The work of the imperial censors' overseer was very suitable for the old man Mei, who decided to accept the offer after less than an incense stick.
Dong Chanyu's chancellery is ambiguous to the current officials of Yin Dynasty, outsiders would never know what this institution is. Fortunately, Mei Bo indeed needs to be ambiguous now. Being the imperial censor's overseer does not count as betraying Yin Dynasty, as Yin Dynasty does not have this position.
I, a high official of Yin Dynasty who was wrongfully imprisoned and dismissed from office, catching a few corrupt officials in Nanxun, pointing out injustice by speaking up is a reasonable thing to do.
The old man spoke resolutely, "Fine, I am willing to take on this role as the imperial censor's overseer. But I've been stiff-necked all my life, and I will never flatter or indulge in praise. If you're dissatisfied, here's my old life at your disposal; come and take it whenever you like."
Deng Chanyu smiled broadly, "Ha-ha-ha! I believe I still have a little bit of room for tolerance."
Three days later.
"Old man with a white head, scoundrel with a long beard, you have insulted me too much!" Enraged, Deng Chanyu drew out the South Bright Fire Sword.
Before, I thought King Zhou had a narrow mind. Now I see, fuck! King Zhou tolerated Mei Bo for a whole ten years! I can't stand it for three days anymore!
Being a martial general, he was pulled into a civil service role, and Ding Ce, who always believed himself to be uniquely talented, was trying to persuade him earnestly from the side.
"Chancellery, please calm down. Mei Bo was referring to the low-ranking general, and has nothing to do with you."
Mei Bo railed against all of Deng Chanyu's actions and also lightly mocked Ding Ce's little plan to retreat to the outside of Chaogong.
Ding Ce was very upset. If you see through something, why not say it? Don't you old fellow understand?
Mei Bo was truly a hard-hearted person. Facing the South Bright Fire Sword, a sword that shines brilliantly as soon as it's pulled out, he had no fear at all.
After all, he's an old man, and any sword you use can kill him. You decide what to do.
Deng Chanyu took two deep breaths and said, "Although I am somewhat impulsive, 'Hold on to wealth and let it grow, and it is better to stop when it has reached its peak. If you press it too hard, it will not be able to last. An abundance of gold and jade does not guarantee one's ability to maintain them. Excessive wealth and luxury often lead to arrogance and invite trouble. It is best to retire when one's mission is accomplished.' Doing things just right, preventing excessive growth that may lead to reversal - I allow the farmers who cannot pay their taxes this year to pay them next year. What is wrong with that?"
Mei Bo's attitude was very upright: "If the farmer still cannot pay his taxes next year, will it be extended to the following year? Will other farmers see him not paying taxes and follow suit? The chancellery has asked me to supervise officials in various regions, and I must strictly adhere to the command. There is no room for moderation. We should strive for excellence in everything we do. I do this, and so should those farmers who cannot pay their taxes. Each should do their job well to ensure the long-term stability of the country. This has nothing to do with the way of heaven."
Deng Chanyu was filled with disbelief, unable to help but look up at the sky.
Holy sage of the Taqing realm, there is an old man here who has rendered your theories invalid. I will tie his limbs and throw him into the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace for a burn. You should hurry and do it.
It can't be said that Mei Bo's words are without merit; his words have a flavor of legalism, which is quite different from the way of governing based on the teachings of Huang Lao that Deng Chanyu's side adheres to.
It's hard to say who is right and who is wrong. We should learn from each other's shining ideas and work together to create a brand new path of governance.
Deng Chanyu pondered for a moment. The southern land was still not good enough, far less than the western Qixi. They had bad luck and tried their best for a year, only to end up doing nothing or even falling into debt. She believed that it was acceptable for the farmer to delay payment of taxes by one year, but it could not exceed three years.
After that, she turned her gaze to Ding Ce, not even bothering to look at Mei Bo who was standing right in front of her. "Let Guo Chen continue with his work; the Chancellery will record it as a merit for him."
Guo Chen is Ding Ce's sworn brother. This person is relatively simple-minded and lacks significant talents. With no major battles in Nancun and numerous martial generals, there are no opportunities for him to achieve merits and be promoted.
Deng Chanyu appointed Guo Chen, a large and sturdy man with a full beard, to the position of the Department of Rites and Ceremonies.
Every day, they teach those incoming barbarian chieftains "Business Yansu"!
Language often serves as a deadly weapon to annihilate another race, and Guo Chen teaches well, being very diligent and responsible. However, Mei Bo runs over and says that Guo Chen has an accent! He doesn't speak Yansu in the right way!
This is driving Deng Chanyu crazy. What's all this about authenticity? Can't they just communicate?
In order to calm down Guo Chen and maintain his enthusiasm, Deng Chanyu also rewards him with a hundred gold coins as encouragement.
The Phoenix Divided Self was absorbing the essence of the foremother spirits. During this period, the original jade body of Deng Chanyu could not be cultivated. The energy in the essence of the foremother spirits was too abundant. If she increased Taoist power at this time, it would easily cause a collision between the two types of energy. During this period, she would focus on handling various official duties.
Mei Bo is truly first-class at finding faults, but it has to be said that the old man is made of hard stuff. He shows no leniency towards the corruption among officials in Nancun. He ignores any warnings or threats, gets stabbed in the street, and still goes to work as usual the next day.
"All things must rot by themselves before insects can thrive," Deng Chanyu attach great importance to the issue of anti-corruption.
These days, the literacy rate is too low, and there are very few people who can take up official positions.
It's not hard to fight corruption, the difficulty lies in how to deal with it.
Criticism and education don't work, beheading directly is also inappropriate. Mei Bo only cares about sorting out good and bad people, he doesn't care how to deal with them.
Deng Chanyu thought for a long time and really couldn't think of any methods available in the mortal world. Desperately, she decided to use the methods from the underworld.
You're involved in corruption, aren't you? Fine, let's send you to wander around the eighteenth level of hell for a while.
The eighteenth level of hell built by the witch race is, to be honest, very creative.
Deng Chanyu handed the names of officials who "voluntarily" participated in the large-scale integration project between the mortal and spiritual realms to Zai Ji. Currently, Zai Ji, who holds the records of life and death and the pen of judgment, simply drew a line with her pen, "Go on!"
Fang Bian and Fang Xiang brothers became the guides of the eighteenth level of hell. More than a dozen generals who hold martial positions are now officials, all being taken by the ghost officers, quivering from head to toe, and traveling through the eighteenth level of hell from top to bottom.
For those who have embezzled less severely, they'll be thrown in for three days and then released to return to work. Those with more serious offenses will experience a month there and then be sent to the hot oil pot for a fry. As for the most serious cases, they'll stay in the afterlife to help Daji boost her performance.
If there are any dissatisfactions, they can go complain to King Yama. The work of our underworld is transparent and open. Whether King Yama will accept or not is his decision, and Deng Chanyu will not be responsible for it.
Over a month later, Mei Bo conducted investigations and found that the administrative affairs in Nancun had miraculously improved significantly. The several officials who were previously paid but unfulfilled in their duties or refused to do anything without pay have all become diligent.
He was puzzled, not knowing how Deng Chanyu had punished these people. After all, in King Zhou's court, apart from beheading and confiscating properties, there were no other methods.
He asked several times, but Deng Chanyu always smiled and remained silent. The old man stopped asking.
Thinking about this matter involving himself, he couldn't help but feel a sense of achievement. His acceptance of Nancun's performance increased by two points in his heart.
