Chapter 9 Kangzong Chapter 11 The Era of Co-Government
Chapter 2120 Kangzong Chapter 11 The Era of Co-Government
As for whether Emperor Liu Wenpeng can change, this is inevitable. After all, he has taken power personally and can finally do some things he wants to do.
However, before that, Liu Wenpeng needed to find someone to take over the position of Shangshu Ling, which made Liu Wenpeng very nervous for a while.
According to Liu Wenpeng's temperament, he originally thought of abolishing the post of Shangshu Ling, because he found that the power of the "Prime Minister" of the Han Empire was a bit too restrictive on him as the emperor.
Of course, this kind of idea is just an idea. Just think about it. Liu Wenpeng really doesn't dare to take such a big move as deposing the prime minister. This involves the issue of "ancestral system". To a certain extent, it can be compared with suppressing and ostracizing the prime minister.
Much more serious.
When a prime minister falls, there will always be someone to replace him. Everyone has to thank the emperor for giving him the opportunity. If he directly ruins his job, then don't blame the ministers for fighting according to the methods of their ancestors.
By the fourth generation of emperors, affairs of the Han Empire were obviously no longer decided by the emperor alone. The fact that Liu Wenpeng was able to take charge of the government could only prove that he had taken the initiative in controlling the power of the empire. Compared with Taizong, it was a huge difference.
Not to mention Shizu.
Even without discussing these, the empire's prime minister system was first continued from Shizu, and the central leadership position of Shangshu Ling under this system was completely determined as early as when Zhao Pu paid homage to the prime minister for the second time, and the will of Shizu was also implemented.
Even Taizong did not dare to change the things set by the ancestors, let alone Liu Wenpeng. Even though Emperor Taizong carried out many reforms during his fourteen years in office, it also led to changes in the empire's appearance during the Yongxi era compared to the Kaibao period.
Many obvious changes.
But in fact, what Emperor Taizong really did was to correct and improve the government and system of the ancestors. There were many changes, but there were even more enhancements. All changes were made without departing from the sect, the most basic thing of the empire.
It was still Shizu's way. What Emperor Taizong really did was to carry forward the past and open up the future.
And things that have lasted for decades cannot be easily changed by Liu Wenpeng, a young emperor who has been on the throne for only four years.
To be fair, it was not too difficult for Emperor Liu Wenpeng to drive away Liu Ai, Zhang Qixian, Lu Mengzheng and other ministers, or even exclude all Yongxi's ministers from the central government.
What is really difficult is to truly and thoroughly master this empire and this mature social management system, which is to resolve the invisible conflicts and struggles. If this is achieved, then Liu Wenpeng will be qualified to touch the system, rules and so on.
Fundamental things.
The entire imperial system constructed by Emperor Shizu, within it, the emperor could theoretically have unlimited power, but this power did not include modifications to the "ancestral system."
Emperor Taizong was able to touch him a little, which was supported by the strong strength and great prestige accumulated by the prince for more than thirty years and the years of being in charge. Even so, he was cautious, walking on thin ice, and even openly sang "Emperor and Han Clan Law"
"Flag and slogan.
If Taizong is like this, let alone Liu Wenpeng. Without the authority of the ancestors, Taizong will inevitably have problems if he wants to exercise his power. If he dares to change the patriarchal law, especially the patriarchal law that involves the fundamental interests of the powerful, then it is conceivable that there will be a
A large number of people held high the ancestral laws to fight with the emperor.
Once such a situation is formed, Liu Wenpeng will not have much power to draw on. Those nobles and important ministers who have been on his side before may become his opponents. Even those "imperialists" who are lucky enough to advance may not
I won't have any doubts, after all, such people are far more keen and smart than ordinary people in seeing opportunities.
Liu Wenpeng, who had just taken power for the first time, was naturally very proud and arrogant. However, he may not have been able to see the secrets and key points, but the people around him were not all stupid, such as the old slaves of the three dynasties, the young master Liu Gui, and the newly promoted
After the emperor revealed his intention to depose the prime minister, the minister of Zhongshu and the prime minister Wang Qinruo changed their expressions. They tried their best to dissuade him and made powerful statements.
Especially Wang Qinruo, although he supports the abolition of the "prime minister" power of Shangshu Ling from the bottom of his heart. After all, his qualifications as a new prime minister are weak and it is difficult for him to even stand in the political hall. That is good for him. However,
, Wang Qinruo, who wanted to take a long-term view, obviously did not dare to give the emperor any ideas that would offend the public.
In addition to Liu Gui and Wang Qinruo, even the imperial envoy Wang Yue and the military envoy Lin Te also offered advice or warning to Liu Wenpeng.
Seeing that these cronies or "heroes" around him all expressed relatively consistent views, the young emperor Liu Wenpeng couldn't help but murmur. Of course, if Liu Wenpeng's willfulness breaks out, these people cannot persuade him.
What really prevented Liu Wenpeng from "taking off" were the two great mountains of Shizu and Taizong. The power of the ancestors' laws in the current era is difficult for unreasonable people to understand. Each of the articles that gave Shizu his will was
Rules are a constraint for everyone, including the emperor.
This is also the most effective restriction on the emperor by the ruling classes of the empire. How can everyone not hold such a high banner high and defend it with all their strength?
And Liu Wenpeng, after all, caught up with Shizu in his later years. Although it was short-lived, he had a real and intimate experience of Shizu under the afterglow, how majestic or terrifying he was, and he grew up in the "shadow" of Taizong.
Perhaps he didn't have much respect for Master Tiandi and Liu Wenpeng, but he always had a sense of awe for the two generations of late emperors.
If you can't change the system, you have to follow the rules in the end. A single imperial envoy can stir up excitement in the whole court and make various factions fight, let alone the position of Shangshu Ling, the prime minister of the empire.
There was a bloody fight within the imperial court, and basically all the major factions came to an end. Many people whom Liu Wenpeng didn't even have much of an impression of were recommended to him, such as the Hedong transfer envoy Chai Zongjie, who was the youngest son of the British Duke Chai Rong.
Gao Churang, the chief envoy of Guannai Road, is the third son of Anguo Gong Gao Huaide; Zhao Yu, the southwest inspection envoy, is the second son of the late Shaanxi Gong Zhao Yanjin. Both of them are founding fathers and meritorious officials.
It is worth mentioning that a trend has emerged in the inheritance of the nobles and nobles of the Han Empire. Among the second-generation successors, there are still some outstanding talents who can hold important positions in the court and enjoy real power. They continue to consolidate and continue their own legacy.
The achievements and influence created by our fathers.
It can be said that there are a lot of similar figures in the past few decades, and many of them have indeed become the mainstay of the empire. This is true for many ministers and generals, including Zhao Kuangyi.
In the third generation, the situation gradually changed. Those who inherited the title basically only held false positions in the court and did not hold real power. However, those who represented the family and worked hard to maintain and enhance their authority and influence were those who did not.
The descendants of the right of inheritance.
This trend has already been reflected in the later period of Shizu Kaibao, and it has become very common by the time of Taizong. Among them, it may not be without the promotion of two generations of ancestors. While preserving the blessings of the descendants of the nobles, they also
There is a certain division in the family.
This move greatly ensured the fundamental interests of the major noble families, and also enabled the noble families to always occupy a relatively important interest in the political ecology of the empire, even with various management, restriction, and restriction policies and measures of the ancestors and Taizong.
, but their influence on the empire is actually increasing instead of decreasing.
By the time of Liu Wenpeng's reign, the nobles not only maintained an absolute say within the military system, but also within the civil service system, they also conquered cities and occupied many important positions. But for the ministers who suddenly appeared one after another,
"Candidate" Liu Wenpeng was caught off guard for a moment.
As for the position within the imperial court, each one used his own means for the post of minister. The situation was so complicated that even the political affairs hall was unable to organize a court meeting for selection, because Li Hang, the minister of finance, Liu Jichang, the minister of the Ministry of official affairs, and the minister of the war ministry reported to Demingdu
They are strong competitors for Shangshu Ling, and they are all recommended by the political factions they represent.
Even Yang Yanzhao, the consort and commander-in-chief, was favored by others, but Yang Yanzhao decisively refused and even took the initiative to suppress the voices of those "enthusiasts".
A large number of previous cases have proven that Liu Wenpeng lacks both the ability to control and the ability to deal with such complicated situations.
Therefore, Liu Wenpeng, who was overwhelmed with troubles, made a decision that was full of his personality and not surprising after careful consideration. He issued an edict on September 26, the fourth year of Pingkang, to order Wang Dan, the cabinet bachelor, to
He is the Minister of the Book of Order and the Prime Minister of the government.
In fact, from Liu Wenpeng's point of view, basically none of the candidates recommended by the internal and external ministers would be recognized. The first to be excluded are the two military and political systems of the Privy Council and the Ministry of War. It was impossible for the chief of the second government office to become the "prime minister" in the Taiping Era.
.
Next is Li Hang. He is both a veteran of three dynasties and an auxiliary minister appointed by Emperor Taizong. Liu Wenpeng finally managed to get rid of Liu Ai and Zhang Qixian. How could he make himself uncomfortable again without taking Li Hang with him?
By being kicked out of the court, he showed restraint.
The same is true for Liu Jichang, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. After all, he is also the son of the late King Xu Jian Liu Chengyun. After the clan, Liu Wenpeng has to be called the imperial uncle in terms of seniority. It took a lot of effort and saliva to drive Liu Ai to the South China Sea to seal the country.
How could it be possible to carry Liu Jichang up again?
As for other people's considerations, it's even simpler. He's not familiar with it.
After much deliberation, Wang Dan was the right choice. First of all, he was a veteran of three dynasties. He was in his early fifties, and his age, qualifications, ability, and reputation were all sufficient. Secondly, he could be considered a noble queen. After all, his father Wang You was the "Kai Bao"
One of the "Twenty-Four Ministers", even if it is a waterlogged list, they are still the top group of talents in this huge empire within thirty years.
Third and most importantly, when Emperor Taizong established the crown prince, he actually found three teachers for Liu Wenpeng. The prince's tutor, King Zhao Liu Fang, was getting old, and he was forced to take the initiative to build a house in Mang Mountain to guard the mausoleum;
, has passed away, and Liu Wenpeng still carries a bad reputation for being unfair to his teacher; the only one left is Wang Dan, the guest of the prince.
With so many suitable places, it is not surprising that Liu Wenpeng chose Wang Dan, and the reasons for promoting him to Shangshu Ling are also ready. The "Taizong Records" supervised by him has finally been completed. This is a big project
, is also a great merit.
In addition to Wang Dan, Liu Wenpeng also promoted Murong Dechen, the Huguang inspector, to the central government and served as Zuocheng, the minister, and worshiped the prime minister. This move naturally won the favor of Empress Dowager Murong, and the relationship between mother and son returned to what it was before. In fact, Liu Wenpeng
After driving King Lu Liu Ai out of the center, the mother and son began to reconcile.
By the winter of the fourth year of Pingkang, the new core leadership team of the Han Empire was formed: Wang Dan, the Minister of Finance, Li Hang, the Minister of Finance, Liu Jichang, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Xiang Minzhong, the Inspector of the Capital, Li Jilong, the Privy Councilor, Xiang Deming, the Minister of the Ministry of War,
Murong Dechen, the left prime minister of the Shangshu, Kou Zhun, the right prime minister of the Shangshu, Xu Shilian, the Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice, and Wang Qinruo, the newly promoted minister of Zhongshu.
Compared with the early years of Pingkang, the situation has undergone earth-shaking changes. At least the kind of characters who can barely subdue the ministers and lead the overall situation (King Zhao Liu Fang, King Lu Liu Ai, Shangshu Ling Zhang Qixian) no longer exist.
The imperial center also initially formed a leadership group with Emperor Liu Wenpeng as the core, and the Han Empire also began to enter an era of co-governance. This so-called "era of co-governance" was also started by Emperor Liu Wenpeng himself.
The young emperor Liu Wenpeng, who had just come to power, showed an unexpected performance of diligence. He took charge of national affairs personally, organized meetings, received ministers, personally reviewed memorials, and handled major military and national affairs. He fully experienced the guidance of the country.
The scenery and hard work of taking care of everything.
During this process, Liu Wenpeng handled some things well. Chen Zhi, the Minister of Rites, and Wen Zhongshu, the Xuanwei envoy, both passed away, and he issued edicts to express condolences;
He was executed by him in order to rectify the country's laws; the famine-stricken prefectures and counties in the pass also issued edicts to provide relief, sympathized with the suffering, and exempted them from taxes.
To be fair, Liu Wenpeng's performance for such a period of time was quite satisfactory, with a lot less impetuousness and humanity. Although he did not conquer the hearts of many ministers, at least it made people think a lot about him.
The emperor has grown older, has taken charge of the government, and has matured in his dealings with others. So many of his unpopular behaviors before taking office seem to be understandable and worthy of forgiveness. In fact, the emperor is always more tolerant.
It can be said that the more than half a year from the autumn and winter of the fourth year of Pingkang to the summer of the fifth year was the most stable period for the upper class of the Han Empire since entering the Pingkang era.
However, such a period of time was too short, so short that people almost thought it was an illusion. The reason was that the emperor Liu Wenpeng was negligent in his administration.
Liu Wenpeng finally discovered that the days after he had worked hard to drive away the emperor's uncle, defeat his ministers, and gain power were not as good as before for him.
It is difficult to be a wise king, and it is even harder for a diligent wise king. However, Liu Wenpeng's "career of a wise king" actually only existed for less than half a year. He was tired of the overwhelming, endless and endless government affairs.
Compared with dealing with those "trivial" things all day long, Liu Wenpeng prefers riding horses, hunting, playing chess, and even singing and dancing. Even if he hangs out with the concubines in the harem, it is better than staying in Chui Gong Hall, facing the dry winter and aging, looking at
It's much more interesting to hear them argue about state affairs and listen to them nagging and dealing with one after another mundane matters that can't be finished at all.
As a result, Liu Wenpeng gradually relaxed and often showed boredom and exhaustion during government meetings or when the emperor and his ministers were asking questions. Later, he simply "returned" state affairs to the political hall and let Wang Dan and others watch and handle them.
Only when a resolution cannot be reached, and when there are matters at stake involving important appointments in the army or the court, sacrifices, conquests, etc., do you need to ask for his instructions.
The rest of the time, the prime ministers can make decisions together. Of course, Liu Wenpeng will check from time to time to show his presence. Even this point is gradually given up as time goes by.
Because he found that many prime ministers had no intention of "dealing with" him, and they had many conflicts with each other, and they fought happily. He often needed to be the arbiter, which did not threaten his throne. At the same time, there was an imperial city, martial ethics
With the Second Secretary here, he can also keep abreast of the situation in the DPRK at any time. As an emperor, he is as stable as Mount Tai.
After getting rid of the heavy state affairs, Liu Wenpeng finally had time to do the things he really liked, such as hunting four times a year, playing "human chess" with Jia Xuan and other state servants, playing war games in the palace, and holding various "hi
Party until dawn, wandering around the streets of Xijing in search of novelties