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The emperor appointed hundreds of officials, who assisted the emperor and herdsmen. 【Read the latest chapter】
The emperor and officials, imperial power and ministerial power, since the emergence of the feudal dynasty, have been complementary and mutually reinforcing. Neither side can do without the other, but they are often in opposition and competing with each other.
In Zhao Junchen's eyes, the battle between imperial power and ministerial power began after the emergence of the two major classes of monarch and ministers. Sometimes the imperial power prevailed over the ministerial power, and sometimes the ministerial power overran the imperial power. It can be said that it was one after another, with each winning and losing.
However, if you look at the history of China, you will find that although the ministerial power has always been fighting against the imperial power, with the changes of dynasties and the improvement of the system, the imperial power became stronger and stronger, and the ministerial power became weaker and weaker. By the time of Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty, During this period, the imperial power reached its peak, and the ministerial power was no longer able to compete with the imperial power. From then on, even the first and assistant prime ministers could only obey and obey the emperor's orders. The emperor said whatever he said, but no longer Don't dare to fight.
Why does this happen?
Many historians believe that this is because Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty created the Military Aircraft Department to replace the cabinet. However, in Zhao Junchen's view, the gradual rise of the "secret system" was no less important than the emergence of the Military Aircraft Department.
What is the "secret system"?
The so-called secret secret system allows and encourages officials of a certain rank and above in the court to directly submit secret secrets to the emperor, either to express political opinions or to impeach officials.
The secret system has two functions. One is to further black-box the operation of government affairs. It adds to the mystery of imperial power and the awe of the officials towards the emperor. The second is to encourage officials in the DPRK and China to inform each other, especially colleagues, so that officials can restrain each other and cause internal friction. In the end, the emperor reaped the benefits.
It is conceivable if the "secret discount system" is really implemented. Then officials of a certain rank can submit secret reports on their own, and all their colleagues around them become "secret agents." Even lower-level officials can jump over the hierarchy and sue superior officials. Everyone has the possibility of snitching, so who else dares to memorize it? Doing disobedient things to the emperor? Naturally, it was impossible to guard against it, so I had no choice but to be "loyal to the emperor" honestly.
Moreover, once the "secret discount system" is implemented, there will inevitably be turmoil in the temple, and everyone will take the opportunity to impeach others. Everyone will be impeached by others. At that time, the emperor has the evidence of every official's crime in his hands. Even if there is no punishment for the moment, it will be easy to rectify him in the future.
At that time, the imperial power will naturally suppress the ministerial power, and officials will naturally never dare to offend the emperor again.
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In fact, although the "secret system" was founded in Kangxi. It completely flourished in Yongzheng, but the Ming Dynasty also had a similar system, that is, the "Dense System".
However, compared with the "dense system". The "secret secret system" involves more extensive content, more people are qualified for secret secrets, more complete confidentiality measures, and more standardized procedures for submitting submissions.
It can be said that the "secret system" is the deepening and perfection of the "secret system", and the most important change is among them. That is, there are more people who are qualified for secret discounts, and the process of submitting submissions has changed!
In the Ming Dynasty. Who has the qualification to be a secret agent depends on his position. Generally speaking, only the imperial censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the chief officials of the Sixth Section, Qin Tianjian officials, and officials of the third rank or above in the imperial court can have the qualifications to submit to the imperial court. Once they lose their official position or change their official position, Such qualifications no longer exist.
However, under the "Mi Zhe System" of the Qing Dynasty, in addition to lowering the threshold for Mi Zhe qualifications, as long as they were authorized by the emperor, anyone was qualified to be a Mi Zhe or Mi Shu. Even if they lost their official position, they could still go directly to heaven. listen.
In the Ming Dynasty, ministers sent secret documents to the emperor. Officials in the capital usually sent them to the General Secretary's Yamen for forwarding, while officials from other places used the Chief Secretary to forward them to the General Secretary through the post. In this way, they were sent to many places, and naturally there were many This increased the possibility of leakage, and as the General Affairs Office was gradually infiltrated by major factions in the DPRK, the so-called "secretness" gradually lost its effectiveness in keeping secrets.
As for the secret record system of the Qing Dynasty, the ministers themselves or sent close associates to deliver the secret record directly to the emperor's hands without changing hands. This reduced the number of procedures and the confidentiality was naturally greatly increased.
With all these factors in mind, the effect of the "dense folding system" is naturally far greater than that of the "dense and sparse system".
Zhao Junchen recalled the "Secret System" he knew about in his previous life, and then compared it with the "Secret System" described by Li Chunchen in his answer sheet. He found that not only did the two have the same name, but their contents were also surprisingly similar.
Thinking that it was precisely because of the prevalence of the "secret system" in the Qing Dynasty that the imperial power was at its peak and the ministerial power was weakening, Zhao Junchen would naturally treat it with caution.
This is no small thing!
"History always has its own laws. I never thought that I would come to this different historical time and space, but the secret system still appeared!...
...So it turns out, once Emperor Deqing sees this answer sheet, he will naturally see the benefits of such a policy in strengthening the imperial power, and he will definitely be excited, and then he will inevitably implement the policies suggested on the answer sheet step by step. And if Li Chunchen made such a suggestion, he would definitely be favored by Emperor Deqing. With Emperor Deqing's support, it would be easy to rise up among the temples...
...No wonder Li Chunchen is so confident that he has no intention of joining any faction in the court, let alone having the slightest trace of a faction on himself. I am afraid that after he guessed the scope of questions Emperor Deqing asked in the Jinke Palace Examination, he decided to Thinking of this answer, he came up with the secret folding system, and he did not have any factional marks on him. While Emperor Deqing implemented the secret folding system step by step, he would inevitably reuse him step by step. In the end, he said Maybe he will be the best person to be the official responsible for handling and forwarding secrets. At that time, it will naturally reach the sky in one step..."
As I thought about it, my ideas became clearer and clearer. But Zhao Junchen's brows furrowed more and more tightly.
Zhao Junchen is now focused on getting rid of Emperor Deqing's control, but once the "secret discount system" suggested by Li Chunchen is implemented. I am afraid that even the chief minister Zhou Shangjing will be suppressed by Emperor Deqing, let alone the current Zhao Junchen! When the time comes, Zhao Junchen wants to get rid of Emperor Deqing's control again. It’s even more difficult!
This is why Zhao Junchen informed Zhou Shangjing immediately.
At least in this matter, Zhou Shangjing and Zhao Junchen have common interests, and Zhao Junchen also trusts Zhou Shangjing's sophisticated political vision and methods, so at this time, Zhao Junchen does not mind joining forces with Zhou Shangjing to stop the "secret secret" The emergence and implementation of the "folding system"!
"However, when things have reached this point, as long as Emperor Deqing makes up his mind, even if Zhou Shangjing and I join forces, plus Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao, it will be difficult to stop the implementation of the secret discount system. At most, it will only delay it for a while. , so my various plans need to be accelerated, otherwise when Emperor Deqing wants to cross the river and demolish the bridge in the future, I will really have no power to resist."
While thinking secretly, Zhao Junchen's original good impression of Li Chunchen suddenly disappeared.
Before that. Zhao Junchen always thought that Li Chunchen was just an ambitious and very smart young man, and he admired him quite a lot - this appreciation may be somewhat similar to how Zhou Shangjing viewed the current Zhao Junchen.
However, after seeing this answer sheet. Zhao Junchen discovered that although Li Chunchen was smart enough, he was short-sighted! Doesn't he know that once the "secret system" is implemented, he will no longer be able to resist the power of imperial power? By that time. No matter how high the official rank is or how valuable the title is, what's the use? Not to mention that by doing so, he would offend all the powerful officials in the court. or. Does his ambition only stop at the step of "getting His Majesty's appreciation"?
And while Zhao Junchen was thinking secretly, time passed very quickly. Xu Qingyan finally left and returned.
Xu Qingyan pushed open the door and reported to Zhao Junchen: "Master, the person who went to deliver a message to Zhou Shangjing's mansion has returned. Also coming with him is a steward of Zhou's mansion named Zhou Quan."
Zhao Junchen nodded and said, "Bring him to see me."
After a while, Xu Qingyan led a middle-aged man into the study.
"The villain Zhou Mansion is a well-managed person and has met Mr. Zhao."
After Zhou Quan saw Zhao Junchen, he bowed respectfully and said hello.
Zhao Junchen nodded and said: "There is no need to salute. Zhou Shoufu must have read the scroll of paper I sent, but I don't know what he thinks?"
Zhou Quan bowed his head and replied: "My chief assistant said, thank you Mr. Zhao for your advance notice, but there is nothing he can do to stop this matter for a while. Although my chief assistant is the chief grading minister of the Jinke Palace Examination, But there are more than ten reviewers, including Cheng Yuandao and other foolish and loyal people. What's more, the questions in the imperial examination are very meaningful. Your Majesty will probably review them personally, so your Majesty will see this examination paper no matter what. And once His Majesty sees it, he will definitely implement it according to the method on the examination paper. Even if all the factions in the court work together to stop it, I am afraid it will only be able to stop it for a while."
Zhao Junchen nodded. He had already thought of this beforehand, and just asked: "So, Sir, what is your opinion on this secret system?"
Zhou Quan smiled slightly and said: "My chief minister said that since ancient times, there has never been a perfect policy. Many policies will make people feel flawless and scary when they are first conceived, but after a long time of implementation, they always become better. People will find flaws, and once there are flaws, this policy will no longer be effective, so Mr. Zhao, you don’t have to worry, just wait and see what happens.”
Zhao Junchen sighed softly and said: "I see, the chief minister is indeed a good man, but I am impatient. You go back and tell the chief minister that if he finds a flaw in this secret folding system in the future, I hope he will spare no effort. Please enlighten me, I am a stupid person, but I can’t even think of the flaws in this system.”
From a certain point of view, Zhou Shangjing's theory is not wrong. There is indeed no perfect policy in this world. "There are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom" is the foundation for officials to live and work. As long as any policy and system is carefully searched, You will definitely find the flaw.
However, in Zhao Junchen's view, the flaws in this "secret system" even exist. This flaw is probably very rare, and even if it is discovered, it will be difficult to exploit. Otherwise, it will be the Qing Dynasty in another historical time and space. Why can't any officials resist the power of imperial power under the "secret system"?
So, Zhao Junchen thinks. Zhou Shangjing may have underestimated the seriousness of this "secret system" this time.
In fact, the "secret system" of the Ming Dynasty was annoying enough, let alone the enhanced version of the "secret system"!
However, since Zhou Shangjing had expressed his opinion, Zhao Junchen did not directly question it, but only used this sentence to secretly remind him.
On the other side, after hearing the hint in Zhao Junchen's words, Zhou Quan was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "I understand, I will. I will tell my chief minister when I get back."
Zhao Junchen sighed again. Seeing that Zhou Quan had nothing else to say, he waved his hand and said, "Qingyan, see the guest off."
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When Xu Qingyan returned to the study room again, Zhao Junchen, who had already made up his mind to speed up the progress of his various plans, asked Xu Qingyan: "A few days ago, I asked you to choose among the various branches of 'Yurongfang' Some loyal and capable shopkeepers, how did you handle this matter?"
Xu Qingyan was slightly startled. He didn't know why Zhao Junchen suddenly changed the subject, but he still replied: "Back to the young master, I have already selected the candidates, but now the branches of 'Yue Rong Fang' have opened all over the north of the Yangtze River. Many of the branches I have selected The shopkeeper hasn't rushed back to the capital yet, so I originally planned to wait for everyone to arrive before bringing him to see you."
Zhao Junchen pondered for a moment. Said: "No need, let the shopkeepers who have arrived in the capital come to see me tomorrow! I have many things to tell them to do. Now time is tight and we need to start early. As for those shopkeepers who have not come, let them I’ll join you later.”
"I understand, Master." Xu Qingyan agreed simply, without raising any questions as usual.
Because, Xu Qingyan found that Zhao Junchen had a sense of urgency since he saw the answer sheet.
"In addition, how much money is currently in the government's account?" Zhao Junchen asked again.
Although Zhao Junchen is a corrupt official, he has never cared about his own net worth. This is the first time that he asked about the amount of money in his hand.
However, Xu Qingyan, who has always been a money fan, is very clear about this matter. In fact, Xu Qingyan has always been responsible for the money. Zhao Junchen usually does not even carry banknotes or money with him.
Sure enough, after hearing Zhao Junchen's inquiry, Xu Qingyan immediately replied: "Master, we now have more than 3,718,000 taels of silver in the house, of which 730,000 taels are in cash, and the rest are stored in the bank account. There are also more than 23,300 taels of German banknotes and gold, and there is also a lot of gold and silver stored in various properties and shops under the house, but Fang Ru has always been responsible for these, and I don't know the specific amount. In addition, the antiques, jewelry, etc. in the mansion are also..."
While answering, Xu Qingyan looked full of excitement. This is an amount of gold and silver, which always brings him a unique sense of satisfaction.
"No need to say anything else." Zhao Junchen waved his hand and interrupted: "You immediately take out half of the gold and silver. Well, all of them are in banknotes. I will use them when I meet the shopkeepers tomorrow."
"Half?" Xu Qingyan exclaimed.
Zhao Junchen frowned and said, "What? I can't touch the money?"
Seeing Zhao Junchen's serious expression, Xu Qingyan did not dare to question anymore and quickly replied: "I will go and prepare right away."
"Also, is there any news from the prince? When will he return to Beijing?" Zhao Junchen asked again.
"According to the news, if nothing unexpected happens, I should return to Beijing within two days."
"Su Xiqing and Xiao Wenxuan, whom I sent to Yangzhou, should have arrived in Yangzhou by now. Is there any reply yet?"
"There is no news yet. If there is a reply, I will inform the young master as soon as possible."
…
The implementation of the "secret discount system" will inevitably greatly enhance the power of the imperial power. Although it is only a small sign at present, it still greatly increases Zhao Junchen's urgency.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen began to speed up the progress of his various plans.
In this world, everything is false, only strength is the right way!
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ps: Well, second update! A total of 10,000 words have been updated today! (My novel "Regent Ming" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there will also be a 100% lucky draw gift for everyone! Open WeChat now, click on the "+" sign on the upper right "Add Friend", search Follow the public account "qdread" and hurry up!) (To be continued...) i1292
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