In the twenty-sixth year of Jian'an, in history, this is the second year of Huang Chu of Cao Wei and the first year of Zhang Wu of Liu Bei Group.

However, because Liu Bei has not yet been proclaimed emperor, he continues to use the Jian'an era name.

In July, autumn began earlier in the south this year, and the weather became colder and colder, and the evening breeze blew the quietly flowing Han River, rolling up layers of ripples.

Compared with the rolling waves of the Han River the year before, this year's Han River is much more docile, as if it is also protecting the Han River, and when the enemy comes, the waves are stormy and the Cao army is flooded. When the enemy retreats, he is docile as usual, nourishing all things.

In Xiangyang Xiangguo's mansion, Zhuge Liang only wore a single coat, kneeling in the backyard study, almost lying on the table, waving the wolf brush in his hand, constantly writing something.

Sometimes he meditated, sometimes he wrote hard, and as the sun was approaching, the servant next to him lit an oil lamp to let the shadow appear on the wall.

Shen Chen walked in, and saw that the evening breeze lightly buttoned the curtains, and the cool breeze poured into the room, Zhuge Liang was only wearing thin clothes, so he couldn't help but feel a little distressed, so he took a robe from the hanger next to him, walked over to put it on him, and dragged the stool over at the same time.

Zhuge Liang turned his head and saw Shen Chen, so he put the brush in his hand into the pen washing plate, and there was a servant next to him to help clean the brush, and he said, "Xiaoqing, when did you come?" ”

"Just here."

Shen Chen put the stool beside him and said, "Don't always kneel and sit at home, kneeling every day will cause blood to flow in your legs and affect the health of your feet." ”

"Etiquette should not be abolished."

Zhuge Liang was pulled up and sat on the stool.

Shen Chen said with a smile: "There were still human sacrifices in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, but now? The times are changing, etiquette should also be followed to keep pace with the times, those unreasonable etiquette should be abolished, and the elder brother should not eat the ancient. ”

"Hmm."

Zhuge Liang nodded and said, "Is your directory confirmed?" ”

"Headache."

Speaking of this, Shen Chen rubbed his head: "The positions and status of these hundred officials are not easy to place, and it is easy to offend people." Although there are many cars and horses in front of the door, how can you follow everyone's wishes? ”

"Yes, but you already have a headache just by determining the position of a military general, but I have to set hundreds of civil officials, as well as the positions of local taishou and county orders, which is even more cumbersome."

Zhuge Liang smiled bitterly and shook his head.

When the new dynasty is established, it is natural to relist the hundred officials, and of course the size of the officials' positions is not decided by patting their heads, and many factors must be considered.

For example, talents, qualifications, merits, past performance, etc., and even age must be counted.

Some of the qualifications are very deep, but the talents are very average, and letting this kind of person serve as a high-ranking official is to occupy a position and not do things, and the corpse is vegetarian, but the qualifications of others can occupy such a high position, which is a headache.

For example, like Xu Jing Mizhu, there is no way at all.

Fortunately, Shen Chen had a lot of ideas, and created a system of loose officials and honored officials, plus the original titles and officials with real power, he was able to place some senior and talented ministers.

Although there were scattered officials in the Han Dynasty, it was not completely determined at that time, and it was not until the Sui and Tang dynasties that a perfect system was established to reward some meritorious officials.

It's just that now they are more cautious about loose officials and honorable officials, Shen Chen and Zhuge Liang, because even if they don't have real power and official positions, they will receive money, and if they reward a large number of loose officials and honorable officers, there will be many officials who do not receive money netly, which will seriously drag down the imperial court's finances.

Therefore, the two of them have the same opinion on the rewards of loose officials and honored officials, and only reward those old ministers who have not done anything and have extremely high qualifications, and the existing officials with real power will never be rewarded, at most they will be knighted.

In this way, those old ministers who are not well arranged can be excluded from the official positions of real power, and only give them high status and honor, but no real power.

In this way, it will be convenient for young and talented officials who lack qualifications to take over the position.

In terms of system, the three public and nine secretaries are still used.

It's just that the three princes and nine secretaries do not hold real power, although they are not scattered officials, but they belong to the glorious position.

The real power will be given to Shangshutai, Zhongshujian, and Menxia Temple.

Many people think that the system of three provinces and six ministries began in the Sui and Tang dynasties, but in fact, it appeared as early as the late Han and Wei and Jin dynasties.

For example, Shangshu Province is Shangshutai in the Han Dynasty, Zhongshu Province is the Zhongshangshu during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Cao Cao established Zhongshujian after King Wei, and Menxia Province comes from the Shizhong Temple in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the Western Jin Dynasty changed to Menxia Province.

It can be said that in the late Han Dynasty, we can often see that the so-and-so Shangshu and the so-and-so servants are actually the military and political staff of the monarch, and their existence also constitutes the prototype of the three provinces and six departments.

Therefore, without canceling the original system of three princes and nine secretaries, Liu Bei's group still established the political form of the three provinces in accordance with the inherent system of the Han Dynasty.

It's just that the power of the original three provinces was not so great, and it was not until the end of the Han Dynasty that the power increased.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang and Shen Chen's current restructuring is not to overthrow the system of three princes and nine secretaries and change it to a system of three provinces and six ministries, but to improve the power of the three provinces and make them assume the task of political structure.

Among them, the governors of the three provinces were Shang Shuling, Zhong Shu Cheng, and Menxia Qing, who were respectively in charge of the implementation of important national decrees, responsible for drafting and issuing the emperor's edicts, and responsible for reviewing the edicts issued by the emperor and the state decrees issued by Shang Shutai.

The functions are roughly equivalent to those of the three provinces of the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Its highest official position is below the three dukes and above the nine qing, and belongs to the prime minister's deputy, which can be regarded as the deputy minister. The three provinces have left and right servants, who are below Jiuqing and above the officials.

Under the three departments, there are also Shang Shulang, Zhongshu Secretary, and Menxia Shi, who undertake the daily operation of the three departments and the tasks of the chief staff.

In this way, a highly efficient government was established that was separated from the three public and nine secretaries.

The affairs of the whole country were concentrated in three departments, and the emperor, the prime minister, and many deputy ministers decided and consulted together, so that orders could be conveyed more quickly.

Zhuge Liang is a recognized candidate for prime minister, but he pushed the position of prime minister to Shen Chen in the list.

Shen Chen was too lazy to refuse, anyway, when it came to Liu Bei, Liu Bei would also cross it out, and he would add Zhuge Liang's name, so it didn't matter.

He glanced at the list that Zhuge Liang was writing now, and said with a smile: "Brother only let himself serve as Shang Shuling, and let me be the prime minister, don't you treat the king and me as fools." ”

Zhuge Liang glanced at him helplessly and said, "You are also a prime minister, why not." ”

"I don't want to be the prime minister, you write, even if I can pass, even if I lose."

Shen Chen shrugged.

Zhuge Liang said: "It's getting late, you haven't returned to the mansion yet?" ”

"Look, I'm in a hurry."

Shen Chen joked: "Brother, sometimes you have to accept your fate. ”

Zhuge Liang was even more helpless, and said: "Then you came to look for me today, you won't come to chat with me." ”

"Of course not."

Shen Chen became serious, looked at him solemnly and said, "Brother, do you know the Jiupin Zhongzheng system?" ”

"Hmm."

Zhuge Liang nodded: "It was Cao Pi who asked Chen Qun to customize it last year, and this year Cao Wei promulgated the official election system, and it is said that this law replaces the inspection." ”

"The inspection system has basically been manipulated by the big family gatekeepers, they monopolize the way to enter the office, and it is no longer meaningful to continue to use it, Cao Pi is a smart person, and it is much easier to replace the old system with a new system of electing officials than to reform the old system."

Shen Chen said in a deep voice: "And the inspection system will lead to the lack of ways for small and medium-sized families and local powerful families and children of poor families to enter the office, but after the Jiupin Zhongzheng system, small and medium-sized families and strong and poor families can be officials, which greatly alleviates the contradiction between Cao Wei and local small and medium-sized families and strong and poor families, and can be exchanged for the support of big families, small and medium-sized families and strong and poor families." ”

Zhuge Liang thought for a moment, and then agreed: "Yes, there are very few talents selected by the original inspection system, and they are often monopolized by the gate valve of the great family. Now after the nine products are in the middle, the door valves of the big families often occupy the upper grades, and the rest of the upper middle, upper and lower, middle and upper, middle and lower, lower and lower, lower and lower can be divided by the rest of the small and medium-sized families Haoqiang Hanmen, so that everyone has an official to do, and Cao Wei has indeed been supported by the scholars. ”

"But the people are not as good as cattle and horses."

Shen Chen sighed.

The Jiupin Zhengzhong system is actually the carnival of the scholars.

In the Han Dynasty, each state produced a filial piety and Maocai, plus the three dukes, the superintendent of the imperial history, the division of the subordinate, and the state pastor, one of each of the Maocai, and one filial piety selected by each county, and there were only more than 100 filial piety and honesty in the country every year.

More than 100 people are naturally not enough, so the inspection system is basically monopolized by the big families, and at the end of the Han Dynasty, you can see the princes from all walks of life and the talents under them, and there are almost few filial piety and honesty from the background.

Therefore, if the probationary system continues to be used, it will lead to the dissatisfaction of the local heroes of small and medium-sized families who lack access to the official ranks and the children of the poor families, which may threaten Cao Wei's rule.

But as soon as the Jiupin Zhongzheng system came out, all the scholars would be able to come out, and naturally the scholars all supported Cao Wei, which greatly alleviated the contradiction between Cao Wei and the scholars.

It's just that the drawbacks are also obvious.

The Manchu Dynasty was full of scholars, and everyone knew the virtues of the scholars.

Family interests come first.

As long as I can continue to be an official and protect the interests of my family, who will be the emperor? I don't care.

Therefore, when the Sima family usurped Wei, the scholars were silent.

Zhuge Liang shook his head: "Cao Wei reuses the Shi clan, and the Northern Shi clan will definitely support him with all their might, even if the people are miserable, I am afraid it will be difficult to shake its foundation." ”

"Hmm."

Shen Chen said: "So we must also keep pace with the times, change the probation system, and select new methods for selecting talents." ”

Zhuge Liang looked at him in surprise and said, "Doesn't Xiaoqing also want to be in the middle of the nine grades?" Haven't you always suppressed the scholars and supported the poor and the low-level people? ”

"Naturally, it's not the middle of the nine grades."

Shen Chen said: "I plan to use the imperial examination system. ”

"Imperial examinations?"

"Yes, it is an assessment system, and each county is divided into township examinations, county examinations, state examinations, and palace examinations, and those who pass the county examination can become officials."

"And what is the content of the assessment?"

"With the title of the Seven Classics, "Zhuziyan" and "Shen's Sutra", the meaning of the scriptures is investigated. He also took the governance of townships and counties as the theme, and inspected and worked hard. Then, we will examine the current political issues. Finally, of course, it is an interview in person to examine his moral talents. ”

"It sounds good, but it still seems to be supporting the scholars."

Zhuge Liang frowned.

The imperial examination system that Shen Chen said was naturally different from the later imperial examination system, and the later imperial examination system became very empty, and the questions were also unfathomable.

And now the imperial examination system he proposed is very simple, in fact, it is to examine people's literary level and governance ability.

Once passed, they will be able to immediately become officials and govern the localities.

For example, to investigate the scriptures, just like when Liu Biao took the test for Deng Hong, let Deng Hong explain the truth in the scriptures, Deng Hong's ability is average, so the level of answers is limited, and you can see how well a person's scriptures and righteousness are governed from here.

There is also the governance of townships and counties, just like Liu Bei asked Pang Tong to be the commander of a certain county to test his ability, but he just put the problems faced by Pang Tong in front of the candidates, and the candidates solved them on paper.

Therefore, the imperial examination system proposed by Shen Chen is still a method proposed in combination with the actual situation of the Han Dynasty, and it is not as complicated and illusory as the imperial examination in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

To put it simply, it is hard work and ability first.

The problem is that if you want to participate in the imperial examination system, you first have to be a person with a level of knowledge.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, it was difficult for the people at the bottom to study, and only the children of the powerful and the powerful had the way to learn knowledge.

Therefore, this imperial examination system is still the same as the Jiupin Zhongzheng system, so that the scholars are officials, and the people at the bottom have no chance to enter the office.

However, Shen Chen shook his head and said: "No, although it is indeed a selected scholar clan at the moment, it is not like the Jiupin Zhongzheng system, which completely eliminates the entry of the people at the bottom, brother think about it, at this stage, it is indeed the majority of the scholar clan, but as long as we promote education in various townships and counties and set up township schools, there will always be children of Qianshou who can read books, and the monopoly of the family will be broken in the future." ”

"Is that so?"

Zhuge Liang pondered, and then nodded approvingly: "Xiaoqing's vision is indeed long-term." ”

"And there are too many benefits of supporting scholars to enter the government at present."

Shen Chen analyzed one by one: "First, to alleviate the contradictions between us and the scholars, and secondly, because the scholars have mastered education and knowledge, there are indeed far more talents than the people at the bottom. Therefore, if we want the country to prosper, we cannot completely eliminate the scholars, but we can only popularize education, and wait for the next few decades or hundreds of years to produce more talents for the people at the bottom. ”

The contradiction between Liu Bei's group and the southern scholars is too acute, and the northern scholars unite to help Cao Wei.

Only by alleviating the contradiction with the scholars and supporting the scholars as officials can this problem be solved.

And the imperial examination system is the solution.

Because it is almost difficult for the people at the bottom to study at this stage, even in the Ming and Qing dynasties, scholars have to have a small family property in order to maintain a person who does not produce and concentrate on studying, not to mention the Han Dynasty, where productivity is relatively low.

Therefore, the emergence of the imperial examination system will not threaten the scholars, but will become a way for the small and medium-sized scholars and the powerful and the poor to enter the ranks, and they will naturally not be opposed.

Just take a long-term view.

Jiupin Zhengzhong completely put an end to the entry of the people at the bottom.

But everyone can participate in the imperial examination system, as long as your country prospers and patiently develops grassroots education, then one day the literacy rate and cultural level of the people at the bottom will rise, and you will be able to break the monopoly of the family.

Therefore, from the perspective of short-term interests, the imperial examination system can alleviate the contradiction between the scholars and ethnic groups, and in the long run, the imperial examination system can attract low-level talents to join in the future.

This is also why the imperial examination system was still controlled by the family gate valve in the Sui and Tang dynasties, but in the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, the family gate valve was no longer there, and people from the bottom of the people could replace them.

After that, Shen Chen and Zhuge Liang chatted about some details.

For example, the content of the assessment, the additional government departments and institutions, and the current official rank and rank.

It is too general to divide the officials into how many stones.

Shen Chen believes that the official should be divided into nine grades, and the nine to six grades should be divided into township and county levels, the six to three grades should be at the state and county level, and the second to first grades should be at the national level.

Why do townships and counties appear in Liupin?

Because the Liupin County Commander corresponds to the Gyeonggi County Order, it is naturally necessary to have a high allocation, just like the Luoyang Order of the Han Dynasty is not a conventional 600 stones, but a thousand stones, so the rank is higher.

The rest of the prime ministers are one product, and the three princes are from one product. The chief officials and deputy ministers of the three provinces are the second grade, and the nine Qing are the second grade. The servants of the three provinces and the governors of the prefectures are the three products, and there are deputies below them who are from the three products.

On the military attaché's side, the general is the first product, and the hussar general, the chariot general, and the guard general are the first product. The four generals on the front and back are the second grade, the four towns and the four marches are from the second grade, and so on.

In this way, these above-mentioned officials correspond to the original Han Dynasty's rank of Wanshi (first rank), rank of middle 2000 stone (2nd grade), rank Zhen 2000 stone (third grade) and other positions. And the county guard is the fourth grade, and the ordinary miscellaneous general is also the fourth grade, which corresponds to the original position of two thousand stones.

That is to say, the original rank and stone are divided into genuine and subordinate products, and the chief officer is added with a deputy, and the power of the chief official is divided, and at the same time, the official can be subdivided and demarcated to the sovereignty they should hold.

Zhuge Liang felt that what Shen Chen said was very reasonable, so he wrote them down one by one.

From the end of last year to July this year, they were preparing for Liu Bei's enthronement ceremony.

In addition to approving hundreds of officials, it is also necessary to invite envoys from all over the world to formulate new rules of etiquette and verify the livelihood of the people in various places.

Because at the beginning of this year, Shen Chen set up several new departments, namely the Supervision Yuan, the Yushitai, and the Sangong Office, and withdrew the power of the county order and the state government to the death penalty, and the death penalty was attributed to the central government.

As there are many functional departments, there will naturally be more officials needed, and a large number of things will be piled up on the central government in a short period of time, which will naturally make it impossible for government affairs to be handled quickly.

So since this year, Zhuge Liang's affairs have been extremely busy, and there has been no rest for a moment.

Fortunately, Shen Chen, Pang Tong, Fa Zheng, and Jia Xu assisted them, otherwise he would have to work on state affairs alone, I am afraid that he would have to move forward with a state of land alone like in history, and finally die of exhaustion.

In the next month, Zhuge Liang and Shen Chen summarized all the things that had been done together, drew up a list, and determined all the official functions, and then reported to Liu Bei.

At this point, in fact, all the things prepared are complete, or as long as Liu Bei needs it, even if it was proposed last year, he can ascend the throne within a month.

】

But things have to be slow.

If we are slow, we will be able to deal with the current domestic affairs of the South first, such as people's livelihood issues, economic issues, military issues, and so on.

Moreover, delaying time can also stop Liu Bei's footsteps in the Northern Expedition.

Now that the south has just pacified Jiangdong, what is needed is governance rather than war, so this kind of thing cannot be done quickly.

However, after eight months of preparation, by August, they had perfected all the details, and finally Liu Bei ruled that the enthronement ceremony would be officially held at the end of August of the 26th year of Jian'an, except for some people who had changed the list by him.