Chapter 1194

In the Great Ming Dynasty, only capable officials could win the appreciation of their superiors. Such capability was mainly demonstrated in several key areas. First was scholarship. While one was not required to spout classical allusions at the drop of a hat, an official at least needed to be well-versed in the contents of various texts. Second was moral character. Of course, a high moral standard was only demanded at the time of recruitment. Once hired, nobody bothered to supervise them anymore. Many officials let down their guard, exposing their true natures of boundless greed, bullying the weak while fearing the strong, flattering their superiors, and treating human lives as if they were grass. Although citizens occasionally lodged denunciations, officialdom protected its own. By the time a case finally made its way up to the prefecture, it would invariably be transferred back to the local authorities—resulting in the farcical situation of the accused official presiding over the court to hear accusations against himself.