The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Chapter 188 Three Provinces and Six Ministries

The common people during the period of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty had special respect for their Majesty and respected him from the bottom of their hearts.

They have long been fed up with the chaotic world and hope that a wise king will appear soon to end it all.

The emergence of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty brought peace to the world, allowing people all over the world to settle down and avoid the pain of war.

More importantly, under the wise governance of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, they achieved a life of peace and contentment.

In their minds, their Majesty indeed deserves the title of Emperor through the ages.

But Yongzheng had great objections to this. Is this the only emperor through the ages?

He is not denying the achievements of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, but the achievements of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty are not enough to become an emperor through the ages.

Thinking about his thankless implementation of the policy of integrating government and gentry payment of grain, it can be said to be an unprecedented feat.

But even so, he was not embarrassed to praise himself as the emperor of the ages.

Yongzheng: Anchor, I would like to ask, why can Yang Jian be selected as the emperor of the ages?
  When the video of the Six Eternal Emperors was played on the screen before, he was full of questions.

Now it happened that the protagonist of today's story was Yang Jian, so he took this opportunity to inquire in detail.

Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng, Han Emperor Wu Liu Che, Sui Emperor Wen Yang Jian, Tang Taizong Li Shimin, Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang.

In his opinion, except for Tang Taizong Li Shimin, no one else is worthy of the reputation of an emperor through the ages.

However, the standards of later generations for judging the Eternal Emperor were different from what he thought, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Not only Yongzheng, but many emperors from various dynasties also had questions about this.

Some emperors believed that their achievements surpassed that of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, but their reputation as the first emperor of the ages was taken away by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty. This was what made them most angry.

In particular, Qianlong had the biggest opinion on this. With his achievements in creating the prosperous age of Qianlong, he should have a place among the emperors throughout the ages.

But now it is still no match for the Sui Dynasty, which died in the second generation, which puzzles him greatly.

Throughout the life of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian, apart from unifying the world and creating the Sui Dynasty, he could not achieve anything else.

The imperial examination system favored by later generations was only in its infancy during the Sui Dynasty, and was far from the imperial examination system of the Qing Dynasty.

Yang Jian was still angrily dealing with Yang Guang, but when he saw the barrage, something seemed wrong.

Several emperors from other dynasties actually questioned his achievements, which made him very angry.

Just by ending three hundred years of chaos and bringing peace and stability to the people of the world, this alone is enough to deserve the title of an emperor through the ages.

Yang Jian: I would like to advise some people to recognize the reality. Instead of slandering me, they should look for the reasons from themselves.

When Su Chen saw that the situation was not right, he might start scolding him if it continued like this.

So he quickly stopped it to prevent the scolding war from escalating and disrupting the rhythm of his live broadcast.

"Everyone, please stop arguing. Be quiet and listen to what the anchor has to say."

"There was a video that took stock of the Eternal Emperor. A total of six Eternal Emperors were mentioned in it."

"That video was made by one of our later bloggers. It only represents the views of that blogger and does not represent the general views of later generations."

"Don't say it's you, that video will be very controversial in our future generations. Many people agree with it, and many people don't agree with it."

"In fact, in our later generations, there are only three emperors recognized by everyone, Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng, Han Wu Emperor Liu Che, and Tang Taizong Li Shimin."

"As for the other things, there is a huge debate. The public is right and the mother-in-law is right."

The three emperors who were mentioned by the anchor looked overjoyed and felt doubly proud.

They are recognized as the emperor of the ages, which shows their gold content.

Ying Zheng: I unified the world and became the First Emperor. With this achievement, I can become an emperor through the ages. I will be judged fairly by future generations.

Liu Che: I have established an unprecedented dignity for a country, and given a nation the confidence to stand firm for thousands of years. The name of the country of the Han Dynasty has also become the eternal name of a nation. I am a well-deserved emperor for the ages.

Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty: I governed the world internally through civility, expanded my territory externally, initiated the rule of Zhenguan, created the prosperous age of the Tang Dynasty, and became recognized by later generations as the emperor of the ages. There is nothing surprising.

Yang Jian: Although I am not recognized as the one emperor through the ages, many people agree that I am the one emperor through the ages. I am very satisfied.

Zhao Kuangyin: Being able to list me as the emperor of the ages is beyond my expectations. It is normal to have disputes. After all, I also know that I have not completely unified the world, and this is indeed not enough.

Zhu Yuanzhang: We expelled the Man Yuan and restored the Han Dynasty. There is no doubt that such achievements have made us the emperor through the ages. Why is there still controversy in later generations?
  "Some people just questioned why Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty Yang Jian could be selected as the first emperor of the ages. Although this matter is controversial, many people still agree with it."

"The anchor will tell you about Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty Yang Jian's political actions, and everyone will understand why some people admire Yang Jian so much."

"The anchor will start with political policies. Yang Jian made many political achievements during his time in power."

"The most famous one is the civil service reform. In the central administrative system, Yang Jian abolished the Northern and Southern official systems and basically established the three provinces and six ministries system."

"The Ministry of Internal History, the Province of Menxia, ​​and the Province of Shangshu are all the highest government agencies of the Sui Dynasty. The Ministry of Internal History is responsible for decision-making, the Province of Menxia is responsible for deliberation, and the Province of Shangshu is responsible for execution."

"The three provinces check and complement each other, which can not only ensure the implementation of decrees, but also avoid the situation of autocratic power, which plays a strengthening role in the monarchy."

"Yang Jian also established six departments under the Shangshu Province: the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Punishment, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Industry. Each department has a Shangshu to execute government orders and handle political affairs."

"The Ministry of Personnel is responsible for the appointment, removal, assessment, promotion and transfer of officials across the country."

"The Ministry of Household Affairs is responsible for the country's land, household registration, taxation, and financial revenue and expenditure."

"The Ministry of Rites is in charge of sacrifices, etiquette, foreign exchanges, and imperial examinations."

"The Ministry of War is in charge of the selection of military attaches across the country, as well as military qualifications, ordnance, etc."

"The Ministry of Punishment is in charge of criminal laws and prison sentences across the country."

"The Ministry of Industry is in charge of various projects, craftsmen, water conservancy, transportation, etc."

"The establishment of six ministries became a fixed system of central power in later feudal dynasties. The division of labor in the three provinces and six ministries was clear and the organization was tight, which greatly strengthened the centralization of power."

Officials in the dynasties after the Sui Dynasty all nodded in agreement. The six-ministry system followed by their dynasties originated from the Sui Dynasty.

From the perspective of the political system, there is no doubt that Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty Yang Jian made great achievements.

Especially the officials of the six ministries of each dynasty, they were able to achieve their current official positions, and Yang Jian's contribution was among them.

Zhao Kuangyin: Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty formulated the system of three provinces and six ministries, which is still in use today. Even I have to admire Yang Jian's wisdom.

Liu Che: The system of three provinces and six ministries, in which the six ministries manage different things across the country, is indeed conducive to strengthening the centralization of power. He learned about the imperial examination system not long ago, and now there is a system of three provinces and six ministries. He couldn't help but look happy.

He just listened to the anchor's simple description of the three provinces and six departments system, and already understood the mystery of it.

The system of three provinces and six ministries not only allowed for a clear division of labor and allowed officials to handle political affairs more efficiently, but more importantly, it strengthened imperial rule.

It is no wonder that the dynasties after the Sui Dynasty admired the system of three provinces and six ministries so much. Even he was deeply attracted by the system of three provinces and six ministries, and he wanted to carry out reforms immediately, and also set up the system of three provinces and six ministries in the Han Dynasty.

"The administrative reforms implemented by Yang Jian not only carried out in-depth reforms at the central level but also at the local administrative system."

"Yang Jian changed the originally chaotic local government system from a three-level system of prefectures, counties, and counties to a two-level system of prefectures and counties, and abolished more than 500 counties within the territory."

"By eliminating redundant officials and streamlining institutions, Yang Jian has further saved the country money, while also improving administrative efficiency and reducing the burden on the people."

"In order to better exercise power and control local areas, Yang Jian ordered that all officials above the ninth rank should be appointed and removed by the central government."

"The power to appoint officials is entirely controlled by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which abolishes the system of recruiting staff for state and county chiefs since the Han Dynasty and strengthens centralization of power."

"And the Ministry of Civil Affairs conducts assessments every year to determine rewards, punishments, promotions and demotions. Later, a three-year term system was implemented."

Zhao Xu, Shenzong of the Song Dynasty: In order to strengthen the centralization of power, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty carried out a series of reforms on the local administrative system. It must be said that these reforms were very successful, and these systems were still used until the Song Dynasty.

Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty admired Emperor Wen's daring reform measures for the world.

After he became the emperor of the Song Dynasty, he deeply understood that it was not easy to implement reforms, and he would encounter great resistance.

For example, he had always supported Wang Anshi's reform, but the resistance from the opposition was so strong that he was a little shaken.

It is precisely because of the difficulty of reform that Wang Anshi's reform in history ended in failure. This shows how difficult reform is.

Therefore, he admired the reforms implemented by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty very much. This required great determination and was not just talk.

What's even more amazing is that this reform of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty was successful, and it even had a profound impact on subsequent dynasties.

"In addition to reforming official administration, Yang Jian also reformed the land equalization system."

"Yang Jian followed the basic land policy of equalizing land that had been implemented since the Northern Wei Dynasty, but he reformed the equalizing system to a certain extent in terms of the objects and years of receiving land."

"Yang Jian promulgated the land order to advance the age at which farmers can receive their land, and abolished the previous regulation that men should return their land when they grow old."

“Yang Jian’s reform of the land equalization system gave farmers lifelong rights to use their land, but this reform was not thorough, and farmers generally lacked land.”

"And in order to adjust the internal relations of the feudal landlord class, the types and titles of land received by officials were expanded than in the previous dynasty."

Yang Jian: I also know that the reform of the land equalization system is not complete and there is still a lot of room for improvement. But there is really no way. For the sake of internal stability, we have to make some compromises.

If he wanted the Sui Dynasty to be as stable as Mount Tai, he must allow everyone to have a farm.

Therefore, he implemented the land equalization system and strived to make the people live a secure life.

This was done firstly for the sake of world peace, and secondly to collect taxes from the people.

But no matter how much he considers the common people, he must also take care of the interests of the noble families and not make them dissatisfied.

He was originally a member of the noble family, but eventually succeeded in conquering the country and became the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty.

Naturally, he was very aware of the power of the noble family, so he had to make a helpless compromise.

The Sui Dynasty had finally been conquered, and it was not yet completely stable. He was not willing to offend the noble clans easily to avoid another war in the world.

"Yang Jian reformed the labor service system on the basis of the land equalization system, shortened the years of labor service for farmers, and stipulated that those who did not want to perform labor service could use money instead of labor service."

“The money-for-service system created by Yang Jian allows farmers to have more time to engage in production activities, which is beneficial to farmers’ production and life and the country’s agricultural development.”

"Yang Jian increased taxes, but the burden of corvee was reduced. Generally speaking, the tax corvee of farmers was reduced in the Sui Dynasty."

Wang Anshi: My reform measures were based on the tax system of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, and achieved good results.

When he first formulated the reform measures, he referred to the reform measures of his predecessors, including the tax and servitude system of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.

It is the responsibility of every common person to perform corvee service, but there are still many people who are unwilling to perform corvee service and always want to avoid it.

Especially those from wealthy families were even more unwilling to let go of their good lives and be dragged into corvee service.

Therefore, he specifically proposed to use money to replace corvee service. As long as a certain amount of silver was paid, there was no need to perform corvee service.

In this way, not only can the court's taxes be increased, but more importantly, the people can have more time for agricultural cultivation.

"After the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian ordered the revision of the new laws, deleted the cruel and confusing legal provisions of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and formulated the "Kaihuang Code"."

"The "Kaihuang Code" abolished many of the original cruel criminal laws and basically completed the reform process of the penalty system since the reform of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty."

"Yang Jian stipulates that all cases where the death penalty is imposed must go through the death penalty review system before the death penalty can be executed."

"The "Kaihuang Code" had a profound impact on later generations of laws. Basically, the laws revised by Yang Jian were inherited by the Tang Dynasty."

The common people of the Sui Dynasty felt this most deeply. They came from the Northern Zhou Dynasty and had the most say.

During the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the laws were not only cruel, but also punishable by death or exile.

Moreover, the laws at that time were very confusing and the regulations were unclear. They did not know when they had violated which law.

During that period, everyone lived on tenterhooks, always fearing that one day they would be caught.

It was not until His Majesty Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty established the Sui Dynasty that he abolished many of the previous severe punishments and promulgated the more relaxed "Kaihuang Code".

The moment people across the country learned the news, they cheered and were overjoyed.

It is precisely because of this law of His Majesty Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty that everyone supports His Majesty so much.

The people of the Tang Dynasty had a good impression of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, and most of them recognized the contribution of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.

Although at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the people of the Tang Dynasty lived in dire straits.

But that was the fault of Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty and had nothing to do with Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.

As ordinary people of the Tang Dynasty, they also benefited a lot from the loose laws "Kaihuang Law" formulated by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.

From this point of view, they have to thank Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)