Isn’t it good for ancient officials to retire and choose to stay in the capital for retirement

For those who are interested in the retirement of ancient officials, the History Encyclopedia editor brings detailed articles for your reference. Why do ancient officials choose to retire and return home after retirement? Isn’t it good to stay in Beijing for retirement?
Retirement is a health remedy without the need for famous mountain visits. ——Tang Dynasty Sikong Tu’s “Hua Xia”
Everyone has his own plan for his life. It can be said that people seldom meet people who have the same vision for the future. Because everyone has different experiences, preferences, and incomes, combined with specific realities, people tend to choose ways of life that are more in line with their own needs. Regarding elderly care, I believe everyone has imagined it. Whether it’s a bustling city, a secluded courtyard, a cozy pet, or a lively family, people love different ways.
In modern retirement life, some people enjoy the convenience of the city, while others enjoy the leisure of the countryside, each with their own preferences. But looking at ancient historical records, it can be found that officials at that time always returned to their hometowns to live after retirement. What kind of sentiment does this highly common choice reveal behind it? Why do ancient officials choose to retire and return home after retirement? Isn’t it good to stay in Beijing for retirement? I believe many people have had such doubts about why they have to spend a long time returning to their hometown after retirement.
After all, the transportation conditions in ancient times were not as convenient as they are now. At that time, people’s means of transportation were relatively primitive and the speed was also very slow. Sometimes, if encountering unexpected situations such as bad weather, the return journey time may be much longer. Not only that, at that time, when they were officials, most of them brought their families with them. When they returned to their hometown, they brought all their luggage back to their hometown with their families. With numerous luggage, long journeys, and relatively weak health after retirement, why do officials still insist on returning to their hometowns after retirement? Isn’t it good to stay in Beijing for retirement?
There are many reasons why officials choose to return to their hometowns after retirement. The most important point among them is the longing for their hometown in people’s hearts, the hope of falling leaves returning to their roots. At that time, people adhered to their primitive homeland complex. No matter where they were or how far away they were from their hometown, they always tried their best to return to their hometown or reunite with their loved ones during festivals. This preference is related to the cultural characteristics behind our nation, and to this day, people still have this habit.
Moreover, most officials can only strive to become officials in the capital after old age. It can be said that most of their lives are spent in their hometowns, and their social circles are mostly in their hometowns. The conversion of the soul and the reunion of loved ones both attract people to return to their hometowns and leave the capital.
Besides, being an official is actually a very arduous job. Officials not only need to handle their job duties well, but also maintain good interpersonal relationships and deal with various trivial matters. If they join a political alliance, they must serve that alliance. If you choose to fight alone, you must have the ability to resist the oppression and bullying of others or other organizations. It can be said that one’s primary job is actually the easiest job.
When working, one faces great pressure and may accidentally be dragged into various disputes and hurt. Because Beijing is the pinnacle of various rights and interests, people often engage in struggles to increase their own interests, inevitably involving others. It also makes sense to leave this complex and dangerous area after retirement. Not to mention in the workplace life of officials, it is inevitable that there will be some stumbling blocks. Some people who do not like themselves, in order to ensure their own safety and avoid persecution from others, leaving this place of right and wrong is the clearest choice.
In addition, it is also very important to note that most of the assets of ancient people were held in their hometowns. Before people became officials, they owned the family business assigned to them. After becoming an official, the first thing I did with income was to purchase land in my hometown. After all, the people in their hometown are more familiar with it, and their clan members are all there, making it easier to manage their own industries.
Since I have retired, my life and time belong entirely to me. At that time, there was no retirement salary, and the income from the industries acquired in the past supported the livelihood of the entire family of officials. The life in Beijing requires a large amount of funds to maintain. In order to save costs and manage their own industries to support their families’ livelihoods, most officials choose to return to their hometowns after retirement.
Only a few people stay in the capital for retirement because it is not very good. Firstly, the prices in Beijing are extremely high, and unless one has a lot of assets and income, they cannot afford to live in the city. In addition, after retirement, one is far away from power, and as a commoner, it is easy to be bullied. In addition, as one grows older, if one does not return to their hometown when they are young, it will be difficult to go back in the future.
Conclusion
It can be said that ancient officials liked to return to their hometowns for retirement instead of staying in the capital, and there were complex reasons behind this. The environment and situation at that time allowed people to have a better life when they returned to their hometowns, which happened to align with their inner desires and national psychology. No matter what choice is made, it is people’s freedom, without any superiority or inferiority.