For an official to reach Mei Guozhen's level, no matter if he was an honest or corrupt official, he definitely had a good eye for things.
Since ancient times, it was hard to be a corrupt official, but it was even harder to be an honest official than a corrupt official. For an official like Mei Guozhen to be stuck in the middle, it was even more difficult. So, if the country wanted to get things done, it mainly relied on officials like Mei Guozhen.
For example, Hai Rui was like a lone wolf in the bureaucracy that everyone was afraid of. They couldn't be toppled and couldn't be smashed. They were protected by an aura of incorruptibility and were invincible. Just by talking, they could make corrupt officials sweat. But, an official like this couldn't get anything done. An official that didn't follow the rules of the bureaucracy couldn't get anything done.
They couldn't be too greedy either because they didn't have the heart to get things done. All they could think of was how to make money. There were plenty of people that went crazy trying to make money.
Only by walking between the two, using a low degree of greed and slickness to protect themselves, and using their eloquence and thinking to accomplish a task in the face of countless difficulties. These capable officials were especially valuable practical talents. It was precisely because of such talents that the Great Ming Dynasty did not collapse.
Mei Guozhen was one of them. If he wanted to maintain a relatively awkward standard and still be able to become an Imperial Inspector and hold a certain amount of power, not only did he need principles and character, he also needed to be experienced. This was the same no matter the time.
As a result, in Mei Guozhen's eyes, the faces of the country gentry, tyrants, and rich businessmen couldn't be more sarcastic.
As expected, Madam Du, who was sitting beside Madam Kang, spoke first.
"Futai, working hard for the country is something that has been done since our ancestors. We are deeply grateful to the country and are able to do business here. We have always remembered our identity and our duties. We don't dare to be negligent for even a day.
But, Futai is well aware that the weather has turned cold. Not only are the commoners affected, but we are also affected! Our crops are frozen to death in the ground. We have a lot of land, but we also have a lot of tenant farmers. We also have more mouths to feed.
It looks like we're the wealthiest in this area, but in reality, we know the suffering we're going through. We've never told anyone about it. If we lose our teeth, we'll just have to swallow the blood in our stomachs, and no one will say anything bad about it. But when we open our eyes every day, we have to take care of hundreds of people's meals and drinks. Our income is a little higher, but our expenses are also high! "
Beside Madam Du, Liu-shi also spoke up.
"That's right, Futai. What Head Du said makes a lot of sense. People like us look impressive on the surface, but our lives aren't any better than others. Commoners are poor, but they don't need any filial piety. We are different.
To do this kind of business, to eat this kind of rice bowl, the local imperial court can't be short of all kinds of filial piety. This family pays a few dozen taels, that other family pays a few hundred taels. The main family pays the big part, and we also pay the small part, not to mention the tenant farmers, the long and short workers, the servants and maids in the family.
Just as Head Du said, this is a harvest year. Every day, when we open our eyes, there are hundreds of mouths waiting for us to serve. The bigger the family, the higher the expenses. How many mouthfuls of food can actually fall into our mouths? Don't you think so? The suffering in this life can only be said to be like drinking water. Only one knows whether it's hot or cold. "
After Madam Du and Liu-shi finished speaking, everyone nodded and agreed. One by one, they began to pour out their grievances.
Madam Kang saw that the time was right and that Mei Guozhen's complexion was becoming worse and worse. She quickly said, "Alright, don't say anymore. Futai is already busy enough on a daily basis. You people still want to use this kind of thing to bother Futai? Do you think that Futai's government affairs aren't busy enough? "
The group of people immediately shut up and repeatedly apologized.
Madam Kang took the opportunity to say to Mei Guozhen, "Futai, although these people don't know what's good for them and speak nonsense, I have to say that some of the things they said are true. Take my Kang family's property in Datong for example. There are more than a hundred tenant farmers, and there are thirty to fifty servants and maids in our family.
Every day, when we open our eyes, there are hundreds of people waiting for Madam Kang to pay to serve them. We haven't even received any income, but we have to spend it first. These past few years have been very bad. The harvest of each mu of land has dropped by seventy to eighty percent. We have also suffered so much that we have to make up for the deficit. It's really hard to pass the days! "
Seeing that Madam Kang had also expressed her opinion, Mei Guozhen knew that if they didn't use a strong medicine, they wouldn't be able to take away a single grain of food today.
Thus, Mei Guozhen picked up a cup of wine and drank it. He slowly said, "Everyone, do you know to what extent the Tumet tribe outside the pass has reached?"
Everyone hurriedly shook their heads.
"The weather is cold, and the harvest is poor. I haven't gone to trade with them for some time, so I don't know the specific situation."
Madam Kang answered on behalf of everyone.
"Even Third Lady has been forced to come to Datong to ask for food. The Tumet tribe's situation is already on the verge of collapse. If we have food, we can pacify the people and let them continue to guard the borders to defend against the Mongolian cavalry that might come from further north. If we don't have food, and the people are about to starve to death, who will care about the alliance?
Everyone, this official is definitely not trying to scare you. Once they run out of food, the Tumet people will definitely not sit still and wait for death in order to survive. They will definitely invade Datong and invade the borders. At that time, Governor-General Wang's twenty years of hard work will not be repaid, and the flames of war will rise again. The people will be plunged into misery and suffering, and the people will suffer. I'm afraid that everyone's days won't be easy, right? "
Mei Guozhen looked at the surrounding aristocrats and tycoons. Seeing their hesitant expressions, he felt slightly agitated.
"This official is the Inspector-General of Datong, an official appointed by the imperial court. Naturally, I will be reasonable and abide by the law. However, the Daming Law only applies to those who are Daming. Those Mongolians don't care about the Daming Law or not. They only want food, money, and women. This official will not hide it from you. The Datong army is already short of food.
We don't know when the imperial court's food will arrive, and the situation is extremely critical. If there is no food support, the situation will get out of hand. When the Mongolians invade the borders, the soldiers will be starving and unable to resist. If Datong is breached, Shanxi will be in danger. If Shanxi is not protected, the Central Plains will be in danger.
As the old saying goes, if the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? If Datong is destroyed, the fields in your hands, the stored food, the gold and silver, the singers and dancers, as well as your own lives, will all be given to the Mongolians, right? Those barbarians don't know how to be reasonable. They only recognize steel blades. "
Mei Guozhen believed that he had already said what he should and should not have said. What happened next would depend on these aristocrats' own awareness.
He felt that these aristocrats still had a basic sense of the big picture and conscience. If the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?
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