Chu and Han contend for the throne

Chapter 556 The Emperor's Year Restriction and the Crown Prince's Promotion System

"Father." Xiang Zhengqiqi Ai Ai said authentically, "This doesn't conform to the ancient system, does it?"

Xiang Zhuang nodded lightly, and said: "That's right, since ancient times, the inheritance system of the Huaxia people has been that the father dies and the son succeeds the brother, but is this system really good? Father doesn't think so."

Xiang Zheng opened his mouth but didn't say anything, although he wanted to refute but didn't dare.

Xiang Zhuang sighed, and said earnestly: "Zheng'er, since my father handed over the country and society to you, he will never go back on his word and abolish you again. If you have something to say, just speak out, and my father will never blame you , as long as you are right, it doesn’t matter if you change your mind if you are a father? Today, you and my father and son will talk about it, okay?”

"Here." Xiang Zheng bowed deeply and said respectfully, "I would like to listen to my father's instruction."

Xiang Zhuang smiled wryly, and said again: "Then let's talk about the father first. Why is it not good for the father to die and the son to die? The so-called father dies and the son succeeds, it means that the son will not succeed until the old emperor dies. If the old emperor If he doesn’t die, even if he lives to be a hundred years old, as long as he doesn’t take the initiative to abdicate, his son can only wait obediently.”

"People's energy is limited. When you get older, you will inevitably lose your energy. If you don't have enough energy, you will be more likely to rely on others, and you will be more likely to listen to others. At this time, it is easy to have bad governance." Patting Xiang Zheng on the shoulder, Xiang Zhuang sighed and said: "Zheng'er, not everyone can calmly let go of the power in their hands like the father."

Xiang Zhuang said this out of feeling, and there are countless such examples in history.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty can be regarded as wise emperors with great talents, right?But when they were over 10 years old, their physical strength and energy were obviously not enough, but they still couldn't leave. As a result, they all led to chaos in their later years. It directly led to the decline of the Tang Empire.

However, there is no way to tell Xiang Zheng about these things. Fortunately, Xiang Zhuang was prepared, and then he turned to the history books and said: "Zheng Er, King Qin Zhaoxiang is a great talent, right? But in his later years, he was also forged. He made a big mistake, he listened to the greedy words and recalled Bai Qi from Handan to the country, which resulted in a big defeat, and then became angry and killed Bai Qi and destroyed the Great Wall himself!"

"Duke Huan of Qi, the head of the five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period, not to mention his great talents, but in his later years, he was incomprehensible, and he reused villains such as Yi Ya and Shu Diao, so that the country was full of troubles, and even he himself starved to death in the midst of civil strife. " Xiang Zhuang pointed his finger, and said again, "There is also King Wei Hui, who is over 80 years old and still loves power and position, so that the state of Wei has completely declined."

In the end, Mr. Xiang Zhuang finally said: "Taking history as a mirror, I decided to abdicate as my father."

Xiang Zheng couldn't stop nodding. He also felt that what his father said was reasonable. The old emperor still clinging to the village after he got old was indeed not conducive to the long-term peace and stability of the empire. He immediately swore and swore: "My son, I swear in the name of my ancestors. , I will follow the example of my father and give up the throne to the crown prince before the age of 50."

Xiang Zhuang waved his hand and said with a smile: "50 years old is still young and vigorous, but there is no need to rush to the Zen position, but after 60 years old, a person will be completely old. My father hopes that you can abdicate before the age of 60. My father hopes that you will abdicate before the age of [-]." Through the actions of two generations of emperors, you and I, father and son, we can fix the emperor's year limit as the ancestral system of the empire."

"Ancestral system?" Xiang Zheng was thoughtful, it was not voluntary, but compulsory.

"Yes, the ancestral system!" Xiang Zhuang nodded solemnly, the emperor's year limit must be enforced as the ancestral system.

The Huaxia people have worshiped ghosts and gods and various natural phenomena since ancient times, but they worship their ancestors the most. Therefore, as long as Xiangzhuang, the first emperor, and Xiangzheng, the second emperor, were both in meditation before the age of 60, it is really possible that the emperor's 60-year-old The year limit was fixed in the form of the ancestral system. Due to the name of the ancestral system, few emperors of later generations would dare to exceed it.

Xiang Zheng nodded and said: "The 60-year-old limit is completely agreed, but the matter of setting up a crown prince..."

"Hehe, it seems that you and my father and son have reached a consensus on the emperor's 60-year-old age limit." Xiang Zhuang smiled and said, "Now let's talk about the crown prince. My father firmly opposes Chu'er as the crown prince, and insists on making Chu'er the crown prince under you." Among the dozen or so grown-up younger brothers, the ministers chose one to be crown prince, do you know why?"

Xiang Zheng said in a respectful voice, "My son respectfully listens to my father's instruction."

Xiang Zhuang said: "The orderly inheritance of the throne is of great importance, and it is related to the long-term stability of the empire. However, the old emperor still clings to the throne in his old age and shakes the foundation of the country. This is just a kind of disorderly inheritance. And when the prince is young, it is very easy for the harem to intervene in power or the regent of powerful ministers to appear chaotic."

In the history of China, there are too many examples of chaos in the harem or regency of powerful officials because of the young master. Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao and even Zhang Juzheng are all classic cases of regents with power.

Xiang Zhuang said: "Zheng'er, it is said that life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are in the sky. If you take off your shoes tonight, maybe you won't have a chance to put them on again tomorrow? What if one day you and my father and son died suddenly, and Chu'er You are still young, do you dare to say that your dozens of younger brothers will not have the ambition to usurp your nephew's throne? Do you dare to say that your queen will be willing to be a woman? Do you dare to say that there will be no Lu Buwei, Li Si, A Zhao Gao-style power minister and traitor?"

Xiang Zheng was speechless, he really didn't dare to make a statement.

"Therefore, in order to prevent chaos in the harem and regents due to the young master, the crown prince must be selected from among the grown-up royal children!" Xiang Zhuang paused, and then said, "But you don't have to replace it for me." Chu'er called Qu, as long as you teach Chu'er well and make Chu'er learn something, he will still have a chance to be elected as the crown prince when he grows up!"

"Father means..." Xiang Zheng was taken aback when he heard this, and looked at Xiang Zhuang with some puzzlement.

Xiang Zhuang said: "The so-called crown prince is actually the king of the reserve, but he may not necessarily become the king, just say your dozen or so younger brothers who have grown up, they are not much younger than you, and when you abdicate at the age of 60 At that time, they are almost reaching the end of their years, so it doesn't make much sense for them to succeed."

Xiang Zheng's heart moved slightly, and he said again: "Then Father means..."

"As a father, the crown prince is elected once every ten years, and only the children of the royal family under the age of 30 are selected. After ten years, if the old emperor is still there, the crown prince will be re-elected. Therefore, Chu'er will still be elected after 20 years. The opportunity to become the crown prince." Xiang Zhuang paused, and then said, "I'm afraid that after 20 years, Chu'er will not be selected if he has learned nothing, ha ha."

Xiang Zheng smiled awkwardly, and said again: "Father, I have regarded you as a role model since I was young, and I will do what you say, and there will never be a trace of obedience, I am afraid that future generations will not obey. What is the rule?"

"Yes, this is indeed a problem, so we have to set a rule for future generations." After a pause, Xiang Zhuang said again, "As for the crown prince, whoever is elected or not, the emperor's decision doesn't count, so it's up to you." The meritorious generals of the Martial Arts Academy are elected collectively, and whoever gets the most support will be the next crown prince."

Regarding this, Xiang Zhuang has also been deliberate.

The emperor's 60-year-old age limit, with two emperors as examples and the gimmick of ancestral system, few emperors of later generations dare to surpass, even if someone wants to surpass, they will probably be drowned by the saliva of the ministers!It needs to be known that the system that officials have nothing to say and no one can't be impeached has been established, and an atmosphere of being proud of the emperor is being formed.

However, it is not so easy to establish the system of pushing the crown prince, and it will be pushed every ten years.

Xiang Zhuang believes that this system can still be implemented when he is still alive, but after his death, this system will come to an end. Concubine's bedside style, unless there are enough checks and balances, it will be difficult for this system to continue to be implemented.

The martial arts academy, or the meritorious generals of the martial arts academy, is the check and balance force Xiang Zhuang envisioned!

The Huaxia Empire followed Chu’s system of farming, war, business, and education. Nominally, the status of farming, war, business, and education was equal. In fact, it was not the case. Farmers and businessmen could only obtain low-level titles, and scholars could only obtain low-level titles. Most of the titles of the six ministers are only third-class barons (the [-]-level title system has been changed to five levels for princes and uncles, with three levels for each level).

The reason for this situation is that it is difficult to obtain enough merits in farming, doing business or being an official.

And only by serving as a soldier and fighting, can you have the opportunity to obtain a lot of meritorious service, and have the opportunity to continue to be promoted to nobility. Therefore, even if you don’t count the six princes and the 36 founding marquises, the warriors raised by the martial arts academy are more important than farmers, businessmen, or literati. It is easy to obtain titles, so the status of warriors is generally much higher than that of literati, businessmen or farmers.

In other words, in the Huaxia Empire, warriors had the greatest influence.

To put it bluntly, farmers grow food, merchants grow money, literati are managers, and warriors are the ones in charge!
And the selection of the best or most ambitious royal children as princes is highly consistent with the interests of warriors, because only the best princes can become the best emperors, and only the best emperors will continue to expand abroad. Only in this way can the warriors have the opportunity to continuously obtain military exploits and be promoted to titles.

When the reserve system is highly consistent with the interests of the warriors, the entire system of warriors becomes the biggest supporter of the reserve system, and it is possible to restrict the imperial power, unless there is a cruel emperor who is against the sky in later generations and has the courage to generalize the martial arts All the aristocrats who have been raised will be wiped out, otherwise, the court system and the monarchy system will continue to be implemented.

And the election of the crown prince every ten years is undoubtedly the greatest manifestation of the warrior's right to speak, and the warrior will definitely support it.

This, in fact, is an aristocratic republic in disguise. The Martial Academy is almost the Senate, and the noble warriors raised by the Martial Academy are almost the senators and nobles of the Roman Republic. Except for the six princes and the 36 princes, the nobles are all lifelong.

With this huge force of warriors to check and balance, there is a basis for the existence of the Crown Prince's court system!

Of course, the strength of warriors also needs to be restricted. Xiang Zhuang's measure is the lifelong system of titles, so that the aristocratic general class of the martial arts academy will not be solidified. One vote, a small captain is one vote, and the more voices there are, the less likely it is to be manipulated centrally.

(End of this chapter)