One disadvantage of dividing one city into two counties is that people like Lin Daguan, whose business involves the whole city, always have to go back and forth to the two county offices.
After discussing matters with Mr. Yuan at the Changzhou County Government Office in the east city, Lin Daguan had to go to the Wuxian County Government Office in the west city.
However, in Wu County, the process was much simpler. Lin Daguan did not go to see Deng County Magistrate, who could not deal with it, but went to Zuotang Guo County Magistrate.
He threw the account books and seals of the county's Jinongcang to Guo County Cheng, and directly ordered: "Start the project to build a new city gate, and collect corvees at the same time."
Guo Xian Cheng asked tentatively: "Have you reported it to Deng County Zun?"
Lin Daguan said arrogantly: "What the hell does it have to do with him?"
As a member of the officialdom, Guo Xiancheng still has to pay attention to his status. "He is the official magistrate of Wu County after all."
Lin Tailai said disdainfully: "Bah! He is so poisonous and still wants to take care of Wu County's affairs?"
Guo Xiancheng asked again: "Then the Wang family is willing to demolish Yi Laoyuan?"
Technically speaking, there is no difficulty in building a new city gate. The real difficulties are non-technical issues.
Official Lin replied casually: "I didn't ask you about it later, I guess I didn't want to."
Guo Xiancheng was speechless. That was an eighty-acre urban garden. The Wang family would definitely not be willing to demolish it!
In this optimal location, how can we build a city gate without settling the matter of the royal garden first?
Mr. Lin patted his chest and said confidently: "The mountain people have their own clever plans, Mr. Guo, please rest assured!
The city gate project will be started when it needs to be started, and it will be built as soon as it is built. Don’t worry about the future!
When have I, Lin Tailai, failed in the big things I set out to do?"
Guo Xiancheng confirmed: "In any case, the Wang family will be left to you to deal with. I will not be responsible for the Wang family!"
This is not because Prime Minister Guo is timid. If he was really timid, he would not have taken the risk and followed Lin Tailai in the first place.
But the Prime Minister of Guo County is self-aware. He knows that he, the Prime Minister of Zuo Erguan, simply cannot deal with the Wang family, one of the four major families in Wu County.
Lin Tailai nodded and agreed, "Okay! Just leave the Wang family to me!"
Although Lin Daguan has many shortcomings, he can still shoulder the responsibilities he has to shoulder.
Then I heard Lin Tailai: "The Wang family previously colluded with Zhang Siwei's minion, Magistrate Zhu, and now they are also Zhang Siwei's remaining poison."
Guo Xian Cheng: "."
This is the residual poison, and the other is the residual poison. Guo Xiancheng really wants to ask, in this city of Suzhou, does Zhang Siwei have too much residual poison?
In Shen Shixing's hometown, the people you characterized as Zhang Siwei's minions and residual poisons seem to be more accomplices than Shen Shixing's. Isn't it too weird?
Finally, Lin Tai said: "Anyway, I only have one request. The new city gate must be completed before New Year's Day! If the manpower is not enough, add more manpower!"
After leaving the Wuxian County Government Office, it was already getting late, so I went back to Sun Lianlian's house to rest.
The next day, Official Lin was going to the Inspectorate in the south of the city to see Governor Zhao.
Now that Zhang Siwei is dead and the situation has become clearer, it is time to guide the governor's work.
From Sun Lianlian's house in the north of the city, walk along Wolong Street to the south of the city, passing near Shen Mansion.
Originally, Mr. Lin had no intention of visiting the Shen Mansion today, but he heard the continuous sound of firecrackers.
So I turned a corner and walked outside the gate of Shen Mansion. I saw a cart of firecrackers pulled by the servants of Shen Mansion, and there were gongs and drums playing loudly, making it very lively.
Lin Tailai was speechless, what kind of character is Mr. Shen?
Even if Zhang Siwei's death is indeed good news, it shouldn't be celebrated with such blatant firecrackers, right?
This kind of political morality is indeed a bit corrupted and has seriously affected the reputation of the Update Society!
He casually grabbed a servant of the Shen Mansion, and Officer Lin asked: "Is your second master crazy? Have you lost your face?"
The servant almost went crazy, but after seeing clearly that it was Lin Daguan, he quickly explained:
"Don't get me wrong! Our second master didn't set off firecrackers for Zhang Siwei!"
Lin Tailai said dissatisfiedly: "What happy event can we have in the Shen family that is worthy of such an announcement? Could it be that Second Master Shen gave birth to several sons at the same time last night?"
The servant then explained: "News came from the capital that my master was summoned by the emperor alone for half an hour for questioning!
This is a grand event that has not happened in recent years, how can it not be worthy of celebration?"
Lin Tailai: "."
In other dynasties, it would have been a normal thing for ministers, especially prime ministers, to be personally summoned by the emperor.
But in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, being summoned by the emperor in private and having a few words with the emperor actually became a grand event worthy of crazy celebration.
If nothing else happens, this may be the last time Emperor Wanli summons his ministers to speak in private.
In the past few years after the liquidation of Zhang Juzheng, Emperor Wanli still wanted to pretend to be diligent in his duties. He was pushed to the limit and occasionally went to court as a formality. The ministers could still look at the emperor from a distance.
But in a few years, Emperor Wanli would stop going to court at all. He would isolate himself in the palace and have no contact with ministers at all, just like his grandfather, Emperor Chenghua.
Anyway, with such a legitimate excuse, Lin Daguan had no reason to stop Shen Er from celebrating.
On the way to the Procuratorate, the Zhang brothers sighed together: "Second Master Shen was so upright back then, but now he has learned to be yin and yang."
Even the Zhang family brothers could see that the Shen Mansion was beating gongs, drums and setting off firecrackers, clearly to celebrate Shen Shoufu being summoned by the emperor, but there was something else in mind.
When they arrived at the Governor's Office located in the southwest of the city, Lin Daguan was naturally treated as a special guest.
Lin Tailai took a few sips of tea, and then said: "Now that the backbone of the enemy camp has been broken, Futai can go to Shu to impeach Magistrate Zhu!
Suzhou Prefecture is the core of Jiangnan. If the prefect of Suzhou Prefecture uses this as a banner to establish his authority, who among the other prefectures in Jiangnan would dare to disobey?"
Zhao Zhigao asked shamelessly: "What is the reason for impeachment?"
Regarding the crime of arrogance, Lin Daguan was so professional that he spoke without thinking:
"Prefect Zhu has three major crimes! The first one is that he neglected his duties and caused a tax revolt throughout the government, which has not been completely quelled to this day.
Article 2: He arbitrarily deteriorated the ancestral system and forcibly took over the county agricultural warehouses, but mismanaged them, resulting in huge deficits in the two counties of Fucheng."
Hearing this, Zhao Zhigao temporarily interrupted Lin Tailai and said doubtfully: "It has been found that Jinong Warehouse has a deficit? Didn't you just get the seal of this year's account book yesterday?"
Lin Tailai said disapprovingly: "Isn't it easy to create a deficit? Even if there is no deficit, management problems will definitely be discovered!
The third charge is that the Minister of Transportation flattered Zhang Siwei, but took advantage of Siwei's power to disobey and act violently, which is known to the whole city!
That’s roughly it, you can make up the details yourself.”
Zhao Zhigao thought about it and found that he didn't need to add anything at all. He could just write the bullet according to Lin Tailai's wishes.
This is called, professional matters should be listened to by professionals?
Then Zhao Zhigao talked about other matters and said with a little worry: "I have been going to understand the situation in various places in the past few days. The progress of autumn grain collection in Suzhou Prefecture is quite slow."
In this season, the first important errand of the Jiangnan governor is to collect taxes. Nothing is more important than this.
Lin Tailaikuan explained: "In Suzhou and even the entire Jiangnan region, the most important grain shipments will be shipped after the spring of next year.
So as long as we gather them all before spring next year, it won’t be too late, so there’s no need to be too anxious now.”
Zhao Zhigao said with great pressure: "But the current progress of Suzhou Prefecture is indeed too slow, and we can't really delay it until next year."
Lin Tailai advised again: "While we were on the way, we had already submitted a petition to the imperial court to waive the arrears of Suzhou Prefecture for the past ten years.
When the imperial edict is issued to Suzhou, the people's grievances will be alleviated, and this year's tax collection will naturally be easier to handle!"
Lin Tai's words were still too vague, which made Zhao Zhigao feel uncertain. He asked inquiringly: "What can be done specifically?"
It’s not like Governor Zhao has never been a local official. He knows very well that even if there are good policies, they may not necessarily have a good effect at the grassroots level.
How to transform good policies issued from above into positive driving force at the grassroots level is what tests the foundation of local governance.
Lin Daguan still said without thinking: "Isn't this simple?
Even if the imperial court exempts Suzhou Prefecture from arrears for ten years, it is only an opinion in principle. How to implement it in detail does not depend on how you control Futai?
For example, if your tax payment performance is good this year, you will be exempted; if your tax payment performance is poor this year, you will not be exempted!"
Governor Zhao suddenly felt like the sun was clearing from the clouds, and he felt like he had a sudden enlightenment!
His psychological pressure has also been reduced a lot. As long as there is a solution, he is not afraid of problems.
After guiding the governor's work, Lin Daguan stood up and left.
Walking outside the Procuratorate again, Senior Official Lin thought about the experience of visiting four government offices in two days, and sighed:
To be continued...