Chapter 64 Section 3 Qi Wei Wang’s peculiar means of official administration

Just after dawn, Prime Minister Zou Ji boarded a chariot and headed towards the palace. Qi Palace is located in the north of Linzi City, opposite to the palace is the Jixia Academy Palace in the south, and in the middle is an unusually wide market, which is the world-famous "Qi City" in Linzi.All courtiers had to pass through this market when entering the palace.This kind of urban layout is unique among the metropolises in the world.As a doctor in Linzi, when Zou Ji supervised the construction of the royal palace and school palace, he left here a piece of pine and pine forest. On both sides of the pine forest are the carriage and horse farms of the palace and school palace, and around it are the official offices of the state of Qi.With such a layout, a quiet and solemn royal power center is formed here. As long as the envoys of various countries and the common people approach this place, awe will arise spontaneously.Unexpectedly, the young King Qi frowned, standing on the foundation of the palace, pointing to the vast open space in the center, and asked, "Could it be that Qi has so much money that it has no place to spend it? What's the use of these hundreds of acres of pine trees and forests? Waste of money." The widest street market in the world should be built here, called Qi City, and it must surpass Wei City in Daliang! Merchants from all over the world gather here. We, princes, ministers and scholars can't watch farmers plowing fields every day, at least we can see merchants every day People's livelihood." Thus, the solemn pine forest in this conception was replaced by a noisy street market.

At the beginning of its completion, merchants were very interested.It was indeed unique in the world that a commercial market could stand shoulder to shoulder with the palace at that time!It undoubtedly shows that Qi State greatly values ​​businessmen.In the eyes of businessmen suffering from "suppression of business", this is simply more attractive than making money itself.As a result, wealthy businessmen and merchants from all over the world came one after another, scrambling to buy storefronts, and at the same time bought a lot of land in Linzi to build houses and warehouses.Suddenly, in more than ten years, Qi City has become the most prosperous and largest city in the world.The population of Linzi has increased greatly, and there are more than 70,000 households with hundreds of industries and businesses, and a population of nearly 500,000!There is a big difference between Qi City and Wei City.The city of Wei is rich and luxurious, with wine shops, jewelry, silk, and famous swords as the center.Qi city is plain and affordable, mainly including fish market, salt market, iron market and cloth market.Generally speaking, Qi is not as good as Wei in terms of wind, flowers, snow and moon; Wei is not as good as Qi in terms of benefits and convenience.

The king of Qi stipulated that when courtiers enter the palace, unless they have urgent state affairs, they must walk through the "Qi City"; transport vehicles and emergency military affairs, they can walk through the specially set lanes next to them; Anecdote. Zou Ji's cart entered the entrance of the market, and he got out of the cart, asked the driver to drive the cart away, and walked into the market calmly.At this time, it was the morning market, and except for restaurants and wine shops, major stores were still stocking up, and there were not many people in the market.In twos and threes, most of them are idle people among the old people in Linzi.Zou Ji walked in a hurry, thinking about how to report the important matter in his heart to the king of Qi, but suddenly his eyes lit up, and a handsome and handsome man came across from him!

Zou Ji's heart moved, and he cupped his hands and asked loudly, "Sir, are you Xu Gong from the north of the city?" The handsome man cupped his hands and said with a smile: "It's right here. Dare I ask you about your name?" "I am the Zou family in the east of the city. Mr. Jiumu is a master of piano and chess, can you come to the mansion for advice?" "Sir, Mr. Xu is ashamed of awarding you a false award. Mr. Xu is not the prime minister?" "Zou Ji, my brother too. I am the one who respects and admires my brother." "Xu Gong has always heard that Prime Minister Zou Ji has a gorgeous bearing. If his younger brother is like this, he will know that the rumors are true. He will definitely come to ask for advice someday."

When the two were admiring each other, the city people stopped to watch one after another, admiring and discussing with each other, their voices hit their ears. "Worthy of being the second best among men in Qi State! It's a wonder in the world." "In other words, Mr. Xu in the north of the city is more beautiful, as elegant as a fairy." "That's right. If it's a beauty contest, I'll bet on Mr. Xu!" "Shh! That's the brother of the prime minister, who can compare with his grand appearance and grace?" "Is that the same thing? Don't make fun of it!"

Zou Ji saw that there were more and more people in the city, so he said goodbye to Mr. Xu and left separately.The crowd was still gathering, arguing endlessly while watching their backs.After Zou Ji left the market, he arrived at the chariot and horse farm guarded by soldiers in front of the palace.The humming noise of the city was thrown behind three hundred paces, and the front of the palace suddenly became quiet.After walking through a section of the market, Zou Ji felt refreshed, strode up the sixteen white jade steps, and entered the palace hall. King Qi Wei was discussing something in a low voice with General Tian Ji, when he saw Zou Ji coming, he said with a smile, "It's so early, Prime Minister."

"My king was earlier than my subject." Zou Ji bowed deeply. "The prime minister came early, there must be something important, so you can talk about it first. Take your seat." Zou Ji knew that what Tian Ji was discussing with the King of Qi must be about military affairs, and Tian Ji was a minister of the royal family. On weekdays, as a civil servant, he had always been "the king does not ask, the ministers do not talk about" this kind of military affairs, and he never took the initiative to involve himself.He calmly sat down in front of his usual first seat, which was a long table in the left hand of the King of Qi. He bowed his hands and said: "My king, a few days ago, I sent two secret envoys to investigate the achievements of Acheng and Jimo County, and the envoys have returned to Linzi. , but the result was different from my king's verdict, so I came here to report."

"How is it different?" King Qi Wei asked lightly. "As verified by the envoy, the fields of the three cities under the jurisdiction of the Acheng Order were barren, the people fled, the industry and commerce were sluggish, and all industries withered. The Acheng Order used the taxes and goods from the treasury to bribe the officials around my king to gain fame. Then the official voice rose." "How?" King Qi Wei was greatly surprised, "Acheng Ling is about to reuse... Where is Jimo Ling?" "The three cities under the jurisdiction of the Jimo Order, the fields are opened up, the people are rich, and all the farmers and workers in the city are prosperous. In five years, the population has increased by more than 10,000. There is no backlog of lawsuits from the government, and there is no clan fighting in the village. The people all praise it. That Jimo Ling was diligent in political affairs, and often visited private households in the mountains and fields in disguise, but he was not good at communicating, so the official reputation was not good."

King Qi Wei was agitated for a moment, "How can this be reasonable? We have been rectifying the officials in Qi State for several years, and there is such a thing that turns black and white? The prime minister, the secret envoy investigated, can you dare to vouch for it?" "My king, this secret envoy is myself. I would like to risk the lives of the nine clans to guarantee that what I said is true." King Qi Wei was silent for a long time, and his face became more and more ugly. "My lord, do you think I'm a handsome man in Qi?" Zou Ji asked suddenly. Both King Qi Wei and Tian Ji couldn't help laughing, "Prime Minister, you really have a lot of leisure. You are eight feet tall and have a magnificent brilliance. Why do you ask why you know that?"

Zouji smiled and said, "I, Wang Rongchen, said something. This morning, I was dressing in front of the mirror, and my wife was serving beside me. I asked my wife, who is more beautiful between me and Duke Xu in the north of the city? My wife smiled and said, the husband is handsome and handsome. Yi is extraordinary, how can Xu Gong compare? The minister came out of the dormitory and met his concubine in the main hall. The minister asked the concubine again, who is beautiful between me and Xu Gong? Can it be compared? When I went out to meet a guest in the courtyard, I asked the guest again. The guest replied that Mr. Xu is a hero among the people. Mr. Xu is a humble scholar, so Mr. Xu is naturally beautiful. But I don’t want to pass by the market just now, and I met Mr. Xu by chance and greeted each other. I feel that I am not as elegant and handsome as Mr. Xu. People in the city are also watching and commenting, and they all say that my minister is not as beautiful as Mr. Xu. But my king, why do my wives, concubines and guests all say that my minister is more beautiful than Mr. Xu?"

King Qi Wei groaned and did not speak, just looked at Zou Ji, waiting for him to continue. Zou Ji withdrew his smile, "I am thinking about my subject. My wife says I am beautiful, and she loves me too much. My concubine says I am beautiful, because she is afraid of losing my favor. Guests say that I am beautiful, because I want my minister. Love me , Those who are afraid of ministers, and those who ask for ministers, all say things against their will to please them. The land of Qi State is thousands of miles away, and there are more than one hundred cities. The women in the palace love my king, and the ministers in the court are afraid of my king. The people are asking for my king. It is conceivable how much truth my king can hear?" King Qi Wei left the table and bowed his hands solemnly, "The prime minister will see the sun for me, and I will live up to the prime minister's loyalty and seek the country." Zou Ji bowed deeply, "So, I ask you, Wang Guang, to speak out, straighten out the administration of officials, and consolidate the foundation." This story with profound implications made King Qi Wei restless for several days.Are the orders of Acheng and Jimo really the opposite?He couldn't believe it.After many years of rectification, Qi should be governed by officials. How could there be such absurd deception?If things go on like this, will Qi Guo want to step down unknowingly?Thinking about it, King Qi Wei felt chills down his spine, and suddenly realized that in the Warring States Period, once the government declined and the monarch could not order it, it would mean that the country collapsed!That night, King Qi Wei came to Jixia Academy in secret, and had a secret discussion with Zou Yan, the official of the academy, for an hour.In the early morning of the next day, more than a dozen civilians left the Jixia Academy in an endless stream, and went to study in the country of Qi. A month later, Qi City's wooden fence facing the palace was demolished, and people from the city flocked to the chariot and horse farm in front of the palace. In the center of the carriage and horse field stood a large iron tripod more than one foot high.A large piece of hard wood under the tripod was burning with raging flames, the heat inside the tripod was steaming, and the boiling water was tumbling.The three layers of armored soldiers around the tripod formed a horseshoe formation, only the side facing the palace was open.Under the pillars of the tall palace are full of spear soldiers, and Tian Ji stands in front of the central king's case holding a red command flag.Looking at this scene, something big must happen!When the people of Linzi City heard the news, thousands of people gathered around the palace.The foreign businessmen in Daqi City also closed their shops and flocked to the square to watch the excitement.The square between the royal palace in the north and the Jixia Academy in the south was actually crowded with people.The roofs of Qishi were full of people, and the big tree in front of the Xuegong was also full of people. Just after noon, the big bronze bell on the east corridor of the palace rang loudly! "King Qi is here!" The servant gave a long shout, and King Qi Wei and Prime Minister Zou Ji walked out of the palace hall calmly, and stood solemnly in the center of the white jade platform.The trusted officials on the left and right, as well as the pets and courtiers, stood in two rows behind King Qi Wei.They looked excitedly at the big cauldron in the arena, looked at each other and kept twitching the corners of their mouths.The convulsive convulsions of these court people on this special occasion are their laughter.They never laughed out loud about things like life and death. That was their special way of despising these courtiers.The ministers of the State of Qi have already lined up on both sides of the platform, looking at the monarch anxiously, wondering who is facing the battle today? Zou Ji nodded slightly to Qi Weiwang. King Qi Wei waved his sleeves and walked to the king's case, "Xuan'acheng order and Jimo order." The servant's sharp and long voice resounded through the square, "A Cheng Ling and Jimo Ling meet—!" At the foot of the sixteen steps, a middle-aged fair-skinned minister with a red robe and a tall jade crown came out of the queue of local ministers. He nodded to his colleagues who congratulated him in a low voice, walked up to the high platform, and prostrated himself on the ground. "My lord, Ah Cheng ordered Tian Tenon to see my king——, my king's long live—!" The Jimo Ling who followed him was dressed in civilian clothes with a dark complexion and a dusty face. Compared with the previous Acheng Ling, he looked like a rather shabby civilian scholar.He bowed deeply in accordance with the usual etiquette, "My lord, Jimo ordered Yan Ju to meet my king." "The two of you have stood, and this king has his own fate." King Qi Wei got up from the table expressionlessly, walked to the king's case and waved to the square. Among the more than 200 local officials in the state of Qi, two are the most eye-catching. One is A Cheng Ling Tian tenon, a royal servant. My trusted minister and many officials all say that he has outstanding achievements and is diligent in politics. Love the people, Acheng is prosperous, and all people benefit!" The crowd in the square suddenly became agitated, shouting like a tide.Many people in the staff team nodded and smiled.The corners of the mouths of the cronies and ministers behind King Qiwei twitched even more, and their eyes shone brightly.Tian Ji waved the flag and ordered in a loud voice, "Don't make any noise——listen to my king's announcement—!" The crowd gradually calmed down. King Qi Wei remained expressionless, "The other one is Jimo Ling Yanju. My cronies and courtiers all say that he ignores civil affairs, is cruel to the people, corrupts the law, and the people are deeply poisoned by him!" There was another commotion in the arena, booming and buzzing, and the anger became more and more apparent.Tian Ji waved the command flag again, and the crowd gradually calmed down again. "For this reason, the king sent more than 20 upright scholars from Jixia Academy to conduct a secret investigation. He wanted to promote Achengling to be a high minister, and wanted to punish Jimoling for death. However, the law of heaven is selfless, and the truth of the investigation is exactly the opposite! Acheng The order used the treasury tax revenue to pay bribes to win the official voice and political achievements, resulting in barren fields and resentment among the common people. The Jimo order is diligent in government and loves the people, all industries prosper, and the people are prosperous!" King Wei of Qi paused for a breath, scanning the silent crowd in the square There was a crowd of people, and the hoarse and high-pitched voice sounded again, "The officials of the Qi State have been in order for many years, and there are such national thieves as A Cheng Ling, and there are officials in the court who openly deceived the king. I am deeply distressed! In order to reorganize the government, Open up your voice, and this king declares: Seal Jimo to order ten thousand households, and from now on, he will be promoted to be the chief of Qi State——!" As soon as the words fell, the people in the square rejoiced, taking off their clothes and shaking to cheer for the monarch.Jimo Ling burst into tears, thank you deeply.A Chengling and the cronies behind King Qi Wei were trembling with fright, and the corners of their mouths really twitched.Among the officials in the audience, there were also those who were sweating profusely and panicked. King Qi Wei coldly ordered, "In order to punish the evil officials and eradicate the unhealthy trend of killing people with tongue, A Cheng Ling will be thrown into a cauldron and killed!" With a wave of Tian Jiling's flag, four warriors strode up the 16 steps, A Chengling with ashen face crossed on all sides, shouted a chant, and suddenly exerted force, throwing a large living person towards the crowd in the square like a projectile. Within the cauldron!There was only a sharp scream, and in an instant, a bone appeared in the boiling water of the cauldron! "Long live—!" "Long live the king of Qi—!" The audience burst into joy!Cooking and killing royal ministers is impossible in any country!But it happened right in front of our eyes, who could not believe it?The special smell of scorched meat was clearly still permeating in the breath, which deeply shocked the people of Qi and foreign merchants.The servants, favorites, and officials who were usually advocating for A Cheng Ling were so frightened that they turned into a pile of flesh, and they knelt down on the ground in a black mass, begging for forgiveness, exchanging tears, and there were even those who poured feces and urine full of ugly behavior.King Qi Wei was unmoved, pointing at these former cronies with a fierce sneer, "This king regards you as the eyes and ears of your cronies, but you treat me as a puppet. If you forgive me, what is the law? Where is it? General, cook and kill all the people appointed by this king!" A cruel cooking unique in Chinese history began. Tian Ji held a parchment list in his left hand, waved the command flag in his right hand, and called out one, and the wrestlers threw one into the boiling cauldron... In a short while, they killed fifteen trusted courtiers, thirteen Courtiers and local officials!The fire was thick with smoke, the heat was steaming, and the white bones in the cauldron were tumbling.Several soldiers swung their long iron hooks, continuously hooking out white skeletons.After a short meal, the bones beside the cauldron had already become a hill!The smell of blood and flesh filled the entire square with billowing smoke.As one after another was cooked and killed, the cheers disappeared, and an atmosphere of uneasiness and terror spread in all directions. The women began to vomit, and the men were anxious. up.The well-traveled and well-dressed foreign businessmen also vomited again and again, covered their noses and hurriedly escaped from the square... King Qi Wei stood in the smoke all the time, like cast iron, without moving an inch. The next day, when the stench of cooking and slaughter was still wafting in Linzi City, the "Xu Min Defamation Order" was hung on both sides of the street.According to this decree, "slandering trees" were erected on both sides of the main streets of more than a hundred cities, large and small, and on both sides of more than ten official roads across the entire Qi State.This kind of "slandering wood" is as tall as a person, and there is a piece every five li along the official road, and a piece every thirty feet in the city streets.In fact, a large square board is nailed on top of a thick wooden pillar, which is specially for people to write, draw or carve on it, comment on officials, criticize current affairs, or put forward their own national policy propositions.This is called "defamation".Once the slander wood is full, officials will replace it at any time. All slander wood with calligraphy and paintings must be turned over to the palace government and must not be seized by any local government office. King Qi Wei's "Xu Min Defamation Order" is indeed an ancient pioneering work to spread the word!It greatly aroused the hearts of the people of Qi, and everyone felt that they could speak to the king.Officials, big and small, feel that there are inspectors from all the people at all times, and they dare not slack off in the slightest.In fact, the truly clear and clear administration of officials in Qi State began with "Xu Min's slander".But after the death of King Qiwei, "slandering wood" rose inexplicably.Later, it became higher and higher. After thousands of years of evolution, "slander wood" has become an unattainable luxury watch carved from white jade, and "slander" has also evolved into a special word for malicious attacks.History is really a kaleidoscope, which makes people laugh and cry.