What was the phenomenon of "publicly funded tourism" during the Ming Dynasty?

Nowadays, it is not uncommon for some officials to travel at public expense under various pretexts such as field trips. There are issues with governance methods, and even more issues with governance intensity. We might as well take history as a mirror to see what the situation was like in the Ming Dynasty.

In ancient times, transportation was extremely underdeveloped and it was extremely inconvenient for people to travel between places. Therefore, since the Qin and Han Dynasties, various central government agencies have established corresponding reception systems along the way. Local governments in various places have set up post stations to be responsible for Reception service for passing officials. The materials and funds required for the station are borne by the central or local governments. Therefore, the establishment of the post station provided convenience for the delivery of official documents and official business trips: first, free use of vehicles, boats, horses and other means of transportation, second, free food and accommodation, and third, appropriate access to some local specialties.

In the Ming Dynasty, the maintenance and operation of post stations were borne by households based on the amount of land and grain. In the early Ming Dynasty, there were strict regulations on the free use of post stations by officials. In addition, the administration of officials was very strict, and almost no officials dared to test the law.

But after the mid-Ming Dynasty, on the one hand, due to the defeat of the imperial court, the proliferation of post houses and chaotic management, the local government was overwhelmed, false claims and false claims were prevalent, and some local officials took the opportunity to deceive others. , levied violently and confiscated the post's money, extorted and extorted money to support the post's servants, and corrupted and violated the law, causing harm to the common people. On the other hand, in order to please and flatter the officials who came and went, many post houses also built pavilions and pavilions, or they built mountains and rivers, or dug ponds and planted trees to create internal landscapes with beautiful scenery of the four seasons. Voices arose, forcing the emperor of the Ming Dynasty to carry out large-scale reforms in the management of the post house three times. It is a pity that no matter how strict the policy is, some people will bend it, no matter how good the regulations are, some people will step on the line. Some family members and children of high-ranking officials who have no right to enjoy services still enjoy the service with the care of old acquaintances and the tacit approval of officials. Officials receive the same treatment.

When Hai Rui, who was hailed as Hai Qingtian by the people in the Ming Dynasty, was serving as the magistrate of Chun'an County, he once faced the situation when the son of Hu Zongxian, the Minister of War, passed by Chun'an, but was captured by Chun'an Yicheng (a minor official who managed the post house). ) was so irritated by his simple reception that he even beat Yi Cheng down. Hai Rui couldn't see it and ordered Mr. Hu to be imprisoned and reported to his father Hu Zongxian: You have clearly instructed us not to host receptions in a grand manner. Now there are people who dare to pretend to be your son and cheat. I am asking you for instructions on how to deal with it. Hu Zongxian was so dumb that he ate coptis and considered himself unlucky. However, after all, there were too few people like Hai Rui who dared to adhere to principles, so the post house reception system produced many drawbacks. Over-the-scope, over-standard, and over-standard receptions were very common and became an important aspect of official corruption in the Ming Dynasty. For quite a long period of time, huge expenditures for receptions have undoubtedly caused a heavy financial burden on the central and local governments.

On the surface, tourism consumption with public funds is not a big deal, but it is a manifestation of political corruption, official corruption, and loss of popular support. Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty was known for his strong anti-corruption efforts. Why did his descendants fail to inherit his anti-corruption ideas and practices while inheriting the throne? After careful analysis, it is not difficult to find that this is not a problem of unfilial descendants, but a problem of the system itself, but a problem of official management, but a problem of ineffective governance.

Today, when we are faced with the phenomenon of out-of-control consumption, can’t we learn lessons from the history of the Ming Dynasty? Isn’t this a lesson that can be learned?