Kangxi is characterized as a typical example of "benevolent government and love for the people", the most obvious example of which is "never added". In fact, "never add money" is more of a "sincere" political gesture to clean up people's hearts, until the Qianlong period was really realized, although never added, but you can add other taxes.
Kangxi's "benevolent government" was more of a concern for officials
Kangxi soberly realized that the Han people's political operation system and ways of doing things would become the basis for the survival of the regime; the Banner People were the defenders of the survival of this regime. Therefore, Kangxi effectively integrated these two forces.
However, the Kangxi Emperor ostensibly served as emperor for sixty-one years, but in fact, for the first thirty years of the Kangxi Dynasty, he was fighting to defend the imperial power. After thirty-one years, he truly put the governance of the country and the people at the core, and had the time and full ability to govern the country according to his own will.
The pro-government of Aobai before the eighth year of the Kangxi Dynasty, the Rebellion of the Three Domains from the twelfth year of the Kangxi Dynasty to the twenty years of the Kangxi Dynasty, the twenty-seven years of the North-South Party Struggle, etc., all posed a threat to the imperial power. As a result, Kangxi adopted the usual method of the emperors in history - heavy talent and not heavy morality.
In terms of the rectification of the bureaucracy, Kangxi was far worse than his father Shunzhi. In this sense, the Kangxi Dynasty is in decline, but everything cannot be separated.
Although the rule of officials was gradually becoming corrupt, because the lives of the common people were gradually stabilized, and because kangxi carried out measures on people's livelihood policies, the speed of corruption in the rule of officials was lower than the speed at which the people pursued and achieved a stable life, and the Kangxi Dynasty was still on the rise.
In terms of official innovation, Kangxi basically belongs to Shoucheng and does not have much innovation, and there are not many bright spots
Kangxi's extreme petitioning system, the petition, although more supportive, also expressed his affirmation of rumors. But it became more and more excluded as the rule was consolidated. On this issue, there are some that need to be explained. For example, "rumors and rumors" are ridiculed and denied by people today, but standing and talking does not hurt. In ancient society, there was no advanced investigative means today, what do you ask the supervision officials to do?
The history of "rumors and rumors" is very long, and institutional norms have been formed during the two Jin Dynasties. Rumors include songs, folk songs, rumors, slander, etc. Rumors here refer to people's comments on government and politics, and are not pejorative.
What is "gossip"?
Wang Anshi explained this: Xu Feng who hears about things does not ask where his words come from, and he does not blame them for the truth, and if others say untruthful things, they will be falsely accused and written falsely; the counselors and imperial historians will not be guilty even if they are untrue, which is Xu Feng's words.
Simply put: No matter where your message comes from, you can be impeached as long as it is about the economic and life style of the official. Even if it is later proven false, then the impeachment officer does not need to bear any responsibility.
Not all officials can do gossip, only the inspectors can. During the Three Kingdoms period, the State of Wei stipulated that only Yushi could exercise such powers. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the six branches were given to the governor of the affairs and the various provinces. In addition to the imperial history, all reports must follow the normal and formal channels, and if the reports are not true, they will be punished, and anonymous reports are not allowed.
Why did "rumors" have such a big problem in the late Ming Dynasty
Previously, many people used the late Ming Dynasty officials to make the official field a miasma, attack each other, and use it as a tool for political struggle. However, there are two problems:
First: The late Ming dynasty officialdom has been completely corrupt, and as a part of the bureaucracy, the imperial historians are not exempt from vulgarity. Therefore, this is not a problem with the system of rumors, but a problem with the entire late Ming officialdom. The Imperial Historians were also only members of the bureaucracy, although they were the last line of defense to defend the atmosphere of the bureaucracy. However, when something went wrong with the entire official field, the officials naturally would not be left alone.
Second: Rumors and rumors are conducive to early intervention, which can make the case faster and clearer, and minimize the harm.
Because all corrupt things are bound to be relatively confidential, it is difficult to investigate and know without insider reports. However, such things as rumors and rumors are actually empty, or the people involved in bribery and corruption have inadvertently leaked the wind and are known, or people who have witnessed the dirty things, or some other situation, these people have intentionally or unintentionally revealed them in the teahouse tavern and the theater library through gossip, thus forming the talk and nursery rhymes in the streets and alleys.
Therefore, the imperial historians, as the wind and constitutional officials, naturally had to report it, which was their duty and a means of fighting corruption. Even in modern society, if procuratorial organs and discipline inspection personnel hear the masses talking about someone's corruption on a large scale, won't they take the initiative to intervene?
Of course, this kind of gossip may also be a kind of retaliation. However, as long as the law is strictly enforced and strictly enforced, it can be controlled, which is the fundamental reason why this system has always existed in ancient society.