Emperor Ming Dynasty

On the first day out of Beijing, I stopped at Tongzhou Station, [-] miles away from Beijing.

The emperor's envoy is the Yamen of the Shuntian Mansion. The emperor's palace has already been sorted out and renovated, and he kneels down with the class. After sending the emperor, concubine and others to enter, he must also undertake the government offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Rites, and the Beijing Camp until all are ready. , Already exhausted and exhausted, unable to cheer up.

However, after everyone boarded the boat, it was considered a breath of relief for Shun Tian Mansion.

Then a beaming one.

If it is so appropriate, isn't the evaluation an excellent?

The next day, the emperor and his party boarded a boat, went along the canal, and arrived in Tianjin. It took more than two hundred miles and took a day.

Not long after noon, the dust was flying in the distance, and I don't know how many horses rushed over the ground!

The servant waiting at the gate of the post house ran all the way in to deliver the letter, and several people from the prefect of Tianjin greeted him, and the person who came was also in front of him, but it was not Yujia, but Zhu Shi, the leading guard minister.

Followed by a group of imperial guards.

Zhu Shi got off his horse, and said without a word or smile, "Is everything ready?"

"Already reported to the superior officer."

It was only a few dozen miles from Dingzigu to Tianjin City. They sent people to re-lay and clean the pavilion. In the middle of the official road, there was a newly erected colorful shed. Red, green and colorful silks and satins were swinging back and forth in the wind. A red carpet was drawn from the reception pavilion. They spread their beds down the steps to a stable outside the city.

This is a separate courtyard, which was requisitioned by the imperial court.

A little further away, there are [-] specially polished and painted cannons, each of which has three gunners. In the opened cannon boxes under the feet, yellow salutes are laid out one by one. In front of it are patrol battalion soldiers wearing brand-new military robes. Be full of energy and wait in line.

While speaking, Yu Jia came from the west, and in the shadow of the yellow dust, a slanting halo shone, and his brocade clothes were embroidered, like a golden dragon of five colors, slowly coming.

Chengyu stopped firmly in front of the red felt, and the two little eunuchs stepped forward, and lifted the yellow curtain with the golden hooks in their hands, and the emperor appeared in front of everyone:
The emperor wears a winged crown with upward-folding angles, a yellow dragon robe with a round collar and narrow sleeves (that is, a round collar), and a girdle made of gold, jade, amber, and rhinoceros is particularly conspicuous.

The goatee was neither long nor short, revealing the maturity and majesty of the emperor, and his eyes were calm, as if he didn't notice the officials kneeling on the ground.

"Tianjin prefect and minister Zhou Chang, kowtow to the emperor, long live long live long live!"

"General Tianjin, Wang Fuchen, pay homage to the emperor..."

"Get up!"

Zhu Yixi looked at the group of people and felt the heat wave-like weather. The ground was probably scalding hot from the sun, and it was really uncomfortable to kneel.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

All the civil and military personnel got up quickly.

Although Tianjin Mansion belongs to Hebei, it is an important gateway to Beijing, and its status is extremely high, and civil and military appointments have always been used with caution.

In Tianjin, in addition to letting the generals lead the troops to protect and garrison, there are thousands of naval divisions here.

Although its navy is affiliated with the Bohai Navy, it is under the direct control of Tianjin and its main task is to protect Tianjin.

Zhou Chang saw that the emperor got into the carriage again and went straight to the camp.

Just when he was in a daze, an eunuch came over: "Prefect Zhou, follow me!"

"Yes!"

He was overjoyed, and impatiently took out a few gold coins from his bosom, and stuffed them into the hands of the little eunuch.

The latter's smile became more and more sincere: "Prefect, don't panic too much. The most important thing when you meet the gentleman is your manners. I know you haven't met the gentleman a few times, so you are in an unusual mood!"

How many times was that?That is no.

Zhou Chang kept talking, but his face was full of listening signs.

"Some people's legs were shaking non-stop, and some even had weak legs, and they passed out, losing a lot of people..."

The eunuch led the way, mocking the officials wantonly.

By belittling them, it made him feel extra happy.

"Forget it, you're smart, I'll tell you a golden word: His Majesty hates lying the most."

The eunuch had had enough of joking, and said with a serious face: "Whether it's a disaster or a blessing, you must report it truthfully, don't blur the past, and don't try to cover it up."

As he spoke, he turned his head and said in a low voice: "Although Jin Yiwei has retracted his claws, his eyes and ears are still there."

"If one is not good, the official position will not be guaranteed."

Zhou Chang's heart shuddered.

Well, he is planning to announce the good news but not the bad news.

After all, who doesn't know that today's emperor loves martial arts and martial arts, but he still has such a temper.

Taking him to the courtyard, the emperor had already changed into regular clothes, blue and white silk clothes, which were very loose.

He was lying on the recliner he had brought together from Beijing, leaning on the pillow, blowing the shade, as if he was still in Beijing at this time.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived."

"Ok!"

Zhu Yixi raised his head and glanced at the prefect of Tianjin.

To be honest, although the magistrate is also a fourth-rank official and needs to be approved by the emperor, how many magistrates are there in Ming Dynasty?

On average, there are eight or nine prefectures in a province, and now there are about 230 prefectures and [-] counties. It can be said that the number of people-friendly officials at the bottom is extremely large.

At the same time, compared to the magistrate, the magistrate is different from the prefecture-level cities of later generations. He does not have his own territory, and belongs to the role of uploading and dispatching, with some supervision responsibilities attached.

Although the prefect of Tianjin has an important position, it is far inferior to a fourth-rank official in Beijing.

At this time, Zhou Chang had a dark complexion, a goatee, long and narrow eyes, and sparse eyebrows, making him look like a clown.

But his long career in officialdom has allowed him to develop an aura that is far different, causing his appearance to be ignored.

He had a stack of Zhou Chang's resume in his hand. Zhou Chang, courtesy name Peigong, was from Jingmen, Hubei Province. He lost his father when he was young. When he was ten years old, Li Zicheng attacked Jingyingjian. His mother, Mrs. Sun, was martyred and died, leaving her helpless.

Later, he became a state official and barely made a living.

But later married a scholar's daughter, encouraged her to do it, resigned from her official position, and resolutely participated in the children's examination.

At the age of 25, he passed the examination as a scholar, and later at the age of 27, he passed the examination of Juren, and was appointed as the county magistrate in Guizhou.

After three years of evaluation, I got an excellent result.

Moved to the magistrate of Xiongxian County, Hebei Province.

In less than two years, the county was in great turmoil, so he was moved to the Tongpan of Hejian Prefecture.

Repeatedly breaking unjust, false and wrongly decided cases, accumulating cases over the years, and getting honors again.

Due to the three excellent awards, the Ministry of Officials moved to the prefect of Tianjin last year.

Only 36 years old this year.

He was promoted to prefect in nine years, and when he was still juren, he was considered outstanding.

However, on another page, there are only a few pens of Jin Yiwei, pointing out its background: Zhang Tongchang, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry.

He and Zhang Tongchang were both from Hubei, and Zhou Chang had close contacts with them.

Zhu Yixi didn't pay much attention to this.

Whether now or in future generations, officialdom has always upheld the rule of man.

The new people are not as good as the old people, and the wise people are not as good as their own people.

Who doesn't have a few people in the bag?
If you want to be in power, you must get help, and your own people are obedient and easy to use. This alone is enough.

In the officialdom, from top to bottom, there is a network of relationships, including classmates, classmates, fellow villagers, teachers, and in-laws, and then they get mixed up with each other. It can be said to be extremely tangled.

"However, Zhou Chang, Zhou Peigong, why is this name so familiar?"

Zhu Yixi muttered: "This seems to be a TV series about the civil servants of the Kangxi Dynasty!"

In any case, if you can leave a reputation in history and be promoted by TV dramas, then you must have the ability.

It can be seen from the resume.

Zhou Peigong has a flexible mind and is good at using the law, so he is like a fish in water in the local area.

You must know that it is more difficult to get excellent grades three times in a row, because not only the officials are paying attention, but other opponents are also paying attention.

If you don't have any real skills, you will easily fall over.

"How about Tianjin Mansion? This time I was lucky to go to the south and go up and down in Tianjin. Is it very tiring?"

"The people in Tianjin are all happy after hearing that the emperor is coming. They all say that the emperor has been on the throne for 20 years. In addition to looking up at the sky, you can also present this filial piety to the emperor.

Therefore, many wealthy households donate with joy, nearly 50 yuan, and no one of the common people feels tired. "

The emperor knew that he was talking good things, but he was still satisfied in his heart, he smiled and didn't say much, after all, people like to flatter.

Furthermore, how much suffering he has spent for the entire Daming people, it is nothing to suffer the people.

"How is Tianjin Mansion now?" Zhu Yixi turned around and asked casually.

Zhou Peigong was taken aback for a moment, and immediately said: "Tianjin is the gateway to the capital and the hub of the canal. Both the north and the south meet here. It is indeed a place that military strategists must contend for."

"Nowadays, thanks to the shipping, the Tianjin government is paying more and more taxes. There are no less than 20 people in the city alone. Now the outer city has been expanded again and again..."

"As for taxes, last year, in the 20th year of Shaowu, Tianjin paid 350 million yuan to the imperial court..."

Zhu Yixi nodded slightly.

Among all the cities in the world, Suzhou ranks first, with an annual income of 480 million yuan. Relying on the export of porcelain, tea, and silk, it has created countless rich people.

Then, it was Songjiang Mansion.

With the emergence of customs, a large number of goods from the entire southern Jiangsu region of Zhejiang are exported to Songjiang Prefecture, and there is also Yangtze River freight, which can be beneficial to people and places.

Therefore, in just a dozen years, its population exceeded 200 million, and its tax payment was 420 million.

It can be said that surpassing Suzhou Mansion is just around the corner.

The port and customs of Tianjin, coupled with the huge consumption power of Beijing, have created the prosperity of the city.

In particular, the rise of the textile industry has made it the number one province in the north.

As far as he knows, the population of Tianjin Prefecture has exceeded one million, and the number of foreign workers is nearly [-].

One hundred thousand women workers, men workers, working together in the factory, made this city.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yixi smiled and said: "I know that when you were on duty in Hebei, you were stern, but you had the courage to abolish the bad government, so the official reputation is very good! But the people are not good."

"As far as I know, when you were in Guizhou, you were gentle and kind, and you almost ruled by doing nothing. What's the difference?"

"Your honor."

Zhou Peigong was overjoyed, the emperor was paying attention to him, he hurriedly said:

"Guizhou Han and barbarians live together, and there are countless mountains and mountains. It can be said that there are eighteen bends in the mountain road, and there is no plain at all."

"Its yield per mu is only about a hundred catties. Whether it is Han or barbarian, it is extremely difficult."

"Under such circumstances, it is necessary to treat with leniency, to govern by doing nothing, and the people will be at ease."

"The land of Hebei has been rich and prosperous since ancient times, and it is close to the capital. The way of enlightenment is prosperous, so the people are happy to play."

"In the city, the common people like to sing operas, listen to music, wrestle, and fight crickets, but in the folk, some prostitution temples are popular, and the common people are indecent, and there are countless things about cheating..."

"Furthermore, according to my minister's opinion, litigation matters are very disturbing, and people compete for bribes. Therefore, strict governance can shape the civil culture and lead it to goodness."

Zhu Yixi nodded, his words made sense.

In other words, this is the traditional Confucian view.

"Tianjin's taxes, you have done well."

"Sage is incomparable to the emperor.

The food and tax in Tianjin are intricate and complicated. I dare not say that I have worked hard on the job, but I also did not dare to be a little bit tired. I just want to be able to compare the money and food, and live up to the kindness of the imperial court and the ardent expectations of the people.

Listening to the teachings of the emperor's heavenly words today, I should devote myself wholeheartedly, earnestly repay my service, and clean up all kinds of money and grain maladministration one by one! "

Zhou Peigong was a petty official, so he was completely clear about the situation in the yamen. The concealment and filling of numbers in the past, etc., could not pass the test with him.

Within three months of taking office, he made officials at all levels spit out 2 yuan in silver dollars.

The official circles of the Tianjin government were in chaos.

Especially the warehouses in the counties are in a hurry, filling the treasury in a hurry, and re-calculating the accounts, for fear that this person will check the accounts.

In the Shaowu Dynasty, taxes were collected by the local commercial and taxation bureaus, but the money and food distributed according to the proportion were used by the local directors themselves.

Under such circumstances, all kinds of nonsense and indiscriminate use of money and food naturally exist and cannot be avoided.

After all, this kind of corruption is too light compared to its exploitation of the people.

In the officialdom, basically one eye is turned a blind eye and one eye is closed, as long as it is not too much.

After all, isn't being an official just to be rich?By the way, I would like to say Long Live Your Majesty.

"good!"

After praising him, the emperor let him go.

At night, he disguised himself and entered Tianjin City.

Nowadays, most of the cities in the Ming Dynasty enforce curfews, and only some big cities are brightly lit and unfettered.

Tianjin City is among them.

I have been here more than once in the past, and Zhu Yixi is familiar with it.

The flow of people is like weaving, and the food is lined up, which is quite lively like the night market of later generations.

Zhu Yixi looked at it seriously, isn't this the prosperous age?

He looked at the flowers for a while, and then ignored them. Instead, he found a few ordinary people and asked about the magistrate.

In this regard, Zhou Peigong gave many thumbs up.

It is said that all officials are honest and capable officials.

This is confirmed by Jin Yiwei and the Ministry of Officials, it is true.

When we arrived at the wine shop, there were all three religions and nine streams, and there were all kinds of discussions during the discussion.

Some criticized Zhou Peigong for appointing private individuals and nepotism.

Some said that they treat people harshly, and whenever they find any trivial matter, they will be reprimanded at least, and severely punished.

Its image is plump in an instant.

He didn't care about the side issues. In short, Zhou Peigong was indeed a talent.

With a decision in mind, the emperor returned to Xingyuan.

After resting for two or three days, the fleet entered the canal and officially embarked on its way south.

Zhou Peigong watched the fleet leave: "Shengshi Mingjun, enjoy the country for a long time, why do I think that something is wrong..."

(End of this chapter)