Out of the Ming Dynasty Yang Tingjian wrote slogans for Li Zicheng. Why did he refuse to become an official in the Qing Dynasty?

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, there was a champion who had a strange experience. He could have had a bright future, but when it came to the end of the world, he could have defected to the Qing Dynasty, but his ethics were very high and he was unwilling to surrender. He is Yang Tingjian, the last number one scholar in the late Ming Dynasty.

Yang Tingjian is a strange person, not only because he is the top pick in high school, but before that, he was already legendary enough. Yang Tingjian's ancestor is Qiu Yangzhen of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Many ancestors were recognized in ancient times, but Yang Tingjian was recorded in a book and passed down from generation to generation. The thirty-third grandson of Yangzhen moved from Linchuan during the Shaoding period of the Southern Song Dynasty. He has been reproducing from generation to generation, taking family as his career and farming as his education. Huang had a close relationship with Wujin, and many historical materials call Yang Tingjian a native of Wujin.

The amazing thing about him is that he was already famous in Jiangnan before he went to school. At that time, his knowledge and character were highly praised, and he was said to be "hard-working at a young age and not fond of new clothes." He studied under Sun, the Minister of Rites, and the deputy censor. As a civilian, Yang Tingjian's experience is indeed somewhat legendary, and he was able to worship such a high-ranking North Korean official.

During the imperial examination, Yang Tingjian happened to meet his teacher Zhang Qinghui, who was also called into North Korea. Teachers and students went to the capital together, on their way to the north. Zhang Qinghui has high hopes for her students. He said: We are old, and becoming famous is a matter of course for you. Now that the country is in decline, it depends on your descendants.

This year is 1643, which is also the last exam of the Ming Dynasty. On the way, Ting Yang recognized her teacher and stopped by to visit Sun Qifeng. Sun Qifeng, a good friend of Yang Tingjian's father, has a strong foundation in science and now lives in Henan. But it was this visit that went wrong.

In Xiangyang, Li Zicheng claimed to be the new king of Shun. In Ruzhou, Henan, he annihilated the main force of Sun Chuanting, the governor of Shaanxi in the Ming Dynasty, and happened to capture Yang Tingjian.

The farmers didn't know how famous Yang Tingjian was or what his abilities were, but seeing that he was a scholar, they kept him as a counselor. Although Li Zicheng was very powerful at the time and the Peasant Army lacked literati, Yang Tingjian was deeply influenced by Confucianism and often did not dare to join the Peasant Army out of loyalty.

The farmers did not make things difficult for him and just left him to write slogans. In this way, Yang Tingjian did free papers for a period of time and wrote slogans for the peasant army such as "There is no food in the fields" and "Open the door to welcome the king, but the king will not collect food".

After gaining the trust of the peasant army, Yang Tingjian finally got the opportunity to leave Henan and go north to the capital. After he visited his father's old friends and worked for the Peasant Army, he managed to catch up with his exams.

With Yang Tingjian’s talent, there is no problem in passing the exam. In the past, court examinations were usually held in the second year. At that time, the military situation was urgent, and the palace examinations began immediately. In the Golden Palace, Chongzhen's problem is how to choose people? Yang Tingjian is different from other scholars. He had been a senior teacher and had experience in the peasant army. To this end, he expressed his views:

First choose the conduct of scholars, and then choose their words. Employ people with sincerity and humility, and distinguish between evil and righteousness, regardless of sect.

This kind of Chongzhen was greatly praised for his views, but there was no time to verify whether Yang Tingjian's selection views were right or wrong. The next year, Li Zicheng invaded the capital, and Emperor Chongzhen committed suicide for his country.

The farmers saw Yang Tingjian again. At this time, one was an emerging political force and the other had just become the number one scholar in the Hanlin Academy. Coupled with the previous cooperative relationship, there should be sparks, right? However, Yang Tingjian was still unwilling to serve the Dashun regime. He secretly left Beijing and traveled thousands of miles amid the war to return to his hometown.

There are rumors

In fact, the Qing court recruited him as an official many times. In the third year after entering the customs, the Qing government recruited Yang Tingjian, but he refused on the grounds of illness. In the seventh year of Shunzhi, Hong Chengchou recommended Yang Tingjian to be an official, but he refused because of his mother's anxiety. In the ninth year of Shunzhi, the emperor personally asked Yang Tingjian's fellow villager and son Yang Dawei about Yang Tingjian's condition and asked him to come out again. Yang Tingjian refused. Relying on his fame, he set up a school in the local area, donated rice and rice to provide disaster relief, and did many good deeds.