aircannonsinc Chapter 48 Official Positions
Chapter 48 Official Positions
Wang Min chatted with his mother for a while before going to the ancestral hall to pay respects to their ancestors and tell them the good news about this person.
I wonder if the old ancestor will get annoyed if Wang You says it once and then Wang Min says it again.
As Wang Min emerged from the ancestral hall, he saw his wife waiting outside.
"My lord."
Madam Feng whispered, "If You'er becomes Scholar Hai's student, he might have a chance to enter the Hanlin Academy in the future. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
She's not like Madam Wang, who doesn't even know the benefits of entering the Hanlin Academy.
If one could be appointed to a position in the Hanlin Academy, it would be far better than any other position, if not a very promising one.
The worst outcome is being assigned directly to a local post, where you'll have to work your way up step by step.
After spending a few years in the Hanlin Academy, and then a few more years working in one of the Six Ministries, one would be transferred to a local position, starting as a prefectural-level official.
"I know the benefits of You'er becoming a disciple of Scholar Hai, but you're too hasty."
Wang Min shook his head and said, "Although Mother's arrangement is a bit too cautious, such a big matter as You'er becoming an apprentice requires my personal involvement."
I simply don't have time to go to Bianjing in the short term. I can only take You'er to become an apprentice when I go to Bianjing to take up my post next year.
Does it matter what we plan to do now?
Upon hearing this, Madam Feng was taken aback, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that it made perfect sense.
The principle is actually not difficult to understand; it's just that she was too concerned to think about these things.
…………
Wang You had no idea how much his parents had worried about him becoming an apprentice.
After seeing Ma Ping off, Wang You either occasionally met up with Zhao Sheng or stayed home reading.
Haining and Wang You began to visit each other more frequently, with Haining often visiting Wang You to discuss scholarship.
He also introduced Wang You to some sons of officials with whom he had good relationships.
Those who are on good terms with Haining are mostly descendants of noble and respectable families.
His family members either worked in the Censorate or the Remonstrance Bureau.
Upon learning that Wang You's grandfather was Grand Tutor Wang, these people treated Wang You with considerable courtesy and did not look down on him because of his age.
When Wang You interacted with these young masters, he found that they were not much different from the scholars; they liked to talk at length about matters of state.
The difference is that these people are all sons of officials, and therefore have a more direct understanding of some things happening in the court.
But in essence, it's all just theoretical talk; when discussing it, they quote classic principles one after another.
But as for what practical and feasible solutions there are, there are none.
This is normal, though, as scholars in ancient times studied the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as historical, philosophical, and literary works.
These kinds of books focus more on moral and ethical instruction, and rarely discuss how to deal with the problems that come with becoming an official.
It's not that there aren't any; there are quite a few similar cases where a large country is like a small fish being cooked.
But what's the point of these words?
It's like going to learn to be a chef, and the master chef gives you a recipe.
The recipe doesn't even specify which seasonings are needed, yet you're asked to follow it exactly. How can you possibly make it well?
The governing principles in Confucianism are also largely like this.
If you show this to some seasoned officials, they can naturally learn something from it.
It is unrealistic to expect inexperienced newcomers to govern a region with such vague ideas.
But why are most people who become officials able to do well?
This ultimately stems from the responsibility of officials in ancient times.
When officials govern a region, their primary responsibilities are actually to stabilize the local area and collect taxes.
They advocated that if the people did not report it, the officials would not investigate.
As long as there is no rebellion in the jurisdiction and taxes are paid on time, that is a good official.
As for building bridges and roads to enrich the people, that has nothing to do with the officials.
Why are the deeds of many famous officials in history, such as building bridges and paving roads in their localities, so prominently featured in historical records?
Isn't it because they did things outside their job responsibilities?
No matter how well you understand the Four Books and Five Classics, it doesn't mean you can be a good official.
However, the requirements for officials in ancient times were actually very low, and the vagueness of Confucianism's ideas on governing the country was just right for this approach.
This is not to belittle Confucianism; it is simply the truth.
The concept of the Great Harmony has been proposed for a long time, but how many people have thought about working towards it?
It's difficult to achieve, but can't we strive to ensure that the elderly are cared for, children are provided for, and farmers own their land?
But few officials think about these things.
Whether governing a region or collecting taxes, they all depended on landlords and gentry.
In reality, when officials govern local areas, they are essentially in charge of landlords and gentry.
As long as these people cooperate, things will be stable.
If these people don't cooperate, it will be difficult to collect enough taxes.
Moreover, these people have the ability to speak out.
As for ordinary people, they don't even have the ability to speak out. If they really suffer some injustice, what impact will it have?
Wang You recorded these details.
Over the years, he has been doing this: discovering problems in society, reflecting on the origins of these problems, and recording them in detail.
When things are quiet, you can think of solutions.
If he is able to govern in the future, he will try to see if he can make changes.
Anyway, the Song Dynasty didn't kill civil officials. Even if things couldn't be done, they would just be demoted to a local post.
Wang You had some misunderstandings about being demoted, thinking that being demoted was similar to being exiled.
But after he looked into it more closely, he realized how ridiculously wrong he was.
The term "demotion" refers to being transferred from the central government to a local post.
Take the late Prime Minister Fan as an example. After the failure of his new policies, he was demoted to a local post as a prefect.
Ultimately, he was still an official, and his authority was considerable.
Moreover, one's original rank will not change after being demoted.
As mentioned earlier, official positions in the Song Dynasty were separate, and official rank was like seniority.
A leader can adjust someone's position, but they can't change their seniority, can they?
Historically, the poems and lyrics written by literati who were demoted to lower ranks were filled with bitterness and frustration.
But what frustrated them wasn't the hardship of life, but the inability to realize their ambitions.
If Wang You ever reaches their level, he will never care.
They receive high salaries and hold local government positions; they must have it incredibly comfortable.
After waiting for five days, the appointment from the Ministry of Personnel came through.
When Wang You learned of the Ministry of Personnel's appointment of him, his first reaction was that Hai Wenqing had helped him.
Because the Ministry of Personnel appointed him as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a position of the seventh rank.
It should be noted that the magistrates of some large counties are only of the seventh rank.
In the past, apart from those who were promoted through normal means, the only people directly awarded the titles of Zhuangyuan (top scholar) and Bangyan (second-place scholar) in each imperial examination were the compilers and editors of the Hanlin Academy.
In other words, Wang You was granted an official position according to the standards for the second-place finisher in the imperial examination.
No child prodigy in history had ever received such a generous reward, which is why Wang You believed that Hai Wenqing had helped him.
However, he quickly calmed down, realizing that Hai Wenqing would never do such a thing.
Otherwise, once Wang You becomes an apprentice, there will definitely be a lot of doubts.
As soon as he gets involved, it will be exposed.
A family as distinguished as the Hai family values its reputation above all else. They would not do such a thing, not even for their own son, let alone for an outsider.
Putting that possibility aside, there's only one possibility left: this is an arrangement by the authorities.
This arrangement does not violate the rules. As mentioned earlier, the prodigy test is more like a pastime for the officials, and how to reward them depends entirely on the officials' wishes.