Chapter 40 4. Wang Meng ruled the former Qin Dynasty with an iron fist

In the year when Fu Jian ascended the throne, the chaos in the world after Shi Hu's death gradually became clear.In this year, Murong Jun, the former emperor of Yan, murdered Duan Kan, the old general of Later Zhao who once guarded Qingzhou, and his followers, and merged Shandong into the territory of Qianyan, thus advancing the southern border of Qianyan from the Yellow River to the area north of the Huaihe River. .The only enemy of Murong Xianbei in the Kanto area is Zhang Ping, the former Zhao general who occupies the six counties of Bingzhou and has more than 100,000 households of Hu and Han people.

In the west, the former Liang State in Liangzhou, which is in the remote area, proclaimed the Queen of Liang since Zhang Chonghua, but the power of the country is declining day by day. In the ninth year of Yonghe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 353), Zhang Chonghua died of illness, and his heir, Zhang Yaoling, was only ten years old. The civil strife that had accumulated for a long time finally broke out.Zhang Yaoling's uncle, that is, Zhang Chonghua's elder brother Zhang Zuo took advantage of the favor of Zhang Chonghua's mother, Mrs. Ma, and together with Zhang Chonghua's former courtier Zhao Chang, planned a palace coup of "abolishing the young and establishing the elder". Zhang Yaoling was deposed as Marquis of Liangning, and later ordered his cronies to kill him secretly.

With the support of the Ma family, Zhang Zuo was established as the governor, general and shepherd of Liangzhou.Once Zhang Zuo got his ambition, he let go of his hands and feet to cut off dissidents. Many ministers, including Xie Ai, who had made "Faohan's contribution", suffered disasters. In the second year (354 A.D.), Zhang Zuo called himself the King of Liang, changed Yuan Heping, and no longer called himself a minister to the Eastern Jin Dynasty.Zhang Zuo's promiscuousness has reached the point of astonishment. Not only did he have an affair with Mrs. Ma, but he also had affairs with Zhang Chonghua's wives, daughters, and even his own sister. Rumors about his incest spread throughout Liangzhou. One after another wrote poems to ridicule.He acted arbitrarily and repeatedly killed heroes, and soon lost the hearts of Liangzhou. Wang Zhuo, who had fought with Huan Wen in Guanzhong, was also forced by him to defect to the former Qin Dynasty.

Because he hated Zhang Guan, the governor of Hezhou, Zhang Zuo ordered him to crusade against the Hu people who were making trouble in the territory, and secretly sent troops to attack Zhang Guan.Zhang Guan got the news first, and he spread the news to the counties in Liangzhou to raise troops against Zhang Zuo, and got a response from a group of people headed by brothers Song Hun and Song Cheng from Dunhuang.The resistance army organized by Zhang Zuo lasted only three months. Amidst the unanimous condemnation inside and outside, this self-confident "King Liang" was killed by his subordinates in the palace.

After discussing with Ma Shiyi, Zhang Guan and others decided to recommend Zhang Chonghua's second son, Zhang Xuanliang, who was only seven years old, as the shepherd of Liangzhou, and restored the Eastern Jin Dynasty. This year was the eleventh year of Yonghe (AD 355), that is, Fu Jian was the first two years of the Qin throne.The national power of Qianliang was already weak. After more than two years of internal strife, even the little family capital left over from the Zhang Jun and Zhang Chonghua era was exhausted, and there was only one left to survive. As a result, the situation in the world basically belonged to the Three Kingdoms. Although the former Qin Dynasty stood at the same level as Yan and Jin, its territory was the smallest, and its military strength was not optimistic. (It is also a good thing for Qianqin to have an opponent like Qianyan.)

After Fu Jian came to the throne, he made great efforts to govern, intending to make a difference.He appointed his "Zhuge Liang" Wang Meng as the Minister of Zhongshu.This poor scholar of the Han nationality in the past got the opportunity to show his ambitions. Due to the deterioration of public security in Shiping area, Wang Meng was reassigned as Shiping county magistrate, and took on the important task of cleaning up Shiping (now the northwest area of ​​Xianyang, Shaanxi).Shiping was the northwest gate of the former Qin capital. For a long time, most of the powerful Di tribes who lived in Shiping were old ministers of clan relatives who followed Fu Jian and entered the pass from Fangtou. There is no way to keep these people.After Wang Meng took office, he enshrined the law and severely punished, prohibited violence and eliminated rape, acted vigorously, and flogged and killed a treacherous official who had done a lot of evil in public.Of course, the local tyrants couldn't bear it, so they reported to Yousi, Wang Meng was arrested and imprisoned, and then escorted to Chang'an.

Fu Jian was very concerned about this case, interrogated Wang Meng himself, and asked him: "In order to govern the body, morality comes first. Is it too cruel for you to kill countless people soon after you took office?" Wang Meng replied: "I've heard this saying: rituals can only be used in order to govern a stable country, and rituals must be used to manage a troubled country. Since your majesty trusts me to be an official in a difficult place, then of course I will wholeheartedly eradicate the vicious and treacherous for the wise king. Only one traitor has been killed now, and there are tens of thousands who have not been punished! If your majesty punishes me for not being able to eradicate cruelty, I have no complaints. But if you I really don’t dare to accept the penalty and accuse me of the crime.”

Fu Jian praised the ministers: "Wang Jinglue is really a figure like Guan Zhong and Zichan!" Immediately pardoned his innocence and reassigned him to an important position. (Wang Meng ruled the former Qin Dynasty with Legalism, which is indeed unique among the sixteen countries established by the Hu people. Most of the leaders of the Hu people’s countries cannot have a complete understanding of the rule of law due to cultural background and other reasons. The leader’s personal ability to govern the country has led to the country’s long-term stability. Wang Meng’s strict rule of law, coupled with Fu Jian’s full support for him, made the former Qin the longest-serving country among the sixteen countries.)

Wang Meng made outstanding achievements in governance, and was soon promoted to Shangshu Zuocheng, Xianyang Internal History, and Jingzhaoyin.As soon as he was transferred to Jingzhaoyin, he heard that Fu Jian's brother-in-law Qiangde was drinking and committing crimes and robbing people's property, which was a great worry to the people. Wang Meng sent people to hunt him down without hesitation, and put his body in the market.Wang Meng also cooperated with Deng Qiang, Yushi Zhongcheng, to severely investigate and deal with officials who harmed the people and disrupt the government. In just over a month, more than 20 lawless dignitaries were admitted and punished.

Thirty-six-year-old Wang Meng was promoted five times in a short period of time, from Shangshu Zuocheng to Libushishangshu, and then promoted to Shangshu Zuopushe, Fuguo General, and Sili Xiaowei. It aroused the jealousy and resentment of the royal relatives and senior officials. Gu Zanghou Fan Shi, who was born as a nobleman of the Di nationality, relied on himself to follow Fu Hong and Fu Jian to make great achievements in the past. He insulted Wang Meng in public and said: "We have made great achievements with the late emperor, but we have not been able to hold great power. You have no merit. Lao, why do you focus on big things? Isn’t it because we work hard to cultivate, but you eat for nothing?”

Wang Meng replied, "It's not just that you plant and I reap, I also ask you to cook for me!" Fan Shi stomped his feet angrily, and roared, "Sooner or later, I will let your head hang on the top of Chang'an City, otherwise I will not live in this world." Wang Meng told Fu Jian about this, and Fu Jian said angrily: "This old man must be killed, and then the officials can clean up." Soon, Fan Shi really picked a quarrel and made trouble. He argued with Fu Jian for his son-in-law, and then had a dispute with Wang Meng. He swung his fist and was about to hit Wang Meng. Order to behead him. Fan Shi was killed, and those who opposed Wang Meng felt unwilling and secretly slandered him.Court officials Qiu Teng and Xi Bao took advantage of their positions to repeatedly slander Wang Meng in front of Fu Jian. Fu Jian couldn't bear it anymore and kicked them out of the court. Fu Jian even beat and kicked officials of the Di tribe who spread rumors and gossip.From then on, all the ministers and below were afraid of Wang Meng, and all the officials in the former Qin Dynasty were shocked, treacherous and breathless, and ordered to prohibit him.Fu Jian sighed with emotion: "Until today, I didn't know that the world has laws and the Son of Heaven is noble!" (Wang Meng's prestige is not only well known in the former Qin Dynasty, but even in the former Yan, his deterrent power is amazing. It is said that Wang Meng later led the army to attack the former Yan. All the Yan people in Yecheng became peaceful. The "power" of Wang Meng's iron fist can be seen from this.) The north around AD 357 can be said to be a watershed between the two periods of history. Qin and Yan, the two minority countries, implemented different measures for the newly consolidated regime.When Fu Jian's former Qin Dynasty became stronger and stronger under Wang Meng's rule of law, the brothers and sons of the Murong family started their usual intrigue. If it weren't for these, perhaps history would be rewritten again. Former Qin was the beginning of new hope, but for Qianyan it was the beginning of misfortune.