The ng family was not a big family in the capital where high-ranking officials were everywhere. Most of the officials in the capital look down on officials from other places. To be an official directly under the emperor, even a sixth rank official was better than a fifth rank in an outer province. It was even more extraordinary for those who could attend the morning assembly to discuss governntal matters. They were basically the emperor's iron supports, and each and every one had been trained to be very obedient over the years.
"Laoye, Er Lang and San Lang have sent a letter." The old servant walked in quickly.
The ng family had five sons. The greatest achievent of ng laoye in this life was his ability to have sons. He had no talent himself. He wasn't like other rich hedonistic sons who liked to invent new things, nor was he as talented in literary pursuits as the sons of aristocratic families. After reaching old age and looking back, only one advantage stood out, which was having sons, and all of them survived into adulthood.
Da Lang was a district chief in the capital, a small official of the seventh rank, but this was the capital's district chief, so many people wanted to squeeze into the position but couldn't.
Er Lang and San Lang were officials in an outside province, they were both of the fifth rank. Dont think the fifth rank is all that impressive, it would be completely different after returning to Beijing. They were transferred every five years, unlike Da Lang in Beijing, the officials in Beijing would not move unless they had made mistakes.
After reading the letter, ng laoye paced the room anxiously: "I told them not to make trouble for their eldest brother!"
ng laoye just had one belief, the ng family still had to rely on the eldest son, the second and third were unreliable characters.
"Go, find my eldest." ng laoye thought over and over again and instructed the old servant.
The old servant whispered: "Laoye, the eldest gongzi is in the governnt office, how could he co back so casually?"
ng laoye took a deep breath: "Tell him to ask for leave, I insist that he co back today!"
"District Chief!" The subordinate called at the door.
ng Dalang stood up, confused: "What's the matter?"
Subordinate: "Soone from your ho ca and said that there is an urgent matter and asked you to ask for leave to go back."
ng Dalang frowned slightly: "What urgent matter? I'm busy, how can I leave."
He was planning to implent a street cleaning team these days, and he was very busy. His district was part of the experintal area. When the ti ca, and soone above ca to check them, if everyone else did a good job while he did a bad job, then it didn't matter if there was a reward or not. The important thing was that he didn't want to lose face and be the laughingstock of the capital.
The subordinate said again: "They said that your father is ill."
ng Dalang could only rush back.
That father of his, always said that he was sick whenever he had sothing going on. ng Dalang felt that if his father really beca sick, it would be because he had cursed himself to be sick after using the excuse too many tis.
When ng Dalang rushed ho, he saw his father sitting on a chair crying.
ng Dalang sighed: "What trouble did you get into? Why are you crying?"
ng laoye quickly stepped forward and grabbed ng Dalang's hand: "Son! You must help your brothers!"
ng Dalang was confused: "Help them what?"
Seeing his eldest son's upright appearance, ng laoye swallowed and handed the letter to him.
ng Dalang read it quickly, his frown deepening. He tilted his head and looked at ng laoye in disbelief: "They actually dare to do such things outside?"
ng laoye swallowed and quickly explained: "I, I just found out, don't be angry yet, what they did was indeed wrong, but they are family, they are outside, while we are in Beijing, and we should help each other."
"This ti they just want to ask you to help find a way and give so gifts to the higher-ups." ng laoye looked at his son, and had difficulty speaking.
ng Dalang squeezed the letter in his hand, and his forehead bulged with blue veins. He said angrily, "Now they think of looking for a higher up to bribe? It's too late! This year's major investigation, even I didn't get the wind in advance!"
ng Dalang suddenly paused, widened his eyes and asked, "It's not just this year?"
ng laoye swallowed.
ng Dalang squeezed out a sentence between his teeth: "How many years?"
Seeing his son's appearance, ng laoye was afraid that his son would go crazy and beat him, so he quickly said: "I don't know, I just received the letter! How could I have known they are so daring outside! If I knew, I would have told you long ago!"
ng laoye: "..What's the use of talking about this now? We must think about how to cover it up, you can't watch them die, right?"
ng Dalang sneered: "Father, if we let them die, then our family could still be saved, if we don't, then the whole family will die together!"
ng laoye: "It's not that serious, is it?"
ng Dalang: "What kind of smart people do you think the two of them are? Writing to ask now, it must be because the major investigation had already caught onto them. The departnt in charge of this major investigation is the Court of Censors! What kind of place is the Court of Censors? They dare to even investigate a high official of the first rank and pull him off his horse!"
"Father, you have a bad mory, do you want to tell you more about how His Majesty cut down corrupt officials before he ascended the throne?" ng Dalang was furious, "Are our salaries low?! They are outside, which is not like Beijing, things are cheap there, and their salary is worth more than enough there than in the capital! Besides, His Majesty has already reserved space for taxation in various places, so those who have enough brains would not dip their toes into this muddy water!"
ng laoye whispered beside him, "Who would complain about too much money.."
ng Dalang: "I do!"
"Father, it's not easy for our ng family." ng Dalang couldn't beat up his old father so he took a deep breath, "You took to follow His Majesty all the way to the capital. When we first arrived, we were so poor that we couldn't even eat fully. That we have our present wealth is all due to His Majesty's kindness, and I, the eldest son of the ng family, have been hardworking and conscientious, and dared not make any mistakes."
ng Dalang looked ten years older. He raised his head: "If there was no major investigation, there is still a chance to recover. But the major investigation has begun. It's just a matter of seeing when they will fall, sooner or later."
"There is no need to reply, I will resign tomorrow."
ng laoye said in shock: "Resign? Resign what! Anyone in our family can resign! Only you can't resign!"
ng Dalang said in surprise: "Father, you still know this? Do you still know that I am a Beijing official? Do you know how many heads are enough to make up for the things they embezzled? I? Those two are my younger brothers, you say, who would believe that I didn't give them convenience in the capital? You can't write the ng character in one stroke, Father!"
ng laoye finally knew to be afraid, and his whole body was shaking: "Is there any other way? I will write to them and have them return the money and to resign and admit their mistakes!"
ng Dalang looked at his father in disbelief. Was his father so stupid?
ng Dalang: "Father, there is no need to say anymore, I'm going to resign early tomorrow. Second and Third Brother have separated households from us. At most, I can only protect my branch of the family and you, as for Second and Third Brother..On the day of execution, I will bring them a jug of wine."
ng laoye: "No, no, does it have to be a death sentence? I saw that corrupt officials were also arrested a few days ago. Wasn't the most serious punishnt to be imprisoned for ten years?"
ng Dalang smiled and said, "Then do you know how much they embezzled?"
ng laoye shook his head: "As long as it is embezzlent, it should be more, right?"
ng Dalang shouted: "They embezzled a lot, but more importantly others don't dare to embezzle the money sent by the imperial court for disaster relief! They don't dare to embezzle the survival money of orphans and widows!"
ng laoye's legs softened, and he knelt down directly.
"Maybe they won't be able to find out, maybe they were careful.." ng laoye said to himself, still holding a faint hope.
ng Dalang looked at his father and thought of his two younger brothers who were clever but not smart where it counted since childhood, and sighed silently: "Father, I won't be an official in the future, and won't be able to live in the capital anymore, I will tell Wanhua to go pack up, sell the shop and the valuables that are difficult to bring. We'll go to Jiangnan, just in ti for your retirent."
ng laoye said almost frantically: "Our ng family! Our ng family over these many years! Just when we finally managed to have officials in the family!"
ng Dalang supported his father: "Father, don't be afraid, this is not the most difficult ti."
"I already have a son. If I fall into this too, you will listen to Wanhua. Wanhua will know what to do." ng Dalang looked out the window, his eyes lost.
He himself did not know what kind of future awaited him.
Was he wrong? Was it because he didn't take care of his younger brothers and failed to focus on them?
He knew that they would experience more temptations when they were appointed as officials, but why did he always believe that his younger brothers didn't have the daring?
However, in fact, thwg did have daring, and they already had it long ago, eight years ago!
ng Dalang took a deep breath, he told the old servant to take good care of ng laoye, and went to the study by himself to write his resignation letter.
Don't know what the regulations above..would be, whether or not he could guarantee his life.
In the imperial palace, Lin Yuan was sitting in front of his desk, holding the morials sent by fast horses in his hand, all of them ca from all over the country, and they were sent only after the Court of Censors had iron-clad evidence.
If the water was clear, there would be no fish. Lin Yuan understood this truth. Excessive suppression would only lead to a greater rebound. In the past, his thods were violent. If he caught one, he would chop their head off. Now he no longer did such a thing. Regarding the handling of corrupt officials, there were also laws and examples to follow now.
He had re-established the salaries for officials and cadres according to their economic conditions, which could ensure that their lives were worry-free.
It was equivalent to these officials getting 10,000 when the basic salary was only 3,000.
It was enough to support a family, and officials usually have their own shops and lands, so they could live a good life easily.
They themselves knew what would await corruption, and they only served five-year terms. If the local economy improved and the people's happiness index increased, the path to promotion was sothing they could see. Now that there was a rigid review, who would not want to return to the capital to beco capital officials?
So in the past few years, there have been far fewer corrupt officials than before.
Lin Yuan looked at it for a while, and his face beca more and more solemn. He pursed his lips tightly, and just when Lin Yuan was about to rage, Lin Yuan leaned back on the chair and let out a long breath.
Er Liang asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, it is late."
Lin Yuan stood up: "Bring Zhen a bowl of beef noodles."
Then he thought about it and said, "Two bowls."
"Yes." Er Liang asked the attendant to pass on the request to the imperial kitchen, and accompanied Lin Yuan back to the living quarters.
Chen Baisong was now training in the barracks during the day and returning to the palace at night. He was currently enjoying himself, sitting on a soft stool and playing chess with himself.
Lin Yuan had soone create this soft stool. The main reason was that sitting on a hard stool for a long ti not only hurt the buttocks, but might also cause sores.
"I knew you didn't sleep, so I asked the imperial kitchen to deliver two bowls of beef noodles." Lin Yuan sat opposite Chen Baisong, picked up a black piece and played with Chen Baisong.
The two of them weren't very good at chess, shabby chess skills against shabby chess skills, and in the end it was Lin Yuan who won.
Chen Baisong raised his head and asked, "What's the matter? Coming in with such a stern face?"
Lin Yuan smiled: "Is it so obvious?"
Chen Baisong thought about it and said seriously, "It's not very obvious either."
Lin Yuan sighed, the smile on the corner of his mouth disappearing. He had been in a high position for a long ti, even a slight frown was enough to make people terrified, and only Chen Baisong was not afraid of him now. He said: "Corrupt officials can never be killed off."
Chen Baisong: "You only know this now?"
Lin Yuan: "I know, I know, but I'm tired of having investigations every few years."
Although not many were found every ti, there were always those who were so greedy that he was speechless.
"There are two brothers surnad ng." Lin Yuan was expressionless, "the older brother finished embezzling and then the younger brother continued. In the sa place. The provincial governnt said it didn't know when they were appointed, do you believe it?"
Chen Baisong shook his head: "I don't believe it, even if they don't belong to the sa clan, they should still check out their backgrounds if it was the sa surna."
Lin Yuan: "Now Hong Xiu is asking if the provincial governnt needs to be investigated."
"The provincial governnt..If you pull one thread, it will affect the rest. Even if you want to make a move, you must minimize the impact." Lin Yuan took a sip of warm water.
The attendant in the imperial kitchen brought in the beef noodles. Because it was a late-night snack, the portion was not large, but because it was in a large bowl, it would give people the illusion that they couldnt finish it, but the bowl was so shallow that just two bites and it was gone. Two slices of beef in sauce were placed on top, and little chopped green onions and green leafy vegetables garnished it, which made it look very appetizing.
Chen Baisong took a mouthful of noodles: "That troubleso?"
Lin Yuan nodded: "What is not troubleso if it's related to the governnt."
"Those two n surnad ng are nothing, just local officials. Although they embezzled a lot, but there is not much power in their hands, and just embezzled disaster relief money. Just have them beheaded and their hos seized and that's the end of it."
"It's mainly the provincial governnt..that they were so daring, the provincial governnt must have contributed greatly."
Chen Baisong heard Lin Yuan's voice and knew that Lin Yuan had murderous intentions, and asked, "Should I make a trip?"
Lin Yuan looked up at Chen Baisong: "You?"
Chen Baisong smiled and said: "What? I can't go? Young master thinks I'm useless?"
Lin Yuan frowned and said, "I originally wanted to have the princess's consort go."
The princess's consort was also part of the Lin family, and even if he had no ability, he could still take charge.
And he did not have the skill for doing this kind of thing originally, so it would lower the guards of the provincial governnt.
"Then escort the princess's consort to go there." Lin Yuan took a sip of noodle soup, "Keep the truth from the princess's consort, and only tell him that he is just going to greet the provincial governnt on behalf of the imperial family."
Chen Baisong chewed the beef: "Alright."
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