Chapter 675: The sky is falling but there is a tall one
Zhang Jinyan started gambling.
In fact, based on his initial thoughts, he was snickering inwardly at Liu Chengzong's arrangement of putting him as Chief Secretary for experience.
Although his previous official position was no more than county magistrate, to be honest, it was hard for a young official with a Jinshi background to feel superior to a rebel regime like the Marshal's Mansion.
In this era, a thirty-one-year-old Jinshi with an excellent resume of four years as an official in two places and his parents do not need to think highly of himself. He is clearly a prime minister and everyone thinks highly of him.
Not to mention that he could endure loneliness in the Marshal's Mansion, which lacked high-end talents, but he could still endure it even if he was placed in the Ming Dynasty court.
After twenty years of training, this person will not be destroyed in party strife and war. If he is stable, he will definitely be able to enter the center of the imperial court.
The only opportunity that prompted him to jump to the Marshal's Mansion was that he felt that under this general environment, the court would most likely not be able to survive for another twenty years.
Therefore, I would rather come to the Marshal's Mansion and sit on the bench.
Planting trees and raising rabbits is not a worry at all in a deserted yamen with no one around.
It's first come, first served, just take a seat. Anyway, the local governance framework of the Marshal's Mansion will be set up soon, otherwise how can you govern the place?
Sooner or later you will need me.
But after Zhang Jinyan spent a month in the Chief Secretary's office in Shaanxi Province, he discovered that the name of the damn place Marshal's Mansion was indeed correct. Damn it, it was completely different from what he had imagined.
Their grassroots framework is a piece of shit. It has no system, is very barbaric, and is completely governed by people.
How outrageous can the Marshal's Mansion be?
Let’s just say that the newly established Longxi Road covers Pingliang and Gongchang prefectures. The garrison commander of this road is Wang Wenxiu, and his guerrilla general Yang Chengzu is responsible for garrisoning Jingning Prefecture.
The number of registered residents in Jingning Prefecture is 1,830; the number of garrison troops is 2,120.
There is no magistrate in this prefecture, and the highest official is a general magistrate named Ma Yuanli, who was the Secretary of the Li Yamen, the commander-in-chief of Zhang Xianzhong, the eighth king of Xiying, and the general marshal of the Yan'an Township Party.
Let’s just ask, how could he have more troops than civilians? How could Ma Yuanli, a grassroots general who was known for his toughness and good fighting skills, become the general magistrate in charge of grain transportation and water conservancy?
But it really worked. Ma Yuanli sent official documents every day, all of which planned how many acres of land the people would be allowed to reclaim, and how many canals were built with the help of guerrilla Yang Chengzu.
Even to build a canal, one had to go to Pingliang Mansion to borrow someone.
Or it was to report to the Monan Governor's Mansion which general's family had gone to reclaim land.
In fact, this is an official document that Zhang Jinyan can understand.
But in late November, the report from guerrilla Yang Chengzu was rather strange. He said that the farming season was slack and he wanted to bring the entire Jingning Prefecture people to Pingliang Prefecture to celebrate the New Year.
Zhang Jinyan thought to himself, this Yang Chengzu must not be chopped up by Liu Chengzong?
No.
Not only did he not, the generalissimo also greatly appreciated the idea and personally gave instructions to him to let King Su, who was a guest in Han Dynasty, take care of the food, and also urged King Su to report to the court and ask for Lumi.
King Su not only took care of the food, he actually sent a letter to Xi'an Prefecture to forward to the court.
When King Han of the Li Yamen saw the letter, he ordered the attendants who were from the Han clan clan on the spot and sent the letter to Hancheng.
A few days later, a reply from the court came.
Written by the Emperor, the words are carefully considered and the words are appropriate.
But it means that because of the fall of the vassal state, all the property outside the vassal state was confiscated, but Lumi still has to be given, and the court will not ignore it - you can ask the Chief Secretary of Shaanxi to ask for it.
The imperial power suddenly collapsed in Zhang Jinyan's eyes and shattered all over the ground.
But King Su immediately sent the official document asking for Lumi to the Li Yamen of the Marshal's Mansion, and the Li Yamen really took care of it.
Without saying a word, the King of Han distributed the Lumi to Hancheng County in Shaanxi Province.
Zhang Jinyan witnessed with his own eyes the behavior of these strongmen who treated state affairs as a child's play, and his whole spiritual world was greatly impacted.
It was not until that time that Zhang Jinyan truly realized the value of the words Marshal's Mansion.
This is a marshal's palace, and all power belongs to the warrior.
In their vast territory, they have no mature political or hierarchical framework at all, and everything is put into a military framework.
As the saying goes, the imperial power does not go down to the county level, which refers to the selection of officials in the Ming Dynasty, which only went down to the county level. The officials at the lower level of the township were elected by the local government.
As for the Marshal's Mansion, they are all Zhili Prefectures, Zhili Prefectures and Zhili Counties. The local chief officials basically have no official selection, and they all rely on Liu Chengzong's hand-picking.
There are even some places where the person in charge is simply a martial artist.
Because Liu Chengzong conquered all the prefectures and counties one by one, appointed one person conveniently, and established the government.
And regardless of whether Liu Chengzong appoints a scholar or a martial artist, once he reaches that position, he can really get things done.
If we say that Daming is an old machine that is bloated, complicated, worn out and does not run smoothly.
Then the Marshal's Mansion is a monster that relies on brute force and moves quickly but is deformed.
This set of things is outrageous, but Zhang Jinyan found that except for Xi'an Mansion, every other place had been plowed by soldiers, and it could really run.
Only Xi'an Prefecture did not experience a fierce battle. The old political structure existed widely and absorbed many demoted officials. On the contrary, it became the most laborious place and almost exhausted the newly promoted prefect Zhao Jichang to death.
It was this weird framework that made Zhang Jinyan realize that Liu Chengzong's appointment of him as Chief Secretary was really not to sharpen his spirit.
But the Marshal's Office really doesn't need the Chief Envoy of Shaanxi Province.
People don't save this thing.
Zhang Jinyan couldn't sit still anymore. He wanted to contribute to the Marshal's Mansion, so he quickly got into Liu Chengzong's eyes. It was best to stay in the center to help him attract more talents, and to appoint officials, chief ministers, and envoys.
The framework of prefectures, states, and counties was developed.
Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty may not be able to survive for twenty years, and the Marshal's Mansion will definitely not be able to survive for twenty years.
This thing has no flesh and blood, only bones. It relies entirely on Liu Chengzong's invincible prestige to manage a political power.
The burning soul fire supports the skeleton soldiers' actions.
Belongs to magic.
As long as you lose one game, all the bones in your body will fall apart.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Zhang Jinyan bid farewell to Liu Chengzong, asked his Qingjian student Wu Guoyong to temporarily take over the affairs, and went to Sanyuan alone to meet with the county magistrate Ye Ding.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Soon, news came from the Sanyuan County Government that the generalissimo wanted to appoint virtuous people, and he asked the enlightened gentry to enthusiastically recommend them and come to Xi'an to discuss important matters.
Liu Chengzong was unpopular among the people in these places, and the local gentry were disturbed by this news.
Many people panicked and ran to the outskirts of Sanyuan to visit Wang Zheng, or to the north city of Sanyuan to visit Jiao Yuanpu, hoping to find a backer.
But the two old men remained silent in the face of the gentry's expectation that they would make a decision.
At the Sanyuan County Yamen, Zhang Jinyan and Ye Ding exchanged cups and cups. Listening to the city officials' description of the situation between the two families, Zhang Jinyan laughed loudly, patted Ye Ding on the shoulder and said, "Brother, as long as they don't talk, This is half done!"
Although Ye Ding was really not used to being so close to him, it still inevitably gave rise to a feeling in his heart that he had found a good big brother and a confidant.
After all, he is in an awkward position in the Marshal's Mansion.
Although he had Liu Chengzong's instructions and care, he could not get in touch with the generals of the Shuaifu, and the Yulin officials and Xining scholars who could get in touch did not dare to get too close to him.
As for his adoptive father, Mo Yujing, Guang has six adopted sons, as well as other members of the clan, whom no one can care about.
Only Zhang Jinyan, who was demoted as a Jinshi, could not help but confide in him and teach him how to handle government affairs. After serving as an official, he even more enthusiastically invited him to join him when he encountered something where he could make meritorious deeds, which made Ye Ding very grateful.
Ye Ding, who was wrapped in a wolf fur and an official robe, still looked green on his face, was greatly puzzled by Zhang Jinyan's excitement, and asked doubtfully: "Brother Zhang, both of them are silent on this matter, is it a good thing? ?”
"My dear brother, I don't understand. Why are so many gentry looking for them at this time?"
Zhang Jinyan reached out and dipped some wine into the Yaoca wine bowl, drew a circle on the stone table, and said with a smile: "People here have become obsessed with rebelling against the commander-in-chief, so they rashly asked him to become an official..."
He raised his hand and tapped his face: "No one can lose face, and they are worried about the neighbors talking behind their backs, but the commander's office really suppresses it. The wise brother invites fifty soldiers and finds a rich house to ask people to serve. They can't stand it either." .”
"When the sky falls, there are tall people who can hold it up. Wang Zheng and Jiao Yuanpu are the tall ones."
Zhang Jinyan smiled and asked: "But my dear brother, guess, this tall guy, are they really willing to be tall?"
Ye Ding shook his head decisively: "I guess I don't want to."
During the Hehuang Incident, the chieftain of their Ye family was nothing. The tall and serious chieftain was the chieftain of the Li family, but Li Tianyu was able to fight vigorously under the racecourse city guarded by his father and uncle.
"Yes!"
Zhang Jinyan didn't know Ye Ding's past experience, but he really didn't expect this kid to be able to answer it.
Because usually, those who are taller often have to take the lead when things happen.
It has nothing to do with whether he wants to be tall or not. The environment and the crowd will put him there with no way out.
Zhang Jinyan picked up the wine bowl and took a sip, grinning and asked: "Have you seen these two tall men since you took charge of Sanyuan?"
Ye Ding shook his head: "Wang Zheng's son Wang Yongchun, Jiao Yuanpu's son Jiao Zhiya, and Jiao Zhixia have come to the county government."
"Wang Yongchun is talented in literature, and the Jiao brothers are also talented in both literature and martial arts. In the future, my worthy brother can also recommend him to the marshal."
Zhang Jinyan mentioned the juniors of the two families, and then talked about the elders of the two families. He first said: "As for Wang Zheng, I am very familiar with him. He strategized the art of war, created strange weapons, and founded the Renhui to provide disaster relief. It is only in vain that he will be depressed all his life." A frustrated old gentleman."
“Renhui is indeed effective in disaster relief.”
Ye Ding nodded in praise, but there was hesitation on his face, and asked: "But he must call me my lord. I am afraid that his evil views will make the commander unhappy. To be honest, I want to report this to the commander."
Zhang Jinyan's face was clear.
The Renhui founded by Wang Zheng was basically a relief organization that spread the teachings of Western Confucianism.
This can be regarded as the tradition of Sanyuan. In this place, because the social elite with officials as the outside and the gentry and the people as the inside is powerful, they play a very important role in local governance.
This model allows local forces to transcend the boundaries between the government and the people at certain times. However, this is not an act of transgression or contempt for imperial power. It is more like elite forces cooperating with the government to save themselves when society collapses.
This situation is very special in the whole world.
Because Shaanxi is dotted with guard posts and military towns, the military, political and civil affairs are dominated by the military, and the influence of political power is inherently weaker than in other provinces.
Only in the triangle area of Yaozhou, Qianzhou, and Tongzhou, where commerce is extremely developed, there is no military force.
When the military and political collapse occurs in Shaanxi, it means the end for other places.
The military and political forces in the triangle area are usually relatively small, and the civilian forces are always strong, which allows them to burst out with huge power when the government has no way to deal with the situation.
This power has helped the local area resist attacks by peasant armies many times, and it has also resisted drought and famine through civilian relief.
In this process, there is inevitably a personal touch.
Wang Zheng was proficient in Western learning, so Miyuan's militia had the ability to make their own red barbarian cannons; while Wang Zheng believed in Western Confucianism, Miyuan's Renhui was naturally tainted with the church's methods of persuading the people.
"Brother Fool thinks that Brother Xian doesn't need to take this as a big deal."
Zhang Jinyan shook his head and said sternly: "On the contrary, this is a good opportunity for good brothers to learn. It is the same for all Taoist sects among the people. If the government fails to fulfill its responsibilities, there will be monsters jumping out to fight for power and gain."
"As a wise brother, you are the head of a county and the parents of all people. Just watch what they do and imitate them. If they help the hungry people, you will also help them. If he sets up a pharmacy, you will incorporate it into a pharmacy to benefit the people. If he sets up a tomb, , you can incorporate them into the Luze Garden."
"It's great to give a few outstanding talents and exemptions, just to be exempted from the chores."
"He also wants to pray to God that as a parent, my good brother will save more effort and do everything he has to do, leaving him with no way out."
Zhang Jinyan didn't take this seriously at all. He was quite emotional and shook his head and said: "In the whole world, there is no greater power than the government. If there is, it must be the new government."
After that, he raised his hand and pointed to the east with a smile, and said: "Yesterday, there was a battalion of soldiers fighting the Beidou White Lotus Banner. They received the commander-in-chief's lucky money and led their troops eastward."
"The Generalissimo has many talented people under his command, and there are so many demons and ghosts, but Wang Zheng is the only one. Not to mention the inanimate old mother of the White Lotus Sect, who is much more violent than Wang Zheng's masters, and they are not obedient."
"If you do what he did well, you will be a worthy official who can make the villagers of Sanyuan build monuments and shrines for you; and if you fulfill his wish, Wang Zheng will naturally not be able to escape the hands of the commander-in-chief."
Regarding Ye Ding, Zhang Jinyan really did not hesitate to teach me.
His confidence as an official who had been in power for several years aroused Ye Ding's great admiration.
Ye Ding did not have such confidence, and couldn't help but asked happily: "If the king uses this method, what will Jiao Yuanpu do?"
"Jiao Yuanpu..."
Zhang Jinyan sighed with emotion and said: "I don't know him, but I know a thing or two about him. My dear brother only needs to do three things."
"First of all, this person likes to be a teacher, so a wise brother should just try his best to worship him as a teacher."
"The second is to ask your Majesty to go out and write a letter to Brigadier Zhang of Yan'an Prefecture and rescue a person from Yulin named Jiao Yuanqing. He is the younger brother of Jiao Yuanpu. He was exiled by the emperor last year."
"Third, when appropriate, submit a letter to the Generalissimo, please establish Guanzhong Academy. Remember, it must be this name. Guanzhong Academy is located to the east of Baoqing Temple in Xi'an City."
"When the time comes, Jiao Yuanpu will become an official."
Zhang Jinyan looked confident with a smile on his face. Guanzhong Academy was established by Feng Congwu, Jiao Yuanpu's teacher, and Jiao Yuanpu taught there for twelve years.
When Qiao Yingjia was in charge of Shaanxi, he destroyed the academy and threw the statue of Confucius enshrined in it into the pool in the corner of the city wall, which made Feng Congwu angry to death.
After Chongzhen ascended the throne, the academy was restored, but no one gave lectures, so it was renamed Feng Congwu Temple.
After the marshal's army entered the city, they seized many of them and turned them into warehouses where soldiers, armor, equipment, artillery shells and gunpowder were piled.
In his heart, Zhang Jinyan still hoped that Jiao Yuanpu could become an official, because he was indeed a good official, and he was also a good official who was frustrated in the Ming Dynasty.
His Datong governor resigned on his own initiative.
Because of the urgent military situation on the border, the shortage of military pay, successive years of severe disasters, and the hungry people scavenging horse manure for food, Jiao Yuanpu asked for tax exemptions and increased military pay, but the court ignored him.
So last year, he reported his own problems, retired and returned home.
"But before that, the good brother wants to release them and the generalissimo wants to reuse their information, but on the other hand, he must not send anyone to recruit them."
Zhang Jinyan told Ye Ding: "They are all being held hostage by the villagers and will never become officials, so we will start with merchants and wait until the cracks in people's hearts lead to a general trend, then recruit them at that time."
"Thank you, little brother, for your teaching!"
Ye Ding cupped his fists and saluted, and asked again: "Who do you think the younger brother should start with?"
"Local Gongsheng wealthy merchants Liang Xing and Sun Zhensheng are both salt merchants in the Chu region. Their families have a lot of business east of Tongguan. Most of them are jumping around in a hurry right now."
"There is also Jingyang, which is the gathering place for tea, tobacco and leather tanning in the northwest. It is also a major specialty in the Generalissimo's Mansion. It can also enable my worthy brother to make another contribution to the Generalissimo."
Zhang Jinyan happily patted Ye Ding on the shoulder: "After the matter is completed, dear brother, don't forget to say a few kind words for your brother to the generalissimo!"