A study about travelling expenses of pilgrimage to Peking in Ming Dynasty

Abstract

明朝在建国伊始便确定了评价地方长官治绩的"朝觐考察"制度,地方长官入京朝觐必然产生相应的差旅费。对于这笔必需的行政支出,明廷长期未将其纳入到财政预算之内,其经费来源和使用限额都缺乏明确规定。明代官员通过在制度的空隙中开源节流从而筹取到朝觐道里费,并在保证朝觐旅途的必要开支的同时,将多筹取的路费用在广泛与京城师友沟通感情方面。通过对明代朝觐考察相关资料的梳理,从制度史和财政史的角度厘清朝觐路费筹措、使用情况,可以发现,朝觐路费问题突出的原因不在于官员人性的贪婪,而在于明廷对官员的仕途升迁调转缺乏明确制度保障;坚决恪守制度的模范官员无法得到制度的充分保护是明代官员朝觐路费问题的真正根源。 ZHU- Yuanzhang made an institution that all local governor- generals must go to Peking to have an audience with the emperor every three years. Travelling expenses incurred,however,the central government didn’t pay it. The local government broadened sources of income and reduced expenditure. They used travelling- fee to ensure the necessary cost and the extra money to improve the relationship with teachers and friends in the capital. The problem of travelling expenses originated from institutions design rather than human nature of greedy. The fact that model officials that obeyed the institutions can’t get sufficient protection from the institutions is the real reason of the issue about travelling-fee.