Chapter 68 Renzong Chapter 10 The Political Ecology of the Empire
Chapter 2193 Renzong Chapter 10 The Political Ecology of the Empire
The period when Fan Zhongyan was in power also ushered in a true "commons era" in the Han Empire. From the central level, the empire's "commons" bureaucrats truly overshadowed the aristocratic group for the first time.
During Fan Zhongyan's civil service reform, a group of people who were serving as ordinary people were deposed. Of course, there were many common people and dignitaries among them, but most of them were those who held high and important positions because of their family background.
At the same time, a large number of talents have been promoted, which will inevitably increase the strength and influence of the common people's bureaucracy. After all, after hundreds of years of development and accumulation, great changes have taken place in ideological concepts and social economy, and the talent reserves of the common people's groups have
The coverage and coverage far exceed those of those heroes and nobles.
Of course, by the 11th year of Zhengtong, the so-called nobles and common people in the Han Empire were not completely opposed factions. As early as the Taizong period, the two sides had already begun to merge.
Among the common people, there are many people who have joined the powerful in order to seek advancement, and many people have even been able to reach high positions. However, the meritorious officials and nobles whose family inheritance is the inheritance, especially those who have made military achievements, have been reduced to hereditary pressures.
Increasing day by day, in order to ensure the family's power and influence, it is also recruiting disciples and supporting the cultivation of talents from the common people.
Therefore, among the upper-class ruling class of the Han Empire, factions were no longer simply distinguished by family status and origin. The division of various power groups was actually very complicated.
Clan, relatives, clans, schools, reformists, conservatives, royalists, prime ministers, centralizers, local factions, and even simple interest groups born in the long years of each government office have greatly enriched the politics of the empire.
faction.
In contrast, those middle and lower-level officials and scholars with low authority and narrow vision pay more attention to family origin and family status. How many self-proclaimed nobles secretly envy those "stinking" powerful people and power?
, rushing to chase.
The leaders of various factions, regardless of whether they are noble or common, actually have a common identity - the powerful, and they all belong to the same class - the ruling class. The group divisions between them are only based on the internal conflicts and differentiation of different political stances and interests.
While the upper class of the empire is becoming increasingly solidified, conservative, slow, and degenerate, political stability is actually constantly improving, and it lies in a balancing act.
There may be some people or factions who can be strong for a while and hold great power, but it is absolutely impossible to balance all the people and forces. This was also the political ecology of the Han Empire during Fan Zhongyan's reign. This was also the reason why he, as a "poor family" and Nanchen, obviously
The real reason why, despite the lack of support from the imperial power, he was able to rise to the top of a hundred officials, be ranked in the Shangshu Ling, and hold the largest part of the Prime Minister's power in his hands.
The formation of this political ecology not only reflects the rise of new dignitaries, but also the surrender of power by old dignitaries is not necessarily a bad thing for the imperial power. After all, the ancestors had to work hard and do their best.
A balance that can only be maintained through means has been truly established in the upper echelons of the empire after hundreds of years of vicissitudes.
It is both a convention and a common practice, and it can be said to be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Take a look at what Emperor Liu Weizhen did. If you list it carefully, he seems to have done nothing. Even the Taoist temple he always wanted to build was blocked by Fan Zhongyan.
But the state of the Han Empire was like a mountain despite the wind and rain! This was the deep-rooted stability brought about by the political system and ecology that the empire had spent hundreds of years forming.
However, when the superstructure becomes more and more conservative and stubborn, some problems and shortcomings will inevitably arise. For example, if Fan Zhongyan wants to change and reverse the natural trend and objective laws of the dead, it is obviously very difficult.
From the high expectations and cheers in the hall when he returned to Beijing in the sixth year of Zhengtong, to the "infamy" in the twelfth year, there was constant criticism. In these six years, Fan Zhongyan's many improvement measures and policies were struggling to support and maintain Jianlong.
While the afterglow of the prosperous age is rising, colleagues and comrades are constantly being screened.
Needless to say, there is no need to say more about the economic rectification. Sake makes people's faces red, and gold moves people's hearts and cheeses. People will naturally regard them as their enemies. However, the economic field of the empire is deep and muddy, and it is possible to fish in troubled waters.
There is a lot of room for compromise and transactions.
The key lies in political measures, especially Fan Zhongyan's selection of talents, employment of people, and meritocracy. Although it is politically correct and unbreakable in the world, it cannot ignore the actual political environment.
Therefore, when Fan Zhongyan began to think about the Enyin system, even if it was just an improvement, plus some restrictions, it still attracted crowds to attack, and it was doomed to fail and leave, because he touched the old and new nobles of the court.
The interests of everyone are far more important than the fundamental political interests of money.
The backlash came in the twelfth year of Zhengtong, after the Hebei Rebellion was completely calmed down. This was because the initiators understood the righteousness well, or it was a good time to seize it.
Of course, even if he could not change the deep-seated and fundamental problems, Fan Zhongyan still achieved some major changes in the existing system. For example, it was during Fan Zhongyan's period that civil servants took charge of the army and appeared openly in the military and political arena of the empire for the first time.
superior.
The monopoly of the military aristocrats on the Ministry of War had been broken for decades. During the Zhengtong period, under the leadership of Fan Zhongyan and with the support of a group of common people, taking advantage of the "Shi-Li Conflict", the military and political affairs of the Privy Council were dominated by the military aristocrats.
The monopoly of powerful people has also been broken.
"Shi" refers to Shi Yuansun, and "Li" refers to Li Guangfu. One of these two people is a descendant of Shi Shouxin, and the other is a great-grandson of Li Jun. They are both descendants of the long-established nobles with great roots in the empire.
After the Privy Councilor Zhe Weichang died of illness, various recruiters fought fiercely to compete for the Privy Councilor's position, triggering a major reshuffle within the imperial military order system.
Finally, Fan Zhongyan joined forces with the Xiao family to promote Xiao Hui, a famous general from the Sejong period, to the post of Privy Council envoy. However, at the same time, Fu Bi, who was then the northwest inspection envoy, was appointed deputy Privy Council envoy. This was the first time for a civil servant
A real person in the imperial martial arts hall, even the lowest ranked privy deputy.
Academic scholars such as Fu Bi and Han Qi were famous and fully trained during the reign of King Sejong, but it was only after Fan Zhongyan came to power that they were truly reused.
Fan Zhongyan called Fu Bi a talented person among the king's assistants. If not for his vigorous promotion, Fu Bi would have had to go on an official career for ten more years before he could reach his current status. Of course, Fu Bi's provocation was obviously incompatible with his father-in-law, the old husband Yan Shu.
It doesn't matter.
The King of Pingding revolted. Although Shi Yuansun, the deputy privy envoy, was the commander, Jing Yanbo, who was the pacifier, was also a scholar and had military command authority. In the Hebei battlefield, Han Qi also served as the Hebei transshipment envoy, transporting grain.
An envoy is responsible for the supply of supplies to the army, and he also has soldiers under his command.
Although there have been signs and trends for a long time, the reform of the imperial military order system, initiated by Fan Zhongyan, has obviously caused dissatisfaction among a large number of heroes and nobles. Therefore, this made them directly feel that their influence on the imperial military and politics was shaken
.
Fan Zhongyan's proposal to rectify the army by "refining troops and simplifying administration" also caused a lot of dissatisfaction. Even though he was motivated by strict discipline and strong troops, it still made people feel disgusted and felt that his hand was stretched too far.
Including the naval system, which has declined in power since Guo Liangping, all are dissatisfied with Fan Zhongyan because he tried to cut down the "Twenty Years Shipbuilding and Artillery Plan" formulated by the old Privy Councilor Guo Liangping.
Fan Zhongyan's downfall caused countless regrets to future generations and made countless people who were nostalgic for Jianlong's prosperous era uneasy. However, in the twelfth year of Zhengtong, his downfall was doomed. This was collectively initiated by the empire's ruling class.
A counterattack is a turbulent current of the times, and its momentum is unstoppable.
Among the many marks of the times left by Duke Fan, it is "Yizhuang" that is truly accepted by people and has inspired many ruling classes to imitate it.
As early as the Jianlong period, Fan Zhongyan initiated Yizhuang. With the support of his brother Fan Zhongwen, the brothers established a "Fan Village" in Suzhou to purchase land, develop production, and use it to resettle and help the poor Fan people.
relative.
Many people rushed to imitate him, and they gained fame and profit. By the time of Zhengtong, righteous villages established by powerful people all over the country had blossomed all over the empire.
The manorial economy of the Han Empire ushered in a wave of vigorous development, and the personal dependence relationship that Emperor Shizu and Emperor Taizong had tried to limit and break was once again established between landlords and tenants, and it became stronger and more stubborn.
History is a circle, going around and around, but it will inevitably return to the familiar track in the end. It is precisely since Fan Zhongyan that the various ills and problems that have arisen in the rise and fall of dynasties have also emerged in a significant and unstoppable way.
The attitude of the Han Empire appeared in the Han Empire, and it was difficult to restore it to its former purity through hard work.
However, compared with previous dynasties, the various capitals of the Han Empire were more abundant, and the family property could be defeated for a longer period of time. But the specific time for how long it could be defeated depends not only on the rate of degeneration of the empire's ruling class, but also on the emperor's
Quality is closely related to performance. After all, the empire is still a monarchy, and the influence of the monarch on the development of the country is still significant.
At the same time, with the large-scale development of the commodity economy, the vigorous rise of overseas trade, and the increasingly close internal and external exchanges, the germination of capitalism also appeared in the Han Empire in an expected manner.