Chapter 33 Wei Zheng Wei Xuancheng You really have a habit

What is kingly way? What is domineering?

Speaking of this issue, there is always one emperor who cannot avoid it, that is, Qin Shihuang, the emperor of the ages. Qin Shihuang inherited the throne at the age of thirteen and became emperor at the age of thirty-nine. He was the first iron-fisted politician to complete the unification of China and established the first multi-ethnic centralized state.

Of course, Ying Zheng made a lot of contributions to history. He established the imperial system in the central government, implemented the three dukes and nine ministers, and managed state affairs. The local government abolished the feudal system and replaced it with the county system. At the same time, the same writings and the same chariots were written, and the same tracks were used to unify the weights and measures. He attacked the Xiongnu from the north, conquered the Baiyue in the south, built the Great Wall, built the Ling Canal, and communicated with the water system.

It also pushed China into an era of unification, creating a new situation for the establishment of an authoritarian centralized system. It had a profound impact on China and the history of the world and laid the basic structure of China's political system for more than 2,000 years. He was praised by the Ming Dynasty thinker Li Zhi as the "Eternal Emperor".

The law of the Qin Dynasty was the foundation of Ying Zheng and Li Si in Shang Yang, and it was changed because of him. If it were said that Ying Zheng was not overbearing, no one could claim to be overbearing. As the emperor, Ying Zheng used the overbearing legalists to govern the country with overbearing. All the three dukes and nine ministers were responsible to Ying Zheng alone. He managed the thirty-six counties in the world alone, and he had to approve 120 kilograms of memorials a day.

Of course, everyone has no idea about the memorial of 120 kilograms. The Qin bamboo slips are about 27 to 27 cm long, 0.6 cm wide, and about 0.2 cm thick. They can write more than 30 words on average (see the bamboo slips of Qin Tomb in Sleeping Tiger Di)

The substantial density of bamboo is very close to that of wood. The density is taken in the middle, that is, every cubic centimeter per cubic centimeter, then the weight of a piece of Qin bamboo slip is about three or four cubic centimeters, which means three to four grams. One kilogram in the Qin Dynasty was 250 grams. Calculate it. One kilogram in the Qin Dynasty, and it is calculated that one 220 kilogram bamboo slips are between 7,500 pieces and 10,000 pieces. Calculate it according to the 30-character word for a piece of bamboo abbreviation (the actual quantity should be smaller, and there will be blank space), that is, between 220,000 and 300,000 words.

Some people may say that I can read a million words when reading novels a day, but what Qin Shihuang reads is not novels, but classical Chinese memorials. The amount of information is very large and it must be read and corrected word by word.

In terms of diligence and personal experience, Ying Zheng was an emperor with few diligence in history, but it was not the only one. As for Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian was also such an emperor. Yang Jian's throne came from usurpation. As early as the Northern Zhou Dynasty, when Yuwen Yong was in power, Yang Jian was already a sensation in the Guanlong clan. Yuwen Yong tried several times and wanted to get rid of him, even Yuwen Yong's son Yuwen Yun wanted to get rid of him.

However, Yang Jian was as good as Sima Yi, and he survived until Yuwen Yun passed away. Yuwen Chan was seven years old and ascended the throne. Yang Jian became prime minister and became a powerful minister. Finally, he usurped the throne and became emperor. Because of his improper position, he was very vigilant about prime minister power, fearing that a second self would appear among the prime ministers. So later, he simply took over the power and the position of prime minister in the court became decorations.

Like Ying Zheng, Qin Shihuang was fine. At that time, the world was divided into 36 counties, and only county magistrates and civil and military officials at the level of county magistrates could submit memorials to him. However, during the Sui Dynasty, the world was divided into 188 counties, and the number of memorials was several times higher than that during the Ying Zheng period.

If there were hundreds or thousands of memorials, if there were no prime ministers to share their work, which emperor could bear it? But Yang Jian could persist in reviewing it every day. For this reason, he only slept for two hours a day for twenty years, but when Yang Guang and Yang Erlang ascended the throne, he could not even sit still for half an hour on weekdays. How could this determination be able to become a political country?

To be honest, Yang Guang's destruction was the root of Yang Jian. Of course, the most important thing was that the Ming Dynasty also followed the old path of the Qin and Sui dynasties. The founding emperors were all workaholics, and they were infinity and could forget to eat and sleep. However, Chengzu Zhu Di did not have this patience, so he regarded the college student who was originally a secretary in the cabinet as the fifth rank in the Ming Dynasty, and gradually gained weight. During the reign of Emperor Yingzong, the Ming Dynasty's cabinet was the second rank and the real leader of all officials.

Although Chen Ying knew that what Wei Zheng said made sense, all the officials were not convinced?

The debate in Xiande Hall continues.

Chen Shuda pointed at Wei Zheng and shouted: "Let's hear that this kind of strange and strange theory can only come from Wei Zheng's mouth..."

Wei Zheng met calmly, neither happy nor angry.

Yu Wenshi came out angrily and said, "Your Majesty, the demise of the Sui Dynasty was due to Yang Guang's hand. This is the consensus of scholars all over the world. Is this truth known to everyone in the court? "

Even Li Jiancheng's confidant Pei Ju also came out and said: "Your Majesty, I have served Yang Jian. Although Emperor Wen of Sui was mean and had slaughtered meritorious officials, he was diligent in his work and loved the people, and could be called a saint of a generation."

All the officials nodded and agreed.

Li Jiancheng looked at Wei Zheng with great interest and said, "Wei Zheng, what do you say?"

Wei Zheng's expression remained unchanged, and his eyes were firmly looking at Li Jiancheng and said, "Your Majesty, Emperor Wen of the previous dynasty was indeed a good emperor, but at the same time, he was also the initiator of the fall of the Sui Dynasty..."

There was a rustling sound in Xiande Hall again, and the order in the court was a little chaotic.

Wei Zheng looked at Li Jiancheng and said, "I dare to ask how many memorials His Majesty can review in a day?"

Li Jiancheng thought for a while and said, "It's about one hundred."

Wei Zheng raised two fingers and said, "Menxiasheng receives no less than 500 memorials every day, and all kinds of official documents received in three months can fill a room. I wonder if your Majesty, if there are no three provinces and six ministries and sorting out all kinds of official documents and memorials, 500 memorials a day, will your Majesty read it?"

Li Jiancheng curled his lips and shook his head, "I can't. Even if I don't eat or drink, I can do it occasionally, and I can't do it every day!"

Wei Zheng nodded and said, "Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian can see it and comment on it one by one."

Li Jiancheng sincerely sighed: "Emperor Wen of Sui is a role model for us!"

Wei Zheng smiled coldly and said, "It is precisely because of this that the second generation of the Sui Dynasty died."

Hearing this, the whole court was in an uproar.

Even Li Jiancheng almost choked by his saliva.

Wei Zheng continued: "Yang Jian's biggest mistake was that he was in charge of the government affairs alone, and put the prime ministers who helped him handle national affairs aside, and seized the prime minister's power to make decisions and rule. Later, he refused to appoint the prime minister at all. He was alone and had the power to take over the world. I believe that the prime minister was clearly established. Emperor Wen of Sui established three provinces and six ministries, and the prime minister was divided into numbers. He had the power to report and suggest, but he no longer had the ability to generalize the government."

Pei Ju, Wang Gui and others looked at each other tacitly.

Li Jiancheng said with a suspicious expression: "Why did Emperor Wen of Sui do this?"

All the officials bowed their heads and said nothing.

Li Jiancheng frowned and thought. Suddenly, Li Jiancheng suddenly remembered that Yang Jian did not set up a prime minister and regarded the three provinces and six ministries as decorations. Because Yang Jian was not in a proper position, Li Jiancheng's face suddenly changed drastically. He pointed at Wei Zheng and said, "Wei Zheng, are you implicitly mocking me, is it wrong to get the throne?"

Feng Deyi and Yu Wenshi winked each other, and then looked at Wei Zheng with playful eyes.

Fang Xuanling suddenly felt sweaty on his forehead.

Wei Zheng said loudly: "Your Majesty is not right to obtain the throne. This is a fact known to everyone in the world. Why should the subordinates imply?"

Li Jiancheng's face turned black immediately.

Feng Deyi simply closed his eyes and rested. Wei Zheng was originally a lackey under Li Jiancheng. Now he and Li Jiancheng have bitten it. The dog bites the dog's mouth and he can just enjoy it secretly.

Fang Xuanling shook at Wei Zheng from afar and shook his eyes.

Chen Ying was also secretly anxious.

Wei Zheng continued unyieldingly: "What I really want to say today is not that Yang Jian was incorrect in his position, but that his arbitrary decision was made. This is the fundamental reason for the demise of the Sui Dynasty."

Li Jiancheng pursed his lips and looked at Wei Zheng helplessly.

Wei Zheng said: "Yang Jian was the founding emperor. He set a precedent for the emperor to dictate the world alone. This precedent was that the Sui Dynasty eventually destroyed. Although Yang Jian was a wise lord, he was also a true and unique man.

Feng Deyi suddenly opened his eyes.

Yu Wenshi gave Feng Deyi a confused look.

Gao Shilian frowned.

Wei Zheng said: "When Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian was in power, these hidden dangers were still hidden under the water. When Emperor Yang Guang of Sui Yang, the disaster of state affairs broke out together."

Li Jiancheng listened carefully to Wei Zheng's words and did not dare to relax at all.

Chen Ying slowly approached the front. Today, the words in the court were too sensational. He was really worried that the blood stained the hall.

Wei Zheng turned around and looked at the ministers and said, "You must all know that before the Sui Emperor Wen's grand ceremony, the one handed over to Yang Guang was a wealthy country. The Xingluo Warehouse next to the Luo River stored enough food for the people of the whole country to eat for several years; the silk stored in Luoyang was piled up like a mountain; the weapon treasury in Chang'an has not been used up until now. Even after the Han Dynasty experienced the reign of Wen and Jing, the country's financial resources were not as good as the family's assets left by Yang Jian. But who would have thought..."

Wei Zheng's expression became more and more excited, and he was so excited that he was about to roar: "Thirteen years... Thirteen years, in such a large Sui Dynasty, the flowers and waters were falling and the smoke disappeared? Why? Why can a foolish monarch make such a dynasty suddenly die?"

Wei Zheng spread his hands, looked around the officials, then turned around to face Li Jiancheng.

The court was quiet.

Wei Zheng said: "This is the root of disaster planted by Emperor Wen of Sui. The power of Jiuzhou is all the hands of one person. Whether it is the prime minister or the nine ministers, they are all lackeys, not even counting individuals."

Chen Yinghuo waited for big eyes and looked at Wei Zheng and thought to himself: "Wei Xuancheng, you really have a habit!"

All the ministers also fell into deep thought.

Wei Zhengdao: "Yang Guang's three national destruction, the construction of the Eastern Capital, the construction of the canal, the conquest of Goryeo, and the traceability of the roots were all measures that benefit the country and the people. Unfortunately, all of these efforts were destroyed by the independent governance method pioneered by Emperor Wen of Sui. Emperor Yang of Sui learned from his father and monopolized the power, but could not really control all the big and small matters of the country. This led to the actual loss of power. All government affairs and national policies, ranging from urging the people to farm and donate, from building canals and conquering Goryeo, were left unattended and no one took care of. Disabled soldiers were not given any pensions, the affected people could not receive relief, the rebellious thieves, no one suppressed, and no one governed the flooded rivers.

Li Jiancheng frowned and said, "Why is all this?"

Wei Zheng said: "The crux of all this is that governing the world with one person is just a beautiful dream, which simply doesn't work in reality."

Wei Zheng had a solemn look and said to Li Jiancheng with a sincere tone: "Your Majesty, if you listen to both sides, you will be clear, and if you listen partially, you will be secret. This is common sense. The world can be owned by one family, but it must not be governed by one family. No matter how capable a person is, he cannot take into account the people of the world. Therefore, if you want to govern the world, the first thing that must be restricted is the supreme imperial power."

The hall was riot again, and the ministers looked at each other.

Feng Deyi's eyes opened slightly, and he immediately rushed to speak but stopped.

Li Jiancheng suddenly stood up, his face turned pale, and pointed at Wei Zheng and said, "Wei Zheng, are you opening your eyes for the aristocratic families?"

Wei Zheng turned around and looked at the ministers and said, "Wei Zheng wanted to ask Your Majesty and you, what is a scholar or a doctor?"

Yu Wenhua and his face showed a playful smile and said, "Scholars and officials, of course, refer to the aristocratic families and famous counties in the world. They are the foundation of the Tang Dynasty."

Wei Zheng sneered and said, "Yuwen Xiangguo really doesn't like reading."

Yu Wenhe suddenly fell down.

Wei Zhengdao: "The so-called scholars are the general term for scholars who were studying with swords in the pre-Qin period; the so-called officials are the general term for ministers of the pre-Qin princes. Among these two, the former is common people, and the latter is servant, and neither of them is a real noble. The scholars and officials have nothing to do with the family of the world. Before the Warring States Period, there were only officials, but since the Warring States Period, scholars who came from common people relied on their talents and abilities to become marquises and ministers, and scholars came from this."

Yu Wenhua and his old face turned red and shouted in a low voice: "It's nonsense!"

Wang Gui quietly stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty, what Wei Zheng said is true. Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce are the four people under Guan Zhongding. Since they are ranked with the third-class common people, such as agriculture, industry and commerce, they are naturally among the... common people."

Li Jiancheng said: "Wei Zheng, what do you want to say?"

Wei Zheng bowed to Li Jiancheng and said, "I think that Your Majesty is the elected scholar, practices the kingly way, accepts advice, always reflects on one's own power, and values ​​the power of the prime minister, and governs the world with the scholars and officials. This is the fundamental way for the Tang Dynasty to be peaceful in all the seas and Chang'an in the world."

Chen Ying silently recited Wei Zheng's words: "Perform the kingly way, accept advice, always reflect on one's own power, value the power of the prime minister, and rule the world with the scholars and officials..."

Li Jiancheng whispered thoughtfully: "Select scholars, practice kingly ways, accept advice, always reflect on one's own power, value prime minister's power, and rule the world with scholars and officials."

Gao Shilian looked at Wei Zheng in shock.

Feng Deyi's hands began to tremble.

Fang Xuanling looked at Wei Zheng in surprise. Fang Xuanling did not expect that Wei Zheng's pattern would be so big. Once Li Jiancheng listened to Wei Zheng, why worry about the Tang Dynasty's failure to prosper? Can't the world be safe for a long time?

There was a long silence in the court.

Chen Yingze seemed to be about to cry. He was not moved by Wei Zheng's words. Of course, with his IQ, he felt that he had indeed encountered a great era.

Chen Ying didn't know whether Li Jiancheng could become the Tiankang Khan without Li Shimin. However, seeing that Wei Zheng actually coincided with him with the thinking of the ancients.

The Tang Dynasty that Chen Ying wanted was to select scholars, change the political affairs hall into a cabinet, and use the responsibility of the cabinet to govern the world. Even if the emperor in the future was an idiot, the court could still operate, and the country could still be in a long-term state.

In later generations, countless people smeared the Ming Dynasty. The key is that there were many strange emperors. Zhengde was fun and lawless to play. Jiajing liked to refine elixirs, and there was also Emperor Wanli who had not attended court for thirty years. However, under the rule of so many unreasonable emperors, the Ming Dynasty still did not finish the game, which is enough to show that the political system of the Ming Dynasty was perfect.

However, it was a pity that Emperor Chongzhen was too self-righteous and broke the political balance of the court, but ended up believing in the Donglin Party.
To be continued...