The repercussions caused by Ding Wei's impeachment in the court can be described as a stone's throw that caused thousands of waves. In the past few years, there have been numerous criticisms and criticisms of the prime minister, but this kind of naming and surname, tearing apart the face, and naked attacks on the people in charge.
This is the first time in more than 20 years that the situation of the Prime Minister of the court and the officials of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and Heavenly Officials has happened.
Zhi Zhi Gao Ding said that this Tanhua, who was held in the autumn of the first year of Yongxi, was famous for a while. In addition, Zeng Hui, who had previously served as the prefect of Haidong and the governor of Haidong, was promoted to a bachelor of Jixian Palace and supervised the compilation of "National History" and "Taizong Era".
Sun He of "Records", and Yu Xianke who was transferred to the post of deputy chief envoy of Liaodong Province, the second year of Pingkang seemed to be the year when the current Jinshi collective broke out in the "Autumn Examination of the First Year".
Immediately after Ding Wei, Emperor Liu Wenpeng returned to the palace from Shangyang Palace and held an imperial meeting in Chui Gong Hall to discuss "Ding Wei's impeachment of Lu Mengzheng". Emperor, this can be considered a "blockbuster".
In response to this matter, everyone in the imperial court took action after hearing the news. In front of the imperial court, a fierce debate started. Zhang Qixian, Li Hang, and Kou Zhun firmly defended Lu Mengzheng, while Ding Wei could only be regarded as a pawn, the one who really led the charge.
, they were Wang Xuanzhen, the imperial envoy, and Xu Shilian, the minister of punishment. One of them was a die-hard loyalist to Taizong, and the other was a lonely minister with the label of "Eagle Dog".
The two of them criticized Lu Mengzheng, of course, not out of personal grudges. In essence, they opposed his "abolition of the Imperial City Division" for the purpose of safeguarding imperial power. Especially Wang Xuanzhen, because of his background, he was almost the same as the Manchu ministers and ministers.
He is out of tune, and his position cannot be entirely on the side of "Prime Minister".
When he was still a martial arts envoy, he fought with the Imperial City Division and once hoped that the Imperial City Division would disappear. However, it was only after the "Trouble over the King" caused by Zhang Xun and Lu Mengzheng in Shizu's later years that Wang Xuanzhen truly realized
After arriving at the Imperial City, where the two divisions of Wude were in opposition to each other but achieved mutual success, I truly understood the value and positioning of the two divisions to the emperor and the imperial power.
As an envoy of Wude who had been in power for many years, he was not tolerated by other ministers, and his stance on issues involving the Second Division, especially the Wude Division, was bound to be biased. Although Lu Mengzheng was still targeting the Imperial City Division, the Emperor
If the City Secretary is banned and abolished, what about the Military Virtue Secretary, the former Military Virtue Envoy?
Compared with Wang Xuanzhen who had no choice, Xu Shilian took the initiative to attack and had conflicts in political ideas with Naqian's ministers, especially Li Hang and Lu Mengzheng. As a "Dai Zui" scholar, he endured many hardships on the northern frontier.
After more than ten years of hard work, he rose again and became a member of Taizong and an important minister in the ministry. Xu Shilian was the most solid practitioner and defender of the "Shizu-Taizong" policy concept.
On this point, he is more determined than the hard-working prime minister Zhang Qixian, who also came from the local area and has experienced many trials and tribulations. Zhang Qixian is the minister after all and needs to consider everything and take the overall situation into consideration.
In comparison, although Li Hang and Lu Mengzheng were quite talented in governing the country and were like Liu Sui Kaibao and Yong Xi in terms of political style, they still had their persistence in ideological concepts and their belief in "Confucianism as the foundation".
The idea of "the body", "the rule of benevolence and virtue, and "the gentleman ruling the country" is still there. To put it simply, they want to take the "turn back".
We can get a glimpse of the situation in the selection of scholars in the spring of the second year of Pingkang. Compared with the previous examinations, this time with Li Hang as the director, there were obvious changes in the proportion of candidates. The most significant point is that "Ming Ming"
There are 33 people studying economics, which is the first time in decades. At the same time, the number of people studying medicine, engineering, and agriculture has almost returned to the level in the middle of the Kaibao period.
What is less obvious is the change in the content of the exam. While retaining the existing basic assessment items such as law, arithmetic, practice, policy theory, etc., a lot of Confucian classics and teachings of sages have been added. The added part has become In order to explain the reason why this year's scholars are so poor, under the influence of the scientific examination environment of the Han Dynasty in the past few decades, there are always some candidates who have the problem of "weak foundation".
Therefore, the scientific examination in the second year of Pingkang has become the most controversial in decades, comparable to the first time when Emperor Shizu proposed the "Pragmatic Theory" and put subjects such as agriculture, medicine, and engineering on the scientific examination hall in a majestic manner. .
The purpose of a group of people in power, represented by Li Hang, in making such changes was obviously to cater to or even bribe those "traditional literati".
It is true that the ideological and academic circles of the Han Empire have undergone great changes after decades of revisions by Emperor Shizu and more than ten years of persistence by Emperor Taizong. As a result, various new ideas and new ideas have been born. theory.
A large number of "new schools" such as Hunan, Fujian, Zhejiang, Suiyang, Qilu, Yan Dynasty, Guanlong, etc. have appeared in the local area. These new schools more or less cater to the will of the rulers, among which the most typical It is the Xiangjiang School.
But it is undeniable that there are still not a few scholars who believe in traditional thinking and adhere to old learning. They are a huge number, and they still occupy a very important say in their thoughts and the right to interpret knowledge, and a large number of them Some people belong to poor families and are common people.
For example, Li Hang has been very popular since the time of Shizu, and his official career has been smooth and he has been promoted all the way. His own quality is naturally sufficient. He was valued by the emperors of Shizu and Taizong, and even became a minister in the posthumous edict. His knowledge, Ability must also be recognized, and he must not be the kind of person who is incorrigible and clings to his shortcomings.
The most fundamental reason why he began to disturb the system and principles of the imperial recruitment system that had been implemented for decades was that he had long discovered an extremely serious and increasingly serious problem in the current military recruitment system, which was the Children from poor families and lower-class scholars are becoming more and more unfriendly. Those subjects and topics that focus on experience and practical application are too demanding and are becoming more and more demanding. They are beyond the reach of ordinary scholars.
In the early years, the empire was short of talents, and it did need a group of pragmatic talents to do things. Even inexperienced scholars could easily get a job as an "official" from local government offices, get some training and gain some experience. After that, taking the scientific examination will be a matter of course.
However, this situation has changed today, decades later, because it is not so easy for officials to do so. Gradually, many scholars have discovered that in today's Han Empire, although there are still many channels for advancement, That is for the powerful and the children of wealthy families, but for ordinary scholars, the room for advancement is actually limited.
For ordinary scholars who want to get ahead, except for those who are talented and born with knowledge, who can pass the imperial examination, and once they reach the sky, the upper limit for many people is only to be an official in the government. You also need to work hard to make breakthroughs, and if you want to continue to make progress, you have to rely on the powerful, which many people do.
You can imagine what will happen if things go on like this, or have already evolved. The Han Dynasty, in fact, has become an empire dominated by "powerful people".
In addition to the meritorious officials and landlords and bureaucrats since the founding of the People's Republic of China, this group of dignitaries also includes some newly-rising academics and wealthy businessmen. They are either powerful, famous, or rich, and they have their children and students as backers.
Can it be compared to ordinary scholars?
In contrast, for scholars all over the world, only the classic teachings of saints are the fairest and lowest cost.
This is also the fundamental reason why Shizu was able to successfully implement his method of "reviving the country through practical means" even though he was criticized by scholars. After all, there was a large number of "silent" powerful people who silently and firmly supported it.
The rapid solidification of classes in the empire was formed as early as the Shizu period. Of course Emperor Shizu had seen it a long time ago, but he didn't want to slap himself in the face, and secondly, he believed more in elite education than those scholars who dropped their bags.
talents, which is conducive to the rule of the empire.
At the same time, under the system of the Han Empire, it was impossible for the clans to appear like those in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. After all, the cultural soil had changed. At the same time, family background was very important, but it was not just about family background. The core of the policy of examinations was still retained.
And carry it forward.
But no matter what, the various contradictions and negative impacts that class solidification will bring to this country will still exist. If they accumulate to a certain extent, problems will inevitably break out.
If Shizu had nothing to do with it, Taizong had no time to do so. After all, throughout his entire reign, he was busy fixing leaks for Shizu and patching up the empire. Of course, Emperor Taizong did not do nothing in terms of the imperial examination. In terms of the system,
We have carried out more stringent and comprehensive strengthening, especially in the expansion of the content and direction of assessment, and strict prevention and severe punishment of fraud and favoritism.
At the same time, the great increase in the proportion of candidates in subjects such as law, arithmetic, agriculture, industry, and medicine in the imperial examinations of the Han Dynasty only really appeared during the Taizong period. Especially the subject of law experienced an expansionary development, because Taizong
Resolutely adhere to the concept of "ruling the country by law". On this path, in addition to various rule of law policies and implementation, the most important measure is to cultivate and promote a large number of officials who know the law, understand the law and can use it.
By promoting the development of "specialized subjects" such as law, arithmetic, agriculture, medicine, and engineering, Emperor Taizong was also a way to alleviate the solidification of the imperial class. First, the empire actually needed these talents in various aspects. At the same time, for the majority of scholars,
It is said that as long as you are willing to lower your eyes and bend down, you can always learn something. No matter how difficult it is, can you still be embarrassed by the obscure and difficult teachings of the sages?
However, such an approach has its upper limit after all. The ideological concepts and cultural traditions inherited over thousands of years cannot be truly reversed in just a few decades. Although the "junior college examination system" is developing in full swing, those
Scholars who showed great enthusiasm were mostly just to cater to the rulers, their purpose was to become officials and enjoy power, and they were contingency measures adopted to realize their personal aspirations of "cultivating one's moral integrity, harmonizing one's family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world."
Once the ideas of those in power change and their policies change, it is not difficult for scholars to abandon their identity and change their stance.
At the same time, neither Shizu nor Taizong could really give up on the traditional scholar-official style. At least ideologically, it was extremely consistent with the Liu family's rule of the world.
Therefore, from the selection of candidates for the imperial examination, to the policy of governing the country, to the imperial system and even ideological concepts, the empire has always been involved, especially in the cultural, educational and political circles. However, in the past, there were strongman emperors like Shizu and Taizong.
, enough to control the situation and suppress conflicts. When the era of peace and prosperity comes, the situation will be different.
A group of civil servants, represented by Li Hang and Lu Mengzheng, launched an attack on the current system of selecting officials. It was precisely because of the background of institutional contradictions in the empire and the situation where all the assistants ruled the country that they had the conditions to launch an initiative.
From an objective point of view, even Lu Mengzheng, who was born in a poor family, belongs to the "powerful people" and is the ruling class that has truly achieved class crossing. Their ideological concepts and policy propositions are actually challenges to a large number of powerful people with vested interests.
It can even be said to be an act of betraying one's own class.
It is precisely because of this that Li and Lu can be treated differently from ordinary bureaucrats and ministers who compete for power and profit. They have their own political opinions and basically work for the country with a public heart.
In the political affairs hall, Zhang Qixian is the minister, and his biggest responsibility is to maintain the stability of the court and maintain the operation of the government. He is an old minister of Taizong, and Yongxi's administration also embodies a lot of his efforts, so Zhang Qixian is more dedicated to the court.
Regarding the continuation and maintenance of Taizong's various policies, in terms of personal ambitions, he did not have as many opinions as when he was a young adult.
In contrast, Li and Lu were both staunch "reformers" and close political allies. Therefore, when Lu Meng was being criticized, Li Hang defended him most firmly.
Similarly, the force of the "Destroying Lu Sect" is equally powerful. There are Wang Xuanzhen and Xu Shilian in the chief hall, and outside the court, there is Liu Jichang, the chief envoy of the capital. Of course, Liu Jichang's main purpose is to consider his own power and position.
After all, it was Lü Meng who was trying to overpower him and ascend to the position of Heavenly Official.
At the same time, Lu Wang Liu Ai's attitude on this matter was also very ambiguous. The main reason was that the political alliance between Li Hang and Lu Mengzheng had too much influence in the court, not just the two of them.
Fame, as well as bonuses from the two powerful positions of Finance Envoy and Officials.
One is in charge of money bags, and the other is in charge of official hats. They are both in the same party. They have shown great power in a short period of time. If it takes a long time, the court will still have the final say by these two people? Therefore, the "Li-Lu Alliance" must be
It was demolished, just like Emperor Liu Wenpeng's considerations. Liu Ming also felt that it would be easier to deal with Lu Mengzheng without the aura of being an assistant minister.
From the emperor to the clan, to the prime ministers and important ministers, one by one their own forces stepped aside and participated in the "defeat Lu" operation. In such a situation, no matter how honest Lu Mengzheng is and how powerful the "Li-Lu Alliance" is, they cannot withstand this situation.
pressurized.
The result was also foreseeable. It was doomed almost from the moment Ding said he was impeached.
However, Lu Mengzheng has almost no moral flaws. His personal words and deeds have always highlighted a "right path". He is full of righteousness, tolerant and fair-minded, and he has always controlled family members and relatives who are prone to problems.
.
Therefore, it is very difficult to find faults with Lu Mengzheng himself. However, "Nothing is difficult in the world, only those who are willing" can pick out the bones in an egg if necessary, let alone find faults with a few of Lu Mengzheng.
The most offensive thing is the point that Ding Wei grasped: using people for personal gain can also be extended to the charge of "bullying the emperor".
The key is that almost twenty years have passed since Lu Mengzheng reinstated the "Twenty-eight Ministers". Among the "Twenty-Eight Gentlemen" who were demoted, there are seven other people who survived, at least all of them.
Was promoted to the state capital level.
And these people, twenty years ago, were the guilty ministers appointed by Emperor Shizu and were demoted and exiled. By doing this, Lu Meng was betraying the "ambition of Shizu". Isn't this bullying the emperor?
Of course, this argument is not very tenable, and the accusation is a bit far-fetched, but these are not important. Shizu's will at the time is not important, and Taizong's re-promotion and appointment of Lu Mengzheng is not worth mentioning.
The key is that there are so many people and powerful forces trying to suppress Lu Mengzheng.
So, after twenty years, a generation of famous minister Lu Mengzheng was once again overthrown for "deposing the Imperial City Division". He did not fight to the end, but was demoted to Taiping Prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River as the magistrate. He still maintained a bit of basic dignity. However,
Considering Lu Mengzheng's age (sixty-four years old) and his unhealthy body, it almost announced his complete demise. Even though he still had the position of governor, his political future had completely withered.
The "defeat Lu faction" who had achieved great victory did not give up. Some people pointed the finger at Li Hang and accused him of "forming a party for personal gain". In this way, the situation could be based on the "Lü Meng case".
It was more serious. After all, Li Hang was the prime minister who was ranked among the top four in Guangzheng Palace and was ordered by Taizong.
As soon as this proposal came out, the shock was naturally greater. However, when the signs were revealed, Shangshu Ling took action. He resolutely defended Li Hang, or in other words, he resolutely defended Taizong's decree and Yongxi's government. In Shangshu
Ling's strong intervention prevented the dispute from becoming too big and Li Hang was involved.
However, the defeat of one of the most important political allies was the biggest blow to Li Han and the group of civil servants led by him.
The "defeat of Lu" that occurred in the winter of the second year of Pingkang had a significant and far-reaching impact on the Han Empire.
From a personal point of view, first of all, Emperor Liu Wenpeng made his own voice for the first time. The imperial power began to recover, and the "dusty" emperor gradually awakened. After all, he killed a prime minister with one move.
At the same time, from Liu Wenpeng's perspective, he seemed to have imagined that the prime ministers and assistants were too powerful, not to mention the conflicts and discord between them. More importantly, the emperor discovered a problem, and he wanted to leverage the power of the court.
The situation in China seems to only require an edict.
Even though those ministers appointed by Emperor Taizong were not allowed to act rashly, what about the others? At this point, Emperor Liu Wenpeng really began to realize what the word emperor meant and what the power given to him by the imperial system was.
For Wang Xuanzhen and Xu Shilian, they saved the Imperial City, maintained the imperial system, and guarded the imperial power.
Liu Jichang, the chief envoy of the capital, finally came to pay homage to the prime minister and was promoted to the official position of Heavenly Official. This time, no one stood in his way.
There were also Zhizhi Gaodingwei, who released the feudal government and became a judge in Tokyo, controlling the judicial power of the capital city with a population of nearly two million.
Of course, for Ding Wei, the greatest significance is to reach heaven to listen, and at the same time once again see what the fierce struggle at the top of the palace is like. For Ding Wei in the later period, he could only sit back and watch the big guys fight.
For a person, while realizing his own humbleness, he is also full of infinite yearning for higher power.
If we look at the "defeat of Lu" from a macro perspective, it has had a severe impact on the political structure of the Han Dynasty that lasted for almost two years. With the passage of time and people's dissatisfaction, the original structure has become more and more serious.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
At the same time, the struggle between political ideas and power among the upper echelons of the empire became increasingly complex and intense.
On the fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the second year of Pingkang, Wang Xuanzhen, the imperial envoy, was expelled from the slaughterhouse. It was Li Hang who took action, and Zhang Qixian, the minister who facilitated it, on the grounds that Mobei was uneasy (it was the conflict between the Man tribe and Mobei Khitan).
As the situation worsened and attacks became more frequent), important ministers were required to go to Shanyang to take charge of the situation.
Wang Xuanzhen was assigned the position of governor of Shanyang and pacifier of Mobei. At least in the local area, his actual power was very heavy.
But at the same time, Wang Xuanzhen's departure to the court also meant the abnormal departure of the imperial ministers, which was the most significant manifestation of the changes in the political situation.
What followed was the end of various forces and the competition for the important position of the Imperial Supervisor. The entire Yongxi era was an era of great expansion of the imperial supervisory system. By the end of Yongxi's reign, it was already the Department of Government Affairs.
It is second only to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Yamen of the Finance Department.
For this position, various forces fought fiercely, even to the point where even the King of Lu, Liu Ai, and Shangshu Ling, Zhang Qixian, could not suppress it.