When it comes to the two major official positions of "Xiang Xiang" and "Zai Xiang" in ancient China, most of us will be stupid and unclear, and sometimes confuse them with it, saying that this is the same official position, the Xiang Xiang is the Prime Minister, and the Zai Xiang is the Prime Minister. But in fact, the two of them are not the same thing at all. Not only are they different in words, but their functions and authority are also very different.
So, what is the difference between the two?
First of all, let's talk about the "prime minister"
The system of prime ministers first came from the Spring and Autumn Period, and the earliest record is found in the Zhou Li, which is a general term for ancient officials. Later, it became the general term for the auxiliary emperor and the highest official in charge of state affairs. Note that this is a "collective term" and not a particular official position. Its "zai" means to dominate, while "phase" refers to "the one who reciprocates", which also has the meaning of auxiliary. Therefore, the "prime minister" at that time was actually a combination of "Dazai" and "Xiang". This is mentioned in "Han Feizi · It is clearly recorded in the Xianxue.
In addition, in the Chronicle of History · There is also this record of the "prime minister" in the "Chen Cheng Xiang Family":
"The prime minister, the Shangzuo Tianzi rationalizes the yin and yang, and when he is in the fourth hour, he will follow the suitability of all things, fill in the four princes of the four Yi, and attach the people to the inside, so that the Qing Doctor can each take up his position."
Therefore, from Sima Qian's account, we can also see that in fact, in addition to assisting the monarch, the "prime minister" actually has a variety of talents at the same time, basically it can be said that he is an all-round talent, who knows both astronomy and geography and people's livelihood. It can be said that it is very all-round.
So we can briefly summarize some of the characteristics of the prime minister:
First of all, in terms of definition, it is a general term or common name for the highest administrator under the ancient Chinese monarch, not a specific official name. It does not refer to a certain person, it can be held by many people.
Secondly, the specific names of the status of the prime minister also vary according to different periods, and can be roughly divided into the following categories: Dazai, Xiang, Xiangbang, Xiangguo, Xiangxiang, Da Situ (Eastern Han), Shangshu Ling, Zhongshu Ling, Shizhong, Shangshu Left Servant, Shangshu Right Servant, Tongping Zhangshi, Cabinet University Scholar (Ming Dynasty), Military Minister, Prime Minister (late Qing Dynasty) and so on.
Finally, from a system point of view, the succession of the prime minister is a system, and the earliest system of the prime minister comes from the Spring and Autumn Period. However, this system was abolished by the cabinet system during the Ming Dynasty.
Finally, let's talk about "Xiang Xiang"
Compared with the title of prime minister, which has no real power, the prime minister is an official position with real power, and it is no longer a simple title, but a real official position.
During the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang established a relatively strict central official system and a local official system, and as far as the central official system was concerned, the Qin Dynasty set up officials such as Xiang Xiang, Tai Wei, and Yu Shi Dafu. And this "chancellor" was an official who assisted the emperor in handling state affairs. In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, the official system of the Han Dynasty was basically followed, but because the emperor often adjudicated government affairs through the "Shangshu Office" of the inner court management documents, the authority of the chancellor was gradually weakened.
However, at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in order to grasp the power, Cao Cao appointed himself as the "Minister". After the Three Kingdoms, the chancellors referred to those who were the highest administrators under the emperor, that is, the "chiefs of the hundred officials" who assisted the emperor in his administration. It is worth mentioning that the central government of the Yuan Dynasty was unified in Zhongshu Province, and its head was Zhongshu Ling, a position often held by the prince, but secondly, a "left and right chancellor" was also established to unify the various ministries. However, by the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Zhongshu Province was abolished, and the chancellor was naturally abolished, and the emperor directly handled state affairs and commanded the six ministries.
Finally, let's summarize the difference between "prime minister" and "prime minister":
1. Institutional differences: "Prime Minister" is a general term, not a real official name, while Prime Minister is an official position that can have actual power.
2. Power differences: The prime minister is an official position and honorific title, and the prime minister is only an honorific title, and has no actual power.
3, the difference in job titles: the prime minister can be a person, can also be a group of people. The number of ministers has a strict setting, usually only one or two people.
After reading it, have you increased your knowledge like me?