Preface
Have you ever aspired to the demeanor of those clean officials? They were upright and selfless, asked for the people's lives, and left dazzling footprints in the long river of history. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, there was such a Qing official, who was honest and self-disciplined all his life, but when he returned to his hometown, he packed boxes full of bricks for the sake of face. However, the Qianlong Emperor did not blame him, but sent someone to exchange the bricks in the box for gold. This Qing official is Sun Jiagan.
Sun Jiagan's life can be described as magnificent. From the low-level position when he first entered the official career, to the later reuse in the Yongzheng and Qianlong dynasties, and finally to the highest honor given by the Qianlong Emperor, his story is undoubtedly a legend of a Qing official. So, what exactly did this Qing official go through, and how did he win the emperor's trust and reuse?
Sun Jiagan's rise to prominence
Sun Jiagan was born in the Kangxi period and was born in Xingxian County, Shanxi. Since childhood, he has been smart and studious, full of poetry and books, and in his early twenties, he was admitted to the Jinshi and officially entered the official career. However, when he first entered the officialdom, he was not reused, and only held some low-level positions, such as the Hanlin Academy, Jishi, review, etc.
But Sun Jiagan was not discouraged by this, but became more diligent and conscientious, and worked hard to improve himself. He knows that only through his own strength and talent can he make a name for himself in officialdom. As a result, he always maintained a humble and hardworking attitude, and was dedicated to all positions, winning the appreciation of his superiors and colleagues.
Sun Jiagan's diligence and humility undoubtedly paved the way for his future career. Not only is he able to perform a variety of roles, but he is also able to build good relationships with his peers and superiors. This accumulation laid a solid foundation for his future breakthroughs.
At this moment, Emperor Yongzheng ascended the throne, and Sun Jiagan's opportunity came. Emperor Yongzheng was suspicious and moody, and many ministers were afraid of his majesty and did not dare to admonish him easily. But Sun Jiagan was not afraid and stood up bravely.
He advised Emperor Yongzheng: "Get close to your brothers, stop paying donations, and collect troops in the northwest." These three suggestions all pointed directly at Emperor Yongzheng's sore spot, which made him furious. Emperor Yongzheng criticized Sun Jiagan's superior, the master of the Hanlin Academy, on the spot, and blamed him for failing to manage his subordinates.
At this moment, the auxiliary minister Zhu Shi stood up. He admonished Emperor Yongzheng: "Although Sun Jiagan is crazy, I still admire his courage. After Emperor Yongzheng heard this, the anger in his heart gradually dissipated. He thought about it for a moment and smiled, "I also admire his courage. As a result, Sun Jiagan was not only not demoted, but was promoted to the director of the Guozijian Division.
This incident can be said to be a turning point in Sun Jiagan's career. His outspoken advice not only won the appreciation of Emperor Yongzheng, but also made him famous in the officialdom. Since then, his career has risen all the way and he has become an important minister of the Qianlong Dynasty.
The demeanor of the Qing official Sun Jiagan
Sun Jiagan's performance in officialdom is undoubtedly impressive. He not only dared to speak out, but also won the respect of everyone with his honest and self-disciplined character.
In the Yongzheng Dynasty, Sun Jiagan once offended many people because of his advice. Some people even reported to Emperor Yongzheng that he was corrupt and perverted the law. But Emperor Yongzheng smiled and said: "Sun Jiagan is too simple, but he doesn't love money." It can be seen that Sun Jiagan's incorruptible character has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
The reason why Emperor Yongzheng commented on Sun Jiagan so much is undoubtedly a high affirmation of his honesty and self-discipline. In that era of fierce power struggle, it is really commendable to be able to be unmoved by money and concentrate on serving the country and the people. Sun Jiagan's character undoubtedly made him stand out among his colleagues and became the object of admiration of everyone.
In the Qianlong Dynasty, Sun Jiagan was reused again. He still maintained a straightforward and enterprising style, focusing on the monarch's "three habits and one disadvantage", which was deeply appreciated by Emperor Qianlong. Emperor Qianlong promoted him to be the secretary of the criminal department, and later successively served as the secretary of the ministry, the governor of Zhili, the governor of the Zongren Mansion, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, and the co-organizer of the university.
During his tenure as governor of Zhili, Sun Jiagan learned that the soju brewed by the people was beneficial to the people's livelihood, so he suggested that the imperial court relax the control of folk liquor. This initiative has greatly benefited from stimulating the production of private handicrafts and improving people's livelihood. It can be seen that Sun Jiagan is not only honest and self-controlled, but also always pays attention to the interests of the people.
In the twelfth year of Qianlong, Sun Jiagan, who was close to old age, begged to retire in old age, and Emperor Qianlong reluctantly approved his request. has been an official in Beijing for many years, Sun Jiagan has always been honest and self-controlled, and has not accumulated any family property. He felt that if he was too shabby when he returned to his hometown, he would not only damage the face of the court, but also make himself feel embarrassed.
So, he came up with a solution: he ordered people to buy a dozen wooden chests and fill them with bricks. In this way, he can pretend to return home with a rich family fortune.
However, man is not as good as heaven. When Sun Jiagan's political enemies learned of his actions, they immediately complained to Emperor Qianlong, saying that he pretended to be incorruptible, but in fact he took back more than a dozen boxes of treasures. Emperor Qianlong was furious when he heard this, and immediately sent someone to investigate.
When the men opened the box, they found that it was full of bricks. This scene made Emperor Qianlong both ashamed and moved. He was ashamed that he had listened to slander and misunderstood Sun Jiagan; He was moved by Sun Jiagan's honesty and self-discipline and hard work for the country.
The reuse and trust of Emperor Qianlong
Sun Jiagan's incorruptibility and outspokenness not only won the love of the people, but also won the trust and reuse of the emperor. In the Qianlong Dynasty, Sun Jiagan was deeply favored.
Emperor Qianlong's reuse of Sun Jiagan is undoubtedly a high affirmation of his honest character. In that era of fierce power struggle, it is really commendable to be able to be unmoved by money and concentrate on serving the country and the people. Sun Jiagan's character undoubtedly impressed Emperor Qianlong and decided to give him a higher value.
Only two years later, Emperor Qianlong recalled Sun Jiagan back to the capital and arranged for him to be employed in the study. This is the highest praise and trust for Sun Jiagan. In the office of the study, Sun Jiagan continued to exert his spare heat and contributed his strength to the country and the people.
Until the death of Qianlong in the eighteenth year, Sun Jiagan has been working diligently and conscientiously in his office. The Qing court gave him the nickname "Wending", which was an affirmation and praise for his life's achievements.
Emperor Qianlong's reuse and trust in Sun Jiagan is undoubtedly the highest praise for his incorruptible character. In that era of fierce power struggle, it is really commendable to be able to be unmoved by money and concentrate on serving the country and the people. Sun Jiagan's character undoubtedly impressed Emperor Qianlong, and decided to give him the highest importance and trust.
epilogue
Sun Jiagan's life of honesty and self-discipline, outspoken advice, asking for life for the people, and paying for the country has become a model and model for later generations of officials to learn. And Emperor Qianlong's trust and reuse of him shows the way of employing people and the heart of benevolence of this Ming monarch.
Looking back at the long river of history, there are not many Qing officials like Sun Jiagan. They used their practical actions to interpret what it means to "worry about the world first, and enjoy the joy of the world after the world". They have fought for the well-being of the country and the people all their lives, and their names and deeds will always be remembered by future generations.
And Emperor Qianlong's appreciation and reuse of Sun Jiagan has set a model and standard for us to employ people. He is able to identify talents, appreciate their courage and talents, and give them appropriate reuse and trust. This is undoubtedly a model for future generations to follow.