Since the founding of the Southern Han Dynasty, Liu Bei often discussed the gains and losses of the political system of the Han Dynasty with Huo, Ge, and Fa.

In addition to criticizing Liu Bei for being incompetent, Huo Jun also often thought about what kind of political system Ji Han should implement. After all, although Ji Han said that he would revive the Han family, it did not mean that Ji Han had to return to the old system of the two Han Dynasty.

Huo Jun stands on the long river of history, and it can be seen that the Northern and Southern Dynasties of the Three Kingdoms inherited the two Han dynasties in the past, and the Sui and Tang dynasties in the future.

During this critical period of change, China was in the most chaotic period of history, the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, in which the great families appeared on each other, the monarchs of various countries took turns, and the system was constantly revised, and finally the prosperous Sui and Tang empires were born.

Now that the Three Kingdoms were replaced by the Southern Han and Northern Wei Dynasty, Huo Jun, as one of the rulers of the Ji Han Dynasty, was well aware of the trend of future historical development, but in the torrent of the times, he often felt that he did not know where to start.

They want to use the imperial examination system, which is more conducive to centralization, but there is no corresponding cultural soil. And even if the mature imperial examination in later generations is made, the officials who have entered the imperial examination through the imperial examination have no official position except for the center.

Why is there no official position?

Without him, during the Han Dynasty and the Han Dynasty, the governors of prefectures and counties had the right to appoint local personnel, such as the appointment of official positions such as Beijia, the chief bookkeeper, and the gongcao in the hands of the governor.

Therefore, under the circumstance that the official position of the imperial court is limited, the personnel power of the auxiliary officials of the prefecture and county is controlled by the local governor, and if the imperial court adopts the imperial examination system, there will inevitably be the problem of redundant officials, and some scholars will also tend to be recruited by the prefecture and county, so that the talent contradiction between the central government and the local government will be formed.

When Huo Jun understood this, he turned to think deeply about the difference between the examination system and the imperial examination system.

However, if you want to delve into the difference between the two, you need to think carefully about why the probation system appeared.

The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system, so the officials in the early Western Han Dynasty came from the military merit group in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty. In the same day, the military merit group has entered the aging period, and there is no successor. By the time of Emperor Wu, due to the withdrawal of the military merit group from the political arena, he had to find a new batch of talents to serve as officials and maintain the operation of the empire.

In this way, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, according to the political tradition left by Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, implemented the probation system, allowing the local counties to recommend outstanding talents to the central government. Therefore, the essence of the probationary system is actually that the central government exports talents to local dignitaries, and the county states export talents to the imperial court.

As the recipient, the central government is very difficult to control the quality of talents. The county is not only a talent provider, but also a referee, and has the right to evaluate the quality of talents.

When the Taishou colludes with the big clan, then there is a situation where they are both referees and participants. The central government has become the injured party, and he needs to accept it whether the talent is garbage or not. Therefore, in order to distinguish between high and low talents, the central government can only conduct internal self-screening or punish county guards

The filial piety who was promoted to the central government to serve as a local official will definitely take care of the heirs who recommended him, or the old in-laws. Over the course of a few hundred years, it will inevitably branch apart like a tree branch, entrenched from the center to the locality, which is the phenomenon of the protégés of the two Han Dynasty.

The nine-product Zhongzheng system implemented by Cao's father and son is actually a new bottle for old wine, and the soup is not changed, and it strengthens the voice of the local scholars.

When Sima Yi realized that local power was inflated, in order to strengthen the power of the central government, he brought the judicial power to the center. Due to the lack of clear standards and the improper establishment of the Western Jin Dynasty, the gate valve of the scholar clan entrenched in the center was formed.

The imperial examination system essentially allows the central government to control the adjudication power and become the supplier and receiver of talents. Weaken the local government's right to speak on personnel rights, and prevent the phenomenon of protégés and former officials.

In order to allow more talented people to hold official positions, or to prevent them from being recruited by local officials, the central government wants to deprive the prefectures and counties of their personnel rights. When the magistrates were unable to appoint auxiliary officials, they either passively or actively flowed from the whole country to the center in order to be promoted.

When Huo Jun figured out these contents, he suddenly found that Ji Han wanted to implement this series of systems, and the difficulty was no less than a change in the law, the central government and the local government had to complete the collection and centralization of power, and deprive those state and county governors of the personnel and election powers.

Huo Jun never told Liu and Ge that not only did the Southern Han Dynasty take the Northern Expedition first, but also because the system was advanced, there was no specific administrative policy for the time being.

Of course, it is also related to Huo Jun's identity, although he also leads the Shangshu affairs, but because of the general, he does not dare to meddle in too many Shangshutai affairs.

When Liu Bei wanted to change the filial piety and honesty system, Huo Jun's mind became lively, and he was ready to try to use Yangjia's new system as a reason to see if he could improve Ji Han's official election system.

On that day, Huo Jun went to the Prime Minister's Mansion to meet Zhuge Liang.

In the main hall, the two sat next to each other, and the maid served tea.

Zhuge Liang shook the feather fan lightly and said with a smile: "Zhong Miao should be a rare guest, and when he visits the mansion today, he must have something important to do with the showman." ”

Huo Jun smiled and asked, "Kong Ming, do you know that Your Majesty wants you and me to rectify the probationary system?" ”

"I've heard a little!"

Zhuge Liang pondered for a while, and said: "Zuoxiong's new system, testing Maocai, filial piety, honesty and real ability, looking at his ability to divide the advantages and disadvantages, classify the scientific examination, should be for good governance." ”

"That's not all!"

Huo Jun confided his heart to Zhuge Liang and said: "Since the end of the Middle and Han Dynasty, Zhang Jiao raised the Yellow Turban to make trouble, and the prefectures and counties of the world held the power of the army, and they were regarded as feudal princes. After Dong Zhuo's rebellion, the heroes were divided, and Xingjun rose up and leveled the world with Cao Cao. ”

"Your Majesty appointed Kong Ming as the prime minister, Kong Ming has a smart and wise talent, dreams of sleeping at night, without a day of slackness, so he has the good government of the commander in charge of the army, taking the salt and brocade iron. The Han dynasty can have the prosperity of today, thanks to the work of Kong Ming. However, the current legal system inherits the old evils of the two Han Dynasty. If it is not eliminated, I am afraid that Ji Han will repeat the mistakes of the past. ”

"In the troubled times of the Warring States Period, the King of Qin changed the law with the Shang Emperor, and then there was the remnant of the Qin Emperor Fen VI, who unified the six countries and rebuilt the universe. The former Han Dynasty inherited the old system of Qin, and Gaozu ruled the world with the county monarch; The Later Han Dynasty inherited the old system of the former Han Dynasty and collected troops and centralized power on the monarch. I changed it, but it didn't change at all. ”

"The county ruler divides the land, exalts the wise men, and governs the people below. As time goes by, the maladministration will return, and the state will have the maladministration of the Han Dynasty. Such as protégés, in-laws cling; Or filial piety and honesty without virtue, Maocai without learning. Kong Ming is a talent for management and music, how can he not be right now? ”

Listening to Huo Jun's words of more than hundreds of words, Zhuge Liang frowned.

Zhuge Liang read through the history of the scriptures, how could he not know the maladministration of the two Han Dynasty for hundreds of years. But how easy is it to get rid of bad governance?

In addition to using prestige to silence those who oppose it, it is also necessary to find a new system to replace the old system.

Zhuge Liang has been building the Southern Han system for Liu Bei for more than ten years, and he has to be distracted from supplying grain and grass. It is not easy to maintain the old system, and where is there still energy to promote deep-seated good governance. After all, it is not easy to restructure, and it is simple to fix vulnerabilities and patches.

After thinking for a long time, Zhuge Liang asked: "Since Zhong Miao has said this, I don't know if he has a conscience to teach me?" ”

"Slightly small!"

Huo Jun took a tea stove, four bottles of teacups, and a big bowl, demonstrated it to Zhuge Liang, and said.

"The bowl can be regarded as the court, the four lamps as the place, and the tea as the scholars. If you want to draw tea in the bowl today, and the bowl is empty, you need to take the tea and pour it in. The inspection system seems to pour the tea into the tea cup first, and then pour it into the bowl from the tea cup. ”

"If you can find a way to bring the tea in the furnace to the bowl, and then divide the tea and the bowl from the bowl, then the bowl will ask for the bowl. If you want to attract hot tea, pour it early; If you want to drink cold tea, pour it late. ……”

The tea cup is difficult to be a case, but under Huo Jun's explanation and practice, Zhuge Liang gradually understood what Huo Jun meant.

Zhuge Liang pointed to the lamps with a fan and said, "There is a lot of tea in the furnace, and the tea bowl is not enough to hold it." And the tea is also good and bitter, how can you take it all? And the bowl is big and the bowl is small, and the tea water is poured into the bowls, and the tea overflows. ”

"Only replace the small lamp with the big one!"

Seeing that Zhuge Liang understood what he meant, Huo Jun said directly: "The central authority to collect the power of the governor of the state and county, the governor of the state and county is not allowed to expropriate, and the auxiliary officials appointed are all appointed by Shang Shutai. If you imitate the old system, you will see more wise men enter the Beijing division for the test. The weak in the many, the best in the inferior. ”

"The Magi are appointed by the center, and the Assassin and the Tai Code have no right to appoint. For a long time, the officials know His Majesty but do not know the governors of the prefectures and counties, and the strong cadres and weak branches can avoid the loss of the old Han. ”

Zhuge Liang stroked his beard, showed a thoughtful look, and said: "There are so many corporals in the world, how can they all let Shangshu Taiduan try to distinguish the virtuous?" It is necessary to let the state and county help distinguish it, the good ones go up, and the bad ones go down. ”

"But let the state and county distinguish it, it is like raising filial piety and honesty, emphasizing virtue and weak talent. If you don't distinguish it strictly, how can you be an official? ”

Huo Jun pondered for a while and said: "The Cao family practices the Nine Qualities Law, and the Township Theory is filial piety. Now my Han can follow the example and change it, if you don't distinguish between the poor and the low, you can go to the county to raise filial piety. The state and county branches of the family law, the class notes, the name in the forefront of the filial piety, into the center and then the end test. ”

Hearing this, Zhuge Liang frowned and said: "The county is filial piety, but the power of the county is weak. But this kind of talent is to emphasize talent and weak morality. If you are not virtuous enough to raise an official, you will be bad for the country's politics. ”

Virtue is the core point of contention in the election of officials in the Han Dynasty, and to promote filial piety and honesty is to raise a person with moral character. After all, in the eyes of the rulers of the Han Dynasty, only those with outstanding moral character could be appointed officials.

Huo Jun's suggestion to directly select filial piety based on the examination is contrary to Zhuge Liang's employment criteria.

"What does that mean by Kong Ming?" Huo Jun asked.

"The county needs to be virtuous, and if there is not enough virtue, it is not enough to be an official. But if it is the same as the old times, there is a way to break the cold door. ”

After thinking about it for a long time, Zhuge Liang said: "But as Zhong Miao said, whether it is a cold door or a high door, you can go to the county for the preliminary test, and those who have reached one of the five classics will be allowed to go to the county to test filial piety." The county studied filial piety and morality and knowledge, and entered the state school for further study. In October, Xiaolian went to Beijing with the tax officials of various counties, and went to Duanmen to try to learn. ”

The Southern Han Dynasty was different from the Northern Wei Dynasty, and most of the officials in the Southern Han Dynasty were born in non-Dashi clans, and Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were not Dashi clans, so they did not discriminate against the Hanmen and Dashi clans, but wanted to use more Hanmen scholars.

In order to prevent the county guards from monopolizing the right to promote filial piety and honesty, the task of selecting and promoting talents was delegated to the county, and the county only had the right to evaluate scholars, but not the right to select scholars, thus weakening the power of the Taishou to inspect and promote.

The five classics are a low requirement, and they can reach the county to participate in filial piety, and they will be verified by the monarch and then promoted to the center. After all, it is unrealistic to come directly to the imperial examination system, and it is still necessary to apply the process of inspecting filial piety and honesty.

After a pause, Zhuge Liang said: "As for the right to expropriate, Liang thought that the right to appoint and remove the assassin could be abolished first and included in Shangshutai." See how effective it is, and then discuss whether to abolish the county Taishou appointment and dismissal power. The specific rules need to be discussed with Shangshu Zhuqing, and it is not appropriate to make a big move, nor can it be moved. ”

Zhuge Liang's right to assassinate Shi made Zhuge Liang still fearful, and Assassin Shi was responsible for almost everything except not being in charge of the army. First remove the personnel rights of the assassin and see how it works. After all, the Southern Han Dynasty relied on the county guard to govern the place, and if the county guard was unbalanced, the place would inevitably be chaotic.

Of course, it is also related to the foundation of the Southern Han Dynasty, and there are many interest groups in the counties of Jingchu and Bashu. If you easily attack the county and county auxiliary officials, I am afraid that it will cause an incident.

Huo Jun pondered for a while and said, "You can learn from Kong Ming's words." Governing a big country is like cooking small fresh, it needs to be changed slowly, and it should not be achieved overnight. ”

The two systems of inspection and imperial examination that integrate the magic reform still need time to test. Anything that can be conducive to the centralization of power and the advancement of the poor can be done.

As he spoke, Huo Jun changed his words and asked: "Today's officials are divided into high and low according to their salaries, but they are many the same as those who are officials. Can we divide the hundred officials into nine grades today, and clarify the order of advance and retreat from top to bottom, so as to make up for the lack of our Han official system. ”

"Oh!"

Zhuge Liang showed curiosity and asked, "The official is divided into nine grades, can Zhong Miao elaborate on it?" ”

"It's like this......"

The official division of nine products began in the middle and late period of Cao Wei, and now Huo Jun proposed the nine official system in advance.

In the Han Dynasty, there were many similarities in the ranks, and it was difficult to distinguish the official positions in detail. Therefore, from the Wei and Jin dynasties, in order to refine the official position system and match the nine-product Zhongzheng system, the nine-product official system was introduced.

Later, although the Jiupin Zhongzheng system was abolished, the Jiupin official system was retained by successive dynasties and used to clearly divide the order of upper and lower levels.

Now that it is out of the nine-product Zhongzheng system, there is almost no harm in implementing the nine-grade official system, that is, it depends on whether Liu and Ge are willing.

(End of chapter)