A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 450

Imperial City.

In the province under the door, the political affairs hall.

This is not a particularly conspicuous place. Compared with the Shangshu Province surrounded by six yamen, the Menxia Province is much smaller, but the center of the Tang Dynasty is here.

It is said that there are three provinces and six departments. In fact, there are more than three provinces in the central government of the Tang Dynasty. In addition to the three provinces of Shangshushu and Menxia, ​​there are also the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Dianzhong Province and Secretary Province, and there are nine temples, five supervisors, twelve guards, and four mansions.

Fang Xuanling, the left servant, led the two new prime ministers from the Political Affairs Hall into the hall.

"Please."

In the lobby of the political affairs hall, there is a prime minister and a futon. The hall meeting is no different from the court meeting, sitting on the ground and discussing politics.

The left servant of Shangshu shoots Fang Xuanling, who is now the head of all officials, the absolute confidant of the emperor, and worships Xing Guogong.

Fang Xuanling sat down, and then Qin Qiong, who was shot by the inspector's right servant, this tiger general is a military leader, and he is also a representative of the military heroes of the Qin Palace. , is also a gesture.

Followed by Wang Gui, Minister of Menxia Province, and Wen Yanbo, Minister of Zhongshu Province.

In the beginning, there were only three high-ranking officials in the prime minister, and the three ministers were Shang Shuling and Zhongshu Ling. Later, the Shang Shuling was very powerful, so there were often vacancies. become prime minister.

However, during the Wude Dynasty, Li Yuan implemented the group phase system, and also appointed some school inspectors and school inspectors, and even directly appointed two Zhongshu orders and servants, and appointed them as needed.

After Li Shimin came to the throne, the system of this group of ministers will be further improved. It is no longer limited to the three high-ranking officials as prime ministers. They can also enter the political affairs hall to become prime ministers with other officials, such as participating in government affairs, participating in government affairs, and even working with Zhongshu. Pingzhang things and so on.

Wei Zheng worshiped with the title of secretary and guardian Shangshu Zuocheng, Qin Qiong also worshiped with the title of Minister of the Ministry of War before, and Du Yan gave the title of doctor of the imperial history.

Anyway, as long as the emperor thinks it is necessary, he will directly add the title of worship to the prime minister. This move greatly increases the authority of the emperor and is more conducive to the emperor's power.

Zhengshitang itself is not a yamen.

He is just a place set up in Menxia Province for the prime ministers to meet and discuss matters.

But from the capital province of the Sui Dynasty to the Zhengshitang of the Tang Dynasty, as the place where the prime ministers met for decision-making and deliberation, it gradually formed the central position of the country today, and even began to have special subordinate officials to assist.

Wu Huaiyu looked at the Zhengshitang, which was not yet mature.

There are many prime ministers.

Apart from the four chiefs from the three provinces, there were quite a few other prime ministers with titles.

Xiao Yu, the official censor, Dai Zhou, the minister of the Ministry of official affairs, Wu Huaiyu, the special judge of the minister of the household department, and Wei Zheng, the secretary of the minister Zuo Chengshou, were also four.

Li Jing, the new minister of the Ministry of War, failed to pay homage to his prime minister.

The eight prime ministers are all old acquaintances.

But at this meeting today, there are two newcomers, so everyone still formally greets each other, and then sits down.

The political affairs hall is still immature. For example, there is no complete political affairs hall system, and there is no fixed time for meetings, etc., which is very temporary in nature.

There is no ranking of the eight prime ministers.

There is no such thing as the Prime Minister.

However, the general practice is that Zuo Pushe presides over the meeting and is also responsible for recording the meeting. After each meeting, the minutes of the meeting should be sorted out and submitted to the emperor.

This is actually a work coordination meeting of three provinces and six ministries.

The main power of the Central Committee of the Tang Dynasty is still in the three provinces. Zhongshu Province is responsible for decision-making, Menxia Province is responsible for deliberation, and Shangshu Province is responsible for implementation.

Decision-making, deliberation, and execution are a set of standard procedures, and if one step is wrong, it cannot proceed smoothly.Now that Li Shimin is in power, the emperor often convenes the ministers to discuss and make decisions in the form of court discussions. The decision-making body of Zhongshu Province, on the contrary, is mostly just drafting edicts.

But even if it is a matter of decision-making by the emperor's court, it has to go through the process, and the official document of the imperial edict has to be reviewed by the subordinate province. If the subordinate province thinks it is inappropriate, it can be returned for revision, or even rejected directly. When it comes to official edicts and official documents, naturally they cannot be handed over to the Six Ministries and others for execution.

So the emperor asked the prime ministers to meet directly in Menxia Province to hold a meeting, just to make the deliberation process smoother, and not to talk about Zhongshu and Menxia, ​​which would affect the efficiency.

If there is any problem, explain it face-to-face, and if it can be revised, it will be revised directly, and then it will be directly handed over to the Minister of Shangshu after deliberation.

Huaiyu and his four prime ministers are not three high-ranking officials, but they are people trusted by the emperor, and they can participate in this meeting and negotiate together.

Although the ranking of the prime ministers is not in particular order, in reality, seniority is the basis of ranking.

The left servant said that Fang Xuanling was the leader and presided over the meeting at the same time. Wu Huaiyu was the last to enter the political affairs hall, and he was also a minister. Even the emperor said that the country's financial power was entrusted to him, calling him a planner.

But in fact, since Wu Huaiyu still entered the Zhengshitang, it still shows that the financial power is still in the hands of the prime ministers, unless Wu Huaiyu does not enter the Zhengshitang, and Du Zhishi has his own yamen, which will become independent of the Zhengshitang as it will develop in the future in history. The Sansi yamen outside.

Historically, in the Song Dynasty, the three divisions seized the financial power of the prime ministers, and the Privy Council seized the military power of the prime ministers, and the power of the prime ministers in the Zhengshitang was greatly weakened.

But right now, it is impossible to be so advanced.

Wu Huaiyu is equivalent to the prime minister in charge of finance in the political affairs hall, just like there are six county captains in Chang'an County, among which the county captain who ranks last is responsible for public security, known as the thief-catching captain.

Among the eight prime ministers, Wu Huaiyu ranked last.

But everyone looked at the new prime minister with complicated eyes, he was really too young.

The 20-year-old prime minister.

What's even more exaggerated is that when he was still a Taoist priest in Zhongnan Mountain, he has only been down the mountain for two years, and he has become a prime minister. The real shortcut to Zhongnan.

I think Du Yan went to the mountains twice to live in seclusion, once to Chang'an Zhongnan Mountain, and once to live in Luoyang in the mountains.

Wu Huaiyu, this is the ultimate shortcut to real success.

But even Fang Xuanling had to admit that this young man was indeed capable.

The new team of Zhengshitang met today, and nothing was discussed.

On behalf of the Zhengshitang, Fang Xuanling talked with the two new prime ministers Dai Zhou and Wu Huaiyu about some of the operating methods of the Xiazhengshitang. The main thing was to combine the two important responsibilities of the Zhongshu and the subordinates, decision-making and deliberation into one.

Some important matters are discussed in the Political Affairs Hall, and the results of the discussions are reported to the emperor. The emperor approves it, and then takes it back to the Political Affairs Hall. After that, it will go through a deliberation process, and then send it back to the Minister of Finance, and then distribute it to relevant departments for execution.

Usually, the prime ministers don't stay in the political affairs hall for a long time, and they hold meetings when they have something to do, and they still work in their respective yamen when they have nothing to do.

Zuo Pushe was in the Shangshu Province, and the Yushi doctor was naturally in the Yushitai. Wei Zheng, who was also the Shangshu Zuocheng and the Secretary Supervisor, had to run on both sides of the Shangshu Province and the Secretary Province.

At this time, the Zhengshitang did not implement the administrative pen system, there was no single executive, and there was no rotation, but Zuo Pushe usually presided over and recorded meetings.

The Zhengshitang already has several special officials who are responsible for assisting the Prime Minister's Council in meetings and work in the Zhengshitang.

Wu Huaiyu was also assigned an office of his own in the Political Affairs Hall, and a team of secretaries served him.

"It's getting late, it's time for dine-in."

Fang Xuanling got up with a smile, so everyone got up, today's meeting is over, it's time to eat, as the prime minister, I have a small privilege, I can enjoy a meal in the Zhengshi hall if I discuss things late.

The standard of this dine-in meal is quite high, and it was provided by Guanglu Temple specially ordered by the emperor.

The special food for the prime minister is much higher than the standard of eating in the hallway during the court meeting.

The meeting place is a well-decorated hall. Each of the eight prime ministers has a few dishes in front of them. The dishes are rich and exquisite.

Stewed mutton, fried venison steak, steamed fish, fungus meat, a plate of buns, and a plate of steamed cakes. There are eight dishes in total, with meat and vegetables.

The staple food is also very delicate.

No wonder I heard that some officials have written letters before, saying that the meals of the prime ministers are too extravagant and should not be done.

Even the dishes are served in exquisite porcelain, and the chopsticks are all ivory.

Unfortunately no wine.

This is a working meal, not a palace banquet. After eating, you have to go back to work in your respective yamen.

It's not eating in the hallway, there is no etiquette of the censor's supervision, and the prime ministers are not so restrained when eating, just like the public kitchens in their respective yamen, they can chat while eating, which can be regarded as exchanging work.

However, the officials of the Political Affairs Hall and the officials of the lower provinces all eat in other restaurants and are not qualified to come and eat with the prime minister. There are even strict regulations that the prime minister eats in the hall, and officials are not allowed to visit and disturb, let alone have a meal.

The Guanglu Temple led by Zhang Liang is still good, and the food served by the prime minister is exquisite and delicious.

The stewed mutton is very fresh and tender, the soup is also very clear, but it is very sweet, and the meat is also very tender. The few wolfberries from Lingzhou are just the right decoration.

Eat meat and drink soup, eight dishes, each dish is not much, basically all eight dishes can be eaten, that is the wild rice, it is not very delicious, this thing is the seeds produced by the wild rice stem before it is infected with the fungus , after shelling, it is a long black grain of rice, the output is very rare, and it is not easy to harvest, it is more expensive, but the taste can only be said to be average.

After the meal, there are refreshments after the meal, including tea and seasonal fruits.

Drink a cup of tea, eat some fruit, chat for a while, and then pat their bellies and leave.

Most of the central yamen in the Tang Dynasty were concentrated in the imperial city, which was also convenient for officials, especially for the prime ministers, who had to go to the court in the morning, and then went back to the yamen to work, and even went to the political affairs hall for meetings , Some officials hold several positions. If each yamen is located in the east and west, the light will be on the way this day.

Huaiyu returned to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Dai Zhou went back together, and the two summoned the officials in the ministry to make an announcement. After a brief handover, Wu Huaiyu changed his office, from the original servant's office to the Shangshu's office.

After helping Dai Zhou to tidy up, Huaiyu, the new Shangshu, took the officials to send the old Shangshu off to the official department next door.

Dai Zhou, who was in his early fifties, was very excited when he walked out of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. He was still very disappointed when the emperor wanted to honor Huaiyu last time in the palace, but now he finally did.

"The Ministry of Civil Affairs will be handed over to Duke Yi."

"Don't worry, Mr. Dai."

In fact, Dai Zhou did not stay long in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. After the change of Xuanwu Gate, Dai Zhou went from Cao Canjun, a scholar of the Qin Dynasty, to a doctor in the Ministry of War, and then was promoted to Shaoqing of Dali Temple, then Shangshu Zuocheng, and was promoted to admonishment doctor, and then to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Shangshu basically moves three times a year.

In less than two years, from joining the army to being prime minister.

His promotion speed is also astonishing in the court. The representative of the Rocket Army, like Wu Huaiyu, is jealously called the lucky minister by some people.

At the center of Shizi Street in Huangcheng is Shangshu Sheng, surrounded by six yamen, three on the left and right, the Ministry of Civil Affairs is the second on the right, and the Ministry of Officials is the third on the right, just south of the yamen of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Dai Zhou walked a few steps, He arrived at the gate of the official office.

Over there, the officials of the Ministry of Officials were already there to welcome the arrival of the new Shangshu Dai Zhou.

The Donggong Zhanshi Mansion where Wu Huaiyu's new part-time Prince Shao Zhanshi lived was also in the imperial city, just northeast of the Minbu Yamen, not far away.

After seeing off Dai Zhou, Huaiyu also went to the Yushitai in the southwest of the Minbu to relieve the part-time job of Yushi Zhongcheng, so he went to say hello to everyone and pack up his personal belongings.

Brother-in-law Ma Zhou has also received an order to take up the post at Yushitai. When he heard that Huaiyu was coming, he came out to greet him.

"Brother-in-law is very energetic today."

"Congratulations to Erlang, too, on his promotion to Mr. Ma Zhou." Ma Zhou bowed to Huaiyu, happy for him.

"Congratulations, same congratulations, and congratulations to my brother-in-law for being promoted to the position of governor, censor and admonisher, plus the crown prince and the right concubine."

The censor Zhao Renben and the censor Zhang Xuansu in the palace also came out to greet them, and even said they were happy. These two were Huaiyu's subordinates who had gotten along pretty well during the period of time at the censor platform.

Zhao Renben is also an old friend of Ma Zhou. He once appreciated Ma Zhou's talent, encouraged him to come to Chang'an, and gave him some money. Unexpectedly, he is still serving the censor in the palace, but Ma Zhou has become the censor serving the book, his immediate boss. up.

I originally planned to say hello to everyone, pack up my things and leave, but Xiao Yu dragged him to his private room. I thought that Lao Xiao was saying a few polite farewell words, and wanted to say that everyone was eating and chatting in the restaurant of Zhengshitang just now. , It's only been a while since we parted, and we will still see each other every day in the future.

Unexpectedly, Lao Xiao didn't say these things.

"I thought Lord Yi's actions against the Tier [-] Sect were a bit extreme, and I also admit that Fa Ya's crime is unforgivable, and there are indeed many problems in the temples of the Tier [-] Cult, which cannot be dealt with so easily.

Wouldn't it be a robbery to directly confiscate the endless treasure of the third-order sect?It is also wrong to force more than [-] monks and nuns to return to secular life, let alone confiscate their fields and so on. "

Xiao Yu is a worshiper of Buddha, as early as the Sui Dynasty, he practiced disciple rituals to the third-level leader.

In the last years of Wude, when Li Yuan waited for the unity of the world, he intended to clean up and rectify Buddhism. At that time, the officials discussed that Taishi Ling Fu Yi was a resolute Buddhist extermination sect, while Xiao Yu was a well-known representative of the Buddhist sect. They have repeatedly confronted each other in court.

Xiao Yu directly said that the Buddha is a saint, and Fu Yi's argument, those who are not saints can't do it, please deal with it severely.

Fu Yi retorted with great eloquence, but Xiao Yu couldn't argue, so he had to point to Fu Yi and say that hell is set up for such people.

There are 480 temples in the Southern Dynasties. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Buddhism in the Southern Dynasties was very prosperous. The two exterminations of Buddhism in the North failed to involve Jiangnan.

The Emperor Xiao Yan who sold himself to the temple several times and asked the court to pay to redeem him was the ancestor of Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu's attitude of worshiping Buddhism is actually the attitude of most of the Jiangnan gentry.

Fu Yi is determined to destroy Buddhism, and what he proposes is the teaching of respecting Li and Confucius, without Hoover's reason.

Wu Huaiyu was also a Taoist priest. Xiao Yu felt that Wu Huaiyu, like Taoist Fu Yi, wanted to respect the Tao and destroy the Buddha, so he used Faya to attack the third-order religion.

But Wu Huaiyu never thought of destroying Buddhism. Since Buddhism was introduced to China, it has had a huge impact. For the court, what is needed is balance. Whether Taoism is easy to explain or not, no one is really good or bad. , the most important thing is to be in control.

As long as he can manage and maintain balance, the emperor will not intentionally make enemies, unless the balance is seriously lost or even the foundation of the rule is endangered, he will take action.

Wu Huaiyu's action against the Three Tier Sect, in the eyes of Xiao Yu, who worships Buddhism, is very terrifying, and even thinks that this may be the prelude to the imperial court's plan to destroy Buddhism.

But in fact, Wu Huaiyu also made it very clear to the emperor that supervision, control, and weakening to a certain range are enough.

Even today's Buddhism in the world, not only the third-order religion has problems, but all of them have problems, but Wu Huaiyu just took the opportunity of Falla to clean up and rectify the third-order religion, and there is still room for it, just not wanting to cause resistance and resistance from all Buddhist religions .

Boil the frogs in warm water, and throw the frogs into the water if they cannot come up.

Facing Xiao Yu, Huaiyu smiled and said, "Buddhism is mysterious, the holy miracles can be taught, and the retribution is obvious, and it has been tested many times, I firmly believe it.

However, in the Buddhist sect today, there are many people who are not diligent and have deficiencies in precepts. They cannot be supplied, and they make up for the number and affect the Qing. They can only be regarded as Buddhist scum and must be eliminated as soon as possible.

I also have great reverence for such eminent monks and great virtues as Chan Master Yong and Chan Master Huiliao of the Sanjiejiao, and I also agree with the altruism of the Sanjiejiao.

With a little love from everyone, the world will be a better place.

The Endless Treasure of the Third Tier Sect is very good. It persuades people to be good and give alms. The proceeds from the donation are used to practice Garan, offer the Three Jewels, and save the poor. It’s just that many bad people have mixed into the Third Tier Sect. They use the Endless Treasure to release usury to collect high interest, even violent debt collection, forcing people to sell their sons and daughters, pawns, wives and land,

Some people took Wu Wu Zang's money as their own and squandered it recklessly, just like Pei Xuanzhi, who guarded Wu Wu Zang, stole 3 taels of gold at one time.

The imperial court now wants to help the Sanjiejiao to take good care of the property donated by the faithful men and women, and strengthen supervision, so that it can truly fulfill the original intention of establishing the endless storage when Zen Master Xinxing founded the Sanjiejiao.
The imperial court did not rob the third-tier sect, the wealth of the endless treasure is still there, it is only kept by the court, but it is still supervised by the ten virtues in Beijing and the abbots and Zen masters of the third-tier sect to ensure that every use of the money is used. to the point of reasonableness.

Repairing temples and temples all over the world, helping the poor, and storing grain to prepare for shortages and disasters will not waste a penny indiscriminately. "

"As for the fact that more than 2000 monks and nuns were expelled from the Qing Dynasty, those who were expelled were only treacherous and impostors. They couldn't even read the scriptures of the third-order religion. What kind of devout monks are they?"

"Xiao Xiang, I've always felt that even if the Buddhists of the Shimen sect are Buddhists, they have to be smart. If good and bad are mixed, how can the Shimen sect be truly respected and believed by the world?"

"I'm helping them spread the Dharma."

(End of this chapter)