I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 90 The side effects of the success test method! Shen Nian swears
At dusk, in the woodshed.

Shen Nian continued to persuade earnestly: "You two, you are in your prime years, why do you want to seek death?"

"Let's not talk about whether I'm Prime Minister Zhang's illegitimate son or not. You should at least tell me why you hate Prime Minister Zhang so much. What exactly does it mean to collect land taxes in advance? What does it mean to go to his house to collect taxes? Maybe I can help you solve your problems!"

"Even if you want to die with me, at least let me die knowingly!"

……

Shen Nianguan's conversation with the other two made him certain that they were no ordinary people and must know what crimes it was to rob officials and what crimes it was to slander the prime minister of the dynasty.

Being forced into this state must be a huge injustice!

Now, the common people at the bottom of society are forced into a desperate situation.

The final option is to exchange life for life, but it is often difficult to exchange life for life.

Just when Shen Nian was talking about how his mouth was dry.

The lean man looked at the purple-dressed woman and said, "Sister, we were too rash. Exposing the old thief Zhang's scandal alone won't bring him down, let alone abolish the performance evaluation system. Why not tell him about our situation? Just in case there's hope?"

The woman in purple hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

She looked at Shen Nian.

"My name is Liang Qing, and this is my brother Liang Chen. We are from Gong County, Henan Prefecture. Our father is Liang Huaian, the county magistrate of Gong County, Henan Prefecture. His main responsibility is to collect taxes on grain and horses."

"Since the implementation of the "Examination of Success" law, my father has been even busier, leaving home early and returning late almost every day. Even so, he has been repeatedly reprimanded by his superiors for failing to collect taxes. The villagers even regard my father as an enemy, some even throwing manure at our house and setting it on fire late at night."

……

"In May of this year, the wheat harvest entered its peak season, and the villagers naturally wanted to save some extra grain. However, Gong County Magistrate Zhou Huai, in order to achieve political success, ordered my father to collect the next year's land tax in advance. My father argued with Zhou Huai and was punished, but he had no choice but to comply. The villagers complained bitterly, and my father had no choice but to resign, but his resignation was not approved."

"Zhou Huai saw that my father was unwilling to go out and collect taxes, so he ordered him to check the accounts. He then ordered the county clerk to gather a group of ruffians to collect the land tax. If anyone resisted, they would go directly to their homes and beat and scold them, tear off the tiles and demolish the houses, take away the livestock, and even force the villagers to borrow money!"

"My father impeached Gong County Magistrate Zhou Huai to Henan Prefecture Governor Bao Xishan for illegally collecting land taxes, which could easily incite civil unrest. However, he was fined six months' salary for failing to implement the performance appraisal system. Afterwards, Gong County Magistrate Zhou Huai deliberately increased the workload my father had to review accounts, forcing him to work until nearly three o'clock in the morning for five consecutive days. He eventually died of overwork. My mother was heartbroken... so grief-stricken that she followed my father within three days. My sister-in-law also divorced my brother because of this incident."

"And then... and then... some people dug up my parents' graves, angrily accusing my father of destroying their families!"

"My brother and I had no choice but to go to the provincial government to file a complaint, reporting the evil deeds of Henan Prefecture Governor Bao Xishan and Gong County Magistrate Zhou Huai for forcibly pre-collecting land taxes and sending hooligans to collect them. But...but whenever we mentioned the law, we were scolded. My brother has received over a hundred sticks for filing complaints!"

"With nowhere else to turn, we had no choice but to come to the capital. After arriving here, we discovered that anyone who dared to criticize the performance evaluation system would be slandering national policy, a heinous crime that could be thrown directly into the imperial prison by the Imperial Guards without investigation or trial."

"Without any other choice, we can only choose to expose the evil deeds of the old thief Zhang and bring him to ruin. This will also be considered revenge for our parents and our fellow villagers!"

"We also looked for the old thief Zhang's biological sons, but they were accompanied by many servants, and finally... finally they set their sights on you!"

"The unscrupulous performance appraisal system has made corrupt officials even more despotic, has caused good officials to die suddenly from overwork and become infamous, and has left the people in dire straits. Good citizens have abandoned their land and become refugees. What else could this be but a harsh policy?"

……

After Liang Qing finished speaking, her face was full of tears. Liang Chen's eyes were also red and he clenched his fists tightly.

At this moment, Shen Nian opened his mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say.

He also anticipated that local officials would shift the pressure of the performance evaluation system onto the grassroots people.

But I didn’t expect it to develop to this point!
If this is the case in Henan Prefecture, it must be the same in other places.

After the implementation of the performance appraisal law, performance appraisal became everything for officials, and officials would do anything to get it.

Shen Nian couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Since ancient times, most new policies and measures are good laws and policies, but after passing through the hands of a group of officials, they become distorted, chaotic, and useless.

Liang Qing looked at Shen Nian who was looking down in thought.

"Do you dare to impeach Zhang Juzheng for my father, for the people of Gong County, Henan Prefecture, and for all the people in the world who have been harmed by the Imperial Examination System?"

Shen Nian slowly raised his head.

"Miss Liang, this matter is rather complicated and requires further consideration. Could you please allow me to think it over? Also, do you have any evidence that Gong County Magistrate Zhou Huai preemptively levied land taxes and ordered these scoundrels to come and collect them?"

"Yes!" Liang Chen replied.

"We can't give it to you even if we have it. If we give it to you, what if you hand it over to the old thief Zhang? Tell me, do you dare to impeach the old thief Zhang? If you don't dare, we will kill you first, and then settle the score with the old thief Zhang!" Liang Qing raised the dagger in her hand again.

now.

If Shen Nian told her that the performance evaluation system had its pros and cons, the latter would definitely stab him in anger.

In the eyes of the two, the performance evaluation system was a harsh policy, a tool for corrupt officials to oppress the people and extort money.

The imperial court is their enemy.

Shen Nian thought quickly. If he reported this to the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng would most likely not take it seriously.

Because this matter was too insignificant to Zhang Juzheng!
Since the implementation of the self-examination law.

In one place, three consecutive chief officials resigned due to overwork and illness. Hundreds of brawls broke out between government officials and local people, resulting in deaths and injuries. In several places, the people rioted, and some even rebelled outright.

Zhang Juzheng did not think these things were problems with the performance evaluation system and suppressed them all.

He knew that the performance evaluation system had side effects.

But he was certain that the benefits outweighed the disadvantages and that it would be beneficial to the court, so he enforced it.

now.

It was just that a county magistrate was exhausted to death, that some local officials collected taxes in advance, and that some unconventional means were used to collect them.

Even if Zhang Juzheng punished them, it would not be too severe.

Because the implementation of the Kaocheng Law is the top priority, the stability of the country and the revenue of the national treasury are above all else.

In Zhang Juzheng's eyes, the four words "put the overall situation first" are as heavy as Mount Tai, and the people who were sacrificed for the overall situation are just a number.

There is no new political reform without bloodshed.

Shen Nian doesn't like the phrase "putting the overall situation first". He thinks that even if the overall situation is considered, the people of the world should be given priority.

present.

Shen Nian was no longer thinking about the affairs of Gong County, Henan Prefecture, but how to solve the side effects of the performance evaluation system at the local level.

Shen Nian thought about it, then suddenly picked up the brush on the bench beside him, dipped it in ink and started writing.

"I, Shen Nian, humbly pray for the witness of Heaven and Earth, the sun, moon, and stars! I, Shen Nian, swear today to do my utmost to eliminate the evils of local officials, such as pre-taxing land taxes and violent debt collection, caused by the performance evaluation system. If my words and actions are inconsistent, I will be struck by lightning, and my body will be condemned to hell, and my soul will be destroyed in the netherworld!"

Say it.

Shen Nian signed his name, then bit his finger and pressed a fingerprint on it.

"You two, this is my sincerity! Believe me and hand over the evidence in your hands to me!" Shen Nian said seriously.

Seeing Liang Qing nod, Liang Chen immediately took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Shen Nian.

"This is a list written by my father of the villagers in Gong County who were forced to pay their land taxes in advance, as well as a list of the ruffians in Gong County who maliciously urged them to pay!"

"I advise you not to play tricks. I have many copies of this text. It's useless if you destroy one!" Liang Chen said.

At this moment, they still didn't believe Shen Nian, but there was no other way.

Shen Nian nodded and put the letter into his arms.

Liang Qing asked, "When will there be results?"

Shen Nian thought for a moment and replied, "In five days at most, this matter will surely cause a stir among the court and the people. By then, you will be able to see my sincerity!"

Immediately, Liang Qing untied the hemp rope on Shen Nian's feet.

Shen Nian stood up, took two steps forward, and then quickly turned around.

"If you are summoned by the authorities, remember that you are asking me to redress your grievances, not to kidnap me. Do you understand?"

Their families were already broken beyond recognition, and Shen Nian couldn't bear to see them go to jail for kidnapping an imperial official.

The two nodded slightly, and their impression of Shen Nian improved a little.

……

Late at night, Shen Zhai.

Shen Nian sat in the study, thinking about how to solve the problem fundamentally.

"There's no point in seeking help from the cabinet. We must make this a big deal. I even have to come up with a strategy to resolve it!"

In today's court, there are many people who raise questions, but few who can solve them. If you just throw a problem to the court, it is likely that the problem will not be solved.

Another half a minute later, a smile suddenly appeared on Shen Nian's face.

"It seems that the Queen Mother is willing to sacrifice her life and scold me every day. I hope Your Majesty and Lord Zhang can understand my intentions!" Shen Nian stood up and felt relieved.

(End of this chapter)