Chapter 32 Chapter 29 The Decline of the Great Era (Continued)

Under the prosperity of the unification, the Tang Dynasty, on the one hand, resorted to militarism, not only to attract the barbarians, but also to exaggerate its generosity, to remove the defenses of China and foreign countries, and then to call in soldiers and barbarians. The disaster is as mentioned above.However, under the great fortune of unification, the Tang family had another bad habit, which was the arrogance and extravagance of the royal life.Therefore, it caused the eunuchs to be domineering. In history, the eunuch's dominance of power is directly proportional to the arrogance of the royal family.The Eastern Han, Tang, and Ming dynasties are all.Both the royal families of the Western Han Dynasty and the Song Dynasty were able to control restraint.The royal families of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties were not decent, so there were no eunuchs to exercise power.

The prosperity of eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty, foreshadowed by Empress Wu, was even greater than that of Xuanzong. During Taizong's time, there were no third-rank officials in the internal servants, no appointments, and no more than a hundred members.When Empress Wu, slightly increased his number.As far as Zhongzong, there were two thousand members in yellow clothes, and a thousand members outside the seventh rank and above; but there were still few people in noble and purple clothes.During the time of Xuanzong, there were as many as 40,000 concubines.There are more than three thousand eunuchs in yellow clothes, and more than a thousand in noble purple clothes.

The famous garden of Jiashe, the rich field on the top, is named Banjingji by the Chinese.At that time, the kings and princesses called Gao Lishi "Weng", and the relatives and relatives called him "Chopsticks"; Suzong also called him "Second Brother" in the East Palace.A Buddhist temple and a Taoist temple were built, Zhong Cheng, and banquet officials, with one hundred thousand gifts deducted.There are as many as 20 deductions, and as few as ten deductions. After Su and Dai, eunuchs used their affairs. Li Fuguo was called "Shangfu" when Suzong was in Suzong, and Jiaozhao moved to the emperor.Yu Xi Nei collapsed with depression.Suzong collapsed, killed the queen, and became king.During Daizong's time, Cheng Yuanzhen and Yu Chaoen used their affairs, dismissed Guo Ziyi as a soldier, and then came here to grant him death.

At the time of Emperor Dezong, the eunuch held the handle of the army. Due to the change of the Jing division, Dezong was in a hurry to collect. After returning to Beijing, he used Shence, Tianwei and other troops to install the lieutenant of the guard army, the guard army and other officials, so the forbidden army returned to Huansi. Later, there was the post of privy secretary, who accepted the imperial edict and paid the king's order. Huan Temple not only holds the military power, but also establishes feudal towns outside, so the emperor's life and death are controlled by him.

After Emperor Xianzong was murdered, Mu, Jing, Wen, Wu, Xuan, Yi, Xi, and Zhao were the eighth emperors, and the eunuchs established seven kings.Wen Zong used Li Xun and Zheng Zhu to plot against the eunuchs, but failed. He sighed: "Zhou Nan and Han Xian were still controlled by strong officials, but now they are controlled by domestic slaves, which is even worse." What the emperors of the Tang Dynasty manifested in their prosperity was a disaster for women. Taizong Nayuanji concubine Yang.Empress Changsun passed away, and Taizong wanted to establish Yang as his queen, but Wei Zheng remonstrated to stop it.Gao Yu rebelled against his father, brother and son Wang Yuan of Lujiang, and his concubine also served Taizong.Empress Wu was a talented person of Taizong, and Gaozong accepted it.Empress Wei had an affair with Wu Sansi.Xuanzong was sixty years old and accepted his son Shou Wangfei Yang.At that time, the courtiers did not discuss it very much, because the ethical concept did not seem to be important to the people of the Tang Dynasty.

As the decline gradually approached, the emperors of the Tang Dynasty were obsessed with taking elixirs for longevity.Under his arrogant life, Huan Temple should occupy an important position. During the reign of Emperor Wuzong, Qiu Shiliang became an official as a general of the left guard and an internal servant, and his party was sent back to the private estate. Shiliang taught the art of consolidating power and favor.Said: "The Son of Heaven must not be idle. It is always advisable to entertain his eyes and ears with extravagance, so that the sun and the moon are prosperous, and there is no time to care about other things. Then our generation can achieve ambition. Be careful not to let him study and get close to Confucian scholars. Seeing the rise and fall of the previous generation, he knows If you are worried, my generation will reprimand you." His party thanked him and left.Today's press: The royal family of the Tang Dynasty spent extravagantly until the late luck.During Yizong's time, he was good at music. There were often nearly 500 musicians enshrined in front of the hall, and there were no less than ten banquets every month, with both water and land prepared.For each trip, there are more than 100,000 followers of internal and external divisions.

Scholars in the Tang Dynasty, on the one hand, lingered under the transformation of the two ethos of the official administration of the Northern Dynasty and the literature of the Southern Dynasty, and on the other hand, they were under the influence of the ebb and flow of the two forces of the noble family and the white-clothed common people. The family power of the Northern and Southern Dynasties still had considerable power in the early Tang Dynasty.It can only be seen in their previous compilation of clan genealogy. Emperor Taizong used the imperial ranks to compete with the social family status.

In Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong ordered Gao Shilian and others to revise the clan annals and make progress.Taizong said: "I have no suspicion of being old with Shandong Cui, Lu, Li, and Zheng. They have declined for generations and have no crowns. They are like scholars and bureaucrats. I don't understand what is important in the world? Up to now, Cui, Lu, and Wang , Thanks are the most important. I calm the world, the world is one family, and all the officials in the court have remarkable effects, or they can be called loyal and filial, or they have learned a lot, so they are promoted. Seeing that they are above the third rank, they want to decline together and replace the old family as relatives. I lose a lot of money and silk, but I am still admired. I am a person with a specific clan name, and I want to respect the current crown. Why is Cui Qian still the first class? You and others do not value my official title? It does not matter how many generations ago, stop taking it Today, officials and nobles are ranked according to their ranks." So Cui Gan was chosen as the third rank.The book was written in one hundred volumes, and the imperial edict was issued to the world.However, famous officials in the court at that time, such as Fang Xuanling and Guizheng, all married themselves to prominent families in Shandong.The reputation of the old family will never be diminished.

After that, it has been revised many times. It was issued by Gao Shilian's clan chronicle, and it was called Yundang at that time.Li Yifu was ashamed of his unknown family background, so he revised the book.Xu Jingzong and others agreed that their book did not describe the original hope of Empress Wu.Li Ge said, "Those who obtained the fifth-rank officials in the imperial dynasty were all promoted to the ranks of scholars." Therefore, those who achieved the fifth-rank by soldiers with military merits were all included in the book limit: it was renamed Surname Record.The gentleman and doctor were shamed by Zhen Xu, and his book was called "Xunge".In the second year of Xiantian, Xiao Zhizhong was the order of Zhongshu, and he and Liu Kuang and others wrote 200 volumes of surname records.After that, Wei Shu wrote another 20 volumes of Kaiyuan Spectrum.Later, Yuan and surnames were compiled.

At that time, it was easier to get into an official position than Jinshi and other subjects. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Wei Yaotongliu said: "Nowadays, the children of nobles and relatives, for example, seek officials early. At the age of 髫龀, the waist and silver AI are already at the waist; or at the age of Tongmao, they have already attacked Zhu Zi. The lives of Hongwen and Chongxian are thousands of cattle and chariot feet. And so on, the class test is shallow, and the artistic ability is also weak. But the family is well-known, and the qualifications are high." The book is not satisfied.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, Yuan Qianyao said: "The family of Xingyao wants to seek a job in Beijing; the people who are handsome and AI mostly serve as foreign officials. The king's way is divided, so it can't be done." Officials and important positions are still mostly used by aristocratic families.The minister's kindness, he got the general.Therefore, the Prime Minister of Tang Dynasty can still make a list of the world. There are 369 prime ministers in the Tang Dynasty, and 98 clans. Among them, Pei's five houses, Cui's ten houses, Zhang's, and Zhaojun's Li's all had seventeen prime ministers. Webster's nine houses Fourteen people. Thirteen people from the third family of the Wang family. Twelve people from the seven family members of the Liu family. Nine from Zheng's second house, Lu's eight, Dou's second house, Wei's, and Lu's six, Wu's and Su's five, Gao, Han, Zhao, and Guo's four. and." It can be seen that the regime of the Tang Dynasty still had a deep relationship with the powerful. Note: In the early Tang Dynasty, such as Ying and Wei, their sons were still granted.After the middle period, this system was completely abolished.The hereditary clan has lost its objective status in political negotiations. However, historical changes are gradual rather than sudden, so the power of the clan is still lingering.Xuanzong wanted to meet Cui Lin and Lu Congyuan many times. Because of his big family, he was afraid that there would be many people who would be attached to him, so he would not use them.If the top of the family is tabooed by the emperor, and the bottom is not protected by the poor, it will gradually decline, which is also an inevitable trend. It is conceivable that this kind of family, with many generations of officials and prosperous times, lived a luxurious life. Wei Shishi is the surname of Guanzhong, the clothes of the characters, Yi Shi Rongsheng.Shi Zizhi of Wei An, who was ten years old at the beginning, paid homage to the East Pavilion of Prince Wen's mansion to offer wine, and joined Chaosan doctor.The Zhi family is luxurious, and it has been practiced in the Qing Dynasty for a long time. The servants are eunuchs, and there are more than ten servants in the past.Clothes, books, medicine and food, salty and classic palms.Yu Ma Tong slave, the power is in the king's house.Every meal, as discarded in the kitchen, is worth ten thousand dollars.However, the family law was revised, and Chi Ziyun went to school, and he looked at it at night.His son is diligent, and he will be happy when he greets him every day; if he is a little lazy, he will stand up and say nothing.Although there are dozens of children in the family, the host will definitely accept the guests when they answer the door.This is the difference between the family and the royal family, eunuchs, and warriors; it is very important to pay attention. As for the status of Jinshi, they are not very high.The rite of examination has associated them with many insinuations bordering on insults. Shu Yuanyu Xianzong Yuanhe Zhongshang commented on the tribute book, saying: "The ministers have to prepare the number of tribute scholars who will go down to the earth. After a month or so after arriving at the gate, there will be a department to serve orders. Only when the tribute court hangs a sample, it is the purpose of restraining and prosecuting. , the investigation pleadings, the drama responsibility and the officials and Xu et al. Fortunately, the pleadings were prepared, and if they were not rejected, they had to be invited to the Shangshu for an examination. On the day of the examination, I saw 800 people, and they brought fat candles, water and charcoal to the morning meal. The utensils are either carried on the shoulders or carried on the mat. The officials and Xu called out their names in a slow voice. The testers broke in and were surrounded by thorns. They sat under the verandah separately, and the cold snow flew, and the single seat was on the ground. Tang and Yu opened the door , The three generations of tributes have never been so slow and easy." Moreover, the imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty were originally prepared for official careers, so all the regulations were not very strict.At that time, there was a system of so-called "public volumes" and "general lists". For the "public papers", the Jinshi must first submit their writings to the masters of the capital, collect their reputation, and observe Su Xue.As for the pre-examination, you don't need to ask about the skill level of the test, but only select famous people, which is called "general list".Its posters can be entrusted to others.For example, Captain Zheng Hao ranked first on the list, and asked Cui Yong to be the list post.In addition, in the third session of Du Huangmen's master essay, Yuan Shu, the candidate, was listed as the post, and Shu was listed as the number one scholar.The post is still a list. Therefore, Jinshi is called "Miju", and Xue Dengtian gave Zhongshangshu: "The imperial edict issued today, and the imperial edict has already rushed to the court of the government and temple, and entered and exited the palace of the prince. Chen Pianxien, wrote an oath to report. Therefore, the custom No. Juren, all called 'Miju'." So seek to extend the reputation. Lu Zhi knew the tribute, and Liang Su and Cui Yuanhan recommended all of them.Han Yu lost his literary name and extended his reputation to raise sons, so he was often sold. And his groveling attitude is already pitiful. A general examination of the literature quotes Song Jiangling Xiang's An Shi as saying: "The evils of customs have reached the end of the Tang Dynasty. The princes and lords are towering above, and they regard themselves as pioneers. The people in the world, there are as many as five, wearing broken hats, and riding donkeys. , Before reaching the door a hundred paces away, dismount from the horse, present coins to stab, and then pay homage to those who pay homage to the Dianke, and write what they have done, which is called "seeking a confidant". If you don't ask, then you will do as before, It's called 'Wen Juan'. If you don't ask about it, there will be someone who sticks in front of the horse and praises himself as 'someone pays homage'." Note: Han Yu's generation of famous ministers, three of them went to the prime minister's letter and worshiped the King of Peking Yu Maqian and the like were all the fashion at that time. There are even people who go out of their way, get through the joints, and get what they ask for, while those who get what they get are wanton and frivolous. Gao Kai is the minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Zhigong Juyue is three years old.In the first place, Pei Siqian took the title of Qiu Shiliang's joints, and was condemned by the court.Looking back, Siqian sternly said: "Next year, the ridge will be taken to take the shape of the head." In the second year, Kaicheng's disciples were not allowed to accept the title of the book.Siqian brought Shiliang into the tribute court with his own seal, Yi Zifu, went to the next step, and said in vain: "Military appearance has a qualification to recommend Pei Siqian as a scholar." Qian said: "The humble official will be punished by the military appearance. Pei Xiucai is not the number one scholar. Please don't let him go." Kai bowed his head for a long time and said, "But I want to see Bachelor Pei for a while." Of.After Siqian became the emperor, he stayed in Pingkangli. He wrote a poem saying: "Silver scorpion slanted its back to explain the Ming pendant, and congratulated Yulang with whispers. From now on, I don't know the value of orchid musk, and the night comes to attract new sticks of incense." However, Jinshi was regarded as the right way to get an official because of the public examination, and finally occupied his due position in politics.After the mid-Tang Dynasty, it was the most honorable to enter the seven subjects.Therefore, the two ways of Jinshi imperial examination and family appointment naturally conflicted politically.This formed a crony dispute after Mu Zong. Cliques started, that is, because of cheating in exams. At the beginning of Changqing, Qian Huidian offered a tribute, and Li Zongmin entrusted him to Hui.At that time, Li Deyu, Li Shen, and Yuan Zhen were in Hanlin, and it was not true for Bai Hui to select scholars, and Zong Min was also demoted.Because of the hatred and hatred, the party has been grinding for forty years. The disciples and seat masters are the targets of cronies. The scholars of Tang Gongju took Yousi as the "master" and called themselves "students".In the third year of Huichang, the middle book replied: "The country sets up a department of literature, and seeks true scholars. How can we cherish the self-interest of rewarding and elevating, and forget the root of education? Self-proclaimed disciples, so they become friends. To build a party and betray the public is not the reason. Note: The Ming Dynasty also had the title of "Teacher and Disciple", and its disasters for the party were no less than those in the Tang Dynasty. Li Deyu hates Jinshi, but his remarks represent the last voice of the family power. Deyu talked about the difficulty of the imperial examinations for the children of Gongqing.Wu Zong said: "I heard that Yang Yuqing's brothers are more powerful than others, and hinder the road of peace. Yesterday, Yang Zhizhi, Zheng Pu, etc. were deposed, which is too much. If you don't understand my intentions, you will go too far if you don't let your children go. "Deyu said: "The children of Zheng Su and Feng Ao are all talented, and they dare not apply. The minister has no name, and if he is not a Jinshi, he is not a Jinshi. If you don’t put anthology, you will hate it because it has no root and art. To show off the officials in the court, you must be the sons and daughters of the ministers. What? Do not study their careers, familiarize themselves with the affairs of the court, and the etiquette of the court, without teaching, and become self-made; You can’t be idle.” There are inherent reasons for him to use insufficient literary anthology as the criterion for selecting scholars.Of course, it should be advanced from now on, and it will be the best plan for the country to establish educational talents.Once again, it is time to rectify and improve the examination system.You shouldn't go backwards and just want to appoint the children of Gongqing to survive for the family. Zheng Qin was the chancellor because of his classics, and he was also deeply jealous of the frivolity of Jinshi, so he repeatedly asked him to dismiss him.Wen Zong said: "There is a difference between honesty and frivolity. Jinshi has been selected for two hundred years, and it should not be abandoned." Today's note: Zheng Tan and Li Deyu do not like Jinshi, and they are rejected by Li Zongmin and Niu Sengru. At that time, the worst political problem was that there were too many people who were qualified to be officials, so the court did not respect it, the power of the prime minister was not heavy, and political affairs were not easy to carry out.Therefore, those who advocate the suppression of Jinshi often advocate the reduction of officials at the same time, which also means advocating aristocratic politics. Li Deyu is his representative. Deyu wanted to respect the imperial court and respect the ministers, so that the prime minister would be appointed as the prime minister.Deeply jealous of the Ming Party, he said: "It is better to save trouble than provincial officials. Provincial officials are not as good as provincial officials." He asked to dismiss more than 2,000 county and county officials.Deyu's father, Li Jifu, also has a large number of officials, saying: "The officials are not good, and the ranks are mixed. There are officials who have nothing to do, and the tax is the most heavy. The job bureau reappears, and there are many people who are famous and strange. Wealth days are few but incomes are many, officials are limited but transfers are countless.” Zuo province has 800 redundant officials and 1,400 officials.Deyu's political views are coming from his family education.It is a pity that those who cannot start from a higher theory will inevitably be a political theory that represents the influence of family status. Although Li Deyu's views are unavoidably narrow. Li Deyu’s commentary on “The imperial court’s officials must be made by the sons of Gongqing” is quoted in the general literature review, and the comment says: “Deyu’s theory is so deviant.” Today’s note: Deyu’s era is completely different from Ma Duan’s era, so Deyu’s discussion , Looking at it from the side, I feel surprised.This is historical progress.If people from the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties read Deyu's comments, they would not feel any difference at all. However, it is an undeniable fact that Jinshi was frivolous at that time. In the late Tang Dynasty, "frivolity" and "frivolity" were the catchphrases for criticizing courtiers, so Zhu Quanzhong denounced Zhao Chong, the imperial historian, as "the chief frivolity";Ma Duanlin said: "Jinshike was in the late Tang Dynasty, especially frivolous, and a common problem in the world." Zheng Chen can see the political situation in the late Tang Dynasty as a whole by taking "Xihou" as his prime minister. Zheng Wei was the prime minister, and the provincial historian went to his home to pay homage, and he smiled and said: "Everyone is wrong, everyone is illiterate, and the prime minister is not as good as me." Of course, laughing and killing the people of the world!" Seeing things, Zong Qi Yiqing scratched his head and said: "After the rest, Zheng Wu will be the prime minister, so we can know." The language is mostly haiku and humorous, so it makes the tone fall, and the world is collectively known as "Zheng Wuxie Houti".Some people in the world recited the former one of Zhaozong, Zhaozong meant that it had something to say, so he used it beyond his limits.It is said in history that "the court is open and calm, and there is no return to the old state, and it is not expected by people. It is only three months old, and it is begging for the dead with illness."Or ask Zheng Chen: "Is there any poetry in Xiangguo?" The answer: "Poetry is in the wind and snow at Baqiao, on a donkey, where can I get it?" Mou, please add the word "Zhe" to Wenxuan Wang's name.He was the governor of Luzhou, Huang Chao plundered Huainan, and he moved to ask for no violation of the state border, and Chao laughed to gather troops.At the end of the Tang Dynasty, literati were frivolous, and Chen was already the best among them.It is not enough to take on the heavy responsibility of the country.Huang Chao's soldiers forced Tongguan, and the scholar Fang lingered in the song to wait for the test. He wrote a poem: "Visit the fairy in the cave with the king, and the new moon is like an eyebrow in front of the house. Receive Chang'e's osmanthus, and let his mausoleum move temporarily." Huang Zongxi went The preface of Chaolu said: "At that time, the Chinese scholars had no heart to do this!" It can be used as an example of frivolity.Compared with Zheng Chen, it's much more depressing. As for Huang Chao, Li Zhen, etc., they were all figures who repeatedly failed to win the Jinshi. As a result, the Jinshi was cleared, and they suffered great disasters. Chao Cu was involved in the biography of the book, and repeatedly failed to win the list of Jinshi, so he was a thief.Li Zhen also repeatedly failed to win the rank of Jinshi.When Zhu Quanzhong entered Bian, he urged all the gentry to be punished, saying: "The reason why the imperial court ignores it is because people with frivolous clothes mess up the discipline of the net." The Pavilion, which is used to judge oneself by name, and those who have a little track record, are all referred to as frivolity, and the humiliation is endless.The gentry was empty.He also said: "This generation calls itself a clear stream, and it is better to throw it into the Yellow River to make it a turbid stream." Quan Zhong laughed and followed it, gathered more than 30 people who were demoted from court officials such as Pei Shu and Duhu Sun, and killed them all overnight. Throw his body into the river. However, the frivolity of Jinshi in the late Tang Dynasty was just a temporary phenomenon, and the theory that public examinations were used instead of hereditary family shades could not be overturned.After the Song Dynasty, the Jinshi examination monopolized the lofty status in politics. Strictly guarding against China and barbarians, emphasizing the difference between literature and military, curtailing the extravagance and prostitution of the royal family and nobles, and making educated and reasonable scholars the backbone of society, this is a new path for the Song Dynasty to fight against the ills of the Tang people.