There's a Madman Sharpening His Knife at Night

Qingzhou, Anyang City, in the government office, Luo Guanghan, the Lord of Qingzhou who rarely appeared here in the past, was sitting in a side room, playing chess with others.

He has a face with a Chinese character, a finely trimmed mustache on his lips, a maroon gold silk robe, and a black gilt belt around his waist, inlaid with valuable warm jade, and he has a majestic demeanor.

The person who plays chess with him has a face that is like a crown jewel. Although he is old, he has the air of a scholar who has read poetry and books. He has a light smile on his face, which makes it easy for people to like him.

Under the faint scent of musk, several delicate girls knelt and sat aside to serve.

"Brother Heisei seems to be absent-minded?"

Luo Guanghan played with Heizi and looked at the person sitting opposite him calmly.

He has three hobbies: beauty, martial arts, and playing chess. However, there is no one in Qingzhou who is qualified to play chess with him. At this time, he also attracted disciples from the big sect who came down from the mountain to clean up the world.

The teacher who protected him came with him, and this finally gave him someone to play against.

"Brother Luo is really calm, but Mr. Qiu is not so kind-hearted."

Qiu Pingcheng smiled and let out a sigh.

"There are refugees everywhere in Qingzhou, deserters and bandits are rampant, and there are evil cults secretly adding fuel to the flames. The situation has become unbearable, but Brother Luo can still sit on the Diaoyutai without taking it personally. In a different place, Qiu is not as good as him! "

"Hahaha, Brother Pingcheng is scolding me for being the prime minister of Qingzhou, and I am ashamed to be the leader of Qingzhou!"

"Where, where!"

Luo Guanghan smiled slightly and continued to make moves.

"Brother Pingcheng has been in the Qixuan Sect in the central part of the country for a long time, so it is normal for him not to understand the affairs of Qingzhou. Brother Pingcheng, the way of being an official, especially being an official in the Sui Dynasty, is not that simple!"

"It's bitterly cold in Qingzhou, there's war on the border, and the people are fierce. Brother Luo must be in trouble."

Qiu Pingcheng probed slightly.

Luo Guanghan shook his head and smiled, "Brother Pingcheng is not a member of the officialdom. Today, I have already spoken to you. Luo also told Brother Pingcheng what happened in Qingzhou. It's just that what I said today came from me. Brother Heisei, I will never recognize these words again after leaving this room!"

"Oh? Qiu is deeply honored to receive such courtesy from Brother Luo. In this case, Brother Luo might as well let Qiu open his eyes!"

"Then let's start with the refugees. Since Qingzhou was hit by the disaster, the imperial court has issued instructions to open warehouses to save the people. However, although the grain supplies in Qingzhou warehouses can be harvested every year, the new rice will soon be replaced by old rice by the people below. But after all, there was still food. Later, there was a war on the border, and the old rice in the warehouse was borrowed by the border troops. Brother Pingcheng secretly mocked Luo for neglecting the lives of the refugees, but it was hard for a clever woman to rush without rice. , Luo intends to open a position, but why does he open a short position? "

"What? The people below dare to secretly exchange the grain in the warehouse. This is still a matter of past dynasties. Regardless of the previous state leaders, since Brother Luo knows this, why doesn't he take any action?"

"Brother Pingcheng, do you know how many officials there are in Qingzhou?" Luo Guanghan did not answer directly, but instead asked about seemingly unrelated matters.

"How do you know this Qiu is a martial artist?"

"The total number of officials in Qingzhou is 3,562. The annual salary and monthly salary expenses are 80,000 taels of silver a year! And the tax revenue of Qingzhou is only 150,000 taels a year. The imperial court cannot escape the one hundred thousand taels. The remaining fifty thousand taels will be distributed as salary. There is still a shortfall of 30,000 taels. How to make up for the shortfall of 30,000 taels? "

Qiu Pingcheng narrowed his eyes and immediately understood, "So the exchange of rice in the granary was the tacit approval of the successive state leaders to make up for the shortfall of 30,000?"

"Yes, the people below exchange old rice for new ones and sell them for profit to supplement their salaries. Since old rice and new rice can feed people, it doesn't matter. The most important thing is that the army borrows food. The army's gang of killers, It is clear that the imperial court has allocated food and fodder, but the autumn wind in Qingzhou is constantly being blamed for major military affairs. How do I deal with it here? Do I really have to bear it and refuse to give it? When the time comes, I will take the cake. ! The last thing you need is food, so why bother yourself?”

"In this case, the imperial court should know the situation in Qingzhou, why is there still an order to open the warehouse?"

"Hahaha, this is why Brother Pingcheng doesn't understand officialdom. Imperial court, imperial court, what is imperial court? Isn't it the general name for all the yamen in the capital?

The army's attack on Qingzhou's Autumn Wind was handled by the Ministry of War, and the order to open a warehouse was issued by the Ministry of Household Affairs. The two departments were doing their own thing, so what's the involvement? "

"This is strange. As the leader of a state, Brother Luo has a direct way to send a letter to heaven. As long as a memorial is sent up to explain the suffering of Qingzhou, won't this disadvantage be solved?"

"Hahaha, Zhi Tong Tian Ting, even the senior officials in the capital, most of them have not yet had the ability to Zhi Tong Tian Ting. I am far away in Qingzhou, how dare I talk about the four words "Zhi Tong Tian Ting"? Brother Qiu doesn't know, the memorial is divided into memorials and question book.

The inscription is a public matter, and it is submitted to the General Affairs Department first. After the vote is drawn up, it will be sent to the Holy Father.

Although the memorial can be directly transmitted to the palace, because the emperor is ill, he has set up eunuchs in the palace to draft the memorial.

Since Qingzhou was hit by the disaster, my two inscriptions and memorials flew into the capital like snowflakes, but they all fell into the sea without any movement. What can be done? "

"Brother Luo's implication is that these two places have blocked Brother Luo's foundation?"

"Be careful what you say!"

"If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to still issue the order to open a position?"

"Yes, it's just a routine matter. The Ministry of Revenue has put aside its own involvement. Either Qingzhou will handle it on its own, or I, the leader of Qingzhou, will bear the blame."

"How can such a major national event be like this?"

"A major national event? In the capital, starving to death a few refugees in Qingzhou is not a big deal!"

"Brother Luo, do you really not care at all?"

"Eighty percent of Qingzhou's wealth is gathered in Anyang City, and 80% of it is in the four major families. Each family name has been entrenched and operating in Qingzhou for several generations. Brother Pingcheng sees the majesty of my Qingzhou governor. Don't you know? , The powerful wealthy families and the smooth officials, if they don’t maintain good relations with these four major families, my order will be a blank piece of paper once they leave Anyang Fucheng!”

"How dare they bully others like this!"

"The tree is big and the roots are deep, so why don't you dare to get married politically? Of course, their family has a big business, so they also gave me some thin noodles. Each family gave me five thousand shi of food, but this is a drop in the bucket. It just ensures that I have something to say when I am questioned." That’s all!”

"As for the deserters and bandits, as long as the border war continues, there will be a steady stream of deserters entering the mountains and becoming bandits. How can we completely suppress them? And once there are casualties, it will also be a pension expense, so what about Qingzhou? Can you afford it?

This is especially true for the last Rebirth Cult. Refugees and deserters and bandits are its biggest breeding grounds. Moreover, the Rebirth Cult is far from being as simple as it appears on the surface. Once you get involved, it will be difficult to get out.

So, Brother Pingcheng, teach me how to be the governor of Qingzhou? "

Qiu Pingcheng, a man of the world, was stunned after what Luo Guanghan said today.

How could he have imagined that the problem here would be so complicated, so complicated that no one can do anything about it.

"Then" Qiu Pingcheng frowned, "Even so, it's still good to do something!"

Luo Guanghan was overjoyed when he saw Qiu Pingcheng enter the urn, and then said: "Brother Pingcheng is so righteous, Luo can't do anything alone. Finally, he is looking forward to the arrival of brother Pingcheng. With the help of brother Pingcheng, he can indeed do something for the people of Qingzhou!"

"Brother Guanghan, I am a martial artist and don't know anything about officialdom. I only have this kind of martial arts. Brother Guanghan just gives you orders!"

"I do have something to ask for."