At the political level, decentralized management began. After emperor Taizong succeeded to the throne, he continued to use the system of three provinces and six departments in the Sui Dynasty, and also set up a special political affairs hall to facilitate the prime ministers to discuss political affairs together, and the three provinces contained each other; Zhongshu Province issued an order, Xiamen Province reviewed the order, and Shangshu Province executed the order. First of all, the prime ministers held a meeting in the government affairs hall of Zhongshu Province, and the results of the meeting were reported to Emperor Taizong for approval. After approval, Zhongshu Province issued a document in its name. Before the imperial edict is issued, it must be sent to the door for examination and inspection. If the door province (where Wei Zhi works) thinks it is inappropriate, he can refuse it on the spot. Without countersignature, the imperial edict cannot be promulgated according to law. Only the imperial edicts signed after the consent of the lower provinces can become the official laws of the country, and then they are handed over to Shangshu Province for implementation; This is conducive to the mutual checks and balances between imperial power and relative power, clean folk customs, and lay a solid foundation for the arrival of the prosperous times.
The uprising at the end of Sui Dynasty made Emperor Taizong know that the monarch mainly depended on the country and the country mainly depended on the people. Entrusting subordinate subjects should not be afraid that they will not give any more speeches if they are unhappy or angry, and should not appear the situation of mutual suspicion and intransigence as in previous dynasties. This is the basic factor for the collusion between the monarch and the ministers and the political stability and peace of the country under the rule of Zhenguan.
Then, let's take a look at what policies Tang Taizong implemented during the Zhenguan period.
First of all, Emperor Taizong attached great importance to the selection of talents, selecting talents, promoting talents, appointing people on their merits and strictly following the principle of having both ability and political integrity.
There were "Fang Mou Du Duan" (Fang Lingxuan and Du Ruhui) before, followed by Sun Chang Wuji, Yang Shidao and Chu Suiliang. They are honest, selfless, straightforward and frank people; Li Ji, Li Jing and others are also great names.
In addition, Emperor Taizong also re-enabled Wei Zhi, Wang Jue, Weichi Gong, Qin Qiong and others to let bygones be bygones. As the saying goes, there is no doubt about employing people.
During the Zhenguan period, Emperor Taizong vigorously promoted the imperial examination system, absorbed talented common people and replaced the family system with the imperial examination system. Since then, the opportunities for children from poor families to become officials in North Korea have greatly increased, bringing a new atmosphere to politics. In addition, he also listened to Feng Deyi's suggestion, appointed imperial clan as an official, and cut off the bad habit of enjoying success.
Emperor Taizong's official administration was orderly and peaceful. He attached great importance to the incorruptibility of officials, and personally appointed thirteen ambassadors, including Li Jing, to patrol all parts of the country to inspect the style and achievements of officials. He personally selected local officials such as the governor and the secretariat, and even wrote their merits and demerits on the palace screen as the basis for dismissing, rewarding and punishing officials. It is also stipulated that officials with more than five grades should take turns to be on duty in Zhongshu Province, so that they can be summoned at any time to understand the sufferings of the people and the gains and losses of policies, to be honest and clean among officials, to improve the efficiency of government office and to be politically clear.
Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong, took it as a warning that Yang Di did not listen to the minister's advice and changed his country. After he acceded to the throne, he tried his best to be outspoken. He expanded the power of the lecturers and encouraged his lieutenants to call a spade a spade. Wei Zhi of North Korea tried his best to persuade the emperor regardless of offending his dignity. Emperor Taizong restrained himself and accepted the suggestion. After all, "advice is hard to listen to, good medicine tastes bitter and is good for illness"; During his 23 years in office, no fewer than 35 officials protested. Among them, Wei Zhi made more than 200 remonstrances before and after, with hundreds of thousands of words, which was just in line with the shortcomings of the society at that time and was of great help to the improvement of state affairs. After Wei Zhi's death, Emperor Taizong was very sad, because when Wei Zhi was alive, he dared to speak and was not afraid of power. He pointed out his shortcomings like a mirror and let himself know his shortcomings at any time. After Wei Zhi's death, Emperor Taizong felt that he had lost a mirror.
He attached great importance to people who were fearless of power and outspoken, and stood out in this ruling period, becoming a pillar of talents and ensuring the formulation and implementation of political, economic, ethnic and cultural policies.
During the reign of Emperor Taizong, the imperial court continued to use the system of three provinces and six departments, and set up a government office to facilitate ministers to discuss affairs together, which was conducive to the mutual containment among the three provinces; Locally, the two-level system of counties and counties in the previous dynasty was also used, which divided the country into ten roads. In addition, the government's military system is adopted to give farmers some military training, and when the country needs it, they will join the army immediately.
He also ordered the merger of states and counties, so as to eliminate the disadvantages of more officials and fewer people and a huge bureaucratic team, which is conducive to reducing the burden on the people.
After Emperor Taizong came to power, because he witnessed the demise of the Sui Dynasty, they used it as a negative teaching material to warn themselves and their subordinates that they must learn from their experience, avoid disasters, and adjust national policies on this basis. For the people, it is necessary not only to practise economy, so that they can adjust their health and interests, but also to ease the contradictions between different classes, so as to stabilize social order and restore economic development. Tang Taizong compared the people and the emperor to water and boats, knowing that "water can carry a boat and also overturn it". Therefore, he is very concerned about the management of officials, selecting and appointing talents, and making suggestions. With the concerted efforts of the monarch and the ministers, the Zhenguan period saw a prosperous period of political clarity, economic development and social stability.
Emperor Taizong attached great importance to agricultural production, because only the people of the whole country could call it a country, and implemented the system of land equalization and rent adjustment. In order to change the chaotic situation at the end of Sui Dynasty and the beginning of Tang Dynasty, the countryside was barren and the people were displaced, Emperor Taizong appealed to the people who were forced to flee their hometown, giving them fields to cultivate, which could be used to stabilize people's livelihood. In the early Tang Dynasty, there was famine in Guanzhong for years, and there was no harvest. Emperor Taizong immediately opened the warehouse to release food to help the victims, and at the same time organized them to go to places with food and come back after harvesting in Guanzhong. And take out the money from the court to redeem the children who were sold for the victims and let them spend the famine year. Also "go to luxury and save money, ignore thin taxes." Free labor does not rob the farming season, so that people can have plenty of food and clothing and live and work in peace and contentment. In addition, it also tightens government institutions and saves government expenses to reduce the burden on the people. And through the trade between countries or between different nationalities, a large number of livestock can be exchanged so that people can use it for farming. Opened up the Silk Road.
Zhenguan rule not only did not discriminate against the development of business, but also provided many convenient conditions for business development, which showed that Emperor Taizong had a long-term vision and was unique. Under his advocacy, the commercial economy developed rapidly, which also promoted the development of the surrounding economy, and emerging businesses surfaced one after another. In addition to Jiaozhou, Guangzhou, Mingzhou and Fuzhou, there are also Hongzhou (Nanchang, Jiangxi), Yangzhou and Yizhou (Chengdu) in the coastal areas and Shazhou (Dunhuang, Gansu) and Liangzhou (Wuwei, Gansu) in the northwest.
Since the opening of the Silk Road by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it has been a link to maintain the material civilization of the East and the West. The Tang Dynasty had a vast territory, so the four towns of Anxi were established in the western regions, which provided certain security for businessmen and tourists traveling between the east and the west, and also maintained social order, which led to the continuous business travel on the Silk Road, allowing all kinds of goods to pass back and forth between the east and the west, making the Silk Road a golden corridor leading to the whole world. Now it is also a civilized country in the world.
Emperor Taizong also advocated frugality, dismissing more than 3,000 maids and exempting them from paying tribute, which made people's livelihood and agriculture develop continuously.
Emperor Taizong attached great importance to a society ruled by law. He emphasized that national laws are aimed at everyone, not just the royal family, but should be observed by everyone. After the law came out, Emperor Taizong set an example by himself, making the Prince and Shu Ren break the law, maintaining the unity and stability of the law, enforcing the law impartially and without mercy. But he thought it over and over again and was cautious in sentencing. He believes that there is only one life, and people can't be resurrected. When enforcing the law, they should be considerate and lenient. Due to the careful planning and leniency of Emperor Taizong, fewer people broke the law and even fewer people were sentenced to death during the Zhenguan period. According to historical records, only 29 people were sentenced to death in the three years of Zhenguan. While attaching importance to the rule of law, Emperor Taizong asked his men to amend the law and formulate the Law of Zhenguan in accordance with the principle of combining leniency with severity and not demanding.
Under the rule of Emperor Taizong, the social order in Zhenguan period was very stable. By the third year of Zhenguan, only 29 people in China had been sentenced to death. However, in the sixth year of Zhenguan, the number of death row inmates suddenly increased to 290, so at the end of this year, Emperor Taizong gave them special permission to go home to take care of the funeral affairs and come back for execution the following autumn. In September of the following year, all 290 prisoners returned, and none escaped. This measure means that when they return to their hometown, they can see the political clarity and the people live and work in peace and contentment, then the probability of committing crimes will be less and less.
During the reign of Emperor Taizong, he expanded his territory and accepted submission from all directions. He is known as the "Lord of the world", which established a tribute road for the communication between the Tang Dynasty and the grassland ministries.
During the reign of Emperor Taizong, the country was strong and there were many soldiers, which developed the Tang Dynasty into the most powerful and culturally prosperous country in East Asia. Zhenguan nine years (635), Tugu Hunding; In the fourteenth year of Zhenguan (640), Nanchang was pacified; In the eighteenth year of Zhenguan (644), Yan Qi was pacified; In the twenty-first year of Zhenguan (647), Xue Yantuo was pacified; In the twenty-second year of Zhenguan (648), Qiuci was pacified; In the twenty-third year of Zhenguan (649), Goguryeo was greatly broken ... The desert north and south, Tianshan north and south were unimpeded, foreign trade was strengthened, and Anxi was its capital.
Emperor Taizong became an international ally of the eastern world, and the country was able to step into the world of well-being.
Emperor Taizong rewarded those scholars in culture and organized scholars to overhaul classics, righteousness and history books; Imperial academy was established in Chang 'an to encourage the four monarchs to send their children to study here. Before Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, he set up a literary museum with 18 bachelors. After he ascended the throne, he established the Hong Wen Pavilion in Beijing, with a collection of more than 20,000 books. Schools have also been rebuilt in various states and counties, and imperial academy has also been expanded. Famous Confucian teachers have been hired, with tens of thousands of students. Students from Tubo and Japan are also admitted to study. Because of the diversity of teachers and students, they have made outstanding contributions to the development of future generations. Writing classics and revising history, let Kong and others revise the justice of the Five Classics in order to unify their North-South Classics; The establishment of the National History Museum, under the supervision of the Prime Minister, began the trend of official history revision.
During the Zhenguan period, Emperor Taizong took agriculture as the foundation and pursued economy, recuperation and cultural and educational revival. And vigorously pacify foreign aggression, respect the customs and habits among ethnic minorities, stabilize border defense construction, and finally achieve great harmony in the world. Emperor Taizong's good governance made the bureaucracy clean, the people well-fed and the economy developed rapidly, which laid a solid foundation for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. Continuation of various systems; Good political atmosphere; Employing people according to their talents eased the social contradictions at that time; Become an example for rulers of past dynasties; Compared with western countries, the Tang Dynasty was at the forefront of the world in politics, economy and culture. It also laid the foundation of the Tang Dynasty for more than 200 years, making the Tang Dynasty the peak of ancient development.
References:
Universal code; Concise ancient history of China; 1982, Fujian People's Publishing House; Liu Yufeng's Political Essence of "Zhenguan Rule": New Tang Book; Zi Tongzhi Jian; Zuo, Zou Enguang, "On how the Qingming political atmosphere ruled by Zhenguan was formed", Journal of Tianzhong School,1998; Kang Shuyu, Political Measures and Enlightenment of Zhenguan Governance, Journal of Harbin Normal University: Social Science Edition, 1996(03):93-94. Jiang, Chen, legal thoughts from the perspective of the rule of Zhenguan and jurisprudence,