The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 556: Honest Officials Are Hard to Be
Is it so miserable to be an honest official these days?
When Wanli heard this, he was stunned.

Wang Chongguang died in the line of duty and did not receive any pension, which led to his wife and children at home becoming dizzy and hungry!

Also, the Wang family has produced more than ten Jinshi scholars in three generations, but they can only barely make ends meet?

This is truly unbelievable.

However, there was no need for Wang Xianggan to deceive the emperor in this way.

Because he did not ask whether the Wang family members were honest officials, nor did he say that he wanted to examine Wang Xianggan to see if he could be promoted and reused.

He was just using Wang Xiangjin as a guide to secretly investigate Wang Xiangqian.

At this moment, Wang Xianggan probably didn't know what he was trying to do, so there was no need for Wang Xianggan to pretend to be honest to this extent, and there was no need to speak nonsense to deceive the emperor.

In fact, it is really difficult to be an honest official these days, especially one who serves the people and benefits them.

Because the salaries of Ming Dynasty officials were notoriously low, take the county magistrate for example. Although he may seem like a small official, his position is actually not small. The county magistrate is in charge of all the affairs of a county.

The magistrate's monthly salary was seven and a half stones, which seemed to be much higher than that of ordinary people, but it was not.

After all, the magistrate also has to support a family. If a family has three or four people including a wife and children, there will not be much left after paying for food, clothing, housing, transportation, eating, drinking, and defecating. If he also has to support the elderly, there will be even less money left.

If you want to be an honest official who benefits the people, your life will definitely become difficult. After all, everything costs money. Benefiting the people is not just about shouting slogans, you have to spend money to get things done.

This is a fact. When Hai Rui, a famous honest official, was the magistrate of Chun'an County, he had to rely on growing vegetables to make a living. When he celebrated his mother's 60th birthday, he only bought two pounds of meat.

In those days, meat only cost a little over ten cents per pound. The whole family could only eat two pounds of meat for his mother's 60th birthday. It is easy to imagine how difficult Hai Rui's life was.

Hai Rui was eventually promoted to Nanjing Right Censor-in-Chief, a minister of the second rank. When he died of illness in office, the court sent Assistant Censor-in-Chief Wang Yongji to handle Hai Rui's funeral. He discovered that Hai Rui's house was filled with worn-out bamboo utensils, and his bedding was made of the cheapest linen.

Wang Yongji cried!

This is how miserable it is to be an honest official serving the country and the people these days.

Wanli was stunned for a long while, then looked at the slightly gray lining under Wang Xiangqian's official robe, and couldn't help but raised his hand and said, "Roll up your sleeves and show me what you are wearing under your official robe."

It's hot now, so there's no need to wear anything under the official robe.

However, now all the government offices in the capital have many ice troughs, which are very cool. For the sake of appearance, officials in the capital usually wear a thin lining under their official robes.

Many officials wore thin inner linings made of silk and satin, because silk and satin linings were cool and comfortable.

The lining that Wang Xianggan was wearing was obviously not made of silk or satin. When he heard Wanli's strange oral instruction, he actually hesitated for a moment.

Still, he rolled up his sleeves.

Wanli took a closer look and felt even more complicated.

The lining that Wang Xiangqian wore was made of woolen cloth produced by Wanshengtang. The material was quite good, but it was obvious that he had worn it for a long time, and the cuffs were worn out.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "This woolen cloth seems very cheap, why don't you make a new piece of clothing?"

What does His Majesty want to do?
Wang Xianggan was confused. What the Emperor asked was really strange, but he had no choice but to answer.

He said carefully, "Your Majesty, my uncle and elder brother are both local officials. According to the training, they should benefit the people during their term of office. They don't have much extra money to supplement their family expenses.

Most of my brothers and cousins ​​passed the imperial examinations only twenty, twenty-three years ago, or even this year, and most of them have been sent to other places, so they have no extra money to supplement their family expenses.

I am a Beijing official and usually don't have much expenses, so most of my salary is sent back home to supplement the family expenses.

Your Majesty, I dare to say that this old dress is actually quite good and comfortable to wear, so I did not change it for a new one.

Ugh.

This is not a fake honest official, this is a real honest official.

Wanli sighed secretly, then asked, "Is your father still alive?"

Why did you ask my father again?
Wang Xiangqian nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, my father is still alive."

Being alive and well means that there is nothing wrong with you.

Wanli was puzzled and said, "Your father was promoted to the Minister of Revenue in the tenth year of the Wanli reign. Although he was later impeached and dismissed by Zhang Siwei and his followers, I cleared Zhang Siwei and his followers from the court within a few years. Why didn't your father write to the Ministry of Personnel to request reinstatement?"

There are many reasons for this.

Wang Xiangqian thought for a moment, then carefully explained, "Your Majesty, when my father left office, my grandmother was still alive.

In order to fulfill his filial duty, my father stayed at home to serve my grandmother, teach the children, and farm and grow vegetables. He only had some free time a few years ago when my grandmother passed away.

In recent years, Zijin and several of Weichen's cousins ​​have reached the age to take the exams, and in order to supervise their studies, my father has not submitted a petition requesting reinstatement."

It is rare to be sincere and filial.

Wanli nodded slightly and asked, "Your grandfather left behind some instructions. When your father was teaching you, did he have any requirements for you as officials?"

Are you asking this too?

Wang Xiangqian nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, my father taught me and my brothers that loyalty and diligence must be kept in mind."

Loyalty?

Does this mean loyalty and diligence?
Is this really how Wang Zhiyuan taught his family members?
Wanli nodded slowly, then said solemnly: "What do the words 'loyalty' and 'diligence' mean? Please tell me."

You don't know?

Wang Xiangqian explained carefully, “My ancestor died in the line of duty at a young age. The late emperor was deeply saddened by this and issued an order to build a temple in Yongning, Guizhou to commemorate him.

The late emperor personally inscribed a plaque for the Yongning Prince Temple, expressing his loyalty and diligence, and presented a pair of couplets written in his own hand.

Du Mu died in the line of duty because of his diligence.

From then on, my father taught me and all my brothers to always remember the words loyalty and diligence.

Loyalty and diligence are pitiable!

It turns out that it was written by the late Emperor Jiajing himself, so there is no question of deceiving the emperor.

Zhongqin is indeed pitiful, and the Wang family is a good family.

Wanli nodded slightly, thought about it carefully, and then asked, "Is your father still able to serve in the government?"

So you want my father to return to office!

This is a good thing, but it's too late.

Wang Xiangqian hesitated for a moment, then carefully reminded, "Your Majesty, my father is already seventy-two years old."

Does this mean that someone will impeach your old father for being too old to hold an official position?

It doesn’t matter. The impeachment memorial cannot pass my test.

Yan Song could still serve as the Prime Minister at the age of eighty, but a loyal and diligent minister could not serve as an official at the age of seventy-two?

Wanli continued to ask, "I am asking if your father is in good health and can serve as an official?"

Are you forcing my father to return to office?

Wang Xiangqian thought for a moment, then said carefully, "My father is still in good health, and there's no problem farming and growing vegetables."

Can I still farm?

That'll do.

Wanli nodded slightly, then said solemnly: "The late emperor personally bestowed this upon your ancestor, commending his success in pacifying the barbarians. This is a military achievement.

Your grandfather died in the line of duty, and Yan Song and his son were in power at the time, and they did not give you any compensation.

Now I will make it up to you, posthumously honor your grandfather's military merits, confer the title of Earl of Loyalty and Diligence, bestow upon him the title of a hereditary scroll, grant him a mansion in the capital, and reward him with ten thousand taels of silver as a pension."

what?
This pension directly granted him the title of marquis and a noble rank, which was hereditary, and he was also given a mansion in the capital and a reward of 10,000 taels of silver!
The Wang family no longer has to live in poverty.

My ancestors would surely be smiling in their graves.

Wang Xiangqian's eyes suddenly filled with tears and he was deeply moved.

He was stunned for a moment, then he quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

Wanli nodded slightly, then waved his hand and said, "Go back and bring your father to the capital. I will order someone to prepare the Zhongqin Marquis's mansion within three days."

Wang Xiangqian quickly bowed and took his leave.

Little Zhu Changxun was a little surprised and asked, "Father, why did you confer titles and honors upon the Wang family and give them so many rewards?"

This is also the way to govern a country.

Wanli did not answer but asked: "Why do you think the late emperor wrote the inscription for a fourth-rank local councilor?

There were many second- and third-rank officials in the court, and many died of illness while in office. Why didn't he write the inscription himself?

Uh, why is this?

Little Zhu Changxun thought for a long time, then shook his head helplessly and said, "Father, I don't understand why."

You are still young and don’t know the profound meaning of doing this.

The late Emperor Jiajing did understand how to govern the country. If he had not been obsessed with cultivating immortals and happened to meet the treacherous minister Yan Song, he might have become a wise ruler in a prosperous era.

Pity.

Wanli sighed slightly, then patiently explained: "The late emperor is setting an example for officials in the court.

The late emperor wanted all officials to learn from Wang Chongguang and be loyal to the emperor and work diligently.

Unfortunately, at that time, the late emperor was ruled by the treacherous minister Yan Song and his son, who deliberately did not follow the late emperor's wishes.

My father also wants all officials to learn from Wang Chongguang and be loyal to the emperor and work diligently.

This conferment of titles and lordships and the lavish rewards were also intended to set an example for all officials.

However, this is not enough. We cannot allow loyalty to the emperor and diligence to become just a slogan.

Didn’t Wang Zhiyuan teach his children with the words loyalty and diligence? So the emperor valued him and asked him to teach court officials with the words loyalty and diligence.

Also, the Wang family has so many Jinshi (Jinshi) scholars, and they have been taught loyalty and diligence since childhood, so they shouldn't be too bad.

Wang Xiangqian and Wang Xiangjin have also proved that they are quite capable. Such nobles are worth winning over and making use of. Do you understand?

The Emperor's decision to prioritize the Wang family actually has another purpose, which is to let officials at court understand that those born into noble families are not only capable of holding military posts, but also civil posts."

It turns out that this reward contains so much meaning.

Upon hearing this, little Zhu Changxun could not help but sit there in a daze, savoring it carefully.

(End of this chapter)