Chapter 13 3. Image and Impression - Mixing also requires wisdom

Tao Gu blatantly extorts bribes and seeks fame in secret. No matter whether he succeeds or not, they have a common feature when they are "three fires" for new officials, that is, they have attracted the attention of their superiors.That is to say, the information they release and the image they create directly affect their career in the future.In the first three years of probation for a new official, in addition to learning the rules of the officialdom and building relationships, the most important thing is to learn to build his own image. If he can attract the attention of his superiors, then he will be fine.Entering the official career does not mean once and for all. Every year, there are new officials and new officials joining. This forms a metabolic cycle mechanism and causes the competition to continue to intensify.Grinding image is very different from impression, precisely because external or internal image supports other people's impression of you.The chief officials gathered to talk about the new Jinshi, such and such is restrained, so and so is steady, and so and so is not sure about the door, so what do they evaluate these new Jinshi?Undoubtedly, the images displayed by the newcomers gave the leaders an impression.There was a man named Wang Jiong in the Royal Song and Dance Troupe during the Emperor Shenzong of Song Dynasty.Prime Minister Cai Que recommended him as supervisor (discipline inspection official), Shenzong hurriedly asked, is the person you recommended "Qijun Wang Jialang"?If yes, I agree.Song Shenzong quickly agreed to Cai Que, because he had a good impression of Wang Jiong, and the function of the vase was to decorate the appearance.Coincidentally, when he arrived at Zhezong, Cai Que recommended Yuan Yingzhong, who was well-known at that time.There is nothing to say about this man's knowledge, but his appearance is too ugly, his shoulder blades are deformed, and his face is full of spots. It gives people the impression that he can do anything but good things.Zhezong took a look, he was too shabby, let's go down!Yuan Yingzhong backed away in astonishment ("Pingzhou Ketan").The same is recommended, Wang Jiong and Yuan Yingzhong's official careers are far from each other. One is able to do well in official career, and the other may not be able to enter an official position for the rest of his life. The reason is that the external image gave the emperor a different impression.

In the second year of Emperor Renzong's Tiansheng (1024) Jiazike, Zeng Gongliang from Jinjiang, Fujian Province passed the Jinshi Jiake examination.This year's imperial examination champion was supposed to be Song Qi's. Empress Dowager Zhangxian, who replaced Song Renzong in power, promoted Song Xiang to the first place and Song Qi to the tenth place on the grounds that she "did not want to be a younger brother". People have the title of "Double Champion".Ye Qingchen got the second place in the exam. He is the great-uncle of Ye Mengde, the author of the notes of the famous historical material "Swallows in the Stone Forest" in Song Dynasty.Tanhua is Zheng Jian from Suzhou.Other Jinshi include Zeng Gongliang, Yu Jing, Hu Su, Su Huan (Su Shi's uncle), Cheng Jun (Su Shi's uncle) and others. Among them, there are many who have reached the prime minister. Zeng Gongliang from Jinjiang, Fujian is worth mentioning.

Zeng Gongliang, who was 26 years old at the time, went to the local survey and became the governor of Kuaiji County, Yuezhou, Liangzhe Road (now Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province).At the beginning of taking office, Zeng Gongliang showed his political determination to do a big job, "the first time an official, he will be able to listen to the prison lawsuit."Zeng Gongliang was able to independently decide the case as soon as he came up, which is indeed not easy for the new scholars. We must know that the sage books have the disadvantage of "hiding the evil and promoting the good", and the theory taught to students is far from the reality.The young county magistrate has a thorough understanding of the logic, right and wrong, and interests of the civil case, which is commendable.Many county magistrates like to sit in the lobby, with only three or five yamen officials around them. Over time, they have lost touch with the folk reality, and thus have those dumbfounding stories.It is commendable to have a clear understanding of reality, let alone adjudicating cases independently.For example, "Helin Yulu" records that Yu Kuang, a soldier of the Imperial College, often walks in the gate of princes and generals, and knows nothing about the market, so he makes a joke.Once, Yu bought a load of firewood at a sky-high price of 600 guan. This may be the most expensive load of firewood in human history, and the officials were shocked.At the end of the story, the author Luo Dajing expresses emotion, "Sighing that the scholar-bureaucrats don't see so many soldiers." There are indeed too many such scholar-bureaucrats who are not as productive as ordinary government servants except for chewing on words.

Zeng Gongliang's political ability in independently deciding cases has reached the level that "officials cannot be bullied", and he has established the image of a shrewd and capable county magistrate.Not only that, Zeng Gongliang's side of diligent government and loving the people is particularly prominent.Local farmers rely on Jianhu Lake to irrigate their farmland. However, Jianhu Lake often overflows when it is full, flooding a large number of grain fields and causing considerable economic losses to the people.In response to this phenomenon, Zeng Gongliang started to deal with it, and organized manpower and material resources to build a "Doumen" on the Cao'e River embankment near Jianhu Lake.In this way, the problem of flooding is solved and the people benefit from it.

Zeng Gongliang continued to show positive enthusiasm and fulfilled the responsibilities of local officials. According to this trend, it is only a matter of time before he can reach the top.However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Zeng Gongliang committed a crime, which became a political stain in his life. "History of the Song Dynasty" records that when Zeng Gongliang was the magistrate of Kuaiji County, he "sit in the environment where his father bought the land" and "forcibly bought the land of the people" happened.Zeng Zhao's (Zeng Gong's different mother's brother) "Zeng Taishi Gong Liang's Deeds" has roughly the same record on this matter as "Song History". "Song History" said that Zeng Gongliang's father did it, and "Zeng Taishi Gongliang's Career" said that Zeng Gongliang's relatives did it, which shows that it was not Zeng Gongliang himself who forcibly bought the land, but an official family member made a mistake.No matter who did it, in short, Zeng Gongliang was implicated, "relegated to Huzhou Liquor Supervisor" and relegated to Huzhou Supervisor Huzhou Liquor Affairs, which is embarrassing.A rising political star is fleeting.The organization intends to promote, but due to the impact of this matter, he can only wait.It was several years later that Zeng Gongliang entered the capital and served as a direct general of the Imperial College. In the third year of the emperor's reign (1051), he was promoted to a bachelor's degree in the Imperial Academy. It has been 24 or 5 years since the case of forced buying of civilian land, which can be described as far-reaching.

For Zeng Gongliang, the case of forcibly buying civilian land suddenly occurred during the "good start" stage of his career, which cost him more than 20 years.If there was no such incident, based on his political achievements, he should be promoted to be the director of the state and the government soon, and then transferred to the imperial court for a few more years. It is not completely impossible to replicate the myth that Kou Zhun was thirty-three years old.The problem of the fire in the backyard has always troubled the court officials. Many people are not afraid of the shadows, and they are caught by others. Then there are only two ways to go, either to die aggrieved or to die heroically.No matter how many political achievements and moral stains, it is difficult to achieve a balance in Chinese officialdom.Just like a bad person who has done evil all his life and done something good before dying, people will say that his conscience finds that the prodigal son has returned. The truth is the same as "a virgin who is unvirtuous is not as good as an old prostitute".

Backyard fires are an extremely serious and intractable political thorn in which too many officials have failed.Officials themselves are upright and honest. If they fail to guarantee that their families will not take money, if they educate their families well, they will not be able to guarantee that their patrons and staff will not make mistakes.I hope that all officials will be like what Bao Zheng said in his last words, "the descendants of future generations will be officials, and those who commit stolen goods shall not be returned to their families, and shall not be buried in ancestral graves after death. If they do not follow my will, they are not my children and grandchildren." In reality, it is even more impossible.The issue of family members deserves the attention of every official. I can resist the attack of sugar-coated cannonballs, but it is impossible to guarantee that family members, retainers, and staff will also be able to. When the time comes, the bad influence of their actions will be counted on you by the court and the people. Official career pays the bill.

Zeng Gongliang's career promotion accelerated significantly after he became a Hanlin bachelor. In the first year of Emperor Renzong's reign in Song Dynasty (1056), he served as Minister of the Ministry of Officials, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, and Jixiandian University Bachelor, and jointly presided over the government with Han Qi.During the Song Shenzong period, as the old prime minister of the Renzong Dynasty, he strongly supported Wang Anshi's reform.Song Shenzong asked Wang Anshi when he was hesitant to summon him. After two dynasties, Wang Anshi couldn't afford to summon him because of his illness. Was he really sick or did he ask for something?Zeng Gongliang said that he must be sick, otherwise he had to come to the capital.Another prime minister, Wu Kui, put it more directly. Wang Anshi had a rift with Han Qi, so he refused to enter the court.I have worked with Wang Anshi in the Qun Mu Department. Wang Anshi is headstrong and talks broad and roundabout.If it is used, it will disturb the discipline.Zeng Gongliang insisted that what Wu Kui said about Wang Anshi's talent as the prime minister was pure fiction.Looking at the first few years of Wang Anshi's new official entry, what he did was indeed more reliable than Zeng Gong.

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