Throughout the dynasties, emperors and cabinet ministers wanted to regulate the officials. There is no record of success in the history of the world of Red Mansions. Those who dare to punish officials will, without exception, end well.
Without exception, those who dare to take action to rectify the officialdom are either emperors with stable imperial power. Or he is an important minister with great power. These powerful ministers even had more power than the imperial power. But there is no successful precedent at all.
Those who dare to take action to rectify the government, whether they are the emperor or important ministers. There is no doubt that they are all outstanding people, and they are not ordinary outstanding people. But in the end they all ended in failure. This shows how difficult it is to regulate officials. It's simply an impossible task.
When a court official's corruption reaches a certain level, it will be difficult to recover. This dynasty was doomed to fall. Therefore, the most powerful emperor in this dynasty may be a cabinet minister. They will be unable to help but take action to rectify the administration of officials in order to prolong the reign of the country.
The reason why there is no successful precedent is actually simple to say. Because you are rectifying the entire ruling class. It is no longer a factional struggle in the court, but is aimed at the interests of the entire ruling class. The difficulty is self-evident.
Most of them will use reform methods to rectify their officials. There are also some reforms that are relatively mild and will achieve certain results initially. In addition, the power of the reformers reaches the sky. The entire interest group is overwhelmed, but in the end it often ends in failure.
After all, it was one man versus the entire ruling class. Therefore, those who change the law often do not end well in the end. Therefore, the emperor is just thinking about it. As for rectifying the administration of officials, the emperor currently does not have the courage.
The emperor also knew that if he did not improve his administration, the Zheng Dynasty would never survive. Doing nothing obviously won't work, after all, this is your own country. Then avoid the important and take the easy.
It has been more than 100 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China to clear up the debts owed by the Ministry of Accounts. The money owed by the civil and military ministers to the Ministry of Household Affairs is not a small amount. Not to mention collecting them all, even collecting them to the second and third floors is not a small amount.
Although Rong Ning's Second Mansion has taken a good lead. But no one followed suit, and everyone knew what was going on in Rong Ning's Second Mansion. We are different from them. Besides, it’s not just one or two families that owe money to the Ministry of Household Affairs, as long as everyone sticks together. The emperor has nothing to do with them.
The emperor really had nothing to do with them. The key was that many important officials in the court owed money to the Ministry of Revenue. And the higher the official position, the more you owe. In fact, the more powerful you are, the more money you can borrow from the Ministry of Household Affairs.
So everything is back to square one. Corruption in government is the root of everything.
When it comes to rectifying officialdom, we have to talk about the famous official of later generations - Zhang Juzheng. Zhang Juzheng is the only person who can do this. This shows how extraordinary he is. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to call him the number one famous minister in the ages.
Zhang Juzheng was in the middle and late Ming Dynasty of later generations. The situation of the Ming Dynasty at that time was similar to that of the Zheng Dynasty today. It was also caused by corruption in government and invasion by foreigners. The imperial army was depleted and the treasury was empty.
Zhang Juzheng was born into a scholar's family. Zhang Juzheng was literate at the age of five and could understand the Great Meanings of the Six Classics at the age of seven. At the age of twelve, he was selected as a scholar. What a genius. At the age of thirteen, he participated in Qiu Wei. His writings were first-rate and he had no problem with being elected.
But when the examiner saw that he was too young, success at a young age was not conducive to Zhang Juzheng's growth. So I decided to give it a try. As a result, Zhang Juzheng's wish to become a thirteen-year-old boy failed.
So, three years later, Zhang Juzheng was awarded the title of Juren at the age of sixteen. At the age of twenty-three, he received the title of Jinshi. Like Li Miao, he ranked ninth in the top two. Then he also entered the Hanlin Academy and became a Shujishi.
Zhang Juzheng also has a low-key and reserved personality. However, if his character is not very good, even for promotion, he will do a lot of things. As a result, it took Zhang Juzheng twenty-five years to become the first civil servant.
Forty-eight-year-old Zhang Juzheng is the first assistant. It happened that the emperor was young and could not govern personally. As a result, Zhang Juzheng took full power. It is equivalent to concentrating the power of the monarch and the power of the cabinet.
As a result, Zhang Juzheng changed his previous low-key and reserved personality. The fangs started to fall out. Drastically rectify the administration of officials. Start by attacking the officials who are blocking the way.
Then, place your own people in useful positions. Those who follow me will prosper, and those who go against me will perish. Regulating officials is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Zhang Juzheng is a tactful person and flexible in dealing with things. The ultimate goal of everything is to regulate officials. Make the country rich and the army strong.
Zhang Juzheng does big things without sticking to trivial matters. Not long after he started showing his fangs, his father in his hometown passed away. Logically speaking, Ding You should be worried. That is to say, I will go back to my hometown and stay for twenty-seven months before leaving the mountain.
Zhang Juzheng has shown his fangs, how could he go to Dingyou? Time waits for no one if you don't say it. If Ding You really loses his power, it will be a question of whether he can come out again. Whether he can survive or not is a question.
Zhang Juzheng offended all ruthless characters. So, the little emperor stole his love. But Zhang Juzheng's opponents quit. Finally, you have an opportunity. Your father is dead and you still don’t step down.
As a result, the little emperor issued another decree. If anyone mentions Zhang Juzheng and Ding You again, I will kill him. As a result, no one dared to ask Zhang Juzheng to step down.
Zhang Juzheng had great power and continued to attack the ruling class. These days a large amount of land is in the hands of the ruling class. They don't pay taxes and hide their land.
Zhang Juzheng continued to clear land across the country and redrawn the fish scale atlas on this basis. Expose all the hidden lands of the ruling class. Then use a whip method. Let everyone pay taxes together.
Zhang Juzheng implemented the examination method for officials, which improved the efficiency of departments at all levels, and clarified responsibilities, rewards and punishments, so that the decrees issued by the imperial court could be implemented to the end.
Zhang Juzheng spent ten years to enrich the treasury of the Ming Dynasty. The grain reserves are sufficient, and the grain reserves in the Guangtai Warehouse can supply the Ming Dynasty for ten years.
In the military, famous generals such as Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang were cultivated. As for the military strength of the Ming Dynasty, it can be said that it is at its peak. Foreigners dare not invade.
It's a pity that Zhang Juzheng only served as the chief assistant for ten years and then died of illness. It is said to be caused by fatigue. Aren't you tired too? What Zhang Juzheng did was to become an enemy of the entire ruling class. You will definitely have to rack your brains and it will be strange if you don’t die from exhaustion.
If Zhang Juzheng is given a few more years as chief assistant, the history of the Ming Dynasty will be rewritten. If Zhang Juzheng is allowed to serve as the first assistant for another ten years, the modern history of China will have to be rewritten for future generations.
In this way, Zhang Juzheng served as the chief minister for ten years, and the Ming Dynasty's reign was extended for at least a hundred years. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty would have been destroyed long ago.
Zhang Juzheng began to be liquidated after his death, and he offended the entire ruling class. The little emperor has also grown up. Zhang Juzheng began to take power after his death.
Zhang Juzheng is dead and destined to have a bad end. He was almost beaten to death. All the children in his family suffered the same fate. Their homes were confiscated and their homes were confiscated. There were not a few children who starved to death on the way to the army. It can be seen how many people hated Zhang Juzheng to the core at that time.
These people were the ruling class at that time, and many of them were powerful. They did not dare to do anything while Zhang Juzheng was alive. After Zhang Juzheng's death, they vented their hatred on his children and family.
When people die, government ceases. After Zhang Juzheng's death, the policies he formulated were completely rejected. A few years later, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty discovered that Zhang Juzheng's method still worked. So, Zhang Juzheng began to be vindicated. Zhang Juzheng was also given the title of King.
So, the emperor also started to do what Zhang Juzheng did. As a result, it couldn't be done. Because there is only one Zhang Juzheng in history. Even if you are the emperor and have great power, it will not do.
There is simply no second person in history who can make it through. The corruption of officials in the Ming Dynasty eventually led to the doom of the Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, Zhang Juzheng was the first famous minister, and later emperors and important ministers all imitated Zhang Juzheng. Learn his method of passing the examination and learn his method of whipping.
The later Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty was also regarded as a wise emperor. Moreover, it also holds great power and has a solid foundation. Yongzheng just wanted to copy what Zhang Juzheng did. The result is that they are similar in appearance but not in spirit.
Therefore, it is impossible to achieve the effect that Zhang Juzheng had at that time. The key issue lies in God and not in form. It is true that there are policies from above and countermeasures from below. The situation is also constantly changing. How can it be so easy to attack the entire ruling class?
In my opinion, the greatness of Zhang Juzheng does not lie in his examination method at all, nor does it lie in his whipping method. But it lies in his ability to implement his policies to the end. The key is that officials at all levels can implement his decrees to the letter.
And many of those who carry out his decrees to the letter are his enemies. A hated enemy. But these people still have to execute. This is the charm of Zhang Juzheng.
In later generations, I have seen many famous officials' evaluations of Zhang Juzheng. It will only be funny. Many of them actually used moral standards to evaluate Zhang Juzheng. I would like to ask, can a gentleman be the first assistant? Can you regulate officials?
As a political figure like Zhang Juzheng. When it comes to achieving his political goals, he needs to do whatever it takes. Do big things without hesitation. Therefore, Zhang Juzheng must have done many unrighteous things during his tenure as chief minister. Does it matter?
However, their evaluation of Zhang Juzheng's achievements was still positive. It is undeniable that Zhang Juzheng deserves to be the first famous official. At least so far, it has never been done before or since.
