Chapter 22 2. Such a herdsman

Among all the agents of the empire, the county magistrate is the lowest official (Zheng Qipin).Below the county level, there are no officials, only Liao or officials (above the county level, there are both officials, Liao or officials).Similarly, in the administrative region of the empire, the county is also the lowest level of local government.Below the county level, townships, kiosks, ri, and even the like are only semi-official local self-government organizations and cannot be counted as local power or local government.Therefore, whether it is a local official or a local government, the county level is the lowest.However, the county and the county magistrate are the most important.From the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the establishment and titles of administrative regions at all levels changed repeatedly, but the county system remained unchanged.It was called a county in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and it was also called a county in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties; it was the lowest level of local government in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and so was the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.Therefore, the county is both the starting point and the terminal point of official agency.Above the county level, there is only a level-by-level supervision, while below the county level, the villagers are self-governing. Only the county is the place where the central government directly governs the people.This system may well be called "political power established in the county".

In fact, the duties of the county magistrate are also quite important and complicated.The county magistrate is in charge of the government orders of a county, and his job is to pay taxes, listen to lawsuits, promote education, encourage customs, promote good and punish evil, support orphans, worship gods and tributes, and teach and read the law.The decrees of the imperial court must be implemented by county magistrates; only county magistrates know the most about the sufferings of the people.Therefore, the imperial court regarded him as a "people-friendly official", and the people regarded him as a "parental official".For the imperial court, one only needs to inspect the county magistrates to know whether the government is good or bad; for the people, the government can only feel it from the county magistrates.Therefore, the imperial court and the people have high expectations and requirements for county magistrates.A qualified county magistrate should not only be loyal to his duties, but also be honest and self-disciplined, be self-denying and devoted to the public, love the people like his son, and become a moral example for the common people.If someone is greedy for ink, reads a job, or commits crimes, the law should severely punish them.

Here, the county magistrate was clearly designed by the empire to be a loyal shepherd or sheepdog.They should be loyal to their duties and do nothing to the sheep, stick to their posts and not be afraid of the sun and rain.Unfortunately, these shepherds or sheepdogs are not all as competent and obedient as the farmer imagined.There have been competent county magistrates in all dynasties, but not too many.There have been clean and honest county magistrates in all dynasties, but not too many.Especially in the last years of the dynasty, these herdsmen officials seldom didn't care about the flock.The better ones may just be like greedy cats, and the worse ones are like hungry wolves.

This is actually forced out, and there are two reasons, namely, the degree of attention of the court and the treatment of officials.Generally speaking, when the dynasties paid more attention to the appointment of county magistrates, the remuneration was high, and the performance of county magistrates was also good, such as in the early Han and early Tang dynasties; when the dynasties did not pay much attention, the remuneration was low, the performance was poor, and the employment was inappropriate, such as Five generations.The result is that if the county officials are good, both the dynasty and the people will be good; if the county officials are poor, both the dynasty and the people will suffer.The most telling is the Ming Dynasty. According to "History of Ming Dynasty Xun Li Biography", since the founding of this dynasty, the politics have been clear and bright for a hundred years.Even in the troubled years of the British and Wu dynasties, the hearts of the people were very stable (there was no danger of land collapse), because the county palaces were generally good (the officials were corrupt and disabled).But later on, it's hard to say.Most of the county magistrates regard Rensuo as a hotel (regarding officials as an adversary) and themselves as guests (regarding themselves as passers-by).why?It is because from Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang to Renzong and Xuanzong, they all attached great importance to county magistrates, and all those who should be encouraged were encouraged, and there were a series of policies as guarantees.Later, these policies and practices were abolished (such as the long-term tenure system), sparse (such as the selection method of officials), and sloppy (such as consolation with edicts), and extortion by higher-level officials happened frequently (impeachment but bribery It’s TV), how can the magistrates get better?

Obviously, the remuneration mentioned here includes not only economic remuneration, but also political remuneration; and the poor condition of county magistrates is first of all because of their low rank (seven-rank sesame official), so they are often looked down upon.The lower the grade, the lower the economic treatment.The monthly salary of a county magistrate was 20 hu (about 280 kilograms) of millet and 2,000 yuan in the Han Dynasty, but only 1,130 yuan in the Ming Dynasty (Wu Si's "Unspoken Rules").In fact, except for the Song Dynasty, official salaries in all dynasties were not considered high, and the Ming and Qing dynasties were especially low.In the Ming Dynasty, the annual salary of a second-rank six ministers was only 152 taels of grain silver, and that of a first-rank official in the Qing Dynasty was only 180 taels.You must know that the salaries of officials at that time were not the same concept as our current salaries. The Dai salaries of officials in the Ming and Qing Dynasties were used to pay others.For example, governors and governors do not have subordinate functional departments, so they have to hire "screen friends" to help at their own expense.Although the prefectures and counties have governments, bureaucrats, and officials, they still have to hire "masters".The master and the state and county are in an employment relationship.They are not superiors and subordinates, and masters are not state officials.Master's salary, of course, is paid by Dezhou County itself.This is quite a considerable amount of expenses, not to mention supporting parents, supporting wife and children, helping relatives and friends, buying property, and various entertainment and entertainment. Isn't a small salary a drop in the bucket?

If the officials are like this, the bureaucrats and officials are even more pitiful.We know that the bureaucratic system of the empire is composed of three parts: officials, bureaucrats, and officials.Officials refer to the officials or chiefs of the yamen at all levels, such as county guards and county magistrates.Liao refers to the subordinates of the chief, such as the county magistrate, county lieutenant, and master book, all of whom assist the chief in handling affairs.In the early days of the empire, the bureaucrats were recruited by the county magistrates themselves, and since the Sui Dynasty they were appointed by the central government. As a result, they have become useless since then, and they have become redundant staff with idle jobs, and all affairs are entrusted to officials.Officials are originally a member of the official team, but the political affairs officials are called officials, and the affairs officials are called officials.Therefore, the word official is often confused.For example, "government by officials", such as "big border officials", actually refer to officials, not officials.But since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, officials and officials have been different.Only officials and bureaucrats are officials (cadres), and officials are people (employees).Regardless of their positions, the chiefs and bureaucrats of all levels of yamen are "officials ordered by the imperial court" and they also have ranks, such as the seventh rank of the magistrate, the eighth rank of the county magistrate, and the ninth rank of the master.The subordinate staff were "servants" in the government, and their status was no different from government servants, except that other people either served labor or military service, and they provided intellectual services.Therefore, the status of subordinate staff is extremely low (often called "dog officials"), and their treatment is also extremely low (often not receiving salary).Some dynasties have salary and food for officials, and some dynasties do not.In the same dynasty, sometimes there is, sometimes not.Even if there is, it is insignificant.The salaries of officials are not high, let alone officials?

The lower ranks than subordinate officials are government servants, such as watchmen, catchers, jailers and the like.These people are "people" at all, and they were originally conscripted from the people to serve without pay.Since they serve without pay, naturally there is no salary, only food subsidies, called "work and food silver", and the amount is only two or three cents a day, which is only used for a meal for the husband and wife.In the empire, this is already "the mighty grace of the emperor".Because other people who were conscripted to serve without pay (such as building the city wall), the government didn't even care about a meal.But for these people, it is difficult to survive.Because they have to work in the yamen all year round.Unlike other people, there are other ways to live.

However, despite this, there are still many people who are willing to serve as county officials, subordinate officials, and yamen servants.The reason is that although these positions have extremely low salaries, they have great power, prestige and ostentation.As I said before, the empire is a typical power society.Everything in it is maintained and operated by power.Therefore, in order to maintain the supremacy of power, the empire has never hesitated the cost and the price.In this way, as long as a person possesses the power endowed by the empire, he will have a status higher than that of ordinary people, even if he is just the most insignificant official in the power system of the empire.However, since he was exercising his power, he did not represent himself, but the empire, so the common people had to be terrified.In other words, although subordinate officials and yamen servants were not shepherds, they were shepherd dogs anyway.This is enough to make the "sheep" in awe.

The power of state officials and county magistrates is even more frightening.As the "herdsman's official" sent by the imperial court to counties and prefectures, he combined the powers of judiciary, administration, and supervision in one body, ordered and prohibited within one prefecture and one county, and took life and death.Since the higher-level departments will not intervene unless they have major issues, and the bureaucrats, subordinate officials, government servants, and common people have no right to supervise, it is entirely possible for the county magistrates to "only allow state officials to set fires, and not allow the common people to light lamps", and even use their power to make Under the rule, the souls of the common people were scattered, and their families were destroyed.Because of this, there are "county magistrate of Miemen" and "prefect of broken family" in history.

On the one hand, the power is huge, and on the other hand, the salary is extremely low. So, who doesn't use the power in their hands in exchange for benefits? The most conventional way is to charge "consumption envy".We know that the fiscal revenue of the empire mainly depends on paying taxes and paying food.What was transported to the treasury contained both silver and grain.But how can it be possible to transport grain from the locality to the central government without loss?Broken silver must be cast into ingots, and loss is inevitable.However, the silver and grain confiscated by the Ministry of Households required full silver and rice.Therefore, we can only collect a little more when collecting cash and grain, which is called "rice consumption" and "fire consumption".Rice consumption refers to overcollected food; fire consumption refers to overcollected money, collectively referred to as "consumption envy".This is justified in the matter and based on the law, and cannot be regarded as violation of law and discipline.The problem is that the calculation method of "consumption envy" is very vague.When local officials calculate the loss, of course they will not count how much, but will count a little more.That's an extra income.This extra income is neither corruption nor bribery. It can only be called "extra-tax charges", so it has always been taken for granted.

In addition, there are all kinds of gray income, such as "official affairs", "regulations", "punishment and redemption", etc.Official affairs are the red envelopes given by the village when they come to the county to do errands; regular gifts are the gift money given by local merchants and gentry during festivals;These naturally fall into the pockets of state officials and county officials, and the amount is quite considerable.For example, when Hai Rui served as the magistrate of Chun'an County, he lost all kinds of illegal income at one time, amounting to as much as six thousand taels.These so-called "illegal income" are actually routine, and officials are used to not being regarded as corrupt.If the prefectures and counties are insatiably greedy, they will increase the amount layer by layer, so that "expropriation has a surplus, and there are additional taxes; penalty and redemption have increased consumption, and there are extrajudicial penalties" (Zhang Xuan, "Xiyuan Wenjianlu" volume ninety-seven).One can imagine the life of the people in this state and county. State officials and county magistrates use their power for personal gain, and subordinate officials are also unambiguous.They have no fewer ways and access than officials to exchange power for benefits.Because the chief "a gentleman uses his mouth but not his hands", collecting rent and urging taxes, apportioning corvees, managing markets, setting up checkpoints, handling civil affairs, and arresting criminals are all the affairs of subordinate officials and yamen servants. Oil and water can be fished.The most "clean" will also eat and drink for nothing when they go to the countryside to collect grain, and collect tea money when they file complaints on their behalf.Moreover, since officials are not subject to the restrictions of officials avoiding the village and being transferred upon expiry of the term, those who are officials often serve as officials for generations, so that "officials do not have feudalism, but officials have feudalism". The three-point "head snake".For such a local snake, the common people have no other way except to spend money to "settle it out". In fact, if the county magistrates only need to charge some "consumption envy", and the subordinate officials and yamen servants only need to order "tea money", the people in this area will be regarded as "blue sky and white sun".It is a pity that the "extra-tax charges" acquiesced by the empire did not have a spectrum, and the state officials, county officials, subordinate officials, and yamen servants were unable to fill their desires. As a result, the common people had to accept their exploitation endlessly.For example, in accordance with the provisions of the "Law of the Qing Dynasty", the number of grass (forage for feeding horses at the post station) in various post stations (private bureaus, post offices and guest houses) should be purchased from the local people with funds from the local finance, and the required funds should be purchased from the land tax. Appropriate from the amount and dime silver.However, the actual practice in many places is to let the common people pay the bills for free, and the government does not give money.This is already exploitation.What's even more hateful is that when the grassroots hand in the grass, they have to send money to the officials and messengers of the post station, and the scales of the post station are never accurate.So the people were exploited three times after paying the imperial grain and national tax: free payment, overpayment, and red envelopes (please refer to Zhang Jixin's "Records of Daoxian Officials' Experience"). This is not the darkest, the darkest is judicial corruption.For example, in a civil lawsuit, both parties extort money from both sides, eating the plaintiff and the defendant, until both parties have exhausted their wealth, and then "each hit 50 boards" and settle the matter hastily; Squeeze money, even intentionally create unjust, false and wrongly decided cases, and extort money.For example, if a robbery occurs in a certain place, all the wealthy households around the stolen house will be assumed to be suspected of concealing stolen goods, arrested, and then bribes will be collected from top to bottom.All these kinds are too numerous to enumerate.Under the "grazing" of this kind of "shepherd", the people of the empire have almost no way to keep their lives except for constantly donating "wool" or even "mutton".