Under the "guidance" of Xie Sanbin, the Great Ming Dynasty’s proposal to sell official posts was passed with great difficulty.
This was a small step for Xie Sanbin, but a giant leap for Emperor Chongzhen and the Great Ming Dynasty.
Wang Zhixin had already slapped the gentry in the face by mining for ore, and Xie Sanbin’s scheme to sell offices delivered another blow.
If this trend continues, the influence of the gentry class on the Great Ming Dynasty will diminish until they are eventually replaced by another class.
As for which class that might be, it is no longer something Emperor Chongzhen can decide.
After the proposal passed, turmoil erupted within the Great Ming Dynasty. Many officials felt disappointed in Emperor Chongzhen and the Imperial Court, viewing the sale of offices as an insult to those who had attained their positions through scholarly merit. They felt they had not been granted the respect they deserved.
Emperor Chongzhen’s solution to the problem was simple and brutal.
Two words: Pay raises!
Pay raises!
And more damn pay raises!
In Emperor Chongzhen’s eyes, since he was giving them a raise, how could that not count as valuing and respecting them?
This tactic proved effective. Many officials began to rationalize it, convincing themselves that Emperor Chongzhen agreed to the sale of offices not only for the sake of the war in Liaodong but also to fund their salary increases.
Consequently, the positive impact of the pay raises quickly suppressed the negative f…
Chapter 826