Qin Official

It was the second day of August in the thirty-eighth year of Qin Shihuang.

The newly appointed "Fengchang" Lu Jia is sitting in the inner hall of the official office. The silver seal in his hand has been played with for a long time and has become a little warm. The end of it is tied with a green ribbon and three colors, blue, white and red. This is the nine-color seal. A symbol of your status.

Fengchang's responsibilities are to be in charge of rituals, music and the country, ancestral temple sacrifices, court etiquette, and cultural education. He is also in charge of the doctors who have long existed in name only. The subordinate officials include Taishi, Taizhu, Taizai, Taiyao, Taiyi, Taibu Liuling and Doctor Jijijiu.

"The most important thing in the country is the sacrifice and military service. I will leave this sacrifice to you to take care of it for me!"

These were Heifu's original words, which almost made Lu Jia shed tears on the spot.

Firstly, he was grateful to Hei Fu for knowing him. He, Lu Jia, was from a humble background. However, it was not easy for a poor man from Southern Chu who had no ability to kill generals and get into battle. It was really not easy for him to get to this position just by talking.

Secondly, establishing etiquette for the world is the dream of every Confucian scholar since Confucius, and Lu Jia is no exception.

Lu Jia felt that the task was heavy. Yesterday, he received the order from Heifu, and today he made a handover of government affairs with his predecessor, Fengchang Zhou Qingchen. Although the old Zhou was a good flatterer, the first consideration for the new Jiuqing was his contribution to the Northern Expedition.

Lu Jia was awarded the title of Commander of the Imperial Guards and Chariots for his contribution to Bashu, entering Hanzhong, and supervising Han Xin's army in Ding Yong. He was also a Confucian scholar with extensive knowledge and familiarity with etiquette. He was naturally more qualified than Zhou Qingchen, so Zhou Qingchen could only do what Jiu Qingchen did. The deputy position of the Yushi Mansion at the level of Qing - Yushi Zhongcheng.

After that, Lu Jia bowed to his subordinates Taishi Hu Wujing, Taizhu Shusuntong and others. Now he was living alone in the inner room and began to think about what he would do after taking office.

Although in the Qin Dynasty, which had always been criticized for being "less polite", Fengchang's status was not as good as other ministers.

But in Lu Jia's mind, it is the real leader of the Nine Qings.

"Husband's rituals are the scriptures of heaven, the righteousness of earth, and the conduct of the people."

Lu Jia is a disciple of Xunzi's Lanling school. Compared to Xunqing's real descendants Li Si, Han Fei, and Zhang Cang, they all learned a little crookedly, preferring imperial arts, legalism, and numerology. Unlike hundreds of schools of thought, Lu Jia studied Xunzi's cultural system is more towards the traditional "Confucian" side.

He believed that heaven, earth, and the ways of humanity were consistent, and they were all ordered and universal. In heaven, it was called "the way of heaven," and in the human world, it was called "rituals and righteousness." They were the highest laws for governing a country.

As for the law, it is just a supplement to etiquette and justice.

That's why Lu Jiacai said to Heifu earlier: "Laws are used to eliminate evil, not to persuade good people."

But there was still the last part of the sentence that he did not say: "Zeng Shen and Min Ziqian were very filial, Boyi and Shuqi were very honest. Did they do this because they were afraid of death? It was education that made them do this."

This statement was not what Lu Jia thought of temporarily, but was written in an article when he was traveling around to lobby Bashu on behalf of Heifu. Based on what he saw about the Qin government and what he knew about the gains and losses of the three generations - as for these articles in the future. He hasn't decided yet whether to call it "Lu Zi" or "New Language".

In short, in Lu Jia's view, Qin did not want to govern, but it failed because of too many measures and too extreme punishments. Little do they know that when things are more troublesome and the world is in chaos, when laws are more prosperous and the world is more blazing, when troops and horses are more deployed, there are more enemies.

Now that Lu Jia has become the official responsible for determining rites, he is inevitably gearing up to increase the weight of "rituals" in national governance.

However, Lu Jia followed Heifu for several years and knew that this Marquis Wu Zhong, who started his career in the military, was deeply influenced by the Qin system.

Even the previous proposal by the Confucian scholars in the army to "abolish the harsh laws and only make three chapters" after entering Xianyang was flatly rejected, preferring to change gradually. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to abolish the laws and worship etiquette immediately.

It can only be done by adding rituals to the law, so that rituals and laws can be combined, and a softness of human nature can be used to make up for the shortcomings of Legalism's excessive rigidity.

"You can't rush, you still have to start with the issues that need to be solved urgently." Lu Jia thought this way.

What's the first urgent thing to do as a politician? Naturally, it is to rectify the name and establish order and etiquette in the court!

Lu Jia began to scan a freshly released list in his hand: the list of officials of the new court, including three officials and nine ministers.

Now that the emperor is absent, the supreme ruler of the Qin Dynasty is undoubtedly Wu Zhonghou Heifu. He takes charge of state affairs as a Taiwei and handles the affairs of the emperor on his behalf.

Then came the Prime Minister Li Si on the right and the Prime Minister Chang Yan on the left.

There is an episode here, because previously Lu Jia entered Shu and lobbied Chang Yi to use Shu County to rebel against Beitou South. In the end, Lu Jia was eloquent and relied on the promise of a "right prime minister" and Hu Hai's stupid trick to make him Chang Yan agreed to take action.

Now that Guanzhong has been decided, Heifu asked his generals to enter Shu and prepare to take over the counties. At the same time, he vowed to write to Chang Yi and worship him as Chehou with the qualifications of regent. He also said that Li Si was old and could not sit in a high position for long. As long as Chang Yin came to Xianyang, he would be made the right prime minister immediately!

"How can there be a right prime minister who does not live in the capital of the country? I hope you will go north as soon as possible to rectify the imperial court."

Heifu's words are conclusive, but he actually wants to solve the hidden danger of Shu County that is outside his influence.

Now it's up to Chang Yi to choose. Now that the situation has been decided, Shu County is surrounded by Ba County and Hanzhong, and the risk of falling out is too great. If Chang Yan knew what he was doing, he would immediately set off northward and hand over his military power in exchange for personal glory and family wealth.

There is another one among the Three Lords who is the Yushi doctor. Because there is no suitable candidate, it is temporarily vacant. Zhou Qingchen is the Yushi Zhongcheng, and Wang Wu is the Yushi Cheng. After all, there are so many documents and materials in the Yushi Mansion that a newcomer may not be able to sort them out for a while.

Under the Three Lords is Jiuqing, and the Tingwei in charge of the prison is also temporarily absent. Li Yu, the son of Li Si, serves as the deputy Tingweizheng.

The responsibility of managing the domestic history of millet and handling grain goods was taken by Xiao He, the chief of the carriage and concubine, who had the function of coordinating the affairs.

The Shaofu is in charge of the taxes on mountains, seas, ponds and lakes, and is used to support the public. Zhang Cang, the great minister, is responsible for this.

Weiwei, in charge of the palace gate guard and garrison troops. Since the Northern Expedition, he has been responsible for many battles and captures of the city. The newly named Guannei Hou Dongmen Bao is responsible for this.

Lang Zhongling, who was in charge of the palace and the gate, was held by Han Xin, the Marquis of Guannei who ranked first in military merit.

The imperial servant, in charge of horses, was appointed Zhang Han, a great concubine who had done great deeds in the north.

However, none of these three people are employed in Guanzhong. Dongmen Bao is in Hangu Pass and Shaanxian County, Han Xin is in Gaonu City in Shangjun, and Zhang Han is still in charge of military affairs in Beidi and Shuofang. Heifu relies on these three generals to resist Liudu in the east. The country, the northern imperial Huns, the lineup can be described as very gorgeous.

In addition, there is Dian Ke, who is in charge of all the barbarians in Guiyi, and is held by Chen Ping, the commander of Si Chao Shu. Chen Ping is Heifu’s earliest staff and is also a partial man in the Far East. In the future, he can attack the Six Kingdoms together with Guanzhong. Of course, he It's impossible to come back and take a job, it's just a temporary job.

Finally, there is Zong Zheng, a relative of the prince's family. This position fell on Zi Ying, the "Jun of Chang'an".

There were many people but few seats. As for the people who could not join the Nine Qings, Marquis Wu Zhong did not wrong them. While increasing the weight of the title, he also appointed prominent and important positions.

For example, Zhao Tuo, the "deputy commander" when he launched the army, seemed silent and didn't have much achievements, but after careful calculation, he was quite scary:

In the thirty-seventh year, Guilin was used to pacify Dongting County. In the thirty-eighth year, he and Wu Chen captured Bajun and defeated Feng Jie. Recently, they led troops out of Qishan Road to conquer Longxi County.

You must know that Han Xin, who ranked first in military merit, won many battles, but combined, he could only win Changsha, Hanzhong, and Yongzhong. This contribution to the determination of the three counties was enough for Zhao Tuo to be worshiped as the Marquis of Guannei. Heifu appointed Zhao Tuo as the internal historian, who was often called the "Tenth Minister".

Another brother, Wu Rui, was awarded the title of Marquis of Guannei (general) for his achievements in pacifying Kuaiji and his recent march north to seize several cities in Huainan. He was called a general and was in charge of military affairs in the Jianghuai River, with Wei Yang as his deputy.

Xiao Tao, the chariot general's chief, became a lieutenant. Compared with the guards Dongmen Bao, Lang Zhongling Han Xin, and internal history Zhao Tuo who were not near Xianyang at all, he was the one who was really responsible for the defense of Guanzhong.

He is also the person Heifu trusts the most.

Ji Ying, the commander of the chariot concubine, was appointed as the captain of the guard army and continued to be responsible for intelligence work.

Heifu's focus will shift to Guanzhong, and the old local ministries have also sent ribbon seals:

Li Xian worshiped as the chief of the Si chariot and was in charge of the government affairs of the five counties in Jingzhou.

Xu Shu worshiped Da Shangzao and took charge of the government affairs of the three counties in Jiangdong.

The chief concubine, Gong Ao, was appointed general and was in charge of the military and administration of the five Lingnan counties.

Cao Shen, the commander of the Si chariot concubine, was also a general and was in charge of military affairs in Haidong, Qidi.

These were temporary allocations during wartime, and they were done as a last resort. They would definitely be allocated power in the future. Those with too much power would be transferred to the central court as officials, and new officials would be sent from Xianyang to the border areas. But that would only happen after victory.

In addition, Da Shang made Dong Yi the captain of the eastern part of the internal history.

The young master made Sima Xin the guardian of Sanchuan.

Other demoted generals, such as Yin Tong, Lu Jue, Xin Yi, Li Liang, etc., also received titles and appointments.

The detailed list is still very long, so there is no need to single it out one by one.

In short, except for Li Yu's appointment as a Weizheng, which was a reward for Li's vote, the others were basically those who had outstanding achievements in the Northern Expedition and were very suitable for the positions they received. When this name came out, there were only a few opponents, and they all praised it. Marquis Wuzhong knew people well and was good at appointing them.

Lu Jia has read the list for the fifth time and can't find anything wrong with it.

Except for one thing! The most crucial point!

"In the spring of the first year, the first month of the Zhou Dynasty, King Zhou came to the throne without writing, but by taking a photo..."

While reading the meaningful first sentence of "Zuo Zhuan", Lu Jia placed his hand on the top of the list, which was "Taiwei", the current position of Marquis Wu Zhong, the regent of the Qin Dynasty.

Lu Jia secretly said: "It seems that the monarch is determined not to replace Emperor Qin for the time being, but wants to take his time."

"That's fine. The monarch is an official of Qin. If he suddenly seizes the throne, the goodwill of the people of Qin will be lost. The name of loyalty that has been promoted will be stained, which is not beautiful. It is better to cook the fresh food slowly and slowly. Cook, wait until the world is once again unified, the Kyushu is stable, and the monarchs have achieved supreme achievements, it will not be too late to achieve success."

"You don't have a name, how dare you rely on the truth? The king must have thought so. Like Qin Shi Huang, he won the throne by unifying the world. This is the royal way!"

…

But this does not mean that the "regent" during the transitional period can do whatever he wants, which is inconsistent with etiquette!

Lu Jia made up his mind, and when he went to report his political affairs to Hei Fu the next day, he bowed down and said:

"The ancients said that if the name is not correct, the words will not be smooth, and if the words are not smooth, the things will not be accomplished."

"I dare to say that the current monarch uses the post of Taiwei to take charge of the country's affairs. It is really inconsistent with the name and reality, and it is neither fish nor fowl!"

"oh?"

Heifu thought that these guys were coming in a hurry to persuade him to come in again. He took his eyes away from the thick documents, looked at Lu Jia, and said with a smile: "Fengchang has just taken office and is in charge of court etiquette. The first thing to do is to regulate the etiquette in the court." I’m the righteous person?”

However, Lu Jia did not give in at all, and said solemnly: "The king's name should be determined and differentiated, his path should be clear and his aspirations clear, and he should be careful to lead the people. If the position of the king is not upright and unstable, it will be difficult for everything in the world to be corrected. I have to say it."

Seeing that Lu Jia was so serious and wouldn't give in even a step, which was very different from his previous smooth and moderate attitude, as if he was a different person after becoming Feng Chang, Hei Fu could only sit upright and said, "Tell me about it."

Lu Jia was fully prepared for his visit and talked eloquently: "I have been regent for several weeks. The first regency was during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou. At that time, Duke Zhou was the Taifu, Taigong Wang was the Taishi, and Duke Zhao was the Taibao. The Duke of Zhou assumed the position of Grand Tutor as regent and fulfilled the throne of Emperor."

"The second regency was after King Zhou Li ran away. Zhou Dinggong was the Taifu, Zhao Mu was the Taibao, and Gongbohe was the Taishi. Gongbo and Yi Taishi served as regents and fulfilled the throne of the emperor."

"If a prince wants to be honorable and honorable, he must fulfill his position and be worshiped by hundreds of officials. Only in this way can the regent be able to exercise the power of the emperor!"

Seeing that Hei Fu was silent, perhaps because he was thinking that the time was not mature enough and would cause turmoil, Lu Jia changed the subject:

"Even if the prince does not take up his position for the time being, he should add a superior prince to the three princes. He will be titled as Duke of the country and his position will be named Taifu, Taishi or Taibao. Only in this way can the prince's position be higher than that of hundreds of princes. Above the officials, the etiquette of superiority and inferiority is correct!"

"Taifu, Taishi, Taibao..." Heifu touched his chin: "Which one do you think is the most suitable?"

"I think it is appropriate to be a Grand Master!"

What Lu Jia recommended was the title of "Tai Shi" to show that Wu Zhonghou was regent and the emperor was absent. He was following the example of Gongbo and Yi Taishi in administration, and had ancient systems to rely on. Another meaning is that like a master, he is both the supreme commander and the person in power.

At this time, Shusun Tong, who came with Lu Jia as Taizhu and was responsible for regulating etiquette, spoke:

"Feng Chang's words are very wonderful. There are too many princes in the country, and it is difficult to show their dignity. It is time to follow the example of Zhou Zheng and add a title of Duke above the princes to show the status of the king."

Since Heifu was determined to be regent and would not immediately replace the Qin Dynasty, as ceremony officials, they had no choice but to desperately find a basis for this special system and make up for the shortcomings.

Shu Suntong agreed to add a "dong" title to the twenty ranks to highlight the status of the regent.

But he objects to titles such as division and protection.

He spoke eloquently: "Teacher, model, is also called a person who teaches people the Tao. Teacher-protector is also the assistant to the emperor and the children of the royal family. Only when the king of the country first takes the throne can there be a teacher and protector. I have always discussed this. I’m afraid it’s inappropriate.”

Lu Jia smiled. In terms of etiquette, he was not necessarily more skillful than Shusun Tong, who had studied Confucianism for generations and was a direct disciple of Confucius.

But what makes Lu Jia smart is that, firstly, he has a greater ideal, and secondly, he understands Heifu better and understands what Heifu has not said explicitly, but has always tried to do things for others...

This is also the reason why he, Lu Jia, can be ranked among the Nine Qings!

Lu Jia paid homage to Mr. Hei and said loudly: "The gains and losses of Yin due to Xia's rituals can be known; the gains and losses of Zhou's due to Yin's rituals can be known. The etiquette and customs of the three generations are different, the names and positions are many deviations, and there are also innovations. In this case... …”

"Grand Master, why do you have to be the king's master?"

"Why can't you be the master of all people in the world!?"

…

ps: There are a lot of things to check, and it’s a big head. Today there is only one chapter. I will go back to China tomorrow and I will be on the plane all the time, so there may be only one chapter.