Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3317 Someone on the street shouted loudly

Changan.

After entering summer, it seems that the enthusiasm for military affairs in Chang'an streets is gradually rising.

People are generally like this. If a knife or axe is about to hit them, most people will be afraid, but when they see that the knife or axe can't chop down for a long time, they gradually stop taking it seriously.

When Cao's army first started to attack Tongguan, the people of Chang'an were in panic. But now they found that Tongguan was stable, and Cao's army could only pull at the lower city of Tongguan and could not get in at all. They had to move to Hedong. As a result, the fear of the people of Chang'an about the war gradually subsided, and the outing that had not been carried out in the spring for various reasons was gradually put on the agenda.

  In summer, if we ignore the hot weather, isn’t the scenery of the mountains and rivers the same as in spring?

Grass buds are competing to grow, trees are competing for spring, oh, competing for summer, isn’t it also a beautiful scenery?

Of course, there is another very important reason, that is, after the fall of the Wei family, who can get an extra piece of cold pork from those remaining corpses?

Before Wei Duan was arrested and the Wei's estate was confiscated, all the gentry in Guanzhong were trembling with fear, fearing that they would be the next. So they tried desperately to gather information and transfer assets, while also secretly supporting each other in case of an emergency.

For example, sending one's own children to other counties, ostensibly for study abroad, but in fact everyone knows that this is just to save the child's life by allowing the father to take the blame if something happens.

After all, in the Han Dynasty, the household registration system was relatively crude, and if you changed your name casually, you wouldn't be able to find that person.

Most of those who were sent away were selected elite members of the clan. With great loyalty and attachment to the clan, they embarked on an unknown road. As for those lazy and slack members, there was no point in sending them away, so they basically stayed where they were.

On the bank of the Wei River, a group of young men from noble families who seemed to have come out from the mausoleum town to get some fresh air and have fun were gathering and camping on the grass on the river bank.

Some cloth curtains were propped up with wooden poles to block out the sun and the sight.

There were some servants and guards around. When they saw the outsiders approaching, they started shouting and waving their arms as if they were driving cattle and sheep.

Although there was a curtain covering the area, some discussions could still be heard.

  what?

Literary gathering?

Who would hold a literary meeting if they were serious?

If you think carefully about the many famous literary gatherings in history, you will find that some were seeking fame or some were seeking profit. How many of them were really seeking literature?

  For example, Yueyang Tower Inscription, did Fan Zhongyan really write "Tower Inscription"?

Mr. Fan is a true gentleman, but what about the others...

So if you don't know what Wen Hui really wants, and then try to do it blindly, I really don't know who is the fool.

Today, as an important political, military and economic center of the Han Dynasty, Guanzhong region has naturally become a stage for competition among aristocratic families.

Whenever these sons of the aristocratic families talked about the power that Fei Qian had achieved, someone would always slap their thighs.

"If I had known earlier..."

"Actually, I saw it a long time ago..."

"I should have thought of that back then..."

  What’s the use of regret?

Even if you break your thigh, it won’t help.

These aristocratic families, due to their outstanding military achievements, generations of scholars, or huge wealth, each has a profound influence in the land of Guanzhong. The interaction between them is like a carefully choreographed drama, with one person singing and the other taking the stage, playing the game of power in turn.

Among these aristocratic families, alliances and confrontations coexisted, and their interests were complicated. Sometimes, for the sake of common interests, they would form an alliance to fight against foreign enemies together; sometimes, because of conflicts of interest, they would fight each other openly and secretly, or even go to war. This intricate relationship made the political situation in Guanzhong even more confusing.

Fei Qian, well, Pang Pangpang and Fei Xiaohao messed with the Wei family, and most of the nobles were terrified, thinking that Fei Qian was going to kill the nobles and gentry like Dong Zhuo or Li Guo when he was at the end of his rope. But then they found out that it seemed to be only the Wei family and those guys who were too closely involved with the Wei family, and no one else was in trouble...

Look at that belly. Oh, Du Ji is safe and sound, and the other gentry in Guanzhong can also breathe a sigh of relief.

As long as this kind of thing is not aimed at a class, but only at a certain person, or a few people, it will not cause much backlash. But if it really targets an entire class...

On the other hand, the speed is really fast.

From the launch to the verdict, it was like thunder, so fast that it is impossible to cover up the bell. Before we could react, the matter had already been resolved.

In other words, it comes to a temporary halt.

The longer the time dragged on, the more opportunities the evil spirits would have to cause trouble. Pang Tong was well prepared and launched his attack in a short time. Some guys really wanted to take advantage of the chaos to stretch out their claws, but when they saw that the water was not muddy, they withdrew their claws in embarrassment.

"I heard that... that Wei family had accused many people, but they were all suppressed by the Dali Temple!"

"Why? Wasn't he executed after a public trial of the traitor?"

"There are some problems with your information... those who were beheaded were all members of the Wei family. The father and son of the Wei family are still alive!"

"Is he really alive? Why not... Oh! If Wei were to blame him, then... if... if something happened..."

"So, now it all depends on who wants to move which side..."

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"

"What else can it mean? Are you just pretending to be stupid?"

"Hey, brother, you are the most important, you tell me, you tell me..."

"If you ask me, Prime Minister Cao is old and doesn't look very good! I heard that in Shandong, even the emperor is a little dissatisfied with Prime Minister Cao!"

"Is this true?"

"Whether it's true or not, it depends on whether Prime Minister Cao can hold out this time... So, the current situation in the world can actually be summed up in two words..."

"May I ask... which two words are they?"

"Friend or foe!"

There was silence for a moment.

The wind blew across the grass, bringing with it some of the hot summer air.

The river was flowing not far away, and it felt a bit cool.

Is it cold, is it hot, is it friend, is it enemy, this is indeed a problem.

But most of the people present knew that those who had not chosen before had missed the opportunity for low-cost investment. If they chose again now, the additional investment would be huge.

If you want to make a living by chasing high prices, you must be prepared to be trapped.

Now is the time to realize your own self...

But taking this step is not easy.

……

……

On the other side, in Xu County, Emperor Liu Xie listened to the routine description of the war with an expressionless face.

The black and red colors in the hall were originally supposed to be symbols of power and majesty, but now, in Liu Xie's eyes, these colors represented his helplessness and compromise, anger and disappointment.

On top of the red pillars in the main hall, there are carved beams and painted buildings, with gold-painted decorations. It seems very gorgeous, but it has faded a little and is no longer as gorgeous as it was originally.

This is his palace, where he receives ministers and officials, but it is also his cage and his bondage. He sits on the dragon throne, but cannot exercise his power freely. He can only make compromises again and again under the control of powerful officials.

The court robes and official uniforms that represented the authority of the Han Dynasty, the Tongtian crown and the Jinxian crown, all seemed to mock Liu Xie. Anger and disappointment rolled in his eyes, but he could only lower his eyelids and bury these emotions deep.

He now sits on the throne, and all the officials sit below the steps, but in fact this is just an illusion, and his imperial power has been stripped away, leaving only an empty shell. Every corner of the palace is filled with the breath of power, but in Liu Xie's view, it is just a mockery and ridicule of him.

On the surface, the Son of Heaven is the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, the supreme commander, leader, and symbol of the Han Dynasty, but in reality he has no control over anything.

Even the war reports from the front lines are all about “probably”, “should”, “possibly”, “maybe”, “perhaps”…

Orange hemp wheat skin.

During the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, when the Shandong gentry first opposed the emperor, it was indeed because of the emperor's incompetence. But now it is obvious that Liu Xie cannot be considered an incompetent emperor, at least not at this stage. However, no one has proposed to return power to him... Well, it's not that no one has raised this issue, but the person who raised the question was subsequently dealt with, so naturally there were no follow-up problems.

The emperor does not act like an emperor, and his subjects do not act like subjects.

The foundations of the Han order were gone.

These Shandong gentry and official families were originally the beneficiaries of the Han Dynasty's order, but now they are desperately digging into the Han Dynasty's walls. Even when Cao Cao was losing the war and the defeat on the front line was obvious, these people still did not let go of the small hoes in their hands.

Liu Xie had already noticed that the sky was changing and a storm was about to break out. In order to avoid being dragged into it immediately and to have some buffer space, he did not express his dissatisfaction with the war as clearly as before. He just listened silently and did not express any opinions.

But some things are not the way he wants them to be.

Liu Xie had not expected that the storm had already started, ready to push him forward, to the peak of the storm...

The first thing is to have a death warrior.

Only those who are not afraid of death can take a stand for justice.

When Liu Xie was about to end the court meeting, there was a noise coming from the Imperial Street outside the palace, and then it became louder and louder, shocking everyone in the hall, from the emperor to the officials, to change color.

Of course, whether the color change is real or false is something that only each person knows.

As for Xu County, it was not intended to keep the emperor waiting for a long time at the beginning, and he ended up living there and couldn't leave. However, the land inside the city couldn't be used to build palaces every day, so the emperor's palace was smaller than Chang'an and Luoyang in terms of both scale and structure. The sound waves on the Imperial Street in front of the palace gradually became clearer...

"Petition on the bus..."

Liu Xie's face looked somewhat interesting, with some tentativeness and hesitation in his eyes.

According to the Han Dynasty system, all letters from officials and common people expressing their opinions were to be received by the Gongcheling.

Also, because many of those who submitted letters to the emperor were promoted to important positions as a result, it was later often referred to as ordinary people submitting letters to those in power to voice their opinions.

According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Dongfang Shuo went to the Imperial Carriage Office to present a memorial to the emperor after arriving in Chang'an. A total of 3,000 wooden slips were used. The Imperial Carriage Office sent two people to carry his memorial, and they could barely lift it. It took Emperor Wu two months to read Dongfang Shuo's memorial. After reading it, he was very pleased and ordered Dongfang Shuo to be appointed as a palace attendant.

"Report!" 』

Outside the main hall, a eunuch knelt on the ground and kowtowed to report, "Your Majesty! On the Imperial Street, there is a son of the Zhang family who is reporting something!"

Liu Xie frowned, "Since it's a public bus, why is it making so much noise on the Imperial Street?"

Huang Men kowtowed, "It is said that the previous petitions were all... uh, stopped, so I won't go into details..."

Inside the hall, the scene suddenly fell into an unspeakable silence.

……

……

On the Imperial Street, a young man from a noble family stood on a platform built with simple wooden boxes and spoke passionately.

"I have heard something! The way of heaven is to reduce the surplus and make up for the deficiency; the way of man is to reduce the deficiency and serve the surplus! Now there are treacherous and cunning ministers who monopolize power and disrupt government, deceive the emperor and deceive the superiors, and their crimes should be punished!"

"I am an incompetent person, and I hope Your Majesty will make a wise decision to get rid of this thief as soon as possible, so as to purify the government, stabilize the country, eliminate border troubles, and ensure the peace of the people!"

"I have heard that during the time of Yao and Shun, the world was peaceful and the people lived and worked in peace. During the time of Jie and Zhou, treacherous ministers were in power and the government was in chaos, so the people suffered greatly! Now your Majesty is wise and powerful, intelligent and resourceful, but treacherous ministers are in power and the government is in chaos, and the people are suffering as if they were facing a ferocious tiger!"

"The traitors have been monopolizing power and disrupting government, deceiving the emperor and his superiors for a long time! The longer it lasts, the more harm they will cause!"

"The traitors' disorderly government has caused chaos everywhere, and border troubles are frequent!"

"Now the people are suffering and in a state of panic. If we don't get rid of this villain soon, the disaster will spread to the people, the people's hearts will be unstable, and the country will no longer be a country!"

"May Your Majesty make a wise decision as soon as possible and eliminate this villain as soon as possible, so as to make it known to the world and the four seas, and enable the Han Dynasty to revive again..."

These are all old sayings that seem to apply to everyone, but the more this young scholar speaks, the clearer their meaning becomes.

"Emperor Xiaowu was well aware of the harm of the prime minister's monopoly of power, so he issued an edict to the world to dismiss the prime minister and establish three dukes and nine ministers to manage the affairs of state. As a result, the Han Dynasty expelled the Xiongnu, opened up the Western Regions, fought against Yelang and expanded Liaodong, and all the people in the world surrendered! Dong Zhuo and his ilk were despicable and barbaric, they killed the emperor and slaughtered all the officials, and they also called themselves prime ministers and imperial teachers! The Han Dynasty suffered greatly!"

"When Cao welcomed the emperor, he first appointed him as a general, then as one of the three highest officials. Not satisfied with that, he risked the world's disapproval and appointed himself as prime minister! Following the footsteps of the traitor Dong, he used the power of the emperor to encroach on the affairs of the three highest officials, coveted the positions of the nine ministers, and took all of them for himself as the prime minister! All matters concerning the prefectures and counties must be reported to the prime minister before they can be acted upon!"

"In the Prime Minister's residence, people are running around like a market! In front of the Emperor's palace, there is nothing to report!"

"No matter how big or small the matter is, only Cao is in charge! Money and taxes are only collected by Cao! I dare to ask, in this great Han Dynasty, is the surname Liu or the surname Cao? "

As the last sentence fell, the entire Imperial Street seemed to be boiling with chaos!

The change of the political system in the Han Dynasty was a complex and far-reaching historical process, involving power structure, political struggle, ideology, etc. The changes in the prime minister and the three dukes and nine ministers, or in other words, Cao Cao abolished the three dukes and re-established the prime minister system, were actually caused by the struggle between the concentration and decentralization of power, which was not necessarily good or bad.

At first, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty did have too much power. Although nominally second only to the emperor, and under the emperor, responsible for assisting the emperor in handling state affairs, as time went on, the power of the prime minister gradually expanded, posing a threat to the imperial power. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, in order to limit the power of the prime minister, the position of Grand Marshal and General was first established to divide power and check and balance. Later, the prime minister was simply dismissed and the system of three dukes and nine ministers was changed.

The three dukes were responsible for military, administrative and supervisory functions respectively. This decentralization design did help prevent excessive concentration of power and thus maintain the stability of imperial power. However, the theory of the correspondence between heaven and man was inherently flawed, which turned the three dukes from actual positions into scapegoats, while the nine ministers became the real powerful figures. In particular, the military power of the general was often invaded by the general, so that the political balance was overturned again.

In fact, from another perspective, the struggle and changes between the prime minister and the three dukes and nine ministers system are also a struggle between the ruling ideologies of the Legalists and the Confucians. The establishment of the prime minister system more reflects the centralization ideology of the Legalists, while the establishment of the three dukes system incorporates the Confucian concept of ritual governance.

So for ordinary people, they may think that the prime minister and the three ministers are all officials, and it makes no sense to change them. But in the eyes of these people, is this Legalism or Confucianism, is it left-leaning or...

Cough cough cough, that’s probably what it means.

Having said that, Cao Cao was actually forced by Fei Qian to reform the positions.

Unlike the historical situation where Cao Cao gradually had some inappropriate thoughts, Cao Cao at that time abolished the Three Dukes system and re-established the prime minister in order to adapt to the needs of the overall situation and strengthen centralization so as to be able to more effectively deal with the situation of being constantly suppressed by Guanzhong.

Previously, in Shandong, whether it was Jizhou or Yuzhou, when Cao Cao expressed his intention to become prime minister, no one opposed it, and some even praised him overwhelmingly. But now...

"Get out of the way!"

"Get out of the way!"

A group of Cao's troops were outside the crowd, struggling to squeeze in.

The onlookers, the sons of the noble families, not only did not move out of the way immediately, but they also tried to trip him up intentionally or unintentionally.

Zhang's scholar was pulled down from the high platform by Cao's army. Although he was dragged all the way, he kept talking, "If we don't get rid of the thieves! The world is in danger! Get rid of the thieves... mmm..."

A Cao soldier stuffed a piece of rag into the scholar's mouth and dragged him forward.

"Get rid of the thief!"

Suddenly someone in the crowd shouted.

Everyone was a little stunned.

Even the team of Cao's soldiers were stunned for a moment.

"Get rid of the thief! Get rid of the thief!"

Someone shouted again, and this time the voice came from the other direction.

More voices rang out, "Get rid of the thief! Get rid of the thief!"

A moment later, people on both sides were shouting, "Get rid of the thief! Get rid of the thief! Get rid of the thief!"

The Cao army soldiers, who were originally so aggressive, now seemed more or less at a loss. They looked left and right, and then looked at their leader.

"Go, go, go!"

Seeing Cao's soldiers fleeing in a panic, the crowd cheered.

At the end of the Imperial Street, far away from a second-floor window, several figures were swaying, revealing a few smiles in the shadows.