The great man will live forever

Chapter 265 Two Killing Moves

In the Yuntai Hall, Liu Xiu was reading the memorial. Yin Lihua came over and poured him a glass of water, "Your Majesty, please rest for a while."

"No, wait until I finish reading these first."

"Read it later." Yin Lihua snatched the bamboo slips from his hand, put the memorial aside, and gave him the water, "Drink some water!"

Liu Xiu held up the water glass with one hand, and wanted to get the memorial with the other hand. Yin Lihua took his arm and said, "My good majesty, now that the world is in trouble, your majesty can treat the people as leniently as possible, and as little as possible. Easily impose corvees.

The people have already felt the emperor's grace. You have a lot of time to do things like governing the country, rejuvenating the country, and tranquilizing the people. Why rush for this moment? "

The two looked at each other and smiled. Liu Xiu Yaoyao nodded and put the cup to her mouth. When she was about to drink the water, her hands were trembling and she dropped it with a "pop."

At this time, Yin Lihua was very panicked, "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? I went to see the imperial doctor, Liu Xiu quickly grabbed her, "It's okay, I'm just a little tired, it's not a problem, it's not a problem. "

"No. Just rest for a while. I'll go to the doctor."

Liu Xiu said stubbornly, "I can't rest, I can't rest, I still have many things to do."

As she said that, she tried to get the bamboo slips with her trembling hands. Yin Lihua was very sad and quickly tried to persuade her, "Your Majesty, nothing is as important as your body. Take a break, take a break, come on, take a rest."

As he spoke, he gently pressed Liu Xiu's head with his jade hands.

Naturally, these things could not be hidden from Liu Han, who had been in prison several times.

"It seems we have to get that thing out in advance."

So he went to Liu Xiu and said, "Father, there are currently vacant positions in the court, and we need the help of talented people and knowledge. I thought hard and came up with a way to streamline the organization and reform the government."

"What can we do?" Liu Xiu paid more and more attention to Liu Han.

"Back then, after the Qin Dynasty unified the world, it was divided into counties and counties. It summarized the bureaucratic systems of various countries since the Warring States Period and established a set of central government agencies that adapted to the needs of the country. This is the system of three officials and nine ministers.

The Three Dukes are the Prime Minister, the Taiwei, and the Imperial Censor.

The nine ministers are Fengchang, Tingwei, Zhisu Neishi, Dianke, Lang Zhongling, Shaofu, Weiwei, Taipu and Zongzheng.

The responsibilities of the three princes are: Prime Minister, assisting the emperor in handling national affairs. He is the emperor's assistant. He is subordinate to one person and superior to ten thousand people.

Taiwei is the highest military and political officer. He is responsible for managing the country's military affairs and holding military power. He obeys the emperor's orders during war and can mobilize the army according to the emperor's talismans.

The Yushi doctor mainly manages records, and his status is equivalent to that of the deputy prime minister, lower than the prime minister and Taiwei. The rank of the prime minister and Taiwei is [-] shi, while the rank of the Yushi doctor is [-] shi. The main responsibilities are to manage books, memorials, and supervise civil and military officials.

The three princes were not subordinate to each other, but were directly subordinate to the emperor, which facilitated the concentration of imperial power.

The responsibilities of the Jiuqing under the Three Dukes are: Tingwei, in charge of judicial affairs; In charge of domestic history, in charge of national finance and taxation; Fengchang, in charge of rituals in the ancestral temple;

Dianke, who handles the affairs of various ethnic minorities in the country and foreign relations; Lang Zhongling, who is in charge of the emperor's attendants and guards; Shaofu, who is in charge of the revenue from mountains, seas, land, and government handicrafts dedicated to the needs of the royal family;

Wei Wei is in charge of the palace guards; Tai Pu is in charge of the palace carriages and horses; Zong Zheng is in charge of the affairs of the emperor's clan...

After Emperor Gaozu established the world, he basically inherited these systems without much change, except that he pursued the system of prefectures and states. However, the existence of kings with different surnames at that time greatly affected stability, so he killed the white horse, and no one without the surname Liu could be crowned king.

However, enfeoffment must have drawbacks, resulting in the loss of the tail, the expansion of the king's ambition, and the chaos of the Seven Kingdoms. Emperor Wu's favor made the enfeoffed countries weaker and weaker, and they could no longer compete with the central government.

Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty changed a large number of official names. Change Fengchang to Taichang; Weiwei to Zhongdafuling; Tingwei to Dali; Dianke to Daxingling; Governing the internal history of millet to Tainong Ling.

During the reign of Emperor Wu, it was changed to Da Sinong. During the reign of Emperor Wu, Daxingling was changed to Dahonglu, and Langzhongling was changed to Guangluxun.

Although the name has been changed, the framework of Sangong and Jiuqing has not changed.

Later, because the prime minister's position was too powerful, it threatened the imperial power. Before Emperor Wu, the prime minister's position was so high and powerful that even the emperor could not disrespect him. Whenever the prime minister comes to see him, the emperor has to leave his seat;

When the prime minister was seriously ill, the emperor had to visit him in person to inquire about his illness and send envoys to deliver medicine. After the prime minister's death, he moved to his private residence and the emperor drove him there to hang him up, and also gave him a coffin, a burial place, a burial vessel, etc.

Emperor Wu was naturally very worried, so he began to reform and divide central officials into external court officials and internal court officials. The officials of the foreign court include the prime minister and six hundred officials each under the prime minister.

The officials of the inner court, or the officials of the middle court, include the Grand Sima, the left, right, front, and back generals, the minister, as well as the ministers, scattered cavalry, officials, Langs, doctors, etc.

The reading and deliberation of the chapter memorials were transferred to the chancellery. This is equivalent to weakening the power of the prime minister. From then on, although the prime minister and the Taiwei were both responsible for the political power, their actual power was transferred to the Chancellor. If the prime minister makes a mistake, he will be impeached by the minister..."

Following Liu Han's eloquent talk, Liu Xiu couldn't help but nod.

"My son is smart, yes, yes, so what are your thoughts, to increase the power of the Chancellor?"

In fact, Liu Xiu was already preparing to do this. In the later period, he expanded the power of the Chancellery and unified all positions. "Tong Kao·Zi Guan Kao" says: "In the later Han Dynasty, (Shang Shu) was given priority, cashiering the king's orders, reporting on all matters, announcing the reasons for government orders, determining the reasons for elections, and correcting rewards for crimes. This is the Heavenly Mansion of Wenchang, where all affairs are complicated, internal and external affairs are compromised, and people from near and far are admired."

Even in the later period, the three ministers were ignored, with only deliberation functions and no actual rights. Later, the Shangshutai became the decision-making body in the Eastern Han Dynasty. All the central power of the country was concentrated in the emperor's palace office, and the three ministers were often dismissed for trivial matters. The status of the three ministers gradually gradually reduce.

"I estimate that the father-in-law meeting will increase the power of the Chancellor and weaken the power of the three princes. The three princes are more like a symbol of honor."

As soon as Liu Han said these words, Liu Xiu suddenly raised his head and looked at him.

"Your intelligence far exceeds that of my father. If you do well in the future, you will definitely be famous in the annals of history and become a famous king through the ages."

"I can't compare to my father, who created the world, then unified the world, and reopened the Han Dynasty."

"Okay, okay, why don't we flatter each other? You must have your own ideas. Let's talk about it."

"My father is a sage, and my son's idea is the system of three provinces and six ministries and the imperial examination system."

Anyway, it was from later generations, so Liu Han just opened his mouth and came.

"The three provinces and six ministries system and the imperial examination system?" Liu Xiu wondered.

"The so-called Zhongshu Province, Menxia Province, and Shangshu Province. The six departments are the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Husbandry, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Ministry of Industry.

We divide the prime minister's power into three parts, Zhongshu Province, Menxia Province, and Shangshu Province. It can also be named by another name.

For example, if we want to do something, we must first discuss, then make a decision, and finally execute.

Zhongshu Sheng was responsible for deliberation, and after the deliberation came out, he drafted the edict. The responsibilities of the Menxiasheng were responsible for deliberation and decision-making. They reviewed the decrees issued by the emperor himself or his courtiers, and signed memorials. In addition, they also had the power to refute edicts and memorials.

Finally, there is the Shangshu Province, which is similar to the current Shangshu Tai. It is mainly responsible for decision-making. There are six departments below, which are the six departments.

The six departments are the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Punishment.

The Ministry of Household Affairs is a very important department among the six ministries, responsible for the country's money, taxation and statistical work.

The Ministry of Personnel is the department responsible for managing officials across the country, and has the power to appoint, remove, promote, demote, and transfer officials..."

As Liu Han explained, Liu Xiu's eyes became brighter and brighter, as if they could emit a dazzling light at a certain moment.

"Okay, okay, Qiang'er, you really make my eyes light up. How did you come up with such a good system?"

Liu Xiu was the founding emperor, and his abilities were quite good among the emperors of the past dynasties. He immediately realized the advantages of the three provinces and six ministries system.

"You can write a detailed memorial to me in a few days. I will discuss it with the ministers and implement it at that time."

"Thank you, Father."

"Father, I should thank you. By the way, we talked about the three provinces and six ministries system, but what about the imperial examination system? What is that? Is it the same as the three provinces and six ministries system?"

"The imperial examination system is the selection of talents. At present, there are many ways for our Han Dynasty to select talents and appoint officials, such as military merit, appointment, and selection, but the main ones are recruitment and inspection.

The so-called conquest refers to the direct appointment of famous people as officials by your father or the imperial court. These famous people are all scholars and private masters with noble aspirations, erudite knowledge or outstanding skills in a certain field.

Once they were recruited, they were awarded high-ranking officials without any examination. Although these people were knowledgeable and capable, the number of recruited people was extremely limited and could not meet the needs of the Han Dynasty. "

"Yes, what Qiang'er said makes sense, and there are some people who refuse even if the father tries to conquer the land again and again, such as Zi Ling, who is both a classmate and a good friend of the father.

When he was studying in Chang'an, his father drank with him and talked about everything. It was so enjoyable. His knowledge far exceeded that of his father.

After his father became emperor, he knew of his talent and hired him many times, but he never agreed. This was also a great regret for his father. "

As Liu Xiu spoke, he seemed to be thinking about the past and feeling extremely sad.

Liu Han had to lament that in many cases, what is not available is the best. He admitted that Yan Ziling was talented, but he was not necessarily far better than Liu Xiu.

"Father, everyone has his own ambitions, so follow them. The rivers and seas will disappear, but the mountains and forests will disappear forever. The wind is far away, and the love is in the clouds. The way is empty and complete, and the things that go against the world are in vain... This is his pursuit.

It’s just that he is not a scholar. He cultivates himself, manages his family, governs the country, and brings peace to the world. Confucius is still committed to governing the country and wanting to benefit the people of the world, but he hides it. After so many years, he has not read thoroughly..."

"You, you, with your mouth, even my father can't say anything about you. If Zi Ling hears it, don't get so angry that you curse."

Liu Xiu smiled and said, "You continue."

"Yes, let's finish talking about the conquest system and let's talk about the inspection and promotion system. It is the government, ministers, princes, governors, county guards, and state ministers who, after inspection, recommend some talents who meet the requirements of the imperial court for direct appointment or passing by the imperial court. Appointments will be made after a certain form of assessment.

Most of these were first issued by the emperor, instructing the Sangong, Jiuqing, local county governors and other senior officials to recommend civilians or lower-level officials from various places with high moral character, outstanding talents, and profound knowledge to the imperial court according to certain names.

Officials are appointed directly by the imperial court or after some form of assessment. Generally, the emperor personally consults and then selects the best.

The inspection and examination system began with Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. In the second year after Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty came to the throne, he issued an edict to recommend virtuous, upright and outspoken people in order to correct my mistakes. For the first time, the recommended candidates were selected through the method of questioning.

With the development, the inspection and examination system underwent major changes and improvements by the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty:

The first is that the countermeasures for promoting virtuous and good people have become customized; the second is that the subjects of the examination have been expanded, and new subjects such as the examination of filial piety and integrity, the examination of talents, and the examination of Mingjing have been added; the third is that the examination of filial piety and integrity has become a regular subject in the annual examination... …”

"Haha, my son understands it very thoroughly. I am very relieved."

Liu Xiu listened, stroking his beard with admiration on his face.

"This has the advantage of only focusing on talent and character, not family background. This is an enlightened civilian policy. The recommender has full trust in the recommended person, so the cooperation is relatively smooth.

But its disadvantages are also very obvious. First, under the Chaoju system, although there are many subjects for Chaoju, the world is so big and there are so many sages that it is impossible to recommend all sages to the court. There are still many unknown sages. They were buried among the roughnecks in the countryside and were never appointed for life, resulting in the loss and waste of talent.

Moreover, there are many scoundrels who take advantage of the opportunity of investigation, either through bribery or through connections, and do everything possible to make themselves the target of investigation. In addition, those who were promoted to the official career due to the promotion of the promotion people must be grateful to the promotion officials and serve them, thus forming various factions.

Secondly, the examination of the moral character of scholars is the premise of the inspection system, but this is really ugly because it is difficult to make a fair evaluation of a person's moral character. A more objective evaluation of a person's moral character requires long-term examination of his words and deeds, and such words and deeds may be false, or he may change in the future.

After all, people's hearts are separated from each other. For example, before Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, he was very humble and filial, and had great reputation and prestige. Many people said that he was a living saint, thinking that he would surpass Huo Guang and become a saint who would help the world, but in the end he was He harbored evil intentions and usurped the Han Dynasty to establish himself, which led to chaos in the world and the displacement of the people.

Xiangshi Wang Mang died first, who will know the truth of his life?

Thirdly, with development, especially in the middle and late dynasties, local electoral rights were controlled by a small number of ministers and prominent families. When selecting officials, they often recommended children from prestigious families regardless of their academic quality. This made the scope of the examination increasingly narrow. It is narrow, and most of the people being investigated are not worthy of their name.

A scholar who knows nothing about reading, a filial and honest father who lives in a separate place, is as cold and white as mud, and a high-ranking general is as timid as a chicken.

There were even bureaucrats from four generations and five generations of officials, ministers and scholars of Confucian classics. At that time, the imperial examination system had transformed into a hereditary system in disguise, and became a tool for the noble families to maintain their power and privileges..."

Liu Xiu frowned, "Is this really going to happen?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but my father knew Wang Mang before he usurped the Han Dynasty. He must have experienced it."

"So, the imperial examination system you mentioned is to change the examination system?"

"Father, you are really wise."

Liu Han then slowly explained the imperial examination system...

After hearing this, Liu Xiu stood up and said, "Unified examination? Nameless?" and then walked around, "Yes, yes, this is subversive, but don't we examine loyalty, filial piety and moral character?"

"Father, how do you investigate this? People's hearts are fickle, and you can only see people's hearts over time, and you can only see people's hearts over time. If you monitor more, once you find corrupt officials, they will be removed. Moreover, Father, filial piety is the first thing to do, and you can talk about your heart without caring about your deeds. There are no filial sons in a poor family; the most evil thing is sexual immorality; there are few perfect people in the world!"

Liu Xiu murmured to himself: "Filial piety is the first among all the good deeds, but the heart does not care about deeds. There are no filial sons in poor families. The most evil is sexual immorality. The heart does not care about deeds. There are few perfect people in the world!"

After he finished speaking, he looked at the sky, and then looked at Liu Han, with so many things going on in his heart, it felt like yesterday.

(End of this chapter)