History is called "the thin officials of the Ming Dynasty are the most in the past." How low is the salary?

In history, the Ming Dynasty pursued the "thin" system. When the Qing Dynasty practiced the "History of the Ming Dynasty", it was even believed that "the thin officials have been thin since ancient times, and there is no such one." Everyone knows that many stories of the Ming officials such as Hairui and Yu Qian, so is the Ming Dynasty officials "poor"? What is the real situation of its income?

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Income composition: Source of the livelihood of official families

The thin officials of the Ming Dynasty were the highest in the past. From the perspective of salary, the Ming Dynasty was obviously much lower than the Tang and Five Dynasties. According to the inspection of Yu Shenxing's "Gushan Pen", the monthly prime minister of the Ming Dynasty (that is, the Book of Cabinet University) was less than half of the five generations of the Northern Han Dynasty. Compared with the Tang Dynasty, it was far from the Tang Dynasty. Cabinet university scholars are still so thin, and the salary of those lower -level officials is even thinner. According to Lu Kun's "Groanan Word", the Cangguan's monthly food is only 1 stone; the golden gold of the post is only 7 two silver a year. Such a low official official, even as much as the workers' food and food silver of ordinary gates, will inevitably lead to the dilemma of "insufficient" life in these lower officials.

In order to keep officials in a decent life, the Ming court had to give officials some additional allowances outside the Changyu. Although there is no "raising silver" in the Ming Dynasty, these allowances are to "raise integrity" to make local officials. There are three main items in the Ming Dynasty official subsidies: First, the travel allowance, including the "tuition fee" when officials took office, and the "expenses" of local officials when they were at the time. The quota and equal time of the "Taoist Fee" are roughly 50 two silver in Zhifu, 35 silverzi in Zhizhou, and 30 silverzi in Zhixian County. The "expenses" of local officials are as many as 100 two silver, and they are nearly 50 two-60 silver. The second is the salary. This "wood salary" allowance is often more than the monthly sacrifice of officials. For example, in the 21st year of Wanli (1593), on September 28th, Feng Mengzheng just served as Nanjing Guozi. On this day, he received only 1.78 two. As for the "Chai salary", two items were received, of which the rated firewood salary was 3.6 two, and there were more than 13 two in winter salary and the monthly salary. The third is "银 银 三". For example, Li Le Ren Fujian's obedience, as usual, gives 3 money for silver every day, with a total of 9 two per month.

Income analysis: The characteristics of official income of officials

After careful analysis of the family income status of officials in the Ming Dynasty, we can find that the following three characteristics can be found: First, the official lady is low and shows the overall decline. The officials of the Ming Dynasty first folded rice with banknotes, then folded with bank banknotes, and finally there were examples of folding silver. It is precisely because the official lament has changed from the true color to the folding color that the Ming Dynasty officials are the most low compared with the previous ages. Especially in the process of actual distribution and withdrawal, the national fiscal revenue was reduced because of the "country's vast country", which also caused officials to give it. Of course, the so -called officials are low, but it is relatively speaking. Compared with ordinary people, the income of officials will be more generous. For example, a book of the Ministry of War, his monthly sacrifice is as high as 60 stones, and a soldier's monthly food is only 1 stone, that is, Shangshu's income is 60 times that of soldiers.

The second is that there are some differences in high and low due to official products and regions. Officials have high grade, high rice; low grade, low rice. This is the system. In particular, some officials who were favored by the emperor were also obtained by a few part -time jobs. For example, in the first month of Hongxi (1425), Yang Shiqi also had a post of books in the Ministry of Military Affairs in addition to the second position of Shao Fu and Cabinet University. Ming Renzong's intention stipulates that Yang Shiqi can support three sources. Later, because Yang Shiqi resigned strongly, he changed to two parts. In addition, there are some differences in the Lulu of the two Beijing -south officials in the Ming Dynasty, which reflects the basic characteristics of the north high south and the low. For example, the principals of various ministries in Nanjing have 3 rice mi every month, while the heads of the Beijing ministries can support 4.5 stones a month, and the discounts are different.

Third, the additional income of officials is significantly higher than the basic income. As far as officials' income is concerned, the official officials in the Ming Dynasty were meager, but the additional income was very high. The basic income of the Ming Dynasty officials based on "Luyu", and the additional income obtained by the "greed", comparison between the two, as Cao Yuyu said, the person who became an official, their Lu Yan, their Lu Yan "Originally limited", even if "official to Huangtang", the a year's salary is only 200 two silvers, but they return to the private bag by the original laws that "fire" and "stolen punishment". Or with the help of more "Twilight Gold", that is, a lot of bribery money, the additional income is obviously far beyond the officials. According to Han Lin's record, after a Zhixian Zhishi, he checked his "sac", roughly 5,000 silver, plus the "golden color" equivalent to 1,000 silver, a total of 6,000 two silver income revenue for the remaining revenue, which Essence The salary of Zhixian, even if it is an official for 10 years, will only have a total income of 450 two silvers.

Family livelihood: officials of officials and family living standards

If a misunderstanding of prejudice must be clarified, that is, as soon as you enter the career, you can get rich. In fact, it's not. Among the groups of officials in the Ming Dynasty, the phenomenon of the division of rich and the poor began to appear. The division of the rich and poor of officials in the Ming Dynasty obviously depends on the Chong and Hibel of the officials, that is, between the officials and the officials, the life realm is very different. Those who come from this are the polarization of the family's livelihood of officials in the Ming Dynasty:

The first is the rich family. According to He Liangjun's "Four Friends Zhai Cong", in the group of officials in Songjiang Prefecture, such as Song Kai, Royal Shi Shusen, Chiefs Jiang Kai, Yuan Wai Lang Tao Yan, and Wu Zhe, the family "accumulated to more than 100,000 "". Family capital is as high as more than 100,000 silver, which is obviously quite rich. Even if the new jinshi is sealed by the family, or because of the prevailing wind of the officialdom, it has lived a luxurious life. Most of these officials have believed that luxurious life can be maintained through future official career. In other words, the identity of officials can be exchanged for rich livelihoods. The second is the poor family. Among the official groups of the Ming Dynasty, there were indeed many people's livelihood, which was still in a state of poverty. The livelihood of officials in the Ming Dynasty was not the scene of "Zhumen wine stinky". According to the "Journey to the North" records, Xue Guoguan, a member of the Cabinet University of the Chongzhen Dynasty, could be called a very popular minister, but when he was copied, he was copied, but the "six hundred gold", that is, 600 two silver. In addition, Xue Guoguan lived in the house, there were only three living rooms, and the living room was only four in, and they were all "world -produced", that is, the real estate uploaded by the ancestors. For another example, Wei Dazhong, the Donglin party, was generally accepted by the rich households in Jiangnan officials, but never accepted the dedication of others and sent it. From the family and even the palm wall, there were only 25 acres of fields in the family. As for those officials who are model officials, they are even poor, and their examples are just out.

It is worth noting that since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, many first -time officials were in a dilemma of trouble, and even led to the prevalence of "Beijing debt". Taking the Guanzhi Jinshi as an example, according to the 32nd year of Wanli (1604) Li Tingji, Li Tingji knows that at the time of observation candidates, their livelihoods were quite "empty" and even had to "loans" to others. As for those officials who have the last candidate in Beijing, they are even more impoverished, and some even rely on the tailoring. In order to repay the debt, after the official took office, in addition to "peeling", he could only "borrow money to pay for it." The officials of the Ming Dynasty were greedy for bribes and even peeled the people, covering their causes.

There is no doubt that whether it is a poor official, a cold official, or a Qing official, the family livelihood of officials in the Ming Dynasty can only be called "poverty", but there is a significant difference in the "poverty" of ordinary people. In other words, the poverty of officials' livelihood is a relatively poor, and sometimes even the habit of "crying". Those who followed are the internal differentiation of the happy spirit of officials in the Ming Dynasty: some officials still adhere to the "music of Kong Yan", not for poverty and moody, and do not move in the middle. Turn to the "rich music" based on "unsatisfactory", and even abandon the ethics of official morality in order to enjoy it in time.

(Original title: History is called the thinner of the Ming Dynasty officials, and the truth is the truth -whether the officials of the Ming Dynasty were "poverty")