Chapter 103 7. Democracy fighters across the ages

Wei Zhongxian's rapid rise exposed a fatal flaw in centralization. Power is made up of social grades, with only the emperor and old man at the top, a large number of people at the bottom, and the bureaucratic group that assists in governing the country in the middle.In terms of the number of people alone, the whole society is pyramid-shaped, with the fewest people at the top and the most people at the bottom.This often gives people who are not familiar with the law an illusion, as if the people at the bottom should easily overthrow centralization. However, in fact, China has followed the imperial power system for thousands of years and was reborn again and again, without exception, returning to the darkest fate of violent politics.The so-called revolution is nothing more than a reelection of the upper-level power holders. The people will always be suppressed at the bottom, and they have not been able to stand up for three thousand years.

Why? This is because, in the final analysis, power is just a virtual influence, an echelon system that operates through social game relations.For example, the reason why the emperor can control the ministers is only because the ministers and parties are constantly arguing and attacking each other, and any faction is counting on the power of the emperor to kill the other party, so the absolute authority of the emperor has been formed. The same is true at the bottom of society.The social contradictions among the people are far greater than the contradictions between them and the emperor's courtiers.Neighbors will fight over one ridge and one mu of land, killing and injuring people, personal enmity, and endless disputes. This natural situation of people-to-people games inevitably leads to relative stability of power—people not only need When power is in the way, it is even more eager for power to uphold justice for itself.

Although Wei Zhongxian is only an eunuch, he obviously has a clear understanding of this basic law of society.As soon as this person took power, he quietly selected his cronies among the courtiers and promoted them to be reused.It was a breeze for him. When the number of his cronies gradually increased, Wei Zhongxian openly reused treacherous ministers, completely changed the structure of the courtiers, and let the virtuous ministers headed by Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou fall into the ranks of a group of villains, and there was no more What fun. So the case of the Six Gentlemen broke out. The so-called six gentlemen refer to Yang Lian, Zuo Guangdou, Wei Dazhong, Yuan Huazhong, Zhou Chaorui and Gu Dazhang, the most famous ministers at that time.These six people were arrested by Jin Yiwei and held in prison, tortured and plundered endlessly, and killed them one by one.Among them, Yang Lian died the worst. He was crushed by a soil bag and pierced with iron nails. He died unexpectedly.Wei Dazhong's body was stuffed into the hole, and when it was pulled out again, the body was already in pieces.Wei Zhongxian tortured and killed the Six Gentlemen for the superficial reason that there is no balance between good and evil, but in fact, he and the Six Gentlemen had long been enmity.As early as when he was still called Li Jinzhong, he led the young eunuch under the order of the little nanny Li Xuanshi to prevent the courtiers from entering the palace and snatch Yang Lian back, but Yang Lian scolded him—at that time, there was a deadly grudge between the hatchback.

However, the fundamental reason why Wei Zhongxian and the Donglin party members swore to disagree is that the two parties have different political views. What's the difference? To put it simply, Wei Zhongxian believes that from Zhu Yijun of Ming Shenzong, Zhu Changluo of Ming Guangzong to Zhu Youxiao of Mingxi Zong, there is no good person in this Zhu family.On the other hand, the members of the Donglin Party believed that the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were all good, even if they were not good, they had to be good.Emperor, is there a bad reason? ...Now look at the two groups of them, who is politically correct?

It seems to be Wei Zhongxian, right? Wait a minute, what evidence is there to prove that Wei Zhongxian is a fighter for democracy who has transcended the times? Have! Under Wei Zhongxian's kind care and guidance, the courtiers—they were called eunuchs at this time—the eunuchs blatantly rehabilitated the three old cases of slamming, Hongwan and Yigong. The case of rehabilitating the stiletto attack means that Emperor Shenzong Zhu Yijun is not a joke, the case of rehabilitating Hongwan means that Emperor Guangzong Zhu Changluo is not a joke, and the case of rehabilitating the palace transfer means that the current Emperor Xizong is not a joke .

But such a method, Ming Xi Zong Zhu Youxiao, would he agree? He totally agrees. According to historical records, when Ming Xizong heard that their family's ancestors were not entertaining for generations, he commented happily: "This proposal is accurate." Xi Zong Zhu Youxiao actually said this, his brain... is there something wrong? No problem! In fact, although Xi Zong Zhu Youxiao's mind is not normal, he is correct in one thing.Wei Zhongxian was notorious for a long time, and his personal morals were corrupt, but in redressing the three major injustice cases, it proved that he was the most normal-thinking person at that time.Although the political concepts of the Donglin Party members are backward to feudalism, the trouble is that their personal morality is impeccable.

That's how bad people kill good people just to do the right thing.And honest gentlemen were brutally killed, but because they persisted in their wrong ideas, such a paradoxical history really made the people at that time feel so embarrassing. In the tangled era, Zhu Youxiao, Emperor Xizong of the Ming Dynasty, lost all hope, so he said: "Please allow me to close my eyes, and don't let sin obscure this innocent sky." After saying that, he died at the age of 23. The reason why he died so quickly was because he was avoiding a notoriety that would never be cleared—the king of subjugation.After he died, this honor fell to his younger brother Zhu Youjian who deserved it.