amaotonovel Chapter 462 Let's just add insult to injury for Old Deng.
Chapter 462 Let's just add insult to injury for Old Deng.
I?
I look like I'm shrewd but can't figure things out.
Yang Shaofeng was so angry he laughed.
You old rascal, haven't I bothered you for three days? Have you forgotten the pain of being tormented?
Yang Shaofeng sneered inwardly, then respectfully bowed to Emperor Zhu and said, "Father-in-law, would you like to reduce corruption?"
Emperor Zhu's eyes lit up, and he stared intently at Yang Shaofeng, saying, "Speak."
If you tell me to speak, and I just speak, wouldn't I lose face?
Yang Shaofeng rolled his eyes slightly and said, "I already said that."
Emperor Zhu was slightly taken aback and asked, "Just now? You just said that?"
That bastard just asked for several titles.
He also talked about the salt fields.
He also mentioned setting a retirement age.
Finally, he even said he wanted to make the people work like oxen and horses, and then we mocked him as a cunning but clueless accountant.
When did this bastard ever say anything about reducing corruption?
Is it possible that my body is really too weak, so I didn't even remember what I just heard?
Should we then have Yang Qing play a few rounds of "Enjoy Yourself to the Fullest"?
Just as Emperor Zhu was lost in thought, Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "As I just said, sell the boats to the common people and let them bear the debt for thirty years."
Emperor Zhu was even more bewildered after Yang Shaofeng said that.
"What does this have to do with reducing corruption?"
"Or are you planning to make the officials take on thirty years of debt as well?"
Emperor Zhu couldn't help but sneer, mocking, "Have you ever seen an official buy a boat to fish?"
Yang Shaofeng snorted and said, "The officials don't buy boats to fish, and indeed no one can make the officials bear a thirty-year debt."
"However, you can deduct their salaries from the day they enter officialdom."
“Keep withholding it until they retire, and then give it to them all at once.”
"Let me give you a very simple example."
"Let's assume the son-in-law's annual salary is equivalent to one hundred strings of cash."
"You, sir, have taken pity on your son-in-law and increased my salary to one hundred and twenty strings of cash..."
Before Yang Shaofeng could finish speaking, Emperor Zhu said without hesitation, "Impossible! You scoundrel, you're always causing trouble for us, we're already being lenient by not deducting your salary!"
Tired.
I don't want to talk to this old man.
Otherwise, let's just add to Old Deng's troubles.
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "I was just giving an example, like you, sir, raised my salary to one hundred and twenty taels."
Seeing that Emperor Zhu was about to speak again, Yang Shaofeng preemptively said, "Anyway, the salary will increase sooner or later, because prices are also rising. If Your Majesty doesn't increase the salaries of the officials, won't they just embezzle money?"
Emperor Zhu's face immediately darkened, and he looked at Yang Shaofeng and said, "Then tell me first, why are these officials running out of money?"
"Or is it that they can't become officials without buying a few servants and maids, hiring a staff member, and eating delicacies every day?"
As he spoke, the anger in Emperor Zhu's heart grew even more intense.
"Damn it, the salary of a mere seventh-rank county magistrate is something that many ordinary people would have to work for several years without eating or drinking to earn."
"Not to mention supporting a family of five, we can afford to eat meat every day."
"What else do they want?"
"Do they have to squeeze every last penny out of you?"
"We're not going to give them a raise!"
"Anyone who dares to be greedy, we'll skin them alive and feed them grass!"
"Damn it, anyone who makes life difficult for ordinary people, we'll make sure their whole family suffers!"
Looking at the suddenly powerful Emperor Zhu, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Is this too much?
I was just trying to annoy this old man, but instead I stirred up some painful childhood memories.
However, this whole thing is definitely Old Deng's fault.
They're emperors now, how can they be like firecrackers, exploding at the slightest touch?
While inwardly grumbling, Yang Shaofeng cupped his hands and said, "Father-in-law, please let me finish speaking first, okay?"
The Emperor Zhu snorted angrily and said, "Speak!"
Yang Shaofeng said, "If you want to stop greed, you can't just skin the officials alive and feed them grass. If you want to curb their greed, you have to make them feel the pain."
Emperor Zhu snorted coldly and said, "They are not even afraid of death, and they don't even care about their own families. What else can make them feel sorry for them?"
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "What they want is money, and what they feel sorry for is also money."
"If my salary is one hundred taels, and you, sir, have increased it to one hundred and twenty taels, then..."
"However, of the twenty-two taels that have increased in value, ten taels will be paid out, and the other ten taels will be designated as a stipend for maintaining integrity."
“When my son-in-law resigns from his official post, the ten strings of cash he has saved over the years will be given to him all at once.”
“My son-in-law has been an official for ten years, and this is 1,200 strings of cash.”
"If one serves as an official for thirty years, that would amount to three thousand six hundred strings of cash."
"If the amount of this 'integrity allowance' is large enough, then even if I wanted to embezzle money, wouldn't I have to think about this allowance?"
"Of course, I dare not say that this alone can definitely stop corruption, after all, some people are not even afraid of death and do not care about the life and death of their families."
"But if we can make officials think of the integrity allowance first when faced with some petty gains, wouldn't that curb the greed of some officials?"
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, Emperor Zhu, who had just been burning with anger, quickly calmed down.
Seems feasible?
Just as that bastard said, this method won't scare everyone.
But if it can scare off some people, wouldn't that be equivalent to reducing the number of corrupt officials?
Yang Shaofeng glanced at Emperor Zhu and, seeing that Emperor Zhu's complexion had begun to return to normal, continued, "Actually, this money can be used for other purposes."
"For example, the allowance withheld this year is 100,000 strings of cash. Father-in-law could use that 100,000 strings to build a workshop or something."
"If the workshop makes money, wouldn't this 100,000 strings of cash become 150,000 strings of cash?"
"Of the extra 50,000 strings of cash, 40,000 strings will be handed over to the national treasury, and 10,000 strings will still be left to be distributed among the officials."
"In this way, the officials will be able to get more of the allowance for maintaining integrity."
"When they're being greedy, don't they always think about whether this money or the money they've embezzled is more?"
"After all, being an honest official means receiving a large sum of money after retirement, while being greedy for money carries the risk of being skinned alive. Officials will naturally weigh the pros and cons."
Emperor Zhu gave a slight snort and said, "They got off too easy."
Yang Shaofeng really wanted to grab Zhu Chongba and ask him, "Who exactly benefited?"
This isn't just a problem for the corrupt officials.
The cheapest option is still your Zhu family's, okay?
They're getting the benefits and then acting innocent!
Just as Yang Shaofeng was secretly complaining, Emperor Zhu snorted coldly and said, "Alright, don't worry about this for now. Let's think about how to handle it later."
"Yes, in addition to the anti-corruption allowance, let's add a pension allowance for them as well."
"The pension should not be paid in full at once, but should be paid monthly like a salary."
"In this way, they might make a profit, but we certainly won't lose too much."
Yang Shaofeng's eyes widened immediately.
Won't we lose too much money?
You've really hit the jackpot!