Father can be an enemy to the country

"This..." Zhang Jicai was mumbling and refused to speak clearly.

"Fourth brother didn't hear clearly. He said he didn't embezzle military rations," Zhu Zhen sneered, "but he didn't say he didn't embezzle official rations."

"Yes, military rations are shipped directly from Liujiagang to Dagukou. He can't get involved even if he wants to." Zhu Di suddenly said: "But the prefect's Yamen has official warehouses and reserve warehouses, so you can be extremely greedy!"

"Your Majesty, I don't have the guts to do this!" Zhang Jicai said hurriedly: "Those are all bad rules left by my predecessor. Not only has I not added anything, but I have also made several reductions within my ability."

"What bad rules?" Zhu Di asked in a deep voice: "Hurry up and recruit them from the truth. If you hide a word from me, I will send you to meet your two immediate superiors immediately!"

"Yes, it's actually just a clever name, peeling off the skin layer by layer. For example, when collecting taxes, in addition to the regular tax, there are also miscellaneous items such as water and foot money, food money, treasury money, god and Buddha money, etc., which are said to be transportation costs. , but most of them have been returned to the Yamen." At this point, Magistrate Zhang could no longer hide it, so he had to tell the truth:

“These fees add up to almost the same as regular taxes.”

"Is there any more?" Zhu Di asked.

"After entering the warehouse, there will be insects and rats every year, and there will be some losses due to mold and deterioration." Magistrate Zhang replied again.

"How much is it?" Zhu Di asked in a deep voice.

"Usually... two to three percent." Zhang Jicai struggled to answer: "The normal loss is actually less than 10%. The actual excess is sold to grain merchants. So in fact, most of the grain sold by grain merchants in various places is ordinary people. The taxes and grain paid..."

"It's so fucking fucked." Zhu Zhen couldn't help but cursed.

"Good guy!" Zhu Di exclaimed: "After eating, the common people have to eat again from the court. You corrupt officials must have a big appetite!"

"It's unfair, Your Majesty. Most of the money here is spent on the daily operations of the government office. Such a large government office is responsible for so many things, including taxation, public security, criminal punishment, defense, construction, water conservancy, sacrifices, schools, relief... then There are so many errands, and all of them require money. Which of them are not allowed to hire people? The small amount of money for work, food, and pen and ink given by the court every year is not enough to do anything. No."

"If the imperial court doesn't give it, the local government can only find ways to make money. Only with money can they hire people and do things." Zhang Jicai said bitterly: "Even for officials who eat the royal rations, their monthly salary is not enough to support their families. all pointing

Share some of the profits from the bad regulations to subsidize the family. The emperor is not short of hungry soldiers. If my subordinates cut off all these bad habits, how can I expect them to work for me? "

"So you rely on mountains to eat mountains, water to eat water, and taxes to eat food?" Zhu Di said lightly.

"Yes, this is a bad habit that existed in the previous dynasties. No, it has been like this in all dynasties." Zhang Jicai nodded.

"Since this has been the case in all dynasties, why are you panicking?" Lao Si asked.

"You can't take things like bad regulations seriously. If they are taken seriously, it would be a heinous crime." Zhang Jicai said with a bitter look on his face: "The emperor obviously wants to be serious this time. As long as those imperial envoys come down to investigate, can they still find out the problem?"

"You can't just say that because everyone has shit on their buttocks, that their buttocks are inherently unclean." Zhu Di said bitterly, "And whether that's what you said remains to be verified!"

"Xiaguan swears to God, this is really the case!" Zhang Jicai patted his chest and said, "Your Majesty, you can ask someone to investigate. There is a magistrate in Beiping who is more disciplined than Xiaguan. He told me to strike with five thunders from the sky." !”

"Look, this is a relatively clean and corrupt official." Zhu Di smiled angrily and said to Lao Liu, "You have been the governor of Yunnan for so many years. Is this really true?"

"We in Yunnan don't collect taxes yet. The main job of the government is to distribute supplies." Zhu Zhen said implicitly: "But this is why the chieftains and military leaders smashed the Yamen every three days."

"Yes." Zhu Di was so smart that he naturally understood the implication of Lao Liu's words. He would never admit the existence of this situation, but it existed objectively.

"Then what to do with this guy?" Zhu Di asked again.

"Your official in Peiping asked me why." Zhu Zhen smiled slightly and lowered his voice: "But he is right about one thing. This is going to set off a big prison, and the scale will be far greater than any before."

"No way?" Zhu Di said with a tense expression: "If Zhang Jicai's statement is followed, I am afraid that all the officials from the court to the local governments who handle taxation and grain will be held responsible. How can my father arrest them all? Can’t do it?”

"It's very possible." Zhu Zhen nodded.

"Then who will do the work?" Zhu Di said in disbelief: "Aren't the courts and government paralyzed?"

"Wearing shackles to work." Zhu Zhen laughed.

"Haha, you are quite whimsical." Zhu Di naturally couldn't imagine that Lao Liu was not joking at all, and felt that he was using this method to hint at himself, so that Zhang Jicai would be punished and meritorious service.

Then he said in a deep voice to the magistrate Zhang: "If you are willing to follow, you can follow first. As for whether I want to protect you, I have to investigate first."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty, for your great kindness. I will give my best to you and die without hesitation!" Zhang Jicai burst into tears of gratitude and kept kowtowing. He knew that his life was saved. As long as he can perform well in front of the prince, can the prince not protect him?

~~

Despite this delay, he only traveled three hundred miles on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, stopping in Jingzhou when it got dark. Jingzhou was later called Hengshui, reaching the border between Peiping and Shandong.

Jingzhou is still the territory of Hejian Prefecture. Zhang Jicai really didn't brag. He gathered two thousand ice trucks full of wood and firewood here.

This is not the scope of Xu Da's business. Being able to achieve this level of mobilization shows that his ability and prestige are quite good.

After staying in Jingzhou for one night, the two brothers Zhu Zhen led 16,000 ice trucks and entered the Shandong border with great momentum and came to Dezhou!

At this time, Dezhou was still under the jurisdiction of Jinan Prefecture. As soon as they entered the boundary of Dezhou, they opened a road to protect them and reported to the two princes that the Shandong Chief Envoy, the Inspector General, along with two divisions and Jinan Prefecture officials, had been waiting by the river for a long time.

"Let's go and meet them." Zhu Zhen ordered with a smile.

The luxurious ice boat sailed to the river with flags fluttering and crowds of people.

With colorful buildings, music playing and gun salutes, Shandong officials welcomed the Sixth Prince back to Shandong with the most solemn treatment. Although they had just used the same ceremony to send off the Sixth Prince ten days ago...

"Hahaha, Old Hu and Old Wu, I didn't expect to meet again so soon!" Zhu Zhen helped Hu Rang and Wu Yin up from the ground.

"It can be seen that the fate between the prince and us in Shandong is not over yet!" Hu Rang and Wu Yin expressed joy from the bottom of their hearts. At first glance, it was not fake.