Ji Changze checked his memory.
Sure enough, I guessed it right, he is a corrupt official.
This is the country of Da'an. The original owner's name is Ji Qing. His family was originally a merchant. He has lived in Mingyu County for generations. The Ji family has no background. Fortunately, his father's generation is diligent. Although they are not rich, compared to ordinary people, they are still Quite rich.
Da'an is a country with very strict rules. Anyone who enters the merchant family is not allowed to pass scientific examination within three generations. It happened to be three generations past the original owner's generation.
He was originally the only son in the family, so the whole family suddenly regarded him as the hope that the Ji family could leave the business family. He had been pampered by the whole family since he was a child.
The original owner also lived up to expectations. He had some talent in reading and passed the exam smoothly. Although he was not very talented, his knowledge was at least above average.
Han Chuang studied hard, went to Beijing to take the exam, and got a second grade.
He was already very lucky, but in the end, he got a piece of cake from the sky and made a well-educated and upright daughter of an official family become his wife.
It seems that the original owner was lucky. At that time, the candidates went to Beijing to take the exam, and everyone had to party. He also partyed when others were partying. As a result, he met a woman at the party who had something wrong with her clothes. The outer ribbon was broken, and her coat was exposed in front of him. The face falls.
The An Dynasty was a very magical dynasty. It was said that they had strict management of women, but there was no hindrance for women to go out. Unmarried girls had to wear curtains and hats, but married women did not have to be restrained at home. Most of the girls from powerful families in the capital also They both love reading and partying. For example, the reason why the original owner bumped into this girl this time was because the party he attended was for both men and women. It was just a men's side and a women's side, with a screen in the middle.
But it is not strict with women, and the protection between men and women is very important. Those who are engaged in public can chat in front of their elders, but they are not allowed to have any contact with foreign men.
Although the girl only dropped her shirt and didn't reveal anything that shouldn't be exposed, she was in a situation like Anchao and in front of several girls, she only had three choices, one was to die, the other was to die. Being a sister-in-law, the third thing is to marry the man.
So, the original owner got a daughter-in-law.
This marriage was considered a high priority for him. After all, although he was the eldest son, this girl was the legitimate daughter of Lord Wei, the imperial censor.
Among the imperial censors of the An Dynasty, the Prime Minister was a third-rank official, which was beyond the reach of the original owner. In addition, the Wei family was a large aristocratic family. The Wei family had many children, most of whom were officials, and their family property was also famous for its richness.
The Wei family has many heirs, and when the children grow up, they will be married, and the children born from the marriage will be married again. It is no exaggeration to say that one-third of the officials in the court are related to the Wei family.
It is conceivable that his marriage to the Wei family is equivalent to having a company of backers behind him, and his official career will surely rise rapidly.
When the original owner knew that he was about to marry such a golden baby, he was naturally overjoyed. However, within a few days of being happy, he learned the fact that although Mr. Wei was from the Wei family, he was not actually close to the main clan of the Wei family.
It is said that Mr. Wei was just a branch of the clan at first. Something happened to his father, who was the mainstay of the family. A tyrant in the clan invaded the fertile land of their clan. His mother was seriously ill at the time and needed money to buy medicine. She hurriedly went to the clan to ask for help. shelter.
However, the people in the clan looked on with cold eyes. In the end, his mother passed away due to illness, and their family's property was occupied, leaving only a broken house.
Mr. Wei kept his filial piety while studying hard, and then passed the exams all the way, and finally reached his current official position.
Although the Wei family is an aristocratic family with many children serving as officials in the court, it has declined in recent years and has not been able to provide a third-rank official. However, this side branch who has never been close to the family has stood at the position of third-rank official. superior.
The censor Zhongcheng had the power to impeach the three nobles and nine ministers, and Mr. Wei was highly valued by the emperor, so the family began to want to get back together. However, Mr. Wei was always lukewarm, preferring to be thought that he was disrespectful to his elders. Not willing to greet people with a smile.
The family could not sue him and ask him to reveal the past that the Wei family allowed their children to bully orphans and widows, and robbed other people's property, leading to the death of Mr. Wei's mother. The Wei family has long been accustomed to being aloof, and seeing Mr. Wei unwilling to surrender, He also became angry, and the two parties stopped interacting with each other.
To put it bluntly, Mr. Wei just had a falling out with his family and wanted to set up his own business. Not only would the Wei family not be able to bring him and his son-in-law any help, but they might even get in trouble because of the resentment in their hearts.
And Shili Hongzhuang, who the original owner was looking forward to very much, is gone.
Mr. Wei is incorruptible. Although his family also has property, even if he saves a dowry for his daughter from the time she is born, he will definitely still be inferior to other wealthy colleagues of the same rank.
It stands to reason that a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. Even if the dowry given by the Wei family is not comparable to others, it is more than enough for the original owner of a small rich family.
Mr. Wei has an upright character. Although he will not open a back door for his son-in-law, having such a father-in-law will be enough for him to be given some favors by his superiors when he becomes an official in the court.
But people's hearts are not as strong as snakes swallowing elephants. The original owner originally thought that after marrying his wife, he would be able to fly into the sky with a rocket, but in the end he still had to rely on himself, and he suddenly felt dissatisfied.
As for Miss Wei, the break of her belt that day was actually not an accident, but caused by another girl with whom she had a bad relationship.
At that time, the third prince had reached the age of getting married. The third prince was born to the empress, his status was respected, and he had always been extremely popular with the emperor. Although many people said nothing on the surface, they believed in their hearts that the third prince was the future prince.
If you marry him, won't you become a queen in the future
Mr. Wei has always been loved by His Majesty, and Miss Wei is a stunning beauty. She has always been well-educated, calm and generous, and has been well-educated.
At that time, the queen summoned girls of suitable age from the minister's family to hold a flower banquet in the palace. Miss Wei was very popular with the queen and even gave her a pair of jade bracelets.
If something is not done, the position of the third imperial concubine will be gone.
So, this "accident" happened.
The daughter of the royal censor Zhongcheng, who was originally the jewel in the family, had to be given up to a businessman. Even if he was admitted to the first class and entered the Hanlin Academy, he was only qualified, not to mention that the original owner only entered the second class. Still at the bottom of the second division, the results are not outstanding.
For the ladies in the capital, Miss Wei's life is over.
If she is married and obeys her husband, it will be useless no matter how good her moral character or ability is if her husband cannot get up.
But the girl who arranged this situation didn't give up, and arranged for someone to talk to the original owner, and made up a series of "The belt falling was not an accident, but Miss Wei did it intentionally. Her original intention was to do it that day." He fell in front of the third prince who came to attend the banquet so that he could marry the third prince smoothly."
The original owner believed it.
The clothes of wealthy families are made of the best materials, and even if Mr. Wei is an honest daughter, it is impossible for her to wear cheap and easily broken clothes.
What's more, the third prince is gaining momentum and uses himself to save others. If it were him, he would naturally choose the third prince.
As a result, the original owner felt disgusted with Miss Wei from the bottom of his heart. He hated her for being shameless. A daughter's family planned a marriage in this way, but they did not dare to offend her for fear of provoking Mr. Wei behind her to settle accounts.
Feeling that it was too aggrieved for him as a dignified man to have to please a weak female prostitute, the original owner became more and more repelled by Miss Wei.
Later, the head of the Wei family asked Jia Zi to come to this barren Chuiliu County as the magistrate, and the original owner became even more resentful.
Although the county magistrate is the largest in the county, his official rank is only the eighth rank. Even if he is a scholar, he can be a county magistrate after a lot of work. He is a disciple of the emperor, but he has fallen to this.
Marry a woman whose father-in-law is incorruptible and refuses to help. He also wants to offend the Wei family. Although the dowry is large, it is difficult for him to appropriate it. The woman may still be thinking of other men in her heart.
The original owner was still willing to show off when he was in the capital. When he arrived in Chuiliu County, it was his own territory, so he gradually became indifferent to Miss Wei.
While using Mr. Wei's name to plunder the people's wealth in Chuiliu County, he exploited local wealthy households, increased taxes, and invaded fertile farmland. Although he did not take concubines directly, he raised many foreign concubines.
Miss Wei was left out in the cold, and she didn't know where she had offended her husband, so she could only serve him carefully in a confused and aggrieved manner. The original owner was afraid that she would complain to Mr. Wei, so he did not dare to go too far.
Later, Miss Wei became pregnant. She concentrated on the child and took good care of her body. She was doing well, but on the day of delivery, the original owner bribed the midwife.
It was supposed that the mother and the child were safe, but in the end it turned out that the mother was left alone and the child was left alone.
The position of the mistress was freed up. Firstly, he could take concubines openly and openly. Secondly, with Lord Wei's grandson in hand, he didn't have to worry about Lord Wei, his backer, not helping him.
Poor Miss Wei, she was raised pampered and pampered, but in the end she died so mysteriously at the hands of her husband.
In the second year after Miss Wei's death, the original owner bullied the people too much and went to Beijing to file a complaint. The imperial court sent people to investigate, and as expected, a large number of his crimes were found.
He was sentenced to be beheaded. The child born to Miss Wei was enslaved when he was less than two years old due to his father's crime. Mr. Wei's political enemies also used this to drag him into trouble, and in the end he was stripped of his official title and ransacked his property.
The current time period was not long after the original owner came to Chuiliu County, began to be cold to Miss Wei, and had just teamed up with the county magistrate to steal a sum of money from the wealthy households in Chuiliu County.
In the eyes of today's wealthy households in Chuiliu County, he, the magistrate of Xinzhi County, is a corrupt official.
Although this is indeed true.
The county magistrate next to him, who had "I am a standard villain" written all over his face, was still mumbling, mumbling, saying that it was not easy to support his family, and the magistrate sighed, etc., which was expressly and implicitly, and he always meant the same thing:
It’s time to divide the spoils, my lord.
Ji Changze turned a deaf ear and turned around and walked outside.
The county magistrate who was left behind was stunned for a few seconds.
? ? How could this new county magistrate be so shameless than him and so confident that he wanted to avoid paying
He hurriedly ran after him, and in the spirit of never abandoning or giving up, he ran to Ji Changze's side panting: "Sir, my family is poor. We have no rice to cook, and we can't even buy firewood for this stove. , the weeping willows are barren, and the county government has always been unable to make ends meet. The previous Mr. Hu left in a hurry, and I haven’t received my salary last year. Do you think..."
The beard-bearded county magistrate touched his mustache, smiled and rubbed his fingers at Ji Changze, his eyes full of hints.
Ji Changze had already reached the gate of the county government office and was looking at the street outside.
Chuiliu County is indeed a notoriously poor place.
Look at the loess everywhere, look at the dilapidated houses, and look at the people walking in the distance with their shabby clothes and sallow faces.
He looked back at the county government office again. Good guy, it was shabby enough on the inside, but it was even worse on the outside.
The words on the plaque are almost blurred, and there are still many holes made by small insects on the door.
The county magistrate next to him was still rubbing his fingers hard: "Sir, I haven't eaten yet today. My wife and children at home are still waiting for me to buy rice and go back to cook..."
So you should quickly share some of your money with me.
Ji Changze turned his head and looked at the county prime minister up and down with a look of pity: "It turns out that the Wuxian prime minister's family is so poor."
Answered the call. Answered the call.
Will the next step be to pay
The county magistrate chuckled and nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, and his face, which was not very good-looking, became even more vulgar.
He looked at Ji Changze expectantly and saw the magistrate in front of him speaking with sympathy:
"From now on, the food at your home will be taken care of by me, and you will eat at the county government office from now on."
Wuxian Cheng: “…”
Ji Changze looked at him with a stiff face in surprise: "Why do you look at me like this?"
"oh… "
He pretended to be suddenly enlightened and nodded: "Wuxian Cheng is probably too grateful to me. There is no need to be like this. We are all colleagues and should support each other. Although I am also poor, it is enough to provide food and drink for your family." .”
Poverty? ? ! !
Who was the unblinking lion who opened his mouth before?
Wu County Magistrate: "... But sir, this is the silver you asked the rich households in the county for..."
Ji Changze's face was full of surprise: "I want it? I'm afraid Wu County Prime Minister remembered it wrong. When did I ask them for it? Didn't they voluntarily donate those to contribute their meager efforts to the construction of our county?" "
Wuxian Cheng was so troubled by these words that he couldn't think straight: "Build, build??"
What's the meaning
No matter what it means, money is important!
He tried hard to organize his words: "Sir, you promised Xiaguan before that as long as Xianguan helps you find rich people to raise money, once the matter is completed, the benefits will inevitably come to Xiaguan."
You have eaten meat, so you should give some soup to the people below.
"Eh... what I said will certainly count. In the eyes of the Prime Minister of Wu County, am I the kind of person who is dishonest?"
Ji Changze reached out and patted his shoulder in a friendly manner: "Look, this money will be used to improve the environment of Chuiliu County, help people get out of poverty, and promote the county's economy. This is a good thing, right?"
Wu Xian Cheng looked confused. He actually didn't understand much and could only get a rough idea. But even though the superior officer asked, he could only answer hesitantly: "Yes, right?"
Ji Changze: "Cuiliu County is barren. If you and I can work together to transform it into a prosperous place, where households are not closed at night, people are not picked up on the road, and everyone is well fed and well-coated in the winter, then you, the county magistrate, will have done a great job. I want you to do it then." There’s no benefit.”
What he said is quite right, but Wuxian Cheng is not stupid. It is obvious that he is trying to make a big deal out of him.
"Sir, the official's family is indeed short of money..."
Ji Changze sighed, stretched out his hand and held his hand: "I also know your difficulties. Although the yamen is empty, I am willing to use my own money to return the salary owed to you by the yamen."
The surprise came so quickly, Wuxian Cheng's eyes widened: "Thank you, sir!"
"There's no need to say thank you. Although you and I don't get along much, I can see your talents, conduct, and ability."
If Ji Changze wants to praise someone, he must be 100% sincere.
The feelings are sincere, the tone is sighing, and the fair face is full of affirmation, which makes people believe it.
Every time he said a word, Wuxian Cheng's waist straightened up a little more.
"My lord, I am ridiculous. I am just a county magistrate. How can I learn anything?"
"Why not? If not, you wouldn't have been able to hold the position of county magistrate for so long."
Wuxian Cheng said nothing.
In fact, the main reason why he has been able to sit in this position for so long is that he has no background.
He wanted to move, but he really couldn't move.
When people become officials, they become richer and richer. When he becomes an official...
The poor people in Chuiliu County have stayed here for so long. From being complacent at the beginning to sighing every day and having no rice to cook, he has almost forgotten that he was young at the time and vowed to Make a career.
Nowadays, people are getting old and can no longer work hard. They don’t want to give up on themselves and happily become a corrupt official. At least they won’t be unable to afford food.
Then he met Ji Changze.
Although I'm a bit stingy, it's not bad to get my salary back.
It's better not to continue asking for money. This is a superior official, and it's not good to offend him.
The Prime Minister of Wuxian County made the final calculation and bowed to Ji Changze with a smile: "I would like to thank you sir. If the salary can be paid, I will feel at ease."
Seeing that he didn't mention the money they had used to defraud wealthy people, Ji Changze took the initiative to ask: "You don't want to divide the money?"
Separate ghosts.
This Shangguan is so thick-skinned that he can't even get it after asking for it for a long time. If he continues to ask for it, he won't get into trouble, so he might as well accept it as soon as possible.
Wuxian Cheng scolded his mother in his heart, but he smiled on his face: "My lord, you are joking. When did I want this money? I was just telling my lord about the salary that has not been paid before."
Ji Changze smiled with satisfaction and nodded: "Wuxian Cheng can indeed withstand the test as I thought."
Wuxian Cheng: "... test???"
Ji Changze gave him a "yes, that's it" look:
"Before, the county government relied on you to run the government. I thought you were good, but I didn't know much about you. I was afraid that you were a corrupt official, so I came up with a way to test you. As a result, Wuxian Cheng really He is not greedy for money and power. As long as he deserves his salary, he doesn't care about anything else. In today's world, there are very few people like Wu Xian Cheng who are not blinded by gold and silver."
Wuxian Cheng: “…”
"... But if it's a test, sir, do you want those silver coins from the rich family?"
Ji Changze gave him a "It goes without saying" expression: "That's because they hid taxes. I'm new here, so I don't want to cause too much trouble, so I just found an excuse to give them a chance to atone for their sins."
Tax evasion is tax evasion.
Anguo has very strict penalties in this regard, but there are still some people who can't help but be tempted. Most of the rich households in Chuiliu County evade taxes. Wu Xiancheng also knows it. After all, no one comes to check the poor land in Chuiliu County. Naturally, everyone It's free play.
But Ji Changze, a new comer, found out that these wealthy households were hiding taxes so quickly, which really made the Prime Minister of Wu County confused.
Not only was he confused, but he also had goosebumps all over his body.
He turned the matter over in his mind.
In other words, there was no greed for money from beginning to end. It was just a deliberate show by the new Shangguan to test him.
No wonder, he said, why did the magistrate, who was backed by the censor Zhongcheng, still want to get such a small amount of money.
It turned out that he just took the opportunity to check whether there were corrupt officials around him, so that he could do what he wanted to do with peace of mind after checking them thoroughly.
What a deep scheming, what a powerful method.
If it weren't for the fact that he was afraid of offending his superior, so he just surrendered without asking for more money, I'm afraid Master Ji wouldn't be able to spare him lightly.
It was obviously not summer, but Wuxian Cheng was suddenly covered in sweat from behind.
Good risk, good risk.
He mistook a good official for a corrupt official and almost surrendered. If he hadn't made the choice with his quick wit and strong desire to survive, it would be hard to tell whether he would be dead or not in a few months.
It was like walking between life and death.
correct!
Wu Xian Cheng suddenly became energetic and his pupils tightened.
Master Ji is acting like this, is it possible that there is another big move?
Otherwise, he could just give the order directly for what he wanted to do, why would he bother to do such a scene, unless...
What he is waiting for is people like himself to come and work, and catch them all in one fell swoop.
The Prime Minister of Wuxian County gave Ji Changze a trembling smile.
No, his wife's nephew worked as an accountant in a wealthy family's house. He wanted to go home quickly and tell the other party the news so that the nephew could get away quickly and avoid being involved in Master Ji's liquidation.
Wuxian Cheng said goodbye in a hurry and left.
He told his nephew who worked as the accountant. The accountant was always treated with courtesy by his employer, and he couldn't bear to see his employer suffer a big disaster, so he gritted his teeth and whispered to his employer.
The wealthy family was shocked. They hurriedly checked the accounts and calculated the taxes. They wanted to send ten times the amount of money they had hid in taxes to the county government.
They also have in-laws, so this move is naturally too busy for relatives. If relatives come to inquire, can they not tell them
One afternoon passed, and thanks to the mayor of Wu County, at least three wealthy families knew that Mr. Ji's previous actions were not greedy for money.
He clearly came here to test the liquidation, and he pretended to be a corrupt official so that they would look down upon him and lose their vigilance.
How insidious.