Back to the Beginning of Ming to do Charity

TN: bonus chapter?

As time went on, more and more minor officials gathered together, but most of these minor officials were formerly involved in embezzlement and bribery, and oppressing the people. And those who were truly incorruptible, most of them became marginalized people, wandering outside the collective, so at this time, of course, there was even less room for them to speak.

“It’s strange, most corrupt officials form cliques and parties, whether they are high-ranking officials or minor officials, so that they have greater voice and power.” Lin Yuan looked at the report in his hand, “but honest and clean officials, almost all of them are fighting alone, each acting independently. So for a long time, once the person above is incapable, the corrupt officials will be one step farther, while the honest officials will be in a more difficult situation."

Chen Baisong said: "The upright officials have integrity."

Lin Yuan sighed: "Sometimes this is called integrity, and sometimes it is called not being flexible."

Chen Baisong asked strangely: "Not being flexible?"

Lin Yuan shook his head and said: "If one day, I become greedy for pleasure, wantonly and recklessly use sycophantic and traitorous officials, what would you do?"

Chen Baisong: "…..Pledge my life to remonstrate?"

Lin Yuan: "That's upright, not loyal. I would doubt if you want to force me with your death. If I really listened to you, that would bring about your good reputation, while I would become known as an incapable ruler."

Chen Baisong then said: "Then I won't remonstrate, I'll just give whatever you want."

Lin Yuan: "Then you are a sycophantic official. The person above is incapable, and if the person below follows along, the country will become unstable. Will you be able to take upon this crime? When I turn back to the righteous path, you will undoubtedly die."

Chen Baisong: "….."

He had a look of exasperation.

Lin Yuan: "Go think some more by yourself."

Chen Baisong discovered that Lin Yuan was really not planning to answer this question, so he could only shut up and go ask Luo Ben later.

He really didn't know how to deal with smart people.

Just when Lin Yuan was talking with Chen Baisong, someone from outside came to report.

"That Sun Yunzhou and others have been taken into custody, and Hu Yu has also been put in jail, waiting to be questioned and executed according to the previous report."

The whole body of the soldier was trembling with excitement.

The person in the house was the South Bodhisattva, the live one! Could speak! Not a statue, but flesh and blood, the soldier almost couldn't breathe.

Sun Yunzhou was a big fish caught by the bait that was Hu Yu.

He became a county official when the Tian Wan regime was at its height, and he could attend court to discuss politics, as well as had his own circle of peers.

He also had a good reputation and was very generous with charity, and as a result, he was known as a good official among the common people.

He was one of the few officials who cared for the common people.

He came from a farming background, and he had followed Xu Shouhui since Xu Shouhui's uprising. He was not very well-known and could not be compared with Zou Pusheng and the others, but he still had a certain influence.

And he was very loyal to Xu Shouhui.

Many old subordinates who were loyal to Xu Shouhui also gathered around him.

After Lin Yuan checked Sun Yunzhou’s life and his political achievements, he had to admit that this man was a good official and also a talent. He had all the virtues that officials should have in this era. He had only one wife and one daughter. Even though his wife didn't become pregnant anymore during the past many years, he didn't have a concubine, or even any maids. He lived very harmoniously with his wife, and his love was the same as always. Towards his daughter he also brought her up with a boy's education.

He upheld this principle of integrity and fairness when he treated the common people as well, and even took out money from his salary to subsidize the people who had difficulties living. During famines, he also spent all of his family wealth to provide free porridge for the common people.

These were all reported by Lin Yuan's people, even visiting many of the common people under Sun Yunzhou's administration, all of whom had nothing but praises for him.

Lin Yuan looked over the report many times, frowning.

If this person was a corrupt official and wanted to oppose Lin Yuan for his own benefit, even if he was executed, Lin Yuan would not feel guilty or distressed.

But for such a good official, a principled, capable, and experienced official, Lin Yuan was reluctant to execute them.

As for the money he took to bribe Hu Yu, he obtained it through the sale of his own property and house. He took his wife and moved to a low shack in the cheapest area where the common people lived.

He said that he wanted to marry his daughter to Hu Yu, whether it was a legitimate daughter or a daughter of a concubine. Though this was all false. He believed that Hu Yu would not accept it, so he just used the opportunity to express sincerity.

Lin Yuan was a little curious. If Hu Yu really agreed, would Sun Yunzhou marry over his daughter and then adopt a few more daughters and say that they were daughters of concubines?

"Ignore him for a few days." Lin Yuan said to the soldier.

The soldier promised with an energetic spirit, and left with his head held high.

Lin Yuan watched Chen Baisong drinking tea and eating snacks, and felt that he was here exhausted to death, and couldn't even compare with Chen Baisong who knew how to enjoy life. So he also sat over. As soon as Chen Baisong picked up a cake to send it to his mouth, Lin Yuan's head moved over, opened his mouth, and swallowed the dessert in Chen Baisong's hand, catching Chen Baisong's fingers on the way.

Lin Yuan opened his mouth and Chen Baisong's fingers regained freedom.

"Take a tissue to wipe." Lin Yuan handed the coarse paper over. The papermaking process still could not produce delicate toilet paper, but coarse paper was fine. So Lin Yuan used these low-priced coarse paper as toilet paper.

Chen Baisong took the coarse paper, but did not wipe his fingers. Lin Yuan didn't care and ate as he spoke, "I would have brought Song Shizhao here if I knew earlier. Even if Song Shizhao can't come, Wu Changqing is also fine, lest I have to worry about everything by myself."

"By the way, didn't Song Shizhao's disciple come to Hanyang?" Lin Yuan finally remembered this, "Where did I leave him?"

Chen Baisong was really unfamiliar with civil officials. Even with Song Shizhao he did not have close contact with. Even Lin Yuan had forgotten the person, so Chen Baisong naturally couldn't remember.

Lin Yuan ordered: "Bring Yang Shaowei over."

The people waiting outside quickly agreed and went to find the person.

Yang Shaowei was now in the government office. He was in charge of the common people’s livelihood and pacifying the common people. Every day it was just trivial matters. However, when facing the common people, he couldn’t be impatient, couldn’t shout, couldn’t drive them out, as these would affect his future political achievements. If he didn’t do well, he wouldn’t be able to get promoted.

Yang Shaowei had a smile on his face all day long. In order to earn a good performance, he must muster up a chipper attitude, and even his face had gone stiff from the smiling.

But while his face was stiff, his body was tired, and his spirit was exhausted. Whether the South Bodhisattva had seen his performance or not, whether he knew him or not, he still had no idea at all.

What to do if he had suffered in vain?

Although he had performed excellently when under Song Shizhao, there were too many apprentices and disciples around Song Shizhao, and there was no place for him to show that he had any impressive position. The only thing that counted as his accomplishment was to bring Toqto’a over with Song Shizhao.

In addition to this, Yang Shaowei himself felt that he had not achieved much accomplishments at all.

"These are all sorted out." Yang Shaowei said to his subordinates, "make sure the clauses are clearly distinguished, don't mix them up, otherwise you will get what's coming to you."

Just when Yang Shaowei was about to start working, a soldier came over.

"Yang Gongzi." The soldier had a smiling face.

Yang Shaowei's heart started to beat fast. He had not been awarded an official position so his colleagues all called him the ambiguous Gongzi title. After so long, he didn't even get a position as a manager: "Is there something the matter?"

The soldier smiled and said: "It's happy news, the South Bodhisattva wants you to go over to see him."

Yang Shaowei was taken aback, his whole person was struck dumb and he could only stand there motionless.

"Follow me." The soldier walked ahead, "Don't let the South Bodhisattva wait."

Yang Shaowei reacted and said excitedly: "Please walk first, please walk first."

When Yang Shaowei left, the people under his hands began to whisper——

"Our boss is going to be promoted, right?"

"Then won't we be poultry and dogs rise to Heaven." (TN: Once one man gets a government position, all his cronies get in too)

"You're the one who's a chicken, you're the one who's a dog!"

"But I think it must be a good thing. If it is a bad thing, our boss would not be invited over, but be arrested directly."

"We actually also managed to wait for success."

"Then we have to do things even more carefully, lest the South Bodhisattva send someone to investigate. Only to see us in a mess, I'm afraid we will be demoted, let alone rise up the ranks."

"We don't even have an official position…..where else can we be demoted to?"

"Anyway, this is an opportunity, it all depends on the boss."

"Are you all willing to do these tasks for the rest of your life?"

Yang Shaowei stood in front of Lin Yuan. He lowered his head and did not dare to look directly at Lin Yuan's face.

He remembered the teachings of his teacher and understood the relationship between monarchs and ministers and the principles of how they interact peacefully.

A minister was a minister, even if he was the emperor's imperial teacher, he was still a minister.

One cannot forget who was the superior and who was the inferior for even a moment.

Lin Yuan: "Yang Shaowei?"

Yang Shaowei said solemnly: "Caomin is here."

Lin Yuan: "Raise your head and look at me."

Yang Shaowei raised his head.

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Younger than I thought."

Chen Baisong, who was next to him, glanced at Yang Shaowei.

Suddenly Yang Shaowei's legs felt a little soft, he swallowed, then lowered his head again, not daring to raise it again.

He could only stumble over his words: "Don't dare…..caomin don't dare….."

Lin Yuan laughed, don't dare to be young?

Yang Shaowei also found out that he had spoken mistakenly, and anxiously began sweating on his forehead.

Lin Yuan: "Young people, just don't know how steady they are when doing things."

Yang Shaowei took a deep breath: "If the South Bodhisattva has orders, caomin will do it for the South Bodhisattva even with my life on the line."

"Remember what you said." Lin Yuan smiled and said, "These are the life accomplishments of Sun Yunzhou."

He pointed to the booklet on the table: "I will give you ten days to convince Sun Yunzhou."

"If not, I can only send you back to Song Shizhao." Lin Yuan looked at him.

Yang Shaowei hurriedly knelt down: "If caomin fails, caomin will bring my head to see you."

Lin Yuan sometimes felt that these people didn't regard their lives with enough importance.

However, he still said: "You can go."

Yang Shaowei walked away in a daze.

Though he hadn't forgotten to take away the booklet.

If he succeeded, he would be awarded an official position, right?

His teacher was getting older, and maybe he would leave this world anytime. At that time, as his first disciple, and added to the fact that he also had political achievements to his name…..

Yang Shaowei had a dreamy smile on his face.

He devoted himself to South Bodhisattva, worked diligently and rushed to do everything that needed to be done, even if it was rough manual work, he didn't complain at all.

Wasn't it just to wait for the day he could amaze the world with a single brilliant feat, and then soar into the sky?

Even if he couldn't successfully persuade Sun Yunzhou in the end, even if his head would fall to the ground.

He also did not regret his gamble today.

AN: Yang Shaowei is an important character, and Song Shizhao has led a wolf into the house.