"It's nature. ”

Xiao Feng smiled: "For those kings, they still don't understand what true power is. ”

"Oh, but I don't know what Prime Minister Xiao's opinion is?" Zhang Jian's eyes lit up slightly, and he hurriedly asked.

"Good. Then I ask you, what is the nature of power, which is only to solve the problems that arise! Force, money, power, and knowledge, all of them. ”

Xiao Feng began to elaborate: "Force is the simplest and most direct, but it is limited to physical limitations, but there is a limit after all. If you exceed the limit, there is nothing you can do. Even if you are an earth immortal, it is difficult to escape the shackles of life and death, and when the time comes, it will dissipate into heaven and earth. And the same is true of the power held by these emperors, which is rooted in the awe of others, but if there is no awe, no reverence, the power they rely on is just like that, and it is not vulnerable at all. ”

All of this knowledge comes from the elaboration of politics in later generations, although Xiao Feng didn't understand it before, but after so many years of tempering, he already knows the principle.

In the end, Xiao Feng came to a conclusion: "For these emperors who only get power because of their blood, they don't understand why their dynasty will collapse and be replaced by others." ”

"Huh. Your statement is surprising, if it were usual, I am afraid that I would not dare to think like this at all. ”

Zhang Jian smiled self-deprecatingly, he naturally understood what Xiao Feng said, but he was limited by his identity before, and he never dared to think deeply.

Xiao Feng smiled: "Of course. And you used to be the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, so you should know what kind of existence the so-called emperor is? Ignorant, obtuse, and even biased, it is difficult to govern the world at all. Even if there are one or two virtuous ministers to assist, but limited by the fear of power, they do not dare to trust seriously, but adopt various means to restrict the development of relative power. Isn't it?"

Since the pre-Qin period, the prime minister can still sit and discuss with the emperor, and they are equal to each other.

However, since the beginning of the Han Dynasty, it has used the so-called "exclusive Confucianism" means, and even with the system of three princes and nine secretaries, the prime minister has completely divided and collapsed, and placed it under the monarchy.

By the time of the Song Dynasty, the clamp on the prime minister system became more and more stringent, making it difficult for him to turn around.

Since then, the monarch's power has completely overridden the relative power, making it difficult for him to turn over.

"Indeed!"

Zhang Jian also felt the same way about this, and complained: "In the Song Dynasty, if you really want to act, you will not be bound by the constraints of all parties, even if you want to succeed, it will be difficult to accomplish it, which is really annoying." ”

He was also the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, so he naturally knew that if he wanted to succeed seriously, he had to get help from others to be able to implement his own policies, and this was also the reason why the Song Dynasty would prevail in the Song Dynasty.

"However, if the emperor only needs one word, he can completely overturn the policy, isn't it?" Xiao Feng complained.

Zhang Jian closed his head and replied, "That's right. Ten years of hardship, once ruined. If it is a wise king, it is fine, but if it is a dull person, who is being bewitched by others casually, half of his life's hard work will be wasted, it is not nothing. ”

Although everyone often says what a virtuous monarch is, but there are no golden people who are perfect, how many people can be called virtuous monarchs, not to mention ensuring that every decision is really correct, even if the starting point is good, but there are not a few things that backfire.

"Yes, and that's the key. ”

Xiao Feng began to explain: "The reason why the Song Dynasty fell is probably related to this. ”

"Oh, I want to hear about it!" Zhang Jian asked.

Regarding the so-called way of monarchs and ministers, the scholars and doctors in the Song Dynasty did not fail to elaborate, but no matter how they were elaborated, they were all the so-called gentlemen and ministers and other words, and as for how to act when they met the faint king, they all avoided talking about it.

Xiao Feng said: "Very good." Then let me ask you, the Song Dynasty also had many northern expeditions, but each northern expedition achieved nothing, why?"

Since the Southern Hunting of the Song Dynasty, it is not that I have not thought about the Northern Expedition, such as the Northern Expedition of Longxing, the Northern Expedition of Kaixi and the Duanping Jinnuo, all of which have exhausted the strength of the whole dynasty, but unfortunately in the end they all fell into a failed result, which is quite regrettable for people to see, and it is also a pity to think about why every Northern Expedition ended in failure.

"Monarchs and ministers are not in harmony?

Zhang Jian said for a moment, and then shook his head, with Xiao Feng's knowledge, he would not be limited to this.

This is only superficial, but if you look deeper into the deeper causes, it is more than that. As Zhang Jian guessed, Xiao Feng directly rejected his idea, and explained: "The Northern Expedition costs a lot of money, involving millions of people, if there is no ruling core, how can it succeed? ”

"That's true!"

Zhang Jian replied.

Xiao Feng smiled: "That's right. If the Northern Expedition is to succeed, it must have another strong core, whether that person is a prime minister or a king, he must play a sufficient role model, otherwise it will be difficult to unite the army and completely defeat the Northern Tartars. ”

This is also the reason why she is still on the battlefield until now.

In this medieval era, when the speed of joy transmission was basically determined by horse-drawn carriages and transmission, the so-called strategic planning and decisive victory thousands of miles away were only the fantasies of the literati after all, and if they wanted to understand the enemy's situation in time and take targeted actions, they could only be done by being on the battlefield in person.

Zhang Jian was silent, and naturally agreed with what Xiao Feng said.

"It's just that the emperors of the previous dynasties have also seen that although there are many people of noble character, if you want to defeat the enemy, you must rely not only on virtue, but also on other talents. For example, it is too difficult for the king to be able to meet the conditions of talent selection and command. Xiao Feng complained.

Zhang Jian asked again: "But isn't there a prime minister? If it is a prime minister, it should be able to play a corresponding role." ”

"Indeed, these things can be handed over to the prime minister. But what if the prime minister's order is difficult to pass and is rejected by others?" Xiao Feng smiled: "You have also been in government, you should know the importance of the unity of government decrees." ”

"Of course!"

Zhang Jian nodded, when he was promoted to prime minister, it was not that he didn't think about making a career, but unfortunately there were constraints everywhere, and the orders issued were limited to the Qinzheng Palace, and if he arrived at the place, he didn't know where he had been.

In such a situation, he has also reprimanded him many times, but unfortunately in the end he still cried out in vain and chose to stay out of the matter.

"That's right. If the Northern Expedition is to succeed, it is necessary to centralize power in the prime minister and be able to thoroughly insist on his own will so that this policy can be carried out. But this brings up another problem!" Xiao Feng paused, attracted Zhang Jian's gaze, and then said, "That is, what about the king?"