4.3 Two Kings and Three Kes
The "Two Kings and Three Kes System" is an ancient Chinese political etiquette system, which is to confer titles on the descendants of the previous royal family. Compensating the royal family of the previous dynasty proves that this dynasty is the successor of the previous dynasty and that the legal system is pure. It is similar to a child inheriting his parents' property, and at the same time he has to support his parents and provide for them until they die.
In the first month of the second year of Tianfu (937), Shi Jingtang issued an edict to find a person in the Tang Dynasty clan to "make a hereditary title". He selected Yang Yanshou, a descendant of the Duke of Sui Dynasty, as the "Second Queen", and selected Yu Wenjie, the Duke of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, as the "Third Queen". ".
In addition, during the selection and promotion of national civil servants in this dynasty, preferential treatment was given to descendants of the Tang Dynasty clan.
4.4 Judicial recognition
In the first month of the fourth year of Tianfu (939), Cao Guozhen, the Zuo Jianyi doctor, proposed to amend the constitution and select knowledgeable people to compile the Six Codes of the Tang Dynasty, the Huiyao of the Tang Dynasty, the Huiyao of the Tang Dynasty, the Dazhong Criminal Law System, and the format of laws and regulations. Wait, remove the rough and extract the essence, and write it into another book, named "Zhengtong of the Great Jin Dynasty".
"Tang Liu Dian" is the earliest existing administrative code in my country; the two "Tang Huiyao" are historical literary works that record the evolution and changes of various laws and regulations in the Tang Dynasty; "Dazhong Criminal Law System" was written by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Code promulgated during the Dazhong period.
It is estimated that Cao Guozhen wanted to flatter Shi Jingtang and let the Jin Dynasty have its own independent and complete legal system. Brilliant, I am in the Jin Dynasty.
But he slapped the horse on the hoof.
Thirty years ago, Zhu Wen boldly streamlined the legal order format of the Tang Dynasty and promulgated the "Daliang New Legal Order Format". The background at that time was that after years of war, the country's legal system was chaotic and disorderly, with many unreasonable and even self-contradictory places, which seriously affected the country's judicial and administrative work. Therefore, Zhu and Wen had to keep pace with the times and make decisions based on the actual situation. And carry out drastic reforms to the entire legal system.
Although it was a "dramatic move", Zhu Wen was still very cautious. At the specific operational level, it was still very scientific and standardized. The "Daliang New Laws and Orders Format" also played a role in promoting history, which is worthy of recognition and will forever be recorded in the annals of history.
So Zhu and Wen really carried out judicial reform for the sake of judicial reform, and its political significance was just an unexpected gain.
Even so, Zhu Wen is still notorious as a usurper.
Today, Shi Jingtang is trying hard to portray himself as the defender of the old order, not the founder of the new order; as the successor of the Tang Dynasty, not the usurper; as the promoter of Chinese culture, not the spokesperson of the barbarians, Rong and Di... …That’s why Shi Jingtang deliberately retained the laws of the Tang Dynasty. I am the successor of the Tang Dynasty, so of course I must use the constitution of the Tang Dynasty.
However, Cao Guozhen called on Shi Jingtang to draw a clear line between "Jin" and "Tang", and his political consciousness was frighteningly low.
Shi Jingtang didn't react at first. As soon as he heard that he wanted "Da Jin" to be remembered in history, he happily went ahead and appointed 19 top academic leaders in the country, including the president of the National Noble University (Guozi Siye) and the supervisory censor. and relevant professionals responsible for this matter.
Emperors all hope to do something that will leave a name in history, especially in the cultural field, such as Emperor Qianlong who ordered the compilation of "Sikuquanshu".
These 19 people are worthy of being the country's top intellectuals. They jointly submitted a memorial, saying that if the previous dynasty's rituals, music, criminal constitutions were changed to the "Great Jin Zhengtong", then the "Yao Code" and "Shun Code" should also be renamed the "Jin Code" .
In the joint letter to Shi Jingtang, everyone directly exposed the secret and pointed out that doing so was extremely absurd and "inappropriate".
With one word to wake up the dreamer, Shi Jingtang immediately praised 19 people, and "The Political System of the Jin Dynasty" was shelved.
4.5 Bells and Dingshi
In November of the fifth year of Tianfu (940), at the winter solstice, Shi Jingtang received congratulations from hundreds of officials in Chongyuan Hall, "Begins to Use the Second Dance":
"The emperor held up his wine cup and played "The Music of Yuantong"; he ascended the stage to sing and played "The Music of Wentong"; he raised his food and played "The Dance of Zhaode" for the literary and martial arts, and the "Dance of Success" for the martial arts."
The regulations of Zhou Rites are comprehensive and pervasive, and the red tape is overwhelming. As mentioned above, when eating, you should "eat with bells and cauldrons", BGM should not be used indiscriminately, and disco should not be played randomly. Another example is when offering sacrifices to the ancestral temple. In the same sacrificial event, it needs to be switched N times. Ancestors of different generations have different exclusive music.
For example, after Zhu Wen usurped the Tang Dynasty, he built an ancestral temple for four generations of ancestors, and each of the four rooms had its own BGM:
Emperor Suzu and Xuanyuan's House: "Dance of Great Harmony"
Honoring Ancestor Guangxian Emperor’s House: "The Dance of Elephant Skills"
Emperor Xianzu Zhaowu's House: "Dance of Laiyi"
Emperor Liezu Wenmu's House: "The Dance of Zhaode"
In Chinese culture, strictly speaking, "rituals and music" do not belong to the category of art, but to the category of politics. As the saying goes, "The ancient kings made arrangements for rituals and achieved success, so they served heaven and earth and unified humans and gods. The past dynasties have passed, and the old rules are still there."
Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, especially after the establishment of the Later Tang Dynasty, the emperors have been basically illiterate and uneducated warriors. They do not understand and disdain this set of red tape, so they have been neglected for many years, so that no one in the court can straighten it out. For example, as mentioned earlier, Li Congke appointed Feng Dao as "Sikong", but no one in the civil and military circles of the dynasty knew what "Sikong" was.
So, after years of painstaking collection and compilation, Shi Jingtang finally went back to the old days, played the nostalgia card, and "revived the second dance."
"Rituals have been abandoned for a long time, but when they are revived, the spectators are delighted."
Comrade Li Xiang, a member of the Ministry of Justice who had the honor to participate in the greetings, personally experienced the revival of Zhou rites and was extremely excited. After returning home, he wrote "Er Wu Fu" with a stroke of his pen as a New Year gift to Tianfu. In the first month of the sixth year (941), he dedicated it to Shi Jingtang.
Shi Jingtang was so pleased with Long Yan that he ordered it to be included in the annals of history (the emperor read it and praised it, and ordered it to be compiled in the annals of history).
4.6 Compilation of history for previous dynasties
China has a fine tradition of compiling history books for previous dynasties in all dynasties, which also proves the legitimacy of this dynasty.
In February of the sixth year of Tianfu (941), the ministers of household affairs Zhang Zhaoyuan, Lu Qi and others were ordered to compile the history of the Tang Dynasty, under the supervision of Prime Minister Zhao Ying.
The history of the Tang Dynasty from the Tang Emperor Li Yuan to the Tang Dynasty is basically preserved intact, but the historical materials of the last years of the Tang Dynasty are seriously missing due to wars.
Interestingly, the person in charge of compiling the actual records of the Wuzong and Xuanzong dynasties was Wei Baoheng, the big boss of the "Baoyan Party". Wei Baoheng did such a personal thing, but as a result, "everyone encountered many troubles...it has never been circulated" and was lost.
Therefore, Shi Jingtang ordered that the descendants of Wei Baoheng and other high-ranking officials in the former Tang Dynasty who were responsible for compiling actual records, or their disciples and former officials, would rummage through boxes and cabinets at home and dig into the ground to see if there were any drafts left by their ancestors. Even if there is only a few words, they will be sent to the palace. All those who are sent will be promoted to officials for those without official positions and those with official positions;
In addition, during the sixty years from Wuzong to Emperor Ai, all biographies, family biographies, various official documents and other documents, regardless of content or length, were all presented to the palace, and the court would give corresponding rewards. If the time span is long and the content is recorded in detail, generous rewards will be given.
