Those officials like to give orders constantly.
长(zhǎng) 人者: The elder of people refers to the local officials who serve as officials and govern the people. The chief of a large county is called "Ling", and the chief of a small county is called "Chang".
Have trouble with your orders: keep giving orders. Annoying, making numerous.
1. Original text
The questioner asked: "Is it possible to use the way of the son and transfer it to the official principles?"
The camel said: "I know the seeds. It's just a tree, and official management is not my business. However, when I live in the countryside, I see the elders and I like to trouble them. Erzhi, supervising Erhu, reeled and threaded early, weaved and threaded early, and then the chickens and dolphins gathered together. I beat the wood and called them. , and I have no time, how can I live in peace with my nature? If so, is it similar to my career?"
2. Translation
Question? The man asked: "Is it feasible to transfer your method of planting trees to being an official and governing the people?"
Lituo said: "I only know how to plant trees. I am not an official and governing the people." But when I live in the countryside, I see that the officials like to give orders constantly, as if they care about the people, but the people end up being harmed by the small officials in the morning and at night. Shouted: 'Sir's order: urge you to plow the land, encourage you to plant, urge you to harvest, boil cocoons and spin silk earlier, weave your cloth earlier, raise your children, feed your chickens and pigs.'
One day the drums are played to gather everyone, and the other time the drums are used to summon everyone. We ordinary people stop eating breakfast and dinner to comfort those small officials and we still have no time. How can we multiply and stabilize our people's hearts? It is both difficult and tiring, and like this (governing the people but disturbing the people), it is probably similar to my tree planting business, right?"
3. Source
"Planting Trees in Guo" "The Legend of Camel"
Extended information
1. Creation background
This article is the work of Liu Zongyuan during his early tenure in Chang'an. Guo Lituo's ability to plant trees has not been tested. Later generations of scholars believe that this is a work that sets things straight. This article was written in response to the phenomenon of officials' excessive administration and disturbing the people at that time.
During the Mid-Tang Dynasty, the annexation and plundering of land by powerful landlords became increasingly serious. “The rich annexed tens of thousands of acres of land, leaving the poor with no room to live in.” Peasants with only a little land had to bear various miscellaneous taxes imposed by local military and political officials in addition to paying normal millet donations.
According to the "Old Book of Tang·Shi Huo Zhi", in order to consolidate their status, bureaucrats from all over the country competed to provide gifts to the court and intensified the exploitation of the lower classes. Therefore, "those who have access to Jinda Road tax them and grow vegetables." The fruits of art are taxed, and those who die are taxed." The people have no way of living.
Two years before he participated in the "Yongzhen Reform", from the 19th year of Zhenyuan (803) to the 21st year of Zhenyuan (805), Liu Zongyuan served as the supervisory censor Li Xing and was the censor's trainee. Officials, like censors, can "inspect hundreds of officials, patrol prefectures and counties, inspect prisons, and clean up court rituals." They can go to various places to inspect work, and can intervene in civil affairs, military affairs, and finance. If their rank is not high, their authority wider.
This article was probably written during this period, and was written in response to the phenomenon of local officials disturbing and hurting the people at that time. This article can be regarded as the precursor of Liu Zongyuan's participation in the "Yongzhen Reform".
2. Work Appreciation
Although the title of this article is called "Biography", it is not an ordinary biography. The article takes the Lao-Zhuang school’s idea of ??governing by doing nothing and following nature as its starting point. It borrows Guo Laituo’s words from the experience of planting trees to the principle of governing the people for officials, explaining that the feudal ruling class sometimes uses the name of loving the people, caring for the people, or The pretense of caring for the people has had the opposite effect, and the people are still in dire straits.
This kind of thinking is actually a concrete reflection of Lao-Zhuang’s thought that “the saints will not die, but the thieves will continue” and “the people will not fight if they fight against each other”. After the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, the people were in dire straits and miserable.
Only by recuperating can we regain our strength. If the feudal rulers still use administrative orders to give blind orders, making the people exhausted, or in the name of "beneficial administration", the people will not only have to welcome and entertain officials, but also have to waste time and money to cope with the tasks assigned by the rulers. , which can only increase the financial burden and mental pain of the people.
3. Introduction to the author
Liu Zongyuan (773-819), a writer and philosopher in the Tang Dynasty. Zihou was born in Hedongjie (now west of Yuncheng, Shanxi). It is known as "Liuhe East" in the world.
In the ninth year of Zhenyuan (793), 21-year-old Liu Zongyuan passed the Jinshi title and was awarded the title of Scholar. At the age of twenty-six, he passed the erudite macroci subject, was promoted to Lan Tianwei, and was promoted to censor Li Xing. Together with Liu Yuxi and others, he joined the Wang Shuwen Group, which advocated reform, and served as a member of the Ministry of Rites, Wai Lang. After the failure of the "Yongzhen Reform", he was demoted to Yongzhou Sima.
Later he moved to Liuzhou to be the governor, so it was also called "Liuzhou". He and Han Yu initiated the ancient prose movement, and were both included in the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties", and were also called "Han Liu". The prose is sharp and vigorous, and the reasoning is thorough. Many of his landscape travel notes have sustenance, and he is particularly famous. The fable is sharp and the poetic style is clear and far-reaching. He is the author of "The Collection of Mr. Hedong".
Baidu Encyclopedia-The Story of Planting Trees by Guo Lituo