These people have been following Liu Zhiyuan for a long time, and they may be older than Liu Chengyou. "When I fought with your father to conquer the world, you were still in your mother's womb!" It is basically difficult to conceal the contempt that these people have for Liu Chengyou. Sometimes It would be revealed inadvertently, which made Liu Chengyou very uncomfortable.
For example, one time, Yang Bin and Shi Hongzhao were discussing national affairs in front of Liu Chengyou. Liu Chengyou couldn't say anything for a long time. When the two living ancestors said they were tired, Liu Chengyou finally inserted an innocuous leadership work instruction: "This matter still needs to be discussed." Study and discuss carefully, don't be rash and reckless." As a result, Yang Bin glared at him and reprimanded: "What do you know, you kid? With us brothers here, Your Majesty, just shut up."
Are you talking to the emperor? If you don't even have basic respect, how can you talk about loyalty?
Liu Chengyou urgently needs to cultivate a direct force loyal to him. For a second-generation official who is only 18 years old and has neither served in the army nor served as a local official, who is his direct lineage?
Of course, there are only three ways: descendants or uncles; eunuchs, actors, and villains; and the cutting-edge civil servant group.
Just compare it to Tang Zhaozong.
However, the cultivation of a new group of civil servants requires a relatively stable internal environment and relatively ample time. Regardless of the intrigues in the officialdom, or the discord between the local government and the central government, in short, don't make too much noise, and at least ensure the normal progress of the imperial examination. Only in this way can the emperor justifiably activate a group of scholars who are full of enthusiasm, denounce Fang Qiu, and dung soil. The upright scholars of Wanhuhou were given key positions in key departments (such as Hanlin bachelor, Hanlin Chengzhi, Zhongshu Sheren), given time and experience, and then they were promoted step by step, and finally grasped the core power (such as prime minister, privy envoy).
However, since the Central Plains entered the Five Dynasties, frequent wars have seriously damaged the imperial examination system, making the imperial examination exist in name only. On the contrary, the relatively stable "Ten Kingdoms" in the south have preserved the imperial examination relatively completely, so that many scholars have defected to Hunan, Huainan, and Hangzhou and other places have seen a massive loss of talent from the Central Plains.
Liu Chengyou basically does not have the external conditions for the "civilian route", and he does not have much time to cultivate. What he needs is quick success. Ever since, the first two paths have become Liu Chengyou's life-saving straw.
When a young master ascends the throne, he often relies on his descendants' clan and uncle's clan rather than the royal family. That is, he would promote the brothers of his wife (the queen), or the brothers of his mother (the queen mother), who were his uncles. Although these people have foreign surnames, the emperor is their only political resource and their only capital for dominance. Driven by interests, they are the emperor's staunchest supporters.
On the other hand, the royal family, that is, his brothers, half-brothers, and cousins, are the people that the emperor should be most vigilant and fearful of, because everyone has a reason to inherit the throne, and they all have the intention of regicide. motivation.
For example, Zhu Youzhen, the last emperor of the Later Liang Dynasty, very typically relied on the "descendants", reused his relatives, suppressed the royal family, and successfully led to the subjugation of the country.
As for eunuchs and court officials, they were also groups with a relatively high probability of being in trouble during the feudal period, but they often played a disgraceful role in the political arena. Many emperors, especially those who were ignorant and subjugated, basically had a common characteristic, which was that they favored and trusted eunuchs and court officials, which allowed such people to be arrogant and interfere in government affairs. Why would the emperor allow—or even deliberately condone—their interference in government affairs?
In terms of personal emotional factors, it is because these people are the emperor's "childhood". They have accompanied the emperor since he was a child, caring for him and taking care of him in every possible way, and they have developed feelings for him over time. It is very easy for the emperor to have feelings for them. . The most typical example is probably the pairing of Tang Xizong and Tian Lingzi. Before Tian Lingzi met, Tang Xizong trusted, respected, and was grateful to Tian Lingzi from the bottom of his heart, and took the initiative to recognize this eunuch as his godfather.
From the perspective of political struggle and officialdom games, eunuchs and courtiers are the mad dogs raised by the emperor. The emperor wanted to gather power from the civil and military officials. In order to avoid being embarrassed and causing a major backlash in the DPRK, he released the mad dogs and let them They do things that the emperor wants to do but are inconvenient to do, and bite ministers who want to bite but are inconvenient to bite. Afterwards, if there is a violent backlash, the emperor will use them as abandoned sons and shields.
Villains refer to those people who gained the favor of the leader through informal channels, won the trust of the leader, and obtained an official position. However, the leader suddenly died. After the new leader took office, these people were marginalized. The characteristics of these people are that they come from humble backgrounds, have no background, and have no resources. They are typical "three no products", but they have once been brilliant. They often miss those good days, covet the power they once had, and are envious and jealous of those in power.
In order to quickly cultivate his direct lineage, Liu Chengyou chose the first two routes and promoted Li Hongxin, Li Hongyi, Li Hongjian, and Li Ye (all four were brothers of Empress Dowager Li and uncles of Liu Chengyou); among the marginalized "villain" groups Among them, Yan Jinqing, Nie Wenjin, Houzan, Guo Yunming and others were promoted.
The "Uncle Clan Gang" and the "Little People Gang" formed Liu Chengyou's direct lineage, and became Liu Chengyou's weapon to bite Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao and other "veteran gangs". Of course, the Uncle Clan does not need an introduction. Let’s first briefly get to know these pieces of information about the “Little People Gang”:
Yan Jinqing was the rich second generation of Xinzhou, Hedong. When Liu Zhiyuan was in charge of Hedong, he had a good relationship with him and they used each other. Unlike others, he actually went to the battlefield and made meritorious service, but he encountered unfair treatment when he was promoted. Therefore, he had quite a lot of complaints against the rulers-Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao and others. Later, the "Uncle Clan Gang" and the "Little People Gang" conspired to cause trouble, killed Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao, etc., and roped him into the gang, but he was timid and fearful, turning around like Shi Hongzhao leaking secrets.
Nie Wenjin, a subordinate under Liu Zhiyuan, was shrewd and capable, so he was admired by Liu Zhiyuan. When he was stationed in Hedong, he promoted him to the commander of military and horse security, which was a temporary worker responsible for civilian work in the army. Although he was Outside the system, but still "working in an office". After Liu Zhiyuan entered Bian, he was promoted to the Privy Council. Although he was still a low-level position, his working place was the Privy Council. As the saying goes, he was the third-rank official in front of the prime minister. However, Liu Zhiyuan died half a year after entering Bian, and Nie Wenjin's promotion stopped there.
Later, this person is also special because he is a son of a bitch. It's not a curse, it's a statement. Even his father thinks he is a bastard - the same statement.
