The investigation work of the Ministry of Accounting is still going on. With the expansion of the front line and the increase of personnel invested in each department, some clues that can be used are finally found in those old account books.
The ministers of the investigation team finally felt relieved, no matter how many problems those frontiers could find out about the Ministry of Accounting, as long as they had a good start, it would be regarded as breaking the perfect image of the Ministry of Accounting led by Fan Shangshu.
The first problem lies in the Dongzhu money sent to Cangzhou in the fourth year of Qingli, and the amount is not large.
But moving up from this line, like a snowball, the gap covered by layers of cover by the senior officials of the household department is getting bigger and bigger, and it is gradually exposed to the eyes of the investigating officials.
The crown prince and official minister Yan Xingshu were overjoyed, they didn't care about Hu Dashi's request to strive for security, and ordered the subordinate officials to dig deep and die, all the way from the county to the capital, to dig up those complicated lines from the root, and gradually the evidence in their hands It has already approached the capital, that is to say, it has approached those senior officials of the household department who can actually sign.
The left and right servants who have been in charge of the audit at the household department also began to tremble with fear. This Dongyue account was also planned at the beginning, and it was what they had planned, but they never expected it. Later, so many things were involved.
Whether it is the court or the merchants who set up the tents, what they are best at is to smash the big gaps into countless small paper scraps, and then sprinkle them into huge projects, like salt into the snow, like water into the flood, disappearing.
No one thought that those burdens that Dong Zong had cast down had not been fulfilled, but instead showed his flaws.
The waiters on the left and right stayed with the yamen of the household department all night with their faces pale, and when they were on duty that day, they were ready to go to the Shangshu's mansion to find an idea without fear of discussion. Unexpectedly, the crown prince said coldly, before the matter is clarified, please do not leave without authorization, and at the same time, he also called the Overwatch Council and several cronies to keep an eye on the two ministers.
Since Fan Jian became an official, he has been working in the household department. No matter how the name of the household department changes before and after the New Deal, and no matter how the personnel structure in the court changes, he has been doing things since he was a child. He is already the left servant of the household department. At that time, the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs was old and sick at home, His Majesty favored Fan Jian, but he was inconvenient to be promoted, so he forcefully let the sick old Shangshu occupy the position, and prevented other forces from arranging people to come in, so that it was convenient for Fan Jian to serve as a servant. The post commands the entire household department.
In the blink of an eye, nine years had passed, during these nine years, the Emperor Qing had treated the Fan Mansion with incomparable favor. And Fan Jian also used these nine years to manage the entire household department into an iron-clad interest group.
Very quiet, not very ostentatious interest group.
So when the investigation of the household department started, all the officials in the household department looked up, looking at their Shangshu lord, knowing that as long as the Shangshu lord does not fall, nothing will happen to them.
But today, the household department seems to be in danger, but the left and right servants can't enter Fan's mansion. For a while, the officials of the household department were panicked and uneasy.
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The left and right servants can't come, but Fan Jian has been in the household department for a long time, and he fully understands the tense situation in the past two days. That night, he knew that the prince and the adults who were investigating had found a deadly weapon in the household department—the north side. Sergeant's winter scorpion.
"This can't move me at all." Fan Jian sat in the study and drank Physalis, squinting his eyes and said: "No matter who goes to Cangzhou for inspection, the scorpions worn by those soldiers are top-quality, no matter how bad I am , and it is not necessary to make a fuss about the bitter cold of the soldiers on the border."
Today, he is not speaking to the portrait. Sitting opposite him was a living person, Mr. Zheng Tuo, who was a clean-up guest of Fan's family and had always been appreciated by Fan Jian.
When Fan Xian fought a black-fisted lawsuit in the Kyoto Prefecture, Mr. Zheng Tuo was in charge of that matter. This person used to be a veteran official of the household department. As a more convenient guest, I follow myself to do things.
After thinking for a while, Zheng Tuo frowned and said: "The batch of winter scorpions back then were not only defective products, but they were extremely carefully crafted and the materials used were also very particular. Of course, the cotton was used in the three workshops of the inner warehouse, and the cotton cloth was also made of cotton. The inner warehouse is produced at the first level, and some other accessories are even unusually called Dongyi City goods. This point the court can’t say that the adults are not at all... But... "
He hesitated to speak.
Fan Jian smiled and said: "You have been with me for so many years, you should know that I am cautious in doing things, but when analyzing things, I am not afraid to consider the worst angle."
Zheng Zhen said with a wry smile: "However, the materials used in those batches of winter oysters were good, so when the Ministry of Household Affairs negotiated the price later, they also set a rather high price. The money transferred from the treasury seems to be a little too much."
"Just be straightforward."
"Yes, master." Zheng Tuo said: "The household department took a lot of silver from that batch of winter rice cakes, and then filled them in other places."
"That's right." Fan Jian said with a blank expression, "It is true that some money has been intercepted from this batch of Dongguo. Annoying Your Majesty, the money from the internal treasury did not arrive at that time, and the reward for the Western Expeditionary Army in the next year had to be prepared, so the Ministry had no choice but to intercept some money from this batch of winter scorpions."
He waved his hand and said with a smile: "However, the amount of silver is not large, and it has not been filled in other places."
"Yes, my lord." Zheng Tuo said with a worried face: "Winter is just one end. This time, in the imperial court's investigation department, there will always be more and more investigations like this, and these things of transferring money to fill the deficit are gathered in Beijing , I'm afraid... it will eventually point to the batch of money that the Ministry finally transferred to Jiangnan."
…
…
Fan Jian sighed, shook his head and said, "There's no other way. In fact, the main reason for the bank transfer to Jiangnan this time is to open the bid for the internal treasury. This has nothing to do with An Zhi, but as the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, I also want the internal treasury. The income can be better, if the imperial court doesn’t use the money to hedge against the Ming family, how can the Ming family be willing to give up so much money?”
He lowered his head and said softly: "Actually, I told His Majesty about the transfer of this batch of money at the very beginning when I entered the palace."
The study room was deathly dull, Zheng Tuo was dumbfounded, and was speechless for a long time. Now the excuse for checking the household department is that the household department secretly transferred the national funds to the south of the Yangtze River for profit. knew!
After finally calming down, he frowned and said, "Master, since His Majesty tacitly consented to this matter, let's make it clear."
Fan Jian shook his head resolutely: "Your Majesty has his embarrassment... The imperial court went to harm the Ming family, a wealthy businessman in the south of the Yangtze River. This matter spread, and the reputation is too bad, but now the government and the public are all guessing about it. Your Majesty always Had to check it out."
He sighed and said, "Since that's the case, how can you make it clear?"
"Then what should we do?" Zheng Tuo said in horror. The meaning of this sentence is very clear. It was originally a matter presided over by His Majesty the Emperor. Could it be that Fan Shangshu was forced to be the scapegoat just to calm the controversy
Fan Jian said calmly: "As a subject, of course I have to share my worries for the Holy One. The household department's move to transfer money is too big, after all, it can't be covered up. If it is finally found out by the department, I have to do it. I have no choice but to stand up for His Majesty and settle this matter."
The methods used by the imperial court to deal with the Ming family are very dishonorable, and there are countless court officials behind the Ming family as backers. For the sake of the stability of the Qing court, it is of course impossible to announce the specific matters that His Majesty tacitly approved this method. Yu Chao.
Zheng Tuo was moved and sad, thinking that Fan Shangshu was indeed a pure and loyal minister, and at the cusp of such a storm, what he wanted was to protect His Majesty's face and the interests of the court.
"My lord, resign." Zheng Tuo said sadly: "It's already this time, there is no need to hold on."
Fan Jian shook his head, uninterested.
Zheng Tuo persuaded again painfully: "I know that you are not a person who loves wealth and wealth. Looking at the current situation, His Majesty has already made up your mind that you will resign and stop investigating the household department. As long as you resign from the post of Minister, you will also It can be regarded as a final decision on the transfer of state funds, presumably the Second Prince and the Eldest Princess will not be able to pursue and fight fiercely, and Bachelor Hu and Master Shu will also speak for you... "
In fact, Zheng Tuo, as Fan Jian's confidant, has suggested many times about resignation, but Fan Jian has never agreed. He sighed faintly, and said: "There are some things, you can get out of your body if you do them... but you just can't do them."
Fan Jian lowered his eyes, and said: "I have been taking care of the household department. The imperial court has been fighting for years, consuming countless silver, and the river has broken its embankment for three consecutive years. In this world, no one knows more about the emptiness of the treasury than me. No one understands the current crisis situation better than me. All the officials think that it is still a peaceful and prosperous time, but who actually knows the hidden dangers under the prosperity?"
"But... Mr. Fan has already gone to Jiangnan. As long as the internal treasury is on the right track, the crisis of the national treasury will definitely be relieved." Zheng Tuo said anxiously.
Fan Jian secretly laughed, if it wasn't for the fact that Fan Xian had already fully grasped the situation of the internal treasury, if it wasn't for His Majesty's confidence to turn around the situation of Qing's treasury within two years, how could the Holy Son of Heaven be willing to let himself resign
Thinking like this in his heart, his face was extremely painful, and he said: "It is precisely because Fan Xianchu took control of the internal treasury that the situation is very good, so at this time, I can't leave..."
Fan Jian sighed: "First, because it is the critical period from decline to prosperity, I dare not let go, and I want to take care of His Majesty for two years. Second... it is An Zhi, who seems calm and indifferent, but in fact is a Passionate and ruthless person, if I really resign, it will be because of the transfer of money to the internal treasury... With his temper, I am afraid that he will immediately resign from the position of the internal treasury transshipment department and come back to Beijing to seek justice for me. "
Zheng Tuo's face was full of shock, and after careful consideration, what Lord Shang Shu said was indeed somewhat reasonable.
"It's getting late, you should go back first." Fan Jian closed his eyes and said, "As for the affairs of the Ministry, don't worry too much. The official, but as long as he can survive for a day, the official will stay for another day, and the fire is getting bigger, who knows how many people will be burned?"
Zheng Tuo sighed, deeply admiring Master Shangshu's dedication to the public, he stopped talking and left the study.
He left Fan's mansion, got into his own carriage, returned to his home, spread out a piece of paper, wrote a secret letter, and handed it to someone in the mansion, then lay on his bed, opened those eyes, for a long time Can't sleep.
Zheng Tuo, a Qing guest in the Fan Mansion, until today, he has asked himself, still can't determine what kind of person he is.
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In fact, Fan Jian, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, didn't know what kind of person his confidant, Mr. Zheng Tuozheng, who had followed him for so many years, was like, but he only knew one thing.
Zheng Tuo is not his own.
Zheng Tuo is the emperor's man. It's just that he didn't know whether he was placed by his side through the Overwatch Council, or whether he took the route of the inner court.
But no matter which route it was, Fan Jian knew that his every move over the years had been watched by that man in the palace, so all of Fan Jian's every move over the years had been acted out for that man to watch.
Including this painful and awe-inspiring analysis tonight.
Fan Jian is not Lin Ruofu, and he will not be knocked down by the people closest to him, because from that night many years ago, amidst the sound of horn drums in the west, he has made up his mind, absolutely, absolutely, and will never believe in the people in the capital again. Anyone.
The Ministry of Household Affairs did transfer a large amount of money to Jiangnan, and the transfer of this batch of money was indeed with the acquiescence of Emperor Qing. So when the palace was outraged by this incident and ordered the third department to investigate the household department, Fan Jian was out of anger and felt a sense of absurd drama.
He couldn't help laughing out loud.
Of course, this batch of national funds transferred to Jiangnan was not for hedging against the Ming family. Fan Jian knew that his great son had already collected a large amount of silver taels, but he didn't know where the silver taels came from.
Fan Jian's transfer to Jiangnan was actually just to cover for Fan Xian. Old Fan was more sophisticated than Xiao Fan when thinking about problems. He didn't believe that Fan Xian could use the excuse of the Ye family's inheritance to convince the emperor to trust the sudden extra money in Xia Qifei's hands.
Every time he thought of this, Fan Jian couldn't help but sigh, Fan Xian really became more and more courageous in doing things, and dared to join hands with Bei Qi, the enemy of the Qing Dynasty for many years!
The son was messing around, and the father had to cover it up, and in order to ensure the smooth progress of the son's plan, the household department had to inject some silver taels into the bank to ensure that the money could be withdrawn at any time.
This is the whole truth about the private transfer of state funds from the Ministry of Household Affairs to Jiangnan.
In this plan, although the amount transferred by the household department is large, very little is actually spent. Most of the shares have already returned to the household department after walking around the south of the Yangtze River, so Fan Jian is not worried at all. What can those people in the Ministry of Officials really find out.
In addition, Fan Jian deliberately missed some and went to the Hegong Yamen.
The emperor wanted a minister who didn't have too many loopholes to resign. He only needed to create momentum, and then cleverly hinted through some people, and that minister had to resign.
Lin Ruofu, who was as treacherous as before, also fell into this arrangement.
Now Fan Jian doesn't want to accept His Majesty's arrangement, and he doesn't want to go back to Danzhou so early to take care of the elderly, so he asked the Ministry of Household Affairs to check. Only by muddying the water can he show his innocence more.
At the same time, through Zheng Tuo's mouth, stab the man sitting on the dragon chair again.
As long as that man believes that Fan Jian is loyal, stupid, stupid, and yet indispensable, Fan Jian... can continue to stand proudly in this dark and heavy capital, looking at him with loving fatherly eyes. Fan Xian's growth.
"It's all under control, right?" Fan Jian looked at the letter paper. The letter was addressed to his son far away in the south of the Yangtze River, and then he said.
A man in black stood in front of him, bowed deeply, and said, "Zheng Tuo, like Yuan Bo'an, has no sons or daughters, and they are probably members of the Overwatch Council."
Fan Jian frowned and said, "Is Yuan Bo'an a member of the Overwatch Council? No wonder my in-laws collapsed so quickly."
The man in black said in a deep voice: "But Zheng Tuo has a nephew. According to the investigation of his subordinates... it should be his own son, but he is afraid that the palace will use this son to threaten him, so he has never dared to admit it."
Fan Jian frowned, smiled and said, "Very well, we can threaten him now."
The man in black nodded silently, and put his hands flat on his sides. He saw an extremely long callus on the man's right hand from the tiger's mouth. If Fan Xian saw this detail, he must be able to think of those tiger guards of Gundam because they were so long. The cocoon marks formed by Nian holding the long handle of the knife.
Fan Jian looked at the man in black and said, "Follow me, there really isn't much to do. You've been too busy these years, so don't blame me."
The man in black laughed and said sincerely: "Eleven years ago, my subordinates were weak in defense, and the court lady next to the Queen Mother was killed by a lunatic, and she was already doomed. If it weren't for the lord's life-saving grace, I'm afraid that my subordinates would have been idle counting maggots under the loess all these years."
Fan Jian shook his head with a smile and said, "You are such a frivolous person, you don't look like a tiger guard at all, so it's no wonder His Majesty didn't like you the most back then."
Then he said: "Keep an eye on Zheng Tuo, and if necessary, send his son's right hand to his room."