Zhang Juzheng, who entered school at the age of 5, passed the Six Classics at the age of 7, took the exam Xiucai at the age of 12, won the first place in the township examination (provincial level examination) at the age of 13, and won the first place in the provincial examination at the age of 16.
Zhang Juzheng's family was already prosperous at the time of his grandfather, and his father was a famous Xiucai in Jiangling City (Jingzhou was under the jurisdiction of Jiangling at that time). Zhang Juzheng, who was born in a well-known family, although he lived in a very privileged environment since he was a child, he has been studying hard and diligently, is a well-known prodigy, and has the nickname "Zhang Jiangling" in his hometown at an early age. When he was 13 years old, he was received by Gu Chen, the governor of Huguang, who at that time was only one of the 13 provinces in China, and Gu Chen, who was busy in his busy schedule, not only asked him a lot of book knowledge in the Four Books and Five Classics, but also asked him some production and life knowledge. An old man and a young man talked extremely happily, and Inspector Gu, who happily, took off his rhino belt on the spot and presented it to him. The provincial first-class official is at least the second grade, and the rhino belt tied to the waist when walking out is extremely delicate and noble, and the recipient is very face-saving.
Zhang Juzheng's former residence has two doors, both of which are very beautiful, and both doors face the street. The main gate is located at the east gate of the ancient city of Jingzhou, with four entrances and four exits, and the west of the courtyard is the back garden, and there is also a garden and a gate in the garden. The former residence is well preserved like the ancient city of Jingzhou, and there are many tables to play mahjong in the courtyard for the first two times, and there are also people sitting around drinking tea and chatting. It seems to be a tourist spot, a mahjong restaurant that is open to the public, and a tea house that is open to the public. Later, when I went again, I couldn't see playing mahjong. Every time I go to the ancient city of Jingzhou, I have to go to Zhang Juzheng's former residence to take a look. For the last time, the ticket is 20 yuan a piece, and the certificate with the writer's card and press card above the provincial level is free, and the ID card for those over 60 years old is halved. Jingzhou is an ancient cultural city and welcomes cultural people. Zhang Juzheng's former residence is worth a visit, there are many fields to see inside, and there are Zhang Juzheng's words engraved on the stone tablet. Zhang Juzheng offended the emperor while in office, and the final result was miserable. After Zhang Juzheng's death, his family in his hometown in Jingzhou was not spared. In order to curry favor with the emperor, local officials sealed Zhang Juzheng's home without authorization, and those inside could not come out, and those outside could not enter, and by the time the seal was lifted, most of the people of the Zhang family had starved to death. The courtyard where the Zhang family was martyred at that time, I don't know if it was here, and I never saw a text to introduce it.
I have been thinking many times that the Zhang family suffered such a disaster, and why the neighbors and the people of Sixiang, especially the Zhang family, did not come to the rescue. The official is strict, public rescue may not be possible, and it should always be okay to throw some food and drink at night. It can be seen that the popularity of the Zhang family at that time was not very good. According to historical records, when Zhang Juzheng returned to his hometown in his later years, he sat in a 32-lift sedan given to him by others. As the saying goes, "eight palanquins", the palanquin carried by 8 people is quite large, and he actually sits in a palanquin carried by 32 people. Cixi Lao Foye, who can manage the emperor for a long time, went out, and only sat on the 16-lift sedan car, and he was hundreds of years before Cixi and dared to sit on the 32-lift sedan car, which shows that Lord Zhang was also a little big at that time.
Wanli Shoufu Zhang Juzheng
Xu Qing
Talented and intelligent Deng Ke,
Known as the prodigy Zhang Jiangling. ①
Reading loves to ask why?
Pursue high with the heart of the world.
To govern the country is a wise minister,
Being in the first place is not clean.
Determined to reform Nanke Meng,
It is inevitable to carry infamy behind him.
November 15, 2016 in Jingzhou
(Note 1: Zhang Jiangling, Zhang Juzheng's elegant name)