Chapter 234

【Chen Ziqiang's reason for being on the list: At the age of seventy, he ascended to the position of prime minister, but instead of thinking about exhausting his energy, he intensified the selling of offices and titles.】

【"No bribe no opening of books," is actually treating the country's public instruments as a private shop.】

【His actions completely trampled on the imperial examination and official selection system, blocked the path of the virtuous, poisoned the officialdom, and accelerated the decay of the Southern Song Dynasty, the crime is the greatest!】

【Therefore, ranked seventh among the top ten corrupt officials, still feels insufficient to show his evil!】

The viewers of the myriad worlds, especially those dynasties that value the imperial examination and the official selection system, are furious!

Han Dynasty.

Liu Bang scratched his head: "This old man… is a bit interesting."

"He became a county assistant at sixty-something. If it were me, I would have gone home to hold my grandson long ago."

"He is good, seventy-three years old and can still be prime minister?"

"However… this prime minister is like opening a shop to do business? And clearly marked prices?"

"Isn't this selling the court's official hats like Chinese cabbage?"

Xiao He was heartbroken: "Unreasonable! Selecting officials and appointing the capable is a major event for the country."

"Openly selling titles like this, reversing the virtuous and the foolish, not distinguishing between loyal and traitorous, how can the country not be chaotic? This old thief is the worst disaster for the country!"

Ying Zheng was even more disgusted and murderous,

"Prime Minister? I think it's a merchant! Old and not dead is a thief! Such pests, if they were in my Great Qin, exterminating three clans would be light!"

"Han Tuozhou is also trash, using such old and corrupt people as prime minister, asking for his own destruction!"

Tang Dynasty, Zhenguan period.

Li Shimin's face was ashen: "Bastard! Shameless! Right Prime Minister, the head of all officials, should be the example for the world!"

"This person actually turned the Prime Minister's mansion into a market and treated official titles as commodities!"

"Imperial examination to select scholars was originally fair, but this thief stained it with one hand! Hateful! Should be killed!"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui also felt the same. They were also from humble backgrounds and knew the importance of the imperial examination and fair selection, and hated Chen Ziqiang's actions deeply.

Song Dynasty.

Zhao Kuangyin looked at the chaos in the Southern Song Dynasty on the sky screen, especially the strange things that appeared in the court of his descendants, and his face was very bad.

After "releasing military power with a cup of wine," he vigorously advocated literature and reused scholar-officials, intending to consolidate the country.

He didn't expect that under his descendants, scholar-officials could be corrupt to such an unscrupulous extent.

"Prime Minister selling offices… hey, the prime minister of my Great Song really gives the ancestors a long face."

Zhao Kuangyin's tone was cold, "Zhao Pu, you listen to me, and tell future descendants, whoever dares to learn from this Chen Ziqiang, privately transfer official positions, clearly mark prices, then don't blame the Zhao family emperor for not thinking about the relationship between monarch and minister!"

"Have one, kill one! Have a clan, exterminate a clan!"

Prime Minister Zhao Pu hurriedly bowed: "The minister remembers! I will definitely pass this instruction to descendants and disciples, and take it as a warning forever!"

Ming Dynasty, Hongwu period.

Zhu Yuanzhang's reaction was the most intense and complex.

Because he came from the lowest level, he hated corrupt officials to the bone, but at the same time, he also had a deep distrust of officials, especially civil officials.

Seeing this old man at this age still so greedy and still so "creative" in selling offices, he was so angry that he walked in circles in the hall.

"Civil official! Scholar! When the heart is black, it's fiercer than the Tatars I killed back then!"

"Seventy-something, soil buried to the neck, still so greedy! What is he planning? Planning for a gold-rimmed coffin after death?"

Zhu Yuanzhang roared, "Also (no bribe no opening of books)? I think he is crazy about money!"

"In my Great Ming Dynasty, if there is such a prime minister, I will make his old bones into lanterns and hang them at the gate of the Ministry of Personnel, so that all those who want to be officials and want to be promoted can see the end of corrupt officials!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao hurriedly persuaded: "Father, calm down, take care of your dragon body…"

"Calm down? I can't calm down!"

Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted him, "Biao'er, you remember, when using officials, virtue comes first! People without virtue, no matter how talented, are disasters!"

"Like this Chen Ziqiang, old and not cultivated, the thief of virtue! His backer Han Tuozhou is also not a good thing!"

"In-laws monopolizing power, appointing people by favoritism, deserve to be killed!"

Qing Dynasty.

Xuan Ye also looked solemn: "Selling offices and titles has existed in all dynasties, but it is so unscrupulous, forming rules, and even 'no bribe no opening of books', it is truly an ancient wonder."

"This is not the corruption of one person, but the collapse of the system and the corruption of the atmosphere."

"Mingju, Suo'ertu, you two are in key positions, you should know the weight of the word (integrity)."

"If anyone dares to imitate Chen Ziqiang and engage in this set under my nose, I don't mind doing the Gali case again."

Mingju and Suo'ertu bowed and agreed:

"Servants/ministers dare not! Must be self-disciplined and strictly restrain subordinates!"

Southern Song, Jiatai period.

Lin'an City, Prime Minister's mansion.

The sound of silk and bamboo in the mansion was still there, but it was already out of tune.

Chen Ziqiang sat behind his wide official desk, facing the "filial piety" list and gold and silver, but the hand holding the list was trembling violently.

The blood color on his face faded, as pale as paper.

He was just complacent about another "big business" deal, calculating how much money this would add to another villa by the West Lake.

In a blink of an eye, the sky screen shook out all his "brilliant achievements" in the last few years and his miserable end, in great detail, to the whole world!

And listed him as the seventh mega-corrupt official in history!

"It's over… it's all over…"

Chen Ziqiang only felt the world spinning, and his heart was twisted with pain.

He seemed to have seen Han Tuozhou's eyes that might become cold, seen the censors gearing up to impeach him, seen the emperor's eyes hidden with anger…

"Quick! Quick, take those things… those lists, and those outside… put them away! Burn them! Quick!"

Chen Ziqiang roared at the steward and confidants beside him, his voice distorted by fear.

But it was too late.

Lin'an City had already exploded.

Those officials, scholars, and generals who were suffering from no money to bribe, or whose memorials were suppressed or could not fill the official vacancy, seeing the sky screen at this moment, were like grabbing a life-saving straw, or like dry firewood being ignited.

"Chen Ziqiang! Old thief!"

"Sure enough, it was him who deducted my military pay and memorial for merit!"

"I said why there was no movement after sending three hundred taels, it turned out the price wasn't negotiated!"

"Go! Go to the Imperial City Division! Go to the Censorate! Impeach him!"

"Yes! With the sky screen as evidence, let's see how this old thief can deny it!"

The sound of anger began to sound in every corner of Lin'an City, and quickly gathered toward the palace.

Many officials couldn't wait to start writing impeachment memorials. This time, the evidence was "solid," let's see who can protect him!

At the same time, the punishment of the sky screen arrived late.

【Given Chen Ziqiang's status as Right Prime Minister, openly selling offices, clearly marking prices, corrupting the source of official governance, blocking the path of the virtuous, harming the country and the people, his crime is too numerous to record!】

【Now descending the punishment of the Heavenly Dao: Reduce his lifespan by twenty-two years! Effective immediately!】

A gray beam of light full of withered and decaying meaning fell from the sky screen, accurately covering Chen Ziqiang, who was limp on the grand master's chair in the Prime Minister's mansion.

"Uh…"

Chen Ziqiang let out a short groan.

He only felt that all his strength and vitality were instantly drained like a floodgate!

Originally just old, he quickly became exhausted.

The age spots on his face increased and deepened at a speed visible to the naked eye, his skin shriveled and stuck to his bones, his eyes quickly became turbid and dim, and even breathing became difficult and laborious, as if he would stop breathing at any moment.

Twenty-two years of lifespan deprived, for a seventy-five-year-old man, was almost pushing him to the edge of death immediately!

"Prime Minister! Prime Minister!"

The steward and servants surrounded him in horror, only to see Chen Ziqiang was already gasping for breath, only exhaling, not inhaling.

"Come… come… prepare the carriage… the old man wants to see the Emperor… explain…"

Chen Ziqiang squeezed out a few words with his last strength; he still wanted to struggle, still wanted to argue.

But there was no chance.

In the direction of the palace, the sharp voice of the eunuch passing the decree was already vaguely audible, accompanied by the footsteps of armor friction—

The emperor, forced by the pressure of the sky screen's exposure and the surging public opinion, had already issued a decree.

Dismissed? Imprisoned? Or exiled directly?

For Chen Ziqiang, who had only one breath left, it didn't seem important anymore.

Heavenly Dao reduced his lifespan, already sentenced him to death, just delayed the execution for a moment.

The news spread, and the people of Lin'an, especially those merchants who had been extorted and made difficult, all clapped and cheered.

"Reduced lifespan by twenty-two years? Good! Let him taste the taste of dying soon!"

"Old corrupt official! Should have died long ago!"

"Sold offices all his life, in the end, even his own lifespan was sold out! Retribution!"

The Southern Song court fell into chaos, and a purge against Chen Ziqiang and his party, triggered by the sky screen, was about to begin.

And Chen Ziqiang himself, in the prison cart, in endless fear, regret, and illness, lingered in his last time which was greatly shortened.

The golden light of the sky screen, ruthlessly sweeping past this chaos, continued to inventory the next one.

Everyone can guess, who is the sixth corrupt official in history? ❛˓◞˂̵✧