I want some stories about bribery between officials during the Qin Dynasty

The Ta family sends people to trade with the Central Plains every year, so they are very familiar with the sea routes. The big ship this time is the original crew that visited the Central Plains last year. The boat goes out to sea in winter, and the sea is quite rough. But the north wind blows in winter, and our boat just goes smoothly.

Xu Tu and I stood on the bow of the boat wearing wolf fur cloaks, looking at the endless sea and blue sky. I finally said what I wanted to say several times but had not made up my mind to say. I said: "Although the five villages are now united because of temporary interests, if the Ta clan's political affairs are not unifiedly managed, such a tribal alliance will easily loosen."

Xu Tu said: " I have been thinking about this issue during this time. We must have a stronger political organization, but where should we start? ”

I observed Xu Tu, because on the issue of political power construction, I'm not sure he can fully listen to my opinion, because power is the most important thing for a man. I saw him looking at me seriously, waiting for my opinion. I tentatively said: "Uncle Xu, which elders of the other four villages are more honest?"

Xu Tu opened his hands and counted: "Tian Heng of Xizhou Village, Liu Bing of Ruoshui Village, and I are all They were friends of the Eight Worshipers, and they were relatively united. Only Liu Zhu from Lianhai and Ma Dui from Shanyin failed. The last time they resisted the enemy, they failed because of their wavering." Xu Tu's face suddenly darkened when he mentioned his son's death in battle. Come down. I immediately had an idea in my mind, which confirmed my fears: Although there was no direct conflict, Liu Zhu and Ma Dui to some extent killed Xu Tu's son.

I continued: "That means there are three villages under your control. Jing Bu comes from Shanyin Village. He is the leader of the young people in the village. The remaining one, Lian Hai, is nothing to be afraid of. , it is in the south, surrounded by all the villages, and they only have 140 people participating in the self-defense army. They are small and weak. We should first obtain the authority from the court. We can do the reform. "What I mean is that as long as Xu Tu is determined, we can completely support the self-defense force in carrying out political reform. Xu Tu obviously understood what I meant and gave me a smile of acquiescence. Then I made suggestions for reform to him.

My idea is based on the development of the democratic system of ancient Roman society. The political structure of the Ta clan can be said to be very loose, but at the same time it has a certain prototype of democracy. Their elders meeting, the elders of each village have Power to participate in major decisions. Moreover, in the Qin Dynasty, when a hundred schools of thought contended, the powerful feudal centralized governance ideology of later generations had not yet formed. Even if some plans with democratic politics were implemented, they encountered little resistance. I have always considered establishing the prototype of China's democratic government here, so I drew on the democratic system of ancient Rome that existed in the West at the same time.

What I hope to borrow is the tribune setting in the democratic system of ancient Rome. This is because the Ta family currently has a relatively mature elders' meeting. Although this is the prototype of democracy, the elders are not elected by the people. Tribunes could be elected by the people to suppress the authority of the elders. When the Council of Elders develops into a parliament in the future, the existence of the tribune will naturally be merged into the parliament.

After making the plan, I said: "We can follow the old system and use the elders' meeting of each village as the highest authority of the Ta clan. Any major issues must be decided by the elders' meeting. Then the people will elect a protector. The official represents the interests of the people, has the power to overturn the decision passed by the Elders Council, and is responsible for supervising the implementation of the law. In addition, the administrative structure at all levels is reformed. There is a chief executive in the administration; there is a chief executive in the military, nominated by the chief executive, and the military chief must report to the executive. The chief is responsible and at the same time responsible to the Council of Elders."

Everything else is easy to explain, but the tribune's decision to overturn the Council of Elders and his position in the political power are difficult to understand. Xu Tu pointed out this. Objection: "Tribune? The people of the world have always been like grass. We have given them rights, so how can we rule them. Besides, if this tribune repeatedly overturns the decisions of the Presbyterian Council, then we will not be able to handle our affairs."

I thought for a while and said: "Yes, the people of the world are stupid and need enlightenment by saints, but there is a saying that 'the people are noble, the king is low, and the country is second.' If the Presbyterian Council puts all the people first, it will pass If the resolution does not harm their interests, then the tribunes have no reason to oppose a resolution that is also beneficial to themselves.

In addition, in order to restrict the power of the tribune, it can be stipulated that the tribune must point out where there are problems in the resolution when vetoing it. At the same time, he only has three veto powers. After exercising the power, the resolution will be submitted to all the people for review and approval. If it is passed The tribunes were deemed incompetent and ordered to be re-elected by the common people. "

Although Xu Tu has some ambitions, he still doesn't understand such a new political system. I saw that he was noncommittal and could only educate me, so I said: "Since Uncle Xu still has questions about this, Then we can discuss and improve it. If you still think our current political system is feasible, you don't have to reform it. "I know there is no rush in all this. As long as we become stronger in the future and those of us in the future play an increasingly important role, then I don't believe he alone can stop our reforms.

Dachuan After two days of sailing, we finally arrived at Penglai at sunset on the second day. Penglai is only more than 400 miles away from Liaodong, but these 400 miles seem to be two worlds. Penglai during the Qin Dynasty was already a relatively large port in the north. I saw that Penglai was already a relatively large port in the north. There are no less than 10 ships larger than ours in the harbor, and the county is densely populated. It is estimated that this county has a population greater than that of the entire Liaodong.

Xu Tu ordered the goods to be placed on the ship first. He, Jing Bu, Zhao Pi and others entered the county town. We found a decent restaurant and sat down. Zhao Pi winked at me and whispered: "Boss, I went to Penglai last summer, but That county was little better than it is now. I smiled and said: "It seems that the changes in history are really surprising." "Suddenly, the conversation of the guests at the table next to us caught our attention.

Only one person said: "Fortunately, General Wang Li arrived in time, otherwise neither you nor I would be able to enjoy the wine together here. "

Another person said: "Yes, yes, I didn't expect that group of farmers to be so fierce that even the defenders of Jiaodong County could not quell them. I heard that General Wang Li beheaded 20,000 thieves alone. "

I was shocked, why is Wang Li, that famous general of the Qin Dynasty, actually in Jiaodong? I quickly sent Jing Bu to the table to find out the news. Xu Tu and I exchanged glances, both full of doubts.

Just listen to Jing Bu ask: "Two of you, people from Liaodong, have not been to the Central Plains for a long time, and have recently returned to do business. I wonder what happened here?" "

One person said: "Oh, you don't know about such a big thing? But you are from Jiaodong, so it’s not surprising that you don’t know. Let me tell you, five months ago, the leader of the Laiyang bandit Hewei caused a rebellion, gathering 100,000 people, occupying Laiyang, Haiyang, Rushan, and Mouping counties, and attacked Jiaodong even urgent. I, the governor of Jiaodong County, Chen Jiaodu Lieutenant Zhao Lu, held the position for February. The imperial court sent general Wang Li to lead an army of 50,000 people to suppress it. It was not until the end of last year that they were completely wiped out. More than 30,000 people below He Wei's rank were beheaded. Haha, peace is finally here. Brother, you came at the right time. Before January, how could we dare to sit here? "

Listening to their so relaxed words, my heart couldn't help but sink. After a war, the dead became the material for these two people to drink and talk, and my heart suddenly surged. Disgusting, it seems that the chaos of the late Qin Dynasty is coming. We hurriedly finished our meal and went back to the inn to rest. We got up early the next day, parked the ship, and moved the goods ashore, because Penglai Market. It was small, so we decided to take the goods to Jiaodong to sell.

It took us three days to walk from Penglai to Jimo, the county seat of Jiaodong. Along the way, there were refugees begging on the road from time to time. There was chaos in Jiaodong, no one was cultivating the crops, and there were already signs of famine. Some farmers who had no food to eat were forced to leave their hometowns to beg. Along the way, we got some news about this rebellion. It turned out that Qin Shihuang was speeding up the construction of Afang Palace and the Qin Dynasty. In the spring of last year, corvee and salt taxes were imposed on the imperial mausoleum.

He Wei was originally a descendant of a general from Qi State. He could not bear it and led his people to revolt, but was defeated under Wang Li's suppression. 60,000 rebels were imprisoned in Laiyang and awaited their exile. I discussed with Xu Tuyi that we might as well find a way to relocate these rebels to Liaodong. If this is feasible, then the purpose of our trip to the Central Plains would have been achieved. p>

At noon that day, our group finally entered Jimo, the first big city in the Central Plains. In ancient times, Jiaodong was a prosperous place. Sea salt was sold in the east and grain was sold in the west. However, it experienced a rebellion. After that, the Jimo market also showed some depression.

We found an inn and stayed at it. When we found out, it turned out that Chen Jiao, the governor of Jiaodong County, was dismissed from his official position and exiled due to poor management, which led to a civil commotion. Captain Zhao Lu was promoted to the county governor for his meritorious service. Hearing the news, Xu Tu raised his eyebrows with joy and said to me: "This Zhao Lu was originally my student. He had some martial arts skills when he was young. I persuaded him to join the army that year. Unexpectedly, he became a county guard in just a few years. He is watching. There is hope for our migration plan."

The next day, Xu Tu took me to the county governor's house and handed me my name tag. After a while, the county governor was informed to come in. The politics of the Qin Dynasty were relatively clear, the laws were strict, and officials were relatively incorruptible. This county governor's mansion pales in comparison to a modern government mansion.

As soon as they walked in, Zhao Lu had already come out of the second hall to greet him. When the master and apprentice met, they couldn't help but sigh. He led us to sit down in the middle hall, and Xu Tu introduced me: "This is my new disciple. His surname is Tang, his name is Yi, and his courtesy name is Bokun." Xu Tu made this up temporarily in order to increase the goodwill between Zhao Lu and me. I stepped forward to pay homage according to ancient etiquette, and Zhao Lu quickly and enthusiastically helped me up. I looked up and saw that Zhao Lu was in his early 30s, 8 feet tall, strong, with a beard on his lips, and he looked a bit more majestic.

After the greetings, the master and apprentice chatted about their daily life. It turned out that Zhao Lu went to Xianyang to join the army, and it happened that Meng Tian was recruiting troops to attack the Huns, so he joined the army. In the battle to conquer the Xiongnu in Hetao, Zhao Lu fought bravely and saved Meng Tian's life in a battle. He was promoted to the commander of the army and later accumulated military merit and was promoted to the rank of general. After pacifying the Huns, he was rewarded for his merits, returned to his hometown in fine clothes and moved to the rank of Captain of Jiaodong. This time, when Hewei was in chaos, Chen Jiao panicked and wanted to abandon the city, but Zhao Lu strongly advised him to hold on and wait for help. Chen Jiao then gave Zhao and Lu full military power, and his troops could only defeat 5,000 enemies and 100,000 rebels in two months to protect Jimo. After the rebellion was over, the imperial court appointed Lu instead of Chen Jiao as the new county governor of Jiaodong.

Xu Tu smiled and nodded: "Well, besieging the city without causing chaos, admonishing and standing firm, Lu'er has the legacy of the ancient generals." Hearing the master's praise, Zhao Lu couldn't help but feel very proud. But I think Xu Tu is really putting money on your face. Look at you as a reckless warrior. How can you have these plans? However, the Qin army has a law that the commander who loses the city must be killed. You are just a dead man anyway. You have to fight hard, but 5 Thousands of local troops resisting 100,000 people are considered capable.

After some compliments, Xu Tu talked about the events in Liaodong, from the time when their family moved to Liaodong, to the withdrawal of the garrison, to the invasion of Gaoyi, to the death of his son in battle, which made him burst into tears. Zhao Lu felt heavy after hearing this. Later, when Xu Tu said that he would accept me as his disciple and train the self-defense army, and then defeated Dongyi, Zhao Lu applauded me for his victory. I observed that he was nothing more than a reckless warrior. When he heard that the Han people had won the battle, he was extremely happy and immediately felt confident.

Xu Tu asked: "I wonder what Ziqi (Zhao Lu's cousin) plans to do after Jiaodong is pacified?"

Zhao Lu said: "At present, Jiaodong is initially pacified, and the first thing to do is to deal with the 50,000 rioters. I am very busy with the issue of migration. The imperial edict says that people can migrate thousands of miles."

Xu Tu exchanged glances with me, and he said, "I don't know where these random people are going to migrate. ?"

Zhao Lu said: "This imperial edict only says to follow the rules."

Xu Tu thought for a while: "Master has a request, I don't know whether to say it or not."

Zhao Lu said: "Master, please speak."

Xu Tu: "It has been eight years since the First Emperor established Liaodong County. The emperor had issued edicts to encourage immigrants to Liaodong, but everyone thought This place is remote and unwilling to move. For many years, the population of this place was only 200,000, and it was all located to the west of Xiangping. The population of Tashi was only 5,000. The people were threatened by the Hu people for many years, and the lives of the people could not be guaranteed. Leading everyone to defend themselves, we can temporarily maintain peace. I boldly ask Ziqi to move the rebels to Liaodong, and I will transform them into soldiers to guard the border for the imperial court."

After hearing this, Zhao Lu pondered for a while. , asked: "What official position does the master have now?"

Xu Tu said: "When I was in Liaodong, I awarded the three elders of the Ta family."

Zhao Lu said: "Master said this Extremely, although the disciple is not talented, he wants to recommend the master as the county magistrate of the Ta family. How about I report the refugees to the Ta family?"

Xu Tu said: "In this case, I really have to thank you. All together."

Zhao Lu said: "However, Prime Minister Li Si issued an order asking me to send 10,000 people to move to Xianyang to build the imperial mausoleum. This must be implemented first.

Let me calculate, there are more than 50,000 people left. How about emigrating to the Ta clan as well? "

Xu Tu said: "Very good, I don't know when we can start.

Zhao Lu said: "Actually, I really want them to migrate out as soon as possible. It would be bad to stay in Laiyang for a long time and change." "

Xu Tu said: "Okay, I will just wait for Zi Qi to make arrangements as a teacher. In addition, your junior brother has something for you. "He winked at me.

I understood immediately and took out a saber forged by us from the baggage and presented it to Zhao Lu. Zhao Lu picked up the saber and looked at it carefully. The scabbard was It was made of shark skin and inlaid with gold ornaments. It was very beautiful. He didn't care much about the scabbard. When he took out the scabbard, a cold light immediately shone on his face. Zhao Ruben was a martial artist and was particularly interested in weapons. Interested, when seeing this steel sword, he couldn't help but exclaimed: "What a weapon!" "

He jumped up, waved it twice, and kept chanting: "Good weapon..." He turned around and bowed to me, saying: "Junior brother gave me the magic weapon. I would like to thank you here. Excuse me, I wonder what the name of this soldier is? "

I said: "The name of this soldier is 'Yuemang', which means the light of the moon.

He smiled and said: "Haha, okay, with this magic weapon, why worry about the barbarians not being able to defeat it." Thank you, master. "

Seeing Zhao Lu so happy, Xu Tu was also very happy. The reason was that among the many students under his command, this one person was the most promising. He was awarded the title of general, worshiped as an official, and guarded one side. The weapons he originally wanted to bribe officials were given to him. His own student was more worthy. Then he took out 10 kilograms of gold and placed it next to him. Zhao Lu was even more happy. He knew that the annual salary of the first-level officials in the Qin Dynasty was only 200 dan, which was less than 2 taels of gold. However, Qin's laws were strict and he wanted to embezzle. It's not that easy. This gift can be regarded as a gift from the teacher to the disciple, and of course it is not considered corruption.

Taking advantage of the senior brother's happiness, I asked again: "When I came here, I found that there were many homeless people along the way. On the way, I don’t know what the senior brother’s plan is to appease him. "

Zhao Ludao: "These refugees are mainly caused by the poor harvest during last year's rebellion. The imperial court has neither issued an edict nor provided relief. What can I do? "

Xu Tu said: "How about recruiting some for the army to open up wasteland in Liaodong? "

Zhao Lu is a sensible person who wakes up immediately and agrees: "His Majesty issued an imperial edict to develop the frontier in 24 years. Since the master can solve the refugee problem in Jiaodong, it is the best. "

That night, Zhao Lu hosted a banquet for the two of us. We specially brought out two bottles of Liaobai as a gift to him. Zhao Lu was very happy. It turned out that he was also a greedy person. He did not allow Xu Tu to leave at night. , I could only go back to the inn alone. I told Jing Bu and Zhao Pi about the incident during the day, and everyone was very happy. Unexpectedly, it took no effort for tens of thousands of people to arrive. Finally, Zhao Lu immediately revised the report and attached it. The report of our army's battle in Liaodong was sent to Xianyang, and he asked the teacher to stay there until the order was issued before returning to Liaodong.