During the period of confrontation with the Nanyang Yuan Army, after careful consideration, I decided to set up a Senate in the DPRK to run in parallel with the Government Affairs and Military Affairs Chambers.
Zhao Fu's lifespan is not long. According to historical records, Zhao Fu still has four years to live. I don't know if I can change this situation. What's more, birth, old age, illness and death are natural laws. No one can escape it, even if I become The guardian cannot stay in this time and space. Therefore, I must lay the foundation for the future of the Song Dynasty. The limitations of people in this era are too great. Once I am no longer alive, or I become stupid, I may come back. If we go back to the original historical track, if we don’t manage it, Qing troops will still enter the country and Japanese invaders will invade. Naturally, this is not what I want to see.
Judging from the law of historical development, the dictatorship system of feudal society will be replaced by democratic society sooner or later.
Of course, I also know that with the current ideological consciousness of mankind, we are far from reaching this level of democracy. I still need to slowly guide me. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, people's thinking was relatively active, even more than that of the Qing Dynasty hundreds of years later. , this is also one of the favorable conditions for the implementation of a democratic system.
Since November, the weather has been getting colder day by day. Dengzhou City is located in the north, which is much colder than Lin'an in the south of the Yangtze River. Moreover, there are no heating facilities in the palace in the military camp. However, with my current physique, it is not It's not a big deal.
On November 11, at the county government office in Dengzhou, I met Jia Sidao and others who had been ordered to come from Xiangyang. The county magistrate Fan Zhishang had already ordered dozens of chairs to be added to the lobby. In addition to Sidao and others, the main generals in Dengzhou also came to the county government one after another.
After the ceremony, I got straight to the point: "Dear sirs and generals, I have called you here today to tell you that I will set up a new department in Lin'an. This department is called the Senate, which is directly under my leadership. As the name suggests, the Senate is The Senate is engaged in deliberation on the proposals of the Government Affairs and Military Affairs Houses. What I ultimately want to achieve is that if the Senate votes against it, it can veto any draft of the Government Affairs and Military Affairs Houses, and the proposals of the Government Affairs and Military Affairs Houses Once it is rejected, it needs to be re-examined or formulated,”
"Senate," Jia Sidao asked first after hearing this, "Your Majesty, if you put it this way, doesn't the Senate have greater authority than the two houses of government and military affairs?"
At this time, Jia Sidao had to admit that the main power agencies of the imperial court today were the military and political chambers, instead of the traditional Privy Council and the three provinces and six ministries.
"Shichen, that's not the case. The Senate only has the right to pass or reject it, but it cannot modify or interfere with the proposals of the two houses. Simply put, the Senate has no right to formulate proposals,"
Jia Sidao said half-understanding: "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand roughly, and we can complement each other."
Regarding the Senate I am talking about, although it is a new thing, except for Fan Zhishang who showed a surprised look, the rest of the people had the same expressions. After all, these people have been following me for a long time and are basically used to it. Will I do it? Come up with some novel ideas.
I continued: "Everyone has his own limitations. Even I will make mistakes in certain fields or at certain times. Throughout history, such as the wise and powerful Tang Zong and Han Wu, more or less There are also mistakes. At least after their death, social unrest, the melee of the Three Kingdoms, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms were all troubled times, and each troubled times led to the economic regression of our Chinese people, and the people were in dire straits, so that there was the rise of alien races and bullying. We, as the ancients said, listen to both and you will be enlightened, and if you believe in partial belief, you will be dark. This is actually good advice, but not every ruler can do this. Therefore, I hope that the system of our dynasty can be continuously improved and use the system to reduce unnecessary mistakes. , using systems to constrain individual power,”
Zhao Shunsun asked: "Your Majesty, who is composed of the Senate?"
"The candidates for the Senate will represent the interests of all the people of our country. Therefore, I plan to elect a certain number of great sages from each province or certain specific groups, such as the military, business community, etc., who will serve as senators in the Senate. , changes every five years, Zhao Aiqing, let's put it this way, each county elects a wise man as the county senator, and then elects two state senators from among them, up to three to five provincial senators, and finally the provincial senator Members of the imperial court constitute the Senate. My dear friends, the policies of our dynasty are formulated by officials in various ministries and chambers. Although I believe that most officials in our dynasty can be selfless, honest and clear-minded, but in a subtle way, their awareness is more or less We will start from the interests of our own group, so we cannot cover the interests of all people. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Our future policies must not only take into account the boat, but also take into account the water. Only in this way can the country be rich and the people strong. Before I It has been said that whether the country is rich and the people are weak or the country is weak and the people are strong, it will lead to social chaos. The purpose of establishing the Senate is to achieve balanced development, so that our country can be prosperous and the country's destiny can last forever."
"National participation in political affairs is like firearms. It is an inevitable result of historical development. Although I am a god, my successor may not be a god. Therefore, I hope to use the establishment of the Senate to form such a trend in our government. , that is, our Song Dynasty is not only my Song Dynasty, but also the Song Dynasty of all the people. Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world. As long as the people of our Song Dynasty regard the country as their home, officials can do so. The family is the country, so why worry about the world not being prosperous and the country's long-term destiny?"
This was the first time that I mentioned my posthumous affairs in public. Although it was only a few words, it made a small number of thoughtful people in the hall think deeply. However, they all agreed that I was still in my prime and the matter of my successor was still open. It's early.
Since the Qin Dynasty unified the world, every generation of founding emperors has hoped that their descendants can permanently maintain the country's foundation, but who can do it? The reason can be attributed to the emergence of foolish kings, mediocre kings, or treacherous ministers , Rebel, if you know the superficial reasons, how can you avoid them?
The feudal system determines that no dynasty can have an eternal foundation, because feudal autocracy is a human system, and this is the internal reason.
Fan Zhishang said cautiously: "Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know whether to say it or not."
"Please tell me if you have anything to say," I said with a smile, "Fan Aiqing, during discussions, everyone can speak freely. This is a manifestation of democracy. Of course, after the policy is formulated, I will not allow it to happen again. A different voice,"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Fan Zhishang said, "The Emperor is broad-minded and has excellent ideas, but ministers have concerns. What if the proposals of the military and political houses are never passed by the Senate? For example, the Military Council proposes that If we attack Mongolia like this and the Senate does not agree, will we miss a good opportunity?"
"Fan Aiqing, I probably didn't make it clear that the Military Council's proposals will be divided into two categories. One is war. This does not need to pass the Senate. The reason is very simple. Most of the members of the Senate are not soldiers and naturally have no military experience. , we cannot allow laymen to supervise experts. This is like me completely abolishing the position of military supervisor in the military. The Senate only targets the proposals of the Military Academy on civilian aspects. For example, in peacetime, if the Military Academy proposes to increase arms expenditure, then The Military Council must explain the reasons. If it is approved by the Senate, it will be feasible. If it is not passed, the proposal of the Military Council will be invalid."
Most of the people here are generals in the military. They are relieved when I say that war and military affairs are not reviewed by the Senate. Since Taizu of the Song Dynasty, most military affairs have been controlled by civilian officials. Now it has finally been changed. If it happens again. A layman's "mother-in-law" is going back to the old ways.
Lu Xiufu said: "Your Majesty, if the Military Council thinks it is necessary, we must insist on it."
"In this case, I will make the final arbitration. The Military Council's proposal may involve the country's foreign policy, so there may be exceptions, while the Government Council's proposal is basically internal affairs and will be reviewed by the Senate. The main content, let me give you the simplest example. For example, the Government Affairs Council proposed that the theft of ten Wen Hua Xia coins should be the standard for official filing of a case. However, the Senate believed that due to the rapid economic development, the living standards of the people in our country have greatly improved. There are too few Chinese coins and it will not be passed. Then the Government Affairs Council and the departments that formulated this system should re-enact it, twenty or thirty coins, until they reach an agreement with the Senate."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Lu Xiufu thought simply, letting the Emperor make the decision.
"My dear friends, the establishment of the Senate will be a long-term matter. It may take three to fifty years to take shape. But as long as such a system is formed, hundreds of years later, our country's democracy will reach a new level. Realm, Shichen, Zhao Aiqing, Lu Aiqing, I have called you here today to ask you to make a plan, and then discuss it with the court. After the war between the Song and Yuan Dynasties is over, we will start to establish the Senate."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your order," Jia Sidao and others replied together.
"Three dear friends, how is the situation in Xiangyang City?"
Jia Sidao stood up and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, everything is fine in Xiangyang City. I have only one thing to report when I come here this time."
"What's the matter,"
"Your Majesty, Mr. Lu Wendel, the envoy of the Xiangyang Military Region, has proposed to retire due to physical reasons. Please give your Majesty's instructions."
The normal retirement age for officials in ancient times was called "retirement", which originated from the Zhou Dynasty and was established after the Han Dynasty. Generally speaking, the age for officials to enter official service is seventy years old, and those with diseases will be earlier. Although Lu Wende is only in his early sixties, he has good health Disease, I know this.
Thinking that Lu Wende still had one month to live, I sighed and said: "Master, please allow him to become an official. The three beloved ministers will pass on my will and grant Lu Aiqing the title of young master, the title of Duke of Wei, and a gold belt."