In fact, the political structure of the Han Dynasty today is still the same as that of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The only difference is that the central court now firmly controls the military power and suppresses internal conflicts with the help of military power.
Such a political situation can certainly be maintained as long as the court can still control the military power. If there are a few more decent monarchs in power, or if there are people like Zhuge Liang, Zhang Xi, Xu Shu, and Pang Tong in the court, If there are wise men to maintain the political situation, then it may be possible to maintain it for a hundred years.
But if it goes on for a long time, as the desires of the aristocratic families continue to grow, and as the land annexation becomes more and more intense, eventually, it will return to the situation of warlords fighting.
Zhuge Liang is the most cognizant person of this era. He knows what it was like in the early Eastern Han Dynasty, what it was like in the middle Eastern Han Dynasty, and what it will be like in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.
Zhuge Liang is also a smart man. He also knows that there is no dynasty that lasts for ten thousand years. He is now over sixty and he doesn’t even know how many years he can live. After his death, where the great man will go is not actually up to him. within the scope of responsibility.
But unfortunately, Zhuge Liang was an emotional person. He still remembered how the late emperor paid him three visits to the thatched cottage to invite him out of the mountain. He also remembered how the late emperor gave him the highest level of trust and authority after he became an official.
Therefore, Zhuge Liang still hopes to make things as good as possible. Even if he cannot let the Han Dynasty continue for ten thousand years, at least he must prevent the Han Dynasty from following the old path of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
This is Zhuge Liang's last concern now.
However, it is not easy to do this.
Just like Zhuge Liang said to Zhang Xi a long time ago, neither the imperial examination system nor the promotion of printing is something that happens overnight. It may take decades or even generations to do it. , Zhuge Liang wants to change the political situation and weaken the power of the family. The same is true. Without the efforts of several generations, big things may happen.
In addition, during the Northern Expedition, the Han Dynasty rose from Yizhou and now conquered most of the world. The support and efforts of the aristocratic families were indispensable.
Especially in the two battles of Yanzhou and Hedong, Zhuge Liang deeply realized how much easier it would be to pacify the world if aristocratic families were on your side in this era.
The aristocratic family has become an unavoidable obstacle in this era. It can only be restricted, but cannot be eradicated.
Therefore, if you ask Zhuge Liang to seek a better political system in today's political situation to ensure that the great man can go further, Zhuge Liang is really motivated but powerless.
Therefore, Zhuge Liang stayed in Jingzhou for three full months and talked with Zhang Xi for three full months.
During this period, Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi also discussed whether there was a more appropriate way to improve it, that is, based on the existing political structure and system, tinkering as much as possible, but there was no better way.
As for reform, Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi really haven't thought about it.
First of all, neither of them has the kind of personality to do things impulsively. Both of them are cautious by nature and do not look forward or backward when doing things. They both like to make decisions before taking action.
Reform, an approach with too many variables, has never been the first choice for the two of them.
Secondly, they are both quite young.
As people get older and experience more things, they will inevitably have concerns about some changes.
Yes, concerns, not resistance.
The advantage of having experienced many things is that you are rich in experience. You are full of experience in dealing with the occurrence and changes of existing affairs, and you know what you should do best.
But once the law is reformed, it means overthrowing the existing order and seeking to establish another order. But who knows whether this new order will be good or bad for the court and the people? !
When the future is unpredictable, older people often become "conservatives."
In addition, not all the so-called reformists are considerate people. Some reformers are simply eager for success and ignore the impact. This makes conservatives even more disgusted.
This is also the reason why there has always been a fight between reformers and conservatives during the reform process. In the beginning, perhaps everyone was doing it for the good of the country, and the controversy over the reform was not just about how far we should go.
But over time, the flavor of many things has changed. Radicals have become more and more radical, conservatives have become more and more conservative, and finally, party disputes have arisen.
It was impossible for Zhuge Liang to really know five hundred years later, but Zhang Xi knew the origin of Wang Anshi's reform and the Xining Party dispute.
Therefore, the two people discussed it for three full months, and finally decided that under the current situation and political structure, I am afraid it is not suitable for reform, and can only be improved and mended for another three years! ! !
Therefore, in the autumn of the 16th year of Yanxi, Zhuge Liang left Jingzhou and returned to Chang'an. He immediately reported to the emperor to ask for credit for Zhang Xi's long-term control of Jingzhou and his retreat from the enemy.
However, Emperor Liu Chan issued an edict in September to promote Zhang Xi to the rank of General of the Han Dynasty, which was a holiday.
Everyone knows that in order to commemorate his second and third uncles, Liu Chan made the positions of general and cavalry general vacant until now. Now Liu Chan appoints Zhang Xi as general, which shows Liu Chan's trust and trust in Zhang Xi. Expectations.
Immediately afterwards, in October, Emperor Liu Chan issued an edict that shocked the Han Dynasty—it was clear that the governors of various states should be appointed and the generals should be appointed as generals.
In other words, the states of the Han Dynasty would form a situation of divided civil and military rule.
The edict is relatively simple, but in actual implementation, there are too many things that need to be coordinated.
For example, should the postal supervisor position, which is subordinate to the state administrative system, continue to retain his function of supervising county soldiers and military discipline and verifying military merit? !
After all, this function only overlaps with the function of the army commander in the military system.
Another example is whether the governor should have the power to restrict the county soldiers, and if military generals are allowed to manage the army, will it lead to self-respect of the army, etc.
Although Zhuge Liang had already discussed these matters with Zhang Xi in general when he was in Jingzhou, after returning to Chang'an, Zhuge Liang also needed to discuss with the courtiers and make detailed changes before ordering local implementation.
But before that, many people's thoughts were not here. They were more concerned about whether there would be any changes in Jingzhou.
Once the prefectures and counties really implement the separation of civil and military rule, then Zhang Xi's position as Jingzhou shepherd will be too conspicuous.
State Shepherd is a position that combines military and political power.
Zhang Xi has been in Jingzhou for more than ten years, and has been a state pastor for more than ten years. To put it bluntly, almost everyone in Jingzhou today is Zhang Xi's confidant from top to bottom.
Wang Ji, the governor of Jingzhou, was recommended by Zhang Xi to become an official. In recent years, the two have worked together to govern Jingzhou, and it can be said that they are as good as wearing a pair of trousers.
Yang Xi, the commander of the Jiangling navy, and Zhong Limu, the commander of the Xiangyang navy, were also recruited and promoted by Zhang Xi. Without Zhang Xi, they might not even be considered small figures now.
And now Zhang Xi is a general of the Han Dynasty. He has natural command power over the army. Legally speaking, he can even directly order the army to assemble without the permission of the court.
As for the officials and aristocratic families in Jingzhou, most of them have some kind of romantic relationship with Zhang Xi. There is even a Yuelu Academy behind Zhang Xi who is responsible for settling public opinion issues. To put it bluntly, if Zhang Xi really launches a rebellion, maybe the Yuelu Academy It can also give Zhang Xi a bunch of reasons to "Shun Tian Yingren".
It can be said that Zhang Xi's reaction at this time completely determines the success or failure of this civil and military division of states and counties.
If Zhang Xi obeys, then the separation of civil and military forces will become inevitable.
Once Zhang Xi objects, or simply rebels directly, the separation of civil and military forces will become a joke.
Zhang Xi's reaction to this was no reaction at all.
Just kidding, I don’t want to think about why Zhuge Liang stayed in Jiangling for three full months. It was a joint effort by Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi.
It can not only ensure the complete implementation of this decree, but also use this to test how many brainless but ambitious idiots there are in the government, just waiting for these people to jump out on their own, and then Zhuge Liang will take care of them together! ! !
Of course, smart people will not be unable to figure this out. But unfortunately, smart people are not the majority in this world.
For this reason, the Central Court experienced another official replacement, but under Zhuge Liang's direct control, it did not cause much turmoil.
As the division of powers in Jingzhou gradually became clearer, the division of civil and military administration among the various states began to be slowly implemented.
Wang Hun, the governor of Liangzhou, and Ma Dai, the guarding general.
Jiang Xu, the governor of Qinzhou, and Pang De, the guarding general.
Liu Yin, the governor of Yongzhou, and Huo Yi, the guarding general.
Wang Lian, the governor of Yizhou, and Fu Xu, the guarding general.
Ma Zhong, the governor of Yunzhou, and Zhang Biao, the guarding general.
Pang Tong, the captain of the Sili school, and Zhang Yi, the guarding general.
Xu Shu, the governor of Yanzhou, and Wei Yan, the guarding general.
Jizhou governor Chen Tai and guarding general Deng Ai.
Du Shu, the governor of Youzhou, and Jiang Wei, the guarding general.
Wang Chang, the governor of Bingzhou, and Zhang Yi, the guarding general.
Wang Ji, the governor of Jingzhou, and Zhang Xi, the guarding general.
These are the major governors and garrison generals in the eleven states of the Han Dynasty.
Except for Wei Yan and Zhang Xi, who guarded the place with high positions, the others had equal positions. There was no way, Yanzhou and Jingzhou were the bridgeheads for the conquest of Wu. No matter how they were improved, they still had their own special characteristics.
As for the governor of Youzhou, Du Shu, who was once the chief of the palace of King Yan of Cao Wei, he was recommended by Zhang Xi and promoted by Zhuge Liang to become the governor of Youzhou.
On the one hand, it's because of Du Shu's background. He was born into the Du family, a big family in the Central Plains.
On the other hand, Du Shu had a good son named Du Yu.
This young man, who is only in his early twenties, is now the newly appointed Prime Minister Shi, and is studying government affairs with Zhuge Liang.
There are even rumors that Zhuge Liang intended to make Du Yu become Jiang Wei's junior disciple. However, unlike Jiang Wei, Jiang Wei took the route of a military commander, while Du Yu took the route of a civilian official.
And these two people, plus Zhang Xi's two good apprentices Deng Ai and Yang Hu, are the back-ups left by Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi to the big man.
Zhang Xi and Zhuge Liang no longer have the courage to carry out any reforms, but these young people have the courage.
(End of chapter)
