According to the status of each department, the order of the six ministries of the Ming Dynasty is official, household, ritual, soldier, punishment, and work.
The Ministry of Personnel is to hold the promotion and evaluation of all officials in its hands, and it is the most important thing, needless to say.
The Ministry of Accounts is in charge of money.
The status of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War is actually not that low, because the old saying has long ago said: the important affairs of the country are in the sacrificial and the military. Sacrifices are all kinds of sacrificial rites, sacrificial offerings, asking divinations, etc. Later, there were six departments, and this part of the function was taken care of by the Ministry of Rites. Rong is the military.
Therefore, in terms of status, the Ministry of Rites is the most noble, and the Ministry of War is indispensable to a country.
Well, in the final analysis, everyone's status is very high, they are all important, and they are all indispensable, so the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Work are at the bottom.
But don't think that there is less oil and water with low status.
If divided according to the amount of oil and water, the order of the six divisions should be rearranged: officials, households, workers, soldiers, rituals, and punishments.
This is also very understandable. Since the Ministry of Personnel is in charge of the promotion of officials, in order to seek a good position and avoid being written as inferior in the inspection, it is inevitable to send money and gifts. sector is the fattest.
Although the status of the Ministry of Industry is not high, it is because of everyone's traditional concept, not because it has less oil and water, where to build palaces, where to build river embankments, these all need money, and where money is needed, you can make a profit. Cut off a little for oil.
No way, it was too poor to be a court official in the Ming Dynasty. Not everyone was willing to work as hard as Tang Fan to write some words to subsidize the family.
The Ministry of Household does not look at the money, but in fact there is not that much oil and water on hand. Taxes are falling again and again, but they are always unable to collect them. There are more and more large tax evaders. It hasn't changed, it's ridiculously low, it's useless, and in some places it's not even accepted.
As a result, the Ming households became the poorest households in history. The emperor cared about the people's livelihood and adjusted the tax rate even lower, but the people were still suffering. The people were impatient for exploitation. inside.
According to Tang Fan's private estimation, last year's tax revenue from the national treasury was about 4 million taels a year, which is still a lot, because the various natural disasters the previous year were only about 2 million.
But the money has to be distributed to various departments, not the Ministry of Household can take it by itself. It collapsed again, no money to repair it...
Dividing it up and down, there is only so much money left in the hands of the Ministry of Household. It is no wonder that the salaries of court officials have never been raised. Even if the emperor is willing to raise wages, there is really no such money. For the sake of life and enjoyment, there are fewer and fewer honest officials, and more and more corrupt officials. The top doesn't care about things, and the bottom is learning, and the Chenghua Dynasty is a mess.
But these are not Tang Fan's business right now, but those of the patriarchs should worry about it. Tang Fan just wanted to care, and no one listened to him.
All in all, in a word, no matter in terms of status or in terms of oil and water, the Ministry of Punishment is ranked last.
Because although the Ministry of Justice handles prisons across the country, when it comes to the level that needs to be handled by the Ministry of Justice, they are usually big and important cases that are difficult to decide. Generally, no one dares to bribe in such cases, even if bribery is useless, let alone a case is not The Ministry of Punishment has the final say, sometimes together with the three divisions of the Dali Temple and the Metropolitan Chayuan for a joint trial, which is restrained by the other two departments.
As brothers and sisters in trouble, although the Ministry of Rites is also a cold yamen with little oil and water, they still hold the imperial examinations. There is really no comparison for the bottom sector.
And now, Tang Fan is going to such a department.
Does the Ministry of Justice Matter? Of course it’s important. Without the Ministry of Justice, many major and important cases would not be able to be sentenced. After the death row inmates from various places are submitted to the central government, they are waiting for the Ministry of Justice’s approval, but no matter how important it is, it cannot be changed. fishing facts.
Like the other five departments, the Department of Punishment has one minister and two ministers.
The bottom is divided into the provincial officials division according to the national administrative region, specializing in hearing the cases submitted by each province, in addition to the prison division, which is commonly known as the Heavenly Prison, and the subordinates of the leaders—various officers and clerks without grades , Soap Li and so on.
Tang Fan is the top five-rank Henan Qingli Silang, that is, the leader of the department of Henan Qingli Division. He is directly responsible to Shangshu, and he is in charge of the entire Henan Qingli Division.
On the day he took office, Tang Fan, as usual, first went to see the minister and the two servants.
The current minister of punishment, Zhang Ying, is close to the current Shoufu Wan'an. He is also attached to the faction of Concubine Wan. It can't be said to be treacherous, and of course he is not a kind person. One day, this gentleman was also one of the "Six Books of Clay Sculptures" by the court and the barbarians.
However, Zhang Shangshu was away today, so Tang Fan flinched and could only visit the two servants first.
Liang Wenhua, the left servant of the Criminal Division, had a strange attitude towards Tang Fan. Facing Tang Fan's self-introduction and greeting, he just narrowed his eyes and asked slowly, "I heard that you worked in Shuntian Mansion before?"
Tang Fan should be.
Liang Shilang said: "Although Shuntian Prefecture is in charge of the security of Gyeonggi, in the end, it is still a local government, and it is incomparable to the Ministry of Punishment. When you come to the Ministry of Punishment, you have to adapt well, but don't bring the arrogance of Shuntian Prefecture here. , after all, six are six, and Shuntian Palace is incomparable!"
Tang Fan felt a little strange in his heart. He didn't understand where the yin and yang attitude of the other party came from. It stands to reason that the two had never met before, let alone any grievances. In the end, Liang Wenhua was better. Like how much you owe him.
Although he thought so, he was still respectful on his face: "Follow the teachings of the ministry."
Liang Shilang said a lot of lessons, but seeing Tang Fan standing there like a wooden man, he was respectful no matter what he said, and he felt bored, so he waved his hand to let him retire.
Tang Fan went to the duty room of the right servant again.
Peng Yichun, the right servant of the Ministry of Punishment, just passed his sixty-five birthday last month. He is not in good health and is already at the age of semi-retirement. In his situation, there is not much chance for him to rise further. There was no competition or conflict. When he saw Tang Fan, he talked nonsense and encouraged him. Although it was nothing important, it was all nonsense, but he showed his kind attitude and lived up to the reputation of Mr. Good.
Seeing that he was good at talking, Tang Fan asked for advice: "Peng Butang, Xiaguan and Liang Butang have never known each other before, let alone an old grudge, but when I went to see him just now, his words were rather cold. , I am very puzzled, I wonder if Liang Butang has encountered something unpleasant, or has the subordinate official offended him inadvertently?"
Peng Shilang laughed: "Liang Shilang thinks that he is in a bad mood recently, don't worry, it will be fine in a few days."
It's never been possible to tell you what you said in the officialdom, and now you need the other party to figure it out for yourself. Tang Fan is so smart, he immediately heard the clue from his words: "It seems that Liang Shilang is in a bad mood. Is the officer related?"
Peng Shilang thought for a while, and finally said to him: "Liang Shilang has a student, and now he is in the position of a foreign member of the penal department. This time, the Henan Qing official Sikong came out. He was a student of his own..."
Tang Fan understood, Ganqing himself became Cheng Yaojin who came out halfway and grabbed the position that others wanted to be on top, so others would naturally see him unhappy.
Knowing the truth, Tang Fan was helpless.
There are only a few official positions, but there are so many people who want to be promoted, one radish and one pit, if you occupy a position, others can only be envious, and of course they will dislike you, unless you are willing to give up your position. The question is who wants to
Seeing the helpless expression on his face, Peng Shilang smiled and said, "Since it's here, it's okay, just do it well."
Tang Fan still respects this kind-hearted old gentleman, and he hurriedly received his instruction when he heard the words.
After seeing the two servants, he went back to the courtyard where the officials of the Qing Dynasty were located. The Department of Qing officials of the Ministry of Punishment was divided according to the thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty. There were 13 officials of the Qing Dynasty. As a latecomer, Tang Fan naturally took the initiative to visit you all. Senior colleagues.
For this young colleague, most of them behaved indifferently, even a little alienated and polite, which made Tang Fan very boring.
However, after learning the ins and outs from Peng Yichun's mouth, he can also understand the attitude of others.
Due to some rumors in the court, it is said that Zhang Ying will be re-enrolled in the pavilion soon, and naturally he will give up the position of Shangshu, and among the two servants, Peng Shilang is old and sick. Of course, the one who sees Tang Fan Liang Shilang, who is not pleasing to the eye, is sure to become the next minister of punishment.
Mixing in the officialdom, who is not a character who sees the wind
As soon as Tang Fan arrived, he took up the position of the next Master Shang Shu's disciple, which made the boss Liang Shilang unhappy, and Tang Fan had no foundation in the punishment department. , how will you choose
Don't even think about it!
At this time, whoever is close to Tang Fan, doesn't that mean that Liang Shilang is not in his eyes
Therefore, Tang Fan visited the Qing officials in the other twelve provinces and got similar attitudes.
Of course, no one will be too explicit, but they are not overly enthusiastic, they are all polite and reserved, and they greet each other in a distant and polite way, making you feel awkward all over, but you can't pick out any faults.
The only exception is Lu Tongguang, the clerk of Jiangxi Qingli. This old man is a kind man like Peng Shilang. Seeing that Tang Fan seemed to be still ignorant, he told him euphemistically, and even hinted at him bewilderingly, Liang Shilang is not an open-minded person, so he suggested that he better find a time to apologize to Liang Shilang, lest Liang Shilang hold grudges, and Tang Fan will often wear small shoes in the future.
Tang Fan thanked Lu Tongguang for his kindness, but pretended not to understand his suggestion, because in his opinion, he did nothing wrong, and this official position was not obtained by himself, but assigned by the official department, Liang Shilang It's really inexplicable that I dare not go to the officials of the Ministry of Personnel to settle accounts, and it is really inexplicable. It is true that a person and an official have to compromise, but they can't retreat to the limit. This will only make people bullied to death.
Besides, since Liang Wenhua is narrow-minded, even if he is going to pour tea and apologize and take all the blame on himself, people who should hold grudges will still hold grudges.
Seeing that Tang Fan refused to listen to him, Lu Tongguang sighed in his heart, secretly saying that the young man was still too proud and he would realize the reality one day after suffering a big loss, so he no longer persuaded him, but acted in good faith. Fate's psychology, told Tang Fan some trivial matters about the various Qing officials.
He was always an enthusiastic person, and he took the initiative to point Tang Fan: "When you first arrived at the Qing Li Division, you are not very familiar with the subordinates in the division, especially those unqualified officers, Zaoli, although their status is low, they are also the most If you want to trick them, you might as well invite them to a meal first, get in touch with each other, and take the opportunity to understand the situation, so as not to be kept in the dark."
Tang Fan thanked him for his advice, and then asked tentatively, "Before I entered the Punishment Department, I heard that the Qing officials and divisions have a dinner every month and take turns hosting each other. Is this true or false? I'm not afraid of Brother Lu's joke, I Although my parents died early, I still have a lot of daily expenses. If there is such a rule, I would like to borrow some money earlier, so as not to be unable to pay for a treat at the time."
Lu Tongguang nodded: "There are indeed such rules, but you don't have to worry. The places we go to are not big restaurants like Xiankelou, just ordinary small restaurants, and they don't use everyone's salary."
Tang Fan was very surprised: "Where did the money come from?"
The two had a deep conversation, but Lu Tongguang hesitated, but finally told him the truth.
It turned out that the Criminal Division was not quite what Tang Fan had imagined. Although it was a cold yamen, it was not without oil and water. Like some major and important cases, as long as it was not a major case related to a treason, it was usually brought to the Criminal Division, and the Criminal Division could handle it. It's up to you, there's room for discussion.
For example, when sentenced to exile, three hundred li and three thousand li are definitely different, and when sentenced to a stick, ten sticks are definitely different from one hundred sticks. For many crimes, there are only general provisions in the Daming Law. If someone is involved in dredging activities, it does not matter if the sentence is lighter.
But it also depends on the region, such as Zhejiang, Huguang, and Jiangxi. These are relatively prosperous provinces. There are many rich people, and there are many people who can use money to clear them. For example, Henan and Guizhou, where Tang Fan is located, Yunnan and so on, the oil and water will be much less.
These are all tacit rules, so the officials of the Qing Dynasty took turns to cook dinner together. In fact, those who were a little richer took out some of the oil and water to treat the guests, lest the other officials of the Qing Dynasty looked jealous and ran to report themselves. At that time, the fish will die and the net will be broken, and no one will have to play.
Seeing Tang Fan's sudden realization, Lu Tongguang said: "You don't need to worry, everyone knows that Henan Qingli Si has no oil and water, and will not force you to treat you, but you are new here, if you want to have a good relationship with other people, it is best not to Be stingy with that little money, if you're worried that you won't have enough money for your guests, I still have a little..."
Tang Fan finally saw his kindness, and hurriedly said with a smile: "No need, I'll ask, thank you for your kindness, I can still afford a meal, so I can rest assured. I think I have to ask for it every month!"
Through this back and forth, the relationship between the two immediately became much closer.
Lu Tongguang laughed: "How is this possible, even the lords of the ministry can't afford to ask for this!"
Tang Fan said: "Then dare to ask my brother, who should be the host at the end of this month?"
Lu Tongguang twisted his beard: "According to the rules, it should be my turn."
Tang Fan also laughed: "That's a coincidence, so let's discuss it with my brother and cut a line. How about I invite you first at the end of this month?"
Lu Tongguang was good at talking, so he nodded and said, "Alright, anyway, since you just took office, you can indeed get acquainted with your colleagues and get in touch with each other through dinner, but you should pay attention when booking the place, you don't have to book those big restaurants, big restaurants, Some good and cheap restaurants are fine, otherwise if you make a big start, the people behind you will blame you."
This is a conscience suggestion, and Tang Fan also understands the reasoning, and he is quickly taught: "How many ministries do you want to invite?"
Lu Tongguang shook his head: "No, the ministries cherish feathers and won't mix with me. It's just a matter of asking the ministers to neutralize the members."
Tang Fan asked again, "Don't you have to invite the principal?"
Yuanwailang is the deputy of Langzhong, and the principal is the next level, the grade is the sixth grade, and each division has one person.
Lu Tongguang shook his head again: "No, it's just Lang Zhong and Yuan Wai Lang."
There is a lot of attention here. In the eyes of a chief of the first division like Lu Tongguang, the main thing belongs to the first. Although he has a grade, he does not need to be too close, otherwise it will confuse the primary and secondary, which will make people look down on it.
From this point of view, the rules of the Sixth Division are stricter than those of Shuntian Mansion. If they are treating guests to dinner in Shuntian Mansion, Tang Fan will usually call the head of the patrol squad like Pharaoh together to show that they are of the same mind.
It seems that every place has its own rules. Tang Fan wrote down these details, chatted with Lu Tongguang for a few more words, and prepared to leave. Speaking of which, he has not been to his own territory yet. See you. Those subordinates who have passed him, naturally have to go back and recognize a familiar face.
As a result, Lu Tongguang stopped him: "Brother Runqing, I have something to tell you first."
Seeing him being so solemn, Tang Fan felt a little bad: "Brother Lu, but it's okay to talk."
Lu Tongguang said: "Your current deputy, Yuanwai Lang, is the disciple of Liang Shilang, the one who was going to take your place."
Tang Fan: "..."
Taking the bad news that Lu Tongguang revealed to him, Tang Fan finally came to his duty room.
There is no difference between this place and other duty rooms. The only difference is the furnishings inside. There were many flowers and plants in the past. It can be seen that his predecessor Zhou Langzhong was a person who liked to plant flowers and plants, but it was a pity that when the master left, The subordinates didn't know what the new boss's hobby was, so these flowers and plants were removed and placed under the porch, almost withering.
As soon as Tang Fan walked into the duty room, he saw someone was about to take out a pot of peony from inside.
When he saw Tang Fan, he quickly put down the flower pot and saluted, "Dai Hongming, the head of the Henan Qingli Division, I'll see you!"
Tang Fan asked him to waive the ceremony and asked, "Are these flowers left by the predecessor Zhou Langzhong?"
Dai Hongming should be that the former chief died of illness, so many people are a bit taboo. When a new officer takes office, all the things in here have to be replaced. He saw that the soap servants were lazy and only changed the pen, ink, paper and inkstone. , I haven't moved the flowers, and it's almost time again. Seeing that Tang Fan has finished visiting his boss and colleagues, it's time for him to come, so he has to do it himself, preparing to move all the flowers out, so as not to break the new boss's taboo.
Who knows, Tang Fan said: "I look pretty good, so I don't need to move it out. I'd better move it back. It's just that these flowers and plants are no longer watered, so I have to water them quickly so they don't die."
Dai Hongming almost cried when he heard it, thinking to himself, why did I waste the energy to move in and out
But he didn't dare to refute it. As the saying goes, new officials are three fires. Who knows if this Tang Langzhong will find him trouble because of his slack? In place, we have to move outside again.
Tang Fan stopped him, his tone was very kind: "Mr. Dai, others will do these trivial matters. Don't be busy, this official has something to talk to you about."
Dai Hongming was a little apprehensive when he heard the words: "I don't know what the lord wants to ask?"
Tang Fan said with a smile: "You don't have to be nervous, I'm just asking casually. How many officers are there besides you in this Henan Qing clerk?"
Dai Hongming said: "Master Hui, there are four people in total, two of them are clerks, and the other two are messengers. If you have any errands, you can tell them to do it."
He paused for a while, and showed a slightly flattering smile: "Of course, if the adults have something important, it is inconvenient to leave it to them, but it is also okay to leave it to the lower officials!"
Dai Hongming is in his 40s this year, but he is still in charge of the sixth grade in the Criminal Department. In the final analysis, apart from his own lack of great ability, and because he has no background, he has worked with Tang Fan's predecessor for nine years, and has been in the same place. step.
He doesn't have a good teacher like Yin Yuanhua, a member of foreign affairs. He is a top three-ranked scholar like Dai Hongming. His background is only a little better than that of Juren, so he can only rely on his boss to help him. As a result, Tang Fan's predecessor died, and he suddenly became a motherless man again. children.
Seeing that Tang Fan, the new boss, could have turned to be a new backer, but it was a pity that Tang Fan took Yin Yuanhua's position. Yin Yuanhua hated him so much that he had Liang Shilang behind him. Can this new boss sit firmly? It's hard to say the position, Dai Hongming's entanglement in his heart, before Tang Fan's arrival, he struggled for a long time. Seeing that Tang Fan was so young, his heart suddenly became cold, and he felt that he would definitely not be able to fight against Yin Yuanhua. Set up for wooden puppets.
Tang Fan smiled, as if he didn't understand what he meant: "Well, this official takes office the first day, you go and call everyone over, and everyone will be familiar with each other."
Dai Hongming was a little disappointed, so he had to fight back, and split up to call someone.
A quarter of an hour later, the people were basically there, and everyone saluted Tang Fan and introduced themselves one by one.
Tang Fan swept around and suddenly asked, "Why don't you see Yuan Wai Lang?"
Dai Hong complained secretly, and forced a smile: "Yin Yuanwailang said that he has suffered from an old problem. He has some inconvenience in his legs and feet, and he can't walk. Let me accuse the adults, saying that he is coming, but he can't come."
As soon as these words came out, everyone's expressions changed, which clearly did not take Tang Langzhong seriously!
They all looked at Tang Fan, wanting to see how he would solve the matter.
But seeing a slightly surprised look on Tang Fan's face, he said with concern, "Have trouble with your legs? But you're lame?"
Why does it sound like a curse? Everyone murmured secretly, seeing the sincere concern on Lord Lang Zhong's face, but they didn't feel like it.
Dai Hongming's speech was sloppy, and he hesitated: "...Maybe Yin Yuanwailang has some old problem of paralysis?"
What a joke, Yin Yuanhua is only 30 years old this year, how can he get rheumatism
But Dai Hongming can't always say that he is trying to get along with you on purpose, so he is trying to get rid of you
Tang Fan sighed: "Yin Yuanwailang has just passed his life now. He contracted paralysis at a young age. What should he do in the future? Well, since he is ill, he should have a good life and recuperate, or not come."
Really a soft persimmon. Everyone thought secretly, and they all felt that he knew Yin Yuanhua's origin, so he didn't dare to tear his face with the other party.
The next moment, they heard Tang Fan say again: "That's it, Mr. Dai, you should let someone buy something outside and send it to Yin Yuanwailang. It's a little care from this official."
Dai Hongming asked helplessly, "What to give?"
Unexpectedly, the new boss not only ignored Yin Yuanhua's rudeness, but also planned to bow his head on his own initiative.
He groaned secretly, his mood was completely down to the bottom, as if he could already foresee a bleak future for himself!
Tang Fan seemed to be unaware of everyone's different emotions: "Go to the pharmacy and buy some windbreaks and calamus."
What kind of gift is this
Dai Hongming was stunned, he thought he heard it wrong: "Huh?"
Tang Fan said displeased, "Is this official not clear enough?"
Dai Hongming hurriedly said, "No, no, I'll go now!"
He doesn't know what the effect of Shichangpu is, but everyone knows that Fangfeng treats rheumatic paralysis.
To be on the safe side, he asked again, "Sir, how much of each of the two herbs should be taken, what is Shichangpu for?"
Tang Fan chuckled: "Shi Changpu, it is mainly used to treat insanity and forgetfulness, and it has the effect of refreshing the mind and improving intelligence, so it is suitable for Yin Yuanwailang's illness! As for how much to catch, I think Yin Yuanwailang is not very ill, at least one medicine can be used. It's enough to catch four or five dollars!"
Dareqing is mocking Yin Yuanhua. It turns out that this adult is not afraid of him, but wants to fight against others!
But when this medicine was delivered, Yin Yuanhua couldn't be mad with anger
Everyone couldn't react for a while, and all looked at Tang Fan blankly.
Dai Hongming said with a bitter face, "Sir, isn't this good?"
Tang Fan narrowed his smile and looked at him coldly: "Why, are you planning to disobey this officer's order?"
Dai Hongming shuddered, but did not dare.
Of course, he didn't buy it himself. After the meeting, Dai Hongming took the money and ordered a staff member to buy the two herbs. After buying half a catty, Dai Hongming's face turned black.
He also knew that it was Tang Fan who was forcing him to stand in line. If he couldn't satisfy Tang Fan, he would definitely be alienated and ostracized by him in the future, but Dai Hongming was not on the right track with Yin Yuanhua, so he just didn't do this kind of thing. Yin Yuanhua also disliked him.
After thinking about it, Dai Hongming gritted his teeth and tried to fight as he wanted, so he personally took the medicinal materials and sent them over.
The other side Yin Yuanhua was just proud of himself for disposing of Tang Fan's horse, and suddenly one of the officers who was always trying to please him came to report to him what Tang Fan had said before. You are cursing yourself!
As a result, before he could finish his anger, Dai Hongming really sent the medicinal materials.
This is a naked slap in the face!
In less than a day, the news spread throughout the Ministry of Punishment. Yin Yuanwailang from the Qingli Division in Henan, relying on his own teacher who was a servant, did not take his new boss seriously, but he did not expect to be severely punished.
Yin Yuanhua excused his pain in his legs and feet not to attend the meeting of the new boss. He turned his head to Tang Fan and sent Shi Changpu to ridicule him that he was sick. When everyone heard this, their belly twitched and they were secretly worried for Tang Fan.
How can there be good fruit to eat if you succeed for a while
This incident also quickly reached the ears of Liang Wenhua, the left servant.