Four characteristics of official renting in Beijing: paying attention to decency and geomantic omen.
The first feature of Beijing officials renting a house is that the house looks decent. As a court official, the residence must be worthy of Shangguan Wei, and naturally you can't live in a small room. Therefore, although Beijing officials are down and out, they rent more big houses, at least decent quadrangles, and stress spaciousness. If conditions permit, houses with gardens are the most popular. Li Ciming, a little later than Zeng Guofan, rented the former residence of the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang in Baoan Temple Street, with more than 20 houses, pavilions and lush flowers and trees. This was the norm for Beijing officials at that time.
The second feature of Beijing's official rental housing is its high turnover rate. One of the main reasons is, of course, because of the triennial examination, so that the housing tenants in the outer cities maintain a periodic flow. At the same time, with the change of official career, officials often change their office locations, and their income level will also rise with the promotion of their official positions, so the requirements for housing have also changed. This point is often reflected in the poems of Beijing officials in the Qing Dynasty. Chen Tingjing, a great scholar in the Kangxi period, once said that he was "the third day in May". During the Qianlong period, Qian Daxin said, "Living in Yantai for two summers is like swimming in a cage. Hufang food market is easy to live in, and the wind has turned loose. " Qi Zao, who studied in Jiaqing and later worked as a college student in Tierenge, also said, "I have been an official in the capital for ten years and moved." These poems are all realistic. For example, in Qian Daxin, Qianlong entered Beijing in June of 17th year and began to live in Shenxian Hutong. In the autumn of the same year, he moved to Panjiahe. In nineteen years, he moved to Yokosuga. Since then, I have lived in Zhu Chao Street and Xuanwai Street. This situation is just as he described it in his poem: "It is better to work like an endless axle than a pigeon without a nest."
The third feature of Beijing officials renting houses is that they are concentrated in Xuannan, that is, outside Xuanwumen, especially on both sides of Xuanwumen Street and south of Caishikou. There are three reasons: first, the six central departments of the Qing Dynasty were all located in Zhengyangmen. Xuanwu Gate is not far from Zhengyangmen, so it is convenient to live here. Second, scholars from the Central Plains and the South went to Beijing. The usual route is from Lugou Bridge to Guang 'anmen, so it is most convenient to settle in Xuannan. Third, Xuannan in the Ming Dynasty is vast and sparsely populated, with trees and water, and the scenery is not bad. Many prominent officials in the Ming Dynasty left other businesses here for Beijing officials to rent. At the same time, there are Taoranting, Yaotai, ancient temples and famous temples left over from previous dynasties, which are very appetizing for Beijing officials with serious habits of literati. Therefore, Xia's Notes on Old Beijing said: "In the old society, officials of the Han Dynasty, ministers who didn't have gifts or values, all lived outside the city, mostly outside Xuanwu Gate. Most of the indigenous rich rooms are outside Chongwenmen, so there is a saying that the east is rich and the west is expensive. "
Fourth, officials in the traditional era are superstitious and pay more attention to geomantic omen when choosing housing. Looking at the living history of Beijing officials, we find an interesting phenomenon: The Rope Craftsman Hutong (the famous Caishikou Hutong after liberation) located in Caishikou Street actually houses more than 30 important people in history of qing dynasty. Xu, Hong, Bi Yuan, etc. They all lived here in the middle and early Qing Dynasty, especially in the late Qing Dynasty: Li Hongzao, the Tongzhi Emperor and Minister of Military Affairs, lived at No.7 Caishikou Hutong-11; Left to live at 16; Gong Zizhen lives in Xiuning Hall at Caishikou Hutong 18 19; Liu Guangdi, one of the "Six Gentlemen of the Reform Movement of 1898", lives on the 29th. Cai Yuanpei also lived in Caishikou Hutong when he was an editor of Hanlin Academy during Guangxu period. ...
So many people choose this place because it is said to be the most "prosperous" hutong in Beijing, which can give the examiners the best. Liu Guangdi explained in the letter: "On May 28th, he moved to the west of Nantou Road in Hutong, where he worked as a rope maker. This hutong is the most prosperous street in Beijing (that is, as the examiner said this year, this street is the most popular, and it is under the jurisdiction of the ground vein, followed by the hutong in the southern half street). The first draft of the same company is Zheng Lang Tang Bowen (named U, Jiangnan), who lives in another hospital and has a gate. Swing when the house is facing the door (Guangdong examiner), swing when the house is facing the door diagonally (Yunnan examiner); Zhai Zuo (every two or three Zhaimen) is Dai Beichun (Shaanxi is the examiner); Behind the temple (across Zhaimen) is (Li) Wen Tian (Jiangnan is the examiner). If you are angry, nothing will prosper. " However, Liu Guangdi's move did not help him become an examiner.
Zeng Guofan's "North Drift" is worrying about renting a house: renting a house costs half the salary and you can't sit still for a few days.
Like most Hunan officials who came to Beijing, Zeng Guofan temporarily stayed in Changsha Hall (Changjun Hall) in Chunshu Hutong, Xuanwu District for the first few days. Three days later, he rented four rooms in Qianfo Temple in Nanheng Street near Xuanwai Caishikou. The monthly rent was 4,000 yuan, which was converted into 33.47 taels of silver for the whole year. At this time, he had no family and was alone, so he didn't need to live in a mansion, but it was impossible to live with civilians, so living in a temple was a more economical choice.
On the first day of July in the twentieth year of Daoguang, Zeng Guofan was seriously ill. Because there was no one to take care of him in the Qianfo Temple, he moved to Wanshun Guest House outside Nanguo Lane in Romanesque Street. It took him more than two months to recover. On the sixth day of October, he moved from the guest house to Guandi Temple at the southern end of Fruit Lane. He lives alone in a small courtyard with three rooms and one living room. The flowers and trees in the courtyard are sparse and quite quiet, which is suitable for recuperation after illness.
Soon, Zeng Linshu, Zeng Guofan's father, was escorted from Hunan to Beijing by Zeng Guofan's wife and children. After receiving a letter from home, Zeng Guofan began to look for a bigger house. During this period, Zeng Guofan recorded a lot of home visits in his diary. 1February 12, he went to Liulichang to look at the house. Seeing a yard, I heard that someone died in this room: "Wang Gongren, the wife of the older generation, used to live in this room and died in this room." Although martyrdom is the most glorious thing in Neo-Confucianism ethics, Zeng Guofan gave up the idea of renting this house. He wrote in his diary: "Beijing's housing tenants are luckier, more respected and more sacrificed ... it was not luck at home at that time."
Later, he took a fancy to a house in Liuhutong, north of the street, and moved in on December 17, with a monthly rent of 8,000 Wen, which required 66.952 Liang of silver for the whole year, accounting for half of his salary.
In Zeng Guofan's many relocations, one was obviously due to geomantic considerations. In July of the 21st year of Daoguang, my friend Wang Jixian visited Mianliu Hutong where Zeng Guofan lived. Wang Jixian Hancheng is Zeng Guofan's hometown in Hunan. As a Beijing official with Zeng Guofan, he is a famous "Feng Shui Master" in the circle of friends. Wang Yijin's family even said that the feng shui here was not good. Zeng Guofan reported in his family letter: "Wang Hancheng said that winter is extremely unlucky, and Chongqing people should not live in houses hanging on three sides." Zeng Guofan asked him what to do because he was "reasonable". Wang said it was not convenient to move in August and September, so he had to move in the same month.
Zeng Guofan was in a restless mood, put down all affairs, and ran around looking for a house for several days: "It is urgent to find a house, but if you don't care, your heart will not be practical." Finally, after "inviting Hancheng to see Feng Shui in Rope Craftsman Hutong", I finally chose a new house with good Feng Shui at the northern end of this hutong, which is the most "prosperous" and can be tested by examiners before I decided. Coincidentally, two years later, in the twenty-third year of Daoguang, Zeng Guofan, who lived here, was appointed as the examiner.
Reluctant to move? Touching is wonderful: the luxury of housing rises with the promotion of the official system.
More often, the reason for moving is that the officials are getting bigger and bigger, the population is increasing, and the requirements for ostentation and extravagance are getting higher and higher. In the twenty-fourth year of Daoguang, Zeng Guofan moved again after he was promoted to imperial academy to give lectures. Since Gain entered Beijing, he has added three more daughters, and his son Jize has reached the age of studying. He wants to run a family school, and there are more domestic servants. "There are many accommodations, and * * * 20 people eat", so they moved to the north of Qianmen Hutong West Road, which is more convenient for the court. 28 houses, with a monthly rent of 3,000 yuan, are "extremely spacious".
This is the first time Zeng Guofan moved to the inner city. According to the figures quoted in his book, the annual rent needs 25 1.04 Liang. In March of the 27th year of Daoguang, Zeng Guofan moved again and moved to the north of Nanhengjie Road. The rented house has more than 40 rooms, which is relatively spacious and the price should be higher.
In thirteen years, Zeng Guofan moved eight times, including five times in just twenty years. The general trend is that the living conditions are getting better and better, and the monthly rent has risen from 4,000 to 8,000, and from 10,000 to 30,000.
In the twenty-first year of Daoguang, Zeng Guofan lived in Mianliu Hutong from January to July and rented eight rooms a month.