In the fifteenth year of Shunzhi (1658 AD), the Shunzhi Emperor ordered the sixth examination of the imperial examination since the Qing army entered the customs, and the chief examiner of this imperial examination was Fu Yixian, the first ruler of the Qing Dynasty. Because that year was the lunar year of pentagram, the examination of this year was also called "pentagram".
After arriving at the temple examination, the Shunzhi Emperor found that there were two people with the same name and surname in the list of jinshi. Both of them are named Chen Jing, one is from Zezhou, Shanxi, ranking 113th in the top three; the other is from Shuntiantongzhou, ranking 185th in the third division.
Therefore, Shunzhi said to chen jing in Shanxi, you and Chen Jing in Tongzhou have the same surname, and you are also the same list of jinshi, and it will be inevitable that there will be confusion in the future, so it is better to give you a "Ting" character, and from now on you will be called Chen Tingjing. Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Vol. 267:
It is selected by the Science Museum, and there is Chen Jing of Shuntian Tongzhou, and the word "Ting" is added to the top to distinguish it.
Shunzhi probably did not expect that this Chen Tingjing, who was given a word by him, would be thunderous in the court in the future. Chen Tingjing was an official for 54 years, honest and self-guarding, and became the most indispensable Han courtier of the Kangxi Dynasty.
In this article, the author will share Chen Tingjing and understand with you the influence of this "Xiangguo" who has been an official for half a century on the Qing Dynasty.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="9" >, was given a name by Shunzhi</h1>
Chen Tingjing, real name Chen Jing, ziduan, a native of Yangcheng County, Zezhou, Shanxi. The Chen Tingjing family was a wang family in Yangcheng, and Chen Tingjing's sixth and fifth ancestors all served as local officials of the Ming Dynasty. But by the time Chen Tingjing's father, Chen Changqi, was in the middle of the family.
In the twelfth year of Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty (1638 AD), Chen Tingjing was born, and at the age of 7, the Ming Dynasty fell.
Under his father's strict discipline, Chen Tingjing did not pay attention to the rise and fall of the dynasty, he just studied hard, because his father told him that only through reading could he shine on the lintel.
In the fifteenth year of Shunzhi, the 20-year-old Chen Tingjing came to Beijing to participate in the examination as a lifter, and in one fell swoop, although he was only a third class, he was also a guangzong yaozu. However, what Chen Tingjing (then called Chen Jing) did not expect was that Shunzhi would add a "Ting" character to his name. The name "Chen Tingjing" not only accompanied him throughout his life, but also remained in the annals of history.
After entering the army, Chen Tingjing took the Shujishi examination, because Chen Tingjing performed well, he was left in the Hanlin Academy, and after three years of dissolution, Chen Tingjing was appointed as the secretary of the academy. It was also this year that Shunzhi died and the 8-year-old Kangxi ascended the throne.
There is a story that when Kangxi first ascended the throne, Chen Tingjing served as Hubu Shangshu, and Kangxi wanted to borrow some money from Hubu, but Chen Tingjing refused. Kangxi said angrily, "The treasury is all decayed, why don't you give it?" Chen Tingjing replied: "The national treasury has the provisions of the national treasury, even the emperor cannot withdraw at will!" Kangxi was furious and scolded Chen Tingjing for looking down on him, threatening to say, "After you become pro-government, you must cut off your head." Later, after Kangxi pro-government, Chen Tingjing was grumpy about this matter, and Kangxi comforted him: "At that time, I was young and didn't understand things, you did the right thing!" ”
This story can show that Chen Tingjing is impartial and dedicated, and at the same time, he has left a deep impression on the young Kangxi. But, on closer examination, there are two very irrationalities in this story:
First, the "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, The Biography of Chen Tingjing" clearly records:
Seek a review by the Secretariat. Kangxi First Year, False Return, Four Years, Supplementary Original Official, SuccessiveLy Relocated Hanlin Academy Attendant Lecturer, Full Day Lecture Living Notes Official.
That is, before Kangxi ascended the throne, Chen Tingjing served as a secretary to review, and after Kangxi ascended the throne, Chen Tingjing first took a leave of absence to go home and recuperate for four years, and later served as a former official. Chen Tingjing had no experience in the household department during this time.
Second, when Kangxi first ascended the throne, Chen Tingjing had only been in the career for three years, and it was impossible to be promoted to Hubu Shangshu.
Therefore, it is true that Chen Tingjing was given a name by the Shunzhi Emperor, and he was remembered by the young Kangxi, I am afraid that it was invented by posterity.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="9" > second, it was noticed by Kangxi</h1>
Chen Tingjing served as an official in the Kangxi Dynasty for 51 years, almost accompanying Kangxi's imperial career, and his talent and dedication to duty attracted Kangxi's attention very early.
During his reign, Kangxi attached great importance to a system, that is, the system of "speaking on the day of the feast". The so-called "feast day lecture" means that the Hanlin Academy has to send people to give lectures to the emperor every day, perhaps because of the relationship between Kangxi's 8-year-old succession, he wants to consolidate his ability to govern through continuous study, so in the Kangxi Dynasty, many well-educated people have served as Kangxi's attendants, and Chen Tingjing is the same.
Chen Tingjing initially served as a living official for the Jing Feast Day, and by the fourteenth year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Chen Tingjing had already served as a lecturer for the Jing Feast Day, and had daily contact with Kangxi. At that time, during the San Francisco Rebellion, although Kangxi was busy with government affairs, he still insisted on listening to Lectures by Chen Tingjing and others every day.
At that time, there was another Hanchen who was valued by Kangxi like Chen Tingjing, and this person was Zhang Ying (Zhang Tingyu's father), and the Qing History Manuscript Chen Tingjing's Biography records:
With the Bachelor Zhang Yingri Straight Hongde Hall, the Holy Ancestral Instrument.
According to the "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty", Kangxi greatly admired Chen Tingjing and Zhang Ying's knowledge, and often rewarded them with things, and Chen Tingjing alone received more than 50 mink skins from Kangxi.
Perhaps, when Kangxi was a teenager, he regarded Chen Tingjing as a learned "anchor", and every time he heard the excitement, he would "tip". Of course, this can also show chen Tingjing's profound knowledge. Kangxi once commented on Chen Tingjing:
Fang Yao Bi Ya Yun, Li Du and Shi Hao.
This means that Chen Tingjing's political ability is comparable to that of Tang Dynasty celebrities Fang Xuanling and Yao Chong, and Chen Tingjing's poetry is comparable to Li Bai and Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty.
Of course, this sentence is Kangxi's evaluation of Chen Tingjing in his later years, and it can be seen that Chen Tingjing not only has excellent political ability, but also writes very well poetry. In the Kangxi Dynasty, people mentioned Chen Tingjing's poems, and they all praised them. For example, Chen Tingjing wrote a poem "Jin Guo":
The Jin dynasty is strong in the world, and the Qin Pass is in the limits. Thousands of military vehicles are multiplied, and the flesh and blood are the same.
Purple Sai is even dangerous, and the Yellow River is rowing the land. The tiger and the wolf are free, and the father is willing to obey.
This poem is magnificent, and once it was passed out, it was worshipped by many students.
In fact, what Kangxi admired most about Chen Tingjing was not poetry, but Chen Tingjing's thoughts. Chen Tingjing was born in Shanxi in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, when it was the region where Cheng Zhu Lixue was greatly influenced, chen Tingjing received an orthodox Confucian education from an early age, so he was very concerned about the perfect combination of social system and personal morality. Kangxi and Chen Tingjing had more contact and listened to Chen Tingjing's lectures many times, so they were greatly influenced by Chen Tingjing.
In the 23rd year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Chen Tingjing served as the imperial history of Zuodu, and five years later, Chen Tingjing first served as shangshu of the Ministry of Works, and later transferred to the Hubu, Libu, and Officials as Shangshu. In the forty-second year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Chen Tingjing was worshipped as a scholar of Wenyuange University and was officially "worshipped". Until Chen Tingjing's death, Chen Tingjing served in the center of the imperial court for more than 20 years, and had long become Kangxi's right hand man, assisting Kangxi in completing many administrative affairs and reforms.
As early as the twenty-third year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Chen Tingjing was transferred to the post of official attendant and supervised the Household Department Money Law, and in this year, Chen Tingjing did something that had a great impact on the Kangxi Dynasty: reforming coins.
The Draft History of the Qing Dynasty records:
Omission: "Since ancient times, when money is minted, it is light and heavy, and it has not changed for decades." Xiang Niyin exchanged one or two thousand dollars, and now only nine hundred, so he is destroying the money and copper. In the ten years of Shunzhi, due to the stagnation of money, those who changed the old weight of one dollar were one dollar and two cents and five cents, and in seventeen years, they increased to one dollar and four cents, so Du privately minted it. Now that private minting is free, it should be changed to light, and the destruction of money cannot help but kill itself. Where copper is produced, it is advisable to stop collecting taxes and listen to the people mining, then there will be more copper in the day, and the price of money will be more flat. ”
Chen Tingjing's passage is very long, which probably means: during the Shunzhi period, the weight of copper coins gradually increased, and the copper content was also high, and many people destroyed copper coins to cast copper for more benefits. As a result, there were fewer and fewer coins on the market, which seriously affected the economy of the empire. It is now time to reduce the weight of copper coins and mint "light money". In addition, in copper-producing areas, mining taxes should be stopped to increase the circulation of copper mines in the market.
Chen Tingjing's suggestion was eventually adopted by Kangxi, and although the "Kangxi Tongbao" seen by later generations was small, it was of great significance to the circulation of currency and economic development in the Kangxi Dynasty.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="9" >3. Chen Tingjing fights corruption</h1>
The "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty" evaluates Chen Tingjing as "Qing Qin". In the 54 years that Chen Tingjing was an official, he was always a Qing official. The reason why Chen Tingjing can be famous in the annals of history is because of his spirit and courage to be upright and impeach corruption. Next, we will talk about Chen Tingjing's anti-corruption.
In the twenty-fourth year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Chen Tingjing served as the imperial history of zuodu, and he repeatedly appealed to Kangxi to express his dissatisfaction with the official atmosphere. Chen Tingjing believes that now officials live and dress very luxuriously, and their clothes, horses, costumes, and utensils are all compared with each other, and in the long run, the distance between ordinary people and officials will become larger and larger, and at the same time, some officials have to embezzle and accept bribes in order to compare, which makes those officials who are poor more embarrassed. Chen Tingjing proposed a solution to Kangxi:
Fang's important task is to supervise and care for people. For the overseer, do not move his heart with the desire for profit, and then he can be the official of the dong. Officials do not take matters into their hearts, and then they can add to the people. (From the "Qing History Manuscript : Biography of Chen Tingjing")
This means that in order to solve the above problems, we must first strictly require the governors of the provinces, and only when the "number one" leads by example can it be possible to completely reverse the atmosphere in the official arena.
Kangxi agreed with Chen Tingjing's suggestion and ordered it to be implemented.
During Chen Tingjing's tenure as the imperial history of Zuo Du, he supervised hundreds of officials, and the first feudal governor to fall at his hands was Wang Jiwen, the governor of Yunnan. At the beginning, when Wang Jiwen was quelling the rebellion in San Francisco, in order to facilitate the enrichment of his own pockets, he deliberately did not use the donated grain and grass, but insisted on using Treasury silver. Later, when the war was calmed down, there was no silver left in the treasury, but there was a surplus of grain and grain, and Wang Jiwen was afraid that the matter would be exposed, so he treated the grain as a reward for the subordinate officials, but because of too much corruption, the amount of grain and silver was more than 900,000 taels apart. Although the officials knew about it, they dared not speak out in anger.
After Chen Tingjing learned of this situation, he collected evidence from many sources, and stabbed Wang Jiwen to Kangxi in a letter, and then the Manchu Dynasty was in an uproar. Some people admired Chen Tingjing's courage, and some people pinched a handful of sweat for Chen Tingjing, after all, he impeached the heroes who participated in the suppression of the rebellion.
Unexpectedly, after Kangxi read the evidence provided by Chen Tingjing, he was furious and immediately sent someone to inquire about Wang Jiwen, and finally, Wang Jiwen was deposed.
Chen Tingjing's impeachment of Wang Jiwen can be described as a hit, and since then, there have been not a few feudal officials who were impeached by Chen Tingjing and dismissed, and everyone knows that Chen Tingjing is a just and upright minister.
Once, Chen Tingjing gave a lecture to Kangxi, and when he talked about the "Gentleman's Villain Chapter", justice was awe-inspiring. After the class, Kangxi asked Chen Tingjing, since you talked about "villains" and "gentlemen", then you must have some points, and you told Chen, who is the villain?
In the face of Kangxi's questioning, Chen Tingjing did not shy away, he said bluntly: "Ming Xiang! ”
The Ming Emperor was Naran Mingzhu, one of the two great rulers of the Kangxi Dynasty (the other being Suo Etu). Although Kangxi knew about the monopoly of the pearl, almost no one dared to say that the pearl was not, and Chen Tingjing's performance made Kangxi look at him differently. Soon after, the pearl fell, and Kangxi admired Chen Tingjing even more.
Chen Tingjing, on the one hand, fights corruption, but on the other hand, he also sets strict demands on himself, and he believes that an official who can clearly read the words "greedy" and "honest" is the most qualified official.
When Chen Tingjing was an official, many people wanted to leave his relationship with his family, and Chen Tingjing sternly warned his family that if anyone who misbehaved and gave gifts and bribes came to visit, no matter how high the position was, they would all be driven out of the door. When Chen Tingjing was in the Ceremonial Department, he made a rule:
"Since the beginning of Tingjing, I have been asked for trust in the ministry and forbidden to give gifts."
It was precisely because Chen Tingjing had such a rigid and upright quality that Kangxi called him "lenient and old, almost perfect.". From ancient times to the present, there are several people who can approach the "perfect person", but Chen Tingjing has done it.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="9" >4, Chen Tingjing's two "returns"</h1>
Chen Tingjing's life has experienced 28 promotions and transfers, but his career has not been smooth, Chen Tingjing has also experienced two resignations, and at the same time, he has experienced two "returns".
Chen Tingjing was a clean and upright official, and dared to be tough, so he also offended many powerful people. In the twenty-seventh year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Huguang Inspector Zhang Feng was convicted of bribery, Zhang Feng, in order to reduce his guilt, indiscriminately climbed in prison, several of Kangxi's favorite ministers such as Xu Qianxue and Gao Shiqi were implicated, and Chen Tingjing was also impeached by his colleague Zhang Yushu because he was related to Zhang Feng.
Zhang Feng was eventually executed, and Chen Tingjing, in order to avoid suspicion, wrote a letter pleading to resign and return to his hometown to guard filial piety. Kangxi took pity on Chen Tingjing and allowed him to return to his hometown, but still let him take the imperial court and go home to compile books. Draft History of the Qing Dynasty:
Ting Jing was a father and elder, begging for re-adoption, and was relieved of his duties, still in charge of the study of books.
This was the first time Chen Tingjing had been resigned, but half a year later, he experienced a "return to the furnace".
Half a year later, Gao Shiqi and Xu Qianxue fell into infighting, and Kangxi was so annoyed that he expelled the two from the capital and re-summoned Chen Tingjing to come, and was entrusted by Kangxi with heavy responsibilities, successively serving as Shangshu in the Ministry of Works, Households, Ceremonies, and Officials.
In the forty-second year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Chen Tingjing was "worshipped" and became one of kangxi's most trusted Han courtiers. However, at this time, Chen Tingjing was 65 years old, and in addition to assisting Kangxi in handling government affairs, he also served as a lecturer at the feast and presided over the compilation of the Kangxi Dictionary.
In the forty-ninth year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Chen Tingjing resigned for the second time, this time due to his old age and physical decline. Chen Tingjing thought that he could finally return to his hometown to retire, but he did not expect that after only 6 months, Kangxi once again summoned Chen Tingjing to join the dynasty. "Qing History Manuscript Chen Tingjing Biography" Yun:
Zhang Yushu, a scholar of the Hui University, li Guangdi was ill, and Zhao Tingjing was still in the cabinet to watch things.
It turned out that after Chen Tingjing resigned from the government, Kangxi still had two able Hanchen around him, namely Zhang Yushu and Li Guangdi, but helplessly, Zhang Yushu died of illness the following year, and Li Guangdi was also sick and on leave, so Kangxi had to summon Chen Tingjing, who was steady and old, to "return to the furnace" and then contribute to the imperial court.
Chen Tingjing entered the dynasty this time, has been 72 years old, when Zhang Yushu has died of illness, Chen Tingjing and more than 30 scholars finally completed the compilation of the "Kangxi Dictionary", this work, a total of 77,035 Chinese characters, and the use of strokes, rhymes, tone and other different ways of classification and arrangement, has become one of the most important references in the study of Chinese characters, the role of the Kangxi Dictionary, no less than the "Yongle Canon".
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="9" > V, Chen Tingjing, and Kangxi Shengshi</h1>
There were many famous ministers in the Kangxi Dynasty, and Chen Tingjing's career did not have too many grandeur, but when you taste it carefully, his contribution to the Kangxi Dynasty should not be underestimated.
In the fifty-first year of Kangxi, Chen Tingjing was seriously ill, and Kangxi sent a doctor to diagnose his illness many times, but he had no choice but to return to heaven and lack of skills. On April 19 of that year, Chen Tingjing passed away unexpectedly, and Kangxi was very sad after hearing the news, and personally made a joint memorial to mourn this Han chen who had followed him for more than 50 years. The Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Chen Tingjing, records:
Fifty-one years later, he died, and shang shenzhi personally produced a chapter of elegy, ordered the emperor's third son Yun Zhi to lay tea and wine; and ordered the minister of the ministry to mourn him, and gave Bai Jinqian and Yu Wenzhen.
Kangxi not only gave Chen Ting the honorific title of "Wenzhen", but also sent the oldest prince in the dynasty at that time, Yin Zhi (the eldest son of the emperor and the second son of the emperor, who was imprisoned) to personally pay tribute to Chen Tingjing.
Chen Tingjing died, and before the coffin, not only had his own son, but also the emperor's son, and this kind of honor was not for everyone.
Kangxi reigned for 61 years, Chen Tingjing was an official for a total of 54 years, except for the 3 years of the Shunzhi period and the 51 years of Chen Tingjing's career, all accompanied Kangxi.
Kangxi lived a lifetime of martial arts, and the Qing Dynasty began to flourish during the Kangxi period, gradually entering the prosperous world. During this period, Chen Tingjing worked as an editor in the Hanlin Academy, as an attendant for Kangxi, and as a minister of works, households, ceremonies, and rites, and even as a "Xiangguo" of the dynasty. More than half a century has long allowed Chen Tingjing to take root in the Kangxi Dynasty, and the influence on the dynasty is also multifaceted.
First of all, Chen Tingjing was upright and honest, he cracked down on corruption, straightened out the rule of officials, advocated that officials be close to the people's livelihood, not only made the officials of the Kangxi Dynasty more clean, but also set an example for the officials, so it is said that Chen Tingjing's influence on the politics and governance of the Kangxi Dynasty cannot be ignored.
Secondly, Chen Tingjing advocated reforming coins and exempting copper mining taxes, which not only increased the circulation of copper coins in the market, but also increased the vitality of social economy. It also had a great economic impact on the Kangxi Dynasty.
Third, Chen Tingjing's literary skills are solid, not only have poems circulated in the world, but more importantly, he compiled the most comprehensive dictionary in Chinese history, the Kangxi Dictionary, which was a cultural event of the Kangxi Dynasty. Therefore, it can be said that Chen Tingjing added color to the cultural development of the Kangxi Dynasty.
Finally, Chen Tingjing served as Kangxi's sutra teacher for a long time, and gave lectures to Kangxi for a long time, and Kangxi was greatly influenced by Chen Tingjing in his thinking.
Confucian empty steps sigh, long throat light run.
Chen Tingjing assisted Kangxi for more than half a century, and his influence on politics, economy, culture, and imperial thought was large enough, so the author believes that if the Kangxi Dynasty did not have Chen Tingjing, there would be no Kangxi prosperous world, and even if there was a prosperous world, it would be greatly discounted.