Chapter 105 The History of the Palace Outside the Qing Dynasty (11-2)

The cause of the case in this excerpt is called "to protect the small and defend the frontier, and seek self-improvement", while a big article is entirely about coastal defense, but it is deliberately avoided in the cause of the case, and it is considered very hard.As soon as the memorial came up, the Empress Dowager Cixi found it quite pleasant, and with the support of King Gong, she issued a "secret edict" of "five hundred miles", which was distributed to Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang, Governor He Jing of Fujian and Zhejiang, Governor Zhang Shusheng of Guangdong and Guangxi, Liu Changyou, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, Peng Yulin and governors of relevant provinces:

"Zhang Peilun, a lecturer of the Imperial Academy, said that 'to protect the small side, we should seek self-improvement. It is said that 'Japan has abolished Ryukyu, and France has also crossed the border to Vietnam. The strategy to control the Japanese is to set up a large navy. , with the Beiyang three ports as one army, set up the Beihai Navy Admiral; Tianjin, Tongyong, Denglai and other towns belong to them, and the division ships are stationed in Lushun, Yantai, and Dalian Bay to control natural dangers. The situation in the south of the Yangtze River should be changed to the Yangtze River after the sea. The admiral of the Navy is stationed outside Wusongkou; the three towns of Langshan, Fushan, and Chongming are all attached to it, and they are responsible for commanding military ships and gathering overseas. The minister is responsible for patrolling the river and taking care of the five provinces; the admiral is responsible for patrolling the sea and focusing on one province. Admirals in the south of the Yangtze River rule Huaixu and govern land routes: Fujian and Zhejiang are under the jurisdiction of the same governor. It is advisable to change the admirals of the Fujian and Zhejiang naval divisions to the admirals of the Fujian and Zhejiang naval divisions. The two towns of Dinghai and Haimen in Zhejiang are attached to them. Liu Yongfu and others can take advantage of the danger to serve the convenience. Again, the navy is stationed at Zhuya; the fast boats and mine boats enter and leave the Shentou Haikou in Vietnam, and they are in contact with them. Coastal defense and border defense are the current urgent tasks. The overall situation should be coordinated and measures should be adapted to the circumstances. There must be the reality of breaking and resisting insults, and only then can it be used as a long-term strategy. This attendant lectures on all the festivals, and it is not in ignorance, that is, Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang, He Jing, Zhang Shusheng, Peng Yulin and others will make overall plans for coastal defense matters and discuss them together."

According to the instructions of the Shangyu, the governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang was the leader of the frontier ministers, so the discussion of coastal defense was naturally assigned to Li Hongzhang to preside over it.This time, he took the lead, he was confident, very calm, left this important business, and went to inspect the road in person in his spare time.Because Empress Dowager Xiaozhen Ci'an was buried last year, and Empress Dowager Cixi was just recovering from her illness, she was not suitable for a long journey and was never sent to the mountain mausoleum. I was afraid that she would go to sacrifice in person during Qingming this year.

In the middle of the tour, Li Hongzhang received a secret letter from Beijing, mentioning the movement of "Xi Sheng", saying that his illness had fully recovered and had been reported to "Wan An". The act of Zhending Dongling was decided to be slow.Empress Dowager Cixi will stay in Beijing and personally handle the triennial "challenge". The three-year performance appraisal is called "Daji" by foreign officials, and "Jingcha" by Beijing officials.The period of the Beijing inspection is the same as the year of the township examination, held every Zi, Wu, Mao, and You.This year is Renwu in the eighth year of Guangxu. After the opening of each yamen's seal, the first major event is to "note examination" and "pass through the hall" to evaluate subordinates.As usual, the ministers of the Ministry of the Ministry will issue a bill from the Ministry of Officials, and invite them to personally judge.At this time, after Zhang Peilun handed over the fold of "Bao Xiao Defend the Frontier", he summoned up his courage and attacked three people. Usually, old people fall in love with their positions", not only "love their jobs as before, but also neglect their jobs", so please "retire as usual".The other appendix is ​​dedicated to the impeachment of Yushi Tonghua, the left capital.

Empress Dowager Cixi has long wanted to touch Wan and Dong.So when I saw Zhang Peilun's memorial, it hit my heart, and both Wan Qingli and Dong Xun lost their positions.Tong Hua opened a vacancy to serve as a servant, and was demoted to one level.The vacancy of Wan Qingli was filled by Li Hongzao with the Minister of the Ministry of War. After receiving the edict, Li Hongzhang was secretly vigilant.Within a year, Li Hongzao was promoted to co-organize and transferred to the Ministry of Officials. His successful official career indicated the expansion of the Qingliu forces. Losing to the North, he should have a good plan as to how to make a settlement between the two factions, as a domestic aid.

Thinking about it this way, Zhang Peilun naturally came to mind.At the same time, I can't help but feel complacent.Over the past few years, relying on his family friends, he has worked hard on Zhang Peilun to "burn the cold stove", which is quite effective.Zhang Zhidong flattered Li Hongzao, wrote letters twice in three days, and finally got a governor. Zhang Peilun's talents are far superior to Zhang Zhidong. If he can be cultivated to go out of town, he will be grateful and reciprocate. Wouldn't it be an extra arm? Unfortunately, "Mr. Big" Li Hanzhang sent a letter from Hubei to support the old mother of the Huguang governor's yamen. She is dying of illness and it may be difficult to recover.This was really a thunderbolt on a sunny day. Li Hongzhang was worried and felt that some arrangements had to be made.

He has a habit of "three hundred steps after a meal", and a servant counts for him. When he counts three hundred steps, he shouts, "Enough!" up. He was thinking about his mother's funeral.Once you are worried, you must open a vacancy.Neither of the two brothers can become the governor, so many people under the sect will be unlucky, and the next thing is, I am afraid that there will be grievances in normal times, and someone will take the opportunity to retaliate.Especially during the tenure of Zhili governor and Beiyang minister, how many major events have he handled?There are some unfinished affairs that need to be made up. If an irrelevant person is replaced to handle the business and find out the old case, there will be great trouble.

Of course, with his own status and the imperial court's reliance, there must be an edict to "defeat love". According to the rules of the bannerman, wear filial piety for a hundred days, and cancel the fake and treat things. Within these hundred days, no vacancies will be opened, and someone will be appointed to act as an agent. It doesn't matter.It's just that the Han people are different from the banner people, and it's not the time to use troops, so the saying "Moyu joins the army" doesn't apply at all.Therefore, the only solution is to ask for a vacancy immediately, and at the same time, recommend a successor, so that everything can be filled for him.Otherwise, Empress Dowager Cixi might transfer Zuo Zongtang to be the direct governor on a whim, and her reputation would be ruined.

Fortunately, among the generals of the Huai Army, a substitute can still be found, but it is not yet time to proceed, so he can only keep this person in his mind.Let's write the booklet first before we talk. Naturally, he would not approve the memorial to ask for a vacant servant. The court ordered "Li Hongzhang to give a one-month holiday and go to Hubei to visit his relatives."Just as he was about to leave, the bad news arrived, and Li Hongzhang immediately reported to Ding You.But there is no need to go to the funeral at night, because Mrs. Li died in the yamen of his eldest son, and it took Li Hongzhang several days to travel from Zhili to Wuchang. , the middle road welcomes and protects.

In fact, he can't go to the funeral at night, the leader of the frontiers, the important town of Beiyang, how can he let go?He expected that the imperial court would continue to comfort him again and again, so he took advantage of this opportunity to deploy. Most importantly, he had to find a way to transfer Zhang Shusheng, Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, to Zhili to take care of his affairs.The generals of the Huai Army were originally headed by Liu Mingchuan, but "Liu Mazi" had long been at odds with Li Hongzhang, so Zhang Shusheng became a "big disciple" in Li Hongzhang's direct line.If Li Hongzhang opened the vacancy, Zhang Shusheng would be the best to take over. This was almost the unanimous opinion of the civil and military forces in Beiyang. Therefore, as soon as the bad news from Hubei arrived, someone immediately reported the good news to Guangzhou.Moreover, Zhang Shusheng has a son in Beijing, and of course he has already written home, asking his father to prepare to go north.

Sure enough, the court orders are not allowed to open vacancies.When Li Hongzhang came up with the third report, King Gong reported to the Empress Dowager Cixi that Li Hongzhang could not be forced to stay in the post of direct governor. However, the Beiyang Minister was responsible for leading the army. With the meaning of "Mo Yu serving in the army", Li Hongzhang might be able to stay .It is suggested that Wang Wenshao be sent to Tianjin to discuss with Li Hongzhang face to face, how to let him return to his hometown for the funeral without affecting Beiyang defense. So Wang Wenshao was ordered to go to Tianjin under the title of "Jie Qie Proclamation and Encouragement". To ask him to stay in office is actually to consult a successor.Li Hongzhang agreed to stay as Minister of Beiyang, and suggested that Zhang Shusheng be transferred to act as the direct governor.However, France has sent troops to Hanoi, fearing that the situation in Vietnam will change, and Guangdong and Guangxi must also be guarded by senior generals, so it is proposed to appoint Zeng Guoquan as the governor of Guangdong. This arrangement, the imperial court thought it was quite appropriate, and followed suit.But the key to such a transfer is the defense of Beiyang. Because Li Hongzhang guards Beiyang, Zhang Shusheng, who was born in the Huai Army, was transferred to be the governor of Zhili and Li Hongzhang's assistant.Those who work on Zhang Shusheng's side can't see through this level. They only think that Li Hongzhang and Ding You must open a vacancy. The direct supervisor transferred Zhang Shusheng because the court couldn't find a suitable candidate and had to rely more heavily on it. The leader of Beiyang. Zhang Shusheng's son insisted on this view.His name is Zhang Huakui, and he is a Juren. In the name of studying in Beijing and preparing for the exam, he scouts news for his father and seeks opportunities.Usually flattering Qingliu.According to Li Ciming, the homonym of Qingliu is "green cow", Li Hongzao is the head of an ox, Zhang Peilun is the horn of an ox, which is specially used to provoke others, and Chen Baochen is the belly of a green ox, which is the most solid in Qingliu.Of course there are oxtails and bullwhips, but Zhang Huakui is not involved in them. He is the so-called "Qingliu Boots", and he is still a layer away from the "Qingliu Legs" who run errands for Qingliu. In order to become "independent" and get rid of his attachment to Li Hongzhang, Zhang Huakui went about his activities in the capital, found many "clear legs" for wine and food, and secretly discussed with each other, trying to find a way for his father to come out directly. There is a "clear leg", a doctor of the Imperial College, named Liu Dongqing, who suddenly praised himself: "I have a wonderful plan! If this plan works, it will not only increase the weight of the lord? It can win the sound and light of Hefei and Xiangyin. " When Zhang Huakui heard this, he laughed first, and cupped his hands again and again: "Please, please!" "The four admonitions from Hanlin are all very conceited, thinking that there is a huge economy. Wu Qingqing and Zhang Xiangtao have all gone out, and Qiang Youqiao is naturally happy to see hunting." Liu Dongqing paused and said: "He will put aside chores at the end of the year and specialize in planning. It is not difficult to understand the interest of the story about coastal defense. Now that Beiyang is in the process of developing the navy, why not ask Zhang Youqiao to come to Zhili to help the navy..." Before the words were finished, the guests burst into applause.This plan was indeed very thoughtful, and Zhang Peilun could be subdued at once.As an assistant in military affairs, he is only one room away from the imperial envoy. He thought of such a good topic for Zhang Peilun, of course he should be grateful and report it.With such a powerful "bodyguard", the governor of Zhili can sit firmly. "However," Zhang Huakui asked, "there is an imperial decree in February that you are not allowed to play tunes in the Imperial Academy. I'm afraid it doesn't match the law. " "It's not a melody, it's about recommending talents. Why not. The edict issued in February was for Zhang Xiangtao's melody compilation and compilation of Wang Wenjin. The situation of recommending Zhang Youqiao is different. You may wish to make a statement in the memorial. Please join me to show your excellence. It all depends on the wording!" Zhang Huakui deeply agrees.But someone else advised him not to make mistakes and should first ask for Zhang Peilun's consent.Zhang Huakui also thought it was reasonable, so he asked someone to inquire about it. Zhang Peilun was noncommittal.If you can help manage the Zhili Navy and reward you with the title of third-rank minister, you will be the governor in one turn, and it is also a shortcut to the south.But this must come from a special order of the imperial court. What kind of thing is Zhang Shusheng?Let him recommend you, not to belittle your reputation! If he finds it ridiculous, he doesn't have to reply.Zhang Huakui misunderstood it, thinking it was a sign of acquiescence.At that time, a secret telegram was sent back to Guangdong. Zhang Shusheng had not yet received the direct supervisor, but there was a memorial to recommend Zhang Peilun to Beijing. Li Hongzao first expressed his dissatisfaction when the booklet was handed over to the military plane. King Gong also thought that Zhang Shusheng's move was too "tricky", so he immediately played the Empress Dowager Cixi of the Ming Dynasty and refuted it, saying, "Assisting senior officials and rewarding ministerial titles are out of special purpose. The servants are free to ask for what they get." This time even Zhang Peilun had a bad nose. What's worse, on the day of handing in the exam, there was a "poor exam". Zhang Peilun couldn't take the exam because of the funeral of his relatives and his "minor work clothes". Some people say that he should not take the exam because he is "waiting for an order", but it seems that Zhang Peilun himself wants to seek this job. "Zhang is too presumptuous!" He jumped angrily, "Isn't this a joke?" This wind can't last long! "Chen Baochen wanted to help him, wash him up, "I want to add Zhezi ginseng. " One reference and one standard: "Zhang Shusheng is good at mobilizing close officials, it is really presumptuous, and I will hand it over to the Ministry of Officials for discussion." ※ ※ ※ Li Hongzhang went south, Zhang Shusheng went north, all of them were well-mannered, but there was a very simple minister who quietly came to Beijing to take up his post. But when he entered Beijing, almost no one knew him, and when the palace gate was handed over to say hello, and "Dichao" announced his whereabouts, officials of all sizes in the DPRK and China were talking about it.Because Yan Jingming is also a legendary figure, there are many stories about the spread of the population, such as Yutong who wanted to kill the official in Hubei, and the Zhizhou who killed the embezzlement money in Shanxi, they are all talked about, even the Empress Dowager Cixi often mentions him. Therefore, on the second day of arriving in Beijing, an order was issued to summon him.She still remembered Hu Linyi's testimonials in his memorial to protect Yan Jingming, saying that he was "not handsome but ambitious".I also heard from Prince Gong that before Yan Jingming was selected as a Jinshi, he "picked up the county magistrate" by raising people. As soon as he was in the class, and he hadn't reported his resume, there was a prince who was in charge of the selection, and sternly shouted: "Yan Jingming, get out!" In the selection of the magistrate, the first thing to look at is the appearance. The face with the word "Tong" comes first, and the face with the word "Tian" comes second. In addition, those with faces like the characters "Shen", "Jia" and "You" are also expected to be selected, and Yan Jingming has everything. No, his face is like a jujube stone, his eyes are one big and one small, and his body is less than five feet long. His description is really trivial, he doesn't look like an official no matter what, no wonder he was dismissed first. However, the Empress Dowager Cixi did not judge people by their appearance, she gave Yan Jingming a lot of warm words, and rewarded him for doing relief work in Shanxi and doing things with sincerity, he is a rare good official. "It is said that you are good at managing money." She mentioned the original intention of calling him into the court. "Now we are building a navy and ordering iron-clad ships from Germany. Each one costs more than one million silver. It is really unsustainable. It all depends on You should rectify it at the Ministry of Finance." "Yes. Let's talk about it when the minister arrives at the ministry." "You have been in the Ministry of Household Affairs before, so you must be very clear about the long-standing abuses of the Ministry of Household Affairs." "Chen Daoguang disbanded the museum in the 28th year and was appointed as the head of the household department. Later, Hu Linyi moved the minister to Hubei. After many years, the situation of the household department has been separated, but the principle of financial management is the same regardless of public or private. Therefore, it is beneficial. First, get rid of middle-income earners, and second, be economical and pragmatic. However, I dare not say that I am sure at the moment, and the affairs of the household department are difficult to handle." "It's because it's difficult, so I came to you. I know that you are the most capable of destroying sympathy and responding to events. You can report it, and I will always promise you." "Yes!" Yan Jingming raised his voice, "I will do my best." "Besides the official affairs of the Ministry of Household Affairs, you might as well protect someone who is useful. I know you are very knowledgeable. Back then, you protected Ding Baozhen, and it was really effective." The Empress Dowager Cixi said, "Westernization is very important now. Are there any good Westernization personnel?" "As far as I know, now Zhang Yinhuan on Taiguang Road in Huiningchi is very careful, and he is a good hand in foreign affairs." When mentioning Zhang Yinhuan's official position, Empress Dowager Cixi was very kind, but also sad, because her father Huizheng died in the post of Taiguangdao in Huiningchi.As for Zhang Yinhuan, she seemed to remember that the Empress Dowager Ci'an had mentioned it to her two years ago, but she only knew his name and nothing else. "What is Zhang Yinhuan's background?" "He was born in the county magistrate of the donated class." Yan Jingming said immediately, "he is an outstanding figure in the donated class, and his writing is excellent. In his early years in his hometown in Guangdong, he often taught foreigners about fort machines. He also led a cavalry team in Shandong. Ding Baozhen is very much under his influence. The coastal defense in Shandong was planned by Zhang Yinhuan." "Oh!" Empress Dowager Cixi nodded deeply, keeping Zhang Yinhuan's name in her heart. Next, Empress Dowager Cixi asked about his family affairs.He said that his hometown was in Chaoyi, Shaanxi, and because it was close to the Yellow River, the terrain was low-lying, and there were frequent floods, so he moved to Yuncheng, Shanxi.There are three sons, the eldest is Yan Naixing, who was in the Imperial Academy for the seventh year of Tongzhi, and is now an editor; the second is not an official, but keeps the ancestral business;He also said that the family style is Confucianism, and his son can be self-reliant. This time he was called to Beijing, and he is willing to serve the country for the rest of the year, but his nature is rampant and upright, so it is expected that business affairs will not go smoothly. "It doesn't matter, you just let go and do it. Everything is up to me." With the words of Empress Dowager Cixi, Yan Jingming was deeply comforted.He was indifferent to fame and fortune, originally he didn't want to go out this time, and he also planned to be crowned at any time after he arrived in Beijing. Now, feeling the support of Empress Dowager Cixi, his ambitions revived, and he really wanted to make a serious rectification. Coming out of the palace, he stopped by to pay a visit, and returned to his eldest son's house. Wang Wenshao, who was acting as the secretary of the household department, had sent an officer to sit there and ask for the date of taking over. New officials have to choose a good day when they take office, but Yan Jingming didn't make any fuss, and replied casually: "Tomorrow will be fine." The general rule is to meet with the court official on the day of appointment, bow to the promotion, and the officer will hold a folded draft of the date of the report, and leave immediately after drawing a promise.From the next day, it will take ten days and a half months to meet with the officers in batches. Only when you are familiar with the affairs of the Ministry can you start to have official business.But Yan Jingming didn't make that kind of thing, and he had to look at the account on the first day of his appointment. The Ministry of Households is the same as the Ministry of Punishments, divided into divisions according to provinces. The difference is that there are no Zhili and Fengtian divisions in the Ministry of Households. Only fourteen divisions.The divisions are different in size. The Ministry of Household Affairs is in charge of salt law in Shandong, water transportation in Yunnan, money law in Guangxi, and tariff in Guizhou.After Hong Yang, Westernization gradually flourished, and the tariffs were focused on foreign customs, which were not under the control of Guizhou. Qian Fazhi, Yunnan Copper, had been out of luck for a long time, so the two divisions of Guizhou and Guizhou were reduced to small divisions.The new four major divisions, in addition to Shandong and Yunnan, the Shaanxi Division also governs Gansu, and manages the clan and Beijing officials' civil and military salaries, the money and grain of each yamen, and the tea from all walks of life, and the Fujian Division also manages the money and grain of Shuntian Zhili.When Yan Jingming looked at the accounts, he started from the accounts of the four divisions of "Shan, Shan, Yun, and Fu". Looking at the accounts looks like the chief manager and the chief cashier of a big family. When I get a "four-post inventory" of "old deposits, new receipts, dismissals, and realities", the abacus is done quickly, and if there are any mistakes, they are pointed out immediately, so In two days, I have read all the money and food receipts and disbursements of the Fourteenth Division. Finally, it depends on the accounts of the North and South stalls.The southern housing is only responsible for the money and food of the people of the Eight Banners, which has little to do with it, while the northern housing is the top-secret place of the Ministry of Households.How much do you save?What is the profit and loss?You have to ask about the North stall.At the beginning, in order to guard against the Han people, the officials in the northern stalls were called "lingban" and "general office", and they could only be appointed by the Manchurian and Han troops.When Yan Jingming was in the household department, he was very dissatisfied with this. Now that he is an official of the headquarters, once he has the power in his hands, he is determined to start reforming from this most important place. "Master Fu, please come!" "Master Fu" is a man from Zhenghong Banner, named Fu Song, the officer in charge of the "Manuscript" in the north stall. He was called to the hall, and after a bow, he stood and waited for questioning. "How much silver is in stock?" Yan Jingming asked. "When Mr. Dong handed it over, there were actually 7.36 million taels in the treasury." "I'm asking about today." Yan Jingming slowly poked the case with his middle finger: "now." "I haven't figured it out yet." Fu Song also said slowly, "Because the lord took over the task too hastily, and the manager couldn't do it in time." He thought he was an excellent excuse, but in fact he was completely confused. He had cash in stock and had real numbers at any time, so he didn't need to make calculations at all.Yan Jingming had seen quite a few bannermen who were confused and unreasonable, so he immediately ordered: "You find the book office that should be in charge." "The book office in charge of the treasury account is on sick leave today." "There is always someone to replace him, right?" "No." Fusong answered very simply. This time Yan Jingming couldn't bear it anymore, "I can't tell you clearly." He waved his hand impatiently: "Find someone else." Fu Song agreed: "Yes." He greeted him casually, his movements were neat, and his posture was very "side-style". The other leader I found was Zhengbai Qi Baoyi from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, named Lingshou, who came to see the hall official with a large stack of account books.When asked about his duties, he said that he was in charge of Beijing's salary. Yan Jingming knew that what he called "management of the capital's salary" only cared about the income, not the expenditure. The Beijing payment is in the millions every year. The amount allocated to the provinces at the end of the previous year will be reported at the beginning of the year. It will not be cleared until around the Dragon Boat Festival. This is the middle of May, and it is time to settle the payment of the Beijing payment, so He nodded and said, "Very good! I'm just about to ask about the salary in Beijing. Please tell me the real numbers reported by the provinces." "Here!" Lingshou sent the account book forward: "It's all here." This is a more confused person than Fusong, who doesn't even understand the rules of being an official.Yan Jingming was very dissatisfied, shook his head and said, "I don't want to read the account, just listen to what you tell me." "This has to be calculated now." Lingshou replied, "We will wait for the officer to take it back and calculate it, and then we will talk about it." "No, no!" Yan Jingming pointed to the seat beside him and said, "You will count here." "Respond to your lord's words," Lingshou murmured, "Siguan can't make up his mind." Yan Jingming shook his head: "It's becoming more and more difficult!" He lowered his face and said: "Go back and listen to the ginseng." Lingshou's face was ashen, and he looked around at his colleagues, begging for help.However, not only had he heard about Yan Jingming's temper and style, but he had already experienced it face to face. No one dared to find it boring to intercede on his behalf, so they pretended not to have seen it. Lingshou went down with his slips in his arms, but the book office for sick leave arrived, and Fu Song led them up, saying: "My lord has something to say, please feel free to ask him, he knows best." "What's your name?" "The young one is called Zhang Jinhua." "You're not young anymore." Yan Jingming asked, "How long have you been in the ministry?" "Adults are distributed to the ministry by the Imperial Academy, and the younger ones work in the ministry. It's thirty-six years." "Oh, your spirit is not bad." Yan Jingming asked, "How many sons do you have?" "The younger one has no son, only a nephew." Yan Jing remembered it in his heart.The book office is a hereditary errand, and if there is no son, it cannot be inherited in the future.Remember, lest there will be impostors in the future. "how old are you?" "The little one is sixty-eight this year." Zhang Jinhua replied. "Looking at the seventh year, it's time to go home and rejoice." This is a sign that the book office should resign.Zhang Jinhua didn't care about the minister, and replied loudly: "When the young one reaches the point where he can't do his best, he will naturally report to the magistrate and go home to eat old rice." Hearing him confront the hall official face to face, the people around him sweated for him.Yan Jingming naturally ignored his words, and only asked about business matters, "Only you know how much silver the Ministry has in stock. Tell me!" He said a lot of numbers, how much Dong Xun handed over; how much was newly received; how much was spent;It's so familiar that it's almost inaudible.But the more this is the case, the more Yan Jingming doesn't take it seriously, it's really outrageous that only the subordinates can know the details of the state's wealth that the common people depend on. Therefore, the first thing he did when he came to the ministry was to reorganize the northern stalls. The memorial said: "Many people are full of people who don't know how to plan, and half of the power is delegated to subordinates. To make things clear, all the north-south stalls and the three storehouses must be fully staffed." The "three warehouses" are the silver warehouse, the satin warehouse and the pigment warehouse.The most important thing is of course the treasury. There is a special treasury minister, who is appointed as the minister of the household department.Yan Jingming knew the disadvantages of the three treasuries a long time ago, and the second thing he wanted to do was to get rid of the disadvantages of the three treasuries, so he ordered the inspection of the treasuries. On the day of checking the treasury, specially selected officials followed, two of them were surnamed Li, and both were from Hanlin. One was Li Yongqing. For more than a thousand miles, without hiring a car or a ride, Jingli was amazed by the unprecedented miracle, and the public gave him the nickname "Tianxiajian". The other Li Jiale is relatively inferior, named "One Country Jian". He is not as good as Li Yongqing in that when he became an official, he often called a shaving picker to shave his head.After shaving, pay the barber twenty small coins with his own hands.Consciously shot has been very generous. Once he asked his servant: "The shaved head should be very happy, right? I give him twenty cents every time." The servant replied truthfully: "It costs at least forty cash to shave your head outside, let alone an official family? Every time the barber makes noise, I have to pay another twenty cash before sending him away." Li Yongqing was furious: "I occasionally ask people to shave their heads in my hometown. I only need twelve yuan each time. Now I give him more than twenty yuan. He is not satisfied, and you actually give him more. It's really unreasonable! Okay! From now on, I won’t ask someone to shave my head, and I can save even twenty Wen.” Sure enough, words must be followed. From then on, Li Jiale no longer consulted the barber.It was his wife's job to shave his head, and the cut was uneven and weird, which made many people joke behind his back. But Yan Jingming appreciates it very much, thinking that being an official must start with the word "thrifty" in order to "be strong without desires" and be a consistent and upright official.For this reason, I paid special attention to the two Lis and took them to check the library. The three warehouses of the household department are located in three places, the pigment warehouse is in the Xi'an Gate; the satin warehouse is in the Dong'an Gate;Chaku first checked from the distant paint library. The paint library is a miscellaneous library, covering everything and full of wonders.Why does the Ministry of Households, which is in charge of the national budget, have such a warehouse?No one knows.Some people speculate that the Ministry of Households has this warehouse, which roughly started when the mining tax was levied during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.Mining taxes are disturbing all over the world. Famous folk products and treasures are exported to the capital, and there is a constant stream all year round. Rare and rare treasures are collected in the big houses. Commonly used materials are stored by the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Households. . In the Qing Dynasty, the tributes from various provinces were of various names, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs considered them useless and unable to accommodate them, and they all belonged to the Ministry of Household Affairs.It is accumulated over time, inexhaustible, randomly piled up in the warehouse, but the accounts are classified and very clear. When Yan Jingming was an officer in his early years, he was sent to check the paint warehouse, and he knew that this warehouse could not be checked, and it was not this warehouse that he wanted to rectify.But on the surface, we must not relax, so even if it is impossible to investigate, we must investigate.When I arrived at the warehouse, I sat down and took a look at the material account. It was recorded day by day and settled month by month, and there was nothing wrong with it.They sent Li Jiale into the warehouse for on-site inspection. As soon as he entered the storeroom, he was stunned, hesitated and hesitated at the door, raised one foot, but couldn't step on it, because sandalwood, yellow wax, stone green, and cinnabar were all over the floor, and the five colors were brilliant, forming a thick layer. layer, nothing to do. "Master Li, please!" the treasurer urged. "Why don't you put it away? It's piled all over the floor!" "It's always been like this." The treasurer replied, "It was like this when I came to Curry in the third year of Tongzhi." "How can a person walk like this?" The treasurer was very surprised, "That's the way to go!" The treasurer stepped in without hesitation, making the materials "creak, creak". Li Jiale felt distressed, but he had no choice but to follow him.When I walked to the middle, I saw that there were dusty wooden shelves all around, and the sunlight leaked from the skylight into a beam of light, among which were flying hundreds of millions of dust, which looked like gold flakes. He was suffering from being unprepared, and at the same time he was very confused. He didn't know how to check the library twice a year, why was it so chaotic?After thinking for a while, I could only ask the treasury official: "How did others check?" "Master Li, haven't you heard of it?" "No." "Master Li," Ku Shi said, pointing to the ground, "everything is here, and no one dares to move every plant or tree. As long as the roof does not leak and the doors and windows are tight, it doesn't matter." After hearing this, Li Jiale realized that it turned out that Chaku came to see the roof doors and windows.If everyone pursues the story like this, where can we talk about rectification?I am very knowledgeable about Yan Shangshu, and I am appointed to search the library, so I can't be perfunctory like others. However, it was so chaotic that it was hard to know what to do. After looking again and again, I found that there was one thing that was easy to find. "Is that paper?" He asked, pointing to the white paper piled up like a wall, which had turned yellowish gray. "Yes. It's rice paper." "Look at the count." Li Jiale turned out the tent and read: "'Five-foot tribute totals 185,721 pieces', just check this "five-foot tribute". "As he said, he walked over and wanted to do it. "I can't move!" The treasury official warned loudly: "There are snakes inside!" " Li Jiale didn't believe it, so he stretched out his hand and opened a corner, did he want to see if it was really a tribute, or was it dropped? Those old rice papers that have been piled up for so many years are almost glued together. The quantity is so large and the pressure is so great that it can be lifted there for a while.Li Jiale likes to be reckless, one hand can't do it, and the other hand is used to grab the corner of the paper and push it up.I saw a snake four or five feet long, black and white, coming out from behind the pile of papers, and wandered silently. Li Jiale didn't realize it until he got close. The treasurer hurried forward to support him, all four eyes were fixed on the snake, which meandered down from the pile of papers and got into the pile of sundries without a trace. "Master Li, you are too!" The treasury official complained greatly, "I can't be moved by telling you, you always don't believe me, how are you doing now?" "I just thought you were telling me a joke to scare me, but then I know there are real snakes!" "There are a lot of snakes! It's so hot, it wants to swim out to cool off, how can it withstand your constant tossing? Now it's broken, and the snakes don't know where to hide? You have to be careful every step of the way." Hearing what he said, Li Jiale felt that his feet were numb, and he was afraid that he would step on the snake with every step and be nailed in place, unable to move. "Let's go!" The treasurer pulled him to the door like a gust of wind, but asked again: "Master Li, how are you?" This is the meaning of taking advance and stopping, Li Jiale shook his head and said, "I won't check it anymore!" "Yes!" The treasury official said emphatically, "I checked it!" He said "checked", so he had to say "checked", otherwise he would not be able to communicate.Fortunately, Yan Jingming was well aware of the long-standing disadvantages and did not intend to do so. His idea was to carefully check the account books to see if there were any tributes from various provinces that could be reduced or even cut down. Therefore, he only asked Li Jiale to take a "General Book of Accounts" away. Next is Chasin Piku.Following the system of the Ming Dynasty, the public satin was supplied by the three weaving offices in Jiangning, Suzhou, and Hangzhou. It was divided into three classes. The first class was exclusively for "imperial use"; The third class is exclusively for rewards, which is called "reward use", and the quality is even lower. The treasures of "imperial use" and "superior use" are stored in the satin library of the House of Internal Affairs.The satin stock of the household department only stores "reward" satin, and the quantity is too large to be searched. As usual, more than a dozen officers are assigned to respond to the story.There is a building in the warehouse, and the dust on the floor is not allowed to be cleaned according to the rules. The accumulated soil is too thick to be able to walk, so a reed mat is spread on it.Over the past two hundred years, I don't know how many layers have been laid, so when you step on it, it's like stepping on a pile of cotton, and when you step on it, a cloud of dust will be thrown up, covering the whole body, so it's a hard job to check satin pico. But Li Yongqing didn't think it was hard, he went upstairs energetically, looking around, he saw the wooden shelf reaching to the top, and bundles of satin were piled up on it, he didn't know what to do, so he hesitated. "Master Li," the treasury official pointed out, seeing that he was a layman, "satin horses are indispensable, and they are always just random checks." "Okay! Spot check." Li Yongqing got hesitant, pointed his hand upwards, and said in a very dignified voice: "You take off the top bundle of date red ones for me." The treasury official was taken aback, seeing Li Yongqing's stern face, looking businesslike, but knowing that he couldn't speak, he turned around and took the ladder, climbed up with great effort, and took the bundle that Li Yongqing wanted. Seeing that, he raised his hands and threw it down vigorously. The accumulated soil, like gunpowder exploding, rushed straight up, enveloping Li Yongqing blindly. It was a hot day, and I was sweating profusely, and the dust flew to my head and face, and I was immediately covered with sweat, and my face was dark, like a coal shop boy. Li Yongqing was furious, but he couldn't lose his temper. He just hoped that there would be a discrepancy in the number of satin horses in this bundle, and he could use the handle to punish the treasurer.However, according to the number on the label after untiing it, it should be fourteen horses, which is not a lot. Now that the dumb is at a loss, when talking with Li Jiale, they sympathize with each other and complain endlessly. "Old man," Li Yongqing said to Li Jiale, who was one class earlier than him, "the idiots are hateful! They deliberately play pranks and try to scare the officials, and they can do whatever they want. I want to admit it, but let's see who is stronger." who?" "That's right! We have learned from Mr. Yan Dan, so we must help him to rectify it. The two warehouses of paint and satin are not the place for the higher-ups to focus on. We are going to check the treasury soon, and we must catch one or two of them. The disadvantages come out." "If you check for fraud, you must know it first. There are many disadvantages in the treasury. It is better to consult the experts first." As a result of the discussion between the two, they decided to invite a guest together, in a "big wine vat" near the yamen.The wall is Yueshengzhai, and the mutton with five-spice sauce is famous in Jiucheng. I bought a big bag for hospitality.The guest is a Su La from the household department, named Zhang Fu, who has served more than a dozen ministers. "The bank, as usual, the book office is not allowed to enter, only the treasury soldiers can enter the treasury." Zhang Fu raised his glass in his hand, and said slowly: "The treasury soldiers are stipulated to be twelve, and they will be selected once every three years, and they will be selected on that day. , I need to invite a dozen bodyguards to escort..." "Slow down, Lao Zhang!" Li Yongqing interrupted him, "Why?" "For fear of being kidnapped," Zhang Fu explained why Kubing should be guarded against captivity on the day of appointment: "The selected Kubing has a main selection and a backup. It only needs to be tied for an hour, and once the time is over, the cooked duck will fly away, and it will be useless to let him go." "It looks like Ku Bing is worth a lot." "Yes! Adding a name will always cost 10,000 silver. If you can't count it, not to mention the benefits in the future, at least 10,000 silver will be thrown into the water." "Then," Li Jiale asked, "what's the benefit of putting soldiers in the warehouse? It's said that the stolen money is hidden in the valley road. Is there such a thing?" “怎么没有？”张福问道：“外省解银到部，怎么样入库？ 李老爷见过没有？ " “没有。你细细说来我们听。” “外省解银，每一万两解费六十两，这归管库司官跟书办分，库兵是没分的。库兵的好处，就是搬银子入库的当儿偷银子。进库的时候，衣服都要脱光，库里另有衣服，不过，这一身衣服也不能穿出库。光身进去，光身出来，寒冬腊月也就这个样，所以库兵非精壮的小伙子不能干。这还有个道理，小伙子中气足，提得住气，如果年纪一大，提不住气，就补上名字也没用。” “这又是什么道理？”李用清问。 “就是这位李老爷说的，”张福指着李嘉乐答道，“为的是能在谷道里藏银子。本事最好的，一次可以藏十两一个的银锞子八个。” 这不是骇人听闻之事？但张福言之凿凿，说在东四牌楼有一新药铺，专有一种要有门路的人才能买得到的药，服下能使谷道交骨松开。偷银的方法是用猪网油卷银锞塞入谷道，不过即令年轻力壮，提气支持，亦至多只能容纳半点钟的工夫。 “这个法子在内库就用不着了，内库多是五十两一个的大元宝，那里也偷藏不下，所以内库库兵，入库用不着脱光衣服。” 这一说，是个反证，李嘉乐点点头又问：“还有什么偷银的法子？” “冬天要当心，有个换茶壶的法子。库里的空茶壶拿出来，照例揭开盖子，往下一倒，表明没有东西在里头，冬天就两样了，茶水冰冻，拿银锞子冻在里面，就倒也倒不出来。” “说破了不值钱。”李用清觉得这顿大酒缸请得不冤，“真正不经一事，不长一智。” 然而细想一想，总觉得有些荒诞不经，所以事后又去请教部里的老司官，“谷道藏银，事诚有之。”那老司官笑道，“不过说得太玄了。两位请想，十二名库兵，每人偷银八十两，一次就是九百六十两，解饷入库之日，库兵进出好几次，这要偷漏多少？年深日久，不都偷完了吗？” 虽是以常理度测，却足以破惑。但库兵裸体入库，这个规矩历数百年不改，总有道理在内。二李都觉得虽不可全信，亦不可不信，决定去看个明白。 一看果然，库兵进出，无不赤身露体。出库还有一番很特别的交代：跨过一条长凳，双手向上一拍，口中喊道：“出来！”表示股间、肋下、口中都不曾夹带库藏。 “能抓住他们验一验吗？”李嘉乐问。 “不能！”李用清摇摇头。 李嘉乐废然而叹：“看起来，就是有弊也无法查了。” 而阎敬铭却查出来一项极大的弊端。其实也不用查，弊端已摆在那里，只看有没有决心整顿而已。 查银库那天，阎敬铭找管库的郎中姚觐元来问：“掌天平的是谁？” “是书办史松泉。” “领我去看天平。” 领到出纳之处，只见史松泉一身服饰，异常华贵，阎敬铭先就大为不悦。正在提倡俭朴节用的他，认为史松泉逾越体制，败坏风气，而看他的服用，钱从那里来，更不可不问。 “你这一身衣服很漂亮啊！”他斜睨着大小眼，冷冷地问。 “回大人的话，”史松泉答道：“都是旧衣服。” “砝码是旧的不是？拿来我看！” 银库有好几架天平，大大小小的砝码不少，等取到了，阎敬铭却不看，只吩咐包好。 “送到工部去检验。”他对李嘉乐说，“你亲自送去，面见工部堂官，说我重重拜托，即时检验，立等结果。” 李嘉乐奉命唯谨，带着从人，捧着砝码，直奔工部，请见堂官。正好翁同和在部里，他的侄子翁曾源是李嘉乐这一榜的状元，世交原就熟识，区区小事，做“老世叔”的当然照办。立时找了制造库的司官来，一检验之下，大小砝码，有重有轻，符合标准的，十不得一。 回到户部复命，阎敬铭还在坐等，将检验过的砝码，逐一清查了上面的记载着的轻重不等的差额，接着便传召待命的银库郎中姚觐元。 “你看！”他指着砝码问道，“你怎么说？” 姚觐元早就知道有此结果，何用看得？“回大人的话，”他说，“银库重进轻出，向来如此。咸丰以后，库里存银，大为减少，也要存到七百万至九百万。偷窃之事，在所不免，一两百年，不靠重进轻出来弥补，难道倒请堂上大人分赔不成？” “你倒还振振有词？”阎敬铭说，“照你的说法，重进轻出，是为了弥补偷漏，完全为公，然则你倒说给我听听，重进轻出是什么个规矩？进，每两银子加重多少；出，每两银子减轻多少？不能借弥补为名，漫无稽考，你拿帐来给我瞧瞧！” “这那里会有帐？” “原来没有帐？”阎敬铭说，“那将是混帐！”他吩咐“当月处”值班的司官，“将史松泉拿交刑部。” 史松泉就在堂下，听得这话，便想开溜，无奈从阎敬铭到部，雷厉风行，毫无瞻顾，当差的大小官员懔然在心，当然容不得史松泉脱逃，一把抓住，立即备文咨送刑部讯办。 “我久闻你把持公事，劣迹多端，你今天就移交了公事，在家听参。”阎敬铭对姚觐元说，“这对你已经算是客气了！你心里要明白。” 这是警告姚觐元不必去钻营门路，希冀脱罪。解职的官员，与平民无异，如果不知趣，不听话，随时可以步史松泉的后尘，吃上官司。 姚觐元识得利害，乖乖移交了公事，在家听参。