Zhang was the most outstanding imperial minister in the Qing Dynasty. He had very little leisure time. Therefore, his unique image in his spare time has been recorded in history: he retreated to eat, holding ancient books, sitting in a quiet room without people. This image is closer to that of an old monk, one of the four famous monks, rather than an important cabinet minister. However, Zhang is an old subordinate after all. After serving two energetic British masters, Ye Xuan and Yin_, he began to worry about the Qianlong Dynasty. His vitality was a little drained. Gradually, he became impatient, impatient, and uncontrollable. He submitted retirement applications to the emperor one after another, as if the procedures were slow and he was about to die. His application for retirement finally triggered a dangerous storm in Li Hong. However, this storm is really like being in a cup.
Zhang's efforts to share the ancestral hall were ultimately stranded because of his contempt. In February of the fifteenth year, the eldest son died. At the beginning of the sacrifice, I greeted Li Hong and then returned to his hometown in Tongcheng. His insensitivity made Li Hong intolerable and furious. He convened a ministerial meeting to discuss how to punish him. But what's interesting is that the result of the discussion did not cure him of his repeated sin of disobeying Huang Wei. Instead, he took back all the treasures given to him by the royal family.
It is said that the imperial envoy who detained Sonny came to Zhang's house and found that Zhang had nothing but these treasures. He knew he was poor. In fact, not only Zhang, but also Zhang's "recovered wealth" were the most important confidential ministers around the emperor, but they were all honest and diligent. Influenced by Emperor Kangxi, his father Zhang Ying won the trust of Yongzheng and held a high position. However, their family management is extremely strict. They are not corrupt, not pro-party, not pragmatic, and not selfish. Zhang Mu often wears patched clothes. She is the bride. Zhang Ying's six sons, except for two who died young, are all Jinshi. Zhang, who was born in such an official family, twice requested that the scientific research rankings of his younger brother and eldest son be downgraded to dimethyl on the grounds that they were "not at the forefront of the world." His political humility and humility made him admired by both the ruling and opposition parties. But when he came to his ancestral hall, as Qianlong said, was he lost in abstinence in his later years?
Maybe not that simple. It is true to maintain the ancestral hall, but it is definitely not what a gentleman did in ancient times. That is when there is no other way. Moreover, in the Yongzheng Dynasty where the Manchus and Han Dynasties were opposed, Zhang, as a senior official of the Han Dynasty, also longed to enter the Manchu and Qing ancestral halls. Where does he place himself, and how does he deal with the relationship between orthodoxy, family tradition and personal glory? Besides, which one is more important: the one who beautifies the royal family, the one who makes the family prosperous for a long time, or the one who spreads beauty to people from generation to generation?
Since Zhang, the Zhang family has enjoyed a high reputation in Tongcheng, Anhui. They are kind to their neighbors, modest, conceding, paying for themselves, but often doing "inexhaustible" good deeds. There are still stories about Liuchi Lane and Liangbi Bridge in Tongcheng, Anhui. Liuchi Alley is based on Zhang’s family motto “Why not let it be three feet?” Liangbi Bridge is a stone bridge built by Zhang and his hometown for silver, which solved the local traffic difficulties. The naming itself of Mingqiang also shows the feelings of future generations.
Obviously, as an ancient official family deeply influenced by Confucian culture, the Zhang family paid more attention to following the merits and ideals of Confucian scholars, which was generally recognized by scholars and the people. His family tradition of humility, self-respect, introspection, emphasis on the country, and despising the individual means a special kind of political harvest. This income is weighed against the honor and disgrace risks of Zhang Ancestral Hall. Obviously, the former is more worthy of management.
So there are only two explanations for this low-level mistake: public distrust of young people, lack of sympathy for those who lost the prince, and personal lack of gratitude. Either he's really crazy, or he's just putting on a show from beginning to end. Zhang is determined to return to China, and he must have his own hidden worries. After all, as the saying goes, "There were eighty-year battles in ancient times", and Zhang is not that old.
Li used the old saying "Fang and Du Ruhui" to praise Zhang and Ertai. However, when he wanted to collect national treasures, he said: "During the imperial examination, Zhang only studied seal script. When he came to me, it looked like an antique. The only value is that it is used to embellish rights when it is old."
It is not difficult to say these two different statements from the same emperor. The value of a tool depends on the temperament and preferences of its owner, as well as the manner in which it is used. For more than 50 years, Zhang served as the emperor's chief confidential secretary. In his strong character, Zhang's cautious, silent and dull image, together with him and Zang Xiang, has long been submerged in the vast sea of ??literary works. But the fact is that during the Yongzheng period, Zhang not only participated in almost all major decisions, but also established the most important central agency of the empire, and his benefits were far-reaching.
He is a systems designer for the military department. He created the "sent to court" system, making it redundant and increasing efficiency. He is also the architect of the principle of confidentiality, through which major policies and documents can operate stably. He created the "what they want" system, the most glorious exchange of official documents between monarchs and ministers in the Qing Dynasty. He compiled the composition of the Ministry of Punishment system that runs through the proposition of "cautious punishment", and illustrated it through the practice of quelling local riots twice. He presided over scientific research with extraordinary energy and wisdom, and selected people with moral integrity, loyalty, diligence and quality to join the government. It can be said that he made silent contributions to many major reforms of the Yongzheng Dynasty and the prosperity of the Qianlong Dynasty. These are closely related to his daily personal documents. What's more interesting is that he established an extraordinary friendship with Emperor Yin_in his daily writing exchanges.
Yin_ is one of the few truly temperamental emperors in China.
When he implemented the New Deal, he offended the Manchu ministers and angered the gentry. What he needs most is a broad-minded and gentle Zhang. He took great care of Zhang, and Zhang's gratitude to him came from the bottom of his heart. In the first year of Yongzheng's reign, Zhang, who was politically innocent, was granted the title of Hanlin bachelor. I pinned my hopes on "Etiquette System" and "Ancient Fu Yue", while Zhang pinned his hopes on "Kui Xiao". After that, the monarch and ministers worked together to implement the New Deal. Zhang returned to his hometown to offer sacrifices and wrote letters of comfort. He even said affectionately: "I have been in office for eleven years, and the courtiers are here all the time. However, I am a solitary person, without any hesitation, and I feel like brothers and sisters." Zhang Ze said in "Poems of Mourning" and "Hui Shi" mentions the love between birds and beasts twice and calls it "the most touching love".
But for Li Hong, the new heir to Datong, this unique and subtle superior-subordinate relationship is somewhat difficult to understand. But Li Hongzhang was a smart emperor. When he saw that the ministers had removed the inherited edict from the "upright and upright" plaque, and that the edict could only be verified by Zhang, he decided to regard it as his "homeland". After retiring, he accused Zhang of "going in and out repeatedly without a single white building". It cannot be said that there was no loss.
Mencius said: "I regard you as my brother and your heart as my own. If you treat me as a dog or a horse, then I will treat you as a Chinese. If you treat me like dung, I will treat you like dung." Hatred." As far as the confidential secretary foreman Zhang is concerned, he is actually a good minister, but this is not a contractual friend, let alone a trivial matter. Therefore, it is normal for him to refuse to retain the veteran Zhang because of his ambition as a Marquis of Wu.
With the sudden death of Yinzhen, the reforms and court struggles in the Yongzheng period gradually subsided, and the romantic and joyful ruler Li Hong began to govern the country in his own way. Zhang continued to remain silent and "compromise", but would still express his opinions when necessary, as if he was too opposed to the punishments of the Yongzheng Dynasty. He voted against several issues such as whether to restore the ancient "three elders" ritual system, change the scientific research system, and implement field equalization and field limitation. Although Li Hong affirmed his views many years later, the emperor felt challenged at the time. What's more, because of their admiration, Foreman Zhang and Ortai Minister Manhan became close friends. "The Manchus
At this time, it is a good idea to attack Zhang He's old subordinates and cronies represented by him, and it is urgent. I deeply feel that "the government is strict, the positions are important, and it is a place with sufficient protection and ministerial honors." Zhang also plans to return to China. In "Cheng Huaiyuan Yu", the old minister repeatedly expressed the theme of "a month's gain will be lost, and a month's wealth will decline." Now, does he also want to perform a performance like Xiao He's? The drama of "advance as a retreat", deliberately committed some "unintentional" illegal acts, betrayed the flaws of human greed, and finally quit with a light penalty, while Liu Bang has been cooperating with him? Or he can be like Liu Ji. Although in time left, but Zhu Yuanzhang's ax finally caught up.
Now, the truth of history has been buried by the historical figures themselves. What we see is that the small storm in the controllable cup avoids the big one that may get out of control. Storm. Zhang's family did not go downhill, but embarked on a more stable and broad career path. Zhang and himself finally entered the ancestral hall of the Qing Dynasty.
Some rules in history now appear. It is contrary to modern political civilization, but some rules are the eternal theme of human politics. As a political wise man, we might as well think about and taste these qualities that Zhang has shaped during his 50 years of secret work-diligence, diligence, and so on. Be efficient, cautious, self-disciplined, and tolerant, and handle the delicate relationship between the secretary and the boss. The wisdom expressed by Confucianism can be said to be "extremely gentle and wise". For example, if you follow the rules and self-discipline, you can not only see the top of the iceberg, You can also observe the gains and losses, advancement and retreat, honor and disgrace, ups and downs, all in your heart.