Chapter 16 Section 2 Refreshing the Administration of Officials and Reforming the Military System

Xuanzong ascended to the throne amid fierce strife among various political forces.On the one hand, he wants to defend the hard-won imperial power, and resolutely adopts strict restrictions on the kings and heroes to prevent accidents.On the other hand, it is necessary to change all kinds of evils that have been accumulated since Empress Wu, and rectify the government, so as to achieve great rule in the world.On October 14th in the first year of Kaiyuan (713 A.D.), Li Longji was hunting on the shore of the Weishui River. Yao Chong, the governor of Tongzhou, "dedicated ten things" to address the current disadvantages.The emperor and his ministers coincided with each other and immediately appointed Yao Chong as prime minister.His "ten things to suggest" became the program of Tang Xuanzong's reform.

The reform in the early years of Kaiyuan began with the reform of official administration.Since Empress Wu, Zhongzong, and Empress Wei, the normal selection of officials has been blocked, and internal and external oblique officials have been flooded.This is a bureaucratic team with a large team, low quality, and low efficiency.Yao Chong pointed out in "Ten Things to Speak": "Since the relatives of the Wu family invaded the important places in the Qing Dynasty, Wei Shuren, Anle, and Taiping were followed. Please listen to all ministers who have Xiefeng, Daique, and Yuanwai." (Volume 210 "Kaoyi") Xuanzong said: "Zhen Su Zhi also." According to Yao Chong's suggestion, the rectification of officials should start with the elimination of redundant officials Start with redundant staff and streamline the organization.In May of the second year of Kaiyuan (714 A.D.), Xuanzong ordered the dismissal of all foreign officials, examiners, and school inspectors. Unless they had military exploits or special edicts, the two ministries of officials and soldiers were not allowed to be appointed.Abolished and merged more than ten idle divisions, supervisors, and departments.In the eleventh year of Kaiyuan (723 A.D.), Emperor Xuanzong changed the Zhengshitang, the prime minister's office for discussing government affairs under Menxia Province during the Zhenguan period, to Zhongshu Province. The ceremony room was reduced, and the number of prime ministers was reduced to two to expand their power.The academy was also added, with Hanlin bachelors, whose job is to "specialize in internal orders, and order to enlist all officials who worship and dismiss generals" ("New Book of Tang Baiguan Zhi"). They are called "internal ministers" and their power is no less than that of prime ministers .The purpose is to strengthen the imperial power.

While streamlining the organization and eliminating redundant personnel, Xuanzong appointed people on their merits, strictly selected the officials system, eliminated the bad rules of selecting officials in the past, and fixed 18,805 civil and military officials at home and abroad.In the fourth year of Kaiyuan (716 A.D.), Xuanzong summoned the newly awarded county magistrate in person, and issued a test question of "Anren policy" to test the new county magistrate. Only a few people passed the test. ", and demoted Lu Congyuan, the official minister who presided over the election, to foreign appointments.Since the early Tang Dynasty, there has been an unhealthy atmosphere of emphasizing officials in Beijing and despising foreign appointments.Emperor Xuanzong issued an edict saying: "Those who are talented and knowledgeable in the selection of Beijing officials will be excluded from the governor and governor; those who have political records in the governor and governor will be removed from the capital, so that they can enter and leave evenly, and it will be a constant pattern forever." ("Quan Tang Wen" Volume 30 Five "Chong Mu Zai Zi Wang Chi") Internal and external officials communicated with each other, taking the appointment of local officials as a condition for the selection of Beijing officials, and encouraging officials to serve outside, which is conducive to the transformation of officials' governance habits.

When rectifying the administration of officials, the assessment and supervision of officials should be strengthened.Xuanzong specially promulgated the "Edict of Rectifying Officials", which clearly stipulates: "Every October, the commissioner will be in charge of the court according to the inspection envoys to compare the rules and conduct the palace. "The results of the evaluation are used as the basis for rewards and punishments for officials.For example, the governor's assessment ranks first, "quantity and capital officials", if those who fail to be promoted in the prefecture, "Ziwei Huangmen Jianwen Zou, should be rewarded with excellence" ("Quan Tang Wen" Volume 27 " Rectify officials and govern ").A sound supervisory organization is an important measure to ensure the improvement of official administration.In the central government, the role of Yushitai to supervise all officials was played, and Jing Zhaoyin Cui Rizhi, who supported Yushi's rectification of corruption and lawlessness, was played.Set up interview envoys and inspectors in local provinces.In the 21st year of Kaiyuan (AD 733), Emperor Xuanzong ordered to expand the ten monitoring areas set up by Emperor Taizong throughout the country to 15, namely Gyeonggi, Duji, Guannei, Henan, Hedong, Hebei, Longyou, Shannandong, Shannan West, Jiannan, Huainan, Jiangnan East, Jiangnan West, Guizhou Central, Lingnan Road.Each province set up an interview envoy, which became a local permanent institution, representing the imperial court, "prosecuting the illegal with the six articles" and picketing the illegal officials in the area.This played a positive role in clearing up the administration of officials.

Another measure of political innovation is to reform the military system.At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the Fubing system adapted to the land equalization system was implemented in the military. The source of the Fubing was strictly "requisitioned". "("Tang Law Shuyi" Volume 16 "Zhan Xing").All soldiers in the government must prepare their own food, equipment and other items. "One hundred thousand husband's family pays taxes, and five thousand disciples are formerly sealed off." Bai Juyi's poems are a vivid portrayal of this "army in agriculture" military system.The government soldiers have to take turns to "Fan Shang" to guard the capital. "If there is an incident in the four directions, the order will come out, and the incident will be dismissed. The soldiers will be scattered in the government and will return to the court. Therefore, the soldiers are not unemployed, and the generals are not as important as holding soldiers." ).During the period of Emperor Gaozong and Wu Zetian, land annexation developed rapidly, and the land equalization system gradually disintegrated. Owner farmers and semi-owner farmers either lost their land or went into exile.Based on the land equalization system, "the law of the government soldiers is broken", the guards fled, and the source of soldiers was exhausted.In the early years of Kaiyuan, the government soldiers "don't make up for those who escaped to the dead, the three assistants are getting weaker and weaker, and the number of guards is not given" ("Tang Huiyao" Volume 72).Even the soldiers conscripted forcibly are bare-handed, "most of them have no food and clothing, and they are all hungry and cold."In the eleventh year of Kaiyuan (AD 723), Prime Minister Zhang said that in view of the destruction of the military system of the government, Shang Shu said, "Please let go of everything, don't recruit strong ones, and let them stay in the guards. It is not easy to serve, but it is a regulation. Those who escape must fight." Come and apply" ("Old Tang Book·Zhang Shuo Biography").Xuanzong adopted his suggestion and replaced the Fubing system with the recruitment system.A total of 120,000 soldiers were recruited in the capital and nearby states, known as the "Chang Cong Suwei", twice a year.Later it was renamed 〔Guo Guo〕qi and belonged to 12 guards.The garrison soldiers also adopted the method of recruitment, and the recruited soldiers were called "Long March Athletes".These soldiers were separated from the land, no longer engaged in agricultural production, soldiers and civilians were separated, and serving as a soldier became a specialized profession.Recruiting soldiers was used as early as when Emperor Taizong of Tang conquered Korea, and Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu also recruited soldiers, but it was only as a way to replenish the source of troops in an emergency.Xuanzong's adoption of the recruitment system was a reform of the military system, which became the military custom of the Tang Dynasty and strengthened the military power of the Tang Dynasty.

Another measure of the reform of the military system is to set up Jiedu envoys in the border areas.In order to realize the ambition of "swallowing the barbarians", Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty adjusted the military power on the frontier, and set up Fangzhen Jiedushi in the place where the frontier generals garrisoned.Since the reign of Emperor Gaozong Yonghui (650-655 A.D.), those who were led by the governor to hold festivals were called Jiedushi, but they were not official officials.In the first year of Jingyun (710 A.D.), Emperor Ruizong Li Dan ordered Xue Na to be the guard of Youzhou and the governor of Jinglue.In the following year, He Bayan was appointed as the governor of Liangzhou and the envoy of Hexi Jiedu, and he began to have an official name.During the Kaiyuan period, Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji extended it. In the northeast, northwest, and southwest of the border area, there were ten festivals in Hexi, Longyou, Pinglu, Fanyang, Jiannan, Shuofang, Hedong, Anxi, Beiting, and Lingnan. Make.These Jiedu envoys "have their land, their people, their armored soldiers, and their wealth, so as to spread them all over the world." "("New Book of Tang" Volume 50 "Military System").This provided sufficient conditions for the independent development and domineering separatism of Jiedushi in the future.In the early days of Kaiyuan, both civil and military ministers were paid equal attention, and the overall cultural quality of Jiedushi was relatively high.Afterwards, Xuanzong approved Prime Minister Li Linfu's invitation to serve as Jiedu envoys, including Gao Xianzhi, Ge Shuhan, and An Lushan, who were from the frontier ethnic minorities. The power of the separatists has become a powerful force on the side of the separatist regime. "But Fangzhen has to be strong, and the capital has to be weak."In the end, it led to the "Anshi Rebellion" that marked the Tang Dynasty's transition from prosperity to decline.