Chapter 144 Three Provinces and Six Departments 1/4
Chapter 144: Three Provinces and Six Departments
Yan Zhong said he had something to report to Chen Cheng, but he did not start talking directly. Instead, he first said to Liu Qian beside him: "Princess, someone recently sent some Cuju. Do you want to try it?"
The so-called "Cuju" is a solid ball wrapped in leather and filled with rice bran, hair and other things. This sport has been popular since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It was first seen in history books in "Historical Records - Biography of Su Qin".
In the Song Dynasty, Cuju became more and more popular, and a professional Cuju team appeared in Bianliang City. However, this sport came to an abrupt end in the Qing Dynasty. The reasons for this are thought-provoking.
Liu Qian also played Cuju when she was in the Luoyang Palace. When she heard what Yan Zhong said, her eyes suddenly lit up. She turned to look at Chen Cheng, her eyes full of expectation. Chen Cheng smiled and said: "I want to
Just go and play, but remember to wait and feed the horses."
"Well, I remember it!"
Liu Qian stood up, trotted down the hall, and then ran happily into the courtyard.
Chen Cheng watched the girl who had grown a little longer run into the yard, and then asked, "Is there anything Bo Dao can't say in front of her?"
Yan Zhong said with a smile: "When a child likes to play, don't push her too hard."
Chen Cheng smiled and said, "You are right."
Yan Zhong said again: "The king will lose his country if he does not keep it secret, and the minister will lose his identity if he does not keep it secret. What I want to tell you is a major event that concerns the entire Liangzhou. The fewer people know about it, the better."
Chen Cheng burst out laughing and said, "This is the right thing to do."
Yan Zhong said seriously: "The princess is still young. Even if the prince wants to teach her how to govern the country, now is not the time."
Chen Cheng raised his eyebrows and said, "Chang Shi can talk about business now."
Yan Zhong stroked his beard, took out a roll of bamboo slips from the cloth bag, and said: "After discussing with the princes before, I thought for a while and compiled the money and grain that the princes need to pay tribute, the taxes that need to be paid by various places, and other
Some things have been written on it, please take a look at it."
Chen Cheng took the bamboo slips, unfolded them and looked at them for a while, and then calculated them in his mind. He closed the bamboo slips and said, "Is it too little?"
Yan Zhong smiled and said: "Henan, Nanyang, don't ask."
Chen Cheng tapped the bamboo slip on the table and said, "I understand."
Yan Zhong is telling a story in the early Eastern Han Dynasty. At that time, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu ordered an inspection of the world's fields. Emperors of all dynasties wanted to do this kind of thing, but only a few people were able to do it. As Liu Xiu was the founding emperor, the following
Officials also dared to commit fraud when inspecting land and fields, especially in Henan and Nanyang. Henan was an imperial city and there were many courtiers around the emperor. Nanyang was an imperial hometown and there were many relatives of the emperor. The fields in these two places
, it is just a confusing account, and officials are unwilling and dare not investigate it seriously.
Although Chen Cheng is now elected as the shepherd of Liangzhou by Cheng Yi, Yang Qiu and others, who dares to inspect the fields of the princes everywhere? Although Lingzhou is not the territory of the princes, there are many soldiers and horses in the hands of powerful men, who are not princes but also princes.
But Yan Zhong was a little surprised that he admitted it so readily.
Yan Zhong asked: "Is this how Junhou intends to let it go?"
"Bo Dao, what you said makes sense." Chen Cheng spread his hands and said, "If I don't follow what you said, let's forget it. Are we going to mobilize troops to knock down Lingzhou? And then bulldoze Beidi, Wuwei and other counties along the way? Just
I'm afraid Han Sui is really eager for us to do this. Tsk, Lingzhou has turned over 10,000 shi this year, which is pretty good. Lian County this year...forget it, let's not talk about it."
He said to Yan Zhong: "I plan to promote Hou Xuan to be the magistrate of Lingzhou County, and let Xu Chao be the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Minister of the Ministry of Works."
Yan Zhong smiled and said: "Is this going to use the three provinces and six ministries system?"
"That's right," Chen Cheng said: "We in Liangzhou are rebels, and we don't need to use the Han system for everything. The three provinces and six ministries system that we discussed with Bo Dao before is very good."
The Han court now uses the three-province-nine ministers system passed down from the time of the First Emperor. The power of each official position has changed, but the basic structure remains the same. The three-provinces-six-ministry system was only formally established in the Tang Dynasty.
Generally speaking, this system is one step closer to centralizing power than the Three Gongs and Nine Ministers system.
Chen Cheng said that he and Yan Zhong discussed it together, but in fact it was him who proposed it and Yan Zhong filled in the gaps.
"Although the system of three provinces and six ministries is good, will it attract the attention of the imperial court?"
Chen Cheng laughed and said, "We are rebels. When did the court stop looking at us?"
Yan Zhong slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, I forgot about this again. I thought we were the orthodox ones."
He laughed at himself and asked: "Except Xu Chao who concurrently serves as the Minister of Household Affairs and the Minister of Industry, are there candidates for other official positions?"
Chen Cheng said: "The position of Zhongshu Ling is the highest, so naturally I have to trouble Bo Dao. I also ask Bo Dao to write the post of Secretary of the Ministry of War. I am going to let Yang Qiu do it..."
Yan Zhong interrupted: "I'm afraid Yang Qiu doesn't want to be the Minister of the Ministry of War."
Chen Cheng smiled and said: "I will not deprive him of the military territory in his hands. Why would he be unhappy?"
Yan Zhong shook his head. He knew much more about the princes in Liangzhou than Chen Cheng. But Chen Cheng also had his own reasons, "Bo Dao, do you think I want to annex Yang Qiu's territory by means of overt promotion and covert surrender?"
Is not it?
"I now control Shuofang and Wuyuan counties. I already have enough land. There is no need to use weapons to fight for the territory."
"The Minister of the Ministry of War is in charge of all military registration, ordnance, military orders, as well as ordnance, vehicles, war horses and other matters in Liangzhou." Chen Cheng ignored the surprise on Yan Zhong's face and continued: "Except for the Ya soldiers, which I personally control, all other armies
But they all belong to the Ministry of War."
"In this case," Yan Zhong asked, "does the Ministry of War have too much power?"
Chen Cheng asked back: "Is it big? The six ministers are elected every five years. If it is not suitable, just replace it with someone else."
The two looked at each other, and then laughed at the same time. As Chen Cheng's territory became larger and larger, and there were more and more soldiers and horses, Yan Zhong also began to worry. In history, it is possible to share hardships but not wealth.
Too many. He, Yan Bodao, is a smart man and does not want to make the same mistakes as Wen Zhong and others.
Through testing, he is now sure of one thing, that is, Chen Cheng has not become arrogant because of his previous victory, and the relationship between the two of them can be maintained for a long time. This is how smart people are.
, I always think a lot. I can even tell the clues of many things from eating an extra bowl of rice and frowning.
After laughing for a while, Chen Cheng said: "Not only are there still many vacancies in the official positions of the three provinces and six ministries, but there are also many local officials. Bo Dao is a famous scholar in Liangzhou. Can anyone recommend a suitable candidate?"
Yan Zhong twirled his beard and said, "There is a person in front of you. Don't you remember it?"
"You mean?"
"Fu Qian and Fu Yancai, the Lord and Lord have met him before." Yan Zhong said: "His father has a good reputation in Liangzhou. We can choose a position for him among the remaining ministers."
"What are you doing, Fu?" Chen Cheng pondered for a while and said, "The Fu family is quite famous among the Xiongnu. How about appointing him as the governor of Shuofang?"
"It's okay."
After talking for a while, Yan Zhong took out another roll of bamboo slips and handed it to Chen Cheng. After Chen Cheng took it, he didn't look at it, but asked with a smile: "What is this?"
Yan Zhong said: "Before, a certain person sent his nephew Yan Xing to Hanyang. This is the distribution of generals, soldiers and horses under Han Sui's command that he collected."
Chen Cheng said "Oh" and asked casually, "I heard that Yan Ming is going to marry Han Wenyue's daughter soon?"
"Yes, the wedding date has been agreed upon, and it will be consummated after autumn."
Chen Cheng smiled and said: "Bo Dao, you recommended Yancai, why didn't you think of recommending Yanming? You don't want to avoid relatives when you are promoted!"
Yan Zhong said: "He said he was going to participate in the selection of tooth soldiers."
Chen Cheng raised his eyebrows and said: "He has to start from a young soldier, how about I appoint him as the Minister of War? If you don't like the Ministry of War, you can go to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Industry. Yan Ming will help you handle things in Lingzhou.
He's doing very well, I've heard about it, but it's too unfair to ask him to join the army and start from a young soldier."
In Chen Cheng's plan, the tooth soldiers are divided into three levels: apprentice, sergeant, and warrior/knight. Warriors will generally be organized into the trap camp, while knights will be transferred into the flying bear hussars.
Yan Zhong smiled and said: "Everyone has his own ambitions, and he likes to lead troops to fight. It would be good to let him go to the Ya soldiers to get some experience."
"In this case, I won't persuade him. Well, when he gets married, I will give him a big gift."
When Yan Zhong walked out of the backyard, Yan Xing immediately came up to him, "Uncle, are you angry?"
Yan Zhong shook his head and said: "The prince said that you can be appointed as the minister of the Ministry of War, or you can also go to the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Works."
Just as Yan Xing showed a surprised expression, Yan Zhong said again: "But I rejected them all."
"..........Why?"
"I said you want to participate in the selection of tooth soldiers."
“…..”
Yan Zhong said: "The prince appreciates you very much. If you do well in the future, you will definitely have a bright future."
"But..." Yan Xing was a little dumbfounded. He knew what was going on with the three-province-six-ministry system created by Yan Zhong and Chen Cheng. Why should he participate in the selection of tooth soldiers when he is the minister of the Ministry of War?
"It's settled. The selection of tooth soldiers will begin in a few days. Remember to report."
"I........"
Looking at Yan Zhong's retreating figure, Yan Xing's hand stopped in mid-air and took a long time to put it down.
At dusk, torches were lit in Yan Zhong's mansion, and maids and servants shuttled back and forth in the lobby, bringing plates of exquisite food. Local officials and powerful men in Lingzhou crowded the lobby, and Chen Chengyan persuaded him with a smile.
After another round of wine, when everyone was red-faced from drinking, Chen Cheng walked down and sat between Xu Chao and Hou Xuan.
"County Magistrate Xu, I plan to appoint you as the Minister of Household Affairs and the Minister of Industry. What do you think?"
Appointments to important official positions like this must first be finalized in private before being announced. Although Chen Cheng has watched a lot of news broadcasts, he is also familiar with some unspoken rules in politics.
Yan Zhong had already spread the word that Chen Cheng would promulgate a new official system after the autumn harvest. Xu Chao and Yan Zhong lived in the same city and were old acquaintances. How could they not have heard of it? Before entering, Yan Zhong had already sent someone
Notified him of the news. Not only did he know that he would take the position of Minister of Household Affairs, but he also knew that the candidate would take over as the county magistrate of Lingzhou... No, Lingzhou has many registered residences and has been promoted to the county level.
, then the candidate will become the first county magistrate of Lingzhou.
After hearing the news, Xu Chao's first thought was, "This is a strategy to divide the local powerful." In fact, his guess could not be said to be wrong. However, even if he guessed that Chen Cheng and Yan
If Zhong wants to do something, can he refuse this appointment?
Let’s not talk about whether the candidate will resent him for this. If he is the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, if he sits on it, the power in his hands and the land and population under his jurisdiction will be expanded by more than ten times! Even for glory!
Menlin, can he still refuse?
Therefore, the moment Chen Cheng finished speaking, Xu Chao prostrated himself on the ground and said in a deep voice: "I am willing to die in the service of our lord!"
