天下清官第二:明代刘继文仕宦生涯研究

The Second Upright Official in China:A Study of Liu Jiwen's Career in the Ming Dynasty Bureaucracy

刘继文系明代凤阳府灵璧县人,嘉靖四十一年中进士,旋任江西万安知县而步入官场。后历经由地方到朝廷的宦海生涯,累迁至两广总督,最后以兵部右侍郎罢官归家。他在地方为官清正廉明、造福百姓,赢得“天下清官第二”美誉;在朝廷任职敢于谏言、正直无私,被誉为“謇谔有直臣节”。尤其在两广担任督抚期间,以强硬手段平定山寇海盗,维护海疆稳定,却因此在万历十九年被言官以“妄杀邀功”弹劾而罢官,其历史功绩也因此被遮蔽。

Liu Jiwen,a native of Lingbi County in Fengyang Prefecture during the Ming Dynasty,passed the jinshi examination in the fortieth-first year of the Jiajing era.He subsequently became the County Magistrate of Wan'an in Jiangxi,marking his entry into the world of officialdom.Liu Jiwen went through a career in the official world,rising from local positions to the imperial court,and eventually achieving the position of Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.He ended his official career as Right Deputy Minister of War before returning home upon dismissal.Liu was renowned for his integrity and beneficence while serving locally,earning him the fine reputation of being "the Second Upright Official in China".At the imperial court,he was lauded for his boldness in speaking the truth and his unwavering honesty,being described as "a steadfast and upright minister".Particularly during his tenure as the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi,Liu used firm measures to quell bandits and pirates,ensuring stability in the coastal regions.However,this earned him the accusation of "killing without cause to win merit" from the impeaching officials in the nineteenth year of the Wanli era,leading to his dismissal.As a result,his historical contributions have been overshadowed.