What the hell is the alternate road? The impressive Taotai image in the novels of the late Qing Dynasty

"For example, borrowing from the mouth of a bureau (an official acting as the governor temporarily), since the court opened a donation, you can become an official if you have money. Zhang San can donate if he has money, and Li Si has money. You can donate. Isn’t it the same as sister Yao, Zhang San can go to whoring if he has money, or Li Si can go to whoring if he has money.”

Reading novels in the late Qing Dynasty, "Alternate Road", "Daotai" appears more frequently and has a more mixed reputation. There are all kinds of characters. The authors often don't hesitate to write on them, and the depictions are also unique, leaving a deep impression on the readers.

So what the hell is the alternate road?

In fact, the Tao of the Qing Dynasty is not a first-level government organization. The local administrative organization in the Qing Dynasty is a three-level system of province, government, and county, rather than the province, as some people think. The four-level system of Dao, Mansion and County.

Roads are generally divided into two types. One type is set up for a certain type of affairs, which is equivalent to offices below the provincial level, such as grain storage roads, salt law roads, post missions, water conservancy roads, and management The river courses, etc. were later abolished or merged one after another. By the time of the Opium War, there were roughly three types of food courses, salt courses, and river courses.

After the Opium War, the country opened its doors, foreign affairs increased, and customs roads, police roads, and Quanye roads were added.

There is another category that is set up according to the place, but it is not a first-level local administrative agency, but a provincial-level supervisory agency dispatched to various places.

The ranks of Taoists were somewhat chaotic in the early Qing Dynasty, ranging from the third rank to the fifth rank, and they were all set to the rank fourth rank during the Qianlong period.

In the late Qing Dynasty, the ranks of Taoists were a little confused.

Because Zheng Sipin Taoist is the highest grade reached by the donation, that is to say, if you spend money to buy an official, the Sipin Taoist will reach the top. But later, due to lack of money, there were more fancy ways to sell officials. You can increase the donation level. For example, if you buy a Taoist platform that was originally only a fourth-rank, you can donate the third-rank title with more money, and you can even donate it to the second-rank top wear. The red top.

At that time, no matter what is going on at home, whether there is a red top among the guests who come to congratulate is an important measure of the host’s face and power.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the more officials were sold, the more they became officials, and everyone had the same mindset. Once donated to the officials and spent the money, they simply acted on the ground, resulting in all parts of the country in the province. Alternate Taoists are in groups, like crucian carp crossing the river.

At that time, there were less than 30,000 official positions in the country. There were more than 200,000 official donations alone. The competition was fierce.

Some of them have been waiting in the province for more than ten years, and they have not touched the stamps once. The more miserable ones, they will eat up and be like a beggar.

Alternate Dao, as the name suggests, is an alternate Dao.

Li Baojia used the words of the characters in the article to satirize the donors and the candidates.

For example, borrowing from a bureau (an official acting as the governor for the time being), since the court opened a donation, one can become an official with money, Zhang San can donate with money, and Li Si can donate with money . Isn't it the same as Sister Yao, Zhang San can go whoring if he has money, and Li Si can go whoring if he has money.

There is also Tian Xiaozi who donated Daotai to Jiangnan as an alternate. He and the governor (Governor) shared that there are more than three in Jiangnan, more bitches, more donkeys, and more alternate roads.

The most funny thing in the book is a "kowtow Daotai". This man is in his 40s. Daotai has donated for more than 20 years. He points to Hubei province and has never been sent.

Kowtou Daotai lives in Shanghai. No matter who has a festive event, and regardless of the level of friendship, knowing or not, he must dress his official uniforms neatly to show off.

On the day of work, he came early, usually the first one, wearing a big red top (plus donated a second-pin top wear)Kowtowing when he comes, the host also feels very face.

later gradually gained fame, and some unknown people also posted to him if they had something to do, so that he would wear a red top to kowtow, and they would give him the nickname "Kowtou Daotai".

Kotou Daotai came early but left late.

Because he wants to accompany guests for the host and persuade people to drink. He has a good appetite, and sometimes he is not full after he has finished one table, and he is full when he accompanies the second table.

His official uniform is similar to that of a luxury car today. Whoever holds a wedding event, he drove out to set up a place to eat and drink.