Zeng Guofan's drifting north was troubled by renting a house, so it was difficult to find a good house.
Four characteristics of Beijing officials renting houses: paying attention to decency and geomantic omen.
The first feature of Beijing officials renting a house is to require the appearance of the house to be decent. As a court official, the residence must be worthy of Shangguan Wei, and it is naturally impossible to 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. Houses with gardens are the most popular if conditions permit. Li Ciming, a little later than Zeng Guofan, rented the former residence of the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang in Baoan Temple Street. There are more than twenty jacaranda rooms, a porch, a nursery and lush flowers and trees. This was the norm for Beijing officials at that time.
The second feature of Beijing officials renting houses is the high turnover rate. One of the main reasons, of course, is that the triennial meeting makes the tenants in the outer cities cycle. At the same time, with the change of official career, officials often change offices, and the income level will also rise with the promotion of official positions, so the requirements for housing will also change. This point is often reflected in the poems of Beijing officials in the Qing Dynasty. Chen Tingjing, a university student during the reign of Kangxi, once said that he was "the third migration day in the spring of May". Qian Daxin, who lived in Yantai during the Qianlong period, said, "After two summers in Yantai, you can swim in a cage like a pheasant. Sanyiyu in Hufang Food Market, and the wind will disperse when living on the trail. " Qi Junzao, who celebrated the Jinshi and later became a university student at Tirentang, also said, "I was an official in Beijing and moved for ten years." These poems are realistic. For example, in Qian Daxin, Qianlong entered Beijing in June of 17th year and began to live in Shenxian Hutong. In the same year, I moved to Panjiahe in autumn. In nineteen years, he moved to a small street. Since then, he has lived in Zhu Chao Street and Xuanwai Street. This situation is just as described in his poem: "Hard work is like an axle, and a clumsy turtle has no 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 Sixth Central Committee of the Qing Dynasty was located in Zhengyangmen. Outside the Xuanmen, not far from Zhengyangmen, it is convenient for the imperial court 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, and it is most convenient to live in Xuannan. Third, Xuannan in the Ming Dynasty is vast and sparsely populated, with trees and water, and the scenery is not bad. Many Ming officials left other businesses here, which can be rented by officials in Beijing. At the same time, there are some places left over from past dynasties, such as Taoranting, Yaotai and Mingsha. Very interested in Beijing officials with serious literati habits. Therefore, "Notes on the Nine Classics of Xia Dynasty" said: "In the past, Han officials, non-ministers, and those who were given the first or valuable positions all lived in outer cities, 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 a house. Throughout the life history of Beijing officials, we found an interesting phenomenon: Luopa Hutong, located in Caishikou Street, actually lived more than 30 important people in history of qing dynasty. Xu, Hong, Bi Yuan and so on. In the middle and early Qing Dynasty, especially in the late Qing Dynasty, they lived here: Tongzhi Shi Yu, the military affairs minister, assisted the university student Li Hongzao, and lived in 7-1/Caishikou Hutong; Zuo Tang zong Li
So many people choose this place because it is said to be the most "prosperous" hutong in Beijing, where examiners can take exams. Liu Guangdi explained in the letter: "On May 28th, he moved to Hutong West to work as a rope maker. This hutong is the busiest street in Beijing. I live in another yard with Tang Bowen, the editor-in-chief of the First Division, and * * * uses a gate. When the house is facing the door, it will swing, and when the house is diagonally facing the door, it will swing. Zhai Zuo is Dai Beichun; Behind the house, and then. If you are angry, nothing will happen. " But what Liu Guangdi did here didn't help him become an examiner.
Zeng Guofan's renting a house in Beipiao is very troublesome: renting a house will cost him half of his salary and make him unable to sit still for several days.
Like most Hunan officials who came to Beijing, Zeng Guofan lived in Changsha Hall of Chunshu Hutong in Xuanwu District for the first few days. Three days later, he rented four rooms in Qianfo 'an, Nanheng Street near Xuanwai Caishikou, with a monthly rent of 4,000 RMB, which was converted into 33.47 taels of silver for the whole year. At this time, he didn't bring his family, he was alone, and he didn't need to live in a mansion, but he couldn't 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. Being left unattended in Qianfo Temple, he moved to Wanshun Guest House outside Guo Zi Lane, south of Muleshi Street. He recovered after more than two months. On the sixth day of October, he moved from the guest house to the Guoziying Guandi Temple in the south of Guo Zi Lane and shared a room with Jiajiahu. He lives alone in a small yard with three compartments. The courtyard is quite quiet, with flowers and trees, suitable for recuperation after illness.
Zeng Linshu, Zeng Guofan's father, was soon 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. Zeng Guofan recorded many home visits in his diary. 65438+February 65438+February, he went to Liulichang to look at the house. Seeing a yard, I heard someone say that someone died in this room: "Mrs. De lived 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 residents are eager for good luck. They are polite and brave in sacrifice. It was not good luck at home at that time. "
Later, I booked a room in Mianliu Hutong, north of Muleshi Street, and moved in on February 17. The monthly rent is 8,000 RMB, and the annual demand is 66.95 RMB, accounting for half of the salary.
One of Zeng Guofan's many relocations 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, Zeng Guofan's Hunan native, is a famous "Feng Shui Master" in the circle of friends. The house where Wang Yijin once lived 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 don't want to live in a house hanging on three sides." Zeng Guofan asked him what to do because he was "influenced by his words". Wang said it was not suitable to move in August and September, so he had to move that month.
As a result, Zeng Guofan fidgeted, put everything down, and ran around looking for a house for several days: "Looking for a house is urgent, and the unintentional person can't sit still." Finally, after "inviting Hancheng to take the Rope Man Hutong to see Feng Shui", I finally settled in a new house with good Feng Shui at the northern end of this hutong, which is the most "prosperous" and the best candidate for the exam. Coincidentally, two years later, in the twenty-third year of Daoguang, Zeng Guofan, who lived here, was appointed as the examiner.
Reluctant to move? Mobile: Housing ostentation and extravagance rises with the promotion of the official system.
More often, the reason for moving is more and more officials, more and more people, and rising property prices.
This is the first time Zeng Guofan has lived in the inner city. According to the figures quoted in his book, the annual rent is 25 1.04 Liang. In March of the 27th year of Daoguang, Zeng Guofan moved to the north of Nanhengjie Road again. 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 Daoguang five times in twenty years. The general trend is that 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 wicker alley from January to July, and rented 8,000 articles a month. I moved to Luopo Hutong in August and rented 10,000 yuan a month. One year's rent and moving and decorating expenses are 97.87 taels of silver.