Lord Zhou’s official rank is fourth rank, yet the simplicity of his life is rare in the world.”After listening to Sheriff Zhang’s explanation, Zhu Pingan greatly admired Zhou Houjie’s simple style.
Although it was said that the official salaries of the Daming Dynasty were notoriously low in all the dynasties, but the official salaries were still much more than the commoners. Moreover, Zhou Houjie as a fourth-grade governor, Kyoto area officials with a high level, half a level higher than the local officials of the same position, salary is also higher than the local fourth-grade governor half a level higher than the issuance of salaries, salaries are also quite a lot, but is willing to live a life of coarse tea and rice, which is very rare.
According to this year’s salary standard calculation, the fourth grade governor’s salary is 24 stone (rice) per month, Zhou Houjie this governor in the capital as an official, salary is higher than the local half a level, the monthly salary is 25 stone (rice).
Here, “Shi” is pronounced as dan.
Stone, bucket, litre, and heap are all traditional units of measurement in ancient times, all decimal system, ten heaps are litres, ten litres are buckets, and ten buckets are stones, which is very convenient to calculate.
The Ming Dynasty issued salaries in units of “stone”. Before the Ming Dynasty, official salaries were issued in units of “bucket” or “litre”, and Zhu Yuanzhang, the Great Ancestor, thought that the former regulations used the unit of “bucket” or “litre”.Zhu Yuanzhang, the Great Ancestor, thought that according to the previous dynasty, if the official salary was issued by “bucket” or “litre”, the court was small and not enough to show that the court was loyal and trustworthy and the style of heavy pay, so it was changed to use the “stone” to issue the salary. To give a simple example, it is equivalent to a company used to pay salaries in “jiao” and “cents”, the new boss felt that this was too petty and could not show the company’s loyalty and emphasis on staff salaries, and issued a regulation that in the future, salaries should be paid in”Yuan” to do the unit.
A “stone” rice is equal to 10 buckets, equal to 100 litres, a litre of rice weighs about 1.25 pounds, a stone of rice weighs about 125 pounds. Zhou Houjie monthly salary of 25 stone, that is, 3125 jin, according to this year’s prices, then, equivalent to 13 silver.
If you calculate according to the current salary, Zhou Houjie about 8000 per month. Eight thousand wages, but only eat cabbage and tofu on salted carrot strips, not even a meat, only on New Year’s Day there are palm-sized crucian carp meal. This is really very, very rare.
“Zihou ah, you’re from the countryside, why are you also confused. Every meal has three dishes and enough white flour buns, how is this parsimonious. Think about it, how many other people in Ming still eat a lot of food and don’t have enough to fill their stomachs. I’m already extravagant compared to them.”Zhou Houjie suddenly said very seriously.
Zhu Pingan let out a bitter smile at his words, “What your lordship said is true, it’s just that if your lordship doesn’t think of himself, he should also think of his sister-in-law and your son, and it wouldn’t be out of place to be simple by reducing one vegetarian dish and increasing one meat dish for each meal.”
“Zi Hou overthinks, I am not a big rich family, but the ancestors also left more than ten acres of thin field, planting melons and vegetables to raise chickens and ducks, their mothers eat and use more convenient than me.”Zhou Houjie waved his hand and laughed.
“Your Excellency has been an official in the capital for many years, all alone, and has never carried a family. Last year, Your Excellency originally intended to visit His Excellency the Mansion, but he was unable to do so due to the long journey and lack of a plate.”Sheriff Zhang couldn’t help but add a sentence just after Governor Zhou’s words fell.
Err.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Pingan turned his gaze towards Zhou Houjie and could not help but feel a few emotions.
Naked official!
This was the ancient naked official!
Modern times are different, modern naked officials are those officials whose spouses and children have moved out of the country (territory), and they are mostly national assholes who have enriched their own pockets and are ready to run away and defect to the other side of the rot.
Ancient naked officials, not modern, they do not go to the other side of the official with their families, because the official salary can not afford to support his wife, children, maids and servants, Zhou Houjie is the case, all alone, two-sleeved clean. Therefore, the ancient naked officials, mostly honest and clean officials, one of their sweat hair are a hundred times greater than those modern naked officials.
“Talkative.”Zhou Houjie swept a glance at Sheriff Zhang.
“My lord, it’s not that my subordinate is talkative, my subordinate is unfair for your lord. Your Excellency, take a look, there are a few officials like you. To put it bluntly, my subordinate’s table is much richer than your table here, my lord. Cabbage, bean curd, pickles, long time, how can you eat this body ah, how to be the people’s big lord ah. No family members, no hired maids, only an old housekeeper ……To put it boldly, you’re not being an official, you’re being a monk.”Zhang sheriff seems to have been holding back for a long time, this time with Zhu Pingan beside him, there are many people who are bold, taking advantage of the topic to say the words that have been held back for a long time.
Oh, the words are coarse, Zhu Pingan nodded, indeed Zhou Houjie this official did really some close to asceticism.
“From simplicity to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality is difficult.”Zhou Houjie smiled faintly, sipped a mouthful of tea and said, “Although this official is a fourth rank, his salary plus special pay and rewards, it is quite a lot. However, I don’t know how expensive it is when I’m not at home, although there are more incoming items, there are also more outgoing items. Every month, my uncle Han and I need 2 taels of silver for food, and every month, we have to take out 2 taels to give to my wife and son, 2 taels to honour our parents, 4 taels to honour our grandfather, 2 taels to pay incense to the ancestral hall of the clan, and 3 taels to support the descendants of the clan…….It is these that have used nine out of ten of the salary, and the other expenses have not yet been counted. It’s already very good now.”
Zhang sheriff sniffed, raised his head to look at Zhou Houjie, mumbled for a long time, the words in his mouth did not dare to go out.
Zhu Pingan knew what Sheriff Zhang wanted to say, it was nothing more than grey income such as Run Pen, Fire Consumption Silver, etc., it was right that Sheriff Zhang did not squeak, with Zhou Houjie’s temper, it was estimated that Sheriff Zhang would have to be reprimanded if he said it.
“Today’s meal, Ping’an benefited a lot, in the future Ping’an for the government although not necessarily can do adults like this clear soup, happy to be clear, but also must learn adults like this shoulder bright moon, two sleeves clear.”Zhu Pingan was sitting upright, and bowed his hands in a serious manner to pay his respects.
This meal, Zhu Pingan benefited a lot, from Zhou Houjie learned a lot, alone clean this point on their own inspiration.
“Good, good one shoulder bright moon, two sleeves clean! Zi Houjie has not known me for long, but is someone who knows me and understands me.”After listening to Zhu Pingan’s words, Zhou Houjie couldn’t help but hit the table and said, “This official, a farmer’s son, was able to get to where he is today by relying on this shoulder of the bright moon and two sleeves of clean water. As an official, I don’t want to be famous in history, and I don’t want to be famous to the emperor, I only want to serve the country and the people. I know that my talent is limited, I can do for my Ming, for the people of my Ming is limited. I Zhou Houjie since for the country for the people to do not much, then even more can not wreak havoc on the country and harm the people. This official clean is not for the name, but in order to be worthy of heaven and earth, the people, later when this official into a handful of rotten soil, can also nourish the earth.”Zhou Houjie put down his teacup and lamented.
Zhu Pingan heard, touching the scene, his mind can not help but think of a poem in the Qing Dynasty, very much in line with Zhou Houjie. See the pen, ink, paper and inkstone, a moment of emotion can not help, take the pen in the hand, letter and book down.
For a while, the pen is sound and the ink is smooth:
Gift to Zhou Zhifu
Vast sadness, the sun slanting, the whip pointing to the east is the end of the world.
Falling red is not an unfeeling thing, turned into spring mud to protect the flowers!
