediately felt uneasy again.When peeking at Qianlong, he saw Qianlong sitting on the chair upright, his eyes staring into the distance as if trying to penetrate the wind and snow outside the wall, he gritted his teeth and said nothing, and held the handle of the chair tightly with both hands. Not moving at all.For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense, and even the eunuchs standing outside the Nuan Pavilion felt it. They became more careful and lowered their heads even lower, not daring to breathe out.After a long time, I heard Qianlong ask: "Ah Gui, the Yellow River collapsed in August. It was your decree at that time. Later, the Ministry of Households mobilized food relief and ordered the food relief to be delivered to households before the Double Ninth Festival. How did the provinces repay it?" "Ah, Your Majesty!" Ah Gui was in deep thought, and came back to her senses with a shudder, and hurriedly said: "At that time, five provinces of Henan, Zhili, Huguang, Shandong, and Jiangnan were collected, and each of them transferred 250,000 yuan. Stone grain to Anhui. The governor of Huguang sent back the text, according to the previous order, one million stones were transferred to Xi'an, and transferred to Zhaohui for military use. Now that Huguang is ripe, silver taels are needed to stabilize grain prices. Please ask the Ministry of Households and the Ministry of War Purchase of grain. The Ministry of Households allocated money, but the Ministry of War rejected it, saying that the silver was not good enough, so the money was not distributed. Beijing needs four million shi of grain every year. Due to the flooding of the Yellow River and the blockage of water transport, Zhili Province now owes 300,000 shi of grain. The Military Aircraft Department asked for instructions to transfer 500,000 shi first to ensure the grain used in Beijing, and transferred the remaining grain to Anhui. The grain in Jiangnan has been transferred to Huaibei as much. The harvest in Henan is the same. Please reduce 100,000 shi. The grain was transferred to Anhui, but Dou Guangnai, the governor of Anhui, refused to accept it due to the poor quality of the grain. So the real amount transferred to Huaibei was only about 400,000 shi, and the grain for next spring has not yet been settled... The servant is in the machine hub, and should have shared the worries of the king. -" "Stop talking!" Qianlong patted the armrest of the chair lightly, stopping Ah Gui's words of apology. His forehead was already covered with dark clouds, but he was still suppressing his anger, and his voice became slow and stagnant.With an irresistible coercion, a sneer hung from the corner of his mouth and said, "People have starved to death, and the people have left their homes. If you say a few simple words of apology, the people can live and work in peace and contentment?" None of the four ministers could sit still, and they all knelt down in front of their bodies as soon as they leaned over. "Flooded six counties, one million starving people and one million stone grains. I've figured it out. If half of it goes to the poor, the average per capita is 50 catties, and the average daily average is 8 taels. They can barely survive the winter. The relief will come next spring. Once, we won’t escape the famine, and the summer food will be received.” Qianlong’s voice was low-pitched, just as he usually received officials from other provinces, but from the metal-like vibrato in his voice, the thunder could be clearly heard. impending wrath.Suddenly, like a thunderbolt, he raised his voice: "Where would I expect that between ministries, provinces and ministries, provinces and provinces, there are still millions of people who are waiting to be fed, and they are still arguing?! Pass the decree—— —Dezhu, Minister of the Ministry of Households, and Pan Siyuan, Minister of the Ministry of War, were dismissed immediately, and the office was demoted to be a servant. The salary was fined for two years! !" The four ministers had already been frightened, their complexions were brown, and they fell on the ground and nodded repeatedly.Liu Yong knew in his heart that Ji Yun was editing the "Siku Quanshu" and was also in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Punishment. The disaster relief had little to do with him, but since he was at the military plane, he couldn't shirk his responsibility immediately; it was also inconvenient for Li Shiyao to meet ministers from other provinces. Talk: In addition to the commander in chief of the army, Ah Gui must fully dispatch troops from the northwest and southwest. In addition, Yin Jishan and Fu Heng are seriously ill, and they are already too busy to grow superhuman.In this situation, only he can speak, because he kowtowed and said: "The emperor is sympathetic to the people, and he was furious. The courtiers are guilty of dereliction of duty. But as far as I know, Dou Guangnai has a very good moral character and knows the art of governing the people. He refused to accept the aid." There must be a reason for the supply of food. Although the military in the Southwest has temporarily disappeared, the turmoil in the Northwest and Zhuobu has gathered troops to overwhelm the border. The two ministries of Dezhu and Pan Siyuan have a lot of work and heavy responsibilities, so it is not appropriate to be more inexperienced. I beg the emperor to appoint a minister to go to Wuhu, Jiangxi, and Qinghe etc., specialize in relief, and also check the river to visit the water transport. Before the ice flood next year, put an end to the hidden danger of the Yellow River embankment bursting, and then supervise the dredging of the canal to ensure the smooth water transport. Otherwise, the frozen river will be unblocked next year, and the cauliflower flood in May will wash away Next, I am afraid there will be even more unspeakable things..." "Your Majesty..." Ah Gui also came to his senses at this time, and he took a step on his knees and said, "Just now, the slave at the military plane was discussing this matter with Ji Yun. In order to make up for the deficit of the treasury, the governor of Shandong, Cathay Pacific, used the purpose of disaster relief to purchase private stocks. Moldy grain, each stone is only six coins and silver taels, and the remaining two or four coins and one stone are worth 300,000 stones, which should be more than 700,000 taels, which has yet to be verified and reported. It was all caused by Agui's lack of morality and incompetence. He has already made a plea with Ji Yun, asking the emperor to impose a severe punishment, thinking that his subordinates should be a warning to show the emperor's virtue of being fair and bright..." Ji Yun also kowtowed again and again, "After the flood in Huaibei I have heard about the lack of relief. Because of the corruption and lawlessness of Cathay Pacific, the Holy One has sent an order to withdraw the investigation. I foolishly thought that some road rumors were not credible, so I didn’t report it immediately. I just saw Dou’s submission at the military plane. Food relief in Shandong, we know the seriousness of the disaster and the suffering of the people is far beyond what I expected. The minister and Ah Gui are in the military plane, and the crime will be more and more unforgivable..." Qianlong looked at Ah Gui.Agui tremblingly took out a gray cloth bag the size of a purse from her bosom, and presented it to Qianlong with both hands. Qianlong took it and looked at it. The thread at the mouth of the cloth bag was unpacked, and it contained about three or two weights of grain samples. It's not clear, it's a bit like burnt incense ash, and some rice turns into powder when you twist your fingers.Scattered in the palm, less than half of it can still be regarded as "rice". If you sniff it, you don't know what it smells like. In short, it doesn't taste like rice.Qianlong knew Dou Guangnai very well. When he toured the south, he was in Huailin, Yizheng, admonishing and inspecting the government. He made a bold statement and criticized Long Lin, which shocked the government and the public. Although Qianlong appreciated his courage and heroism, he also felt that he was too straightforward. .Relief to the victims, as long as they can feed their stomachs, they don't even care about the quality of the food--thinking that he has committed a bookishness.Looking at it now, this "rice" is really unbearable even for pigs, no wonder Dou Guangnai flatly refuses to accept it!Thinking back to Cathay Pacific, people have already claimed that he is greedy for the property of officials, and now he dares to act so recklessly, it is really unbelievable!He coldly threw the grain bag on the kang table, took the towel handed over by Wang Baxie, wiped his hands, and said in thought: "The Military Aircraft Department is short-staffed, and you have your own difficulties in handling affairs. Punishment. But—the destiny of the people is the destiny of the people. Hundreds of thousands of farmers who are short of food gather in a few counties, so close to Baodugu, Menglianggu, and Weishan Lake. With a shout, dry firewood is ignited all over the place, and it is so difficult to put it out—how dare there be the slightest negligence in such things?! Huh?" "The slaves are guilty..." "Get up." Qianlong sighed deeply, and called Wang Baxie, "You go to Yin Jishan's mansion to pass the decree. I know that Jishou Crane is driving west, and I am shocked and mournful. That is, the emperor's eighth son Yongxuan holding the Dharani Sutra He was sent to offer sacrifices and was given five thousand taels of silver for the funeral. All funeral affairs will be implemented after the Ministry of Rites draws up notes." Wang Baxie repeated it but withdrew, and Qianlong said again: "It was just said that there are few people in the military aircraft department, so we need to add more people. Come in. One is Yu Minzhong, a college student, who has always been the minister of the study room, the chief master of Yuqing Palace Emperor Brother, the minister of military aircraft, and the minister of the guards. The title of Shang Shu, who is also in the capital, if you are too busy on the military plane, you can help out nearby. There is also a newcomer, He Shen, the former chief of guards and guards, who is walking around the supplementary military plane, Li Shiyao..." He turned his face and looked The four ministers who sat silently said, "You will be appointed as the commander of the infantry in the capital, and you will also be the governor of Zhili. Next spring, you and Yu Minzhong will preside over it. After the spring, you will be the minister of military aircraft." He took a sip of tea and sat down. back on the chair. This series of appointments had not been discussed with anyone beforehand, and the four of them were stunned for a moment.于敏中他们都熟悉，是乾隆三年的状元。少年高第，才学既高，性气也极大，就是人常说的“不与凡人答话”的那种主儿，主持理藩院不与礼部来往，主持翰林院、国子监又和同行闹翻了一窝儿，迁东宫总师傅，连那群谁也不敢惹的皇阿哥、黄带子宗室见他都绕着他走，像个不吃人间烟火食的，见谁都仰着个脸板牢了面孔，乾隆怎么想的，选他进军机处当大臣？再一个和珅，四面应酬八面玲玫，一时一事见人换一个面孔，拼命结交巴结人的人，也要进军机处参理国家大政？几个人都在想。但乾隆并没有征询意见。阿桂心中暗暗叫苦，但他和纪昀刚刚引罪，无论如何不能谏阻。刘墉轻咳一声正要说话，李侍尧已经开口： “于敏中学术是纯正的，品行也无可挑剔。为人守正不阿是他的长处。但据奴才所知，和珅其人军政民政法司狱政都无出色建树，且其资望甚浅，骤入军机，恐有骇中外物听，请皇上慎思明断。” “你说于敏中的长处，是半句话，想必还有短处，不必藏头露尾，也说说看。” “奴才与于敏中公私交往都不多，只是耳闻。”李侍尧已经听出乾隆语中不满之意，忙躬身正容说道，“或因恃才而有所傲物，刚愎不能容人，奴才恐为壁中微瑕。” “于敏中不好，和珅也不好，你以为谁德才兼备，既能军政又能民政、法司狱政都好，比之傅恒阿桂有过之而无不及的？举荐来朕听听！” 这一问既出，李侍尧顿时语塞。他不是那种不识相的人，立刻便谢罪，红着脸说道：“是奴才冒撞，口无遮拦。奴才知过了。”他看一眼阿桂三人，都木着脸毫无表情坐在一处。不禁深悔自己多口。刘墉对和珅其实并无恶感，但于敏中走一处换一处，从不能与人为善好生共事的，这是尽人皆知的事，入机枢当政，这是大病。现李侍尧一开口便碰了不硬不软一颗钉子，他就有一肚皮话也只能憋回去。只索宁耐稳坐听乾隆说话。 “朕自认还是有知人之明的。”乾隆见这形容儿，知道他们未必都服气自己，因放缓了口气说道：“在位的军机大臣，除了刚刚过世的尹继善是受知于先帝，连同你们几个，哪个不是朕亲自识拔，特简任用上来的？可曾有甚么错课？就是讷亲，也是他自己逞能，不听朕的教训调度，所以失误于罪，虽然朕将他置之于法，追思他在军机处作为，仍不失为贤能辅相。”他忽然觉得自己说话满了，没有留出余地来，又从容缓下陈词，说道：“自古无赤足完人，必定要找出孔子周公那样的人来人军机，恐怕也是求全责备。于敏中崖岸高峻，有刚愎自用的毛病，朕取他的守正刚直，于整饬吏治还是有益的，和他谈过几次，他也深悔自己锋芒太露皎皎易污，少了容人之量。有过能知能改就是好的嘛！你李侍尧在这里说和珅不好，和珅却在背后说你的好话，比较起来，倒是你更欠了风度器量！和珅没做过地方官，军政民政不是熟手，你们可以帮他嘛！他理财还是一把好手，做事勤勉恭谨，是军机处用得着的人。阿桂，你是他的老上司，他学习行走在军机处，你仍是他的上司，可以多训导教诲他些、历练几年也就出来了。” 阿桂一边听一边想，原也知乾隆近来数次接见于敏中，料想不过为明春春闱贡试的事，要点这位老状元当主试宫，到此刻才明白自己“料想”得离题万里。他在军机处，当然少不了听于敏中的宫箴为人，都说他难共事，“不好搭伙计”，当他下司上司都“难受”。但见面礼恭揖让，于敏中落落大方徇徇儒雅、举动言语并不惹人厌。乾隆乍一说他进军机，阿桂就一直颠来倒去回顾二人交往情形，一边听着不敢漏掉乾隆言语，忙中抽暇又想心事，己是有点神思不守，听乾隆突然问到自己，憬悟之下忙躬身回道：“和珅是孝子，忠良出于诚孝，主子目力再不错的。现既拔入军机，同列为臣，朝夕得皇上教导，必定更有进步。奴才一定和于敏中同心协力，为皇上竭尽绵薄。”说着，他已完全定下了心，沉吟着又道，“军机处为圣命出入，景从天下之地，密勿献替近尊弥密，所以号为宰相。奴才蹑从主子多年，有两条心得，一是慎密，慎密则不泄；二是通敏，通敏则不滞。不滞不泄，决疑定计周行天下，机枢的责任也就尽到了。愿和于敏中和珅共勉，并不敢因和珅曾在行属存轻忽怠慢的心。” “实在这话才得了大臣之体。”乾隆大为欣悦，本来黯淡的神情顿时开朗起来，抚掌叹道：“这是真读书真作事的大臣才能想出来的道理，纪昀也要记住——你们都要记住。” 纪昀看一眼阿桂。这话是他去年夏天在阿桂水树子亭里说给阿桂的，阿桂现在现搬即用，皇帝反要自己也“记住”，不觉好笑，却又不敢笑，恭恭敬敬答道：“臣谨记在心！”