Chapter 233

【Inventory of the Top Ten Corrupt Officials in History, Seventh Place: Chen Ziqiang】

【Dynasty: Southern Song】

【Birth and Death: Approx 1130 AD –? (Died in exile, approx 75 years old)】

【Background: Humble family in Fuzhou】

【Official Position: Right Prime Minister, enfeoffed as Duke of Qin】

【Features: Late bloomer, clinging to power, openly selling offices, clearly marking prices】

"Passed the exam at fifty, county assistant at sixty.

Clinging to nobles, became prime minister in four years.

No bribe in the letter, what is the benefit of opening it?

Clearly marking prices, official titles become a market."

The picture unfolds, the Southern Song Dynasty, which was cornered but culturally prosperous and internally struggling.

【Chen Ziqiang, courtesy name Mianzhi.

A child from a humble family in Min County, Fuzhou.

The family was destitute, his father died in his childhood, and he depended on his widowed mother.

His rise to fame can be called an ironic "inspirational" drama.】

In the picture, the young Chen Ziqiang studies hard under the dilapidated eaves by the moonlight, with his mother spinning yarn beside him, the scene is poor.

His talent was not outstanding, but he was hardworking.

After decades of cold windows, he finally passed the imperial examination at the age of fifty and entered the official career.

However, in the Southern Song officialdom, which emphasized background, connections, and human relationships, the future of an "old scholar" over fifty with no foundation can be imagined.

For the next ten years, Chen Ziqiang moved around various places, serving as a sesame-sized small official, wasting time, and at sixty, he was only a small county assistant, depressed and unsuccessful.

In the picture, Chen Ziqiang, whose hair was already gray, wearing a low-level green official robe, sighed at the pile of trivial official documents in a remote county yamen, and was looked down upon by many young colleagues.

The turning point appeared in the second year of Qingyuan.

Chen Ziqiang, sixty-six years old, finally got an opportunity to enter the capital Lin'an to wait for the Ministry of Personnel to reassign positions.

In the prosperous but strange capital, he had no relatives and his official career was bleak.

In despair, he suddenly remembered an old story—

When he was young, his family was really poor, and he had briefly served as a tutor in the home of a powerful man named Han, teaching a young child named Han Tuozhou to read!

The picture flashes back, the young Chen Ziqiang teaching the naughty young Han Tuozhou to read in a decent study.

The picture returns to reality, and a spark of hope burns in the old Chen Ziqiang's eyes.

The Han Tuozhou at this time was no longer the naughty child of the past.

Because he had merit in establishing Emperor Ningzong of Song, and because he was an in-law (a clan uncle of Empress Han of Ningzong), he held great power, and his influence was sky-high. He was the undisputed power minister of the Southern Song court. People at the time privately called him "Master King" and "Pingzhang Military and State Affairs," actually a crownless prime minister.

Chen Ziqiang, holding the mentality of a dead horse as a living horse doctor, tossed and turned, and submitted a visiting card, claiming to be a "former guest."

In the picture, the mansion of Han Tuozhou is full of traffic and majestic.

The old Chen Ziqiang, wearing an old robe washed white, submitted his name card nervously.

Perhaps Han Tuozhou remembered old feelings, or perhaps out of some political consideration.

(Need an old minister with a clean background who is easy to control to decorate the facade)

Han Tuozhou actually went out of the mansion personally, welcomed Chen Ziqiang in, and treated him with the courtesy of a teacher.

With this, Chen Ziqiang's fate underwent a earth-shaking reversal!

Han Tuozhou, who held great power and was in his prime, bowed to Chen Ziqiang, who was white-haired and terrified, calling him "Teacher."

The surrounding guests all looked sideways.

With this towering tree of Han Tuozhou, Chen Ziqiang's official career was like riding a rocket.

In just four years, he went from a fallen old county assistant who was waiting for selection and about to go home to support his old age, to rising rapidly:

Signing the Privy Council affairs, knowing the Privy Council affairs and participating in the government affairs (Vice Prime Minister)…

Eventually, in the third year of Jiatai, Chen Ziqiang, at the age of seventy-three, was appointed Right Prime Minister, enfeoffed as Duke of Qin, and reached the peak of his official career!

Four years, from county assistant to prime minister, can be called a miracle of promotion speed in ancient and modern times!

However, behind this miracle was the private favor of the power minister, not his talent for governing the country.

In the picture, the color of Chen Ziqiang's official robe changed rapidly, from green to blue, to red, and finally to purple!

The wings of his official hat became longer and longer, and finally he wore the prime minister's exhibition foot hat.

He stood at the forefront of the court, bowing tremblingly to the young emperor on the throne, behind him were the complex eyes of the ministers—envy, jealousy, disdain, fear.

However, this late-blooming Prime Minister Chen did not bring the wisdom of an old man to the Southern Song court, but a more crazy gluttonous feast.

Chen Ziqiang was an official, and he wrote the word "corrupt" on his face and carved it into his bones.

He probably felt that he was old, his days were numbered, and he had no heirs, so he must seize the time to make enough capital for the second half of his life and his posthumous name.

The picture tone becomes dark and greedy.

Chen Ziqiang sold offices, sold them righteously, and clearly marked prices.

He openly declared and practiced:

Letters from all directions, if there is no "regular example" (bribe) attached, will never be opened!

Official documents, complaints, and recommendation letters sent to the Prime Minister's mansion must be noted with a small script in an inconspicuous corner of the envelope: "And offer some things" or "Offer some regular examples."

Otherwise, this letter will be piled up in the corner to eat dust forever, even if it contains a huge grievance or urgent military situation.

Picture close-up: The official document room of the Prime Minister's mansion, piled up with letters.

Several people like masters skillfully check each envelope, and when they see those marked "And offer gold one hundred taels," they pull them out and respectfully send them to Chen Ziqiang's desk.

Seeing the clean envelopes, they sneered and threw them into a huge bamboo basket in the corner, which was almost full.

Chen Ziqiang took a magnifying glass, carefully checked the "price" on the envelope and the "cargo list" inside, and nodded with satisfaction.

Not only did he sell it himself, he also indulged and even instructed his nephews, distant relatives, guests, and even the powerful servants in the mansion to work in division of labor and build a complete "office selling industry chain."

Those seeking office came to the door, no need to see the prime minister, there were "agents" to receive them, and according to the fatness, distance, and importance of the official position sought, they negotiated prices on the spot, and after the money and goods were cleared, Chen Ziqiang reported to the emperor to grant the office according to the procedure.

For a time, the side door of the Chen mansion was even more lively than the front door, becoming the largest "official title exchange" in Lin'an City.

The picture is ironic and absurd,

At the side door of the Chen mansion, people in various clothes lined up, negotiating prices in low voices with several accountants.

"A certain prefecture's assistant, this number."

"A certain county magistrate, need to add 30%, there is a salt pond there."

"A certain idle position in the palace? Cheap, but need to wait for a vacancy."

After the negotiation, money (silver notes or cash) was handed over on one side, and a note with a strange private seal was given on the other.

Those who took the note left happily, waiting for "good news."

Local officials went to the capital to report, and the official documents presented also had to be noted with "filial piety" on the envelope.

Even the military reports of the frontline generals, if they didn't bring some "local specialties," might be suppressed.

The entire Southern Song officialdom, under Chen Ziqiang's demonstration and Han Tuozhou's indulgence, was foul, buying and selling offices, and openly bribing became an unspoken rule.

Talented and penniless scholars from humble backgrounds would never have a chance to stand out;

Wealthy and untalented rich merchants could steal key positions. The official discipline was corrupted to the extreme!

In the picture, a local official who had traveled far and wide hesitated again and again in front of the Prime Minister's mansion, gritted his teeth and took out a few ingots of silver from his arms, stuffed them into the official document bag, and wrote "Respectfully offer tea money fifty taels" on the envelope before daring to hand it in.

Another messenger like a general, holding an urgent military report, was blocked outside the door by the doorman because he "did not prepare travel expenses," and jumped in a hurry.

However, the mountain you rely on will fall.

During the Kaixi period, Han Tuozhou launched the "Kaixi Northern Expedition" in a hurry to establish merit and consolidate power, but failed miserably due to lack of preparation, improper use of people, and internal obstruction.

Han Tuozhou himself was also killed in a coup, historically known as the "Kaixi Northern Expedition" and the "Yujinyuan Incident."

Chen Ziqiang's biggest backer collapsed instantly.

In the picture shown on the sky screen, Han Tuozhou was ambushed and killed in Yujinyuan.

When the news came, Chen Ziqiang was counting the day's "income" in the Prime Minister's mansion. Hearing the news, the abacus in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter, his face ashen.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.

Chen Ziqiang, who lost his protection, immediately became the target of public criticism.

The memorials of the censors impeaching him flew to the emperor like snowflakes, exposing his various crimes of selling offices and titles and corrupting the law.

Emperor Ningzong of Song issued an edict to dismiss Chen Ziqiang from his prime ministership, demote him again and again, and finally exile him to Leizhou in Lingnan, and later died in the place of exile in Guangzhou.

His embezzled gains were naturally confiscated.

Unfortunately, the state affairs he delayed, the people he harmed, and the official positions he sold caused consequences that could no longer be recovered.

At the end of the picture, Chen Ziqiang, who was white-haired and more hunched, wearing prison clothes, walked on the desolate path leading to the land of smoke and miasma under the escort of officials, his back desolate.

Eventually died of illness in a dilapidated post station.

【Assessment of total corruption:

Historical records do not contain exact figures, but as a Right Prime Minister, he openly sold offices for several years,

Clearly marked prices, refused no one, his nephews and servants all participated in the distribution of spoils, and the wealth accumulated must be an astronomical figure.

Moreover, because his selling of offices directly led to the complete corruption of official governance, the harm to the country and the people is immeasurable.

Converted to silver, it should be as huge as millions of taels.

His corruption lies in completely marketizing and commodifying the country's name and instruments, and the bad influence is far beyond simple embezzlement of money and grain.】