From the first year of Wuhou Guangzhai to the eleventh year of Xuanzong Kaiyuan (684-723 AD), it was the period of Zhongshu Provincial Political Affairs Hall.

During this period, the government affairs hall officially became the highest state council for the prime minister to decide on the major affairs of the military state. In the first year of Wuhou Guangzhai (684 AD), Pei Yan was the ruling minister and moved the government hall to Zhongshu Province.

Li Hua's "Records of the Political Affairs Hall of Zhongshu" cloud: "In the first year of the light house, Pei Yan served in the Zhongshu order, and the deacon and prime minister wrote it, and the government affairs hall was moved to Zhongshu Province. (Note: "Quantang Wen" volume 316, Qing Guangxu Xin Chou Nian Guangya Book Company publication volume 64) "Tang Hui Yao" volume 51 "Zhongshu Order" article Yiyun;

"In July of the third year of Yongchun (that is, the first year of Guangzhai), Pei Yan was ordered by Zhongshu to write the ruling affairs of Zhongshu, and his political affairs hall was merged in Zhongshu, and then moved to Zhongshu Province." (Note: "Zizhi Tongjian" volume 206 "Tang Ji Gaozong Hongdao First Year (AD 683)" contains: December, Ding Si, Gaozong collapsed.

Jiazi, Zhongzong ascended the throne. Jiaxu, with Pei Yan as the middle book order.

"The story, the prime minister is in the province of Menxia, which is called the political affairs hall, so the eldest grandson Wuji is the commonplace, Fang Xuanling is the servant, and Wei Zheng is the prince and the prince, and everyone knows that the door is provincial. and Pei Yan moved to Zhongshu Order, and moved the government hall to Zhongshu Province. After the government hall was moved to Zhongshu Province, the obvious change in the system was that the prime minister took turns when he decided on government affairs in the government hall

"Bingbi" or

The system of "holding the pen". "New Tang Dynasty Book" volume 117 "Pei Yan's Biography" cloud: "Old, the prime minister discussed the province under the door, the number of the political affairs hall, the eldest grandson Wuji to Sikong, Fang Xuanling to shoot as a servant, Wei Zheng to the prince and the prince all know the provincial affairs under the door, to Yan, to the Chinese book order ruling affairs pen, so the migration of the political affairs hall in the Zhongshu province. The same volume 123 "The Biography of Wei Juyuan" Yiyun: "At the beginning of Shenlong, (Juyuan) used the three products of the Ministry of Shangshu and Zhongshu. When there is a shortage of officials, the government uses its relatives for the second time, Juyuan Bingpen, when in addition to ten people, Yang Zai thinks about one of them, try to ask Yu Zhu, all the prime ministers are close to each other. It can be seen that there are three kinds of standing duties of prime ministers during this period: (1) when the prime ministers discuss politics, they preside over the meeting; (2) After the meeting, the total record; (3) On the day of writing, sit in the government hall to work.

(1) The functions and powers of the political affairs hall. There is no doubt that after the opening of the Yuan Dynasty, the political hall has merged the two provinces under the Zhongshu Gate into one power body, and its functions and powers undoubtedly have the functions and powers of the two provinces under the Zhongshu Gate.

"Tang Liudian Zhongshu Province" cloud: "The position of the Zhongshu Order: the government decree of the military state, the emperor of the Xi Dynasty, the unification of the heavens, the entry of the inform, the outgoing of the servitude, to the ten thousand states, to the degree of a hundred people, to cover the Son of Heaven and the ruler of the government." (Note: "Tang Liudian" Volume 9 "Zhongshu Province", "Old Tang Dynasty Book, Career Official Chronicles" is the same) "Tang Liudian Menxia Province" is also cloudy: "The position of the servant: the head of the emperor's order, the arrest of the emperor, the general officer, the praise of etiquette, to and the state, to the general affairs, the so-called Zuo Tianzi and the ruler of the government." All the affairs of the military state are discussed and acted on in a general manner with the Chinese book. (Note: "Tang Liudian", Volume 8, "Menxia Province".)

"Taiping Yulan" quoted from "Tang Liudian"

"Door Province" article

"So-called" work

It can be seen that the subordinate of the Chinese book is in charge

"Zuo Tianzi and the ruler of the great government", yes

"Unify heaven and man, and reconcile all nations". This is actually the position of the prime minister. Now the government hall

"Participate in the general, sit and talk about it, and act on it", the weight of power and the power of power can be imagined.

As Li Hua said in "Zhongshu Political Affairs Hall": Those who are in the political affairs hall cannot vain the sky, reverse the way to the earth, restore the way to the community, and have no way to Li Yuan, and this hall can be discussed.

Ministers should not go against the king, go against the road to benevolence, disobey the goods, mess with the punishment, overcome the life of one party, change the system of the king, and this hall can be changed.

Soldiers are not allowed to prosper, power is not allowed to be withheld, goods are not allowed to be stored, Wang Ze is not allowed to be taken without permission, Jun En is not allowed to be arbitrarily intermittent, personal enmity cannot be reported without permission, and the duke is not allowed to be private, and this hall can be punished.

Things can't be light, crimes can't be born and die, the law can't be stripped of people, wealth can't be given without permission, feelings can't be entrusted to luck, and chaos can't be enlightened.

The law is not rewarded, the lord is not sealed, the famine is not saved, the hunger is not reserved, the self-sage is admonished, the way is violated, and this hall can be killed.

Therefore, it is said: On the temple, before the bottle, there are soldiers, punishments, sins, blades, axes, poisons, Yi tribes, broken families, and those who climb this hall can do it.

(Note: See "Quantang Wen", vol. 316, Li Hua's "Zhongshu Zhengshitang Records", Guangya Book Co., Ltd., vol. 200.)

"Jade Sea" volume 161 "Tang Zhengshitang" quotes Li Hua's "Zhongshu Zhengshitang Records": "Contrary to the way in benevolence".

"people";

"Soldiers should not be allowed to flourish".

"Unauthorized punishment";

"The right shall not be arbitrary".

"Unauthorized giving";

"The law is not rewarded, and the knight is not sealed".

"Substitution is not rewarded, and disorder is not sealed"; Wait, errors and omissions are almost unreadable. See the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty) It can be seen that after the opening of the Yuan Dynasty, the political affairs hall of the four seas, the six positions of the allowed, the unification and the heaven and man, and the total balance of the machine, have been the foundation of the government.

(2) The organization of the government hall. The government hall is divided into two parts: the main hall is the prime minister's office and the conference hall; The backyard is the secretariat of the government hall, which is divided into five offices, namely the officer's room, the cardinal's room, the soldier's room, the household room and the torture room.

"Ancient and Modern Books Collection: Official Classics" contains: "Although the decree of the Tang Dynasty came from the door of the Chinese book, the place where the prime minister governed affairs, alias 'political affairs hall', is still the capital hall today. (Note: See "Ancient and Modern Books Collection: Official Classics" Volume 257 "Public Auxiliary Department" Miscellaneous Records and Quotations from "But Sweeping the Edition") "New Tang Dynasty Book: Cui Yuan Zong" cloud: "Yuan Zong, Tianshou Chu Yiluantai Shilang, Tongfeng Pavilion Luantai Ping Zhangshi. Sex is cautious, sitting in the political hall, strapping, and resting all day long. (Note: "New Tang Dynasty Book: Cui Yuan's Comprehensive Biography.")

"Jade Sea", vol. 161, "Tang Political Affairs Hall" is also written

After the main hall, there are five rooms of the secretariat. "New Tang Dynasty Book and Hundred Official Chronicles" cloud: "In the Kaiyuan Dynasty, Zhang said that he was the prime minister, and changed the name of the political affairs hall to 'Zhongshu Menxia', and listed five rooms after it: one is called the officer's room, the second is the cardinal room, the third is the soldier's room, the fourth is the household room, and the fifth is the torture room. (Note: "Jade Sea" Volume 16 together) Also, "Jade Sea"

"Song Dynasty Privy Council" Tiao Yun: "In the Kaiyuan Dynasty, there are five rooms in the back of the hall, and the secret is a division of its own, and its secretary is known to the prime minister. (Note: See "Jade Sea" volume 167 "Song Dynasty Privy Council" article) It can be proved that the five-room official subordinate of the Secretariat of the Political Affairs Hall is located behind the main hall under the Zhongshu Gate, which is the place where the officials and historians govern affairs, and the person who enters the product can be the head of the five rooms (Note: See Jin Yuhuang's "Houtang Official Examination", in the joint issue of the seventh and eighth issues of the fifth volume of the "Journal of Literature and History").

Although the work of the five chamber officials is secretarial, because most of them are state secrets, they have a very heavy position. "Zizhi Tongjian", vol. 237

"Tang Ji Xianzong Yuanhe First Year" contains: "The main book of the back of the hall has been in the middle book for a long time (Hu Zhuyun: the main book of the back of the hall, that is, the official of the hall after today), and the privy Liu Guangqi is knotted, and the prime minister has a different person from Guangqi, so that the master can reach the will, often get what he wants, Du You, Zheng Qi, etc. are all low-minded and kind. "There are not many people who make a gesture like Slippery and Tricky, but it also shows that the five room bureaucrats have the right to live in the land, and the prime minister should not be underestimated.

(3) Persons participating in the meetings of the Government Hall. Those who participated in the meeting of the political hall were the governors of the three provinces in the early Tang Dynasty; After Gaozong, he was the chief of the Zhongshu Sect, or bringed

"Same as three products",

"Flat Chapters",

Officials with the title of "Governor of Political Affairs". The head of the fifth room in the back of the hall can also attend the meeting with the consent of the prime minister due to their work.

The government hall meeting is different from the court meeting. The government hall is the power organ of the prime minister to decide on the major affairs of the military state, and the prime minister can only participate.

The court discussion is the discussion between the emperor and the ministers when he is in the court, so the civil and military officials with high and low quality can be discussed.

According to records, most of the matters discussed by the court are military affairs, and the military affairs are the most important to the country, and the emperor must decide on them.

"Old Tang Dynasty Book: Yan Shou Biography" cloud: "(Yuanhe) nine years, Wu Yuanji rebelled, the court discussed the increase of troops, with the name of Hongshu, can be entrusted with the handle, is to grant Shannan Dongdao Jiedu envoy, looking for Huaixi to recruit envoys. (Note: See "The Book of the Old Tang Dynasty: The Biography of Yan Shou") is an example of military affairs discussed by the DPRK.

Council meetings are also different from court meetings. The court meeting is decided by the Son of Heaven in the court, and the court meeting is presided over by the prime minister.

"Old Tang Book: The Biography of Liu Wenjing" cloud: "Wen Jing thinks that her talents are used on the right side of Pei Lian, and she has many military exploits, and she is under him, which is very uneven. Every court discussion is more contradictory, there is silence, and silence must not be, so there is a gap between yes and silence. (Note: "The Old Tang Book: The Biography of Liu Wenjing") and according to the "New Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Jiang Hui": "(Hui) is the servant of the Ministry of Officials, and the main choice." "Shrewdness, selfishness, and sin, all think of God." At the beginning, the obscure reform of the old and the simplicity, the court discussion is afraid of defeat, and the stolen road is blocked, and the flow of goods is narrated, and the public is ambushed. (Note: See "The New Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Jiang Hui") "The Old Tang Book: The Biography of Wang Instigation" contains: "Wei Yuanzhong, the marshal of the Shishuo Fang Army, blamed the thief for the defeat of the thief, and blamed the deputy general Han Sizhong, and asked him to be punished. It is a pity that he is not only partial and involuntary, but also brave and wise, and he cannot kill the innocent alone, but the court will discuss it. "Wang Hui was the palace servant at that time.

The Book of the Old Tang Dynasty: The Biography of Du You is also contained

The matter of the "Minister's Court". It can be seen that not only the prime minister, but also officials other than the prime minister can participate in the court meeting, which is completely different from those who participate in the government hall meeting only to the prime minister.

(4) Executive Chairman of the Council of the Council. Usually after the order of the Chinese book is taken, a joint meeting of the prime ministers is held in the government hall, and there is an executive chairman at the meeting, said

"Writing",

"Ruling Notes". The discussion was concluded with the assistance of the Secretariat

"Writing" is synthesized into an edict document, and then it is heard and drawn. The Executive Chairman rotates, sometimes one for one day, sometimes for ten days.

"Tang Hui Yao" cloud: "In March of the second year of Zhide, the prime minister was in charge of political affairs and wrote, and everyone knew it for ten days, and on May 8 of the tenth year of Zhenyuan, one person wrote it every day. (Note: "Tang Hui Yao" Volume 51 "Zhongshu Order" article) "New Tang Dynasty Book Cui Youfu Biography" cloud: "When the first Su sect was established, the world was in charge of drama, and the prime minister was more in charge of things. "Zizhi Tongjian" volume 219 clouds: "He also ordered the prime minister to divide the direct political affairs and undertake, and changed it every day (Hu Sanxing's note: let the prime minister be in the political affairs hall, and the day was the pen and the decree), and the dictatorship of Lin Fu and Yang Guozhong was punished. (Note: "Zizhi Tongjian", vol. 219, "Tang Ji", 35, "Suzong to De Yuanzai") cited above

"Straight",

"straighter",

"Listen straight".

"Straight", that is, taking turns on duty, means that the prime minister should take turns on duty in the political hall. whereas

"Bingbi",

"Writing",

"Ruling officer" refers to the executive chairman of the meeting if there is a meeting, and the prime minister on duty if there is no meeting, responsible for handling daily official business or

"Bearing the Will". It can be seen from the above that after Suzong, the prime minister ruled the writer, or every ten days, or every day.

Written by the Prime Minister

It can also be seen that in the highest central authority of the Tang Dynasty, the traditional practice of taking the decree by the Zhongshu order has changed.

It is worth noting that a pen on a day or a pen on a day, with

"Three or two days to the middle book under the door of the Pingzhang political affairs", there are very differences. The former is the prime minister on duty, and the latter is as Sima Guang said: "As for the number of Dan and the first to the political hall, it is the old man of Sude since the Tang Dynasty, who is old and sick, and the court respects the court, and he hereby descends this life." (Note: Sima Guang's "Ci 3 Day 1 to Dutang Zazi", the first year of Yuanyou, in "Sima Wenzheng's Public Collection", vol. 38) is for the elderly and respected ministers such as Li Jing and Du You (Note: see the new and old "Tang Shu" biography.

and so on.

(5) The seal under the door of the Chinese book. The seal is the proof of power,

"The Seal, the Letter is also" (Note: "Baichuan Xuehai", Cai Yong's "Dictatorship" volume). Since the eleventh year of Kaiyuan, the Chinese book ordered Zhang to change the political hall to

"Under the door of the Chinese book", so the seal of the political hall was also changed

"The Seal of the Door of the Chinese Book" (Note: "Old Tang Book, Career Official Chronicles, Menxia Province"). See also "Shufu Yuangui", vol. 308, "Zaifu General Preface").

The "Seal of Zhongshu Menxia" became the power certificate of the Zhongshu Menxia Political Affairs Hall, the highest central authority in the Tang Dynasty.

In the Tang system, all orders of the emperor must be formally approved by the political hall meeting and stamped

"The seal under the door of the Chinese book", and then it can be promulgated and effective. That is to say, if it is countersigned without the resolution of the government council, it will be added

The "seal of the door of the Chinese book", and the orders issued directly by the emperor were considered illegal at the time and could not be recognized by the organs of the state at all levels.

"If you don't go through the Fengge Luantai, what is the name?" is Prime Minister Liu Yizhi's criticism of Wu Zetian. Later, when some emperors in the Tang Dynasty violated this system, they had to change the sealed bag of their edict to an oblique seal

The word "edict" did not dare to use a red pen, but instead used an ink pen, which was called at that time

"Diagonal sealing of the ink edict" means that this order has not been studied by the political affairs hall, although it is not

"The seal under the door of the Chinese book", please also admit it sloppily below. At the time, this was considered a great thing.

Even the officials privately appointed by the emperor were also looked down upon by the people of the time because they went through the formal sealing procedures.

For example, "The Old Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Yuan Zhen" cloud: "At the beginning of Changqing, Tan Jun returned to the dynasty, and more than 100 articles such as "Lianchang Palace Ci" were released. He said: 'Today is Nangong Sanlang. On the same day, he transferred to the ancestral hall and knew the system. The imperial court did not follow the prime minister's house with a book, and it was very despised. (Note: "Old Tang Book: The Biography of Yuan Zhen", at this time.)

"Prime Minister's House" is the political hall under the door of the Chinese book. "New Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Yuan Zhen" cloud: "However, its entry is not a public discussion, and it is a thin for scholars") Mu Zong, with the favor of the moment, without the decision of the political affairs hall, immediately appointed Yuan Zhi as the ancestral hall Langzhong, the knowledge of the system, which was criticized by the imperial court.

This led to the problem of the contradiction between the emperor's personal autocracy and the chancellor's collective decision. In the era of feudal autocracy, the emperor practiced autocratic dictatorship,

"Everything in the world is decided by the top" (Note: See "Historical Records", Volume 6, "Qin Shi Huang Benji"), which is a matter of course.

But since the Qin and Han dynasties, there have been

In the Tang Dynasty, the "court council" system established the highest central authority for the collective decision of the prime ministers of the political hall.

It seems incomprehensible that absolute monarchy and the collective decision of the prime minister can be united in a feudal central power, which seems to be two opposing systems.

However, all systems in history will not arise out of thin air, and behind the systems, there are profound political, economic, and historical backgrounds and roots.

Since the political hall system is the highest state power organ formed during the development of the feudal country to the peak of prosperity, then, in order to explain its emergence and development, it is natural that we cannot depart from the Marxist theory of the state, and it is a method to abandon this and turn to Tang Taizong's personal political style, and it is impossible to come up with a correct answer, nor can we completely and correctly understand the political hall system.

Engels pointed out that the state is by no means a force imposed on society from the outside. Nor is the state what Hegel asserts

"The Reality of Ethical Ideas",

"Rational image and reality". Rather than say that the state is a product of society at a certain stage of development; The state is the expression that this society is mired in irresolvable self-contradictions, divided into irreconcilable opposites and powerless to get rid of these opposites.

And in order that these opposing parties, these classes with conflicting economic interests, do not annihilate themselves and society in a futile struggle, it is necessary to have a force that is ostensibly above society, and which should moderate the conflict and keep it there

within the scope of "order"; This kind of power that arises from society, but is above society and increasingly detached from society, is the state (Note: "The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State", People's Publishing House, 1972, pp. 167-168; pp. 167-169).

In the third year of Zhenguan, Taizong said to his courtiers: "Zhongshu, under the door, the confidential department." Talent is promoted, and the appointment is heavy. If the edict is unstable, it must be enforced. Is it reasonable to feel that Ah Zhi is obedient, but only to be reluctant, and there is no word of admonition? If you only sign an edict and just carry out documents, who is unbearable? In the fourth year of Zhenguan, Taizong asked Xiao Yu: "How is Emperor Wen of Sui like the lord?" He said: "Self-denial, diligence and ideology, every sitting court, or solstice, five or more, leading to sit and discuss things, the guards of the guard, preaching and eating, although the nature is not benevolent, but also the master of the essence." "Taizong said: '

"One is known, but the other is unknown. This human nature is very observant but unclear. If the husband's heart is dark, he will not understand, and if he observes, he will be suspicious of things. He also deceived orphans and widows to win the world, and was constantly afraid that the ministers would not be convinced, and refused to trust Baisi, and decided everything by themselves, although they were tired and miserable, and could not be fully reasonable. The courtiers knew what they meant, but they did not dare to speak out. below the prime minister, but it is only obedient. I mean otherwise, with the breadth of the world, the people of the four seas, thousands of threads, must be flexible, all commissioned to discuss, the prime minister to plan, so it is stable, before it can be played. How can you have ten thousand opportunities a day, and judge one person's worries? And ten things are broken every day, five are not hit, the middle one believes in goodness, and if it is not hit, what is it? Day after month, and even years, there are many perverses, why not die? How can it be as broad as being virtuous, condescending and contemplative, and having serious laws and regulations, who would dare to do wrong? "Because of the order, if there is an unstable person under the edict, it must be executed, and it must not be carried out immediately according to the decree, so as to fulfill the will of the ministers (Note: "Zhenguan Political Leaders", Volume 1, "Political System", 2).

The above quotation of the two paragraphs of Tang Taizong's discussion, about the relationship between the emperor and the Zhongshu disciples and the government hundred divisions, how brilliant and profound!

He put the monarch in his personal autocracy and the prime minister in a collective opinion

"It is necessary to merge and adapt", the necessity of the unity of opposites, is clearly stated. Historically, these two passages have been quoted a lot, but few have raised these arguments to the level of the national polity.

Wu Jing, the editor of Zhenguan Political Leaders, was indeed insightful, and he examined these dialogues in the context of the political system.

For many years, there has been a great tendency in our historical research to focus on personnel and ignore systems.

In recent years, there have been many articles written about Tang Taizong's personal political style, and they are not exempt from this bias.