After Zhao Zhen thoroughly investigated Kaifeng Prefecture and revoked the preferential treatment given to corrupt officials since the time of his predecessor, Emperor Zhenzong of Song, the news quickly spread throughout Bianliang.
People were talking about it in the streets, alleys, teahouses and taverns, and expressing their admiration for the emperor's wisdom.
The people of Bianliang have suffered in Kaifeng Prefecture for a long time.
Historically, they had to wait for twenty years to wait for a Bao Zheng, but now they have a Zhao Jun, which saves them twenty years of detour.
After Fan Zhongyan resumed his post in Kaifeng Prefecture, he immediately rectified the administration of officials, investigating those who needed to be investigated and prosecuting those who needed to be prosecuted according to the imperial decree.
Without Zhao Zhen's protection and the support of high-ranking officials behind him, Fan Zhongyan quickly took control of the entire situation and cooperated with the Imperial City Division to arrest a large number of yamen runners and clerks under the Kaifeng Prefecture.
The Imperial City Bureau was originally a huge organization, with more than 5,000 people, of which 3,000 were imperial guards and more than 2,000 were spies. Seven or eight hundred of them were cleared out one after another.
There were also quite a few people in Kaifeng Prefecture, numbering several thousand. Their corruption was even more serious, with at least two-thirds of them being corrupted. The remaining few were still the team left behind by Fan Zhongyan a few months ago.
Relying on these teams, Fan Zhongyan and Zhao Jun cleaned up their own subordinates, leaving the Imperial City Administration and Kaifeng Prefecture quite short of staff, with a serious shortage of clerks and runners.
Now Kaifeng Prefecture and the Dianqian Prison are almost overcrowded.
However, cleaning out these filth is a good thing. Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial City Bureau are now much more efficient, and the public security in various parts of Bianliang City has also been significantly improved. Even Wuyou Cave and Guifan Tower have shrunk underground and dare not come out.
At noon on the morning of September 5th, Zhao Jun set out for Kaifeng Prefecture to discuss some things with Fan Zhongyan.
Unlike the last time when he brought thousands of soldiers with him, this time he was only accompanied by Di Qing and a few others as well as more than a hundred secret scouts for protection, and they still went on foot, which made Zhao Jun deeply regret that he had no time to learn how to ride a horse.
Xijiaolou Street is still as lively as before, the difference is that the order on the street is much better. When a group of people cross the street, they can cause exclamations everywhere.
"Look, it's Zhao Zhisi from the Imperial City Division."
"Is this the Zhao Zhisi? He looks so young. I didn't expect him to be so talented."
"I heard that he is related to the imperial clan and is a talent specially selected by His Majesty to rectify the increasingly corrupt Kaifeng Prefecture."
"Zhisi is so handsome, I am willing to marry him."
Zhao Jun ignored the hustle and bustle on the street. The Imperial City Division became famous for wiping out Kaifeng Prefecture. Nowadays, not to mention those scoundrels, even the sons of the dignitaries in Bianliang and the noble families would retreat and stay away from him when they saw him.
In reality, there weren't many yanei in Bianliang who were prone to causing trouble. At least Zhao Jun hadn't encountered any in recent days. The two from the Ma family and Han Zong from the Han family could be considered yanei, but they had all been dealt with.
Because the bad reputation of the yanei mainly comes from "Water Margin" and Yuan Dynasty drama, in the real history of the Song Dynasty, the scholar-official class attached great importance to the character of their descendants, and there were not so many "evil" yanei in real life, especially in the Renzong Dynasty, the family rules of those scholar-officials were relatively strict.
For example, Fan Zhongyan had "Regulations of Yizhuang", Sima Guang had "Family Rules", Bao Zheng had "Family Instructions", Huang Tingjian had "Family Precepts", Yuan Cai had "Yuan Family Model", etc. Unless those yamenei were so well-connected that they could modify history books, there are indeed few records in official history of yamenei's tyranny and evil deeds.
Soon Zhao Jun arrived at the Kaifeng government office. The servants at the gate were startled when they saw him. Then a government official came up to him and said with a flattering smile, "I'm here to see the Chief Justice."
"Well, I'm looking for Lord Xiwen."
Zhao Jun nodded.
The yamen runners in Kaifeng Prefecture now are all the survivors of the catastrophe. Basically, they are the team when Fan Zhongyan left Kaifeng Prefecture. Relying on this group of people, Old Fan should be able to rebuild Kaifeng Prefecture soon.
The official nodded and extended his hand, saying, "Please come in, the prefect is in the main hall handling a case. I will go and report first."
"good."
Zhao Jun stepped in.
The guards behind him followed in.
The people in Kaifeng Prefecture were angry but dared not speak out, so they could only let them all in.
Fortunately, Kaifeng Prefecture is big enough to accommodate so many people.
Guided by the official business of the government office, Zhao Jun first came to the east hall on the right side of the main hall and waited.
Not long after, Fan Zhongyan walked into the hall with a tired look on his face. Without speaking to Zhao Jun, he sat directly on the chair, his body looking hollowed out.
"Old Fan, you're not feeling well. I have Liuwei Dihuang Wan. If you have kidney yang deficiency, I also have Jinkui Shenqi Wan."
Seeing his expression, Zhao Jun made a joke.
Fan Zhongyan rolled his eyes at him and said, "Tell me, what's the matter?"
Zhao Jun said, "The Imperial City Department and Kaifeng Prefecture are both short of staff. I plan to recruit some people. What about you?"
"Um."
Fan Zhongyan nodded and said, "I also plan to recruit some people."
"I'm worried that the Imperial City Bureau and Kaifeng Prefecture are recruiting on a large scale. People from Wuyou Cave and Guifan Tower might sneak in and act as undercover agents to gather information."
Zhao Jun said.
Fan Zhongyan sighed, "Yes, the manpower shortage is indeed too big this time. We need to recruit at least several thousand people. Although their identities will be checked before they can enter the government, it is not difficult for those people to forge their identities."
In those days, there was no nationwide household registration system, so it was far too easy to forge a non-local identity in Bianliang. More importantly, even if all Bianliang locals were recruited, it didn't mean there weren't traitors.
Wuyou Cave, Guifan Tower and a large number of Bianliang underground gangs have complicated relationships among the local people. Many Bianliang citizens are ordinary people on the surface, but they may be their people.
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