Rewards for state and county officials are usually based on the Taiwan Constitution, which is written down by their deeds, drafted by the cabinet, approved by the emperor, and finally sent to the Ministry of Civil Affairs Examination Department for annotation when the rewards are implemented.
However, this time Li You was not a daily political achievement, it was a special event, and it was related to river affairs, so the Queen Mother ordered the Ministry of Works to describe the merits and perform them, which is also the custom. After receiving the decree, the Ministry of Works, together with the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Rites, translated and studied scriptures.
After five or six days, there was no reward plan.
Don't think that the Ministry of Industry is deliberately procrastinating. This is a very technical job and is not as simple and casual as imagined. Moreover, the Ming Dynasty officialdom has very specific regulations on performance evaluation and is very easy to operate. However, there are not many provisions on describing merits.
, is highly subjective and highly variable.
For example, for the same meritorious service, the emperor might reward him with an earl, but another emperor might reward him with a hereditary third-grade commander and then send him away. Now Cisheng Palace’s attitude toward Mr. Li is very subtle. This must be taken into consideration when giving Li You credit.
Therefore, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Officials are having a huge headache.
After all, Master Li's achievement is so special that there is no precedent at all, so we can only consider it one by one.
Types of rewards include written praise, sending envoys to comfort, increasing salary and rank, giving gifts to family members, favoring future generations, rewards, items, promotions and official transfers, etc.
It is necessary to write praises and send envoys to comfort the people. There is no need to go into more details, and the troublesome details lie in other items.
On this day, Master Hu Du, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Pan Xiang, the new doctor of the Gongfu Examination Department of the Ministry of Official Affairs, and Zhu Fanghe, the foreign minister of the Department of Etiquette and Ceremony of the Ministry of Etiquette, were sitting in the small hall at the back of the Ministry of Industry with a cup of hot tea. The main topic was to honor Li You.
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The old minister sighed, this was really a hot potato. It had to be vain enough to prevent people from talking about the court being stingy and neglecting the heroes, but it should not be too real, so as not to anger the empress dowager. He estimated that the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites also knew about this.
The connotation and the candidates sent for consultation are very interesting.
Lord Pan, the Examination Secretary, was once known as one of Xu Cifu's three lackeys together with Li You, and Zhu Fanghe, the Ceremony Secretary, was both a member of the clan and Li You's friend.
It can be seen that the meaning of the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel is not to treat Li You too badly. The meaning of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites is probably to use Zhu Fanghe as a shield. If Li You is dissatisfied with the reward, don't bear the grudge to the Ministry of Rites. He and Mr. Zhu will internally
Solve it.
Conflicts turned into contradictions, and the matter still needed to be discussed. Hu Shangshu spoke first and said: "Today we must discuss and come up with a result. I will start by throwing some light on things. This time, Li You's achievements can be regarded as stubbornly refusing to retreat and wanting to sacrifice his life. He can be compared to the civil servants who fought bravely."
How about a thief who is less than a rescuer?"
This point is basically the consensus of the court. Zhu Fanghe nodded and said: "The late emperor had an edict that if a civil servant kills a thief, his son can inherit the military position hereditary."
Generally, merits such as killing thieves and rescuing people are earned by military positions. However, in this dynasty, sometimes civilian officials such as county magistrates performed military exploits when encountering rebellions. Therefore, special edicts were issued. Those who performed military exploits as civilian officials were rewarded as hereditary military attachés for their descendants.
"If Mr. Li were a military attache, it would be very simple." Mr. Pan sighed.
Military officers are different from civil servants. It is not uncommon for them to be promoted when they have great achievements. It is also possible to jump from the fifth or sixth grade to the second or third grade. It is easy to reward them.
The same cannot be said for civil servants who govern the country. No matter how great a county magistrate's merits are, he cannot be promoted to a bachelor's degree. Being able to jump up a rank is a very special gift. Therefore, when describing Mr. Li's merits, we must first consider his middle status.
The status of a low-level civil servant is relatively troublesome compared with military merit.
Hu Shangshu thought for a while and decided to start with the easiest place first, "How about increasing the salary, please give me a grade of salary?"
Pan and Zhu both nodded and said, "Yes."
The amount of salary does not involve any actual rank, and is of no importance in the official position. Let alone granting one rank in food, what if ten first-rank salaries are given? Besides, Li You's merits are both great and insignificant, and they are quite worthy of a reward such as one rank.
It can be said that at least there are two words for it.
Zhu Fanghe suddenly said again: "Although the first-grade salary is large, it's a pity that Li You can't get it in the past two years."
"In terms of official position and rank, Pan Bulang is from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. What do you think?" Hu Shangshu asked.
Mr. Pan had already written in advance: "For such a great achievement, one must at least be promoted to one rank and given an official position of five ranks. Otherwise, the merit cannot be rewarded."
In fact, from another perspective, Mr. Li was quite disadvantaged for achieving this great achievement when he was a sixth-rank official. If he was already a second- and third-rank official at this time, then after saving the Zuling Dragon Vein, the imperial court would probably be in the official position.
There is no reward, so I can only reward my merits by making him an earl. What a pity...
Considering the attitude of Empress Dowager Qian, Hu Shangshu frowned and pondered for a while, "Master Li has only been in Jiangdu for half a year, so it is not appropriate to move to another place. Please grant him the title of Vice-President of Yangzhou Prefecture of the fifth rank. How about keeping the other positions as his original position?"
Master Pan was noncommittal, but Zhu Fanghe interjected: "We will discuss it later at the court meeting."
Once the basic plan of the fifth rank is set, it is easy to handle other honors and ranks. The rank of concubine, concubine, and doctor are all matched with the fifth rank.
After discussing Li You himself, we must continue to discuss the imperial edict and the imperial edict. Among the various rewards, those given to the official himself are called grants, those given to his parents who are still alive are called ennoblements, those given to the deceased are called gifts, and those given to his descendants are called yin. Ci.
They are different and have different meanings, so they cannot be used indiscriminately.
Of course, the most important of these rewards is the official's personal grade. The higher the official's personal grade, the higher the level of the title, gift, and patronage. It is said that a person can achieve enlightenment, a chicken or a dog can ascend to heaven.
There is nothing to discuss about Li You's first wife. A wife is valued by her husband, and the imperial title is the most pleasant. In folk sayings, she can be called the fifth-grade imperial wife. However, there are different opinions about the gift to Li You's elder. It should be the imperial title.
To the parents or as a posthumous gift to the ancestors?
In the end, Zhu Fanghe made the final decision: "Master Li saved the tomb of my grandfather, the third generation of Emperor Gao, and the reward should be traced back to the third generation of his grandfather. Only in this way can we show the royal family's gratitude!"
Neither Hu Shangshu nor Master Pan objected, and then they discussed how to give gifts to the dead and how to grant titles to the living. The Ministry of Rites was more professional in this regard. Zhu Bulang continued to express his opinion: "If Li Fushi is awarded the fifth rank, this will prevail.
The level of gifts given by ancestors should be raised, while those of parents who are still alive should be lowered according to the fifth level."
This is a common practice. On the one hand, it takes care of the concept that the deceased is the greatest and the ancestors are the greatest. On the other hand, even if the deceased is given a posthumous gift, what practical impact will it have? The living should be suppressed a little and left for death.
Room for posthumous gift.
Mr. Pan was in the Ministry of Personnel, so he naturally had a lot of knowledge about various grades. He immediately expressed his thoughts and said: "I can request you like this. Mr. Li, three generations below the great ancestor, will posthumously bequeath a third-rank Jiayi doctor. Mr. Li's father can be granted the title of Chengzhilang, a sixth-rank official."
"
Both Dr. Jiayi and Chengzhiro were of the same rank as civil servants, and these casual ranks without practical significance were often used as posthumous titles.
Zhu Fanghe raised objections and said: "It is not appropriate for Mr. Li's father to be of the same rank. Otherwise, how could Mr. Li handle himself? Instead, he should be a sixth-rank soldier and horse commander. As long as the left and right have ranks, it will be fine."
Hu Shangshu and Master Pan were indifferent to this. It didn't matter what the title was, as there would still be a posthumous gift after death.
By the way, the commander of troops and horses is also a fictitious position with no practical application, and is only used as an honorary title. However, there is a special feature. According to the custom, the father of the prince-in-law must be named the commander of troops and horses...
Zhu Bulang suggested that Li You's father should be given the title of commander of the army. To be honest, it was the idea of a certain pregnant princess who had a rare act of willfulness. It had no other use than to rely on her petty thoughts.
Now that Mr. Li's father and grandfather have been settled, naturally mothers and grandmothers are also indispensable, each with their own titles. So it comes to the most critical and difficult item to decide, which is how to reward Li You's descendants.
This is more important than the conferment given to his father and ancestors, and to some extent, it may even be more important than the conferment given by Li You himself. After all, the concept of inheritance is deeply rooted, and the future of a family depends on the next generation. The better the next generation, the more prosperous the family will be.
Strictly speaking, the rewards that Li You's family has received so far are all flashy, and the posthumous titles are just honors. And Li You himself is limited to his civil servant status and official rules. He can only be promoted to one rank, and cannot get more.
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If this were all, it would definitely not be worthy of Li You's great achievements, and any shortcomings would have to be made up for by his kindness.
Hu Shangshu's expression gradually became serious, and he said: "If according to the theory of civil servants killing thieves and military merits, one son will inherit the military position, I would like to invite Mr. Li Enyin's son to be the fifth rank and one thousand households."
"It's too low!" Zhu Bulang said bluntly: "It sounds like a joke! The merit of saving the ancestor's dragon vein may not be a knighthood, but it is only worthy of going out to make people feel cold."
Hu Shangshu frowned again. Although the Ministry of Industry has the greatest benefits among the six departments, it is the weakest in terms of status. If the Ministry of Personnel is analogous to civil servants, the Ministry of Rites is analogous to scholars, the Ministry of Husbandry is analogous to businessmen, the Ministry of War is analogous to military attachés, and the Ministry of Punishment is analogous to military officers,
It can be compared to a subordinate official, but the Ministry of Industry can only be compared to a craftsman. This is the difference. Therefore, as the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, he did not have the confidence to touch the emotions of the Queen Mother.
The Empress Dowager Qian's resentment towards Li You is well known throughout the court. If other reward items are too high, they are all exaggerated, and the Empress Dowager Qian will not care too much. But this hereditary kindness is the hard currency that can be shared with the country from generation to generation.
What would Empress Dowager Qian think if the price set for Li You was too high?
By then, he, the Minister of Industry, will probably be remembered by Empress Dowager Qian from now on. For the sake of the future, it may not be impossible to marry Li You, but he is already at this age and does not expect any further development. He just wants to live in peace and stability.
It's just a decent job.
Thinking of this, Hu Shangshu insisted: "To be hereditary to the fifth rank, such a grace is not small. Lord Zhu, don't have too high a vision."
"This won't work." Zhu Fanghe also insisted on his opinion: "We can't let people in the world laugh at the court's lack of kindness. In my opinion, only the hereditary third-grade Jin Yiwei commander can show the court's magnanimity!"
A third-level commander is still a member of the emperor's imperial guard. Isn't this a hindrance to the empress dowager... Hu Shangshu denied it without even thinking about it.
Master Pan, who had been silent for a long time, looked out the window at the sun, "It's not possible to argue like this. The sun is about to set, and tomorrow is the court meeting. It's better to compromise and act like a fourth-rank official."
"Then we'll discuss it at the meeting!" Zhu Fanghe said.
Mr. Pan, who is familiar with various official positions, feels something strange for some reason, but he can't explain it.
After thinking for a long time, he suddenly realized that if Mr. Li's father became the commander of the troops and horses, and his son became the commander of the ministers, this would be exactly the same as the treatment of the prince-in-law... In this dynasty, the father-in-law also commanded the troops and horses, and his son Yin commanded the ministers. It's really
An interesting coincidence.
Zhu Bulang said again: "There is another thing. Mr. Li is a civil official, but his son attacks the military position by asking for military achievements. This is not in line with Taoism. It is better to add another son, and we should petition to allow his other son to be imprisoned.
Houyin Shangbaosi or Guanglu Temple."
Mr. Hu's scalp was numb, so adding a son was a kind of reward. Originally, Li You was qualified, but...
I couldn't help complaining that Mr. Zhu was a member of the clan and was not afraid of the Queen Mother's revenge. He stood up for his friends, but he didn't think about others.
Zhu Fanghe saw that Hu Shangshu was silent, so he took a step back and said: "Then write all the disputes in the memorial and make a decision at the court meeting."
The next day was the day when Empress Dowager Cisheng attended the political hearing in the Wuying Palace. Hu Shangshu carried the memorial he had written overnight. Several of the points where he disagreed with Zhu Fanghe and Master Pan were written in detail and clearly.
, it is clear at a glance who holds what point of view.
When they arrived at the palace, after all the previous matters had been discussed, Hu Shangshu went out to announce the matter and read his chapter.
This caused a small murmur in the whole hall, and everyone started talking among each other spontaneously. Everything else was quite satisfactory, except for this favor matter which was really controversial.
Should Li You Enyin be rewarded with the fifth rank, the fourth rank, or the third rank? There is no need to express general opinions, there are only three options, and the cabinet bachelor's position is enough.
Peng Ge, the great scholar of Wuyingdian Palace, first said: "The kindness itself is a generous gift, and a thousand households in the world are enough!"
Xu Cifu said tit for tat: "With great achievements and great virtues, how can five grades convince people? Three grades are necessary."
Among the other bachelors, Yang Ge, the grand scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion, who had a good impression of Mr. Li, naturally agreed with Xu Cifu. Yuan Ge, the grand scholar of Wenhua Palace, abandoned his neutral position and supported the fifth rank out of his hatred for Li You.
Dongge University Scholar Jinge Laoque and Xini proposed that the fourth grade is the best.
Now there are two who support the third grade, two who support the fifth grade, and one who supports the fourth grade. Unknowingly, the issue of Li You's reward has become a cabinet wrestling ground. Since the big change in the court at the beginning of the year, it has rarely been so sharp in the past six months.
During the confrontation, I did not expect that Li You would inadvertently trigger a direct confrontation among the cabinet bosses.
Others in the Wuying Palace saw this and couldn't help but sigh: "Without Li You, the world would be peaceful. When Li You comes out, chickens and dogs will be restless."
This person was in the cabinet for only half a year, but the mark he left was too profound, or the trauma he caused to others was too profound...
It has been seven or eight months since he left the capital, but now just one name appearing in the memorial can arouse the emotions of old bureaucrats such as Peng Ge Lao and Yuan Ge Lao. Perhaps, as well as the one on the throne behind the bead curtain
Bit.
Among the six bachelors in the cabinet, only the chief assistant Xu Yue did not speak. Peng Gelao asked his ally expectantly: "What do you think, Yuan Fu?"
"Li You can be the commander of the third-grade Jinyi Guards in Yiyinzheng." Xu Shoufu said slowly.
Boss Peng Ge was shocked, how could Xu Yue speak for Li You? This was impossible! Although he and Xu Yue were not as close as before, it would not make Xu Shoufu unprincipled and turn to Li You's side.
Not to mention Mr. Peng Ge, the entire Wuying Hall, including Queen Mother Qian, was extremely surprised.
Xu Shoufu took out a memorial from his sleeve and said, "Before entering the palace, this six-hundred-mile memorial was passed to me. The leader of the refugees in Sizhou, Mu, attempted to rebel and occupy the ancestral mausoleum. Li You and Xuyi County Magistrate
Let’s work together to annihilate…”
Mr. Peng Ge was speechless. Is this Li You a person with destiny?
