Chapter 215 Xia Houxuan presented three national policies, and Sima Yi blocked the restructuring plan
When Cao Shuang saw with his own eyes the 12-year-old little emperor who was dressed in a luxurious and majestic emperor's imperial crown, wearing an emperor's sword, and who had a hint of the late emperor's bearing, completing the crowning ceremony and offering sacrifices to the Ancestral Temple, he suddenly felt a complicated feeling in his heart. Unspeakable emotions.
In terms of etiquette, Cao Fang is his king. Seeing that the king is finally about to grow up, Cao Shuang, who has always thought that he is the humerus of the Wei Dynasty, naturally has some expectations in his heart.
In terms of friendship, Cao Fang is his cousin, the beloved son of the late emperor, cousin, and old friend Cao Rui. The late emperor entrusted his beloved son to him, and now that the child has been crowned, Cao Shuang is naturally happy in his heart.
In addition to these two points of expectations and three points of relief, Cao Shuang's heart actually hides a five points of loss that even he himself was not aware of.
As for the reason for this loss, I'm afraid no one knows for sure.
After Cao Shuang presided over the crowning ceremony of Emperor Cao Fang and saw the emperor offering sacrifices to worthy ministers in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he suddenly felt the ambition to make great achievements in his heart.
One day in the future, I will definitely be like my father Cao Zhen and my uncle Cao Xiu.
While Cao Shuang was looking at the sandalwood screen of the Tiger Tower in front of him, he was imagining his mighty posture, and he clenched his fists excitedly. After a while, Cao Shuang turned around and ordered the general who was accompanying him to take charge of the book. Yang Zongdao:
"Hurry and invite Prince Consort He, Deng Xuanmao, Ding Yanjing and others to come over and tell the story!"
"Yes, General."
After Yang Zong said this, he immediately took action with Yan Shi, the tent supervisor.
Not long after, Wang Ji, Wang Boyu, Wang Shen, Wang Chudao, Wang Hun, Wang Xuanchong and two cousins, as well as He Yan, Ding Mi, Deng Yang, Pei Xiu, Wang Bi, Xun Xu and others all came to the general's mansion.
After the guests of honor were seated, the maid of the General's Palace immediately brought hot tea and grapes from the Western Regions to everyone.
Cao Shuang saw that everyone had arrived, so he planned to express his thoughts straight to the point. He habitually stroked the mighty mustache on his lips, stood up, sat down, and said:
"Everyone, after these years of hard work, the capable people, loyal ministers and officials under Gu's command have all taken root in the court and abroad. The Cao family's empire has finally become more powerful in our hands. It’s stable.”
After listening to Cao Shuang's words, everyone present nodded in agreement and agreed. He Yan, Deng Yang and others did not interrupt. They understood that Cao Shuang must have something to say.
As expected, Cao Shuang continued:
"Although the situation is very good now, it has been the truth since ancient times to sail against the current and retreat if you do not advance. Today, there are still young people in the temples; there are still bandits and bandits entrenched in Wu and Shu. We can only start from the root cause. , can we completely solve these hidden dangers!”
At this time, Ding Mi asked cooperatively:
"I wonder what the general meant by the source?"
At this moment, Cao Shuang showed a mysterious and confident smile on his face, and he spoke his thoughts loudly:
"Imitate Shang Yang and make reforms to strengthen the country!"
As soon as Cao Shuang said this, everyone present was quite surprised and shocked.
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While Cao Shuang and everyone were having heated discussions in the general's mansion, Xia Houxuan was not idle either.
In fact, brothers Cao Shuang and Cao Xi had long asked Xia Houxuan for advice on how to further stabilize the political situation, and then annex Wu and Shu, and unify the world. Xia Houxuan had already made up his mind when he traveled around as a boy and saw the plight of the people with his own eyes.
, wanted to change the bad governance in the world. Therefore, Xia Houxuan had already told his brother Cao Shuang about his idea of restructuring.
Cao Shuang, Cao Xi, and Xia Houxuan himself are now important figures in the world. The seemingly unrealistic fantasies when they were young naturally have the opportunity to be realized at this moment.
Xia Houxuan couldn't sleep at night for several days since he read the letter from Cao Shuang a few days ago about the restructuring idea.
When he learned that Cao Shuang finally agreed to implement the restructuring, he was excited.
That's right, Cao Shuang and his staff want to be famous throughout the ages and benefit the people of the country, so why don't they themselves?
Although I do not agree with the Confucianism of "famous religion" with many hypocritical rules and regulations advocated by the veterans in the court, and prefer the "let nature be natural" Confucianism like Lao Zhuang and Zhuangzi, this does not mean that I want to break away from Confucianism.
path of.
I just want to use this seemingly deviant academic idea to compete with the corrupt, luxurious, hypocritical and unreal Confucianism of the world.
Fundamentally speaking, I am still a well-behaved Confucian scholar.
Cultivate oneself, manage one's family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world.
Which Confucian scholar doesn't want to reach such a state?
Xia Houxuan is naturally no exception.
At this moment, he could not suppress his excitement as he imagined the benefits that the restructuring would bring to both the government and the public. Xia Houxuan also thought to himself that once he and the general succeeded in the restructuring and all policies became stable, he would resign with his wife and children and go into seclusion.
From then on I never set foot in a temple again.
After thinking hard for a few days, he wrote an eloquent article of thousands of words about his ideas and specific measures for restructuring.
[Note 1: The full text of this long article "Current Affairs Discussion" is one of the few autographed articles by Xia Houxuan extant in the world. For the sake of novel effect, the author decided to quote a small part of it below. The article mainly records Xia Houxuan's
There are three major measures for restructuring: first, to rectify the law of nine-rank officials, transfer organizational and personnel power to the central government, and reduce the power of state central officials. Second, to remove counties and change administrative divisions into state and county levels. This is a
A major reform. The third is to simplify the clothing and ostentation. In today’s terms, it can be regarded as a change in the style of the party and government.]
"The officials are responsible for employing people, and they are the handle of the country. Therefore, Quanheng is specialized in the Taiwan Pavilion, which is divided into the upper ones. The filial piety exists in the alleys. The superior and inferior people from the countryside are divided into the lower ones. I want to be selected by the Puritanism. In the Ming Dynasty, I
It’s just a matter of dividing the narration and not interfering with each other. What is it? If you exceed the division above, you may be afraid that the source will not be the source, and the road will be opened for the power to gallop; if you exceed the division below, you may be afraid that the gate of power will be opened to the outside.
There are so many. The emperor's authority is the common people's discussion point; the authority has many branches, which is the source of chaos. Since the official officials and talents in the prefectures and counties have been here for many years, there have been many people, but there is no order. Isn't it wrong?
The divisions and descriptions are wrong, and each loses its important point! ...How can it be that each commander has his own division, and the officials are each based on their attributes.
For the first place, refer to the virtues of the villagers, compare them, and do not be biased. In the middle and right way, only examine their deeds, distinguish their superiority and inferiority, judge the generation, and do not promote or demote... This will make people's hearts settled.
If things are done properly, the common people can calm down the customs and judge the talents of the officials.
He also thinks: "In ancient times, officials were established to help educate the people and manage the people's things. Therefore, they were the rulers and ministers of animal husbandry. The master of animal husbandry wanted to be single and specialized. One official was appointed and everyone was in peace. Specialization was the occupation. Cultivating and doing things is not troublesome. If the husband keeps things simple and keeps things in order, and the superiors and the subordinates live in peace but do not govern, then there is no such thing... If the husband and the officials are not unified, the profession will not be cultivated; if the profession is not cultivated, how can things be simplified? If it is not simple, how can the people be at peace? If the people are not at peace, evil will flourish, and traitors and hypocrites will grow... It is better to have the governor of the province, but to be appointed as the governor; if the governor's office remains, the supervision will not be abolished. There are tens of thousands of county officials, and they are committed to agriculture, so as to save trouble and expenses, and to increase wealth and cultivate grains. All the talents in large counties are qualified to be county guards. When it comes to litigation between right and wrong, whenever business matters change, you will be safe if you obey, and you will fight if you are straight. The husband will be harmonious. The beauty of soup lies in the combination of differences, the benefit of the superior and the inferior, in being able to help each other, and being obedient is safe. If the sound of the harp and harp is played, and the sound is removed, the officials will be able to save things, and the second thing is also to serve as officials in the county, supervise the counties, and run the business. Protect the party and relatives, and if the old hometowns and towns are not in harmony with each other, and they are blocked due to official duties, the people's hardships and disadvantages are to blame. There are many people, there are few talented people, and there are few people who can do things. There are often different good officials in counties and counties. The county is appointed by the county, and its role is inferior. When the officials are selected, the county should be the first. This is an official who is close to the people and has a special job. Below, the officials are responsible for the people's lives, but they are often stubborn. Now that they have been merged, more and more officials will be selected to be honest and good, so as to promote great promotion and prosperity, and the people will be at peace. The fourth is to control the county with ten thousand households and name it as the county governor. The fifth For those with more than a thousand, they will be named Duwei. For those with less than a thousand households, the commander will remain the same. From senior to above, the exams will be transferred and used to be promoted, and the number of herds will also increase. This is a description of the merits of advancement. If the economic system is certain, then Officials have their own merits, and their achievements are all clear, which is the fifth principle. If the provinces and prefectures are guarded, and the counties are all connected, there is no separation of affairs, and no officials are stranded, the style of the three generations, although not necessarily, can be simplified and simplified. , Convenience and cost saving are all here.
He also believes that the changing use of literature and quality is like the successive rise and fall of the four seasons. The king of nature and physical things must help them because of their shortcomings. At the end of the Hundred Kings, the remnants of the Qin and Han dynasties were left with secular and incompetent culture, which should be greatly changed to improve the popularity of the people. Nowadays, the imperial system is from the public, the princes are below, and the generals and above are all allowed to wear silk brocade, Luo Qi, Wan Su, gold The silver and engraved items are from the following, and the clothes of miscellaneous collection are common to the humble. Although there are differences between the upper and lower levels, the system of courtiers has reached the highest level, and the collection of black and yellow has been common to the lower ones. . If you want to prevent the market from selling gorgeous colors, not selling hard-to-find goods, and not making carvings from workers, it will be impossible to obtain them. Therefore, it is advisable to understand the roots of Dali, accurately measure the ancient laws, and select the appropriate literature and quality. Take the best of them as a courtesy. .The uniforms of chariots and carriages should be simple, and all the extravagant things of the late customs should be banned, so that in the homes of the Qian Dynasty and the throne rooms, there would no longer be brocade decorations, and there would be no fancy clothes, and delicate things, from top to bottom. , as for the simple difference, it just shows the level, don't let it go beyond one or two. If you are gifted by merit or special kindness, you should express it with a sense of responsibility, and then take it. What goes up and down is like the wind blowing grass. .If the teaching of simplicity flourishes in this dynasty, the spirit of extravagance will naturally disappear."
Xia Houxuan wrote this long article with a thousand words in one breath. After taking a short rest, he made a copy of it, put the two long letters into envelopes, sealed them with wax, and then put the pen on He sat on the porcelain inkstone and stretched beautifully.
"Here comes someone."
"What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
"Send two messengers to deliver these two letters. Remember, one is sent to General Wu'anhou Cao's house, and the other is sent to Taifu Wuyanghou Sima's house."
"I understand." After receiving the order, the man went out to send someone to deliver the message.
Xia Houxuan thought to himself that the general now wanted to reform the system. Just reforming the ninth-rank official law would offend all the veterans of the Hebei gentry in the court.
Sima Yi has always had a broad vision. If he can get his support for these measures, then this restructuring will be half successful.
Although he wanted to overthrow Sima Yi, the restructuring matter was of great importance and related to the pros and cons and the rise and fall of the subsequent generations of the Wei Dynasty.
Therefore, he thought that if Sima Yi agreed to the restructuring, he would temporarily put aside his personal grudges and cooperate with him to implement the restructuring together.
After all, personal grudges are nothing compared to the prosperity of the Wei Dynasty for thousands of generations.
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Luoyang City, General's Mansion.
Cao Shuang was excited after seeing Xia Houxuan's restructuring blueprint. He thought to himself that this period was indeed extraordinary. His ideas not only included the opinions of He Yan, Ding Mi and others, but also proposed reducing the power of Zhongzheng officials and abolishing the system.
Regarding specific measures such as the county system and the reform of the luxury clothing system, this letter is really important to me and to the Wei Dynasty.
Thinking of this, Cao Shuang immediately summoned the scribe of the General's Mansion and asked him to copy dozens of this letter for preservation and dissemination.
Cao Shuang was very ambitious at this moment. He thought that with these measures taken by Taichu, his restructuring would be successful!
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In Taifu's mansion, Sima Yi was sitting in the camellia pavilion, accompanied by two brothers, Sima Zhao and Sima Master. At this moment, Sima Yi was looking attentively at the reform proposals sent by Xia Houxuan.
After reading the letter, Sima Yi nodded and said:
"Xia Houxuan, this son should not be underestimated... Master, Zhao'er, you two should also read this article by Xia Houxuan."
Master Sima took the long letter first, and Sima Zhao immediately came over, and the two brothers read it together:
"The Zhongzheng rule only examines his deeds, distinguishes his superiority and inferiority, judges his generation, and does not promote or demote him... It is better to be the governor of the province, but he should be appointed as the governor, and to control the county with ten thousand households, he should be named the county governor, more than five thousand
, the name is Duwei, for those with less than a thousand households, the commander remains the same. From senior to above, the exams and classes are transferred to others, and they are promoted to those who can, and the number of herders is also increased. This is a description of the effectiveness of advancement..."
Seeing Xia Houxuan's suggestion of weakening Zhongzheng officials and abolishing county officials, a layer of cold sweat broke out on Master Sima's back unconsciously. Sima Zhao could not help but sigh at the viciousness of Xia Houxuan's eyes.
Nowadays, most of the Sima family's disciples, former officials, and connections are gathered in various counties and serve as the governors of each county. If the county level and county officials are abolished as Xia Houxuan said, it will have no impact on the power of the Sima family.
It is different from drawing money from the bottom of the cauldron. If the Zhongzheng officials responsible for selecting talents, as Xia Houxuan suggested, become idle officials who evaluate talents without the right to select, it will be an even more devastating blow to the power of their own family.
At this moment, the father and son did not intend to temporarily put aside their personal grudges for the sake of state affairs like Xia Houxuan. What they were thinking about at this moment was instead how to thwart Xia Houxuan's reform plan.
Sima Yi thought for a long time and decided to reply to Xia Houxuan personally. He ordered someone to get paper and pen, and wrote with the pen hanging from his wrist:
"At the beginning of Taichu, the wise nephew Ru Yu met: What you said about selecting officials, eliminating the emphasis on officials, and changing the uniform system are all good. However, the three-level system of prefectures, prefectures, and counties has been inherited for a long time, and I am afraid that it cannot be changed. Qin Dynasty
There is no governor, but there are county governors. Although the Han family has governors, they only have six regulations. Therefore, the court can still control the counties. Now there is no need to spend so much time and effort to implement the law of dividing counties. In the past Han Dynasty, Jia Yi also
Due to the extravagance of the clothing system, although the Han Dynasty is dressed in Yigui, it still cannot make people go up and down as they wish. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the clothes in a hurry. I am afraid that these three things will have to wait for future generations to implement them. Zhongda wrote it himself. "
[Note 2: Sima Yi’s reply here and Xia Houxuan’s reply below, “Reply to Sima Xuan Wang Shu”, have modified part of the original text of the ancient letter in order to make it easier for readers to understand.]
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Jiuzifang, Changlinghou Mansion, in the study next to the main hall.
Xia Houxuan felt quite disappointed after reading Sima Yi's reply. Although the letter praised his idea of restructuring, it was just a perfunctory response to him.
Sure enough, Sima Yi still refused to give in even half a step, wasting all his enthusiasm to influence the other party.
However, Xia Houxuan still had some illusions about Sima Yi. After all, if the restructuring made the entire clan an enemy, the resistance would be really scary. After thinking for a while, he wrote another reply, hoping to give it one last try and see what happened.
Can he convince Sima Yi to support his restructuring?
"Taifu Rumei: Although Han Wen is dressed in tacky clothes, he does not reform the legal system. There are arrogant imitations inside and outside. His favorite ministers receive unlimited gifts. From this point of view, it seems to refer to the name that is established in the body, and it is not a strict rule.
The meaning of control is also the same. Today's monarchs are ordered to be in charge of the tombs of the world. They should follow the ancient times and suppress the original version. If it is formulated above, it will naturally be implemented by everyone. When it is appropriate to make changes, you should be diligent and diligent, and on the day when the order is issued,
The response is still ringing in my ears, and I am still humble and say, 'Wait for the talented'. This is not the standard of Yin Ji in Yi Zhou. It is stolen without explanation. It is Xuan's own handwriting."
Not surprisingly, after Xia Houxuan's letter was sent, it was like a mud cow drowning in the sea, without any reply.
It seems that the Sima family must be overthrown!
After Xia Houxuan was disappointed, a fierce look flashed in his deep eyes.