Chapter 247 The Emperor is in trouble, Wolong speaks out
Although it was already late at night, the ministers seemed to have expected that Liu Bei would summon them, so under Liu Bei's summons, the ministers quickly gathered in Liu Bei's bedroom.
Because it was not a formal court meeting, after the ministers arrived, Liu Bei asked them to find a place to sit down in the palace.
Liu Bei summoned not many ministers tonight, but they were all people worthy of his trust in terms of loyalty or intelligence.
Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, Shangshu Ling Liu Ba, Shizhong Huang Quan, Yizhou Zhongzhong engaged Yang Hong, etc.
After these ministers sat down, Liu Bei asked:
"Now that I am practicing Zuo, the news will reach Jiangdong in less than half a month."
"What do you think, how can I reward Sun Quan alone?"
When Liu Bei asked his question, he looked at the ministers present, hoping that they could give a solution.
After several ministers learned about Liu Bei's question, they began to think about it.
When Liu Bei was the king of Hanzhong, although there was a gap in status between him and Sun Quan, they were essentially Han ministers.
Therefore, after the First World War, Liu Bei and Sun Quan became allies again, which was justified by both emotion and reason.
Sun Quan would not feel too aggrieved.
But now Liu Bei Jianzuo proclaimed himself emperor and became the new emperor of the Han family.
The Son of Heaven is the supreme being in this world, and Sun Quan's original title was no more than a Cavalry General. In name, Liu Bei is now Sun Quan's king. With such a gap in status, it is not suitable for the two parties to become allies.
At least on the surface, the relationship between the two parties cannot exist in the form of allies.
This is a matter of righteousness and honor and cannot be taken lightly.
But in reality, Sun Quan was a feudal lord in a separate state, and he had his own way to govern Jiangdong. Therefore, once he heard the news that Liu Bei had proclaimed himself emperor, he was definitely dissatisfied.
An important reason why Sun Quan launched a surprise attack on Jingzhou was that Liu Bei became the King of Hanzhong, which made him a step ahead of Sun Quan in terms of status, which made him dissatisfied.
Now Liu Bei's status is more than just a step above him.
And according to the results of Liu Bei's rewarded generals today, all Sun Quan's original Han Hussars generals were given to Ma Chao by Liu Bei.
According to Sun Quan's character, it's strange that he felt happy.
The current situation facing the Han Dynasty is that there is a sworn enemy in the north who is against the Wei Dynasty, and in the east there is the "Hanchen" Sun Quan who may change his attitude.
Among them, Ni Wei was the enemy of the Han Dynasty and his family, so there was naturally no room for change in the relationship between the two.
Once the Han Dynasty resumed Han rule, the first thing they would do in the future would definitely be the Northern Expedition.
Only by making the Northern Expedition against the Wei Dynasty the national policy of the present Han Dynasty can the legitimacy of the present Han Dynasty be further strengthened.
So Liu Bei asked the ministers how he should reward Sun Quan.
Liu Bei's questions fully reflected his attitude towards Sun Quan, which was to give priority to appeasing him.
Historically, the first thing Liu Bei did after he became emperor was to lead his army to the east. This was because Guan Yu's death made him lose his mind, and no matter how many ministers tried to persuade him, it was useless.
Now Guan Yu is alive and well, and Jingzhou has not been lost, so Liu Bei's overall view still exists.
Liu Bei's views are also the views of most ministers in the Han Dynasty.
After Liu Bei asked, Yang Hong, who was in charge of the governance of Yizhou, handed Liu Bei his hand and said:
"In my opinion, it is better to confer Sun Quan the title of Grand Sima."
When Yang Hong's suggestion was made public, there were not many looks of agreement on the faces of the ministers present.
This is because the official position of Da Sima is too high.
In the pre-Qin period, there was a military attache called Da Sima.
For example, the great Sima Rongguang of the Yellow Emperor, Jiang Ziya, the great Sima of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and Tian Rangju, the great Sima of the Qi State.
It can be seen from this that as early as the pre-Qin period, Da Sima was the title of a very high-ranking military officer.
After Qin Shihuang unified the world, he established Taiwei in the central government instead of Chief Sima.
The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system, and in the early Western Han Dynasty, Taiwei held the post of Chief Sima in the central court.
Later Xiaowu Emperor Liu Che dismissed the Taiwei in the second year of Jianyuan, and in the fourth year of Yuanshou he appointed the Great Sima, with the title of General Wei Qing, and the Hussars General Huo Qubing had many merits, so they were given the title of Great Sima, with the title of General.
But at that time, the Grand Sima was only promoted to an official position, and there was no specific seal, ribbon, or salary.
During the reign of Emperor Xiaozhao, Huo Guang came to power in the name of "Da Sima, the General in Charge of the Secretariat", creating a situation in which "political affairs were decided by the General Guang".
After Emperor Xiaocheng came to the throne, Wang Feng assisted the Grand Sima General. "All political affairs, big and small, came from Feng, and the emperor never raised his hand."
From that time on, all ministers who were promoted to the rank of Grand Sima naturally had the power to assist the government, and sometimes even had the same power as the emperor.
After the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the official system of the Eastern Han Dynasty basically followed the official system of the late Western Han Dynasty. The Grand Sima was the head of the three princes and was in charge of the military.
Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu made General Wu Han the Great Sima and Du Mao the Great General.
Obviously, at this time, Grand Sima is no longer an official title, but a specific official position with power above that of the Grand General.
Later, Liu Xiu felt that the power of Da Sima was too heavy and could even threaten the power of the emperor, so after Wu Han's death, Liu Xiu changed Da Sima to Taiwei.
By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Three Dukes had become a virtual position. In addition to the Three Dukes, there was another Grand Sima. The rank of the Grand Sima was above the Three Dukes, Taifu, and General.
If the general is the pinnacle of human ministers, then the dignity and authority of the great Sima have even transcended the category of human ministers and can be compared with the emperor.
For example, the former Grand Sima Liu Yu.
After Liu Yu became the Grand Sima, Yuan Shao even thought about making Liu Yu the new emperor, which shows the status of the Grand Sima in the hearts of the Han Dynasty subjects.
The current emperor Liu Bei is also called Da Sima when he is called the King of Hanzhong. This shows that the status of Da Sima is equal to that of a king.
Compared with the great general, in addition to the difference in status, there is also a big difference in power between the great Sima and the great general.
The general is the pinnacle of military attachés, but most of his military power is in control of the central army.
If the general is out of town, then the emperor's specific appointment is required for the general's authority to command troops.
For example, Dou Xian, the great general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Guan Yu, the great general of the modern Han Dynasty. Liu Bei specifically stated in the edict that he was the commander-in-chief of all the military affairs in the East.
But the Grand Sima is different. Once a minister becomes the Grand Sima, he can nominally mobilize all the military power in the country.
For the Grand Sima, things like running a government and managing affairs and maintaining integrity are all secondary powers.
People who have served as Chief Sima since the Han Dynasty, let alone Wei Huo, when Huo Guang and Wang Mang served as Chief Sima, they could directly depose and establish the emperor!
In fact, Yang Hong suggested that Liu Bei canonize Sun Quan as Grand Sima, which he believed was the best solution under the current situation.
Rewarding is based on three aspects: official position, title, and actual authority.
Sun Quan was actually a feudal lord in Jiangdong, and his actual powers did not require rewards at all.
Before that, Sun Quan's official position was General of Hussars and Marquis of Nanchang.
Therefore, if Liu Bei wanted to reward Sun Quan, he could only focus on these two aspects.
And since it is a reward, it must be to promote Sun Quan's official position.
According to the military system of the Han Dynasty, from the hussar general to the general, there are the generals and the generals.
As for Sun Quan's title of Marquis of Nanchang, it is already the title of County Marquis, and the titles above County Marquis are Duke and King.
According to the white horse oath sworn by Emperor Taizu of the Han Dynasty, it was impossible to grant the title of king to Sun Quan.
As for the Duke, it would have been a good compromise.
However, with the two role models of Wang Mang and Cao Cao, the duke has become the standard choice for rebellious ministers, so the duke cannot be granted to Sun Quan.
Under such circumstances, Yang Hong believed that only by granting the title of Grand Sima to Sun Quan could he be satisfied and appease him.
Just because of the particularity and importance of the post of Grand Sima, it is impossible for Zhuge Liang to agree to let Sun Quan become the first Grand Sima of the modern Han Dynasty.
Apart from anything else, if Guan Yu knew that Sun Quan had become Grand Sima, he would definitely be the first to express his dissatisfaction.
After Yang Hong's advice, Zhuge Liang immediately paid his respects and said: "Sun Quan is originally a relative of a foreigner. If he is granted the title of Grand Sima, who can nominally control him in the future?"
Zhuge Liang's words hit the nail on the head and directly made it impossible for Sun Quan to become the Great Sima.
Although Sun Quan's sister, Mrs. Sun, has passed away, she was once Liu Bei's official wife after all.
According to the tradition of the Han Dynasty, the main criterion for judging whether a person is a relative is whether there is a woman in the family who has been the emperor's wife.
Even if the emperor's wife has died or left no heirs to become the new emperor, the woman's status as a relative of the family will not change.
For example, Liang Ji, the great general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, or the current Mi clan of the East China Sea.
Although Mrs. Mi is no longer here, in the minds of the ministers, the Donghai Mi family is still a real family of relatives.
The status of maternal relatives originally had a special significance in the politics of the Han Dynasty.
If Sun Quan is allowed to be promoted to Grand Sima again as a relative, as Zhuge Liang said, it would be better if Liu Bei is still alive. If Liu Bei is gone in the future, then Sun Quan will be the first assistant minister in name.
Coupled with the fact that he is actually a feudal lord on one side, the newly established Han Dynasty may trigger a huge civil strife.
Now Liu Bei is no longer the King of Hanzhong. It would be okay if Liu Bei used to be the King of Hanzhong and presented Sun Quan as the Grand Sima.
Anyway, the legitimacy of the above table is open to question.
But now Liu Bei is the founding king of the modern Han Dynasty, and every edict he issued has a sacred character in the modern Han Dynasty.
So to nip things in the bud, Zhuge Liang would not agree with the ambitious Sun Quan to become the first chief minister of the modern Han Dynasty.
After listening to Zhuge Liang's advice, Liu Bei nodded and said, "What the Prime Minister said makes sense."
Liu Bei's words were equivalent to rejecting Yang Hong's proposal.
After vetoing Yang Hong's proposal, Liu Bei looked at Zhuge Liang and asked Zhuge Liang: "What are your suggestions, Prime Minister?"
Before Zhuge Liang served as Prime Minister Liu Bei's government affairs, he was originally Liu Bei's chief adviser.
Only later, as Liu Bei's power gradually expanded, and more and more advisers joined Liu Bei's power, Zhuge Liang's responsibilities gradually changed to the direction of the steward.
But this does not mean that Zhuge Liang can only deal with government affairs. He is almost omniscient.
Facing Liu Bei's inquiry, Zhuge Liang bowed to Liu Bei and said confidently:
"The Han Dynasty has two ancestors. For more than 400 years, the name of the Han Dynasty has long been famous throughout the world and powerful throughout the country.
Now your majesty is practicing Zuo in the southwest, uniting heaven and earth above, and responding to the people's hearts below. This is the time when all kinds of wastes are waiting to be revitalized.
Sun Quan was a man of great talent, and he also controlled Jiangdong. Although his vitality was severely damaged by the public security battle, his strength should not be underestimated.
Sun Quan was the Han hussar general Nanchang Hou'er. His official position was low, his power was low, and he was subordinate to the ministers.
Now if your Majesty wants to reward Sun Quan, you can give him the title of Taiwei as a general. Taiwei is the head of the three princes, which is enough to show his status.
As for his title and salary, he cannot be crowned a prince. If the husband's throne is removed from the rank of emperor, his etiquette and order will be incompatible with the imperial minister.
If he is a marquis, the people of the south of the Yangtze River will not have the righteousness of a monarch or a minister with him. If your majesty pays too much attention to his title and appoints him as a monarch or minister for the sake of rewards, this will be like a tiger spreading its wings.
Therefore, Your Majesty can follow the old example of Emperor Gaozu and grant Sun Quan the title of Marquis of Jiujiang, with the title of Ten Thousand Households, and that is enough!"
After listening to Zhuge Liang's advice, Liu Bei had a smile on his face.
Zhuge Liang's two suggestions perfectly solved his doubts.
In the political tradition of the Han Dynasty, there is a very important criterion, that is, there must be a story to rely on.
What does this mean?
That is, whether the emperor or ministers are doing things, they must find examples from history to provide theoretical basis for what they do.
Although the position of the Three Dukes is very respected, if we only look at Sun Quan's personal reputation among scholars, he is definitely not up to the level of the Three Dukes.
But he is strong enough.
In the history of the Han Dynasty, there are many stories about ministers leading troops on expeditions in the name of Three Dukes.
As long as Sun Quan is granted the title of Taiwei, then from a nominal point of view, Sun Quan will be like those generals in history who used the respect of the Three Dukes to conquer all directions for the Emperor of Han.
Once such an impression is formed, not only will Sun Quan's identity as a Han official remain unchanged in the minds of living people, but it will also strengthen the people's sense of belonging to the Han Dynasty in Jiangdong.
The position of Taiwei is definitely above that of the Hussars General, so worshiping Sun Quan as Taiwei is of course a great reward for him.
Although the Taiwei has a high status, it is only a false position.
Therefore, it is very suitable for canonizing a prince with both strength and ambition like Sun Quan.
As for the title and reward given to Sun Quan, that is even more appropriate.
Although since the Eastern Han Dynasty, even the fiefdoms of county princes were in most cases no more than one county.
However, in the Western Han Dynasty, the fiefdoms of county princes could have tens of thousands of households, covering several counties in a row.
Although Liu Bang strictly ordered ministers with different surnames not to be crowned kings, he had no restrictions on marquises. As long as the emperor liked it, he could grant him any title.
No matter how many fiefs a marquis has, he cannot participate in the governance of the area he belongs to, so he cannot nominally control the subjects in the area he belongs to.
Originally, Sun Quan did not have many settlements for the Marquis of Nanchang. Liu Bei added tens of thousands of settlements to Sun Quan, which was of course a huge reward.
The most important thing is that Zhuge Liang suggested that Liu Bei give Sun Quan the title of Marquis of Jiujiang.
Jiujiang is the old name of Huainan, but now Huainan is in the hands of Cao Wei.
Therefore, if Sun Quan really wants to get the tens of thousands of households in Jiujiang, he can only attack Hefei and conquer Huainan.
In this way, as long as Sun Quan accepts Liu Bei's reward, his next military action will be to attack Huainan both emotionally and rationally.
That's where he lives.
The reward proposed by Zhuge Liang to Sun Quan can not only be just right, reflect Liu Bei's legitimacy, but also achieve the effect of making Sun Quan continue to attack Hefei, sharing part of Cao Wei's troops, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.
Liu Bei looked at Zhuge Liang with admiring eyes.
Kong Ming is still the same Kong Ming. Whenever he has any questions, it is always right to ask him.
The ministers present were also amazed by Zhuge Liang's suggestion.
A matter that originally seemed to be quite difficult was easily resolved with Zhuge Liang's few words.
However, the attendant Huang Quan had a doubt and asked Zhuge Liang:
"But what if Sun Quan doesn't accept your majesty's reward?"
Huang Quan's question made everyone react immediately.
Yes, what I just mentioned are the benefits of Sun Quan accepting Liu Bei's reward, but what if Sun Quan does not accept Liu Bei's reward?
Facing Huang Quan's question, Zhuge Liang said with a smile:
"After the First World War, the people of Jiangdong were all afraid of the champion, and Cao Ren's head could be used."
When Zhuge Liang said these words, everyone present smiled.
No more doubts.
The ministers present all bowed to Zhuge Liang and said, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister."
Listening to the ministers' praise of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei smiled in his heart and said:
How can I be disrespectful? He is Wolong!
(End of chapter)
This chapter has been completed!