Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 494: Reforming Official Selection
Wuhan Palace, Lake Pavilion.

Autumn in Wuhan is different from the autumn scenery in northern China. The lake is still dotted with greenery and fish are swimming among the acres of lily pads.

Liu Bei sat in the pavilion in the lake, looking at the autumn scenery, and said melancholy: "At the beginning of the year, I and Yun Chang gathered here to laugh and talk about the past, but Yun Chang is no longer here."

"Your Majesty, please express your condolences!"

In order to avoid arousing Liu Bei's sadness, Fazheng changed the subject and said: "Your Majesty, according to the report from the scouts, Cao Cao died in Luoyang last month. Now his son Cao Pi succeeds the throne and offers a general amnesty to the world."

"what!"

Liu Bei looked surprised and said, "Cao Mengde died?"

As he spoke, Liu Bei sighed slightly and said: "Cao Mengde has been fighting with me for thirty years and has been a hero for a lifetime. Now he will eventually perish and return to Jiuyou."

Zhuge Ke, who was still young, interrupted and said: "Your Majesty, Cao Mengde usurped the throne and established himself as a traitor to the country. Now that he has died of illness, we should be happy about it. How can we be sad about it?"

Liu Bei looked at the lake and remained silent.

"That's what Zhong Miao said!"

He was entangled with Cao Cao throughout his life. He was a friend in his early years and an enemy in his middle age. The reason why everything he did was against Cao Cao was not because he hated Cao Cao very much, but because he did not agree with Cao Cao's three views. This also showed that Cao Cao had a great influence on him.

Hearing this, Liu Bei put down his tea cup and asked: "Cao's reform of Chaju with Nine-Rank Zhongzheng has won the hearts of the Central Plains. Now I, a big Han, need to reform Chaju to correct the mistakes of Han Dynasty?"

Fazheng pondered for a while and said: "After Cao Pi succeeded to the throne, in addition to promotion and rewards, he only ordered Chen Qun to implement the nine-rank officials method, set up Zhongzheng in the county, judge the countryside, and select scholars by grade."

Huo Jun poured a cup of tea and moved it in front of Liu Bei.

Liu Bei picked up the steaming tea and asked, "Who does Zhongmiao think Cao Mengde is?"

People in the past dynasties often have both praise and criticism for Cao Cao, and the same is true for Huo Jun. He recognized Cao Cao's talent, but not his moral character. If you don't even dare to admit Cao Cao's ability because you are Liu Bei's minister, it will be a joke. After all, demoting Cao indirectly insulted Liu.

Liu Bei held the cup of tea and sighed: "I knew him when I was strong. In the past, Dong Zhuo was in chaos, and the princes allied to attack Dong. All the heroes were timid and incompetent, but Cao Cao defeated him with few soldiers. Although he was defeated by Bianshui and almost died, he can be said to be loyal and loyal. Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, the current situation has changed suddenly, and loyalties and traitors are easy to change!"

Seeing Liu Bei's expression, Huo Jun felt something. He knew very well that Cao and Liu were both enemies and friends, admiring each other but hating each other, and the relationship was very close.

The Southern Han Dynasty and the Northern Wei Dynasty were in a competitive relationship. Each side copied and learned from the other's political system, but they also made self-adjustments.

When Liu Bei heard that Cao Cao died of illness, at this moment, Liu Bei put aside the hatred between him and Cao Cao, and replaced it with his sadness for Cao Cao's death.

For example, in history, after Cao Cao died of illness, Liu Bei sent Han Ran as an envoy to Cao Wei to mourn for Cao Cao and to make good friends with Cao Wei. Han Ran failed only because Cao Pi was inaccurate. Although Liu Bei wanted to attack Wu during this period, there was also a friendship between Cao and Liu.

Feeling a little sentimental, Liu Bei calmed down and asked, "Xiaozhi, can Cao Pi take any measures when he succeeds to the throne?"

Huo Jun was silent for a while and said: "Cao Mengde invaded and misappropriated national power, and his crime was recorded in the world. However, he relied on tricks, deceitful power, and conquests without restraint. Although his power shocked the world, the people were afraid of his power and did not cherish his virtue. In the past, Xu Shao commented He said: 'A capable minister who governs the world is a traitor in troubled times.' In today's troubled times, Cao Cao is a traitor. That's how it is!"

Cao Cao's life is a good interpretation of what it means to be a boy who slays dragons and eventually becomes a dragon. 'In the past, we eliminated traitors and governed officials, and we were loyal to the Han Dynasty. In the end, due to the great changes in the current situation, he embarked on the road of becoming a king and founding a country.

For example, in the early governor system, Huo Jun was appointed as the temporary governor due to the special war situation in Erliu. Later, with the normalization of war zones, the governor became a permanent official position. Cao Cao transferred the post of governor to oversee the state's military affairs. Or maybe Cao Cao innovated the tax law, and the new tax rules of the Southern Han Dynasty evolved from the tax system of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Now Liu Bei saw Cao's reform of the law for nine-rank officials. He was afraid of falling behind, so he asked everyone if they wanted to reform the inspection system.

"Your Majesty, the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng Dharma cannot be practiced in our country!" Wang Can straightened his back and cupped his hands, admonishing: "In our Han Dynasty, there are many scholars who fled south. For example, there are many people from Xuzhou and Huaibei, or from Nanyang in the north of Jingbei, or from Guanzhong or Guanzhong. Scholars from the Central Plains. Today, filial piety and honesty are not based on place of origin or rank. If we imitate the people of Wei, how can overseas Chinese be safe? Scholars of Chu and Wu have low status, so how can they live in peace?"

Historically, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the reason why the Southern Dynasties established a large number of overseas Chinese counties was not because the Southern Dynasties were too idle. But in order to safeguard the rights of the exiled nobles in the north, the Southern Dynasties had to establish overseas counties and resettle them.

For example, under the Zhongzheng system implemented during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, most gentry families in the Central Plains had higher lintels than those in the south. The gentry in the south could serve as officials through local states and counties, but the gentry in the Central Plains who had no hometown could not serve as officials.

Therefore, starting from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, in order to ensure that the Central Plains gentry could serve as officials, a large number of overseas counties and then overseas states were established in the local areas.

If the Southern Han Dynasty wanted to implement the nine-rank Zhongzheng system, it would inevitably involve a major war, and it would seriously damage the interests of the Wu and Chu scholars. Although Wang Can is from a high tribe in the Central Plains, as Liu Bei's secretary-general, Wang Can must remind Liu Bei not to mess around.

Fa Zheng stroked his beard and smiled, and said: "Your Majesty, the nine-grade system created by the Cao family divides talents into nine grades so that people can be put to their best use. Those with higher lintels may be promoted to higher grades. In fact, it is no different from the system of filial piety and incorruptibility in the Chinese Han Dynasty. . If there is any merit in this process, officials should be appointed based on the grade of their talents, so as to avoid overqualification and overuse of small talents."

"Is that so?"

Liu Bei frowned and thought, and said: "The system of nine grades is a strategy for the Cao family to win over scholars, and to correct the old practice of filial piety and integrity, which emphasizes virtue and neglects talent. I, the Han Dynasty, follow the old system. Yes. I am afraid of repeating the mistakes of the Chinese and Han Dynasties, such as children spreading rumors and promoting outstanding talents but not knowing the book; observing filial piety and integrity, but the father lives apart."

Huo Jun pondered for a long time and asked, "Has your majesty heard about Yangjia's new system?"

"In the past, during the reign of Emperor Shun, due to his filial piety, honesty and talent, he was recommended by others. Zuo Xiong asked him to report, 'Everyone knows all the chapters and sentences, and the literary officials can write and write, so he should be selected.' Because of the reign name of Yangjia, the ministers called him Newly made for Yangjia."

"At that time, all the outstanding talents, filial piety and integrity recommended by all the prefectures and counties came to the end of the Shangshutai to test their actual and actual talents to see how good they were. Those who did not accept the imperial orders would be punished. Anyone who could win the prize would be regardless of their age or age. Divided into elders.”

"Zuo Xiong went on a scientific expedition, and more than 30 people including Chen Fan, Li Ying, and Chen Qiu were worshiped as doctors. The three of them became famous all over the world and were regarded as outstanding men of their generation. In more than ten years, the atmosphere of the Chinese court was greatly improved. , later Zuo Xiong died of illness, and the new system was shelved."

"Now that the Han Dynasty is at peace, Your Majesty, in order to promote the good governance of the two Han Dynasties, it is better to change the filial piety and incorruption and restart the new law. Your Majesty divides the subjects into categories, and orders the prefectures and counties to have talented people, Xiao Lian and Shangshu to take scientific examinations, so as to prevent the Prime Minister from having to pay filial piety and incorruption every year. To avoid repeating the shortcomings of China and the Han Dynasty.”

The enlightenment of scientific research in China is very early, not from the Sui Dynasty, but from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Although Zuo Xiong's new system lasted only a short time, it had a great influence on later generations.

Even the nine-level Zhongzheng system that was popular in the Wei and Jin Dynasties was implemented for a period of time. Due to the emergence of shortcomings, Cao Wei also restarted the examination system.

The Southern Han Dynasty had been a grassroots team for a long time. Not long after Liu Bei became emperor, Zhuge Liang personally evaluated his filial piety, integrity, and talent. There were no mistakes, but Liu Bei didn't care.

However, because of his knowledge of later generations, Huo Jun often thought about how to integrate the imperial examination system into the imperial examination system and promote the innovation of the imperial examination system. Now, with the help of the nine-level Zhongzheng system implemented by Cao Wei, and the Yangjia new system as an excuse, we can promote the reform of the official selection system in the Southern Han Dynasty.

Of course, it was impossible to completely adopt the imperial examination system. After all, the environment was limited and the popularity of books was limited. It is rare to be able to combine the imperial examination system with the imperial examination system and evolve a new official selection system suitable for the Southern Han Dynasty.

Liu Bei stroked his beard, nodded, and asked, "What do you mean by your Majesty?"

Huo Jun sorted out the thoughts in his mind and said: "Your Majesty, I estimate that there are six or seven thousand people who have been promoted to Xiaolian in the two Han Dynasties, but there are so few heroes who have left their names. In troubled times, heroes emerge in large numbers, both civil and military. Building is not because there are more people than peace, but because heroes stand out because of the opportunity. Therefore, the minister is famous in the market, and the prime minister is famous in fishing and farming."

"Now, in my opinion, the number of filial and honest people in counties and counties can be increased. Hundreds of people have tested the family law, and whoever gets a hero must be one who is superior to ten thousand people. There are not many people to show their ability, and there are more than a thousand heroes in the world. All heroes come into the world with filial piety and integrity, just like big fish all fall into your majesty’s trap.”

"color!"

Liu Bei mostly recognized Huo Jun's words and praised: "It takes ten thousand people to get a warrior. Nowadays, if we don't rely on the crowd, how can we get a warrior? There are many talented people in the world, but now we can do what you said, practice filial piety and honesty, and take the exam in the capital." , only those with superior talents and political skills can be appointed officials."

As he spoke, Liu Bei waved his hand and said: "Since Zhongmiao is also in charge of the affairs of the Shangshu, he should discuss the new system with Kong Ming and Xiaozhi to eliminate the shortcomings of the Chinese and Han Dynasties, which is better than the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng method practiced by Cao. "

"promise!"

(End of this chapter)