To answer this question, we must first understand the criteria for selecting officials and officials in the Qing Dynasty.
In feudal society, the first condition for selecting officials was always "body, speech, writing and judgment". The so-called body, that is, the body, needs to have correct facial features and good looks, otherwise it is difficult to establish official prestige. The so-called speech, that is, clear speech and clear language, otherwise it will hinder the treatment of things. The so-called book, that is, the words should be written neatly and beautifully, which is conducive to the superior to read his written report. The so-called judgment, that is, quick thinking and clear judgment, otherwise it will spoil the cause.
among these four standards, "body" ranks first and is the most important. Because the outlook is related, we can't help but emphasize it.
Liu Yong, who was born in a department, must be qualified in the four aspects of "judging by words and deeds" before he can pass the customs smoothly. Therefore, it is almost certain that Liu Yong will not be a "trap". As early as 1996, Mr. Jiang Weitang wrote a special article "A Study on Liu Yong's Nickname" Luo Guo "in Beijing Evening News, pointing out this point.
there is also a circumstantial evidence, which can explain some problems from the side. According to the system at that time, juren should try those who failed in three subjects, and also should "pick" one subject. This subject does not test articles, but only looks. The standard is the word "the same Tian Guan, the same body and the same spirit", which means body shape and appearance with glyphs. "Tong" refers to a square face, "Tian" refers to a square face, "Penetration" refers to a person with a big head and a straight body, and "Sun" refers to a person with a straight body and a moderate height and fat. The above four words are good words, and those who meet them may be selected; "Body" means that the body is not straight, "A" means that the fingers are big and the body is small, "Qi" means that the shoulders are towering, and "You" means that the fingers are small and the body is big. These four words are bad words, and if you touch one, you will lose the election. It can be seen that the election officials in Qing Dynasty attached great importance to the appearance of the candidates, so Liu Yong was not physically disabled even if he was not handsome.
of course, the title of "Liu Luoguo" has its reasons. According to historical records, Emperor Jiaqing once called Liu Yong "Humpty Dumpty Liu", which shows that he does have a hunchback. However, Liu Yong was 8 years old at that time, and it was understandable that he would inevitably stoop. It would be inaccurate to assume that Liu Yong was a "Luo Guo" when he was young.
It can be seen that Liu Yong in history is not consistent with Liu Yong in folklore and literary works. Then, from the point of view of acting as an official, is Liu Yong in history as incorruptible and capable as described by playwrights, and unafraid of power, and can he really tease He Shen, a corrupt official, in his palm and take his time and be comfortable in front of Emperor Qianlong?
Liu Yong was born in the Liu family in Zhucheng, Shandong Province. This family was a noble family at that time, and many people entered the official career through the imperial examination. Liu Yong's great-grandfather, Liu Bixian, was a scholar during the Shunzhi period, his grandfather, Liu Zhuo (qǐ), was a famous official in the Kangxi Dynasty, and his father, Liu Tongxun, was a generation of famous officials. He was a university student and minister of military aircraft in Dongge, and he was honest and resolute as an official. Emperor Qianlong said that he was "sensitive in times of trouble, resilient in nature, and won the reputation of an ancient minister, and never lost his integrity".
Liu Yong grew up in such a family that he was scholarly and proud of being an official in the imperial examination. It goes without saying that he received a good education since he was a child. Later, he became the vice president of Siku Quanshu Library, which also proved his profound knowledge. However, for some unknown reason, Liu Yong, who is well-versed, has been slow to take the imperial examination. At least, there is no record of him taking the imperial examination before the age of 3. Until the 16th year of Qianlong (1751), because of his father, 33-year-old Liu Yong took part in the examination and palace examination in those years as a gracious juren, and was born as a scholar, and changed to Jishi Shu in the Imperial Academy. Jishi Shu of the Hanlin Academy is the preparatory qualification of the Hanlin Academy. Generally, he is selected from the scholars with excellent scientific research results, and then he studies in the ordinary museum for further study. Those who pass the examination at the expiration of the period will be awarded editing by the Hanlin Academy. Although the salary of Hanlin in the Qing Dynasty was relatively low, as a literary attendant near the emperor, it was called "noble" and "there was a slaughter assistant in the Qing Dynasty, so it was chosen from this". Moreover, if the minister wants to get the word "Wen" given by the emperor after his death, he must be an academician. Therefore, in the Qing Dynasty, those who entered the imperial examination were especially from Hanlin. It should be said that Liu Yong made a good start in his career.
from the 21st year of Qianlong (1756), Liu Yong was released as a local official, and for most of the next 2 years, he mainly worked as a local official, from studying politics, being a magistrate to being a governor. During his time as a local official, he basically inherited the honest, capable and resolute style of his father, Liu Tongxun. We have done our best to rectify the accumulated disadvantages in the examination hall and the bad habits in officialdom, and have done a lot of practical things for the people. "Zhucheng County Records" praised him: "Sharpen the wind festival, be honest and subordinate, and when you are a scholar and magistrate, you refuse to give bribes, refuse to take them, dare to do things, have no scruples, and fear the wind wherever you go." At the same time, he also spared no effort to carry out the will of Emperor Qianlong, search for banned books, promote literary prison, seize social parties, and actively promote the policy of cultural coercion.
Liu Yong was a prefect of Anhui learning politics and Jiangsu learning politics. The prefect is the education chief of a province, similar to the current director of education, but the difference is that the academic administration is not controlled by the local chief executive and carries out various affairs independently, and the governor's officials can't invade his position. Only under special circumstances can the governor temporarily take charge of his affairs when he leaves office. Learning politics can also directly write to the emperor, reflect the local situation, and manage the people's customs.
Before Liu Yong went to Anhui to take up his post, Emperor Qianlong specially summoned him and gave him poems, including the sentence "Haidai is a noble family, Yingzhou is a new Hanlin", which means that he hopes Liu Yong can live up to the threshold and make achievements. Before he became a political scholar in Jiangsu, Emperor Qianlong still presented poems to each other, which shows that he had high hopes for Liu Yong. Liu Yong also lived up to his mission and was very serious. According to the notes of the Qing Dynasty, "In the past, Liu Shi 'an studied Jiangsu with the country, which was serious and stern, and many people were afraid." Liu Yong has twice been the prefect of Jiangsu learning politics, nearly 2 years apart, and his style of doing things for officials has also changed from severe and rigid to peaceful and soothing, but seriousness is consistent. Take Yangzhou as an example, when Liu Yong took office as a student in Jiangsu for the second time. Because of the strict control, many people who want to cheat and get away with it finally dare not enter.
in the thirty-fourth year of Qianlong (1769), 51-year-old Liu Yong was awarded the magistrate of Jiangning. From the 16th year of Qianlong (1751) when he was a scholar, it has been 18 years since Liu Yong's official career. Speaking, Liu Yong's official career is not smooth. As early as when he was editing the Hanlin Academy, his father Liu Tongxun was convicted of something, and Liu Yong was dismissed by the collective punishment and imprisoned with his brothers. After that, Liu Yong was released to study politics in Anhui and Jiangsu. Because of his outstanding performance, he was appreciated by Emperor Qianlong and became the magistrate of Taiyuan Prefecture in Shanxi Province. Liu Tongxun, the father of Liu Yong, went to Shanxi in the 22nd year of Qianlong (1757) to investigate the case of Jiang Zhou, a special envoy, invading Tang. In the 24th year of Qianlong (1759), he went to Shanxi to investigate the case of General Baode invading Tang, and he had a good reputation. Liu Yong is also a great trust. Within a few days after his arrival, he cleared up the difficult cases left by his predecessor, which was unanimously praised by the government and the people. Just as Liu Yong moved to Jining Road with political achievements, the former magistrate in Yangqu County, Shanxi Province succeeded in losing money, and Liu Yong almost lost his life for the crime of oversight. Later, the court gave him grace to go to the military platform to make atonement for one year, and then returned to Beijing and wasted two years in an idle institution called the "Book Repair Office". It can be seen that during this period, Liu Yong's official career is not so "prosperous".
Liu Yong was able to become the magistrate of Jiangning after a felony, but he was still touched by his father. At this time, Liu Tongxun Shengzhenglong was in charge of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Punishment as a university student, and was relied on by Emperor Qianlong as a minister of the thigh and arm. Therefore, on the occasion of Liu Tongxun's seventieth birthday in the thirty-third year of Qianlong, Emperor Qianlong not only wrote a book to congratulate him, but also gave grace to Liu Yong as a magistrate. The following year, Liu Yong was awarded the magistrate of jiangning house.
Liu Yong also cherishes this opportunity very much. "It's quite famous for being honest and respectful, and women are all dissatisfied with their taste and friendship, and even compare it with Bao Xiao Su." Liu Gong's Case, which was written in the early years of Jiaqing, is mainly based on the story of Liu Yong's decision on a mystery and making decisions for the people when he was a magistrate in Jiangning. Although it is bound to be mixed with the imagination exaggeration and hearsay of the storyteller, it is not necessarily a true record, but it shows that Liu Yong did have political achievements and voice in Jiangning's magistrate for just one year, and he is a rare talented official. Yuan Mei, a famous poet, also praised Liu Yong in a poem, saying, "When I first heard about Danyang, the officials were short of money. The light wind blows for a year, and the wind is extremely old and young. The first voice will take people away, and the bitter will will save people. Resist the upper shoulders and cover the sleeves. " That is to say, after Liu Yong arrived in Jiangning, he was strict with his subordinates, so that he dared not show off, cared for the people and saved them from fire and water, and was afraid of offending his boss and suffering the people.
After that, Liu Yong moved to Jiangxi, Shaanxi and Jiangsu, and in the forty-five years of Qianlong (178), Liu Yong was awarded the title of Governor of Hunan, whose full name was Governor of Hunan and other places to supervise military affairs, control towns, manage food and salaries, and stay in Changsha to manage military and civilian affairs, thus becoming a veritable government official.
During his tenure in Hunan, Liu Yong continued his previous style, checking warehouses, surveying and repairing city walls, rectifying official administration and suppressing rebellion. In less than two years, Liu Yong's achievements can be described as remarkable. Biography of the History of the Qing Dynasty said that he: "After his tenure, he inspected warehouses, surveyed and repaired city walls, got rid of the bad habits of family members in the province, paid for the victims in Wugang and other counties, and prepared for the granary valley to mine nitrate. All cases were inspected and requested, and the orders were granted." It lists all the major events it has done. "Hunan Tongzhi" also praised Liu Yong's "people thought it was convenient" during his visit to Hunan.
in the forty-seventh year of Qianlong, Liu Yifeng was transferred to Beijing to be the imperial adviser of Zuodu and ordered to walk in the southern study. At that time, He Shen was hot, and Liu Yong "pretended to be a snake in the meantime, only to be funny and pleasing". This shows the other side of Liu Yong as a man and an official. Liu Yong is a scholar-bureaucrat with a sense of social responsibility, and he is also a middleman in officialdom. He should also do things according to the rules of officialdom, including dealing with the smooth evasion of superiors and colleagues. Generally speaking, when he was a local official and was able to be independent, he mainly showed his honesty and uprightness. "At one time, he was known as Yamaraja Bao Lao"; After entering Beijing, I happened to meet He Shen's special pet in Qianlong, who was good at authoritarianism and repelling dissidents. Liu Yong had to be silent and self-controlled, and take a funny attitude.
Liu Yong just entered Beijing for a few years, and his official career went smoothly. He was a co-organizer of university students, an official minister and a master in the study room, and he also handled a difficult case. The client of this case, Cathay Pacific, is the Governor of Shandong, and his father, Sichuan Governor Wen Shu, is Liu Yong's old superior. Crucially, Cathay Pacific's backstage is He Shen, the red man of Emperor Qianlong.
in April of the forty-seventh year of Qianlong, Qian Fengshen, the imperial adviser, invaded the governor of Shandong Province, Guotai, and wantonly plundered money in the name of paying tribute to the emperor. The warehouses of dozens of subordinate counties such as Licheng and Yidu were seriously in deficit. Emperor Qianlong attached great importance to this matter and instructed He Shen and Liu Yong to go to check together with Qian Feng.
Guotai, a native of Baiqi in Manchuria, is named Fucha. Cathay Pacific has a close relationship with He Shen. Therefore, He Shen immediately sent his family to tip off the news that he was going to investigate Cathay Pacific, which gave Cathay Pacific time to misappropriate other funds to make up the deficit. On the way to Shandong, He Shen also threatened Qian Feng with words. According to Qian Yong's Lu Yuan Cong Hua, Liu Yong was well aware of the relationship between He Shen and Cathay Pacific, so he often discussed countermeasures with Qian Feng. After arriving in Licheng County, Shandong Province, He Shen said that there was no need to check thoroughly, just checking dozens of warehouses, and he got up and went back to his residence first. Qian Feng requested that the library be sealed first and completely opened the next day. As a result, it was found that the silver in the garage was "multi-round-wire variegated silver", and through cross-examination, the treasurer learned that these silver were borrowed from various shops to make up the number. As a result, a notice was issued asking all shops to come and claim it, "yelling: If you come late, you will be sealed and stored in the official." So merchants came to claim it one after another, and the treasure was empty.
In this case, Liu Yong supported Qian Feng from beginning to end, and his attitude played a vital role in the final conclusion of the case. Obviously, Liu Yong supported Qian Feng and at the same time offended He Shen. From this incident, we can see that Liu Yong still has his integrity.
In the next few years, Liu Yong always seemed to make mistakes and be accused, and Gan Long was obviously not satisfied with him. At the beginning of the fifty-second year of Qianlong, Liu Yong was not only reprimanded, but also lost the position of a university student he should have been awarded because he leaked the conversation between him and Emperor Qianlong about Ji Huang and ZHI.
In August of the fifty-second year of Qianlong, Qianlong entrusted Liu Yong to preside over the worship of the Confucian Temple. Because he didn't perform the prescribed ceremony of bowing, he was illegally joined by Qing Debao of Taichang Temple.
In the summer of the fifty-third year of Qianlong, Liu Yong was also in charge of imperial academy, and the students were sent to the hall officials in the preliminary examination of the rural examination, which was impeached by Zhu Delin, and Liu Yong was punished as a result. From the end of February to the beginning of March in the fifty-fourth year of Qianlong, the masters of the upper study who were in charge of the prince's education were not paid because of the rainy weather. Emperor Qianlong was very angry when he learned of this situation. Liu Yong, who was then the co-organizer of the university, the official department minister and the master of the upper study, was particularly severely punished and reduced to the rank of assistant minister, and no longer worked part-time in the south study. Emperor Qianlong also issued an imperial edict specifically for this purpose, to the effect that because Liu Yong was the son of Liu Tongxun, a university student, and he remembered that Tong Xun had worked for the imperial court for many years, he used it for Liu Yong Garn. While Liu Yong was fairly diligent in his official duties, he was no longer serious when he became a scholar, and it was normal for him to be a governor in Hunan. Entering Beijing is a history, and doing things is even more ambiguous. I was accommodating and didn't condemn him. I thought he would appreciate his grace and work diligently. I didn't want to happen that Liu Yong turned a deaf ear to the fact that the masters in the upper study had been absent from work for seven days. He also said that Liu Yong could not do his duty in everything, but he was disloyal to his country and unfilial to his father. His fault was so great that he could not be forgiven. It should be said that the wording is quite harsh.
in the fifty-eighth year of Qianlong, Liu Yong was the examiner in that year. Because of improper arrangement, sloppy marking, there are many papers that are illegal and unqualified. According to the regulations, Liu Yong and others should be paid at least 1 years. Although Emperor Qianlong was lenient, Liu Yong was still "severely punished".
In the first year of Jiaqing, Dong Gao, the senior minister of the Ministry of Housing, was added as a college student because the post of a college student was vacant for a long time, while Liu Yong, who had more qualifications, was excluded. Moreover, in the imperial edict, Liu Yong was once again criticized as "never willing to do anything solid", and for example, the emperor asked Liu Yong whether Dai Shiyi, the newly elected magistrate, was competent, and Liu Yong was "fair" as a result. And Dai was very mediocre and incompetent. It can be seen that Liu Yong didn't pay attention to the selection of civil servants on weekdays, but only perfunctory with ambiguous words. Ask him to "introspect, benefit and shame."
In the second year of Jiaqing, Liu Yong was awarded a bachelor's degree in Renge, but he was still accused of "never being a solid worker and being lazy in walking", and said that "I was promoted to this post because there was no one", which shows his evaluation. Of course, the above two imperial edicts in the early years of Jiaqing still represent the opinions of Emperor Qianlong.
Liu Yong seems to be a different person. He can't see the edges and corners of being a man, and he can't see the diligence of doing things.