Lu Gong ignored the candidate and looked at Li Banghua: "Lord Li, there is another scholar named Li Shen."
Li Banghua looked at the officials behind him, asking them to find it quickly.
But the more anxious I was, the harder it was to find the corresponding name.
Under the gaze of the crowd, the officials began to sweat on their foreheads.
After searching for another quarter of an hour, one of the officials stood up and walked over to Li Banghua and whispered, "Sir, there is no such person."
No such person?
Li Banghua was slightly surprised.
Lost the data?
Not registered?
And you also say that the account books themselves are fake?
No no no.
He was very clear about the character of Shi Hongsheng, the prefect of Changzhou.
Not only was he an honest official, he was also very careful and cautious in his work.
He would neither lose the account books nor falsify them.
So the name must be wrong.
Thinking of this, Li Banghua asked Lu Gong: "There is no such person. Are you sure that the other person's name is Li Shen?"
Lu Gong took a half step back: "There's no need to check, Mr. Li. I made up that name."
“Why make up names?”
"I was afraid that the elder would have someone make up a false account book to deceive people, so I made up a fake name."
Li Banghua laughed: "Since I dare to confront you here, I have nothing to hide."
He said to the officials behind him, "Give those account books to this examinee and let them identify the authenticity."
The officials handed over the account books one after another and handed them to Lu Gong.
Lu Gong did not dare to identify it alone, so he gave the account books to others to check one by one.
Everyone fell silent after reading it.
Judging from the paper and ink in the account book, it has been used for many years and the handwriting is both old and new.
Obviously not a temporary forgery.
Li Banghua said, "Tell them loudly whether those people you just mentioned are guilty or not?"
Lu Gong bowed his head at first, then raised his head and shouted: "They are all guilty, I have wrongly accused Lord Li."
"Louder!"
"They are all guilty, I have wronged Lord Li!" Lu Gong roared with all his strength.
The candidates at the scene suddenly quieted down.
The leaders have admitted their mistakes, so what else do they have to insist on?
Li Banghua breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, these educated people are sensible.
If it were ordinary people, ten Li Banghuas would have been beaten to death.
Because the people don't listen to reason, they just want to vent their dissatisfaction. As for what will happen next, they don't think about it at all.
Looking at the candidates who were as silent as a mountain, Li Banghua knew that his previous answer was not convincing enough.
There is indeed no problem with the officials of Changzhou Prefecture, but the same may not be true for officials of other prefectures.
He knew very well what the officials below were like.
Relying on the support of the imperial court, they acted tyrannically, levied heavy taxes, and oppressed the people.
Officials in some places take human lives with impunity.
There is no one supervising anyway, and even if there is someone supervising, they can be bribed with money.
Thinking of this, Li Banghua raised his voice and said, "I went south this time to provide disaster relief, to collect the arrears of taxes, and to rectify the administration of officials."
"Any of you who have any questions can come forward and ask, and I will answer them one by one."
"But I have to say in advance that Nanzhili has 15 Zhili prefectures and four scattered prefectures. As of today, only Xuzhou, Huai'an and Changzhou have completed the work of collecting taxes."
"I am still unaware of the problems that have arisen in other prefectures."
"But I will not shirk my responsibility. After investigation, all officials will be severely punished. But if it is a problem of local gentry, I will treat them the same way as officials."
"If you have any questions, please line up and come forward to ask. If you don't have any questions, please step aside!"
"There is another important announcement. The court intends to hire a group of scholars who have repeatedly failed the imperial examinations as inspectors to supervise local officials. Those who are interested can stay and consult individually."
Li Banghua's words were quickly spread.
The students were stunned...
What does this mean?
All problems can be solved by Li Banghua? And the court plans to hire a group of scholars to supervise officials?
He is called an Inspector, but in fact he is just an Imperial Censor!
The censors of the Ming Dynasty had great power. Not to mention hiring them, they could even be hired without paying!
Especially those scholars who have failed in the imperial examinations many times, they have great passion for serving the country and the people but have no way to serve their country.
Well now, the chance has come!
A few old scholars were the first to react. They pushed through the crowd and squeezed in: "Make way, make way."
After others realized what was happening, they quickly defended their positions and said, "Don't push, there are people in front."
"I'm older, let me go first."
"When you're old, just go home and lie down. Why are you here to join in the fun?"
"How can you talk like that, young man? Do you know how to respect the elderly and love the young?" The old scholar glared at him.
The young man thought for a moment and said very respectfully: "Please stop pushing me. If you do, I'll beat you up!"
The old scholar looked at the other party's outstretched fist and suddenly lost his temper. He could only stand obediently in the back and queue.
"This is a trick played by the imperial court. Don't be fooled!" Someone in the crowd fanned the flames.
"Yes, let's unite and petition the court to remove Li Banghua!"
The candidates around them quickly stepped aside to make way for the two students who were shouting and reading.
Someone said contemptuously: "If you have something to say, go to the front and tell us. Don't get us into trouble."
"Yes, the elder said that if there is anything, we can talk to him in person. What are you guys making a fuss about?"
Li Banghua pretended not to see it and asked people to maintain order while answering inquiries from candidates.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It’s even more exciting later!
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