Excuse me, the origin of the "Donglin Party"?

Donglin Party

A political group dominated by Jiangnan scholar-bureaucrats in the late Ming Dynasty. In the 32nd year of Wanli (1604), Gu Xiancheng, who was dismissed and returned to his hometown, with the support of Ouyang Dongfeng, the prefect of Changzhou, and Lin Zai, the magistrate of Wuxi, restored the Donglin Academy where Yang Shi lectured in the Song Dynasty, and collaborated with Gao Panlong, Qian Yiben, and Xue Fu Jiao, Shi Menglin, Yu Kongjian and his younger brother Yu Yuncheng, among others, gave lectures. "In addition to lectures, they often satirized the government and judged people." Their remarks were called Qingyi. The courtiers who admire his style respond to him from afar. This kind of political lecture activity has had a wide range of social influence. The "Three Wu Gentlemen", various political representatives in and out of government, southeastern urban forces, and certain local powerful factions all gathered around the Donglin faction with Donglin Academy as the center. People at that time called it the Donglin Party. In the later period of Ming Shenzong Zhu Yijun's reign, eunuchs were monopolizing power and acting rebelliously. Politics became increasingly corrupt and social conflicts intensified. In response to this phenomenon, Donglin Party members proposed opposing the plundering of mining supervisors, reducing the burden of taxes and labor, and developing the economy of the southeast region. They also advocated open speech, implementation of reforms and other critical opinions on current affairs, which won widespread support from the society at that time. At the same time, they also encountered fierce opposition from eunuchs and various dependent forces. In the party struggle in the late Ming Dynasty, the main opponent of the Donglin Party was the Qichu and Zhejiang Party. In the late Wanli period, the two sides fought for the country's origins as the first priority, and with the three cases as the aftermath, they continued to attack each other.

During the period of Emperor Tianqi, the eunuch Wei Zhongxian took over the dictatorship and formed the most powerful eunuch group in the Ming Dynasty. The parties in Qi, Chu and Zhejiang rushed to rely on it and carried out bloody suppression on the Donglin Party members. In the fourth year of Tianqi (1624), Yang Lian, a member of the Donglin Party, was arrested for impeaching Wei Zhongxian for the twenty-four major crimes, and was killed together with Zuo Guangdou, Huang Zunsu, Zhou Shunchang and others. Wei Zhongxian also asked people to compile the "Three Dynasties Essential Code", using the three cases of Hongwan Case, Fence Attack Case, and Palace Relocation Case as themes to destroy Donglin Academy and attack the Donglin Party. Famous people in Donglin such as Wei Dazhong, Gu Dazhang, Gao Panlong, Zhou Qiyuan, and Miao Changsi were persecuted to death one after another. The Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang Party also made records of Tianjian. Jiadonglin had a bad reputation and listed party members throughout the country. Each list had as few as a hundred people and as many as more than 500 people. Anyone listed would have their status removed by the living, and pursued by the dead. The court The good category is empty. Wei Zhongxian also instigated his party members to create the "Donglin Point General Record", giving the famous Donglin party members the nickname "Water Margin" 108 generals, in an attempt to catch them all. In the seventh year of the Apocalypse, Zhu Youjian, Emperor Sizong of the Ming Dynasty, came to the throne. Wei Zhongxian hanged himself. The following year, the "Three Dynasties Essential Code" was destroyed, and the persecution of Donglin Party members stopped. However, the struggle between Donglin and the eunuchs lasted until the Nanming Dynasty.

The sound of wind, rain, and reading are all heard;

Care about family affairs, national affairs, world affairs, and everything.

This is a couplet written by Gu Xiancheng, leader of the Donglin Party, and engraved on the gate of Donglin Academy.

In the 22nd year of Wanli (1594), Gu Xiancheng, a doctor in the Literary and Selection Department of the Ministry of Official Affairs, was stripped of his official status and returned to his hometown of Wuxi. Together with his brother Gu Yuncheng, he initiated the restoration of Donglin Academy in the east of Wuxi. This academy was originally founded by Song Confucian Yang Shi, who was a disciple of the two brothers Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, the great Confucians of the Song Dynasty. Yang Shi was the authentic successor of the "Er Cheng Theory". Later, another great scholar of the Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi, was a disciple of Yang Shi. When Gu Xiancheng rebuilt Donglin Academy, he very clearly announced that he taught Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, that is to say, he inherited Yang Shi's mantle.

Ouyang Dongfeng, the prefect of Changzhou, and Lin Zai, the prefect of Wuxi, helped a lot in rebuilding Donglin Academy. After it was completed, Gu Xiancheng gave lectures with like-minded people such as Gao Panlong, Qian Yiben, Xue Fujiao, Shi Menglin, Yu Kongjian and others. Those who came to listen and learn called Gu Xian Mr. Jingyang, and later some people called him Mr. Donglin.

At that time, many scholar-bureaucrats who embraced morality and were not accepted by the authorities retreated to the woods. The reconstruction of Donglin Academy enabled them to find close friends, so they all rushed to come, making "the school could not be abandoned." Allow". Gu Xiancheng often said: "If you are an official in the capital and are not loyal to your master, if you are a local official and you are not interested in the people's livelihood, and if you live in seclusion in your hometown and do not uphold justice, you are not worthy of being called a gentleman." These views of his won echoes from comrades. After lectures, they gathered together to discuss government affairs in euphemistic language, and praised and criticized the ministers in power. Use "gentleman" and "villain" to distinguish between good and evil factions in politics.

In this way, some officials in the DPRK, such as Sun Piyang, Zou Yuanbiao, Zhao Nanxing and others, also communicated with Donglin Academy from afar. With a sense of concern for the country and the people, and their intention to make a difference, they formed a political force that cannot be ignored. The faction that opposed them called them the "Donglin Party". Donglin Party members are known as "Qingliu" and influence the world's public opinion.

At that time, Shenzong did not go to court for a long time to manage government affairs. He lived in the palace for a long time and lived a life of "drinking every night, getting drunk every night, and getting angry every time he drank". The waiters around him were not satisfied with their work. "Easily killed by the stick". He was also extremely greedy and wanted to plunder all the wealth in the world and bring it into the palace for him to squander. A large number of eunuchs were sent as "mine envoys" and "tax supervisors" to various places to levy exorbitant amounts of money, causing public resentment to boil. He set aside the appointment and dismissal of court officials, making it impossible for current officials to be promoted and for vacant positions to be filled in a timely manner. At the worst time, there was only one minister in the six departments, and the censor of both departments was not replaced for 10 years. In order to increase the number of cabinet ministers that were insufficient, the chief and assistant ministers actually submitted more than 100 memorial requests. As a result, factional disputes between the government and the opposition have become more intense.

Those who disagree with the Donglin Party's political views are cabinet ministers Wang Xijue, Shen Yiguan, Fang Congzhe and others. They are called the "Zhejiang Party". In addition, there is the "Qin Party", whose members are all bureaucrats from Shaanxi. There are also the "Qi Party", "Chu Party" and "Xuan Party", all named after the place of origin of the leader. The political views of the "Qin Party" are consistent with those of the "Donglin Party", and all other "parties" are in harmony with the "Zhejiang Party", and party disputes are rampant.

The Donglin Party members are often not afraid of power, plead for the people, boldly impeach the powerful officials in the DPRK, oppose "mine envoys" and "tax supervisors", and even dare to offend "Long Yan". When Fengyang Governor Li Sancai was punished by cabinet ministers, Gu Xiancheng, who was lecturing at Donglin Academy, wrote to Ye Xianggao and Sun Piyang, praising Li Sancai's political achievements. Censor Wu Liang copied Gu Xiancheng's letter in the Di newspaper, which greatly angered Li Sancai's attackers.

During his tenure as the governor of Fengyang, Li Sancai confiscated hundreds of thousands of stolen money and a large number of rare treasures belonging to Cheng Shouxun, a minion of eunuch Chen Zeng, and punished Cheng Shouxun in accordance with the law, which was a very satisfying thing. . In the 27th and 28th years of Wanli period, he went to court many times to state the harmful effects of mining tax. In the 30th and 31st years of Wanli's reign, he repeatedly opposed mining taxes and proposed dredging canals, building sluices, and preventing floods and droughts. Instead of being adopted, these suggestions were fined five months' salary. Li Sancai criticized Emperor Shenzong in his memorial against the Mining Commissioner and Tax Supervisor: "Your Majesty loves pearls and jade, and the people also want to have food and clothing; your Majesty loves your children and grandchildren, and the people also love their wives and children. Why is your Majesty trying so hard to amass treasures but not letting the people be satisfied?" What is the need to fight? Why does your Majesty want to extend blessings for thousands of years, but not allow the people to enjoy the pleasures of the day and night?”

The Donglin Party members have always opposed the concubines’ interference in politics and the eunuchs’ monopolization of power, even if they reduce their positions? Even though he was dismissed from office and even arrested and questioned, he refused to change. In the "fighting for the foundation of the country" incident and the three subsequent cases of "attack", "red pill" and "relocation of the palace", the Donglin Party members all started from the standpoint of safeguarding imperial power, insisted on opposing Zheng Guifei and Li Xuanshi's interference in politics, and publicly Criticized the behavior that harmed the crown prince and emperor, and advocated a strict investigation of the parties involved in the three cases and the masterminds behind them.

The Donglin Party members are also trying to purge officials in the "Beijing Chao Plan". "Beijing inspection" and "external inspection" are two systems for evaluating officials. "Beijing inspection" is to inspect officials serving in Beijing, once every 6 years; "External inspection" is to evaluate officials serving in local areas, once every 3 years. Usually, foreign officials were inspected when they came to the capital to meet with the emperor. "Beijing inspection" determines rewards and punishments such as promotion, demotion, or dismissal based on the official's performance and conduct. If someone is dismissed from his position in the "Beijing Inspectorate", he will no longer be employed for life.

In the 21st year of Wanli's reign, the presiding officers of the Beijing inspection were Sun Kaogong, the official minister, Zhao Nanxing, the doctor, and Li Shida, the censor of Zuodu. They were all relatively upright and uninterested. Lu Yinchang, the foreigner of the literary selection committee, was Sun Nanxing's nephew, and Wang Sanyu was a relative of Zhao Nanxing. Both of them were dismissed due to poor evaluation. The Donglin Party also took this opportunity to remove some officials who had close contacts with cabinet ministers. In the thirty-third year of Wanli, the people who presided over the "Beijing Chao Plan" were Donglin Party members Censor Wen Chun and Minister of Staff Yang Shiqiao, and they demoted Zhejiang Party officials Qian Menggao, Zhong Zhaodou and others.

However, Nanjing's "Beijing Chao Plan" was presided over by the Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang parties, who took the opportunity to oust officials from the Donglin Party. In the forty-fifth year of Wanli, the leader of the Zhejiang Party became the chief minister of the cabinet again. This year's "Beijing Inspection Plan" dealt a great blow to the Donglin Party members. As a result, a situation of crony fighting was formed, and the political opinions of the Donglin Party members became entangled with their motivation to eliminate dissidents, creating an excuse for those who attacked them.

The Donglin Party was a political group that emerged in the late Ming Dynasty and was mainly composed of middle- and lower-level officials, middle- and lower-level landowners, and intellectuals who opposed princes, nobles, relatives, and powerful ministers and eunuchs. They tried to save the country with Confucian orthodoxy, but suffered a major blow when the powerful ruling group suppressed them. It wasn't until Chongzhen came to the throne to execute Wei Zhongxian that he raised his head. Later, the remnants of the Donglin Party continued to fight against the powerful ministers until the fall of Nanming, which lasted for more than 40 years.