The most arrogant in history

Chapter 656: Too immersed in the play.

Huang Ye agreed and did it immediately.

Ye Kun said to Song Kai:

"The disciples of the Mohist School are spread all over the country, in all walks of life, responsible for supervising local officials. There is also a secret investigation team jointly established by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance and Taxation, which is also active across the country. If any of you local officials embezzle even a needle, I will know about it.

Song Kai, you'd better tell us the truth about the situation in Yanzhou, maybe the Nine Departments will give you some leniency."

Song Kai nodded: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will sort out the accounts and report truthfully."

Ye Kun sat down and continued eating, while thinking about how to combat local corruption.

The principal whispered, "Your Majesty, if you are worried that students don't eat well, why not... allow private canteens to compete with each other. Students can go out to eat with their money, and eat at the canteen that cooks the best..."

"That's a good idea."

Ye Kun thought for a moment and said, "But how will the student subsidies be distributed in the future?"

"Just give money, a subsidy of 20 wen per month... or just waive tuition fees to reduce the burden on students."

Ye Kun thought about it and sighed, "Let me think about it. This requires a nationwide effort to improve it in a unified way. Moreover, the consent of the nine ministries is required."

Tuition fees have been waived for all middle schools across the country, but Ye Kun is worried that the finances cannot afford it.

There are now two million middle school students in the country.

Ye Shusheng suggested, "Father said that if we want to care about the growth of girls, we can waive all the girls' tuition fees first."

Ye Kun nodded: "Let's discuss it later."

After lunch, the large broadcasting equipment has been debugged.

Ye Kun adjusted his mood, put on a smiling face, wore casual clothes, and spoke in front of all the teachers and students in the school.

"Dear teachers and students, I am Ye Kun, the so-called emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, the so-called Son of Heaven. In fact, the emperor is also an ordinary person, just like everyone else.

The emperor's mission is not to sit high above the people and suck the fat of the people, but to lead the people of the country to create a better life and build a prosperous and peaceful era.

Of course, I haven’t done well enough. I haven’t taken good care of everyone in many areas, and I am ashamed of that.

I hope that everyone will work with me to make our country, our home, better and better..."

The audience burst into warm applause.

After a pause, Ye Kun continued:

"School is a sacred place, a place full of hope. The future of the Chinese nation lies in the teachers and students. The ambition of young people can reach the moon in the sky and catch turtles in the five oceans. If the youth are strong, the country will be strong. If the youth are ambitious, the country will be wise!

Young people should strive to be strong. I hope that all students will study hard, exercise, and create a new era for the Chinese people. For the prosperity and strength of the Chinese people, give out a hundred points of heat and shine a thousand points of light! "

The audience applauded warmly and for a long time.

Ye Kun led all the teachers and students to recite the "Chinese Youth Says" which he had plagiarized, pushing the atmosphere of the whole venue to the extreme.

He was so immersed in the role that even Ye Kun himself was moved and his eyes became moist.

After the speech, Ye Kun shook hands cordially with teacher representatives and student representatives to show his affinity.

The principal was moved to tears: "Your Majesty, you are still the same Principal Ye of Chengdu Tiangong University. You haven't changed at all. You always think about your students and the future of the Chinese people..."

Ye Kun nodded and smiled, leaned close to the principal's ear and whispered:

"I am still the same Principal Ye, but are you still the same young man? You should make your heart young again, continue to work hard for your ideals when you were young, and cultivate more talents for the country! Don't be an old-fashioned person and don't learn from those bureaucrats of the old times."

The principal nodded repeatedly: "I will definitely remember the emperor's words."

After leaving school, Ye Kun returned to the prefectural government and personally organized an inventory and audit.

There were more than a dozen Mohist disciples outside, all of whom were middle-level Mohist members in Yanzhou City. They paid a visit to Ye Kun and reported what they had seen and heard.

Ye Kun took a look and was quite shocked.

Song Kai embezzled half of the funds for education, medical care, and road maintenance, which were used for operating expenses of various government departments, and the rest was used to subsidize officials.

Fortunately, Song Kai himself did not engage in corruption.

It was not until the afternoon of the next day that Ye Kun sorted out the accounts from all aspects and gradually figured out the situation.

The officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue in Yanzhou all knew about this situation, but they had a tacit understanding with Song Kai and worked together to withhold the three major funds.

In other words, if Ye Kun were to conduct a thorough investigation, all the middle and upper-level officials in Yanzhou would be wiped out.

Ye Kun closed the book and pondered, remembering Sang Buyi's words.

The imperial court's control was too strict and the budget was limited, so local officials had a hard time and would try to find ways to make money and pretend to obey the orders.

It seems that it is time to increase the grassroots budget and improve the treatment of grassroots officials.

But the matter at hand must be dealt with.

Ye Kun thought carefully and called Song Kai: "Song Kai, how do you think I should deal with the officials in Yanzhou?"

Song Kai bowed his head and said, "I still say the same thing. I didn't embezzle a penny into my own pocket. During the five or six years in Yanzhou, my salary was not enough to cover my expenses, so I spent most of the previous military rewards.

Half of the officials in Yanzhou were appointed because of their military merits. These soldiers have survived hundreds of battles and are now serving as minor officials, but they are also trembling with fear and dare not embezzle a single cent. "

Ye Kun sighed, "Well, I suggest to the Nine Departments that you be demoted to a county magistrate and continue to preside over Yanzhou government affairs. After a year, your official title will be restored depending on the situation."

Song Kai shook his head, "Your Majesty, please demote me to a commoner and let me go back to my hometown to farm. I still have several thousand taels of military merit reward, and I can be a rich man when I return home. If you let me take charge of Yanzhou government affairs, I'm afraid I won't even have the money to go back home in two or three years."

"Don't resign. If you don't have money to go back home in the future, I will give it to you."

Ye Kun glared: "Or I will give you three feet of yellow earth outside the city, and you don't have to go back to your hometown. When you die, you will be buried here! It's been five or six years, and Yanzhou is a mess. You still have the nerve to get upset with me?"

Song Kai smiled bitterly, clasped his fists and saluted: "I obey your order."

At this time, the call back from the Ninth Department had arrived.

It was sent by Sang Buyi himself, and he seemed to be gloating:

"Your Majesty is wise. The salaries of local officials are low and should indeed be raised. Local management costs increase with the increase in population, and more financial support should be given. The national treasury is full and there is plenty of money and grain, so we can support it."

Ye Kun replied: "Instruct the nine ministries to discuss and raise the salaries of officials across the country and increase the management expenses of various places to maintain operation. The specific results will be based on the resolution of the nine ministries, and there is no need to consult me."

Sang Buzhi, Wu Qiong and others were surprisingly unanimous in their opinion on improving the treatment of officials!

They are all officials and they all want to move up to the next level.

When he returned to the inn at night, Ye Kun went to visit Jiang Yourong and the others and asked with a smile, "How do you feel about your time in Yanzhou these two days?"

These two days, Jiang Yourong and others have been strolling outside.

They took a horse-drawn carriage and distributed some small gifts to the women and children, such as sewing kits, small scissors, small mirrors, some snacks, candied fruits, small gold coins and small silver coins.

The things may not be valuable, but since they are given to everyone by the Empress in the palace, their meaning is different.

Half of the gifts we brought were distributed in Yanzhou City, so everyone was almost treated equally.

Xie Baochan smiled and said, "The people of Yanzhou are still very kind. They all praise the queen for her elegance and beauty, and for being a model for the whole country."

Jiang Yourong blushed and said with a smile, "Why do I hear from the people that Concubine Bao is the most beautiful?"