Han Dynasty Achievements

Chapter 202 Zhong Yao Educates His Son

Chapter 202: Zhong Yao's Teaching

When Zhong Ji heard this, his expression darkened and the corners of his face twitched, as if he was trying hard to suppress his anger.

But the officials of all ranks around him were filled with righteous indignation and started cursing at the same time.

"I see that Chen Gong is obviously looking for trouble!"

"Prime Minister Zhao has already gone to persuade him personally, but why did Chen Gong still go on this trip? What is his intention?!"

"There are tens of thousands of disaster victims in Henan. Is he going to watch them starve to death?"

"I think this Chen Gong is just a man seeking fame and reputation. This time, he must be trying to step on our Henan Yin to get to the top!"

Zhong Ji's face was as gloomy as water. He listened to their discussions and shouted, "Enough!"

Zhong Ji glanced at the crowd, turned around and strode away, saying, "If he wants to come, he can come. Don't move around. Treat him well!"

How could the crowd bear this? They chased after him and said, "Zhong Yin, Chen Gong has bad intentions. We cannot give in."

"Yes, if he forcibly stops it, tens of thousands of victims will have no means of livelihood, and it will be a big disaster!"

"Zhong Yin, at least we should take some precautions, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes. At least we have to find him first. Otherwise, if he does whatever he wants, who knows how many victims will starve to death..."

Zhong Ji turned a deaf ear and walked like a dragon and a tiger.

At this time, Chen Gong, whom they were talking about, followed the officials from the Household Department to an inn.

Chen Gong wandered outside for a while, quietly went upstairs, and gently knocked on a door.

Zhong Yu, the Right Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, opened the door and was startled to see Chen Gong. He asked, "Mr. Chen?"

Chen Gong glanced around and raised his hand cautiously, "Mr. Zhong, I have something to ask you."

Zhong Yu seemed to understand something, so he stepped aside and waited for Chen Gong to come in. He stuck his head out to look around, and when he saw that there was no one there, he closed the door.

The two of them sat down, without any other politeness, Zhong Yu asked: "Is County Magistrate Chen here for the five thousand dan of grain?"

Chen Gong said solemnly, "Yes. The governor of Henan impeached me, so I had to make this trip."

Zhong Yu looked at him with hesitation, and said, "It's not a secret. Magistrate Chen will know it sooner or later. There is indeed a shortage of 5,000 shi in the warehouse, and it is also true that it was used to provide relief to the victims."

Chen Gong knew all of this. He frowned and asked in confusion, "Why use this method? The Henan Yin can do it openly and aboveboard?"

Zhong Yu said: "We have asked all these questions. The officials of Henan Yin all said that the disaster was severe and they were worried that the court would stop them, so they took this bad measure. As for impeaching County Magistrate Chen, it was because he refused to open the warehouse to release grain, which made them dissatisfied."

Chen Gong thought about it carefully and said, "Did the Household Department believe it?"

Zhong Yu laughed and said, "County Magistrate Chen, it is unnecessary to ask these questions. The governor of Henan did not embezzle the autumn grain and made contributions in providing relief to the victims. If this matter is reported to the higher authorities, they will probably just give a slight reprimand and leave it alone."

Zhongji opened the granaries to release grain, which solidified his reputation as a "benevolent and people-oriented" official. If the court dealt with it harshly, how would the victims feel? How would the officials who were dedicated to the people deal with it?

Chen Gong took a deep breath, looked at Zhong Yu and said, "To be honest with you, Mr. Zhong, I think this matter is quite strange."

Zhong Yu thought for a moment and said, "County Magistrate Chen, as far as the Household Department is concerned, there is no doubt."

Chen Gong had a solemn expression. Although the Household Official had no doubts, he had even more doubts in his heart.

Zhong Ji's actions are too strange!

He was impeached for misappropriating autumn grain for disaster relief. Instead of apologizing, he deliberately delayed the matter, as if he had a reasonable excuse for everything, but there was always a layer between them, as if he was hiding something.

Zhong Yu put his hands on his knees and waited for a while. Seeing that Chen Gong still didn't speak, he tried to persuade him: "Mr. Chen, although we have no friendship, I still want to advise you that peace is the most important thing. It will be good for the court, Zhong Yin and you if this matter is resolved as soon as possible. If it is expanded recklessly, it will embarrass the court and damage the reputation of His Majesty."

Misappropriation of autumn grain is a serious crime and the offender shall be executed according to the law.

But if it was for "relief of disaster victims", that would be another matter. Not only could the court not blame him, it should also reward him.

Chen Gong suppressed his confusion, nodded slightly, raised his hand and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhong."

Zhong Yu clearly felt that Chen Gong still didn't believe it. He paused, moved closer, and whispered, "The Censorate is already preparing to close the case and submit it."

Chen Gong's expression changed and he asked, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

According to court practice, such a major case would not have a conclusion within three to five months.

How many days has it been?

Zhong Yu was the son of Zhong Yao and was in the Household Department. He had a clear understanding of the court's major policies. He sat back and said with a smile, "Mr. Chen, the autumn grain issue is the top priority of the court. The day before yesterday, the prince went to Yanzhou, yesterday the prime minister inspected Sili, and today, Minister Xun of the Household Department went to Bingzhou."

Chen Gong paused. He was certainly not worthy of knowing such things.

After pondering silently, he said, "Then, how will the court deal with the matter of Henan Yin?"

Zhong Yu shook his head, pointed to the sky, and said, "That is something that the court, or even your majesty, can decide."

Chen Gong was uneasy, but he took a deep breath and raised his hand, saying, "If Zhong Yin really has no regrets, I will not pursue him. Thank you, Mr. Zhong. I will definitely hold a banquet for you after I return to Beijing."

Zhong Yao smiled and returned the greeting, saying, "Mr. Chen is too polite."

Compared with his father Zhong Yao who is serious and cautious, Zhong Yu is more open to making friends, making it easier for others and himself.

After Chen Gong left the inn, he felt that something was not right and started to investigate secretly.

He did not return to Luoyang, but disguised himself again and sneaked into some places where disaster victims gathered.

In the evening, porridge was distributed under various sheds. Not only porridge but also bread was provided, and the food was served until full.

Chen Gong went to five places and ate seven meals, and his stomach was a little bloated.

Holding a bowl of porridge, he walked out of the disaster area with his staff who had rushed over. He had a strange expression on his face and his brows were furrowed.

The staff member standing by said doubtfully, "Didn't Mr. Dong verify that the governor of Henan Province is indeed releasing grain to help the victims? In the past few days, the total amount has reached 1,000 to 2,000 dan. In another ten days or half a month, 5,000 dan may not be enough. It's not that Zhong Ji and the others are embezzling."

Chen Gong's brows were knitted together, his eyes were calm, and he said, "I always feel that something is wrong. I seem to have thought of it just now, but now I can't remember it."

The staff looked at him, confused.

After a long while, Chen Gong sighed and said, "Forget it, let's go back."

No matter what, the victims benefited from this incident, saving countless lives. Even if Zhong Ji had some selfish motives, his merits outweighed his faults.

……

Before Chen Gong returned to Luoyang, Zhong Yu and other household officials arrived first.

Zhong Yu reported everything to the Household Department. When he returned to the mansion that night, before he even entered the house, a servant came up to him and whispered, "Third Young Master, the master wants to see you."

As Zhong Yu walked, he asked, "Father is back so early?"

The Supreme Court was very busy, and Zhong Yao usually left early and came back late, and was rarely at home. The father and son had not seen each other for about a month.

The servant responded and led Zhong Yu to the backyard.

In the side hall of the backyard, Zhong Yao was writing something. Under the light, his profile looked solemn.

"I've met my father." Zhong Yu knew his father's disposition, took a calm breath, and raised his hand.

Zhong Yao put down his pen and said, "Sit down."

Zhong Yu no longer had the cheerful and talkative manner he had in front of Chen Gong, and tried his best to remain calm and serious.

Zhong Yao closed the document on the table and said, "What do you think of the trip to Henan County?"

Zhong Yu knew that the test was coming, and he was nervous. He thought quickly and said, "Father, although Zhong Ji's behavior was inappropriate, his intentions were upright. I think he should be punished lightly and warned severely."

Zhong Yao remained calm and said, "I'm asking you, have you noticed anything else?"

Zhong Yu's mind suddenly tensed up and his heart was spinning rapidly.

His father said this, so it must be that something unusual is going on and there must be something hidden.

Zhong Yu thought for a long time, but still had no idea, so he raised his hand and said, "Father, please teach me."

Zhong Yao was not angry. He thought his son was smart and intelligent, without any dandy habits. Overall, he was satisfied with him.

Reaching out his hand and pushing the teacup in front of him towards Zhong Yu, Zhong Yao said: "First, Zhong Ji had a good intention, why did he write a letter to impeach Chen Gong? Second, there was no action beforehand, and no report afterwards. Third, I have never seen such generous relief, the victims ate better than us. Fourth, the Yin family in Henan has always been kind and generous, but this time, I didn't see a single person."

Zhong Yu looked at Zhong Yao with a stiff face. He felt a chill in his heart and his whole body.

His father's four questions hit the nail on the head!

Why impeach Chen Gong?

Even if they wanted to provide disaster relief, why didn't they report it to the court in advance? Not even a single report was submitted! ?

Zhong Yu had also been to those disaster relief sites. He didn't think there was a problem at first, but now he thinks there is a big problem!

Similarly, why is it that only the government is providing relief? The noble families have always tried to gain a reputation for being benevolent at times like this, so it shouldn't be that there is not a single one to be seen, right?

Zhong Yu quickly calmed down and said with a calm breath, "Father, this is a sinister act of stealing autumn grain to gain fame and reputation. This is an unforgivable crime!"

Zhong Yao pushed his teacup again and said, "How do you think this matter will develop? How should it be handled?"

Zhong Yugang picked up the teacup, then quickly put it down. After thinking for a while, he said, "The Censorate should investigate and punish severely."

Zhong Yao looked at him and asked, "Can you find evidence?"

Zhong Yu was stunned, thought about it carefully again and again, and then remained silent.

He found it really hard to find evidence!

Zhong Yu now understood Zhong Ji's trick, using the relief money and grain donated by the aristocratic families as the 5,000 dan of grain. Not only did he embezzle the 5,000 dan of autumn grain, but he also earned a good reputation as an official who "speaks for the people" and "does not hesitate to sacrifice himself."

The disaster relief work has not yet ended. If we arrest Zhong Ji now, there is no evidence at all. He can easily make excuses by saying that the disaster relief work has not yet ended, and the donations from the aristocratic families and the 5,000 shi of autumn grain are far from enough.

He is not corrupt!

And once the disaster relief is over, there will be no way to verify it.

As Zhong Yu thought about it, his expression became serious.

If Zhong Ji were allowed to escape and others followed suit, the imperial court's grain tax would be further eroded and completely embezzled!

But this matter is very tricky. Zhong Ji is now very famous, and there is no way to touch him without evidence.

Zhong Yu thought about it, but there was still no good solution, so he raised his hand and said, "I also ask father to enlighten me."

Zhong Yao smiled, which was rare for him, and said, "The imperial court is an upright place, but it is also the most filthy place in the world. There are many people like Zhong Ji, and there will be more in the future. People like him will either fail halfway or become great traitors. Tomorrow when you go to the Ministry of Revenue, don't say too much and let things continue to ferment."

Asking for a monthly ticket~