Zhang Juzheng

Zhang Juzheng

Zhang Juzheng (May 26, 1525 - July 9, 1582), male, Han nationality, was named Taiyue with the name of Shuda, and his young name was Zhang baigui. He was a member of the Jingzhou Wei (now Jingzhou City, Hubei Province) army in Huguang. Born in Jiangling County (now Jingzhou City, Hubei Province), it is called "Zhang Jiangling". The Ming Dynasty politician, reformer, cabinet chief assistant, assisted Ming Emperor Zhu Yijun to carry out "Wanli New Deal", known as "Zhang Juzheng reform".

Jiajing 26 years (1547) Jinshi. In the first year of Longqing (1567), he served as the Minister of the Ministry of officials and the Bachelor of Dongge. Later, he moved to be the second assistant of the cabinet and became the Minister of the Ministry of officials and the Bachelor of Jianji hall. In the sixth year of Longqing (1572), Dai Gaogong was the first assistant of the cabinet, and he was a Bachelor of Jidian in Jinzhong. All military and political affairs were ruled by Zhang Juzheng. He was the first assistant of the cabinet for ten years and implemented a series of reform measures. In finance, the Qing Dynasty carried out the "one whip method" to fight against the land, including taxes and services, which were all paid by silver. "Taicang millet can be used for ten years, and Zhousi's accumulated funds can reach more than four million yuan"; in military affairs, Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang were appointed to the north of the town, and Ling Yunyi and Yin Zhengmao were used to pacify the southwest rebellion; in official administration, the "kaocheng method" was adopted to assess officials at all levels, The government is awed by the fact that it pursues "from the north to the South".

Wanli ten years (1582) died in June, at the age of 58, presented to the Zhu state, posthumous title Wen Zhong (later by < / I > < I > < I >) < / I >. In Ming Dynasty, he was the only civil servant who was awarded the title of Taifu and Taishi. After his death, he was copied by mingshenzong, and his reputation was restored in 1622. His works include Zhang Taiyue's collection, the direct interpretation of the book and the illustration of emperor Jian.

(photo source: Zhang's ancestral hall in the early years of the Republic of China copied the portrait of Zhang Wenzhong painted by Ming people. Originally collected in < I > < I > Shashi Museum < / I > < I >, now collected in < I > < I > Jingzhou Museum < / I > < I >) < / I >

Life of the characters

Young smart

Zhang Juzheng was born in the family of a scholar in Jiangling County, Jingzhou prefecture (now Jingzhou City, Hubei Province), on May 24, 1525 (May 26, 1525, according to dengkelu, Wanli living notes, mingshilu, etc.), and Xingshi said that he was born on May 24, 1525, which was adopted by contemporary works. This date may be due to the error of writing). It is said that before Zhang Juzheng was born, his great grandfather had a dream: in the dream, a full moon fell in the urn, shining all around, and then a white turtle slowly floated from the water. Great grandfather believed that baigui was the little great grandson, so he gave him a nickname "baigui" in the hope that he would honor his ancestors in the future. Zhang Juzheng is a brilliant young man and became a famous child prodigy in Jingzhou Prefecture when he was very young. In 1536, 12-year-old Zhang Juzheng took part in the children's examination. His agility won the love of Li Shiao, the governor of Jingzhou. Li Shiao told Xiao baigui to set up his ambition from childhood and serve his country faithfully when he grew up, and changed his name to "Juzheng". In the same year, Zhang Juzheng became a Bufu student. In 1537, Zhang Juzheng took part in the rural examination, but he was obstructed by Gu Li, governor of Huguang. The reason is that he hopes to sharpen Zhang Juzheng to become a great tool. In the 19th year of Jiajing (1540), Zhang Juzheng, who was proud of himself, successfully passed the local examination and became a young Juren. Gu Yu appreciated him very much. He once said to others that "this son will be a prime minister", and he untied the rhinoceros belt and gave it to Juzheng: "I hope you can set up a great ambition to be Yiyin and Yanyuan, not just a famous young man." In the 26th year of Jiajing (1547), Zhang Juzheng, 23 years old, was the ninth Jinshi in the second class, and was awarded the title of "Shu Ji Shi".

Promotion of officialdom

Zhang Juzheng was selected as a senior official of the cabinet. Under the guidance of Xu Jie, Zhang Juzheng made great efforts to study the history of the Dynasty and the state, which laid a solid foundation for him to step on the political stage in the future. In order to strengthen the autocratic monarchy in the early Ming Dynasty, the prime minister was abolished and the cabinet was set up, whose function was equivalent to the Secretary Office of the emperor. The chief cabinet bachelor said that when Zhang Juzheng entered the Imperial Academy, there was a fierce political struggle in the cabinet. There are only Xia Yan and Yan Song in the cabinet. They fight for the position of the first assistant. After Xia Yan won the first assistant, he was slandered by Yan Song and killed. Yan Song is the first assistant in the cabinet. As for the cabinet struggle, Zhang Juzheng had a direct understanding of the political corruption of the imperial court and the dereliction of border defense through several years of cold observation. Therefore, in 1549, Zhang Juzheng first described one of the diseases of "blood qi stagnation" in his treatise on current affairs, and then referred to five diseases of "bloated and flaccid arthralgia", and systematically expounded his views on political reform. But these did not cause Ming Shizong and Yan Song's attention. Since then, in addition to the routine Zhang Ju Zheng in Jiajing Dynasty, Zhang Ju Zheng never played a memorial. In 1550, Zhang Juzheng left the capital because of illness and came to his hometown Jiangling. During his three-year vacation, he began to travel. In the past three years, Zhang Juzheng visited many places of interest, which made him find new problems. In the title of Jingzhou Prefecture, he said: "the land tax is uneven, the poor are unemployed, and the people are suffering from annexation." All this makes him feel excited, and his sense of responsibility makes him return to politics. In 1557, Zhang Juzheng returned to the Imperial Academy. He has gradually matured in his depressed thinking. In the storm of politics, he imitates his teacher Xu Jie, who is not in the same class and has mixed desires. In 1564, Zhang Juzheng entered youchunfang, youyude, and was also the Secretary of Guozijian. Xu Jiejian recommended Zhang Juzheng as the Minister of Yu King Zhu Zaiyan. During his stay in Yudi, Zhang Juzheng was appointed as the Secretary of Guozijian, so that he mastered many people who might enter the officialdom in the future, which opened up his contacts. In 1566, after the death of emperor Shizong, Xu Jie drafted an imperial edict to induce Zhang Juzheng to conspire with him. Before long, Zhang Juzheng was promoted to the right servant of the Ministry of rites and a Bachelor of the Imperial Academy. More than a month later, he joined the cabinet together with Chen Yiqin, the former lecturer of King Yu's Qiandi, and Zhang Juzheng was the left servant of the Ministry of officials and the Bachelor of Dongge.

Ranking second

In the first year of Longqing (1567), Zhang Juzheng, as an old minister of King Yu's mansion, was promoted to be the left Minister of the Ministry of officials and the Bachelor of Dongge, and entered the cabinet to participate in the government. In April of the same year, he became the Minister of rites and the grand Bachelor of wuyingdian. Finally, he "went straight to the end" in a secret contest. After entering the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng was at a time when the refugees scattered in the Ming Dynasty, the state money was empty, and the expenses were scarce. Moreover, the northern Tatars invaded the Central Plains and created the "gengxu change", the southern chieftains fought for power and profit, the cen fierce rebellion, "the two rivers were shocked", the southeast Japanese pirates harassed the coastal areas, and the people were in dire straits. In addition, the political struggle within the cabinet has become increasingly intense. Since the fall of Yan Song in 1562, Xu Jie succeeded as the first assistant. He and Zhang Juzheng jointly drafted the imperial edict of emperor Shizong, which corrected the malpractice of the Shizong period, such as the practice of fasting, the construction of Jiaos and the construction of large-scale buildings, and restored the office of the diligent courtiers who were convicted of unjust cases, which was generally recognized by the government and the public. In the second year of Longqing (1568), in July, Xu Jie finally became an official because of his old age. The next year (1569), Gao Gong, Xu's old opponent, returned to the cabinet and took charge of the Ministry of officials, and controlled the power of the cabinet. In 1570, the Tatar leader atahan attacked Datong and planned to become emperor. Juzheng heard that ADA's grandson took hannaji, his wife Biji, and her husband Aleko, who were more than a dozen people, and asked for help. Governor Fang of Datong and Governor Wang Chonggu of Xuanda decided to surrender. In view of this, Zhang Juzheng wrote to Chonggu and asked him to "reveal" the details to him immediately. It turned out that when anda's third son died, he left a child, that is, hannaji. Hannaji grew up and married Biji. Later, he fell in love with his aunt's daughter Sanniangzi and remarried. However, as a grandfather, ADA also fell in love with Sanniangzi. So the grandparents and grandchildren formed a grudge for a little girl and performed the scene of a lovelorn young man leaving home to join the Han Dynasty. After receiving the report, Zhang Juzheng wrote to Wang Chonggu again, asking him to make proper arrangements for hannaji, and sent someone to inform me: "the law of China is that if a chieftain is the head of a descendant, he will be rewarded with ten thousand gold, and the marquis will be promoted. I can't break your grandson's head and ask for a reward, but he comes after righteousness, and you are your own grandson, and can't bear to kill him. " Then, Zhang Juzheng pointed out the general plan, that is, to worship the ancients and remember the emperor's surrender at the right time. Many people in the court strongly opposed it, believing that the enemy's situation was sinister. At Ju Zheng's command, Sui Gu prepared for the war and threatened with his grandson. At last, an Da was forced to compromise. Ju Zheng pushed the boat along the river. As I asked, he sent hannaji back to his hometown, and I sent Zhao Quan and other traitors to the Ming Dynasty. Take hannaji back to the Tatar tent in the red silk robe given by the emperor. I was very moved to see that I would not infringe upon Datong in the future, and decided to ask for tribute and mutual market to get along with Ming. In the fifth year of Longqing (1571), Emperor Mu Zong of the Ming Dynasty, under the persuasion of Juzheng and others, granted anda the title of King Shunyi, and set up horse markets in three towns along the border to trade with Tatars. With the consolidation of the northern border defense, Zhang Juzheng can turn his attention to domestic issues. in the sixth year of Longqing (1572), muzong of Ming Dynasty collapsed and Shenzong, who was only ten years old, succeeded to the throne. Gao Gong touched the nerves of Empress Dowager Li, Wanli's mother, because of her own open mouth. In addition, Feng Bao, the eunuch of secretary Li BingBi, was dissatisfied with Gao Gong and slandered her. Empress dowager Li ordered Gao Gong to return to his native place for the crime of "dictatorship and power". Therefore, Zhang Juzheng took the post of chief assistant in June of this year; in August, he added zuozhu state to enter Zhongji hall, and Zhang Juzheng refused four times. In the same month, he put forward the plan of political reform from six aspects: provincial discussion, zhenjigang, chongzao order, nuclear name and reality, consolidating the nation's foundation, and strengthening military equipment

Chinese PinYin : Zhang Ju Zheng