Worldly Courts · Daily and Hidden Lives in the Public Sphere

Author: Wanyan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: As the ancients said, "All affairs under heaven begin in the prefectures and counties." The prefectural and county offices are not only the barometer of the rise and fall of the world but also a microcosm of the entire ancient official world. Here, the everyday and the hidden, the grand and the sordid, are displayed in the most vivid manner. This is an encyclopedic read about the grassroots government of ancient China, narrated in colloquial language, detailing the "strange current" and "hidden rules" of prefectural and county offices over the past two thousand years.
A grand display that officials in the capital cannot afford but local petty officials can; the subtle nuances of "the Yellow History demands money, while the Censorate does not," and "the lady loves money, while the master does not"; the intricate game of power where officials must not offend the powerful, yet "even if your official is as clear as water, how can you compete with the slyness of the clerks like oil?" The harsh methods of levying taxes and corvée, the practice of "stealing flowers" and "litigation money," and the pervasive exploitation of the people; the various benefits of the "imperial stipend" holders, including the "common rules," disaster relief funds, and fundraising contributions; the life details of officials in the office—such as the preaching of "sacred edicts" on the eight-character walls, the gossip of the era, holiday balls, work meals, and the sound of "the lioness roaring from the east bank" in the agency dormitories; the peculiar interview method of selecting prefectural and county officials based on their physique and appearance; the diligent efforts of anti-corruption measures, such as the warning stele, the integrity stipend, and even preserving the skin of corrupt officials as specimens.
This is also a book about the human condition and the world. Though the office may be small, the affairs of the world are all contained within it!