Chapter 1088
Chapter 1088
Pan Yun said, "Yu Qian has been cracking down on corruption in the past few years, and the court has become much more clean. However, if you investigate the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate, you will find that there are still many people who are drawing salaries without working and doing things haphazardly. These are the ones that can be found. But when you go to the local areas, you will find that there are even more hidden corners that have not been found."
Therefore, Cao Nai wanted to reform the bureaucracy and even gradually reduced the privileges afforded to nobles and ministers.
Opposition was widespread in the court, with some ministers even pointing their fingers at Cao Nai and cursing him: "You are destroying the foundation of the country, forcing His Majesty to act cruelly and ungratefully, causing the nation's talent to be lost!"
Without imperial favor, how many talented people in the world would be willing to serve the emperor?
However, many people in the court also saw the drawbacks of hereditary privilege. From Emperor Taizu to the present seven emperors, too many burdens had accumulated, especially among the meritorious nobles and imperial relatives.
The privileges afforded to civil officials only lasted in their own time; the saying "once the person leaves, the tea is forgotten" was not just a saying. In the end, apart from powerful ministers, their descendants who wanted to rise above others had to go through the imperial examinations and enter officialdom through the proper channels.
But the nobles are different. They pass on their lineage from generation to generation, just like royalty, sucking the lifeblood of the country.
Their ancestors made tremendous contributions to the Ming Dynasty and the world, and no one objected to the fact that their descendants were granted such favors. However, three generations later, when there are a large number of descendants who have neither literary talent nor martial skills, yet still occupy the few available positions, that is going too far.
With the blessings and accumulation of three generations, the descendants, if not necessarily accomplished in literature and martial arts, should at least be more intelligent and insightful than the average person.
After all, they have resources accumulated from their ancestors: books, teachers, martial arts. As long as they study the Six Arts of a Gentleman with their hearts, how could their families not hire a tutor for them?
But looking at the whole country, how many sons of noble and military families could enter officialdom through the civil and military examinations held every three years?
Ninety-nine percent of them entered officialdom through the legacy of their ancestors, but after entering officialdom, they did nothing but eat, drink and have fun.
Therefore, civil officials generally looked down on nobles and military generals, feeling that they were a group of warriors who could not educate their children and would only produce a group of tumors that were growing on the blood vessels of the country, just like those relatives who only ate and did not work, and who also consumed a lot of the country's finances.
The military officers, on the other hand, felt that the civil service was targeting the military class.
They and their ancestors risked their lives to fight alongside Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong to conquer the world. Why should these people take back the favors and merits bestowed upon them by Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong as soon as they come to power?
These civil officials are utterly corrupt. Even if all their military descendants were to enter officialdom, how much of their salary could they possibly take?
I'm afraid that all of them combined wouldn't even amount to what a single corrupt official has taken.
If we reform the bureaucracy and arrest those corrupt officials, the bureaucracy of the country will surely be clean and efficient.
The emperor felt that what they said made sense, so he selectively listened to their opinions.
Listening to the civil officials, they persuaded some incompetent, ghost-drawing noble sons to go home and free up positions for capable people.
They listened to Wu Xun's advice and continued to crack down on corrupt officials, especially local ones. Once caught, they were severely punished. It has been quite beneficial to the Ming Dynasty's treasury.
Of course, the complaints of the military officers could not be ignored, and combined with the angry words of the civil officials, the emperor felt that he could not let the disciples of the military officers run wild.
Pan Yun was also afraid that these sons of military officers who had been dismissed from their posts would flow into the countryside and harm the people, so he stuffed them all into the military academy.
They all come from families of military merit. Even if they are good-for-nothings, they must have inherited some of their ancestors' genes, right?
All of you, go study! No age limit. First, study at the military academy for three years.
Three years later, if he has no interest in pursuing an official career, he can do whatever he wants after leaving the military academy;
If one wishes to return to an official career, after passing the examinations, one can be selected to serve in the military or the imperial court, depending on the corresponding examination.
It's like using their salaries, which would normally be used to support them, to give them education.
Not only can it train a large number of middle and lower-ranking military officers for the Ming Dynasty, but the cost is at most only half of their salaries.
Moreover, the military officers were furious when they heard that their own sons and grandsons were to be laid off, but their anger immediately subsided when they heard that they would all be sent to military academies. Then they would go back and beat their sons and grandsons.
During that period, the capital was filled with the wailing of military meritorious officials' sons.
"Let those intellectuals see if I, as a father, am incapable of raising my son!"
"What a waste of your big frame, you can't even lift two hammers. Let me tell you, if anyone makes me lose face in front of those pedantic scholars, I'll hammer you to death!"
The winds of change from the capital quickly spread to the provinces, and soon the sons and grandsons of all the military families of the Ming Dynasty were drawn into the fray.
The children of the "Hon" family, who used to be walking their dogs and playing with their cats everywhere, are now living a miserable life, either getting beaten up or on their way to getting beaten up.
Seeing their mortal enemies so cunning, the civil officials couldn't help but think of Yang Shiqi.
Yang Shiqi was honest and upright throughout his life, but he was implicated by his son on his deathbed.
With the lessons of the past before them, and with the military generals keeping a close eye on them, the civil officials also began to involve their own sons and grandsons.
Following the example set by the emperor, the practice of educating children flourished among the common people. The imperial court also took this opportunity to promote elementary education, and Empress Wang even donated a hundred community schools in one go. The trend of education and enlightenment became popular throughout the Ming Dynasty.
Pan Hong returned to Changzhou Prefecture amidst this favorable wind.
The Pan family's old residence is located in Zhengsu Lane, Changzhou, not far from the Grand Canal.
Pan Tao is good at business; although he is not extremely wealthy, he has accumulated a considerable fortune.
While Pan Hong and his son were exiled, the Pan family sent money to the border every year. However, during that period, Pan Tao had no money to save and was basically living paycheck to paycheck, spending all the money he had saved each season.
Fortunately, he only spent the money from the Pan family's land and his own salary, and did not touch his wife's dowry.
His wife, Aunt Wang, managed to save some money from her dowry each year to improve their living conditions.
Old Mrs. Pan was well taken care of by Aunt Wang and lived a long life. Seeing that Aunt Wang was good at managing money and never complained about Pan Tao sending money to the border every quarter, she generously entrusted her dowry to her to manage.
She left a message: "My dowry will be divided into two parts, one for Wang Shi and the other for Yun'er as part of her dowry."
Pan Tao strongly objected, believing that his mother could divide the dowry equally among the third generation, with Pan Bai, Pan Yue, Pan Yu, and Pan Jun sharing it equally.
At that time, Pan Hong and his two sons were still exiled in Datong. Pan Yun said that he was a Taoist priest in Sanqing Mountain, but he had not yet verified it. Pan Tao was thinking that when his elder brother's family returned in the future, the marriages of his two nephews would definitely be difficult. With more betrothal gifts, perhaps they could get married.
So his suggestion actually meant that Wang's share was being distributed away again.
Wang was always easygoing and had no objections, but Old Madam Pan insisted. She said, "Yue'er and Yu'er have been studying since they were young. They are boys, and the world is vast, so they have their own place in it. But it's different for girls. Yun'er suffered the most. She was forced to leave home at a young age and hide her identity."
“Do you think being a Taoist priest is a good thing? It’s a lowly profession. Whether she wants to return to secular life and start a family or continue her Taoist practice, she will need money. Giving her more money might make her life less difficult,” said Old Mrs. Pan. “Your daughter-in-law is a good person. You are supporting two families on your own now, and she has no complaints. But we can’t take it for granted. Your elder brother and I should be grateful. This half of my dowry is for her alone.”
"It would be great if you had another daughter in the future. If you don't, she can leave her to your grandchildren. She can make her own arrangements."
Moreover, the fact that the mother-in-law's dowry was given to her daughter-in-law instead of her son was considered a good story by Wang Shi.
"Don't learn those crooked words from books, like doing good deeds without making a fuss is a sign of humility. Bah! People who do good deeds don't want to make a fuss because they have high moral character. If the person who receives the favor doesn't say a word, wouldn't that chill the heart of the good person?" Old Mrs. Pan said, "Your daughter-in-law is a virtuous woman. She should be praised, rewarded, and let everyone outside know!"
Pan Tao's mouth dropped open. He was a reserved scholar and strongly disagreed with this view.
But he was also a dutiful son and didn't want to disobey his mother. He no longer stopped her, nor did he dare object to her praising his daughter-in-law in public, though he himself rarely said it.
Now that Pan Hong is back, he is full of praise for his younger brother and sister-in-law.
As a result, less than half a month after he returned to his hometown, the entire Changzhou Prefecture was filled with talk of the Pan brothers' brotherly affection and the Wang family's virtuous character.
Pan Tao is alright, but Pan Hongkua always feels like a self-praising vendor, so everyone listens to him with a grain of salt and leaves some room for doubt.
But it was different for Wang. She already had a reputation for virtue, and this spread made her reputation for virtue even more widespread.
Changzhou Prefecture had long wanted to curry favor with the Imperial Preceptor and had already presented the Pan family with a plaque. This time, they simply presented the Pan family with an archway, an archway that belonged exclusively to the Wang family.
Unlike the chastity arches that have become popular among the people in recent years, this one is a monument to virtuous and good people.
The tall archway stood at the entrance of Zhengsu Lane, attracting people from half of Changzhou Prefecture to watch the spectacle. Members of the Pan family even traveled from the countryside to the city specifically to participate in the archway unveiling ceremony.
The Pan family was proud of this and taught their descendants, granddaughters-in-law, daughters, and granddaughters: "The virtue lies in one's character and abilities. Wang was able to be filial to her mother-in-law, raise her children, help her husband manage the household, and support the eldest son's family without complaint. The goodness lies in her kindness and character. It was because she had a conscience and understood the bigger picture that she was able to help Pan Tao preserve their branch of the family..."
The clan elder was straightforward. He turned to Old Madam Pan and said, "Sister-in-law, half the credit for your branch's current strength goes to her."
Think about it, if Wang hadn't agreed to Pan Tao's aid to Pan Hong and his two sons, the relationship between the two branches would have faded long ago after years of separation, and their branch would have fallen apart. Where would they be today?
The old lady agreed with the elder's words and nodded in agreement.
The clan elders stroked their beards thoughtfully: "This memorial archway for virtuous people is far more valuable than the memorial archway for chastity."
"Sister-in-law, I remember that Wang Shi also came from a scholarly family, right?"
The old lady nodded and smiled, "Like our Pan family, we are a family of farmers and scholars. Her father was a scholar from Jintan, Changzhou. Back then, the second son accompanied the eldest son to take the imperial examination. It just so happened that he was taking the same exam as her father. His father-in-law took a liking to the second son at first sight and immediately arranged their marriage with the eldest son."
“Good, good. So women should still study. Only by studying can they learn etiquette, and only by learning etiquette can they develop wisdom, good character, and the ability to raise good children.”
"Yes, my sister-in-law was also a good reader, which is why she raised two good sons. I heard that Pan Tao has also entered officialdom?"
"The most important thing is that we've raised a national advisor!"
"Yeah, yeah~~"
The whole city was filled with praise, and even someone as clear-headed as Pan Hong was flattered and became quite giddy.
Old Mrs. Pan, on the other hand, was very knowledgeable and experienced; she had already gone through several such experiences since Pan Yun became the Imperial Advisor.
In fact, not many people know that Pan Yun came from the Pan family of Changzhou Prefecture.
Apart from the prefect and a few officials in the county government, even the elderly in the clan didn't know about it.
Firstly, Pan Yun only publicly stated that she came from the Sanqing Temple on Sanqing Mountain, and rarely discussed her secular background publicly;
Secondly, Pan Tao and his mother have always been trying to minimize the impact of this.
However, although Changzhou Prefecture was far from the capital, officials in the capital all knew that Pan Yun was Pan Hong's daughter, so this was naturally not a secret in official circles.
Therefore, officials in Changzhou Prefecture also knew about it, and naturally, people in the Pan clan who frequently interacted with the outside world also found out.
At first, they were excited and thrilled, their hearts pounding, and they couldn't wait to go on a three-hundred-game marathon.
However, Pan Tao soon found them. The cultured and knowledgeable people in the clan gathered together for a meeting. After returning home, they instructed their families to be careful with their words and actions, without even giving a reason, and naturally without telling their families that the Grand Preceptor was a member of their Pan family.
It wasn't until this year, when the Imperial Preceptor celebrated his birthday, that people, out of curiosity, dug up Pan Yun's birth date and the route he took to get there, finally exposing the Pan family.
It was only at this moment that the Pan family exclaimed "Holy crap!" and suddenly woke up: "Our clan actually produced such a powerful figure?"
Since such a powerful clanswoman came from their family, they naturally had to support her.
Whatever she said or did, as long as it was made public, the Pan family was always the first to respond.
Therefore, the Imperial Preceptor valued education, especially elementary education.
Therefore, the Pan family raised funds to expand the clan school, so that not only could boys from relatives' families attend the clan school, but girls from the clan and relatives' families could also attend school normally.
In addition, they also established community schools in nearby villages in the name of Pan Yun, directly employing scholars from the clan to teach. Both men and women could enroll, and the tuition was extremely low, almost as cheap as cabbage.
Other gentry followed suit, and as a result, the academic atmosphere in Changzhou far surpassed that of the surrounding prefectures.
The prefect was overjoyed, his eyes crinkling with delight. His administration had done such a good job in educating and reforming the people, and with the emergence of a famous figure like Pan Yun, he certainly had to make a big fuss about it.
Therefore, before Pan Hong returned to his hometown, he made a special effort to promote Pan Yun to the outside world;
After Pan Hong returned, he made a special effort to promote the Wang family.
He has already planned to make a special mention of the brotherly affection between Pan Hong and Pan Tao next time.
If brothers are harmonious, how much trouble can be avoided in the administration?
Hmm, next time we can also promote Grandma Pan...
It's fair to say that every member of the Pan family could be used for publicity.
Sometimes, comparison is necessary when it comes to promotion.
The prefect secretly sent word out: "Chastity is important, but not as important as virtue."
Those below understood, and the message spread: "Chastity arches are common, but virtuous arches are one in a hundred. How can a mere chastity arch compare to a virtuous arch?"
Further out and to the bottom, it becomes: "The imperial court has said that the chastity arch is not worth mentioning; a virtuous woman is of utmost importance."
The storyteller said, "So what if she remarries? A virtuous woman is worth a fortune. Empress Liu of the Song Dynasty remarried, yet she raised an emperor like Emperor Renzong. Wasn't she the most virtuous woman in the world?" (End of Chapter)