Three Realizations from Reading History

Author: He Shan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: Don't waste your chance to show yourself. You not only need to be capable but also skillful in seizing opportunities to demonstrate your abilities, which is twice as capable. Many people always complain about being underappreciated but overlook a principle: only by showing yourself first can you change the situation. Because people's judgment of things is often based not on what they actually are but on how they appear. In the ninth month of the 24th year of the Qianlong reign (1759), Liu Yongquan was transferred to serve as the Chief Education Officer of Jiangsu. At that time, it was the center of academic and cultural activities in the Qing Dynasty, and the customs of the scholars in this region as well as their attitude toward the court directly affected whether the Qing Dynasty's rule could be stabilized and strengthened. Therefore, emperors and grand secretaries of successive dynasties attached great importance to this region. Kangxi and Qianlong's six southern tours were largely aimed at winning over scholars and strengthening control. During the Qianlong period, Grand Secretary Yin Jishan served as governor and viceroy in the southeastern region for a total of 27 years. The reason was that Yin Jishan was skilled in literature and good at building relationships with scholars and literati through literary gatherings, thus earning the deep support of local scholars. His achievements in the southeast became a model of the Qing Dynasty's successful implementation of its cultural governance policies. While serving in the southeast, Yin Jishan established an excellent relationship with local scholars and intellectuals, earning him the reputation of "loving talent as if it were his own life." Whenever he encountered talented individuals, he would go to great lengths to promote and support them, and his entourage attracted many renowned figures. Liu Yongquan was selected to serve as the Chief Education Officer in Jiangsu, a crucial and significant province, which fully reflected the Qianlong Emperor's recognition of Liu Yongquan and his trust in his administrative abilities. Liu Yongquan also had the advantage of working in Jiangsu. Liu Tongxun, Liu Yongquan's father, had previously been responsible for multiple projects on the southern river, spending a considerable amount of time in Jiangsu and familiarizing himself with the local customs and culture. The Liu family had numerous friends or former disciples and officials in Jiangsu, and Yin Jishan, the Governor of Jiangnan, was also a former colleague and close friend of Liu Tongxun. With such strong social connections and his three years of experience as the Chief Education Officer of Anhui, Liu Yongquan naturally handled his duties in Jiangsu with ease. Moreover, Liu Yongquan himself regarded his inspection tour of Jiangsu as an opportunity for the Qianlong Emperor to test him, paving the way for his future promotion. Therefore, he worked with great diligence and rigorously selected candidates for the imperial examinations. Later records stated: "In the past, Liu Shidan (Liu Yongquan), the Grand Secretary, inspected Jiangsu with sternness and severity, and many people were afraid of him." Liu Yongquan also carefully studied the local customs and the official and scholarly practices. In the autumn of the 27th year of the Qianlong reign (1762), as Liu Yongquan was about to leave Jiangsu, he summarized his findings and reported to the Qianlong Emperor. He particularly discussed the management of students and officials, stating: "Among the students and officials, there are those who are fond of causing trouble and act recklessly. The prefects, magistrates, and county officials often hesitate to punish them, leading to a situation where they fear not only stubborn and unruly commoners but also arrogant students and officials and cunning clerks. When cases involving students and officials are brought to court, they are neither judged promptly nor clearly defined as right or wrong. After determining the guilt, those students and officials who should be punished and dismissed are not, which is truly a state of exhaustion and neglect. As a result, litigants and corrupt officials can carry out their schemes. Not only do they disregard the Chief Education Officer, but they even deliberately deceive the governor and viceroy." This memorial accurately exposed the deep-rooted corruption in the Jiangnan bureaucracy. After reading it, the Qianlong Emperor immediately gave it great importance.