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In the vast land of China, in the power structure of feudal dynasties, the emperor was respected as the supreme person of power and held the supreme position. In real political life, however, the bureaucratic system plays a crucial role. They were not only the emperor's right-hand men in exercising power, but also an important force in restricting the emperor's power.
Even if it is the most humble magistrate in the officialdom, the emperor cannot reward and punish at will. This fully shows that the emperor's power was not omnipotent, but was constrained by the bureaucracy.
In feudal society, there is also a widely spread concept, that is, "the imperial power does not go down to the county". This sentence vividly reveals the limitations of the emperor's power in local administration. Although the imperial power was enormous, it was difficult to reach the administrative units below the county level, which were usually administered by the gentry and gentry.
Due to the limited administrative capacity of the ancient central government, the management of the bureaucracy could only reach the county level. In this system, the prefectural orders played a pivotal role, and they were given considerable power and were called "the rulers of a county".
However, in the entire bureaucratic system, the prefectural order had the lowest status, and was not even eligible to participate in the imperial council. Although they wielded a great deal of power in the actual administration, they were insignificant in the overall political structure of the empire.
So, unless they made an outstanding contribution, they rarely had the opportunity to be received by the emperor.
During the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a Henan county magistrate named Xie Xingjiao, who reported his father's name when he was received by the Jiaqing Emperor, so that the Jiaqing Emperor Longyan was happy, and later promoted him to three levels in a row.
To understand why, we need to know who Xie Xingyao's father was, and why did Emperor Jiaqing reuse his father's name when he heard it.
So let's take a look at why.
01
Xie Zhending, burned the car and suppressed Heshen
Under the afterglow of Qianlong's later years, the clarity of the imperial court was like the morning dew of the past, which had long since passed away with the wind. The corruption of the government was like maggots, quietly eroding the foundation of the Qing Dynasty.
In this chaotic era, Shechen and Shen are like dark clouds covering the sun, covering the sky with one hand. He won the favor of Qianlong, not only in a high position, ranked as a first-class duke, but also married children and daughters with the royal family, and his power was monstrous, which can be described as "under one person, above ten thousand people".
He Shen is pampered and arrogant, and greedy and excessive. He accepted countless bribes, planted the party for personal gain, and his henchmen were all over the government and the opposition. He has been in charge of the government for nearly 30 years, and his arrogance is like cooking oil on fire, which is daunting.
And within the Mansion, there is a group of domestic slaves, who rely on the momentum of their masters to run rampant in the capital and act as a blessing. These house slaves are arrogant and domineering, like wolves entering a flock of sheep, and no one dares to attack them.
Among them, there was a house slave named Liu Quan, who was a fox and a tiger, and even built a luxurious mansion, which was more luxurious than the royal palace. The imperial historian Cao Xibao was indignant and resolutely participated in the matter. However, He Shen sent someone to inform Liu Quan overnight to demolish the illegal building.
By the time the minister came to investigate, there was no evidence to be found. As a result, Liu Quan was acquitted and exempted from trial, but Cao Yushi was dismissed from office in the name of "false accusation". This incident was shocking and shocking. People are talking one after another: "Even a house slave can't participate in such a powerful minister as Heshen!" It can be seen how strong Heshen's momentum and power have become!
As a result, these house slaves were even more reckless and lawless. They are like tigers out of the sheng, and the people of the capital all talk about the change of color and avoid them. Among them, there is a house slave who is even more arrogant - he is the younger brother of a concubine of Heshen!
This so-called "brother-in-law" often swaggers through the city and flaunts his might in a sedan chair of a high-ranking official, and people are afraid of his monstrous power and dare not make the slightest sound of questioning.
However, the times create heroes - there was a royal historian named Xie Zhending (1753-1809), a native of Xiangxiang, who was newly appointed as the superintendent of the imperial history, upright, selfless, and selfless. He hated the rampant behavior of the slaves of the He family, and was determined to wait for an opportunity to punish him!
One night in the first year of Jiaqing (1796), Xie Yushi inspected the eastern city of Beijing, and was encountering the slave and the luxury chariot horse riding fiercely, and the passers-by in the alley could not avoid it, and they were whipped and handed over!
Xie Yushi angrily reprimanded the slave and said: "You are bullying and domineering! Riding in a car and overstepping the share, you should be beheaded according to the law!" When the slave heard this, he was immediately frightened, but he still shouted viciously: "I am a member of the Xiangfu family! You dare to flog me? I take my main car, you dare to flog me?" Xie Yushi looked at the evil slave with both eyes, and said in a loud voice: "Who are you?! You dare to pretend to be a member of the Xiangfu family? Such a rampant lawlessness and intolerable nature!" Then he ordered his subordinates to beat him up until he was disgraced and embarrassed!
Xie Yushi pointed to the sedan chair again and said: "Such an arrogant thing has been defiled by the villain;
At this time, they saw that the evil slaves were flogged and their cars were burned; everyone applauded and praised Xie Yushi as "the iron-faced imperial history" and "today's Dong Xuan"! So the name of "burning the car imperial history" shook the capital and spread it as a good story!
People praised Xie Yushi's courage and sense of justice -- he was not afraid of the powerful Heshen and his henchmen, and he had the courage to challenge the dark forces and eliminate harm for the people! His actions not only demonstrated the majesty and justice of the law, but also won the respect and love of the people!
It was the little man Xie Zhending who "turned around" in the power vortex between Qianlong, Heshen and Jiaqing, as one of the ministers who suppressed Heshen.
Later, after Heshen was disposed of by Jiaqing, he became one of the important ministers of Emperor Jiaqing.
02
Xie Zhending was framed and demoted by He Shen's revenge, and He Shen was reinstated after he stepped down
When Xie Zhending enforced the law like a mountain and burned Heshen's luxury car, this move shocked the government and the opposition. However, He Shen was resentful, took the opportunity to retaliate, and impeached him, and Xie was cut down and returned to his hometown. Yet, justice may be late, but it will never be absent.
In the fourth year of Jiaqing, after the participation of the imperial history Guangxing and Wang Niansun in the matter, the emperor issued a decree to arrest He Shen and bring him to justice. The output value of his family reached one billion taels of silver, and the people sang "He Shen fell, and Jiaqing was full".
In September of that year, Xie Zhending was reinstated as the head of the Ministry of Rites. He took office at the request of the edict, and was appreciated by Emperor Jiaqing for his profound insights into current affairs and superb speech level.
He not only held important positions in the court, but also successively tried Jiangnan, Shaanxi and other places, and all the people he promoted were celebrities. His talent and wisdom are admirable.
During Xie Zhending's tenure, he was diligent in administering and prospering, reforming bad rules, and honest in performing official duties. He knew that the way to be an official was to benefit the people, so he loved his fellow villagers and cared for the poor. His good deeds won the support and admiration of the people. His name was praised among the people for a while, and he was known as a generation of Qing officials.
In the eleventh year of Jiaqing, Xie Zhending served as the Tongzhou Grain Department of Shuntianfu. In the middle of the night, a boat caught fire, and many officials were helpless. Xie Zhending was the only one who made a quick decision and quickly led his subordinates to the scene to rescue and extinguish the fire. His bravery and decisiveness calmed the situation and showed his noble quality of fearlessness in the face of danger and asking for the lives of the people.
During his tenure, Xie Zhending also donated private funds to renovate the public party and eliminate many accumulated shortcomings. He presided over the digging of canals such as the fruit canal and the Wenyu River, which was conducive to the smooth flow of water transportation. His intellect and diligence have been widely praised. He has dedicated his life to the country and the people, and his deeds are touching and admired.
Xie Zhending's life advocated righteousness, he once set up a righteous place when he was in Beijing, and all his fellow villagers who died in Beijing were buried here. For teachers and friends who are poor and cannot be buried, he often donates money. His kindness and righteousness are impressive.
One day in May of the 14th year of Jiaqing, Xie Zhending wrote the words "Zhengda Bright, Reaching Heaven and Earth" and passed away and died in office. The government and the opposition were shocked and mourned.
03
The secret of Xie Zhending's son Xie Xingyao's promotion to three levels
Xie Zhending has been honest and self-disciplined all his life, not only has no greed himself, but also has never used his power to seek personal interests for relatives and friends. His noble character has set a benchmark of honesty in the DPRK and China, and has won the widespread respect of his colleagues and the people.
When his son Xie Xingyao stood out in the imperial examination and gained fame, Xie Zhending did not use any connections to pave his son's career. On the contrary, he let his son win official positions and accept the test of practice by virtue of his true talents.
Therefore, when Xie Xingyao was appointed as the county magistrate of Guxian County, Henan, he did not complain, but embarked on this challenging road with a heart to serve the people.
Guxian County, located in a remote area of Henan, is known as the "poor countryside". The barren land here, the hardships of the people, and the successive years of famine have made this place even worse.
Many officials shy away from Guxian because it is not only difficult to get "oil and water" here, but also takes great risks. In the event of a person dying of starvation, the prefectural order will bear the brunt of severe punishment.
However, Xie Xingyao was not intimidated by these difficulties. He kept in mind his father's teachings: "For one term as an official, for the benefit of one party." He is well aware of his heavy responsibility, not only to govern this impoverished county, but also to let the people live and work in peace and contentment.
After taking office, Xie Xingyao went deep into the fields to understand the suffering and needs of the people. He popularized advanced agricultural technology and guided the people to reclaim wasteland and grow cash crops; he reduced taxes and labor so that the people could recuperate; and he also established education and popularized cultural knowledge to improve the cultural literacy of the people.
Under his leadership, Guxian County gradually got rid of poverty and backwardness, and the living standards of the people also improved significantly.
Xie Xingyao's outstanding performance not only won the love and respect of the people, but also won the affirmation and commendation of his superiors. He proved that his father's education was correct with his practical actions: it is better to go home and sell sweet potatoes if you are not the master of the people for the officials.
He inherited his father's spiritual qualities of honesty and self-discipline and diligence for the people, and became an outstanding clean official of a generation.
With political achievements, Xie Xingyao was recommended to Emperor Jiaqing by the Ministry of Officials, under the inquiry of Emperor Jiaqing, Xie Xingyao did not show the slightest look of fear, but calmly, he told the emperor about his actions and achievements in Guxian County. His voice was clear and unwavering, as if every word was filled with strength and conviction.
Emperor Jiaqing took a keen interest in this young and promising official. He found that Xie Xingyao's accent was completely different from those officials from the local area and full of local flavor, but with the elegance and calmness that is unique to Beijing. So, he curiously asked about Xie Xingyao's background.
Xie Xingyao replied truthfully, he is the son of Xie Zhending, a former imperial historian, and he was educated in the capital since he was a child, so his accent has not changed.
Emperor Jiaqing was very excited when he heard this, because he knew Xie Zhending's personality very well, and missed his upright and straightforward demeanor. Now that he knows that Xie Zhending's son has grown up and performed so well, he has high expectations for Xie Xingyao.
He hoped that Xie Xingyao would inherit his father's legacy and become his right-hand man in power.
As a result, Emperor Jiaqing appreciated Xie Xingyao a lot, and he decided to give this young and promising official a special test. He decided to promote Xie Xingjiao three levels in a row to see if he would become arrogant because of this.
When Xie Xingyao learned that he had been promoted by the emperor three levels in a row, the excitement in his heart was indescribable. This is the result of his hard work and his father's strict teachings, and it is an affirmation and reward for his talents.
However, Xie Xingyao quickly regained his composure. He understands that promotion does not mean that he can indulge his words and deeds. He understands the importance of humility and introspection, and understands that behind power comes greater responsibility.
He understood the emperor's intentions, which was not only a promotion for him, but also a test for him. Xie Xingyao was clear about his position, and he was determined to live up to the emperor's expectations, continue to maintain the qualities of humility and diligence, and make greater contributions to the court and the people.
Emperor Jiaqing was very satisfied with Xie Xingyao's performance, and then entrusted him with important tasks, giving him more opportunities to show his talents and talents.
And Xie Xingyao did not live up to the emperor's expectations, he served the court and the people wholeheartedly, and practiced his father's teachings with practical actions.
The incorruptibility and ability of the Xie family father and son have become a good story in the imperial court, inspiring future generations to uphold the principle of honesty and honesty in the way of officials, serve the country and the people, always stick to the right path, and make greater contributions to the country and society.
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