I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 111: Picky officials should not be tolerated! Shen Nian offers a new strategy

The ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty is like a mountain.

It’s not that it can’t be crossed.

Instead, one needs to carefully carve a path through layers of hard rock.

Sometimes we even need to borrow power from our ancestors.

such as--

Zhang Juzheng said that the performance evaluation system was a restoration of the performance evaluation system during the Hongwu period, and that the military reform was intended to restore the ancestral system and enhance combat effectiveness.

In order to resolve the resistance to the new policy, he made many changes and turned the reform into law.

Although some conservatives also attacked him for "changing the ancestral system", his purpose was to maintain imperial power and maintain the stability of the country.

Therefore, it can be implemented.

Shen Nian's proposal to "abolish common practices, increase salaries, and add public lines" involved shaking the foundation of the Ming Dynasty court.

Most of the lower-level officials still serve as officials only for the sake of making a living.

Routine is their fate.

While "abolishing common practices and increasing salaries" may seem like a salary increase, it actually cuts income; increasing public funds leaves some officials less room to embezzle and seek personal gain.

The strategy is a good one.

But if it is implemented now, it will easily cause chaos in the local area.

Shen Nian also knew that it could not be carried out at the moment, but he still insisted on shaking the ancestral system, because he knew that if the Ming Dynasty wanted to move towards prosperity, this knife would have to be cut!
……

Three-day house arrest.

For some officials, it is a very humiliating punishment and may even affect their future career.

But for Shen Nian.

It is indeed a three-day short holiday, a rare time for parents and children to spend time together.

During these three days, Shen Nian stayed at home, accompanying his wife and taking care of the children, and was in a very happy mood.

……

Three days later, Shen Nian went to the yamen as usual.

The discussion on "officials' unwillingness to serve as county officials" is still ongoing.

Even some candidate officials in the capital got involved.

Because during the regular court, some people mentioned making special promotions for county officials, reducing their burdens, and rewarding outstanding county officials with plaques and imperial calligraphy.

This gave some officials who were at risk of being exiled to prefectures and counties the courage to put forward conditions to the court.

They all believe that the current county officials are treated too poorly and have heavy official duties, and suggest reducing their burdens and reducing the responsibilities of some officials who have a very bad reputation among the people.

These actions were actually shaking the performance evaluation system and the policy of pacifying the people. However, the county officials were the executors of the new policies who directly faced the people, and their impact on the implementation of the new policies was very large.

Zhang Juzheng was very conflicted and couldn't decide whether to make exceptions for the hard-working county officials.

……

In the afternoon, in the front hall of the Ministry of Public Administration.

Shen Nian took over several records of yesterday's court meeting from the officer on duty, and prepared to return to the Hanlin Academy to sort them out and include them in the "Daily Records".

He was about to leave.

Two officials in blue robes walked in.

Shen Nian recognized them.

One was Zhou Yan, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat (rank seven), who was in charge of drafting imperial edicts in the cabinet; the other was Wang Zhaolin, the Judge of the Dali Temple (rank seven).

"Greetings to Editor Shen!" The two of them bowed to Shen Nian first.

Shen Nian smiled and nodded as a greeting. Just as he was about to move forward, he heard the voice of Zhou Yan, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, from behind.

"Editor Shen, please stay!"

Shen Nian stopped and turned to look at Zhou Yan.

"Mr. Zhou, what's the matter?"

"Can I have a word with you for a moment?"

Shen Nian nodded and came to the corner of the corridor outside the front hall with the two of them.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Editor Shen, recently everyone has been discussing how to get officials to serve as county officials. We two have some humble opinions, but our opinions are not taken seriously by the elders. We happened to meet Editor Shen, so we thought we would let him take a look at our suggestions."

After saying that, Wang Zhaolin took out a memorial from his sleeve.

"If Editor Shen agrees with our suggestion, could you please co-sign this memorial? This will not only ensure our memorial is taken seriously, but also mitigate Editor Shen's fault for 'violating ancestral rules.'"

Wang Zhaolin added: "Once the court has formulated a new strategy for county officials, we are both willing to apply for transfer to other places." Hearing that both of them were willing to be transferred to other places to serve as county officials, Shen Nian couldn't help but get excited, and thought to himself: There are still people in the Ming Dynasty who serve as officials not for money and fame.

Immediately, Shen Nian took the memorial and read it carefully.

Soon, his brow furrowed.

In their memorials, the two men pleaded that the court should make an exception and promote county officials, allowing them to be promoted after an examination every three years; for officials serving as county officials, priority should be given to the positions of prefects and governors. In addition, they also hoped to reduce the official duties of county officials and transfer matters such as river management and catching bandits to the Ministry of Civil Affairs (i.e., the province).

Shen Nian looked at the two people with expectant expressions and felt the urge to beat them up.

If the imperial court uses this policy to treat county officials.

The job of county officials suddenly went from being a hard one to a good one. Especially for low-level officials like them who found it difficult to get promoted in the capital's government offices, they would probably be willing to be sent out.

They both had such beautiful thoughts!
They did not want to become county officials, but wanted to use the county officials as a stepping stone to become prefects in three years and provincial officials in five years.

Achieve rapid career advancement.

They have no regard for the people or new policies, only fame and fortune.

this moment.

Shen Nian realized that there was something wrong with the current trend in discussing county officials.

Although county officials are important, the imperial court cannot compromise.

Once the privilege of special promotion or reduction of responsibilities is granted, more corrupt, fame-seeking and empty-headed officials will flock to local counties and prefectures.

The new policies will be more difficult to implement and people’s lives will become more difficult.

……

Shen Nian looked at Zhou Yan, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, and Wang Zhaolin, the Judge of the Dali Temple, and handed the memorial back to them.

"Gentlemen, the request in this memorial is different from what I have in mind. I beg your pardon for not signing my name. However, I will convey your request for transfer to prefecture and county positions to higher authorities."

After saying that, Shen Nian walked towards the front hall of the Ministry of Public Administration, thinking to himself: Officials who are picky must not be indulged!

Wang Zhaolin looked at Shen Nian's back and said angrily, "Humph! Arrogant and conceited, does he think he is Hai Gangfeng, the savior of the Ming Dynasty?"

"No one's career can always be spring, and no one's career can always be winter. Wang Pingshi, when we rise, we will let these people know the pain of being ignored and looked down upon!" Zhou Yan gritted his teeth and said angrily.

What the two of them didn't know was that Shen Nian had already restrained himself by not beating them up, and their memorials made Shen Nian feel that they had offended his eyes.

After a while.

Shen Nian appeared in the front hall of the Tongzhengshisi again.

He shouted to a middle-aged man in front of him, "Old Bai, bring me some pen and ink. I need to write a memorial and discuss the affairs of the prefecture and county officials!"

Lao Bai is an old clerk in the Tongzhengsi.

Upon hearing this, he hurried to Shen Nian's side and said in a low voice, "Editor Shen, don't lose your temper. The higher-ups have specifically instructed that if you continue to speak against the ancestral system, the Tongzhengsi will reject your memorial. If you are punished again, it might not just be a three-day confinement. Even if it's not for your own sake, you can't delay His Majesty's studies!"

Shen Nian smiled without saying anything, pulled a blank memorial from the side, dipped the pen in ink, picked up the pen, and began to write seriously.

not far away.

Zhou Yan, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, and Wang Zhaolin, the Judge of the Dali Temple, who came to submit a memorial, happened to see this scene.

Both of them hoped that Shen Nian would speak rudely again and disobey the ancestral rules again.

When.

The two also wanted to impeach Shen Nian and have him severely punished.

Shen Nian's behavior of writing memorials in the Ministry of Public Administration attracted many officials around him.

The Tongzhengshisi was where officials submitted memorials. All memorials would be submitted to the cabinet or the emperor only after they had been transcribed by the Tongzhengshisi.

There were almost no cases like Shen Nian who wrote memorials in the Ministry of Public Administration.

Less than half an hour.

Shen Nian finished writing the memorial and handed it to the clerk Lao Bai.

Lao Bai took a closer look and found that this article was completely different from the content of the previous few days and did not violate the ancestral rules. A happy smile immediately appeared on his face.

If Shen Nianruo continues to speak of something that goes against the ancestral system and his words reach the cabinet, Lao Bai will be punished.

Shen Nian smiled and said, "Old Bai, this memorial is extremely urgent. I hope you can send it to the cabinet immediately after you finish copying it!"

"No problem. I promise to complete the tasks assigned by Editor Shen." Lao Bai said with a bow.

Afterwards, Shen Nian left the Ministry of Public Security.

The moment he walked out of the door, he muttered to himself, "If nothing unexpected happens, Lord Zhang will probably agree to this plan. However, once this plan is implemented, I'm afraid I'll be scolded by a large number of local officials again. Who cares? It's better to let the officials suffer than to let the people suffer!"

Shen Nian looked at the blue sky in front of him and walked towards the Hanlin Academy in a happy mood.

(End of this chapter)