Research On The Famous Minister LiuJian Of Ming Dynasty

Based on the peasant uprising in the later stage of Yuan dynasty, Ming dynasty was founded by Zhu Yuanzhang, a peasant with the deep influence of the feudal landlord class ideology. This dynasty succeeded to the feudal family social relations and the political rule of the autocratic monarchy of feudal dynasty. After the early emperors’implementing some policies and measures, including adjusting the relation of production, mitigating social conflicts, developing social economy, strengthening the autocratic monarchy, and establishing the dominant position of cheng and zhu’s nee-Confucianism in the ideological field. All these not only reconstructed and stabilized the basic order of the feudal society, but also greatly promoted the feudal society’s further development in all aspects, and gave rise to the prosperous in early Ming dynasty. However, from the Zhengtong period to zhengde period, the feudal society inherent contradictions was becoming more and more acute. Tyrannical landlords were having seized land. Farmers were becoming destitute and homeless. People had frequently uprising. Within the ruling class, the struggle for right and interest was becoming increasingly fierce. Under the control of imperial power, the fighting for right power and status between the civil service group and the eunuch group, which were represented respectively by cabinet agency and sili servant administration, having given a direct impact on the political situation, and had led to the troublous political situation in this period. Although during this period there was something a short-term governmental stable which was named "Hongzhi resurgence," but it wasn’t able to resist the stronger trend of feudal rule crisis.The famous minister in Ming dynasty, Liu Jian, lived in the just prophase known as "unrest and declination", in which the Ming dynasty had being transformed from thrive in the early stage to the decline in the later stage.In the eighth year of the reign of Xuande emperor(AD1433), Liu Jian was born in an ordinary landlord family in southwest Luoyang county. With the deep influence of the long-term farming economy and the Confucian ideology and culture, the Liu’s family in Luoyang, as well as many other families in this region, had formed their live style:thrifty and simple, upright and honest, concord with the neighbors, Caring for the family members, paying attention to reading and study, complying with orthodox Confucian culture, etc. This kind of atmosphere had a profound effect to the formation of Liu Jian’s personality. As other young learners, Liu Jian who was in Luoyang where was full of Neo-Confucianism culture atmosphere had combined the imperial examination with the academic studying, and then his personality and spirit were trained with Confucianism. Among Liu Jian’s early social relations, some people like Yan Yuxi and Bai Liangfu who were named as Confucians in Luoyang, or like Bi Heng and Xu Jing who were Neo-Confucianism learners, even like Zhao Xi and Li Xiang who lived up to the Confucian moral style characters, had gave a important effect to Liu Jian’s development, and consolidated his Confucian political ideology, made him pay more attention on the Confucianism’s practice.In the fourth year of Tianshun years of the reign of Yingzong emperor (AD1460), Liu Jian passed the highest imperial examination and became a Hanlin Shuji Shi. Then his political profession began and it reached to46years. In the first16years, just as an ordinary official historian, Liu Jian was mainly engaged in compiling books, assisting to the emperor’s read and study, presiding over the provincial imperial examination, and other secretary affairs. In1476, the twelfth year of Chenghua years, he was promoted to be You Yude, In next year he became Zuo Shuzi and then was promoted to Shao Zhanshi at nine years later. During this time, he had to do the same things like before and all these things were "none of government affairs", but as an East Palace official, it provided he a chance to made a unusual relationship with Zhu Youtang, the crown prince, as well as the future. emperor. This experience offered he the better foundation to realize his political ambitions in the period of the reign of Xiao Zong emperor. In November of the last year of Chenghua period, the Xiao Zong emperor who just enthroned promoted Liu Jian to the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, the Hanlin Academician, and the. assistant administrator as a cabinet minister. From this time to the end of Hongzhi period, as a cabinet minister and with his unique political manner which was showed rigorous, earnest, resolute, independent and so on, Liu Jian had play an important role in assisting the "Hongzhi Resuscitating" with remonstrating and enlightening the emperor’s moral character, providing advice and reference, and assisting to handle the affairs of state. This had made the glorious of his political career.After the Xiao Zong emperor’s died, Liu Jian went with other cabinet ministers like Li Dongyang, Xie Qiang. As the entrusted great ministers, they had put a lot of policies and measures into effect like giving relief to people, placating the refugees, checking up the imperial country estate, restricting landowners’merger, reducing redundant officials, restraining the superfluous, and other policies and measures to clean the maladministration. These measures’carrying out based on the program which was wrote in the new emperor’s enthronement edict. Thereby the affairs of state once enjoyed "New Deal" weather. However, Wu Zong emperor trusted and depended on the eunuch to handle affairs and did entertainment as day’s things. So it not only made the "New Deal" difficulty, but also put Liu Jian into the awkward or even in jeopardy. Liu Jian couldn’t play his functions and powers as a grand secretary. With the failure of the civil group opposed against the eunuch power that Liu Jian had led and participated in, he was obliged to resign and ended his political profession. But in the condition of the eunuch dominated the state affairs, Liu Jian couldn’t avoid being list as the head of the "evil Party" and being cut away his official ranking and titular honors. Until Shi Zong emperor ascended the throne, Liu Jian’s original political status and treatment was completely restored.Liu Jian had passes through the period of the reign by Ying Zong emperor, Xian Zong emperor, Xiao Zong emperor, Wu Zong emperor and Shi Zong emperor of Ming dynasty. There was a harmonious relationship between him and Xiao Zong emperor based on their long-term teacher-and-student friendship, something the same political aspiration and the relative complementary of their personality. This had laid the important basis and conditions to assist the "Hongzhi Resuscitating". But his keeping the tradition of Confucianism, clinging to the political pursuit had bring about the contradiction and confliction with Wu Zong emperor’s being keen on libertinism and ignoring the rules of the traditional monarch’s character. It is the contradiction and conflict that eventually led to the failure of Liu Jian and the civil group when they were opposed against the eunuch power, and thus ended Liu Jian’s official career. The relationship between Liu Jian and other ministers of the imperial court were diverse in the different period with the unlike communicative ways based their dissimilar official status and personality. But whether was regarded highly by the great ministers as Li Xian, Peng Shi in Tianshun and ChengHua years, or was harmonious with the other ministers in the cabinet like Xu Pu, Li Dongyang and Xie Qian in HongZhi and ZhengDe years, or was cohere with the headers of other departments such as Wang Shu, Ma Wensheng, Liu Daxia, Han Wen, Bai Ang, Min Gui, Dai Shan,etc. or even was strongly supported by many young officials in government during the later phase of his official profession, all these in a considerable degree depended on the common political consciousness. Of course, because of the difference of seniority, experience, or the township and the same year Jin shi, Liu Jian indeed had the different relationship with those courtiers. Zhang Yuanzhen, Qi Shun and Zheng Ji were his intimate friends; Qiu Jun, Cheng Minzheng, Wu Kuan and Li Mengyang maybe have something estrangement or misunderstanding with him; but Jiao Fang feuded against him. In fact, this interpersonal relation had more or less impact to Liu Jian’s political practice. But Liu Jian’s demeanor generally limited his influence on the organization personnel, and his slip in knowing person also had less effect to the affairs of state.Liu Jian’s writings were not very rich, from which we still can see his political consciousness of "assisting emperor by following principle" and the pursuit of benevolent government, as well as his idea trait of worshiping Confucianism, paying more attention to the political practice, reject of Buddhism and Taoism, etc. This kind of ideology was corresponding to his writing style like advocating and trusting in doctrine, attaches importance to the actual practice and looking down on the tinsel. The article genres of Liu Jian’s works mainly were the memorials to the throne and the inscriptional records. But sometimes he also wrote poetries and verses, and these works often were related with government affairs. He seldom wrote poetry or verse for the reason of pure entertainment or passed time idly. The language style of the strong momentum, in Liu Jian’s works also was consistent with his governing style.Since the different standpoint and the disparity of dynasty, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the realization of Liu Jian from official, the nongovernmental and the folk were distinction in evaluating style. As for Liu Jian’s political merit, knowledge and talent, personality, the style of doing things and other aspects, the commentaries had mostly given the positive affirmation and praise. However, with the profound changes of society and the huge change of people’s political ideas in modern times, Liu Jian’s figure as a famous official in history have faded out of people’s sight. There is only the romance story in a legend based on some of his historic experience. But the attention on Liu Jian in the "public history" and playful interpretation of history, and historiography field are increasing. Then a comprehensive awareness and research of Liu Jian will come true before long.In various angles, the inspecting and studying of Liu Jian’s personality, ideology, political doing and the influence of these, may safely draw the conclusion:Liu Jian is indeed worthy of the famous minister of feudal society. The moral courage of "serves the prince according to the right, and retires when it can not do so", the ideologism of pursuing to the Confucian political ideals, the style of fulfilling the feudal moral, all these are also admirable in this times. But his obedience to the monarch-and-subject awareness of Confucian and consciously submitting to the restriction and criterion of feudal autocracy are the just reasons of the failure to carry out his political ideal and it even determines his lot. The huge contrast of ups and downs of Liu Jian’s official profession is the typical portrayal of politicians in the feudal monarchy political environment. So the liberation of Man will depend on the all-round improvement of the society, especially the progress of the political. This is the revelation for Today’s political construction from the research of Liu Jian.