At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

"Of course, after mastering knowledge through reading and literacy, he became a reserve official through the path of filial piety, and then was selected and appointed by the emperor, or was selected by the founding officials, and then entered the official career, mainly because he was appreciated by the senior officials in office, or His reputation is so great that the emperor can send someone to recruit him as an official."

"No, think again, don't think from the perspective of a scholar, but think from the standpoint of a gentleman, why can a scholar be an official."

Guo Peng shook his head again and again.

Guo Jin's brows furrowed deeper, she pursed her lips and thought for a while, then suddenly her brows relaxed.

"It's because they are scholars and people, and they can read and write, so they can be officials, and they are the only ones who can be officials."

"This is also an appearance."

Guo Peng smiled, and did not continue to embarrass Guo Jin. He said, "Pull away everything and go deep into it, A Jin, and you will find that the reason for this problem is their blood inheritance."

???

Guo Jin's expression suddenly became very surprised.

"Blood inheritance?"

"Yes, they can be officials because of their blood. They come from families that can be officials. Because of their blood and status, they can read and write. The two have been integrated. Because of their blood and status, some people They made a fuss to promote Xiaolian, because of their blood and status, they can be expropriated."

Guo Peng took a deep breath and said: "Since the Han Dynasty has only respected Confucianism, and since the implementation of the Chaju system, the Confucian clan has become a general trend, with a monopoly of knowledge, family inheritance, and blood in-laws as the link between each other. points, do not recognize people, do not recognize talent and learning.

The reason why they were able to be officials was that they were appreciated by the emperor before Emperor Wu, and they could be officials only because of the emperor's appointment. , the official position has long been not a matter of meritocracy, but of hereditary blood. "

Guo Peng paused, then pointed to himself, and Guo Jin.

"It's like the handover of the throne between you and my father and son in the future."

761 Chapter 770 Emperor and representative

Like the handover of the throne?

Doesn't that mean that every gentry family is a small dynastic empire?

Guo Jin's eyes widened immediately, and she looked at Guo Peng in surprise.

Guo Peng smiled slightly.

"To be an official, you need to look at your family status and family background, and you only look at your family status and family background. If you are not a nobleman, it is difficult to become an official. If you can be an official, you will be smoked from your ancestral grave. What does this mean? The bloodline has been passed on, and the role of the emperor has been greatly weakened.

Ajin, you don’t know the past of the Guo clan, but I’ll tell you as a father, our Guo clan in Yingchuan ruled “Xiao Du Lv” and is well versed in the law. Therefore, most of the positions related to the law are held by members of the Guo clan. And many positions are reserved for Guo.

Just like the position of Ting Wei, for more than a hundred years, because the Guo family is well versed in the law, Guo Gong, the predecessor of the Guo family, has served as Ting Wei for many years and has good political performance, so all the officials in the court think that the position of Ting Wei should be handed over to us Guo His sons will do it.

So up to now, three generations of the Guo clan have held the position of Ting Wei in succession. They, and us, have integrated blood and knowledge inheritance together, so they can be officials, and this official position is conventional and hereditary. There is no need for an emperor anymore, they can do it themselves. "

When Guo Peng said this, Guo Jin suddenly realized that this was indeed the case.

At least as far as he is concerned, he has never considered why he can be an official, everything seems to be a matter of course.

And there are many others like him.

"What my father said is true. Because they can be officials, they became officials. This is all because of family background and the social status of their family, not because of the emperor."

"Of course, why do they dare to fight against the emperor like this, and fight against the second emperor Huan Ling at the expense of the party? The reason is that their blood and background are the qualifications to be officials. controlled by them.

What's more serious is that through this method, the emperor has gradually become a representative elected by a large and common group, and the people supported by this group will become the emperor.

In this way, the emperor is nothing more than a representative of all of them in their eyes, and they are always the officials. This representative can't be replaced by his son. , then simply change the dynasty, they will not have any burden.

This is how Wang Mang ascended to the throne of God. As a result, Wang Mang did something that was not in line with the interests of the powerful. It was also because he did not control the scale well, and soon died and the country was destroyed. He lost the help of the group that supported him. So naturally, he To be replaced, replaced by who?Emperor Guangwu.

Emperor Guangwu satisfied the interests of Hebei Haoqiang and Nanyang Haoqiang, and as the Han imperial family, he had prestige, so he was naturally the next emperor. Weapons and food are needed, who owns these things?It's in Haoqiang's hands.

Without the support of a strong man, Emperor Guangwu could not be an emperor. He would not marry Yin Lihua or Guo Shengtong. He was famous, but without the support of a strong man, he would have no soldiers and no food. How could he fight?These things were all given to him by the powerful. He is the representative of the powerful, and he was pushed out by the powerful to rule the world. "

Guo Peng carefully explained the doorway to Guo Jin.

Guo Jin nodded in amazement.

"It turns out that the current emperor is nothing more than that...but didn't my father say that the emperor holds the greatest power in the world?"

"As a father, you are not sure, and your children are not sure."

Guo Peng shook his head: "Power is not fixed, it will change. Although Emperor Guangwu ascended to the throne by being powerful, he has civil and military talents and prestige after all, so he can somewhat rely on the prestige of the founding emperor to suppress the powerful. Jun is different.

No military exploits, no political achievements, where's the prestige?If you and my father and son don't make changes, as a father, you can suppress the tyrants of the gentry. With the help of your father, you may be able to do it, but your child may not be able to do it. The power that should have been possessed. "

"Father, the son is getting more and more confused."

Guo Jin was puzzled: "Emperor, is the absolute power holder who holds the power of life and death in the world, or just a representative? Junxue, is it really meaningful?"

"Yes, Jun Xue is naturally meaningful."

Guo Peng patted the back of Guo Jin's hand: "Junxue can guarantee that the emperor will not be deceived, but whether the emperor is a real monarch or just a powerful representative, it may be different for any emperor.

The first emperor is undoubtedly the real emperor, so is Gao Zu, Emperor Wen, Emperor Jing, and Emperor Wu. After that, it is not necessarily the case. Up to Emperor Guangwu, at most half of them are counted. representative.

The emperor's power was relatively stable from the first emperor to Wudi, but from Wudi onwards, the emperor's power fell all the way to the current level. Why?

This is what my father told you before, after Emperor Wu, in the central government, the scholars linked blood and knowledge, monopolized the official position, put on the shell of the police, and engaged in hereditary blood, and in the local area, the mausoleum system was abolished, The powerful became bigger and began to embezzle the land that originally belonged to the owner farmers under the control of the government.

The scholars embezzled the emperor's power in the central government, and the powerful and poor families embezzled the emperor's power in the local area, but the emperor could do nothing about it. Under the ebb and flow, the power of the emperor became smaller and smaller, while the power of the scholars and tyrants became weaker and weaker. bigger and bigger.

Therefore, when it came to Emperor Guangwu, Emperor Guangwu even became half of the representatives of the scholars and powerful people. Only with their support, and the support of the land and population they controlled, could Emperor Guangwu become emperor.

From then on, the emperor became a representative, and the Han emperors of all subsequent dynasties were all representatives, so Gaozu dared to kill heroes, put down rebellions in various places, and dare to centralize power, because he was the real emperor and had the real life and death. power.

However, Emperor Guangwu did not kill the heroes, but he wanted to praise them, not because he was kind, but because he dared not, he couldn't do it, how many of the 28 Yuntai generals under his command came from ordinary backgrounds?

Everyone has their family as their backing, and everyone has their local forces as their backing. They marry each other and build a huge network of relationships. They are connected by blood, and a single hair can affect the whole body. This is what my father told you so-called interest groups. "

Guo Pengyue said, Guo Jin understood more thoroughly, nodded again and again, suddenly realized.

"It turns out that interest groups grow stronger through marriage and blood. You have me in you, and you in me. That's why it's so difficult to deal with...Father, let's put it this way, the current emperor is also..."

Guo Jin looked at Guo Peng, and Guo Peng nodded.

"A Jin, to put it bluntly, the current emperor of Han is just a plaything in the palm of his father. When his father wants to be emperor, he has to hand over the throne obediently, because now, his father is chosen by scholars and powerful people. is also a representative that must be selected.

Because the father has the highest prestige, he always wins battles, no one can beat him, and he is extremely deterrent in their hearts. The foundation of force that destroys heaven and earth.

For the father, he set up a wide range of villages in the local area, directly sent officials to control the grassroots population, and controlled a large amount of land. The land and population controlled by the father were extremely large, and he did not need the material cooperation of the gentry. The father can also mobilize the army alone to launch a national war. It is the basis of money and food.

Mastering these three foundations is the basis for being a father to control and use power. With these three foundations, being a father is their only candidate. Even if they don't want to agree in their hearts, they have to choose. Abandoned by the father, there are many who want to replace it. "

Having said that, Guo Peng narrowed his eyes again.

"But, Ah Jin, although they must and can only choose to be their father, because their father has more land and more people than them, but even so, their father will not be the real emperor, but a person with more power. It’s just a representative of the emperor, not a real emperor.”

Chapter 762 .770 a crisis of imperial power

Guo Jin was very surprised to hear Guo Peng say that he was not yet a real emperor.

In his opinion, Guo Peng, who is majestic and coercive, is not a real emperor?

"At this point, father is still not the real emperor?"

"Yes, at this point, being a father is still a representative of scholars and tyrants, not a real emperor."

Guo Peng shook his head: "Ajin, don't think it's incredible, it's true. Although my father has mastered a lot of land and population, 40 troops, and Megatron China, but look, the Cao family, the Xiahou family, Tian's, Mi's, Qiao's.

These are all marriage partners of the father, and they are not completely unrelated to each other. In recent years, civil servants and generals under the father's command have continued to marry each other with their children, building their own network of relationships, and forming a huge interest group.

There are powerful groups, and scholars have groups of scholars. They may take the initiative, or they may just do it unintentionally, but this is also a huge network of relationships.

I was able to kill Zang Hong for my father because he touched the bottom line of being a father. He had to be killed. No one dared to object, but what about the others?The poor and powerful are so powerful, and the scholars are even more terrifying.

Ah Jin, as a father, I still have to use scholars to be officials and to rule the country, so in fact, the group of scholars still rely on their blood, not the appointment of the father, there is nothing else for the father. choose.

Look at the scholars under Weifu's command, which one has no relationship by marriage?Being a father can kill a Xun Yu for the same reason as Zang Hong, but he dare not kill all the scholars, because scholars are also one of the foundations of the father in a sense, without them, the father would not be able to get talents to rule the country. "

"So that's why they have already formed such a network, so father can't shake their roots?"

"Yes, killing Zang Hong and Xun Yu for their father, in order to blow their relationship network, but this is also out of the need to become emperor, and it is in the interests of most people, so these two people were given up, but if for Father wants to attack other people for no reason, see if they will resist."

Guo Peng shook his head and patted Guo Jin on the shoulder: "Now, the prestige of the father is so high that the power of the father has never been greater, even close to the real emperor, but in the future, the father is gone, and you are not here, Guo The power of Emperor Shi will decline little by little, and will be lost little by little.

In the end, we will inevitably go down the old road of the Han Dynasty. When another powerful minister appears and can represent their interests better than our Emperor Guo, it will be the time when the Wei State perishes. Ah Jin, this is not a master Things that Jun Xue can solve.

Scholars monopolize knowledge and the birth of talents. They have nothing to fear. The emperor must cooperate with them before they can get talents to govern the country. The talents cultivated by the gentry always put the family as the most important thing, and the country is secondary.

In today's situation, no matter how strong and hard-working the father is, he can only say that he has done better than Emperor Guangwu, and he will not be defeated by the powerful if he wants to save the land. However, the father can only suppress them on the surface. , still have to compromise, still have to give up power. "

Guo Peng spoke out about the current situation of the Guo royal family, which made Guo Jin very worried.

Standing on Jun's standpoint and thinking about problems with Jun's thinking, he also saw the huge crisis of imperial power hidden under the surface prosperity.

He didn't want to become the current Emperor Han.

Become a plaything to be played and applauded by powerful officials.

"Father, is there... is there a solution? Can we just sit and wait for death like this? Do nothing?"

"Yes, compared to the conflict between the monarch and the people and the Li Shu that my father told you before, this problem has a solution."

Guo Peng pointed to the factory in the distance: "It is possible to change from a representative to a real emperor. Papermaking and printing are two powerful tools to solve problems. Ajin, you know the seminar held for my father before?" Is it the Grand Ceremony?"

"I know, the occasion is unprecedented."

Guo Jin nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, the grand event was unprecedented. More than 1000 scholars participated, and 300 were selected. This is a brand new model, a way to select outstanding people through the assessment of mutual competition, and put everyone in front of us. One test, not the promotion of filial piety that we can't see at all.

The disadvantages of promoting filial piety are too great. It is a political game between scholars and high-ranking tyrants. If they flatter each other, compromise, and support each other, they will monopolize the official position. A big net tightly entangled the emperor.

As for the Talent Ceremony, it is an attempt to be a father, an attempt to change the status quo, Ajin, if you want to change the status of the emperor as a representative, it depends on whether the emperor can hold the power of selecting officials in his hands , And end the status quo of being an official by blood. "

When Guo Peng said this, Guo Jin realized something.

"Father wants to institutionalize the Talent Discussion Ceremony and become a model for selecting officials in the future?"

"Yes, I want to institutionalize the Talent Discussion Ceremony and call it the Imperial Examination, which will replace the Examination Examination and become the official selection model of our Wei State. For my father, all officials must pass the imperial examination to become an official.

No matter how glorious his father, grandfather, or ancestors are, if he doesn't pass the imperial examination, even if he becomes an official with Fuyin, he will still be discriminated against. "

Guo Peng thumped the stone table fiercely, and said, "Cut off the inheritance of bloodlines and official positions that scholars depend on for a living, and beat them back to their original form! Let them no longer be able to rely on themselves to be officials, and they must rely on the emperor. First, the emperor is the real emperor!

A monarch who truly holds the power of life and death will not casually talk about the representative of someone, and be abdicated casually!It doesn't matter whether he is fatuous or cruel, it doesn't matter if he doesn't go to court for 40 years, he is the real emperor! "

Guo Jin swallowed.

"This...is it really possible?"

"Difficult, but not impossible."

Guo Peng held Guo Jin's hand: "A Jin, you must remember what you said next for your father, and you must never forget it."

Guo Jin nodded immediately.

"The son knows, the son will remember it firmly, and ask the father to teach him!"

Guo Peng nodded and said slowly: "When you are dissatisfied with the status quo and want to make a reform to change the status quo, you must first understand who is your enemy and who is your friend. Critical.

The goal must be clear, and no accidental harm should be done, because reform is something that affects the interests of many people. There is a saying that cutting people's wealth is like killing their parents. It can be seen that no matter who it is, touching interests is fatal.

Scholars have touched our interests as kings, we want to kill them, and in turn, we are also touching the interests of scholars. When scholars find out, scholars will never sit still. "

"So, only scholars are our enemies?"

Guo Jin frowned: "But before my father also counted the poor and powerful in the group of people, saying that the people are the enemy of the king."

"Ajin, remember, no group is a monolith, and the people group is naturally not a monolith either. In order to gain more benefits, the scholars belittle the tyrants to be poor, suppress the tyrants, and make it difficult for them to enter the central government. able to stay in place.

And no matter how strong they start, they will always be discriminated against by the scholars, they will always be looked down upon by the scholars, and they will be inferior to the scholars in everything they do, such as the scholars discriminate against the Cao family. Therefore, within the scope of the people, the powerful and the scholars are enemies ,not friend. "

Guo Peng shook his head again and again, and then said slowly: "From a general point of view, it is the scholars who are closer to the central power, the scholars who are more likely to threaten the imperial power, and the scholars who monopolize official positions, so our reforms will first target The enemy is the scholar."

Chapter 763 The enemy of the second enemy is your friend