Chapter 36: Officialdom's Struggle for Power (3)

  (Two in one, today four updates, no need to cut JJ, please vote, hehe) He even made a signboard, on the one hand enjoying those benefits, on the other hand still having to keep a straight face to settle accounts. Even Lu Haoshan, who has such a thick skin, felt a little embarrassed.

  Indeed, it was a lack of consideration, and unknowingly boarded their pirate ship. The name is not correct, the words are not smooth, and the speech is not loud. No wonder many people with backgrounds go out to do official business, they are teachers, housekeepers, and followers, some even bring cooks. This way, you can help deal with these trivial matters and taste hometown dishes at any time. Unfortunately, none of this has anything to do with Lu Haoshan.

  Fortunately, Lu Haoshan had done his homework early in the morning.

  "If I, as an official, were to punish you, it would be a case of abusing power for personal gain and no one would believe it. If we were to report these matters, it would mean ruining the livelihoods of most officials in the Ming dynasty and putting ourselves in harm's way. The best approach is to downplay major issues and make minor ones disappear, isn't that right?" Lu Haoshan analyzed seriously.

  "Indeed, a great man has quick thoughts and small men admire him." Zhou Dàyuan immediately responded: "Sir, as the saying goes, 'iron-made county government, flowing water officials', after three years of serving, you will definitely be promoted. This small Jiangyou County cannot afford a talented person like you. Although Jiangyou County is located in a remote area and is not a rich place, it has its advantages - it is stable and peaceful, without any military disasters. Relying on the Fujiang River, the harvest won't be too bad either. Life here is still passable. Moreover, the common people here are easy to govern and dare not make trouble. In a year, you can still earn one thousand or two hundred taels of silver. Why not keep a low profile and get rich?"

  Originally, he wanted to shift the blame onto the new county magistrate and let him take responsibility for all the past losses. However, it seems that although this is his first time in office, he's "got a clear head" and is even more skilled at reckoning accounts than himself. Trying to frame him doesn't seem likely to work out. Moreover, the new magistrate has the backing of the powerful Ministry of Personnel, so now Zhou Daxuan would rather spend some silver to serve and flatter this official well, and then leave as soon as his three-year term is up.

  Having someone with such a deep and tolerant heart by your side is simply a nightmare.

  The benefits of being an official are not small, earning two or three thousand taels in three years is already very high. To know that a seventh-grade county magistrate's annual salary is only around 40 taels, this "night grass" is quite good. Of course, it can't be compared to the Qing government's "three years of clean governance, ten million snowflake silver". At that time, world trade was already very developed, with hundreds of millions of taels in tea trade surplus alone each year, as well as popular goods like silk and porcelain. At that time, most of the world's gold and silver flowed into China, it can be said to be rich and overflowing. According to records, the Qing government's annual fiscal revenue reached tens of millions of taels, while during the late Ming dynasty, the annual fiscal revenue was only over 20 million taels of silver, not enough to cover the expenses of the Liaodong war, resulting in delayed pay for soldiers, which greatly affected their morale and combat effectiveness.

  Of course, the gap between the two dynasties is not as big as imagined. The Ming Dynasty emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce. If real goods and labor services are also converted into silver, fiscal revenue will definitely increase several times. Anyway, Zhou Dayuan can be said to be very sincere and quick to adapt to changing circumstances.

  It's really no wonder that after being immersed in official circles for many years, this oily official can be said to have grasped people's hearts thoroughly.

  Unfortunately, no matter how rich Zhou Dazong's experience was and how sharp his eyesight was, he couldn't see through the young new county magistrate in front of him. His goal wasn't that little bit of silver that could be used to buy land, marry a wife or take concubines. His vision looked far ahead, his ambition was very grand.

  "Clap Clap"

  "Clap Clap Clap"

  Lu Haoshan applauded and smiled: "Not bad, not bad, Zhou Sishi is eloquent, good at dancing with long sleeves, really a wonderful person, unfortunately..."

  "What a pity?" Zhou Dàyuan was confused by Lu Haoshan's actions and asked hastily.

  "What a pity you ran into me." Lu Haishan snapped his fingers and said, "Although you did it very secretly, however, you can't escape Lu's eyes."

  "Oh, how did you come to realize this?"

  "It's simple, when you plan benefits for the masses, everyone is grateful to you and respects you. Because of you, everyone has extra gains or improvements in their lives. However," Lu Haoshan's tone changed, with a hint of a smile, "if you're the only one eating meat while others are gnawing on bones, I reckon they won't be so good to get along with."

  Zhou Dayuan's heart skipped a beat as he suddenly felt a bad premonition, but he still tried to sound lucky and said: "I don't know what you mean by this, sir."

  "Don't know?"

  I don't know

  Lu Haoshan slowly picked up his own brewed Rain Before Dragon Well tea, savoring the aroma as he took two slow sips. With a deliberate pause to heighten Zhou Dàyuan's anticipation, he finally fixed his gaze on Zhou and softly spoke three words: "Jiang An Cang".

  As soon as the three words "Jiang An Cang" came out, Zhou Dàyuan's face turned pale and his body swayed slightly, but he forced himself to calm down and said: "Sir, what about Yong An Cang?"

  "How could it be? Does the official really need to say it out loud?" Lu Haoshan said with a sarcastic smile: "Prefect Zhou, eating alone is easy to get fat, but also easy to choke, one needs a good set of teeth."

  In ancient times, all prefectures and counties had granaries, which were established according to the population and wealth of the area. The granaries served three main purposes: first, when grain prices soared, they released grain to stabilize prices; second, peasants who lacked seeds for planting could borrow them from the granary at a cost; third, in times of disaster, the government had grain on hand, which allowed them to settle refugees and maintain social stability. During the Ming dynasty, commodity prices were generally stable, with grain serving as an example. Even during the most turbulent period of Chongzhen's later years, grain prices rose by only a little over 100%, because officials' salaries were tied to commodity prices, and they made special efforts in this regard.

  Taking Jiangyou County as an example, a granary called Jiang'an Warehouse was built to store grain. The Jiang'an Warehouse was constructed on the side of a mountain by the Fujiang River, which made it easy to transport goods and allowed for storage of up to 30,000 dan (a unit of measurement) of rice. However, since disasters do not occur every year, storing grain in the warehouse posed risks such as pest infestation and rodent damage, and newly stored grain would become old grain over time, resulting in losses. To minimize losses, batches of grain were regularly stored and processed. As a result, the Jiang'an Warehouse typically stored around 10,000 dan of grain at any given time, which was still a massive quantity. This demonstrated the power of the government, as the annual storage and processing of grain involved enormous sums of money.

  "I don't understand what you're saying." Zhou Dàyuan's face was somewhat pale, but he still gritted his teeth and endured.

  As soon as this matter is exposed, let alone Lu Xianling, who will not let himself off the hook, even his former superior Chen Gui will have to get rid of him.

  "Alas, why do people always have to hit the wall before they turn back?" Lu Haoshan shook his head and said with some regret: "Alright, since this official has plenty of time, let's have a good chat."

  He took another sip of tea, and then Lu Haoshan slowly said: "It's all said that the person who holds the warehouse key is like a mouse falling into a rice bucket, just waiting to die. Zhou Siyi has been in charge of the Jiang Oil House Department for five years, and he has already managed the household department as tightly as an iron plate. He can also do some hidden things with ease. Right? Now Lu has seen it all. Alright, let's get back on track. Let me tell you about Zhou Siyi's incredible plan."

  Seeing Zhou Dayuan standing there, sweating profusely, not saying a word, I estimate that his heart must be racing at this moment, but he's forcing himself to endure it. This mental quality is not bad. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have peed their pants by now. Lu Haoshan nodded secretly: Not bad, won't admit it even if killed before seeing ironclad evidence.

  "The grain stored in Jiang An Cang has both new and old, storing the new and disposing of the old, all these are routine. In the end, it's also an opportunity for officials to make a fortune. With just a slight turn of the brush, good becomes inferior, and inferior becomes rotten. How much silver can flow into one's pocket! The official has seen this before, tsk, what audacity! Every year, three tenths of the grain needs to be disposed of, three thousand stones out of ten thousand is no small amount."

  "Sir, this matter is known to everyone in the yamen, it's an important source of income for the county government. In fact, sir, you can also benefit from it. As for the three-tenths, this proportion is already considered good among many counties. Those that are not well-managed have losses of four or five-tenths. The main reason is that the rainwater is abundant and the air is humid, plus the Jiang'an granary is located on the riverbank, making it easier for the grain to spoil. This matter has already been approved by the prefecture of Yongzhou, please sir, do not harbor any doubts."

  It's really not shedding tears without seeing a coffin, Lu Haoshan's mouth revealed an almost imperceptible cold smile, and after Zhou Dayuan finished speaking, he considerately asked: "Zhou Sishi, is there anything else that needs to be supplemented? Don't worry, wait for you to finish, this official will speak again."

  Is there another way of saying this? Zhou Dàyuan was taken aback for a moment, then immediately said: "The little man has nothing more to add, please instruct the adults."

  "Alright, you don't say it, but this official has," Lu Haoshan said with a cold smile. "You take the benefits you've gained and share them equally among the people in the county government. No one can blame you for that. Even if I see it, I can only turn a blind eye because there isn't enough funding, and without it, the county government can't function smoothly. Water that's too clear has no fish, and a person who is too meticulous has no followers. However, the difference in accounts is huge. According to the records, the Jiang An warehouse is supposed to be opened every two years for inventory, but on the expense report, it says it's handled once a year. Although you've cooked the books cleverly, I still found out. If you don't admit it, I can immediately summon County Magistrate Chen to confront you about it. Or Zhang Zhubu will do. I believe he'll know something about the inside story."

  What? Can this be investigated too?

  Zhou Dayuan's face suddenly turned pale, he did this very carefully and cleverly, the account can be said to be done with great stability, even those old accountants who came before could hardly see through it. To be honest, not even Chen Gui and the people in the household knew about this matter. This Lu County Magistrate is really a freak!

  "What a joke, opening the warehouse and changing the grain, thousands of stones at a time, what a commotion. This Jiangyou County is not big, whatever wind blows or grass moves, it can be discovered immediately, how can you deceive heaven and cross the sea." Zhou Dàyuan understood that he had committed a serious offense, until the last moment, he would rather die than let go.

  Lu Haoshan sneered, "Are you kidding me? It sounds a bit impossible. Several thousand stones of grain, how could there be no noise at all? If it were someone else, they wouldn't have the nerve, but Zhou Siyi has the conditions for this. Of course, Zhou Siyi doesn't have any magical powers or divine abilities, but he has an advantage in that all household registrations, land taxes, financial taxes, and marriages are under his control. He's in charge of both surveillance and supervision, as well as managing the warehouse. It's like being a thief while also being the guard, and no one would notice even if you were stealing from yourself. I estimate that Chen Gui trusts you, so he lets you take full responsibility for those core secrets, which only a few people know about. This process is very simple: just move the grain around on paper, and it doesn't even need to enter the warehouse. It's already done, saving time and effort, and you can even save on labor costs. Just transfer it a few times, and that difference in price has already gone into your pocket, right?"

  "Of course, these things can't be handled by one person alone. This official believes that there should be several grain officials or local gentry cooperating to achieve this. It's quite simple, as the Ming dynasty collects taxes based on population and land ownership. Many places have the habit of hiding people, so it would be easy for the officer in charge of household registration, Zhou, to make them comply by adjusting the population figures or upgrading the grades of those fields, leaving them no choice. And if they are tempted with benefits, they will definitely be convinced. Those grains are likely already in the hands of grain merchants, exchanged for silver coins. The best part is that Jiangyou is also a grain-producing area, so the grain to supplement the Jiang'an granary can be directly collected without spending silver coins from the treasury. Auditors will pay special attention to the flow of money, while other things are just superficial. This way, Zhou can deceive everyone and make a fortune. But what will Chen County Magistrate think when he finds out about this situation? What will Zhang Zhubu and others in the yamen think? And what will the people of Jiangyou County think?"

  After saying so much in one breath, Lu Haoshan was also a bit tired, and he stopped to look at Zhou Dayuan, who was shaking all over. His eyes were like those of a cat looking at the mouse under its paws. In terms of momentum, Lu Haoshan had already completely overwhelmed Zhou Dayuan, whose face had turned pale.

  "Wow, you're really good at this, but I'm just a small person with a big family and many relatives to take care of. Do you really have that much money? And yet, you still live in such an old house?" Zhou Dàyuan had already lost miserably, but he still refused to give up.

  "Alas, why bother, Officer Zhou? You and I are intelligent people, why must we spell everything out like ordinary people? Don't you want to save some face? In recent years, I've heard that some people in Jiangyou like to exchange silver for gold. Some grain merchants also know that a certain high-ranking official likes to collect gold. Officer Zhou lives in an old mansion with his family, and they only have one shop under their name - an ironwork shop. If my guess is correct, Officer Zhou should be casting the earned gold into gold bricks, perhaps storing them at home or burying them underground, or maybe even using them as building materials to conceal them from prying eyes. It's also possible that he's stored them in his ancestral temple. Either way, they will definitely be found. Even if they can't be found, I think Officer Zhou would still prioritize the safety of his family, wouldn't you agree?"

  The lower the investigation, the higher the goal. The household department official is naturally the object of Lu Haoshan's investigation. Even after becoming a county magistrate, Lu Haoshan never gave up his investigation. Various clues and signs combined together make it easy to infer some things.

  With a "bang", Zhou Dàyuan suddenly went limp on the ground, his eyes dull and mumbling: "I admit it... I admit it."

  Lu Haoshan secretly let out a sigh of relief, finally, he had dealt with this "corrupt official".

  "Someone's coming." Lu Haoshan suddenly shouted loudly, startling Zhou Dayuan who was momentarily distracted.

  "Yes, sir. Cao Hu is at your command." As Zhou Dàyuan watched in surprise, Cao Hu emerged from behind the screen wearing a prisoner's uniform and bowed respectfully to Lu Haoshan.

  "This... week, little brother, you..." Zhou Dàyuan pointed at Cao Hu, his mouth wide open, and suddenly couldn't speak smoothly.

  Isn't Cao Hu a die-hard loyalist of Chen Gui? How did he end up here? Zhou Dayuan noticed that Cao Hu emerged from behind the screen, not entering from outside the door. This means he had been secretly watching the entire process, indicating that he had already switched sides and pledged allegiance to this inscrutable County Magistrate Lu. When did this happen, and how come I didn't hear any news about it? As Cao Hu came out, his right hand was still pressing on the iron ruler; could this be a precaution against being exposed for his crimes and subsequently becoming enraged and hostile towards County Magistrate Lu?

  Fortunately, I didn't act impulsively, or else who knows how I would have died. Zhou Dayuan's thoughts turned rapidly as he quickly began to sort out the entire matter.

  Lu Haoshan said solemnly, "Zhou Dayuan is guilty of corruption and malfeasance, the amount is particularly large, the circumstances are particularly severe. Take him into custody immediately, without my order, no one is allowed to see him, nor can he be released. Also, issue an arrest warrant, bring his whole family back to the yamen, throw them into prison, and seal off all their property."

  "Yes, sir." Cao Hu's heart was filled with great joy, and he hastily responded loudly.

  Robbing that house is a lucrative business, and it's also the home of the "God of Wealth" in our county. Just listening to it makes my blood boil with excitement.

  Cao Hu was excited, but Zhou Dayuan on the side was as pale as death, scared to the point of almost urinating, where was his usual calmness and composure? Without saying another word, he immediately knelt down, frantically kowtowing while loudly crying out: "Sir, sir, just spare my life, I'll do whatever you want, sir..."

  "Sir, I'll do whatever you tell me."

  "The adults and children are willing to offer up all of our family's property with both hands, as long as you spare my dog's life"

  "Adult..."

  The truth is out, and there's no room for a comeback. Especially when the one he relied on finds out the truth, he'll probably be the first to get rid of himself. As soon as Cao Hu appeared, Zhou Dajuan's last line of defense was broken. However, after years of being an official, Zhou Dajuan had become cunning and could see that Lu Haoshan hadn't gone all out, so he felt a glimmer of hope in his heart. As long as he has a way to survive, he won't be afraid of not having enough resources. If he falls, his family will definitely not be able to withstand the revenge of Lu Xian and his men.

  The governor of the prefecture, the county magistrate who destroyed his family, and a group of cruel officials, I'm afraid they would have sucked out all the marrow from their bones.

  Lu Haoshan and Cao Hu exchanged a glance, and a faint smile that was hard to detect appeared in each other's eyes.