Chapter 405: Officialdom Turmoil

Chapter 405: Officialdom Turmoil

Chapter 405: Officialdom Turmoil

On the first morning after the Beijing troops withdrew, the sky was as clear and vast as washed silk.

The golden sunlight penetrates the mist like a fine woven thread.

It gently covered the entire land of Yunnan Province, and a layer of dazzling golden light appeared from time to time.

In the morning light, cities seem to wake up from dreams.

The outline gradually became clear, and the bricks, stones and tiles glowed softly in the morning light.

The moss and vines on the city wall appear even more vibrant in the dim light.

The mountains in the distance are layered in the morning light, shrouded in clouds and mist, like a fairyland that is out of reach.

At the foot of the mountain, the rice fields are lush green, contrasting with the blue sky and white clouds.

On the streets of Kunming, the sound of dripping water under the eaves and the occasional crowing of chickens and barking of dogs in the distance add a bit of liveliness and vitality.

The market began to get lively, with early-rising vendors setting up their stalls, selling fresh fruits and vegetables, and steaming breakfasts. The entire city of Kunming seemed to have come alive because of the end of the war.

However, as time goes by, Kunming, the provincial capital, has a completely different kind of solemnity!

Just after dawn, teams of soldiers in armor and armed with sharp weapons rushed out of the barracks.

The pitch-black armor was running in the clouds and mist, and was stained with some morning dew.

The soldiers had stern faces, their bloodshot eyes were firm, and they recalled the orders given by their superiors with their lips tightly pursed.

There were nearly two thousand soldiers, and every time they reached the entrance of a street or alley,
Then a soldier would break away from the main group, quickly rush into the alleys and disappear.

Slowly, less than two thousand soldiers disappeared in Kunming city.

Many people who heard and saw along the way were afraid, lowered their heads and walked quickly, or stopped and waited.
The people who had not yet left their houses were firmly guarding their doors.
He put his head on the door and listened quietly to the noise outside.

The vendor lowered his head and covered himself with the hot mist from the steamer.

Everyone knew that something big had happened.

No. 3 Guangling Lane, Lushui Street, was home to Chang Han'an, a seventh-rank official in the Yunnan Provincial Administration.

At this moment, the originally quiet house was violently kicked open by the soldiers, and they rushed in one after another.

After a while, I will just wake up.
Chang Hanan was caught with a somewhat hazy look on his face.

"Let me go! Let me go!!"

"Who are you and what have I done wrong?"

"I'm going to tell Lord Li, do you know who I am?!"

A soldier who looked like a centurion snorted coldly and took a step forward.
He stuffed a piece of paper in his hand into his face.

“Chang Hanan, your incident has been exposed.

"Over the years, you have abused your power, neglected your duties, formed a clique for personal gain, and embezzled money. The evidence is irrefutable, and you still want to quibble?"

Chang Hanan's eyes widened as words poured into his head. His pupils suddenly contracted and his face turned pale.
"It's impossible, it's impossible."

The centurion snorted coldly:
"Humph, after being punished by heaven, you are still spreading rumors in the city and stirring up the people. This is an act of treason!"

After these words came out, Chang Hanan no longer had any hope in his heart.

His body suddenly went limp and the soldiers on both sides quickly pulled him back.

Seeing him in such a state of disgrace, the captain chuckled disdainfully and waved his hand:
"Chang Hanan is plotting treason, all his family members will be taken away!"

No. 1, Yuyang Lane, Danfeng Street, was the residence of Hua Hongchang, the governor of the Ming Dynasty and the sixth-rank official.

At this time, he got up early and had already eaten in the house.

At the same time, I was thinking about the soft body of my new concubine.
The slightly old face was flushed, and he was ready to move.

Thinking of this, he quickened his eating pace, preparing to release some more later.

At this moment, a cry of surprise came from outside.
There was a noisy quarrel before he could react.

The tightly closed door suddenly opened, and clouds of dust filled the air.

More than ten soldiers rushed in while everyone was stunned.

Without any hesitation, he pushed the dazed Hua Hongchang into the porridge in front of him.

It was only at this moment that he reacted and started to curse:

"How dare you! Who are you? Don't you know who I am?"

"I know, of course I know."

The captain of the army, Zhai Quan, walked in slowly.

He held the long knife tightly in his hand, with blood dripping from the tip of the knife, which looked extremely bloody.

He looked at Hua Hongchang's embarrassed appearance and chuckled:
"Hua Hongchang, Lord Hua, your case has been exposed.

Abuse of power, collusion with foreign enemies, betrayal of the court,
Today, I am following the order of Lord Du Si Ning to arrest those who are committing treason."

"Oh, by the way, you are also a traitor."

As soon as these words came out, Hua Hongchang's body stiffened for a moment.
The temper and mood that were originally a little frustrated no longer had any hope, and what followed was collapse.

He couldn't even feel the scalding hot porridge on his face.

Seeing him like this, Qian Hu Zhai Quan sneered:
"You are the experience of the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office, in charge of the cashier's office and the internal affairs management of the office.

How could you be a dog to the people of Luchuan if you don't cherish your great wealth and future?
What benefits did they give you?"

Qian Hu Zhai Quan's voice became louder and louder, and finally turned into a scolding.

Because the news leaked, countless soldiers died on the battlefield!

And everything is caused by these people.

Although the official position of the Experience Department is not high, he is already considered a chief official who is in charge of documents and is the person who meets with the adults most frequently.

If something happened to such a person, it would be like an earthquake for the Yunnan officialdom.

"Take his family away with him!!"

No. 5 Shangyuan Lane, Taihua Street, is the residence of Yin Zhizhi, a judge in the Military Commandery.

At this moment, the house was in a state of chaos, with corpses dressed as servants lying here and there.
There were arrows sticking out of his body, and blood was constantly gushing out from the wounds.

In the main hall, the strong and powerful Yin Zhizhi was pinned to the ground face down by four soldiers.

Each of their limbs had a spear inserted into it, and behind the spears were four soldiers.

He pressed hard on the spear, preventing him from moving.

Yin Zhizhi's face was gray and full of despair.

I slowly lowered my head, unable to suppress the sadness in my heart.

Mu Sheng, who was covered in wounds and had not yet recovered, walked in slowly.

He looked down at him with a cold expression and said calmly:
"Uncle Yin, this is the last time I call you.

If I remember correctly, when my father came to Yunnan to settle down, you were one of his followers and you even saved my father's life.

But. Now?"

Mu Sheng's face showed some complexity. For Yunnan,

They were outsiders to Xiping Marquisate and even the Ming Dynasty, and they seized the territories of the locals.

I've just arrived, but I've never had a peaceful life.
Rebellion, suppression and assassination all day long.

The soldiers and officials who were able to follow at that time were among the most loyal.

I just didn't expect that things would change so quickly over time.

He could still clearly remember what the person in front of him had said to him.

You don't need to aim when shooting arrows, just shoot wherever you want.

Shoot more often, and when the arrow moves as your heart desires, you will be able to shoot accurately.

Mu Sheng thought to himself, Yin Zhizhi did not struggle, but just raised his head, his blood-red eyes filled with watery light,

"Yes, I was the first one to arrive.
He has fought for the Marquis's Mansion for many years, but now he is only a sixth-rank official! !
It was your father who kept saying that he would come to the government office.
Help him take control of the situation and get promoted and make money in the future.

But the brothers in the army were promoted one by one, their ranks were upgraded, and they had more and more money.

But what about me? I'm afraid I'll have to hold the sixth-rank official in front of me until I die! ! "

Mu Sheng frowned slightly, confusion flashing through his mind.

Although the Dusi was a sixth-rank official, he was responsible for military and judicial matters. The entire Yunnan Province had more than 200,000 soldiers and civilians, and there were many cases in the garrisons and the military.

In the end, the decision will be made by the Judgment Bureau.

It is truly a low-ranking position with great power. Apart from being a bit tiring, it is also a good job. How could this be?
"Uncle Yin, the power of the judge is not low. Some idle officials are not as powerful as you."

Yin Zhizhi spat out a mouthful of blood, his face looking somewhat ferocious:
“It sounds good, but I can’t control this, and I can’t control that.

You can't control the subordinates of your colleagues in the army, nor can you control the descendants of the masters outside the city.
Who else can I manage? Who else can I cut off?
It's nothing more than some trivial matters.

Do you really think I want this position? It's a job that offends people and is not acceptable to anyone!

If I don't have much power and no money, what's the point of being an official?"

Mu Sheng's expression changed repeatedly, and finally he sighed:
"So you did the dirty work for Qingyuan Pavilion? What about the follow-up?"

Yin Zhizhi didn't say anything, but turned his neck away, obviously agreeing.

Mu Sheng stood up, shook his head slowly, looked at the soldiers who were suppressing him, and waved his hand gently:
"Take him away and interrogate him strictly!"

Four soldiers immediately took Yin Zhizhi away, leaving him covered in blood.

Mu Sheng walked to the door and stopped, looking back at the family, his expression changed again.

After an unknown amount of time, he sighed and waved his hand gently.

"Take them all away."

At one hour in the morning, the Dusi and the Provincial Administration Commissioner had been arresting people non-stop.
Officials of all ranks were arrested, causing panic among the people and making it difficult for officials to make a living.

Since the establishment of the Provincial Administration Office,
The depressing atmosphere never stopped.

A group of clerks and officials walked in a hurry, with their heads down and silent.

The atmosphere in the governor's office was as solemn as ever.
The precious carpet is not as smooth as before.

The mahogany chairs placed on both sides were also a little crooked.

At this moment, Zhang Gong, the governor of Yunnan, was sitting behind a large desk.
Wearing a scarlet robe and an official hat,

He held a document in his hand and examined it carefully, his expression extremely solemn.

At the bottom, Zhou Hao, the Left Counselor of the Provincial Administration, sat.

He used to be a soldier, and he was fat and looked constrained when squeezed into the chair.

He took office as the Left Councillor to manage the grain transfer issue.
I thought I would have some free time after the war.
But he didn't expect that the series of accidents left him unable to rest and he looked a little tired.

After a while, Zhang Xun sighed softly.

He put the document in his hand on the long table, looked at Zhou Hao, and asked:

"Sir Zhou, there are so many vacancies in the government now, you have to take care of it.
The grain transportation cannot be stopped, and the list of replacement officials must be coordinated quickly. You decide on the specific candidates, as I have other important matters to attend to.

In any case, we cannot delay the handling of subsequent wars.

Otherwise, we will all be in trouble.”

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhou Hao's eyes, and then he understood.

He was the left councilor, in charge of the grain supervision, the registration, the division of garrisons, etc.

As for personnel transfers, he only drew up a list, and whether it would be successful or not still depended on the decision of the left and right governors.

Now that Lord Zhang said this, Zhou Hao knew that he was trying to show goodwill to him.

Thinking of this, Zhou Hao chuckled in his heart, his face looked a little strange:
"My status as a soldier used to be a shackle, but now it has become a popular commodity."

Zhou Hao quickly put away his thoughts, cupped his hands, and spoke in a deep voice:
"Please rest assured, Master Zhang. I will go back and draft the list of replacements.
All matters related to the Dusi will not be delayed, and I will take care of them."

After hearing this, Zhang Xun's originally solemn face relaxed a little and he felt relieved.

Although he is also in a high position,
But, no matter what
Now the people who really have the final say in Yunnan Province are still the people in the Dusi.

Having such a person to talk to is very helpful for the subsequent resettlement and the current cleanup of Kunming.
It's much easier, at least there won't be any trouble.

Pursing his lips, Zhang Xun spoke in a deep voice:
"Master Zhou, the Experience Department is now without a chief officer, who do you think you can choose?
Now is a busy time. If the Experience Department does not do anything, everyone will be uncomfortable. We still have to deal with this matter first."

Zhou Hao bowed his head slightly, cupped his hands, and said without any politeness:

"Although the Experience Department is only a sixth-rank official position,

But it is extremely important, and it is the key to the provincial government's leading by example.
Such candidates must be smart, capable, and tactful.

And the background needs to be simple and clear, and it cannot be too entangled with local tyrants. "

Zhang Xun nodded and said, "That's right. Besides, the order to purge the rebels was issued by Lord Xiping. We should take the necessary measures in this urgent matter.
First bring the person up, then report to the Ministry of Personnel for review.

Everything must be in accordance with the rules, and we must not let the Ministry of Personnel cause us any trouble."

A smile appeared on Zhou Hao's somewhat old face:

"There aren't many candidates available.
Now the Dusi is busy, and the Censorate is overwhelmed, so we can only promote from among our own people, and it is too late to transfer from other places."

"Yeah, good. Who do you have for me?"

Zhou Hao paused and said in a deep voice: "Then the only ones left are Zhang Xingzhi, the Liwen Office's ...

After hearing this, Zhang Xun understood.

The person recommended by Zhou Hao was Zhang Xingzhi, who was a sixth-rank official, and it was in accordance with the rules for him to be promoted one level.

Kong Yuanhua was a seventh-rank official, so even if he wanted to be promoted three levels, he would not choose this time.

There will be trouble after reporting to the Ministry of Personnel.

Zhang Xun laughed, picked up the teacup on the long table, and took a sip:
"Brother Jiayu, you have just arrived at the Provincial Administration Office.

Zhang Xingzhi was not well-known in his daily life, but he was smart and capable, and managed all the affairs of the office in an orderly manner.

It's not easy for Brother Jiayu to find this piece of unpolished jade in such a short time."

Zhou Hao also laughed. He knew this was an inquiry and said bluntly:
"Master Zhang, you are joking. I have been transporting grain all day this year.

I don’t know how many quarrels they have every day, so how can I have the time to watch the criminal justice affairs?

It's just that when I was in the Dusi, Duke Cao once mentioned this person to me.

To be frank, this person is capable and should be promoted earlier so that this uncut gem will not be left to gather dust.

Today I just remembered it."

"Duke Cao?" Zhang Xun's eyes flickered.
Zhou Hao stood up, walked to Zhang Xun's desk, and lowered his voice:
"Duke Cao was assassinated a few days ago, and Zhang Xingzhi was in charge of investigating some affairs in Kunming.

Although the two are not deeply involved, our Provincial Administration can seize this opportunity.
Just do a favor so that you can talk to Duke Cao about it later.

In order to avoid the assassination and the punishment from getting entangled with each other, it would make the three divisions feel uncomfortable.

At least we can calm things down a little bit, even if we can’t calm them down, at least we can ease the situation a little bit.”

After a pause, Zhou Hao added:

"Duke Cao is easy to talk to.

We can ignore it in Yunnan, but when we return to the capital, we must pay attention to it."

Zhang Xun lowered his head slightly, then slowly raised it, stared at Zhou Hao, and finally laughed:
"Brother Jiayu, everyone says you are a rough guy.

Hearing this today, it is clear that one should be rough but also meticulous, and have a delicate mind;
OK, let's do this.

Zhang Xingzhi has been transferred to the Ministry of Personnel. The documents will be sent to the Ministry of Personnel tomorrow.

As for him, I will trouble Brother Jiayu to talk to him."

Zhang Xun looked at the piles of documents on the table and smiled bitterly:
"I still have government affairs to attend to, and I have to go to the city's granary to inspect it at night."

Zhou Hao also laughed when he saw that the matter was accomplished:
"Don't bother. Now the three divisions are facing a great disaster. We need to help each other to overcome this difficulty."

Zhang Xun smiled and nodded.

After Zhou Hao left, he breathed a sigh of relief.

What he is most worried about now is that someone in the provincial government is hindering him and making it difficult for him to take any action.

Now, it is a very good thing that Zhou Hao did not take advantage of the situation.

At the same time, it also made him see some things clearly, and he thought thoughtfully,

The incident at Qingyuan Pavilion was not caused by the Xiping Marquisate, otherwise they would not have stopped there.

But even so, Zhang Xun did not let down his guard.

Regarding the next work of drawing the fish scale atlas,
He was also prepared to make great efforts to ease the tense relationship between the Dusi and the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office in the past two years.

(End of this chapter)