golden scales

If the clan is regarded as small kingdoms, then these small kingdoms, like the Ming Dynasty, have two kinds of binding surname norms, "Law" and "Rule". .

Among them, "Law" mainly comes from three books:

The first is the "Yan Family Instructions" promoted by Yan Zhi of the Northern Qi Dynasty.This person is the 35th generation grandson of Fusheng Yanhui, and his influence on the era was not great, but this book has a great influence on later generations. It really promotes the study of family management and is also the guidance of "family education" for later generations Manual and Judging Criteria.

The second is "Family Model" written by Sima Guang. This book is widely circulated in the family of officials and has far-reaching influence.Zhao Ding, the prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, once ordered his descendants to record a copy of it, thinking it would be a permanent law.

The final masterpiece is Zhu Xi's "Family Rituals".On the basis of Sima Guang's "Family Model", he formulated a set of family etiquette and etiquette norms, which were basically consistent with the life and work rules of common people's families.

Even in the Mongol and Yuan dynasties, these three books were the family norms of the people of the Han nationality (including Han people and Nan people).After the Sun Moon reopened the Great Song Dynasty, Neo Confucianism became a national study, and almost all the clans in the world used these three books, at best they just changed their names.

It is precisely because of the extremely similar values, world outlook, and outlook on life that the clans can maintain stability within and among clans, and rely on the government to supervise each other, and finally form the universal value of Confucianism.

With the emergence of new problems, some individualized requirements will also be added to these family rules, such as requiring descendants to farm and study and inherit the family and not be an official—this is a complaint often written into the family law by those who are frustrated in officialdom; A beggar is not a person who advocates good teeth - this is the relic of the good sex system in the Tang and Song Dynasties, because a beggar is still a good citizen, while a good person is a good citizen; there are also regulations that children and grandchildren are not allowed to marry a certain family - this is meaningful Personal grudges and family feuds.

These personalization requirements will not violate the universal values ​​of Confucianism, so generally speaking, they still do not fall within the scope of the three major books.

As for the "example", it refers to the surname, which is often an agreement between the own family and a foreign family, and is more appropriate for the word "rural regulation".For example, an agreement between two clans to develop and utilize a certain pond, or to prohibit felling of a certain forest, which road to take in and out in the morning and evening, and how to arrange clothes for working in the field so that they will not be taken by mistake——Farmers who read and write family heirlooms Different from the peasant households who do not "only farm but not study", they have to change into the brown clothes they used for work before going to work in the field, and change into the normal clothes at home when they return home from work.

These do seem to have the taste of local regulations of later generations, but what Zhu Cihong wanted was government intervention.

"I walked along the way, and I also read a lot of township regulations and conventions. I only lamented the land of Jifu, where enlightenment is popular, and I have a refreshing feeling." Zhu Cihong said: "So I also think, if these family regulations and clan conventions can be popularized all over the world, how can it be Isn't everyone in the world able to bathe in enlightenment?"

If people hear these words in an era of television and the Internet, people's first reaction is to question: Is it possible that the family rules in other places are ignorant?

However, in this era when many people have never been to the county seat in their lives, coupled with the pride of their clan, everyone present took it for granted that what the crown prince said made sense. The savages outside are different.

After Zhu Cihong finished holding it, he said again: "So I think that in the future, each clan will formulate family rules and family laws, and let the officials close to the people participate in it. First of all, most of the officials close to the people are foreigners and don't know the local rules. The civil agreement will not forcefully copy the rules of the hometown and break the customs of one side."

The elders present at the scene had experienced more than [-] county magistrates, and they all nodded their heads in agreement when they heard the words.

"Secondly, let the officials close to the people choose some important items, from one village to one township, and even to the whole county. This is to choose the one that is good and follow it."

Many old people grinned, who doesn't want to be an example?If the whole county follows its own rules, wouldn't it prove beyond a doubt that our own family is the most polite!

"Old men, how do you come up with the rules of each family?" Zhu Cihong seemed to have suddenly realized, and then turned around and asked.

The old people spoke one after another, telling how their own rules were established.

It is nothing more than holding a family meeting. Under the auspices of the patriarch, the heads of each house discuss, and the elders with status are the elders. Finally, they will be finalized and written for future generations.Because the ancestors who first formulated the family law could not cover everything, this kind of clan assembly was revised from time to time as the environment changed and the status of the clan changed.

As for the township rules, they were formulated through friendly negotiations between the clans. Officials would have been present in the first place, and they were finally implemented into inscriptions and passed on to future generations.

Zhu Cihong had already done homework on this, and said: "This is similar to national legislation. The cabinet is like the patriarch, the six ministries are like the head of the house, and the Fengxian Tower is like the elders of the clan. Gathering together to reveal their hearts is like a court deliberation. gift."

"This is the way for family and country to connect and build up a family to build a country. It is the sign of our great Ming and sages governing the country!" The head of the Bian clan followed Zhu Cihong's words and began to compliment him, but it sounded nasty but he said it from the bottom of his heart—if it wasn't for this A crown prince, he is going to meet his ancestors with a bald head and braids.

Zhu Cihong smiled, and continued: "But there is still one thing missing."

Everyone was whetted by him.

"Emperor." Zhu Cihong got up and cupped his hands, then sat down again and said, "The court's decision is ultimately decided by the emperor. However, the township rules and the people's agreement, the family laws and regulations of each family, but this layer is missing."

Everyone was stunned: Is it necessary to send a family covenant to the emperor?No matter how diligent the emperor is, he can't see it, right?

"The Holy Son of Heaven talks about all kinds of opportunities, so of course he can't see it. Moreover, coming and going wastes time and wastes manpower." Zhu Cihong turned to Renqiu County: "I think it's up to the people's officials of the prefecture and county to do this. Originally It also means Daitian Herdsman!"

Renqiu County didn't know about it beforehand, so the reaction was the most sincere. After being surprised, he quickly expressed his position: "My minister will obey the order!"

Before the patriarchs could react, the matter had already been settled.According to the general rules of this era, what can a common man say about the matter that the crown prince and the imperial court ordered together?As far as Zhu Cihong and the court were concerned, they were present but did not express their opinions, which was obviously a tacit acquiescence.

"Renqiu County," Zhu Cihong said, "this law is being tried out in Renqiu, Hejian, you must set an example! If Feng Xian finds out that you have treated the subordinates harshly, the national law will definitely not forgive you!"

"The humble minister dare not defy the law with his own body!"

"You should keep in mind the teachings of the Taizu. As long as the patriarchal clan rules are not contrary to the national law, they must be discussed by the clan." Zhu Cihong seemed to warn Renqiu county magistrate, but he made a statement: "Secondly, human life is at stake. The law of the old country is very cautious in killing people. If someone provokes the anger of the public, you must intervene with the judiciary in time to inform the law of the country that people should not be wronged."

Renqiu county and all the old people knew what the prince meant, but there were few lynchings in the north, so they didn't care.Most of the more serious lynchings were in Fujian and Guangdong, not only ordering suicide, but also throwing stones and sinking into pools.

"Furthermore, the family law should clarify the terms of expulsion of nationality, and those who commit the act of expulsion of nationality must not be tolerated." Zhu Cihong said sharply.

"Weichen understands." Renqiu County really understood.

As a county magistrate, what he hates the most is the lack of manpower.When further digging the people's power, they encountered clan obstacles.

The government issued a document to the two levels of judiciary, basically hoping that the judges will favor the migrant workers who are about to come out when making a ruling, so that they will not be separated by the clan.Now herdsmen officials can directly intervene in the formulation of clan rules, and even have a certain right to review. Of course, they will not make concessions on the terms of expulsion from the clan.

"Also, I heard that there are many people in rural areas who put the cart before the horse and the weak, but there are?" Zhu Cihong asked with a smile on his face.

In the patriarchal system, the big clan and the small clan are not counted by the status of the family wealth, but by the concubines.The eldest son is the eldest son, the eldest son, and the patriarch.The concubine is the Xiaozong, the clan relative.The Dazong leads the Xiaozong, and the Xiaozong leads the group of disciples. This is the model established by the Duke of Zhou.After hundreds of years and several generations in any family, there will always be virtuous and unworthy ones. The big clan may decline, while the small clan may rise.

Take elder Jiang Dejing as an example, he was born in Xiaozong, even if he is the emperor's assistant, he is not qualified to be the patriarch of the Jiang clan in Fuquan.

This phenomenon has been relatively common in the Ming Dynasty, and it is also an inevitable symptom of the patriarchal society.At that time, the Zhou Dynasty ruled the Xiaozong with the Dazong, established the Sixth Division of the Zongzong, became the Eighth Division of the Zhou Dynasty, and the Eighth Division of the Three Yins, but in the end, they still could not escape the tragedy of the princes becoming big and the country eventually being destroyed.

Influenced by many literary works after the May Fourth Movement, Zhu Cihong unconsciously unified clan power with secular power, thinking that the patriarch had great power and oppressed the clan.As a result, after walking all the way, I found out that the small sects of many clans are stronger than the big ones, and not only are the patriarchs generally ostracized by each house, some even rely on the small sects.

His most taboo "clan's control over the clan's property rights and personal rights" is also a mistake.This power actually rests with patriarchy rather than clan power.When the clan is small and patriarchal and clan are united, the two merge into one.After the clan branched out, the clan power was separated from the patriarchal power, but the patriarchal power was higher than the clan power.

In large clans, the representative of patriarchy is not the head of the patriarch, but the head of each house.Even so, when there are promising descendants, or get rich in business, or become an official, the control of patriarchy over personal rights and property rights is almost non-existent.Both Fan Zhongyan and Zhu Xi hope that the entire family's property will be distributed among the clan. In fact, it is a utopia in the Datong world, almost utopian socialism, and even their descendants have not achieved it.

"This kind of putting the cart before the horse is a sign of the collapse of propriety and joy!" Zhu Ci said loudly, "If the government can't come out with a righteous atmosphere, how can the world be peaceful?"

Seeing several patriarchs nodding their heads one after another, he felt a sense of sympathy, knowing that he had found the right entry point, and immediately announced: "So in the future, the genealogy of each clan, together with the names of the eldest son, clan, and clan relatives, will be archived in the government. When there is a clan meeting, the officials close to the people should bring this paper to the meeting, and also appoint the village elder, farmer, instructor, and old man with a foreign surname as Dong Zheng, so as not to bully others with power!" (To be continued.)