Chapter 3372 Chapter 3574 [The Emperor Arrives]
All the concubines were very happy to be able to travel with Xiang Nan. After all, after living in the palace for a long time, no matter how beautiful the Forbidden City is, I still get tired of visiting it. Now it's great to be able to go out for a walk.
“Your Majesty, you see so many crops~”
“Your Majesty, look, is that a scalper?”
“Your Majesty, look, so many people are gathered there~”
They were chattering around Xiang Nan.
Xiang Nan is also happy for them to make noise, which is much better than being lifeless in the harem.
The train departs from Beijing and arrives at Xinzheng via Baozhou, the capital of Zhili Province, Zhengding, Xingzhou, Guangping, Yecheng, Tangyin and other counties and cities.
Driving all the way, Xiang Nan looked out and saw that the seedlings in the fields were very strong and the pedestrians were well dressed. Although not everyone wore silk and satin, the coarse cloth clothes were still quite complete.
Unlike the old photos from the Qing Dynasty, the people everywhere were extremely poor. The clothes on their bodies were not just patches, they couldn’t even be called clothes. They were just tatters and a ball of rags wrapped around their bodies. It was so desolate.
The most important thing is that he looks good, at least he should be able to eat well, and he does not look like a poor person who has been hungry all year round.
…
Arrived in Xinzheng, after the train stopped, Xiang Nan and nine elder brothers, princes and ministers, etc., led by local officials, went to visit the people.
“Do the villagers have enough food to eat? How much food can be produced per acre? How much food should be paid per year? Have they been bullied by the government or bullied by gangsters..." Xiang Nan asked the people.
The people who were questioned naturally said that there was enough food to eat, and the yield per mu was more than 1,000 yuan. Apart from the public grain and taxes, there were no other miscellaneous fees to pay. The government was also very honest and honest, and there were no gangsters or thieves. It was a good harvest. The population is prosperous, the houses are not closed at night, and the lost items are not picked up on the road.
Xiang Nan naturally smiled after hearing these words.
But he also knew that most of these people were arranged, but he could only pretend not to know.
Because the so-called emperor's private visits in disguise to punish corrupt officials and local bullies are inherently folk stories. In essence, it is still the same as "Master Qingtian", which can only treat the symptoms but not the root cause.
As a ruler, Xiang Nan wanted to create such a system, and he did so.
Since the Ministry of Supervision and the Ministry of Justice were separated from the Ministry of Punishment and became financially independent, the control over officials has become very strong. The best example is that the number of corrupt officials punished this year has more than tripled compared with previous years.
Not only officials such as county magistrates and district chiefs, but also officials in feudal frontiers will be impeached, and the crimes will be various. There are those who take bribes themselves, there are those who indulge their servants in misdeeds, there are those who are lazy and neglectful in government affairs... All in all, law enforcement is much stricter than before.
Moreover, Xiang Nan is also prepared to swap the two sides frequently. For example, an official in the Ministry of Supervision will be transferred to a local official after two years, and a local official will be transferred to a supervisory officer after two years, and they will be transferred to different jurisdictions.
As the saying goes, running water does not rot and door hinges do not suffer from beetles. Frequent movement of personnel can prevent them from colluding with each other and covering up each other. It can also prevent corruption within supervisory agencies.
…
There were quite a few wealthy gentry in Xinzheng. The high-walled courtyards they built were naturally incomparable to those of the Forbidden City, but they were still enough to host the emperor and his entourage for a temporary stay. Moreover, this is also a great honor for them. After all, if you can let the emperor stay for one night, you can also get the dragon's energy, right?
Xiang Nan refused, "I don't want to disturb the people too much during my southern tour. In my opinion, I will stay at an inn in the city."
Emperor Kangxi did like to stay in the mansions of gentry during his southern tour. For example, Cao Xueqin's family picked him up four times, which can be said to be a supreme favor. However, Cao Xueqin's family also owed a huge sum of nearly two million taels because of this.
Because the imperial court put all the expenses incurred by Kangxi during the stay of the Cao family on the Cao family's head. The Cao family seems to be infinitely favored, but in fact they have gained face, lost face, and lost money.
Xiang Nan didn’t want to be like Emperor Kangxi, who happily dumped his debts to others.
Furthermore, he didn’t want anyone to make trouble out of it.
If he lives in a gentry's home, there is no guarantee that the gentry will use his power to dominate the place and do whatever he wants in the future.
Just like Liu Ba Nu in "The Yongzheng Dynasty", because she had a plaque inscribed by Kangxi's royal pen, she dared to become the king and hegemon in Jiangxia Town, turning the entire Jiangxia Town into her own private property, just like a private kingdom. Even the Fourth Master and the Thirteenth Master, as princes, had to bear his grievances.
So Xiang Nan would rather stay in an inn. This way, after he leaves, he can still add some business to the inn.
…
“It would be too aggrieved for your Majesty, who is rich in gold, to live in an inn.” Upon hearing this, the local official frowned and said.
"There's nothing to be aggrieved about. When I was on the expedition, I slept in sandhouses, grasslands, snowfields, and barren graves. Is your inn in Xinzheng not as comfortable as the sandhouses and grasslands?" Xiang Nan waved his hand and said, "Let's talk about the exchanges. Traders all live in inns, and since the common people can live there, I can live there too, so don't bother me."
“Yes.” The magistrate could only nod.
Subsequently, Xiang Nan and his party arrived at the largest inn in Xinzheng.
The innkeeper had received the news and was overjoyed. He quickly drove away all the guests. Then he took his wife, children, waiter and his entourage to tidy up the room again, and even replaced the quilts and mattresses with new ones.
The guests who were driven away were quite dissatisfied at first, but when they heard that the emperor was going to stay here, they suddenly did not dare to say anything anymore. They all stood at the door of the inn, waiting and looking forward to seeing the emperor.
Several groups of soldiers arrived and surrounded the inn. Then they divided into two lines, one standing one step apart, to stop the people and make way for them.
After a while, I heard the sound of gongs, and then I saw soldiers approaching in formation under the sign of silence and avoidance. There were also soldiers holding long whips to clear the way and cracking the whips.
"Kneel down quickly, kneel down quickly, the emperor is here!" the soldier responsible for maintaining order immediately shouted.
When everyone heard this, they knelt down one after another and shouted long live.
Then a large group of people and horses were seen coming, and no one dared to raise their heads. They only saw hundreds of horse legs and dozens of carts passing by.
The nose smells waves of fragrant wind, which is extremely fragrant and heartbreaking. Peony, peony, rose, lily... no flower can have such a strange fragrance.
Someone couldn't help but be curious, and secretly turned around to take a glance, and saw that although there were many people riding horses, there was only one person riding a dark black horse. There was not a single hair on his body. He was tall and full of energy. It's like the dragon in the sky becomes ordinary.
The person on the horse is more eye-catching than the black horse. He is full of energy, graceful and noble, and cannot be looked at directly. He makes people feel ashamed at one glance and dare not take a second look.
(End of this chapter)