There was silence in the back hall.

Su Yan picked up the tea bowl and drank tea.

Soon, Su Yan's henchman 'let the master' take the submission to Lin Yanchao and said: "This is the submission, and Guan He Tongzhi signed the signing order at that time. ”

Lin Yanchao said to Su Yan: "Futai, then the official will see it." ”

Su Yan had the trend of 'this mansion is honest and honest, and he is not afraid of your investigation' and said: "Sima just look." ”

Lin Yanchao knew that there was nothing to be seen in such a submission, but he still picked up the document and looked at it line by line.

Su Yan's submission was drafted very carefully, and he couldn't catch the slightest loophole, putting all the blame on the previous Guan He Tongzhi.

On the side, the master explained: "Two years ago, the construction of the embankment was repeatedly hit by hailstorms, which injured countless people and delayed the construction period. After that, the autumn news was coming, and the river yamen was urging again, so the government had to order the river to be built in a hurry. At the beginning, Futai repeatedly asked whether the construction period was too urgent and needed to send more manpower, but at that time, Guan Hetong swore to guarantee to the Futai people. ”

"Sima, this is all the official document he signed at that time, and the Lord of Futai believed his words at that time, but I don't know that it will be less than two years......"

Shang Yu on the side sentenced Wu Tong and said: "You can't blame the river for everything, this time the Yellow River flood is also a number of days." ”

"At that time, the river yamen supervised the construction of the embankment, and after the embankment was built, it was first inspected by the feudal division and then by the river platform, and the two yamen did not say anything, so they knew that they encountered the great flood that has not been encountered in a hundred years this year."

Zhou Tongju, the judge of grain capture, also said: "Sima, you are in Beijing, I don't know how big the Yellow River is this year, it's just appalling. ”

Lin Yanchao said with relief after hearing this: "Ben Cheng understands the inside story, and it seems that this time is indeed a disaster. ”

Let the master say: "Several adults are sitting upright, and there is nothing wrong in this matter." It's just a rumor that they are trying to splash dirty water. You are also the prefect of Taida, you have always been upright and strict, and it is inevitable that there will be villains who are slandered in the back. ”

Lin Yanchao said: "Let the master not misunderstand, Ben Cheng didn't hear any rumors." It's just that the lower officials are returning to Germany as officials, and they can't ignore the matter of breaking the embankment. ”

Everyone thought to themselves that it was right, the embankment of Guide Mansion was broken, and so many states and counties in the lower reaches of the Yellow River were flooded, even the emperor was shocked by such a thing, Lin Yanchao, as a fellow governor of the government, did not ask a word after taking office, which is unreasonable.

Lin Yanchao took a sip of tea and said, "In case the upper authorities ask me about it, brother, I can also defend a few adults here." ”

Hearing this, several people's expressions were stunned, and their bodies involuntarily leaned forward.

Zhou Tongjuan couldn't help but lower his voice and asked, "Dare to ask Sima, dare to ask which adult you mean by 'above'?" ”

Lin Yanchao smiled but did not answer.

Zhou Tongju laughed dryly and said, "Brother, I'm presumptuous. ”

You must know that Lin Yanchao is from Beijing, and any elder or scholar in Beijing may be Lin Yanchao's backer. No one knows how deep Lin Yanchao's background is, and it is very taboo to inquire rashly in the officialdom.

Instead, Su Yan said: "Sima is the protégé of Shenwu County!" ”

Lin Yanchao said respectfully: "Yes." ”

Su Yan nodded and said, "Although this mansion is from Wuxi, it is also half of the same township as Shenwu County. ”

Lin Yanchao said: "In this way, when Uncle Gu (Xiancheng) was uncle, Futai was also familiar with each other. ”

Su Yan said with a smile on his face: "The rising star of my hometown, how can this mansion not know." ”

climbed the relationship, and the two got closer.

He Tongju, who had been silent, asked: "Sima can know the loyal uncle of the King of Shanyin (Jiaping) in Beijing. ”

Lin Yanchao said: "That is when Ben Cheng was in the Hanlin Academy, he was the same as the living officer. Why don't you get to know Uncle Zhong? ”

He Tong said with a smile: "Wang Zhongbo is just the same year, and he is also a fellow villager. ”

Listening to the dialogue between Lin Yanchao, Su Yan, and He Tongju, Wu Tongju, Zhou Tongju, and Tuiguan couldn't say a word.

Because they are not from the two lists, although they are all colleagues, they can't talk about such a topic. After that, several people talked about the scenery when they were nominated for the 'Gold List', and the three of them couldn't interject and could only retire.

In officialdom, the level of official position can be divided into a circle, and no matter how born you are, you can also divide it into a circle.

There was nothing to say that night, and the next day Lin Yanchao gave the seal letter, which was officially inaugurated. The evening reception banquet is very grand, so I won't repeat it.

On this day, Lin Yanchao talked to Su Yan in the main hall.

At this time, a patrol officer hurriedly rushed into the lobby and said to Su Yan: "Lord Futai, there are hungry people who have made trouble, smashed the porridge factory in the east of the city, and arrested all the officials of the porridge factory as hostages. ”

Su Yan's face turned pale, and he said coldly: "The hungry people are making trouble, and as a patrol and suppression, what are you crying about coming here to cry with this mansion." ”

The patrol prostrated and said, "Yes, this is the way to go." ”

After the patrol left with a crawl, Su Yan was angry, he was a person with a good face, Lin Yanchao had just arrived and something so big happened, which made his face a little unbearable.

Su Yan said: "Sima An, sit down, go back to this mansion." ”

Lin Yanchao got up and said, "Xiaguan is willing to go with Futai." ”

Su Yan glanced at Lin Yanchao appreciatively and said: "The customs of the people under the rule of this mansion are very bad, and this thing close to the people is not as romantic as the poetry and books when my brother was in the Hanlin Academy. ”

Lin Yanchao said: "I have heard that Futai has a good way to govern it, and the lower officials are also going to learn one or two. ”

When Su Yan nodded and walked out of the mansion with Lin Yanchao, a team of officers and soldiers had been transferred outside, and the servant brought a horse to Su Yan. Su Yan, who was in his forties, lifted his feet and got on the horse, and he did it in one go.

Lin Yanchao was surprised that most of the civil officials in the Ming Dynasty were powerless, and they traveled in sedan chairs and carriages, and few could ride horses. Su Yan was born as a jinshi, and he can actually ride a horse, which is really rare.

The two of them, Zhou and Liu, were sentenced, and let the master and others go to the east gate together.

The land was on the edge of a river beach, and now that the disturbance was over, Lin Yanchao followed behind Su Yan, but saw two or three hundred ordinary people being guarded by officers and soldiers, most of these people were old and weak, women and children, crying helplessly under the eyes of the officers and soldiers like wolves and tigers.

There were also fifty or sixty young men who were naked, tied up with flowers, and kneeling on the river beach. Most of these people have red and swollen faces, deep-set eye sockets, and their bodies under tattered clothes are thin and dry.

The official on the side shouted: "What are you crying about?" Lord Futai is here, don't you kneel quickly! ”

The two or three hundred old and weak women and children over there all knelt down and kowtowed to Su Yan, who was wearing a scarlet robe, and then shouted that they were wronged.

Su Yan ignored it, and the government officials on the side moved three rectangular benches from the smashed porridge shop and placed them on the high ground of the river beach.

Su Yan, Lin Yanchao, and Zhou Tong were sentenced to take their seats, and Wu Tong was sentenced, so that the master simply stood aside without a seat.

The people below shouted injustice, but Su Yan sat down unhurriedly, and then said in a deep voice: "Have you waited for enough shouting?" ”

Su Yan said a word, and the river beach was silent.

"What's the grievance? Come on! Su Yan ordered a big man who was tied up with five flowers and had an honest face.

Seeing Su Yan wearing a scarlet official robe and the other officials trembling in front of him, the big man was very frightened in his heart, and he trembled so much that he couldn't speak.

"Is there anyone else who can speak?" Su Yan was dissatisfied.

The people look at me, I look at you, then pushed an old man and said: "Master Futai, the grass people and others are all Bo family collectors, this year after the flood, there is no one in the whole house, although the grass people escaped with their lives, but the daughter and son-in-law's family were washed away, leaving me with a bad old man alone, the crops in the field were also flooded, and there was not a grain of rice left......"

The official on the side urged: "If these things don't matter, don't be verbose." ”

The old man wiped away his tears and kowtowed, "Yes, the grass people are verbose. Master Futai, this porridge shop is a gift from the imperial court, but what kind of porridge do you think this soup gets? Tree bark and grass roots are just that, and stones, sand, and glutinous rice soil are also eaten by people? The villain stood in the cold wind for a day, and waited until he was exhausted, and he received a bowl of porridge, but the rice in the porridge, the grass people counted it, and even ten grains...... Not even ten grains of rice. ”

"The grass people and others really have no choice, they can't live anymore."

Su Yan heard the words and said, "Bring the porridge pot!" ”

Two officers and soldiers brought the porridge pot from the porridge factory.

At first glance, this porridge pot looked very heavy for the officers and soldiers, but when it was placed in front of him, Lin Yanchao took a look, but there was no clear soup and little water in the vat, and the porridge and rice were nowhere to go.

The servant on the side picked up a spoon and stirred it into the porridge pot, but nothing came out.

Su Yan got up, took the spoon himself, and fished out a full spoonful of 'real thing' in the bottom of the porridge pot. But I saw that in addition to the sand in the spoon, the bark and grass roots, and the yellow rice was less than half a spoonful.

"Where is the porridge factory clerk?"

Seven officials with blue noses and swollen faces knelt in front of Su Yan in a row.

Of the seven people, six were wearing soap-colored scarves and white crewneck shirts, and only one was wearing a scarf with hooded wings and a green shirt.

Those who wear white shirts are all white laborers, and today they are 'temporary workers' who repeatedly take the blame for others.

Those wearing green shirts are the scribes, that is, those who have 'establishments'.

"Which yamen's history are you?" Su Yan asked.

The green-shirted official kowtowed and said: "If you go back to the old man of Futai, the villain Sun Youzhong has been a small official in the household house of Shangqiu County for seventeen years. ”

"Seventeen years, I am also an old man in the yamen, when I know what will happen to the corruption of the court's disaster relief food, I dare to know the law and break the law?"

The green-shirted official sweated and said, "Master Futai, the villain is wronged." Although the villain is just a small official, he is also a believer in King Cang, the son of Prince Xiao, and knows what conscience is. ”

"This mixing sand and soil into the disaster relief grain is a common practice of the imperial court. If it is really clean white rice, how can it enter the mouths of the hungry people? The villain is really not corrupt, please be aware of it. ”

The implication of this official is that if the relief grain is all white rice, then every time the official handles it, it will be withheld, and how much will be left in the hands of the victims?

Even if these two or three percent, it will be at the porridge factory. But the porridge factory gives free porridge, and everyone wants to come and eat.

However, with limited food for disaster relief, how can officials tell which is the hungry and which is not? If we don't treat everyone equally, then the relief food will bottom out immediately. Therefore, some local officials have come up with a way to mix sand into the relief grain. Where do the real hungry people care if you have sand in your porridge, and if you have food to eat, you can just starve to death, so that you can screen out people who are not hungry and come to eat and drink.

That being said, in the end, the rules have become the rhetoric of low-level officials who justifiably embezzle disaster relief food.

Su Yan nodded and said, "It seems that you are still doing things." ”

The green-shirted official kowtowed and said: "For the imperial court, the villain does not dare to be sloppy." ”

Su Yan said, "Bring a pair of chopsticks to this mansion!" ”

When the green-shirted officials and white servants heard this, their faces changed drastically, and they all said: "Master Futai spares his life, spare his life!" ”

Su Yan ignored it, and the government officials took a pair of chopsticks from the people.

Su Yan held the chopsticks in his hand, and then threw them into the porridge pot, but when he saw the chopsticks pop, he easily plunged into the 'porridge', and then floated on the 'porridge'.

The officials and others were all pale as dirt.

Su Yan sneered: "I don't care how much sand and gravel you mix. But how did the government communicate with your county honorable people a few days ago? Porridge factory soup kitchen, chopsticks shall prevail. ”

"Chopsticks float and heads fall to the ground!"

Hearing the word "landing", all the officials collapsed and cried: "Master Futai spare his life, spare his life!" I won't dare next time, I won't dare. ”

A sharp-eyed person saw Shangqiu Zhixian rushing here, and immediately said: "Lord County, save me, remember our hard work for many years of service, please spare my life!" ”

When Lu Qianjian, the magistrate of Shangqiu County, heard that there was an accident in the porridge factory under his rule, he was already a step too slow to arrive. Although Lu Qianjian is a magistrate, he is a five-year jinshi of Wanli and a protégé of Zhang Siwei.

When Lu Qianjian saw this official who was about to be killed, he thought that this person had served him for many years, and he liked him very much, and he also knew that Su Yan was a very difficult person to talk to, but only by protecting him hard, otherwise he would not even be able to keep his henchmen, and his prestige in the county government would be completely lost.

Lu Qianjian knelt down and kowtowed to Su Yan. There is a rule in officialdom that avoids horses every other and kneels every third grade

Lu Qianjian and Su Yan were exactly three grades apart.

Lu Qianjian said to Su Yan: "Lord Futai, this person embezzled disaster relief food, and he deserved to die for this crime. But please remember that he has been in the county government for many years, perform meritorious service, allow him to redeem his merits, leave this dog's life for the time being, and dismiss him as a official. ”

Su Yan listened and said: "Lu Zhixian, you are under the rule of the porridge factory, and the government has not yet held you accountable. You plead for your subordinates, but you have beggled the relief food? ”

Lu Qianjian was so frightened that he was covered in sweat and immediately said: "The lower officials will never dare to have such a heart, Your Majesty personally decreed, and the Lord Futai issued three orders and five times, and the officials were not allowed to be greedy for disaster relief food, otherwise they would all be dismissed and questioned, how could the lower officials not know." I'm just begging Lord Futai, for the sake of the thin noodles......"

Su Yan interrupted: "Lu Zhixian, if you know the royal law, don't ask for your subordinates." This mansion killed him to protect you, otherwise Lord Futai will be investigated, how can you let this mansion speak for you? ”

Lu Qianjian scolded from the bottom of his heart, what is the misfortune of three lives, the county is attached to Guo, he has been the county commander in the past five years, I don't know how much Su Yan has suffered, and today he has added another one.

Lu Qianjian didn't dare to say any more, so he could only retreat and say, "Yes, Lord Futai." ”

As for the other government officials, they did not dare to come forward to intercede on behalf of these officials.

After that, these seven people were dragged down and directly killed with a cane.

Those present heard several people screaming until they were silent, and finally saw only the sound of pounding on the chopping board.

Despite this, Su Yan still did not make a sound, where did the official dare to stop, and everyone only saw the ups and downs of the board.

"Alright, call their family to pick it up." Su Yan said, and immediately got up and came to the horse.

When Zandao was about to shout 'Lord Futai returns to the house', Su Yan glanced at the fifty or sixty young and strong people who were escorted on the river beach, and then ordered: "These Diao people will all show their heads to the public!" ”

When Lin Yanchao heard this, his face couldn't help but change.