Then, Ming Xiaozong began to rectify the official system and replaced all officials who made a fortune by bribing and flattering. The reform began with the cabinet, and the "paper-pasted three-cabinet old man" headed by Qi Wanan, a foreigner, was removed. Wan 'an had nothing to say except shout "Long live". Shortly after Emperor Xiaozong deposed him, Yin Zhi, who was fooling around in Wan 'an, left Liu Ji behind. Ming Xiaozong can see that Liu Ji is not only an idiot, but also a director. Liu Ji, who succeeded the cabinet records, was uncharacteristic during Hongzhi's reign. He not only made suggestions on state affairs from time to time, but also made extremely responsible contributions to his own work. Especially the Hami war in the northwest, it was under his overall planning that it was successfully solved.
Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty also deposed a large number of "preachers", many favored monks and Taoists in Ming Xianzong period were also driven away, and a few of the most heinous crimes were punished by law. For example, Ji Xiao, a monk in Chenghua, was beheaded in the first year of Hongzhi because of Ming Xianzong's favor and evil deeds.
In the early days of Hongzhi's reign, he gave a shot of stimulant to the chaotic court in the late Chenghua period, which gave the Ming Dynasty hope of revival. Later, courtier Li Guang was dismissed. Ming Xiaozong was extremely respectful to civil servants, especially to Wang Shu and other senior officials, as well as several cabinet ministers such as Xie Qian, Liu Jian and Li Dongyang. While reusing talents, while cleaning many ministers who have been idling about, Ming Xiaozong used a large number of honest and talented people. During the Chenghua period, officials such as Wang Shu, Wynn and Ma Wensheng were demoted for being outspoken. Xu Pu, Liu Jian, Xie Qian, Li Dongyang and other sages. In order to build a palace in Qian, the palace is new, which is called the order of the Qing Dynasty.
Ming Xiaozong recalled Wang Shu immediately after he acceded to the throne. After Wang Shu took office, he did not live up to Ming Xiaozong's expectations. Under his auspices, an official inspection was conducted, and the inspection standard was extremely strict: not only should people with economic problems be traced, but even incompetent people should be removed from office. Only in the first year of Hongzhi (1488), through the inspection of the official department, more than 100 officials were dismissed from office from the central government to the local government. Shu, also carried on the rectification in the army. In addition to clearing a large number of unqualified martial arts schools, it also cleaned up wasteland and reorganized local equipment, and the fighting capacity of the Ming army was once refreshed.
It was under the strong influence of Wang Shu and Ma Wensheng that a number of lazy officials at the grass-roots level were eliminated and many talented and good ministers were promoted.
Liu Daxia, who has made great contributions to water control, became the most trusted minister around Ming Xiaozong. In the fifteenth year of Hongzhi (1502), Liu Daxia was worshipped as the minister of war, replacing Ma Wensheng, the former minister of war. From then on, Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty could not do anything without Liu Daxia. This excessive doting is quite controversial. Some ministers are dissatisfied with Liu Daxia's exclusive favor. In private, they said something like "Listen to the words of traitors and be alone in chaos", which also reached the ears of the emperor, but he paid more attention to Liu Daxia.
Liu Daxia is an upright and traditional official. His reuse is, of course, because of his strong ability to handle affairs and the recommendation of courtiers. He was quite hopeful at that time. It is precisely because of this that Liu Daxia played an important role in the later period of Hongzhi. Liu Daxia is considered to be one of the "Three Heroes of Hongzhi".
Although many officials have spoken out, it is rare for Liu Daxia to be more specific and detailed about various shortcomings. Ming Xiaozong couldn't help sighing: "I have been in office for a long time and I don't know. How can I be called a master! " Since then, a campaign has been launched in North Korea to expose abuses and act cautiously. The result involves not only anti-corruption, but also the idea of reducing the rank of officials and controlling donations.
At that time, people said, "Minister Shang Li, there is no reason not to be insulted. For example, Liu Daxia, a senior minister, and Dai Shan, an imperial envoy, are often called to the cabinet to talk calmly. They are really like family members and fathers. All cabinet ministers are called Mr. Li has a poem: "A near minister tries his knees, but the old dynasty doesn't call him by his name." The furious record also. "Liu Daxia, Dai Shan and cabinet officials are upright people. There are also many upright people around Ming Xiaozong, and it is difficult for a villain to succeed. This also made Hongzhi's later politics very cautious.
In the winter of this year, Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty adopted Liu Daxia's suggestion and transferred 10,000 soldiers from Baoding back to the original Guards Corps, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the ministers who benefited from the private service. So someone made a rumor and posted it at the palace gate, framing Liu Daxia. Ming Xiaozong was well aware of the reasons, and he also knew that the greed of ministers was harmful. Liu Daxia mentioned guarding eunuchs, which also reminded him of the disadvantages of the palace. Since then, Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty has ordered the assistant minister of the Ministry of War to clean up the Chinese and imperial history, and the money and grain of Guanglu Temple in the province has exceeded 800,000. However, ministers held a grudge against Liu Daxia from now on, which laid the groundwork for his persecution in Zhengde. Restricting eunuchs In view of the lessons of the autocratic politics of eunuchs in the previous dynasty, Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty strictly controlled eunuchs, and Dongchang and Wei Jinyi dared not act arbitrarily again, so they could only keep their jobs. Therefore, several governors in Wei Jinyi were generally fair and lenient in punishment. This is a rare phenomenon in other dynasties in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.
Liu Daxia is not the only one who has the most severe restrictions on eunuchs. Xie Qian once said that eunuchs in the palace demanded bribes. When Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty wrote a letter forbidding the contract, Xie Qian said, "Empty words forbade us. We must let Cao Si find out the shortcomings and understand that it is time to start playing. Then Li banned it, the offenders will be punished, and Shu Ren will stay. " As a result, many disadvantages within the government have been eliminated. Therefore, few people are jealous. Although Liu Daxia is not a cabinet minister, Ming Xiaozong's trust in him is not limited to the Ministry of War, and there are even secret reports.
During the Hongzhi Renaissance, a series of loyal and direct ministers were left behind. Such as Li Dongyang and Xie Qian. It played a certain role in containing Liu Jin's chaotic politics in the early period of Ming Wuzong. There were two ways to evaluate officials in Ming Dynasty. One is the Beijing inspection, which evaluates officials at all levels in Beijing every six years. One is external inspection, once every three years, to evaluate local officials all over the country. At the beginning of a "grand plan" and "grand plan", it was in charge of the provincial empire. Later, the power of the empire was greatly increased. In Yongle, it gradually became the joint responsibility of the inspection department and the empire. However, according to the suggestion, after all, it is the central officials who patrol, and the patrol department is the local officials. There is collusion in some places, and patrolling as suggested is also stretched. In the eighth year of Hongzhi (1945), this rule was changed, and the governor's suggestion and governor jointly presided over the examination. In the past, the audit department with local judicial power was completely sidelined.
This strengthened centralization, prevented local officials from colluding for personal gain, and changed the system of "big plan". First, the content of the patrol is judged by the official department, and then the officials of the science and technology can be impeached. Second, officials who fail the examination can write a self-defense statement. This not only ensures the authority of the central government, but also prevents unjust, false and wrong cases, and greatly strengthens the management review of officials.
Xiao zong of Ming dynasty also had a rule of "retiring internally" similar to today's. There is no age limit for any official who proposes to retire. Even if he proposes to retire at the age of 40, he will be approved. Improve office efficiency During the reign of Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty, office efficiency was also greatly enhanced. Ming Xiaozong stipulated that all memorials and ordinary contents discussed by ministers should not be replayed for more than two days; Involving multiple departments, not more than ten days; If it involves major affairs such as war, it can't exceed fifteen days at most. In other words, a piece of paper must be processed within fifteen days.
After this rule was laid down, the administrative efficiency of the Ming Dynasty was greatly improved, and several important economic decisions and reforms in the same period were quickly completed. Ming Xiaozong was diligent in political affairs. At the same time, he reopened the banquet and asked the ministers for advice on how to govern the country. He also set up Wenhua Hall to discuss politics, and used his spare time in the morning and afternoon to discuss politics with the cabinet.
In the first year of Hongzhi (1488), ministers' suggestions were adopted, large and small banquets were held, and ministers were asked for advice on how to govern the country. This system was formulated in the early years of orthodoxy, and a big banquet was held on the 2nd, 12th and 22nd of each month, which was mainly a kind of etiquette. Xiaojing banquet, also known as Japanese lecture, is an important way to answer questions informally and calmly between the monarch and the minister and assist the government. The system of large and small banquets was once abandoned in Ming Xianzong. Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty began to insist on speaking Japanese. Not only did he come to the early court every day, but he also set up an afternoon court outside the early court. He went to the early court twice a day to accept Chen's affairs with hundreds of officials. So that ministers have more opportunities to assist the emperor in handling government affairs. Xiaozong also set up Wenhua Hall to discuss politics. Its function was to discuss the way of governing the country and political affairs with the cabinet in the leisure time of the morning and afternoon dynasties.
Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty visited the DPRK every morning, avoided the DPRK in case of rain, and asked the officials in the yamen to play the event from Langguan to Fengtianmen. It can be said that he ignored the DPRK every day. It is said that he has a poem that he often recites when he is ill: he knows his illness and will heal himself when he is ill. If the heart is sick, the body is also sick, and the heart is sick.
Because of Ming Xiaozong's determination to seek governance, officials at all levels in the imperial court spoke one after another, complaining about the shortcomings of the times or expanding their strategies. Fifteen things that Ma Wensheng did when he reached the political office, including selecting talents, prohibiting corruption, punishing prison, saving expenses, caring for scholars, saving expenses, caring for four generations, improving military equipment, etc., were greatly appreciated by Ming Xiaozong and put into practice one by one, which played a positive role in promoting the rule of the Hong Dynasty and eliminating disadvantages. Ming Xiaozong tried his best to be frugal and reduce the expenses and sacrifices of the court. Only the number of eunuchs and maids in the palace decreased by more than half compared with that of Ming Xianzong. At the most frugal time, the palace expenditure was only 60% of that in Chenghua. It also stopped all kinds of extravagant activities, did not build large projects, and advocated cost saving. All kinds of private purchases have also been stopped to reduce the burden on the people. He issued many imperial edicts, forbidding imperial clan, honor and honor to occupy people's land and kill people; I have also sent letters many times to reduce summer and autumn taxes in some places. These are very conducive to easing social contradictions and social crises. During the period of orthodoxy and Chenghua, peasant uprisings continued, and the momentum was quite strong several times, but there was almost no large-scale peasant uprising in Hongzhi.
Ming Xiaozong also paid great attention to frugality in his life. In the first year of Hongzhi (1488), the North Korean envoy to the Ming Dynasty once said to korean king, "The first emperor (Xianzong) still employed people for personal reasons, but today the emperor (Ming Xiaozong) made a righteous note from Deng Yong. I don't like playing with things. Although Melissa Zhou didn't waste the court meeting, all the court ministers mourned, but I sacrificed to heaven in yellow robes, and I didn't play music or juggle at the comfort banquet, so I advised the bed to put flowers instead of hairpin. Generally speaking, the first emperor abused everything. "
Ming Xianzong liked to wear fine red cloth clothes made by Songjiang Prefecture before his death, and sent thousands more horses there every year. Although this kind of fabric is called cloth, it is actually made of fine wool. Ming Xiaozong was still a prince at that time, and the chamberlain gave him newly cut clothes. He said: "The clothes sewn with this cloth are worth several brocade forged clothes. It is too wasteful to wear it. " Thank you for not using it. When he became emperor, he ordered to stop weaving this kind of cloth for the palace.
Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty's "diligence and thrift, diligence and love for the people" may have a positive meaning. However, compared with the previous dynasty, the political affairs in Hongzhi period were really clear. Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty attached great importance to the administration of justice. He ordered all departments in the world to impose heavy sentences and carefully examine criminal cases. In the 13th year of Hongzhi (1500), the Regulations on Asking for Punishment was formulated. In the fifteenth year of Hongzhi (1502), it was compiled as "Da Ming Hui Dian". Deleted a number of brutal decrees in the original Daming Law, and advocated leniency in governing the country and reducing punishment. He ordered careful imprisonment inside and outside, and appointed wise and fair law enforcement officials.
The Regulations on Interrogation and Punishment adds more than 270 provisions that are inconsistent with the reality in the Daming Law. As an important supplement to Ming Law, the parallel of laws and regulations has become an important feature of ancient Chinese laws in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Cabinet Liu Ji, Xu Pu, Liu Jian, Qiu Zhuo, Li Dongyang, Wang Shu, Geng Xu, Tu Gan, Ni Yue, Zhou Hongmo, Han Wen, Zhou Jing, Zhong You, Ye Qili, Fu Han, Xu Qiong, Zhang Sheng, Ministry of War Shangshu, Yu Zijun, Ma Wensheng and Liu Daxia.