Skills of being an official in Qing Dynasty

Li Hongzhang has a famous saying: "The easiest thing in the world is to be an official. If this person can't even be an official, it's useless. " In fact, being an official also has the knack of being an official and needs "cultivation". Master this trick, and your career will be smooth and prosperous; Otherwise, not only will you not be promoted, but you may also lose your position and head. Officials in the Qing dynasty "cultivated" many official skills, which played a very bad role in the management of officials in the Qing dynasty, from which we can get a glimpse of the corruption degree of officialdom in the Qing dynasty, especially in the late Qing dynasty.

Mr. Lin Tongji, a political scientist and philosopher historian, listed many official skills popular in feudal officialdom in China in his Historical View of Cultural Form, which Lin called "official skills" and thought that "the essence of official skills lies in the word" wrist ". These "official skills" can be described as readily available in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty.

Lin Tongji described "the art of officialdom" as follows: "It is also a skill to reciprocate, flatter and join in the fun. Flaunt, win over, become sworn, unite, and be skillful. It is also tricky to crowd out, spread rumors, plunder merits and frame mistakes. How to die, how to deal with it, how to brag, how to pretend to be sick, all kinds of things, all kinds of things, not wrists. Everything is a wrist, that is, everything is a pose, and everything is fake. If everything is false, you will be an official! Play Mandarin and tell lies. Do red tape, write fake. The morality of officialdom is also false morality. Official affairs, activities that serve the public and private interests. " Although this is a summary of the "official skills" of the whole ancient officialdom, it is actually more general than the "official skills" of the Qing Dynasty.

The following focuses on several of the most popular "official skills" in Qing officialdom.

Kowtow more and talk less.

Cao Zhenyong, an official in the Three Dynasties, is a typical example of "kowtowing more and talking less" and "official skills". Cao was a college student in the Three Dynasties and was deeply loved by the emperor. After his death, he also won the posthumous title of "Zheng Wen" (this is a high praise for officials who have made great achievements, especially in sacrifices. It is said that only eight people won this honor in the Qing Dynasty), and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. It can be said that his career is thriving and famous for later generations. But he won such a high status and honor, not because he has made many commendable achievements, but because he is proficient in the officialdom tactics of "kowtowing more and talking less".

Zhu, a Qing man, revealed his Baiyun origin in two views on the temple: "In his later years, Cao was rich and famous. One of his students invited him to die, and Cao said, "Nothing else, just kowtowing more and talking less." This is Cao Zhenyong's own summary of the secret of "fame and fortune". The draft of Qing history? The Biography of Cao Zhen Yong also praised him for his "solid work, plain appearance" and "being cautious and observing grammar", but in fact he was driven by the emperor, passive to Nuo Nuo and obedient to others. Cao Zhenyong not only practiced the official tactics of "kowtowing more and talking less", but also advocated to the younger generation of his protege and even warned those who were solely responsible for correcting bombs. So should the suggestion of "talking more without kowtowing".

In "The Officialdom in the Appearance", there is a passage describing that the main hall teaches his favorite pupil, Mr. Jia, official skills. Huazhong Hall is very similar to Cao Zhenyong (according to the test, the prototype of Huazhong Hall is Rong Lu, but the description of "official skills" here is the same as that of Cao Zhenyong). It is written in the book that Mr. Jia asked Hua Zheng Dian to kowtow. Hua said, "Meeting more and talking less is the secret of being an official." "Don't forget what you shouldn't touch: you just shouldn't touch it, and you will never be punished for kowtowing."

On the one hand, Cao Zhenyong taught his protege and younger generation the secret of kowtowing, on the other hand, he offered the emperor the strategy of restraining ministers, forcing them to "kowtow more and talk less". He once offered advice to the fatuous Daoguang Emperor, saying that he could "blame the person who chose the smallest procedure" by giving advice to the courtiers who "pointed to the defeat of Chen Que", so that the courtiers felt that the son of heaven could "watch the autumn" and be more obedient. Therefore, Daoguang found fault and blocked his speech. "If there is a little mistake in the memorial, he will be severely punished and demoted." As a result, "China and foreign countries (in and out of government) are shocked, and they all regret the details, but dare not be a little vertical." Courtiers have become mediocrities, and the memorials they wrote on them have also reported good news but no bad news. At the beginning of the Taiping Rebellion, ministers kept secrets from each other until many famous cities were conquered. As for the cause of this consequence, it has been pointed out that "every crime of suppressing concealment is successful."

Many people of insight have exposed and criticized the influence of Cao Zhenyong's "official skills" on official management and social customs. An honest anonymous person wrote a poem "Dried Plums", satirizing people like Cao Zhenyong and bad social customs. A cloud said, "The official career needs to be refined, and Beijing often receives it, and charcoal is always abundant (this means that foreign officials inquire about official news in Beijing and bribe Beijing officials). Don't talk about current events and be a hero, just integrate and humble. " The second cloud: "I am calm in economy, and I don't show my political achievements, let alone loyalty. All personnel must be embarrassed and unquestionably refuted and discussed. " The third cloud: "extending in all directions, the country is prosperous and the official transportation is accessible. Everyone praises harmony, and the good ones are stitched, and the bad ones are stitched. " The fourth cloud: "No disaster, no difficulty, a wife is honored, and a son is a doctor." Behind Liu Fang is endless. Don't swear Wen Zhong, swear Wen Gong. "It's vivid and incisive!

Smooth approach and avoidance

Feudal officialdom is usually restless. Colleagues are intrigued, the boss is moody, political enemies are fighting, and the political situation is unpredictable. Therefore, people who have been in the officialdom for a long time have figured out the "officialdom art" that is smooth and timely. With this, you can be versatile, make ends meet, and no one will offend you, so that you can be an official and get promoted smoothly.

The common concept in officialdom in the early Qing Dynasty is that wit is wisdom and rigidity is madness. Gu, a thinker in Qing Dynasty, once quoted Bai Juyi's poem about Hu Xuanwu's dancer to describe this trend: "Everyone learns to turn around." In the late Qing Dynasty, the official style was corrupt, the political situation was changeable, and the smooth evasive method was more popular and subtle. Liu Guangdi, one of the six gentlemen in the Reform Movement of 1898, once lamented: "The official road is not only flashing."

Wang Wenshao, a famous minister who experienced three dynasties, is a typical representative of this skill. Wang Wenshao has served as many senior officials, provincial judges, special envoys, governors and governors at the local level, as well as senior ministers of the imperial court, college students and military ministers. This is an excellent career. It was derided as "glazed ball" and glazed egg "oil-soaked loquat core".

A concrete manifestation is that when Wang Wenshao meets an important issue and needs to make a statement, he always presses the button, hides from four people and plays dumb. One thing mentioned in Li Boyuan's Notes on Nanting in the late Qing Dynasty can well explain this characteristic of Wang Wenshao: Wang Wenshao became "more deaf" after he joined the military plane, and one day two ministers quarreled over one thing and were deadlocked. After the Western Empress asked Wang what he thought, Wang didn't know what to say, so he had to smile. After the Western Empress Dowager repeatedly asked, Wang still just laughed. "Afraid of offending people?" said the Queen Mother. What a glazed egg! " Wang is still smiling. Wang Wenshao's deafness is half true and half false. He often plays dumb to escape from reality. Liang Shiyi, an official in the late Qing Dynasty who knew the inside story, said in a letter to his father: "Wang Wenshao is deaf, but he will cheat when something happens." .

Wang Wenshao is tactful and never argues with others, but when powerful ministers contradict his opinions, he can't stand it. At a headquarters meeting to discuss foreign policy, his opinion was refuted by a powerful minister, and he was so scared that he bowed his head and dared not say anything more. Wang Wenshao is not ashamed of his tact, but proud of it. When he was minister of military affairs, he went to the palace to be on duty every morning, holding a lantern with the word "Wang" in front of the sedan chair, so that people could know it was him at a glance. It was suggested that he remove the words on the lamp because the revolutionary party was plotting to bomb the dignitaries. He said: "I have always lived in peace with others, and I have no enemies, for fear of accidental injury;" Therefore, I specially wrote the surname on the lamp so that people can see it. " It can be seen that Wang Wenshao appreciates their lifestyle very much.

In "Officialdom in the Sky", in the section "People who are used to talking about stereotypes", Xu Dajun was written, and Rainbow was much more famous. This Xu Dajun machine "saw the top, the top said east, he also east, the top said west, he also west." Whenever we meet, it is nothing more than "yes, yes, yes" and "who should be". If you touch the top and ask him for advice, he is afraid that he has no bottom in his heart, so he can't hear you and can only meet underground ... "Wang Wenshao is a native of Hangzhou, a former minister of finance, and a' deaf'; This Xu Dajun machine written in the book is also from Hangzhou, a senior official and a "hard of hearing". Judging from the description of Officialdom in the Sky, it should be based on Wang Wenshao.

There are still many bureaucrats who are good at evasiveness in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty.

For example, Weng Tonghe is an old bureaucrat who has experienced numerous officialdom storms. In the political situation of the late Qing Dynasty, he was the first person to regain power for the emperor, but he was afraid of being accused of usurping power. First I sponsored Kang Youwei, and then I regretted it. He only cares about personal gains and losses, lest he take any responsibility. Liang Qichao's evaluation of him in The Flowers of Evil is: "Master Gong (alluding to Weng Tonghe) is too timid and the technique of avoiding officialdom is too hard. He only does good deeds, but never saves time. " Tan Sitong also analyzed: "The meaning of this Old Master Q is to cater to the meaning of the report, and the second is to take the responsibility off Xiao Weng (referring to Zhang); Third, I am afraid that I (referring to Kang Youwei) will not be bound. " It can be seen that Weng Tonghe is smooth and cunning.

Li Shengduo is also a bureaucrat who is good at avoiding have it both ways. He originally signed up for the Bulgarian National Assembly, but later felt that it was not good for him, so he withdrew from self-help. At first, he ran to the gate of Xu Tong, an ultra-old school. In order to cater to Xu Tong's aversion to foreign goods, he smashed his opium pipe. But after Xu Tong's death, he immediately turned to Yi Kuang, who was good at westernization, and boasted to Yi Xian that he was "proficient in westernization".

After decades of ups and downs in his career, Xu Shichang, a senior official in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, summed up four secrets and boasted that they had never failed in his career. The first one is "Tong Yuan". That is, there should be room for thinking when speaking; Be flexible and advance and retreat at will; Treat people together; Officers should be versatile, balanced, and can't have both ends meet. The other three secrets are "composure, flexibility and alertness".

In the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty, some promising officials who used to be upright and upright in Geng Jie changed from "square" to "round" because of this ethos. Zhang is a typical example.

In the seventh year of Xianfeng, Zhang became the deployment envoy of Gansu, in charge of the civil affairs and finance of a province. The Confucian ideal of ruling the country and leveling the world, coupled with the emperor's special kindness in receiving him, made him a little diligent in law enforcement after taking office. However, less than a year after he took office, he set himself a code of "Don't show the laurel horn when something happens" and hung a self-written couplet in the office as the motto: "Reading sage books is unbearable; Dry your face with Huang Lao's method. " -the edges and corners are gone.

Who grinded off the edges and corners of Zhang? One is his immediate boss, and the other is the network around him. Zhang's immediate boss is Le Bin, governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, who is also the governor in charge of Gansu. This man is the son of the Eight Banners. He is not only incompetent, but also cunning. When Zhang works under his command, it is difficult to do things impartially, let alone make a difference, and he often criticizes him. Zhang offended many people in order to prevent some bureaucrats in the province from going to the official money shop for credit, and some people went to Lebin to report the black case. Lebin does not distinguish right from wrong, rewards good and punishes evil, but believes in false accusations and falsely accuses Zhang. Zhang was so disappointed that her spirit fell to the ground. The corruption of some officials was discovered by Zhang, but the case involved Le Bin, which was difficult to enter. Zhang "has no choice but to die".

The network around Zhang is woven by a group of evil gangs centered on Lebin. The so-called sworn brothers, in-laws and fellow villagers, one's intimate friends, apprentices and confidants are intertwined on this network. When dealing with official business, Zhang Jing often feels the magic of this network: he often does one thing and is restricted by many parties; Touch a person and get up to protect him. Zhang is not in this circle. Her situation is very isolated and constantly threatened by this network. He wrote in his diary, "I am isolated from it, and I am afraid of danger." "I am determined to retire and avoid its opposition." It is in this state of mind that he set himself the code of "never showing the corner of the laurel" and hung up the couplet of "use yellow books and do it yourself".

Obedience: what the Englishman Wade saw and heard.

In feudal officialdom, the boss's likes and dislikes of subordinates played a great role in the safety of subordinates. The subordinates that the boss likes may be promoted quickly; Disgruntled subordinates may lose their jobs. As the official said, "Any official can win the praise of his superiors, which is a happy letter of promotion." So Xia Chat attaches great importance to the likes and dislikes of the boss. "If you get an official smile, you will be happy for several days. If you get official anger, you will be sad for several days."

In order to make the boss like himself, most subordinates have one trick: obey. That is, people who absolutely obey their superiors regard the right and wrong of their superiors as their own. Don't say anything if you have different opinions, just consider it. In the officialdom of the Qing dynasty, this obedience was extremely popular. The novel of the month in Guangxu period? The preface says: "If you say a word above, the voice of the' speaker' will echo below. So is this officialdom. Another Qing Dynasty wrote a couplet: "It is about the joy of the ancestor Hong; Yes, yes, the emperor's grace is no problem "

Wade, an Englishman, has been in China for a long time, so he is very familiar with the officialdom in China. He recorded what he saw in his diary. He wrote that although China has different powers, ministers still dare not express their opinions. In the Prime Minister's yamen, whenever foreign envoys made comments, China officials looked at each other-the minister regarded the prince, and the new minister regarded the old minister. If the prince speaks, everyone will respond in a crashing way. If the prince doesn't speak, the ministers dare not speak first. Once, Wade himself went to the Prime Minister's yamen to handle foreign affairs and said, "It's a beautiful day today", but no one dared to answer. An official surnamed Shen couldn't help but reply, "It's a beautiful day." So Wang added, "The weather is really good today." At this time, the following officials responded in a crashing way.

Because it has become a habit for officials in the Qing Dynasty to be subservient to Nuo Nuo, sometimes what they say to their superiors is simply echoed in their minds, which leads to jokes. An official reprimanded his subordinate officials for their incompetence. The subordinate officials even said "yes, yes", and the officer called the subordinate officials "forgetting the bastard", but the subordinate officials still said "yes, yes".

This kind of joke is also written on the surface of officialdom: a company will say "yes" only when it serves foreigners. Once he accidentally broke a foreigner's luggage, and the foreigner asked him if he was lazy. He answered "Yes" and asked him if he deliberately damaged the luggage. He also answered "Yes" and was beaten by a foreigner. He said unconvinced: "Our superiors have always had the final say in officialdom, and subordinates have always been' yes, yes, yes' and' persistence'. Now I treat him with the rules of treating my superiors, but he is still unhappy and reaches out and hits people. It's really outrageous! "

Sometimes chatting in summer is not so clear about the boss's intentions. If you want to cater to the boss, you must find a way. At the same time, an effective way to cater to the boss's intention is to apply the ready-made words in the superior official documents. Wu, a writer of A Qing Dynasty, borrowed the words of an old screen friend and told the story that when the screen friend drafted a case, he used the official documents of the higher-level yamen to cater to the boss's intention: "We handle the case and say everything without any rebuttal." This kind of intentional spying on the boss's yamen when dealing with official business, that is, the secret of "no secrets", failed all the people in the world.

There is also a popular official skill in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty: "Offending the king, offending the court, and not offending the boss and the squire." If you offend the king, the king dare not expect it. Offending the imperial court, the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and punishment is sometimes powerless, and it can also win the reputation of "dare to criticize Long Lin". It is terrible to offend your boss, who will cheat you everywhere and make you lose your position and be punished. On the one hand, subordinates should flatter their superiors, on the other hand, they should belittle themselves in order to raise their superiors. There is an interesting couplet that vividly summarizes this situation: "My Lord, my Lord, I am promoted to the thirty-sixth house, and Gaiwa is a jade emperor;" Humble position, humble position, humble position is extremely damn, he died in eighteen layers of hell to dig coal for Yan. "Xiaguan's self-proclaimed' humble position' to Shangguan originated from the Yuan Dynasty, and the habits of the Ming and Qing Dynasties followed, arrogant and flattering, and supercilious.