GBP Chapter 535 really hit the nail on the head!
Chapter 535 really hit the nail on the head!
As the saying goes, "If you're willing to risk your life, you can even bring down the emperor."
Since they were going to be exiled to Dengzhou to do hard labor anyway, and even their relatives would not escape the same fate, and they saw that there was no hope for their lives, why not give old Deng a good scolding?
I need to vent my anger before I can work in peace!
Seeing the resentful looks in Huo Lingyue and Pang Zhen's eyes, Yang Shaofeng continued to set traps for the two: "Just say whatever you want to say. Our Emperor is not the kind of emperor who cannot accept advice. As long as what you say makes sense, His Majesty will definitely be willing to listen."
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, Huo Lingyue closed his eyes, but Pang Zhen ignored him and shouted, "Your Majesty! This humble subject may have been lazy, but this humble subject did not collude with Hu Dechang and the others. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy!"
Emperor Zhu glanced coldly at Pang Zhen and asked, "I'm asking you, what did the Ministry of Personnel send you to Yexian as magistrate for?"
"The county magistrate is supposed to be a people-friendly official, so how exactly have you managed to be so?"
"Getting a bit lazy?"
"If you can make people live a better life, even if it's just a little bit better, we might be able to tolerate it."
"But after you took office, you indulged in a life of debauchery, disregarded the livelihoods of the people, and allowed Hu Dechang and others to prey on the local people. We absolutely cannot tolerate you!"
Pang Zhen slumped to the ground like a dead fish with its bones removed, but his eyes were fixed on Yang Shaofeng: "What about him!"
"I was merely lazy in my duties, but Yang the Madman deceived the emperor and fabricated stories about Your Majesty stealing cattle and begging when you were still a prince. Isn't that his crime?"
Emperor Zhu immediately perked up.
Yes, that's how you should curse, well done!
This bastard has made fun of us more than once or twice, but you've really hit the nail on the head!
"This humble subject has heard that Yang the Madman never goes to the yamen to report for duty. He always goes out with maids and a reclining chair, and even his tea set costs several thousand strings of cash!"
That's right, this bastard never went to the yamen to report for duty, and he even dared to secretly sleep against the dragon pillar during the grand court assembly.
It's true that he took maids and tea sets with him when he went out. We even heard that once this scoundrel forgot his tea set, and the villagers of Liumiao Village ran back to the county government to get it for him.
"I have also heard that Yang the Madman not only beats and scolds the people at every turn and exploits them excessively, but also acts arrogantly and domineeringly in the Dengzhou border market, and his bullying of envoys and merchants from vassal states is commonplace. Isn't this his crime?"
That must be his fault!
This bastard calls ordinary people poor ghosts, and he's kicked them in the butts more than once or twice when he gets angry. He even said in front of us that he would make beggars into laborers.
Compared to all these evil deeds, bullying a few vassal envoys and merchants is nothing.
Keep cursing him, we love to hear it!
However, just as Emperor Zhu was eagerly waiting for Pang Zhen to utter a few more insults, Pang Zhen suddenly changed the subject and said, "Furthermore, this sinful subject also longs to be a good official!"
“But the prefectural government is right next door, and the assistant officials treat this criminal as nothing. The county yamen runners don’t listen to me, and even the local gentry don’t take me seriously. Even if I want to do something for the people, what can I do?”
"Just because of the disappearance of Chen Da, Your Majesty wants to punish me. Even if I accept the punishment, I will not accept it in my heart!"
Emperor Zhu's face immediately darkened.
Who can explain to me how this idiot managed to become a seventh-rank county magistrate?
We want to hear you curse this bastard, not how you defend yourself!
How exactly did the Ministry of Personnel select officials?
The more Emperor Zhu listened, the more bored he became. He snorted coldly and said, "Whether this scoundrel went to the yamen to report for duty or not, we know better than you do."
"Whether he has oppressed envoys and merchants from vassal states, we know better than you do."
“Even the accusations you made are true, whether it's slandering us or bringing maids and tea sets with you when you go out.”
"Even beating and scolding ordinary people was real."
At this point, Emperor Zhu suddenly changed his tone and sneered, "But he can make the people live a good life."
"Before the drought started, he led the people to dig lakes to store water, and before the locust plague began, he led the people to control and eliminate the locusts."
"Therefore, the people of Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture were happy to see him lying on the ground drinking tea. He didn't bring any tea set, so the people went to the government office to get it for him themselves."
"He oppressed envoys and merchants from vassal states at the Dengzhou border market, yet he could still make the national treasury have millions or even tens of millions of taels of gold and silver."
"Can you?"
Can you?
These three words were like a heavy hammer, striking Pang Zhen's heart with tremendous force.
Yang Shaofeng smiled.
Although Zhu Chongba, that old scoundrel, often did inhuman things, he wasn't blind.
While ordinary people may be easily fooled, they are not blind either.
Just thinking about those idiots in Ningyang County gave Yang Shaofeng a headache.
Those idiots secretly planted a lot of sorghum again.
Even though hardly anyone likes to eat sorghum anymore, these fools who are afraid of starvation still like to grow sorghum.
It's also fortunate that Ningyang County is a pilot county directly under the Central Secretariat, so they can easily find a reason to brew wine with sorghum.
Otherwise, these idiots will be crying and wailing again, trying to figure out how to sell the sorghum.
The wine can't be sold cheaply, since Dengzhou Medical College needs to purchase medical alcohol, which requires repeated distillation. If it's sold cheaply, it might not even cover the cost.
By the way, have those people in the medical school and chemical engineering school actually figured out a method to measure alcohol concentration?
No, we still need to find a way to squeeze more money out of Old Deng.
Just as Yang Shaofeng was lost in thought, Emperor Zhu stared intently at Pang Zhen and shouted, "As a people-friendly official, ignoring the suffering of the people is your greatest crime!"
Shaking his head in disappointment, Emperor Zhu then turned to Yang Shaofeng and instructed, "We don't want to waste any more of his breath on him. You talk to him."
A scene inexplicably appeared in Yang Shaofeng's mind.
Disguised as a lowly seventh-rank official, Zhu Longxing jumped back and shouted, "Close the door! Let them out!"
Yang Shaofeng shook his head vigorously, trying to shake the bizarre image out of his mind. He chuckled and said to Pang Zhen, "Look at you, you've been talking for so long and haven't gotten to the point."
"If you say that being an official involves a lot of work and a low salary, and that the meager monthly salary isn't even enough to support a family, His Majesty might be interested in hearing a few words from you."
Emperor Zhu glared at Yang Shaofeng and said angrily, "Too much work, too little salary?"
The monthly salary of a seventh-rank official is equivalent to the wages of several ordinary people working for several years, and it's still not enough.
How much would be considered a lot?
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "I was just giving an example, just giving an example."
"The main problem is that the time for roll call every day is too early, and I'm not used to it."
"It's just a few complaints in private."
After offering a few perfunctory remarks, Yang Shaofeng turned his gaze to Pang Zhen: "Say something useful—for example, how much do you know about us Prefect Huos?"
Before Pang Zhen could speak, Yang Shaofeng interjected, "I don't believe you haven't investigated this Prefect Huo."
As soon as Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, alarm bells rang in Huo Lingyue's mind.
He, Yang the Madman, is still after me!
Before Huo Lingyue could figure out how to respond, Yang Shaofeng smiled and said to Pang Zhen, "Of course, I don't believe that Prefect Huo hasn't investigated you, Magistrate Pang."
After speaking, Yang Shaofeng instructed the guards of the Imperial Son-in-Law's residence: "Take Prefect Huo away first."