Chapter 10 The Emperor

The emperor system created by Ying Zheng not only had no experience himself, but even the whole country could not find a complete theoretical system and experimental specimens, and there were no samples to learn from in the world at that time, so he could only cross the river by feeling the stones. They're doing an unprecedented trial.

However, this system has inevitably had indelible flaws since its inception.

The ideal state of this system is: first, there must be a dignified, diligent, and affectionate emperor, who can work overload every day, handle official documents quickly and accurately, always have the people in mind, make wise decisions, and sometimes be able to expand territory and show off his might. For example, he won the government himself.

Second, there need to be a few independent ministers around you, who can share the emperor's worries at any time, but do not covet the throne. When the emperor was hesitant, he was able to provide timely and accurate analysis and insights; When the emperor is at fault, he can help the emperor make up for it in time; When the emperor makes a wise decision, he can flatter a few words; It not only maintains the etiquette and majesty of a monarch and minister, but also can be close to each other like a friend. For example, Prime Minister Li Si.

Third, there needs to be a large group of powerful generals and soldiers who can guard the frontier and resist the invasion of foreign enemies. At the same time, it can protect the peace of the royal family and ensure the safety of the royal family. But they will not support their own troops, and when they become more powerful, they will threaten the rule of the central government. For example, General Wang Qian.

Fourth, there needs to be a group of diligent, honest and honest local officials who can quickly solve the problems of people's livelihood and protect the peace of the party; Able to quickly and accurately implement the decisions of the central government, and be able to solve practical problems according to the actual local situation; It can collect enough taxes, and at the same time, it can pay tribute to the palace of the local exotic things, and it can ensure that the local people do not rebel, live and work in peace and contentment, and the wind and rain are smooth.

Fifth, the stability and harmony of the harem are needed. The concubines will not fight with each other, can be considerate of the emperor, and can give birth to a few more little princes for the emperor, so that the royal family has sufficient successors to choose from.

Sixth, the princes were diligent and studious, and developed the necessary skills to take up leadership positions in the future. Brothers are united and friendly with each other, and do not suspect each other or fight each other for power. When the brotherly relationship is transformed into the relationship between the monarch and the minister, the two sides can be different from the monarch and the minister, and keep their duties. Those who did not sit on the throne tried their best to assist and maintain the authority of the emperor.

Seventh, people outside the formal bureaucracy, such as royal logistician eunuchs, would not interfere in political affairs. They serve the royal family diligently, keep their duty, and do not think too much.

Eighth, it is necessary to have stable weather and sufficient rainfall to ensure that the people have enough food and clothing. There will be no natural disasters or strange phenomena such as tengu eclipse of the sun, comet sweeping the sky, earthquakes and tsunamis, hail and floods, plague and flu, or hens turning into roosters or green snakes hanging upside down on palace pillars.

Ninth, the people should live and work in peace and contentment, cultivate their farmland well, and fulfill their obligations as citizens. will not be like Liu Ji, who will become a homeless person and run around, making social security extremely unstable.

It can be said that each of the nine articles listed above is a major political issue that the feudal dynasty needs to consider. However, these problems have not stopped since the establishment of Yingzheng, and they have not been completely solved until the reform at the end of the Qing Dynasty. They accompanied the feudal system throughout their lives and became part of the characteristics of the feudal system.

Before Yingzheng unified the country, there had always been a nominal supreme ruler in the land of China, that is, Zhou Tianzi. However, Zhou's decree did not reach the grassroots level directly, but only to the Gyeonggi region under their jurisdiction.

The Zhou royal family did not directly manage the affairs of the vassal states, and basically did not interfere much. The Zhou royal family did not directly collect taxes from the vassal states, nor did it send or appoint officials to the vassal states, let alone interfere in the judicial activities or military operations of the vassal states, and the princes had a high degree of autonomy over the affairs of their own countries. The obligation of the vassal states was to nominally obey the Zhou royal family, pay tribute to the court as scheduled, and defend the Zhou royal family.

Prior to this, the princes would not teach the local people to respect Zhou Tianzi who was far away in Luoyang, and there was no need for this, and it was the "right and duty" of the princes to honor Zhou Tianzi. The generals and soldiers of various countries did not directly obey Zhou Tianzi's orders, but only obeyed the orders of the princes. The sense of identification of the people and soldiers with the Zhou Dynasty was extremely weak. Today, the Qin Dynasty registered all the people with a code and required them to serve in the military, and the local county magistrates taught them to respect the emperor as far away as Xianyang. In this way, they suddenly had a sense of identity with their national identity of the Qin State.

Before the Qin Dynasty, there had not been and could not have been a nationwide peasant uprising, because each region was ruled by a different prince. It is impossible for the peasants of Chu to unite with the peasants of Qi, and the peasants of Yan will not unite with the peasants of Zhao to rebel against Zhou Tianzi in Luoyang. People may not even know about Zhou Tianzi's existence, because he has little to do with his own life. Therefore, many wars before the Qin Dynasty were almost all wars of princes.

But now that situation has been broken. There were no more princes in the whole country, and the officials in charge of managing local affairs were sent by the central government, and these officials were carrying out the orders of their superiors, and this order was signed by Yingzheng and issued from the imperial palace in the capital Xianyang. In this way, people all over the country know that the source of the decree is in Xianyang, and the focus of the contradiction is in Xianyang.

The Qin Dynasty implemented the county system, and the power of the central government was extended to the grassroots level, which brought about a drastic expansion of the civil service, which inevitably required a substantial increase in fiscal revenue. Although the treasury was replenished by confiscating the rich and powerful assets of the nobles of the six countries in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, this was not enough to maintain the operation of this huge state apparatus, and taxes and fees had to be increased to maintain it. This is the stage that every dynasty has to go through, either to increase taxes or to cut the ranks.

Of course, in addition to the need to supply this huge imperial cadre force, there are many other new policies that require huge amounts of money and labor. For example, the construction of the Afang Palace, the Lishan Mausoleum and the Great Wall mentioned above. In addition, in order to unify road standards across the country, it is necessary to start the construction of national standard road infrastructure projects throughout the country, which requires a large amount of money. And the future maintenance costs will inevitably be a huge expense. Every time there is a national task, such as the emperor's tour, it is necessary to send personnel to clean the road, and no sand and dust are allowed to be left, which is a lot of money.

If Ying Zheng is compared with other kings of later generations, he is not the most extravagant and extravagant. Ying Zheng doesn't actually have much time to enjoy, most of his daily time is spent on dealing with political affairs, and most of them are on the way. He was a workaholic, a very hardworking monarch. Every night in the dead of night, the palace personnel except the guards and the eunuchs on duty have fallen asleep. But Ying Zheng still relied on the faint candlelight to review the bamboo slips, and nearly 30 kilograms (one stone) of bamboo slips were reviewed every day.

People like Ying Zheng don't actually spend too much time playing with utensils, and many rare treasures are locked in the warehouse without even looking at them. All things in the world are all things he loves; State power is his hobby day and night.

Every year, he has to go out to patrol and inspect all parts of the country to see what he has built. He was not looking for pleasure, and the places he visited were not famous capitals or famous mountains and rivers, not those bustling cities where paper was drunk, but the most remote frontiers of the empire, many of which were inaccessible and economically backward.

There was very little time left for him personally. Over the course of 10 years, he made no less than five trips to the most important areas, the last of which lasted 10 months, and died of illness on the way.

Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the ages, finally fell, and he fell on the centralized system he created. The land of China is so vast, and the affairs of the 36 counties in the country are so complicated that they eventually exhausted Yingzheng.

Looking back on Ying Zheng's life, when he came to this world, he was destined to be accompanied by complex political power in this life. Since he was a child, he followed his father as political collateral and wandered abroad. When he grew up, he had to face all kinds of open and secret battles and bloody winds in the palace alone. After holding power, he must face the complicated government affairs on a daily basis. finally established a meritorious career for eternity, but did not receive too much appreciation, but left a reputation that has been infamous for thousands of years.

During his 28 years in power, he hardly had a day off. If Yingzheng just wants to be a mediocre King of Qin, it would be great. In that way, he could do everything and rely on the wealth accumulated by the previous Qin kings to settle down. He can also enjoy the sound of dogs and horses, and he can also enjoy endless glory and wealth.

He was really tired.