Chapter 21 Chapter 18 Feudal Forces in Disguise: The Gates of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties

The hereditary feudal system of nobles was completely broken as early as the Warring States, Qin, and Han years.However, since the Eastern Han Dynasty, the status of the gentry families in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties has almost become feudal in disguise. The acquisition of the status of the gentry in the Eastern Han Dynasty was originally due to the inspection system at that time.When the Three Kingdoms were in turmoil, "scholars migrated, and there was no place for detailed research." After using the army for a long time, talents came in by themselves. "Langli are stored in the military mansion, and powerful people are gathered in the capital." The prefectural and county police system entrusted by the spirit of cultural governance in the Han Dynasty was reversed for a while, and it was regressed to the military meritorious officials in the Qin and early Han Dynasties.To save this situation, there is the "nine-rank officials" method of Wei Shangshu and Chen Qun.

The imperial court employs the Shangshu of the People's Committee, but the Shangshu "can't review the talents and scholars of the world, so the Commissioner Zhongzhengquan ranks, and the award is based on it." The state set up "big Zhongzheng" and the county set up "small Zhongzheng".Dazhong is advocating that "people in this office serve as ministers of various governments and officials of Taiwan and provinces who are virtuous and talented".Therefore, "Zhongzheng" is a part-time job of the central government officials. Why does Zhongzheng have to be appointed by the staff?Because of this, it is impossible to know the talents of each department.Why does Zhongzheng need to work part-time as a central official?Due to the chaos and separation, the talents are concentrated in the center, and it is convenient to visit nearby.

Zhongzhengs in various counties can learn what they know and report to the big Zhongzhengs in their own prefectures.Dazhongzheng has to determine its grade and advance and retreat according to the township evaluation. Tongdian said: "If you have words and deeds, you can advance; or use five to raise four, and six to raise five. If there is a lack of morality and righteousness, then lower it; or retreat from five to six, and from six to seven." Although this is a temporary expediency under the military and political situation, at the beginning, "there is still a lingering trend of rural theory."Therefore, there is the purpose of "the beginning wins the flow".Today's note: This system is different from the state and county police in two points:

1. The power of the state and county prosecutors rests with the local officials, and the state officials are part-time officials of the central government.Therefore, those who seek family background must return to the local area under the inspection system, but must go to the central government under the Zhongzheng system. This system was established because the talents were not in the countryside.But since this system is established, there is a tendency to make talents never return to their hometowns. 2. The prefectural and county procuratorial examinations are only the initial stage for scholars to enter the ranks. As for the promotion and transfer of official positions in the future, they have nothing to do with the procuratorial examinations.

Among the nine ranks, people from all states, regardless of whether they have been in office or not, are all in the ranks. Wei Zhichang Lin Zhuan's commentary quoted Wei Lue, saying: "Zhongzheng is responsible for the narrative, from the minister to the official, and the meritorious deeds are in charge." Wei Guan said: "It started with a clean discussion in the township, regardless of the rank of the title." advance and retreat.Chen Shou's father died of illness, so he sent his servant to take pills, and the township party demoted him, causing him to stagnate.Later, because he buried his mother in Luoyang in accordance with the will, he refused to be buried with her mother, which caused disgrace.In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Wen Qiao was the Yin of Danyang, and Ping Su Jun made great contributions. Situ Zhang Shi thought that Qiao's mother died and was not buried in funerals, so he was the next one.

If this is the case, the promotion and promotion of the official position is not tied to the performance of the official service, but to the "character" of Zhongzheng. "Quality" refers to performance, and "status" refers to ability and performance.Zhongzheng can determine the "product", but not the "shape".After becoming an official, there is no way to take exams.Both the product and the form are paid to Zhongzheng.For example, although Wang Jiaxu and Ji Mao are in the top ranks, they are very low.The original intention of this system was to prevent the power of the officials from being controlled by the subordinates, but the result was that the subordinates held the handle of the advancement and retreat of the officials.Also press: there are only a few people in the prefecture and county, so it is easy to identify; Zhongzheng's character, and at the same time recruiting suitable talents, it is difficult to fully understand.So only relying on family status and false reputation, even if you want to be right, you can't get it.This is another point of difference between the inspection system and the Zhongzheng system.

Regarding the second point, Wei Xiahouxuan has asked for correction. It is said: "Zhongzheng should examine the generation of ethics, and Quanheng is dedicated to Taige, so there is no need to use Zhongzheng to take advantage of Quanheng. There are officials for each position, but each official can be dedicated to the Taige according to his affiliation; Taiwan The cabinet will rank according to whether the officials are able or not, and take part in the ranking of the virtues of the villagers, so as to compare them and not make them biased." However, during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Sima family was marrying to strengthen the clan and conspired to usurp it.

Regarding the first point.After the unification of the Western Jin Dynasty, Liu Yi, Wei Guan, and Li Chong all made comments.Nine-rank Zhongzheng was originally an expedient measure in the military and political era of the Three Kingdoms. Today, when the country is unified, the power of inspection and judging should still be given to the local governors, so there is no need for another Zhongzheng. This is also called "soil break".Wei Guanyun: "I think it is appropriate to imitate the ancient system, and judge it by the soil. From the prince to the minister, everyone regards the residence as the right, and there are no visitors, and they belong to a foreign land. In this way, the same township and neighbors are all towns, counties and counties. The ruler is to be the head of the household. Eliminate the system of Zhongzheng and Nine Grades, so that the good and advanced talents can be judged by the village. If this is the case, the lower ones will respect the superiors, and the people will be safe in their teaching."

However, at that time, the power of the family and family had already been established, and the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng System was setting up an institutional talisman for them.Zhongzheng "accords to the capital to determine the rank, but the position is the most valuable." "The one who counts on the top rank is not the descendant of the prince, that is, the brother of Kun on the way." There is the glory of the world; people with common surnames have no way to advance.This was a well-known fact at the time.Under such circumstances, although the family of the old family does not have the name of heredity, it has the reality of being hereditary, so this system cannot be abandoned at last.

Officials of the Han Dynasty, and those who complement the procuratorate system, still have schools and examinations.The Confucian classics of the Eastern Han Dynasty was one of the reasons for the establishment of the elite, but once the influence of the elite grew, the school and the examination system were unimportant and difficult to exist. At the end of the Han Dynasty, there was chaos, the world fell apart, and the school had no place to stand.Wei Huangchu, Taihe, and Qinglongzhong repeatedly wanted to revitalize the school, but "the children of a high school are ashamed."There is no high selection for a doctor, and those who come here are only to avoid service.

In the Han Dynasty, most of those who entered the government from a doctorate were public officials.Wei Gaorou said: "The time limit for the removal of a doctor is not too long." Since his promotion is limited, it is advisable to select no one. The dignity of the central government has fallen, and the royal government has been transferred to be a tutor. Naturally, the children of the high school are unwilling to enter the national Taixue. The traditional education of the National Taixue is the Six Classics and Ritual and Music, while the family customs of the famous aristocratic families at that time were Zhuang Lao and Qing Tan.The rituals and music of the Six Classics seek to be practical, while Zhuang Laoqing's talks are for self-entertainment. Until Emperor Cheng of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, some people thought that Jiang Zuo was in peace and asked to start the school.So he re-established Taixue and recruited students.However, at that time the literati and bureaucrats talked more about Zhuang Lao and looked down on Confucianism, and finally no one paid attention to it. Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty established the four schools of Xuan, history, literature, and Confucianism, with Xuan as the head, and the National Taixue changed to teach Zhuang Laoxuan.However, Zhuang Lao's fundamental theory does not recognize the need for the state to educate the people.It is suitable for the establishment of schools in the Southern Dynasties, and they are all set up and abolished, and they are only written. Since the central government does not have the right to appoint talents, how can it encourage people to receive education from the central government? The Jiupin Zhongzheng System has placed a politically external talisman for the family power.The Jin Dynasty moved to the east, and the Central Plains was dressed in clothes. Those who followed the south crossed took advantage of the good name of King Qin and gained political power.Therefore, at that time, there were differences between the surname Qiao and the surname Wu. Those who cross the river are "surnamed overseas Chinese", while those in the southeast are "surnamed Wu". The surname Wu is not as good as the surname overseas Chinese. The southeast is originally a victorious country, so I dare not compare myself to the Central Plains.Southern scholars have no servants to shoot, and they have been shot for many years.Emperor Xiaowu of Qi wanted to use Zhang Xu as his right servant to shoot, so he asked Wang Jian, and Jian said: "Xu has little hope, and he is sincere and beautiful, but the southern scholars rarely occupy this position."Chu Yan replied: "Jiang Youyong Lu Wan and Gu He are all from the south." Jian said, "The Jin family's government has declined, so it can't be done." Among the surnames of overseas Chinese, there are differences between crossing the river early and late. Brother Du Ji frankly told Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty: "The minister was originally from the high-ranking Chinese family, but the high-ranking family died because of the chaos of the Jin family, so they moved to the cold land. It was not too early to cross to the south, so they were separated by desolation." The central government has no choice but to borrow it. Therefore, "the Jia family ascended to the official position at twenty, and the back door established a trial official".Since the Song and Qi Dynasties, the Jia family "started as secretary Lang".The emperor occasionally employs people out of the box, so he is proud of himself. Emperor Wu of Liang took Zhang as Secretary Cheng, saying: "Secretary Cheng is an upright official in the world. Those who have not done anything in the southeast Wangzhou, now get along with each other and establish a reputation for Qing." These were all political unwritten laws at that time, and they supported the rights and interests of the old family. In order to protect their privileges, the old family and aristocratic families also pay attention to everything and never relax.The most important system of self-owned marriage is the most important line of defense for conservative elites.Wang Yuan of the Qi Dynasty married a daughter of the Man family of Fuyang, and Shen Yuezhi specially made a bullet.Hou Jing asked to marry Wang and Xie. Emperor Wu of Liang said: "Wang and Xiemen are not even married. You can visit him under Zhu and Zhang." Not only are they so cautious about the marriage system, even the daily private handover, but they also deliberately put on airs, as if there is an insurmountable boundary between them and others. Wang Hong, a member of Zhongshushe, was loved by Song Taizu. He said: "If you want to be a scholar, you have to sit on Wang Qiu. If you go to go to Qiu, you can sit at the table." At the end, Qiu raised his fan and said: "If you can't Er." Hong returned to the news, and the emperor said: "I have nothing like this." Ji Seng was really fortunate to Emperor Xiaowu of the Song Dynasty, and said: "I am a villain, and I come from a military official in this state. I would like to beg your Majesty to be a scholar-official." The emperor said: "This matter is up to Jiang Yu and Xie Yu. I don't have to worry about it, but I can do it myself." Ji Chengzhi said that he got on the couch and sat down, and ordered him to move my bed to the left and right to accommodate the guests.Ji returned in frustration, and the emperor said: "Scholar-bureaucrats are definitely not ordered by the emperor." Scholar-bureaucrats have a separate status and status apart from their political titles, and this has been the case since the Eastern Han Dynasty.However, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, he was still a celebrity, and so far he became a nobleman.However, the story of the scholar-bureaucrats deliberately pretending to be their identities became popular in the Song and Qi Dynasties. This tells us that the boundaries of the gentry's family status at that time have actually been destroyed.Another thing that can be seen as a sign of the decline and fall of the power of the gentry family at that time is the importance of the imperial historians.The censor was originally the official of Zhensu Jigang in the imperial court. At that time, the gentry had no central focus, so they were not happy to have this position.This is very obvious in the Song and Qi Dynasties. Song Yanyan, as the imperial censor Zhongcheng, indulged him in office and did nothing.Wang Qiu cherished Cao's land very much. He removed Zhongcheng from his younger brother Senglang, saying: "You are an official, and you will no longer be a coordinator." Reduced, Wang Sengqian was the Zhongcheng, and said: "This is the place where the men in black clothes sit, and I will also try to be the ear." Therefore, Emperor Qi Ming said that "there has been no Yanming Zhongcheng since the Song Dynasty." But below Liang and Chen, the censors became more competent, which is also a symptom of the family's gradual loss of status. Jiang Yan played Zhongshuling Xie Mu and others, and Emperor Qi Ming called it "unique in modern times".Zhang Mian lived in Xiansi, named Jinzhi, and Emperor Wu of Liang sent his workers to paint his portrait in Taiwan Province.Others such as Zhang Wan, Daoqia, Kong Xiuyuan, Zang Dun, Jiang Ge, Kong Huan, Yuan Xian, Xu Ling, Zong Yuanrao, etc. all took the title of Ren Yushi. At the same time, the gentry's family status also remained in the north, but the situation of the gentry in the north was different from that in the south. 1. Those who crossed to the south were all famous clans, who had a high status at that time, and those who stayed in the north and could not escape to the south had a lower family reputation. 2. Nandu clothes, in the name of supporting the royal family, cut down the new land, and regard southern Xinjiang as a colony.Under the oppression of the Hu tribe in the north, the gentry had to befriend the people in order to enhance their status and win the attention of foreign rulers.Therefore, the southern scholars use their superiors to bully the inferiors, while the northerners attach their inferiors to resist the superiors.The situation is different, and its attitude towards each party is also completely different. 3. The gentry in the south were in a favorable situation and had no fear in their minds. The evolution of their family organization tended to split and became a small family system. During the Xiaojian period of the Song Dynasty, Zhou Lang wrote a letter saying: "Nowadays, when the parents of the scholar-bureaucrats are there, the brothers are different. There are seven out of ten families. The father and son of the common people have different births, and the eight families have five. What's more, they don't know each other when they are in danger, and they don't know each other when they are hungry and cold. T-shirt." In the Sui Dynasty, Lu Sidao hired Chen, and laughed at the poems of the southerners, saying: "We share the rice in the retort, and cook the fish in the same pot." The northern gentry were in a difficult situation, and they were psychologically defensive from time to time, and they sometimes held sympathy. The evolution of their family organization tended to be united and became a big family system. According to the biography of Wang Zhongde in the Book of Song Dynasty: "The same surname is important in the north, which is called flesh and blood. If there are people who like each other from afar, they will do their best to support them." There are two surnames Xue and Ma in Hebei, with more than 2,000 families each.Xue Andu, a native of Fenyin, east of the river, was a Xinjiang clan with more than 3,000 families.Brothers Yang Bo and Yang Chun said, "In a family, there are hundreds of men and women in the same household." Wei Shujie said: "The seventh generation of the Li family of Boling lived in the same wealth, and the family had 22 rooms and 198 members. .” There are many other VI, V, and IV cohabitants.The family motto of the Yan family also said: "The customs of the northern lands can be used respectfully and frugally to support food and clothing. The luxury in the south of the Yangtze River is too much to catch." The style of luxury and frugality in the north and south also varies according to the situation. Therefore, the southern gentry has always been divided in terms of political rights, while the northern gentry is almost united in national consciousness.At that time, foreigners regarded it as if it were an enemy country. Compared with Liu Yuan and Shi Le, they dared not insult him lightly. Song Xiaowang Guandong customs said: "In the era of Wenxuan, the government orders were strict and fierce, and Yang and Bi Zhuhao were quite expelled. To Ruoying, Ji Zhuliu, Qinghe Zhang, Song Dynasty, Bingzhou Wang family, Puyang Hou family, etc. , a family of nearly ten thousand rooms, connected by fireworks, lived together like houses. Xianwu was in Ji County at the beginning, and the big hedgehogs responded. Hou Jing’s rebellion, the Hou family in Henan is almost a serious problem, and there are people like Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le.” Fourth, the southern gentry has long had status.Therefore, instead of paying attention to world affairs, I should respect the old Zhuang Xuanxu.The gentry in the north were under the rule of a foreign race, and they could neither clarify and drive away the chaos, but could only tolerate cooperation and make meritorious deeds in order to preserve their integrity. Therefore, the southern gentry unexpectedly stood in a position of confrontation with the royal family, and their psychology towards state affairs was mostly negative.The northern gentry turned to a position of coordination with the rulers of other races, and their psychology towards state affairs was generally positive. Therefore, in the south from the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the Southern Dynasty, the royal families of successive dynasties continued to despise and suppress the gentry, and the southern gentry finally fell into depression.From Wuhu to Yuan, Wei, Qi, and Zhou in the north, the royal families of successive dynasties gradually paid attention to and used the gentry, and the northern gentry finally grasped the central power of northern politics, which led to the revival of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. From the northern gates to the Yuan and Wei Dynasties, there were also county and country surnames. The "county surname" is Han nationality. Shandong is dominated by Wang, Cui, Lu, Li, and Zheng.In Guanzhong, Wei, Pei, Liu, Xue, Yang, and Du were the first. The "surname of the country" is Xianbei. Also known as "the surname of the prisoner", the northern generation is headed by Yuan, Changsun, Yuwen, Yu, Lu, Yuan, and Dou. Wei Xiaowen moved the capital, and ordered the election to be based on family status. The imperial edict said: "There is no surname and family in the generation. Although meritorious and virtuous, there is no difference between low and low. Therefore, those who are high-ranking officials are extremely public officials, and their relatives who are meritorious and declining are still in insignificant positions. Mu, Lu, He, Liu, The eight surnames of Lou, Yu, Ji, and Wei, and Xia Sizhou and the Ministry of Officials, should not be used as obscene officials. The four surnames are the same. From then on, those who respond to Ban Shiliu will find a continuation of the edict. It used to be a tribal adult, and since the beginning of the emperor The surname of the third-generation official who is above the level of giving and who is a prince is the surname. If the original is not an adult, but since the beginning of the emperor, the official of the third generation is above the minister and above the prince, and the surname is also the surname. After the adult, the official does not appear Those who belong to the clan. If they are not adults but are officials, they are also clans. All clans with this surname should be reviewed, and fakes should not be tolerated." In the meaning of filial piety, on the one hand, because Xin admires Sinicization, he emphasizes the family status of the Han gentry; on the other hand, he really wants to use the Han family system to protect the political status of the Xianbei.At that time, there were "Gaoliang", "Huayu", "Jia", "Y", "B", and "Ding" in the northern families, which was almost hereditary in disguise. At that time, the monarch and his ministers discussed it, and all the ministers asked him to use it only if he pulled it out, regardless of his family rank, but Xiaowen didn't think it was right. In the biography of Han Xianzong in the Northern History, Li Chong said: "Since the ancient times, officials have been placed in positions without trial. When they want to anoint the land and benefit the government?" The emperor said: "Everyone wants to be a human being." , What is it today to specialize in sects, and there is no edict to cultivate talents?" The emperor said: "If you have special skills, you don't have to worry about knowing it. However, the door of a gentleman, if he has no use in the world, must be pure and honest. "Chong said: "Fu Yan and Lu Wang, can they see each other?" The emperor said: "If so, I hope that there will be one or two ears in the Kuang Dynasty." Three officials, which one is better than the four subjects?" The emperor said: "It's like Xiang Jie." Han Xianzong said: "Your Majesty should not inherit the noble with the noble, and attack the humble with the cheap." The emperor said: "If there is a high-minded and outstanding person, he will be talented and outstanding. , and I don’t stick to this example.” Gai Ruowei is only useful, then Xianbei is not as good as the Han people; in terms of family quality, Xianbei is related to the royal family, which can still maintain its advantage, so compared with the attitude of the monarchs and ministers of the Southern Dynasties, it is exactly the opposite. However, Wei Xiaowen could only try to sinicize Xianbei in terms of the concept and system of family status, and share the political power with the gentry of the old family in the Central Plains; it cannot exclude the Han nationality and let Xianbei consolidate its governance power alone. At that time, since the superiors insisted on the family rank, the political position of the family rank was naturally stable. They have gone through a long period of turbulent wind and waves, and now they are able to hold on and see the shore slowly.Chinese culture has come back to life thanks to the support and maintenance of these families.The situation encountered by the northern gentry is far more difficult than that of the southern gentry; and the responsibilities they have fulfilled are far greater than those of the southern gentry. However, in all fairness, the family status in the south also contributed to the preservation and extension of the traditional culture at that time.A great family name is by no means entirely dependent on external power and financial resources, but can maintain prosperity for hundreds of years; it is not pure and extravagant, which can make the boudoir harmonious, the children cautious, and maintain This portal is not bad.At that time, the family style of family education was very important, and the virtues of filial piety to brothers and wives were all passed down from Confucianism in the Han Dynasty.Poetry and art all have outstanding attainments; classics and historical writings are also brilliant; there are many people who can be called the first or second-rate figures in Chinese history with high moral character.And the opening of a new territory south of the great river, the rise of cultural relics, and the contribution of the gentry to the south are especially indispensable. In short, the family status at that time, regardless of the north and the south, is nothing more than scattered islands in the turbulent current, and the torches shine in the dark night.The assimilation of the Hu people in the north and the grand expansion of the culture in the south are all the achievements of the family status at that time.It is not appropriate to just use the feudal forces in disguise and the nihilistic Zhuang Lao to talk about it as an attack of narrowness.