Zou yuanbiao

Zou yuanbiao

Zou yuanbiao (1551-1624) was named erzhan and Nangao. The Zou family of Xiaodongmen in Jishui County, Jiangxi Province, was one of the leaders of Donglin Party in Ming Dynasty. They were called "three kings" with Zhao Nanxing and Gu Xiancheng.

Zou yuanbiao was known as a child prodigy at the age of nine. He passed the five classics at the age of nine. In 1575, he taught in Duyun Weisuo (later renamed Nanzhen Academy). In the fifth year of Wanli (1577), Jinshi joined the Ministry of criminal justice to observe government affairs. He was friendly with Wu Weizhong. He dared to speak up and attack the current situation. Because he opposed Zhang Juzheng's "seizing emotion", he was sent to Guizhou on the spot and devoted himself to studying Neo Confucianism.

In the 11th year of Wanli (1582), when he returned to the official Department of the imperial court, he reformed the official administration many times, offended the emperor, was relegated again, and was demoted to wailang, a member of the official Department of Nanjing. He has been teaching at home for nearly 30 years. In the first year of Tianqi (1621), he served as the left servant of the Ministry of official affairs. Later, he was asked to leave because of Wei Zhongxian's disorderly administration. In the first year of Chongzhen (1628), he was awarded the title of Prince Taibao, Minister of the Ministry of official affairs and posthumous Zhongjie. You have a son, Zou Sui.

The portrait of Zou Zhonggong (photo)

Life of the characters

Early experience

Zou yuanbiao was intelligent and studious when he was a child. At the age of 9, he studied Confucian classics. When he was 20 years old, he traveled with Hu Zhi, a Jinshi in Jiajing, toured famous mountains and rivers, visited many academies, and was deeply influenced by various theories. In the third year of Wanli (1575), he gave lectures in Duyun Weisuo (later renamed Nanzhen Academy). In the fifth year of Wanli (1577), Zou yuanbiao entered the Ministry of punishment to observe the government affairs. He is friendly with Wu Weizhong, dare to speak up and attack the current situation.

Against seizing emotion

On September 26, 1577, Zhang Juzheng's father died of illness. He was the first to assist Zhang Juzheng in his mourning. Zou yuanbiao went to Shanghai for three times to oppose "seizing emotion" and wrote a memorial saying: "does your majesty think Zhang Juzheng is good for the country? Although Zhang Juzheng's theory of talent has made a difference, his academic foundation is not the right way; although his ambition is great, he is too headstrong. Some of his policies and measures are unreasonable. For example, the number of students enrolled in prefectures and counties is limited to 156. The relevant government offices cater to his will and further reduce the number. This is not a wide way to select talents. There are also a certain number of prisoners sentenced in various places, and the departments concerned are afraid of being punished, so the number must be more than enough. This is the penalty is too unrestrained. The minister took his salary to live in a muddle. The minister was afraid of being convicted and kept silent. Some people expressed their opinions today, but they were condemned tomorrow. It's not smooth. The Yellow River is inundated with floods. Some people live in barren grassland and drink water to satisfy their hunger, but the relevant departments turn a deaf ear to it. it is the sufferings of the common people that have not been relieved. There are so many others, such as appointing cruel officials and burying outstanding talents. The minister respectfully read the emperor's edict, which said, "before I have finished my studies and determined my ambition, my husband left me, and all my previous achievements will be wasted." Your majesty said that. It's a great blessing for our country. Nevertheless, it can not be said that the imperial court does not have people who help to complete the emperor's studies and set up the emperor's ambition. Fortunately, Zhang Juzheng suffered from his parents' funeral and could still stay. If he left, his Majesty's studies would not be completed and his ambition could not be determined? When I saw Zhang Juzheng's Shangshu, I said, "first there are extraordinary people in the world, then we can do extraordinary things." This is a person who regards mourning as a thing and disdains to do it. Who doesn't know that a man can be a man only if he abides by the five moral ethics of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith. Now this man, whose parents don't take care of him when he is alive, doesn't go to mourning when his parents are dead, and boasts himself to be an extraordinary man. The people of the world don't think that he is a pig, dog and beast because he has lost his goodness. Can this be called an extraordinary man? " write the memorial, put it in your arms and go to court. Just in time for Wu Zhongxing and others to be punished by the imperial court. Zou yuanbiao and so on, after playing the stick, took out the memorial and gave it to the middle official, cajoled him into saying, "this is the memorial for asking for leave." After the memorial was presented, Zhang Juzheng was very angry. He beat Zou yuanbiao 80 times and demoted him to exile duyunwei. Duyunwei was located in the mountains and lived with ethnic minorities. Zou yuanbiao was calm. He paid more attention to the study of Neo Confucianism and made great progress in learning. Under the command of Zhang Juzheng, the governor and censor will frame Zou yuanbiao. He passed Zhenyuan and stayed there. One night, the censor died suddenly.

Integrity is taboo

Zou yuanbiao was exiled for six years. In the 11th year of Wanli (1582 AD), Zhang Juzheng died. In the process of recruiting officials, he first stated five things: cultivating moral concepts, getting close to ministers and subordinates, taking laws and regulations seriously, respecting Confucianism and rectifying local officials. Soon after, Xu Xuemo, Minister of rites, and Zhang Shipei, Minister of the Ministry of household in Nanjing, were impeached and removed. When the fire broke out in the palace of CI Ning, Zou yuanbiao stated six things about current affairs and politics. Among them, he said, "I will go forward first and offer the teaching of no desire. Your majesty tries to check himself. Is it true that there is no desire, or does he control desire? As the saying goes, "if you want to be unknown, you have to do it yourself." Your majesty really should check himself thoroughly as soon as possible and try to control his desires At this time, in his prime, mingshenzong was addicted to sound and color tours and banquets. He thought Zou yuanbiao was blaming himself. He was very unhappy and issued a decree to blame him. Because Zou yuanbiao was his own student, Shoufu Shen Shixing impeached and dismissed his in laws Xu Xuemo. He was also dissatisfied, so he was demoted to the post of Zhao mo of the Ministry of punishment in Nanjing. He was transferred to the head of the Ministry of war. He was called up to serve in the Ministry of officials, promoted to be a member of the Ministry of foreign affairs, and was dismissed because of illness. After that, it will be used as an alternate seal. Ten things about the administration of officials and eight things about the sufferings of the people were stated, and nearly ten thousand words were memorialized. There was a vacancy in Wenxuan member wailang, and the Minister Song Xun asked for the appointment of Zou yuanbiao. There was no news for a long time, and song Xun urged him to do so one after another. Yang Wenhuan and he Xuan, the censor, also helped to speak. The emperor Shenzong of Ming Dynasty was very angry. He denounced song MI, demoted Yang Wenhuan and he Xuan to other places, and transferred Zou yuanbiao to Nanjing. Shi Xing, the Minister of punishment, pleaded for him and was also reproached by mingshenzong. After three years in Nanjing, Zou yuanbiao went home sick. After a long time, he became a doctor of the Department and did not go to his post. Soon after his mother died, he settled down in the countryside to give lectures. More and more people were learning to make friends with him, and his fame was growing. There were dozens or even hundreds of memorials recommended by Shangshu inside and outside the imperial court. None of them did not put Zou yuanbiao in the first place.

Three kings of Donglin

From the 18th year of Wanli (1590) to the 48th year of Wanli (1620), Zou yuanbiao gave lectures at home for 30 years without any official career. During this period, Zou yuanbiao, Gu Xiancheng and Zhao Nanxing became the "three kings of Donglin Party". Mingguangzong ascended the throne and recruited Zou yuanbiao as the Minister of Dali temple. Not yet in office, he was promoted to the right servant of the Ministry of punishment. In April of the first year of Tianqi (1621), Zou yuanbiao returned to the imperial court. He was moved by the partisan disputes in the imperial court and the prejudice of the ministers. He admonished emperor mingxizong about "peace" and said: "the state is like this now because of the disputes among the ministers in the past 20 years. In the past, people who did not select talents and courteous to the virtuous and capable, but envied the virtuous and envied the capable every day and suppressed them. People who discussed things could not be calm. Instead, they devoted themselves to the separation of factions. I think the most important thing today is that the ministers of the imperial court can make peace with each other. When the ministers of the imperial court are in harmony, the heaven and the earth will be harmonious. In the past, when people and things were discussed, everyone was prejudiced. Prejudice led to confusion, confusion led to obstinacy, and obstinacy turned to selfishness. No longer knowing that there was someone else, the disaster of the country came. Now we have made an agreement with the ministers that it should be fair to discuss a person, and we should not draw conclusions easily. When discussing a matter, we should learn from previous experience, consider its consequences, and do not believe rumors without thinking. If we use the conscience of the world to measure the people and things of the world, we can talk about fairness, and the country can enjoy the happiness of stability and peace. " So he recommended 18 people, including Tu zongjun and Li Banghua. Emperor Xizong of the Ming Dynasty gave priority to the imperial edict, praised and accepted it. Two days later, Chen also explored the selection of talents, financial management and other issues, as well as the four rules to ensure peace. He also requested that ye maocai, Zhao Nanxing, Gao Panlong, Liu Zongzhou and Ding Yuanjian be recruited and employed, while 15 people, such as Luo Dadao and Luo Yuren, should be compensated and employed. Ming Xizong also agreed to accept it.

Redress unjust cases

At the beginning, Zou yuanbiao stood on the court, upright and dignified, daunting. In his later years, he worked hard to achieve harmony and peace. Some people say that he can't catch up with his boldness when he first became an official. Zou yuanbiao said with a smile: "there is a difference between ministers and officials. It's the business of a speech officer to have an excellent demeanor. How can a minister be as angry as a young man when he is not concerned about big interests and damage, or that he should protect and support the country? " At this time, gangs were very prosperous, and Zou yuanbiao wanted to correct this bad habit, so the people he recommended were not limited to one style. He once wanted to recommend Li Sancai for appointment, but Zou yuanbiao didn't insist on it because he couldn't speak his way. Wang Dewan satirized him and Zou yuanbiao didn't care. Wang Yuncheng, the imperial censor of Nanjing, and others thought that there was a contradiction between them, and asked emperor mingxizong to issue an imperial edict to mediate. Zou yuanbiao said: "I have never had any conflict with Wang Dewan. Someone must be making trouble out of it. I once said to the Minister of the central court, "the emperor is young today, and the enemy is on the edge of the country. We have to work together. If the party and the family share the same views again, it will be disloyal to the country and unfilial to the family. There is a right way in the world to be impartial and not to form a party. Why do you always fight in the dark? " It has been a long time since the emperor ascended the throne, but the ministers who were dethroned and died in the previous dynasty have not been taken care of. Zou yuanbiao once again expounded the grand pension ceremony with more sincere words. He soon became the official Minister of the Ministry. Not in office,

Chinese PinYin : Zou Yuan Biao