Great Han Empire

Chapter 608 The Heroes of Troubled Times Like the Abyss
Zhao Qi and Li Wei traveled [-] miles out of Longshan to meet General Hushi.

Li Hong dismounted from his horse and said respectfully to Zhao Qi: "It's cold, how dare you ask your lord to welcome you in person? I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed."

Zhao Qi was polite.Li Wei stood aside and said, "My lord, please get in the car. Before my lord enters Longquan, my lord has something to say to you."

Li Hong smiled and asked Zhao Qi to get in the car first.He had a plan in mind, after Grand Tutor Liu Yu left Jinyang, the power of the imperial court needed to be redistributed, and what the boss wanted to discuss was nothing more than the most difficult issue.

After Li Hong sat down, Zhao Qi said with a smile: "In the past 200 years, I have experienced catastrophes, especially the disasters of Wang Mang, Liang Yi, rape and now Dong Zhuo. The devastation is the most serious, does your lord know what is the main reason for these catastrophes?"

After thinking for a while, Li Hong replied respectfully: "Because the relatives and eunuchs hold power, causing disasters and chaos."

"Then why can the foreign relatives and traitors seize the power of the country?" Zhao Qi asked again.

"Because of the power of the inner court, imperial power is paramount." Li Hong replied immediately.Li Hong is still very clear about these things.Since he was dragged into the struggle for imperial lineage by the late emperor, he has been seeking advice from scholars such as Zhao Qi and Li Wei for several years in order to survive, and he has also persevered in learning. He already knows the ins and outs of many things.With the gradual increase in official rank and power, especially in the recent period, Li Hong also began to think about the pros and cons of laws, national policies, and ways to revitalize the country.

Zhao Qi nodded appreciatively, and continued to ask: "Why is the inner court more important? Why is the outer court less powerful? Why is the imperial power above the prime minister (the prime minister's power, generally referring to the power of the court)? Why is the imperial power and the prime minister's power Can't restrict each other?"

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Li Hong thought for a while, then shook his head.He thought about this issue. If the imperial power and the ministerial power could check each other and be divided and supervised by each other like military power, it might be difficult for foreign relatives and eunuchs to steal power. Except for a short period of checks and balances in power, the rest of the time is that the imperial power overrides the prime minister's power, and the emperor alone has the final say.

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After the first emperor unified the six kingdoms, he abolished the system of enfeoffing land and establishing princes, and changed it to the system of prefectures and counties under the rule of the court. At this time, a huge problem arose that troubled Qin Shihuang and his ministers: what is the relationship between the royal family and the court?Is the royal family the imperial court, or is it part of the imperial court?If the royal family and the imperial court were separated, how would the power be divided between the two?
Ministers such as Qin Shihuang and Li Si agreed that the royal family and the court should be separated.The emperor is the only supreme ruler of the country and the symbol of the country, while the imperial court is in charge of the actual political power of the country and is responsible for all practical responsibilities.The highest leader of the imperial court is the prime minister, followed by the Taiwei who is in charge of military power (the Taiwei has the right to lead troops, but not the right to deploy troops), and the imperial doctor who is in charge of supervising power is the "Three Dukes".The imperial power and prime minister's power are divided according to this principle.

This dynasty followed the Qin system. At the beginning of the founding of the country, the imperial power and the ministerial power were also separated and restricted each other.

The emperor of this dynasty has six ministers, (Shang means in charge, equivalent to the current secretary, and Shangshutai is equivalent to the secretariat.) They are Shangyi, Shangshi, Shangguan, Shangxi, Shangyu and Shangshu.The top five ministers were in charge of the emperor's clothes, food, and daily life, and only the minister was in charge of documents, and he was regarded as the real "secretary" of the emperor.It can be seen from this that the emperor has only one Shangshutai with limited powers.

There are thirteen Caos in the Prime Minister's Mansion in this dynasty, with a huge organization and extensive powers.For example, in Dongcao, the chief officials of Erqianshi were removed, including military officials.At that time, the officials with a rank and salary of two thousand shi already included Jiuqing. It can be seen that all officials in the imperial court must go through the prime minister when they are appointed or dismissed.Another example is Zou Cao, which is responsible for managing all chapters of the court.There are also others, such as Hucao, Cicao, Facao, etc., each of which has its own master, covering almost all the government affairs of the country.From the names and powers of the thirteen Caos, it can be seen that the government affairs of the country are mainly handled by the prime minister and the Caos in the prime minister's mansion, not by the emperor himself.

The period when the imperial power was separated from the ministerial power, and the royal family and the imperial court were separated, was the most glorious period of the dynasty.

After arriving in Emperor Xiaowu, the situation changed suddenly. Emperor Xiaowu was very talented and ambitious, and he wanted to make great achievements forever. He felt that the prime minister was in the way, so he took away the prime minister's power.The nine ministers of the outer court directly accepted the orders of the inner court, and the inner court immediately gained power, and Shang Shutai almost replaced all the powers of the prime minister's office.

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Since Emperor Xiaowu took away the power of the prime minister, of course he would not let the prime minister interfere in the affairs of the royal family, so before Emperor Xiaowu died, Huo Guang was appointed as the assistant of the great general Sima. , There is a big Sima in the inner court, and there are often conflicts between the royal family and the court.This conflict reached its acme after the death of Emperor Xiaozhao.

After the death of Emperor Xiaozhao, King Changyi was established as emperor.Liu He, the king of Changyi, did one thousand one hundred and twenty one absurd things that should not be done within 21 days of his accession to the throne, so he was deposed, and Liu Xun, the son of Liu Shi, the deposed prince during Emperor Xiaowu's time, was replaced as emperor.At that time, Huo Guang convened Jiuqing to discuss the matter of abolishing the emperor and rebuilding the imperial lineage, saying that the succession of the imperial lineage was a private matter of the royal family, and threw the prime minister aside.

The existence of the royal family is due to the existence of the emperor, and the existence of the emperor is due to the existence of the court, so the succession of the imperial lineage is a matter of the court, not a private matter of the royal family.The hereditary inheritance of the emperor is based on the laws of the Han Dynasty. If the emperor has no heirs or other changes, the succession of the imperial line should be discussed by the court, but Huo Guang ignored the ancestral law and acted recklessly.

Huo Guang was in charge of the Shangshutai of the inner court in the name of the Great General Sima, who assisted the government. He did not allow the court to participate in royal affairs, but represented the royal family to intervene in court affairs. If so, the royal family would surpass the court.Originally, the Shangshu at the Shangshutai was only the emperor's inner court secretary, and all the positions in the inner court belonged to Yushi Zhongcheng. Now Yushi Zhongcheng has become a decoration, and the emperor has become deaf. Of course, the emperor is unwilling.So Emperor Xiaoxuan restored the old system, and there was still Yushi Zhongcheng in command of the Shangshu. Everything was submitted by Yushi Zhongcheng to the Yushi doctor, and then to the prime minister. The inner court and the outer court immediately communicated.In this way, the power of the Great General Sima will gradually weaken.

Emperor Xiaoxuan has been in power for 20 years, the officials are clear, the people live in peace, the country is prosperous, and it is called "Zhongxing".

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After the death of Emperor Xiaoxuan, the Huoshi family was immediately wiped out, but the reform of Emperor Xiaoxuan also failed immediately. The power is still light, so the accumulation of evils has become a disaster, and there is the disaster of Wang Mang usurping the Han.Wang Mang was assisted by the Great General Sima, and then monopolized power.

After Emperor Guangwu rejuvenated Sheji, he learned the lesson of the defeat of the previous dynasty.He first increased the power of Shangshutai, monopolized power by himself, and then changed the "three princes" of prime minister, Taiwei, and doctor Yushi to Da Situ, Da Sima, and Da Sikong, and one "gong" commanded the three ministers.The Sangong is just a noble name, and the real power is in the hands of the minister. In other words, the power of the country belongs to the emperor alone.

Emperor Guangwu rejuvenated the country, but also planted the seeds of overthrowing the country.

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"System." Li Hong suddenly realized the true meaning of Zhao Qi's question, "What does your lord mean, to follow the example of Emperor Xiaoxuan, restore the old system, and rebuild the checks and balances between imperial power and prime minister power?"

Zhao Qi looked at Li Hong in surprise, and praised loudly: "My lord is really a genius." Li Wei's face showed admiration, and he couldn't help asking, "How did your lord think of it?"

Li Hong smiled embarrassingly, "Have you forgotten that when planning the establishment of the dynasty, the Taifu Lord Liu Yu, Zhang Wen, and the boss, and other lords, repeatedly explained to me why the old system should be used? The Sangong is the structure of the imperial court. One of the reasons is to weaken the imperial power and separate the imperial power from the prime minister's power so as to control the power of relatives and eunuchs."

Zhao Qi nodded happily.

For decades, scholars and eunuchs have repeatedly failed in their struggle for power. The reason is not because of the lack of force, but because the imperial power is supreme, and the imperial power is superior to the power of the prime minister, and has completely lost its restraint.

Grand Tutor Yuan Kui and a group of ministers planned and launched a campaign against Dong. On the surface, it was to fight for state power, but in fact the real purpose was to use this state power to restore the old system and restore the balance between imperial power and ministerial power , So as to eradicate the long-standing malpractice and revive the country.To put it bluntly, it is to limit imperial power and expand prime minister power.

Why did Master Yuan Kai give Yuan Shao the imperial edict?Why did Yuan Shao, Han Fu, and the big officials of the Dispute Alliance insist on rebuilding the imperial line?The few of us old guys thought about it for a long time, and finally, from this issue, we thought of the reason why Lord Yuan Kai suddenly changed his plan to discuss Dong Zhi.Because today's son is already ten years old, and ten years later, after the emperor has performed the crown ceremony, he will be in power.It is simply impossible to rebuild the old system in ten years.

"Why?" Li Hong asked, "Could it be that ten years is not enough to restore the old system?"

Zhao Qi sighed, "My lord, you must know that Emperor Xiaoxuan's reform failed, otherwise, how could there be the disaster of Wang Mang usurping the country later?"

Li Hong hesitated for a moment and asked, "Why did Emperor Xiaoxuan's reform fail?"

Zhao Qi shook his head, stroked his beard and said, "Because of the Shiqu Pavilion discussion."

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Although Emperor Xiaoxuan respected Confucianism, he adopted a policy of governing the country that combines Confucianism and Legalism, and morality dominates punishment and auxiliary. Therefore, he advocated the restoration of the old system, thinking that separating imperial power from ministerial power, and separating the royal family from the imperial court would be more conducive to the country. However, with the passage of time, the increase of national power and the fierce power struggle, two different voices appeared in the court.

Some ministers said that they should only respect Confucianism and govern the country with virtue, and some policies for governing the country should be revised.Some ministers insisted on governing the country with the policy of Confucianism and Legalism combined with morality and punishment, and refused to modify the established national policy.As a result, a massive debate on Confucian classics broke out in the court.

In order to unify Confucianism, Emperor Xiaoxuan summoned more than 51 contemporary Confucian masters of various Confucian classics to talk about the similarities and differences of the "Five Classics" in the Shiqu Pavilion in the north of Weiyang Palace in Chang'an in the third year of Ganlu ([-] BC).Celebrities and Confucians discussed their different interpretations of Confucian classics, and after a long debate, Emperor Xiaoxuan decided to adopt the most appropriate interpretation and regarded this interpretation of Confucian classics as official learning.

Those who participated in the Shiqu Pavilion discussion included Tong Han and Dai Sheng who studied "Li", Zhang Sheng, Xue Guangde, and Wei Xuancheng who studied "Poetry", Zhou Kan, Lin Zun, Ouyang Changbin, and Zhang Shanzhang (fu) who studied "Book". , Liang Qiulin and Shi Yu (chou) who ruled "Yi", Yan Pengzu who ruled "Gongyang Chunqiu", Yin Gengshi and Liu Xiang who ruled "Gu (gu) Liang Chunqiu".

After discussion, Liang Qiulin asked questions, Confucian scholars answered, the crown prince Taifu Xiao Wangzhi presented his proposals, and Emperor Xiaoxuan personally judged.The memorials of Shiqu's lectures were collected and compiled into the book "Shiqu Yizuo", also known as "Shiqulun", with a total of 150 five articles.After this meeting, among the doctors, "Yi" added "Liangqiu", "Book" added "Xiahou", and "Spring and Autumn" added "Guliang".Except for the three schools of Lu, Qi, and Han who originally studied "Poetry", the divisions of doctoral scriptures in this dynasty all started from Shiquge Jingyi.

Emperor Xiaoxuan attached great importance to "Guliang Chunqiu", because it is conducive to strengthening the controlling power of patriarchal etiquette, and can correct the ills caused by the one-sided emphasis on the rule of law in "Gongyang Chunqiu", and adapts to the requirements of "Jigu Liwen" at that time, so Shiqu Pavilion Sutra As a result of the discussion, the study of "Li" and the rule of ritual have been greatly developed. Da Dai and Xiao Dai's "Book of Rites" were compiled and prevailed during this period.

The Shiquge Conference turned the authority of Emperor Xiaoxuan into the authority of Confucian classics, and the academic views of Confucian classics immediately became the highest law of the country. Therefore, "ruling the country with virtue" became the basis for formulating national policies, "the ministers serve the emperor with loyalty", and the imperial power In this way, the right to prime minister was completely deprived.

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Emperor Xiaoxuan sometimes had the "Discussion of Shiqu Pavilion", and Emperor Xiaozhang had the "Discussion of White Tiger View". This was a grand event in the study of Confucian classics in this dynasty. Li Hong knew it clearly, but he didn't know that Confucian classics actually determined the formulation of national policies and determined The fate of the country determines the rise and fall of the country.

Li Hong bowed to be taught, and asked softly: "What exactly is the boss going to say to me?"

"The first is official studies. Since the first year of Emperor Xiaoai's Jianping (6 BC), Liu Xin wrote the "Shi Rang Taichang Doctor's Book", requesting that ancient Chinese classics be established as official studies, and ancient Chinese classics and modern Chinese classics began to fight. There are nearly 200 years. The facts of the past 200 years have proved that Jinwen Confucianism is a study that is harmful to the country, and it should be abolished immediately, and the official school should be changed to Guwen Confucianism.”

"The second is national policy. The imperial court should immediately use the integration of Confucianism and Legalism, and morality as the basis for formulating national policies, and substantially revise the established national policies."

"The third is the official system. The imperial power must be separated from the ministerial power, and the imperial family must be separated from the imperial court. Otherwise, there will be no hope of revitalizing the country."

Zhao Qi looked at the dignified Li Hong, and asked solemnly: "Can the general take on the important task of revitalizing the country?"

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(End of this chapter)