The emergence of the cabinet and the formation of the system was a major event in the evolution of the power structure of the central decision-making system after the abolition of Zhongshu Province in the Ming Dynasty. With the formation of the cabinet system, people began to regard the cabinet as a government, calling the first assistant "true prime minister". Despite ming taizu's advice, Sejong's monarchs did not hide anything. Zhang Xuan declared: "The cabinet of the present day is also the position of prime minister. Sejong believed: "Although this official has no name, he actually has a position." Wang Shizhen specially wrote "The First Auxiliary Biography Since Jiajing" to Zhizhi, and declared in the preface: "The first auxiliary biography since Jiajing, gai to Jiajing and the beginning of the phase and the first also." Shu yan fu, avoid phase also. ”
If it is said that voting is the basic way of operating the power of the Cabinet of the Ming Dynasty, then the first auxiliary system is the embodiment of the concentration of power of the Cabinet of the Ming Dynasty.
With the formation of the cabinet system, people began to regard the cabinet as a government, calling the first assistant "true prime minister"
At the beginning of the Jiajing Dynasty, in view of the interference of eunuchs and Kinxing during the Zhengde period, as well as the important role of Yang Tinghe and others in the Yi Dynasty, public opinion was formed in the civilian official clique demanding the subordinate cabinet. Bing Ke first challenged Xia Yan in the matter, proposing: "Even if the Holy Will is taken away, it must also be discussed by the Cabinet before it is carried out; if there is a matter, it is allowed to be performed." It also made it clear to the foreign court. The official Kedu gave Li Xuezeng a request: "All hundred orders, pay the cabinet votes, and if there are those who do not pay attention, then order the revision to be precise, and then form a batch of answers." In this way, the handle is not moved. These appeals not only reflected the high status and prestige of the cabinet at that time, but in essence, they were aimed at the participation and dictatorship of eunuchs in the Zhengde period.
Due to disagreements over the Great Ceremony and other issues, there was a fierce conflict between Emperor Myeongsejong, who had just been succeeded by a foreign vassal, and the courtiers led by Yang Tinghe, the head of the cabinet. As a result, Yang Tinghe, Jiang Mian and Mao Ji were forced to pay tribute. Subsequently, Sejong took a series of measures to weaken the influence of the cabinet and force Yang officials to submit. Zhang Xuan, the minister of ceremonies, and others also went up one after another, attacking the power of the cabinet, and had the potential to destroy the cabinet.
However, Sejong soon discovered that neither to preserve his position nor to exercise effective rule could leave the cabinet. Therefore, Zhang Xuan, Gui Cao, and Fang Xianfu, who had supported themselves in the Great Ceremony and contributed the most, were successively added to the cabinet, forming a new cabinet with these cronies as the core, and coordinating the relationship between the emperor and the cabinet.
Serious "internal and external troubles" required the Ming government to improve the efficiency of its rule
Since the orthodoxy of the Ming Dynasty, various social contradictions have further intensified. As far as Jiajing was concerned, there were frequent incursions by tatars in the north and harassment by the Wokou in the southeast. Serious "internal and external troubles" required the Ming government to improve the efficiency of its rule. However, as the supreme ruler, After consolidating the throne, Emperor Myeongsejong was in a state of twilight and did not pay much attention to political affairs; although he always supervised the courtiers with his unpredictable powers, he could no longer be exempt from the cabinet of power. It is in this situation that cabinet power is also rapidly concentrated in the first auxiliary in order to quickly deal with various contradictions. As a result, the first auxiliary system was established.
The cabinet has a first-time distinction, although it is not clearly documented, but it is not untraceable.
The earliest "first auxiliary" was relieved, but it could not be ended well
When yongle was in the cabinet, seven people entered the cabinet, and chengzu had a fate, that is, "Xie Jin, etc.". After Xie Jin degraded who, he was also called "Hu Guang and so on". Xie Jin and Hu Guang were actually the leaders of the cabinet at that time. When Xuande and Orthodoxy were in power, the cabinet ministers discussed things, and whenever Yang Shiqi was led, Luo Rujing called him "the old minister of the four dynasties and the second saint Yuanfu" in his letter to Yang Shiqi. However, at that time, the status of the two Yangs was similar, and for the first time there was no obvious distinction. During the Jingtai period, Chen Xun was known as a "powerful minister", Ye Sheng attacked him as "the head of the false internal minister", and Emperor Jing also edicted Chen Xun: "Ren Ren Qing is in charge of cabinet affairs." "But there are Wang Wen and Gao Gu to compete." After The Restoration of Emperor Yingzong, He awarded Xu Youzhen Wugong Bo, Bingbu Shangshu and Huagaidian University Scholar, and was in charge of Wenyuan Cabinet Affairs. At the same time, Xu Bin, Xue Xuan, Li Xian, etc. in the cabinet could not match the status of Zhen. Xu Youzhen was actually the first assistant to "take charge of the Wenyuan Cabinet Affairs", but he was imprisoned in less than Three Months. Li Xianfu entered the cabinet and was also appointed to take charge of the Affairs of Wenyuan Cabinet, and later added the Shaobao Official Shangshu and a scholar of Huagaidian University, with a single position in the cabinet, and ranked first in the Wen class, so he was regarded as the first assistant by the group of ministers.
Therefore, the "History of Ming" says: "In the life of the whole day, Xian is the first assistant, Lü Yuan and Peng Shizuozhi." The Records of Emperor Mingxian also says: When Tianshun was in place, "everything was punished by Yu Xian... Xian, Wen Shou BingguoJun. ”
The first division of the Cabinet of the Ming Dynasty began with Li Xian
The prerequisite for the first auxiliary is naturally the trust and reliance of the emperor. Li Xian said to himself, "Whoever recommends people left and right will summon them to ask how they are." Those who think they can use it, and those who should not do it cannot. "The government affairs are handled by the lords, and all the worlds are played, and one by one they decide." If there is a difficult decision, he will summon the wise men to discuss whether it is possible or not. Wang Jun also believed: "Since the Three Yang Dynasties, the Kingdom has not been as good as a sage. It has been the longest, and it can also spread its talents. ”
Peng Shi recorded his own argument with Li Xian during the Tianshun period:
Li Gong entered from the official's department, and sat restlessly, which made people... Set up a public seat. "No." Wen Xuande's first holy car sat here, and there was no public seat in the old days. ”...... Li Ci's tone was slightly uneven, and he said, "If you are a scholar of WenyuanGe University, won't you be sitting?" Is Wu Youju an official and not in his right place? "It is okay to be in the outer gate, but not inside." If you want to take the right place, what will happen to the scholars of Hua Gai, Zhen Sheng, Wu Ying, and Wen Hua? Li Gongfang was speechless, but he was still unnoticed.
This was a dispute between Li Xian and Peng Shi when Li Xian entered the cabinet for the second time in the first year of Tianshun. On the surface, it is set up for one, but in fact it is a dispute over the name of the first auxiliary. Later, although there was no first auxiliary seat due to the establishment of a throne in the main cabinet room, the first division of the cabinet has become increasingly clear.
The dispute between Li Xian and Peng Shi's seat is actually a dispute over the right name of the first assistant
In connection with the establishment of the status of the first assistant, it is the vote that is intended to begin to be presided over by the first assistant, and the vote for major issues is proposed to be in the hands of the first assistant.
During the Jingtai period, Emperor Jing once told Chen Xun: "Whoever makes edicts and other texts, but writes and submits them, all do not believe in them." "There are indications of master votes, but they have not yet been made public. To Tianshun, all important edicts and approvals were drafted by Li Xian, or by Li Xian's instructions to Chen Wen, Peng Shi and others, so the "History of Ming" has the saying that "Yingzong collapsed, Li Xian was a draft edict". The Notes of Peng Wenxian have a large number of records about Li Xian, Chen Wen, and Peng Shi jointly deliberating and being drafted by Li Xian.
At the time of Chenghua, Chen Wen, Peng Shi, Shang Ren, and Wan An were successively the first assistants, and so on. During the reign of Hongzhi, Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian were in the cabinet, with the title of "harmony", but according to Wang Jun, Xie Qian mentioned to Liu Jian several times that Wu Kuan should be used to enter the cabinet, but Liu Jian did not intend it, and Wu Kuan was not allowed to enter in the end. This shows the status of the first assistant in the cabinet.
The votes are proposed to begin to be presided over by the first assistant, and major issues will be presided over by the first assistant
However, at this time, the first auxiliary main vote is still only in the joint discussion of the auxiliaries, the first auxiliary pen, or the first auxiliary committee and other auxiliary writing, and has not developed to the extent that the opinion of the first auxiliary determines the cabinet vote, because the exclusive decision status of the first auxiliary has not yet been established. Therefore, when Emperor Wuzong went out on a tour, he sent out his cabinet minister Yang Tinghe and others: "According to the old rules of the cabinet, tongyin is respectful, cautious in official affairs, and the daily inscriptions and scripts of the various gates outside the capital under the supervision of the ceremony are issued, and they must be carefully read one by one, and the intention is sealed, and the music is please implemented." "After Jiajing, the situation was different.
Sejong's relationship with Zhang Xuan had an important influence on the eventual establishment of the shoufu system during the Jiajing period. Zhang Xuan was known to Sejong for his greatest contribution to the Great Ceremony, and was repeatedly promoted to cabinet. The "Records of Reality" is its biography: "Deep in liturgy, Feng Ge is plucked." The discussion of the great gift is a true view, not a worldly view... Gang Ming Junjie, single-mindedly serving the public, generous in his duties, not avoiding resentment ... Holding on to the principle of righteousness, although strict edicts have been issued repeatedly, Chen Ciyi has not been indomitable. Examine its sincerity and eternally cherish it. Sejong once said: "There is a secret edict, and the secretary should not let others know it, so as to leak the trouble." And allowed it to "enter the play without restraint". With Sejong's trust and his own personality and talent, and ranking first and auxiliary, Zhang Xuan was naturally in a position of exclusive decision in the cabinet, and really voted on it, and other cabinet ministers could only "participate in the discussion", or even "only dare not be able to do it".
The establishment of the status of the first auxiliary began with Zhang Xuan
During Zhang Xuan's tenure as first assistant, the three main privileges of the Ming Dynasty's first assistant in the cabinet were basically determined: special decision, special vote draft, and special response. The power of the first auxiliary is based on the special decision, and the special vote is used as the expression, so as to maintain the privileges of the special decision and the special vote. Feng Qi said: "People say that Yongjia seized the power of the Pavilion, but they did not know that the Pavilion had yongjia Shigeya. "It's a hit the nail on the head.
Xia Yan and Yan Song followed suit, consolidating and strengthening the position of the first assistant. Xia Yan is the first assistant, everything is decided, but there is discussion, the second assistant Yan Song and other "gag do not dare to spit a word", after the vote is drafted, only let him assist one or two. Yan Song was the first assistant, and the officials Shangshu Xu Zhan and the Rebbe Shangshu Zhang Bi entered the cabinet together, and the affairs of the cabinet were decided by Song, and neither The cabinet nor Bi was predicted, causing Xu Zhen to regret it: "He seized my official department and made me look at the people next to me." ”
At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Shenzong, the lord was suspicious of the young country, and the second assistant Zhang Juzheng occasionally unveiled the post and directly invested, and the first assistant Gao Gong thought: "I am the country, everything should be with the crowd, and there are private words in Siji alone!" Sun Chengzong, who entered the cabinet at the time of the apocalypse, also deeply realized: "The first assistant of the cabinet weight, its plot and strategy, the first auxiliary of the Lord." When given to accompany the last suffix, each time you see the upload of the first auxiliary referee, the language is not enough. ”
Generally speaking, the first assistant after Jiajing had the following characteristics: the title was "Prince Taishi of the Young Division and a scholar of the Shangshu Huagaidian University of the Bureaucracy"; he had a special position in the cabinet of special decisions, special votes, and special responses; and he was the first among the civil officials. The tilt between cabinet ministers, in terms of its form of expression, is mainly a struggle for the right to vote. At that time, once a cabinet minister was ordered to vote with the first assistant, it meant that he would replace the position of the first assistant; and once he was the first assistant, he tried his best to win the cooperation of the celebrant and win the trust of the emperor to maintain the right to vote.
After Jiajing, the first assistant must be given the title of "Young Master Prince Taishi and Official Shangshu Huagaidian University Scholar"
This status of the first assistant caused strong repercussions among the courtiers. At the time of Jiajing, Hu Shining said: "I don't know since what year, the cabinet has been solemn, and the first person in the position is respected by the group of ministers, and is called the prime minister. Its second person is more recommended and recommended, and he does not dare to disagree or disagree. However, Emperor Myeongseong publicly endorsed the special status of the first assistant. At the beginning of his reign, he said to Yang Tinghe: "The yuan chancellor of the Qing court, Dewang Sulong." In the handwritten letter to Fei Hong, his title is inscribed: "The cabinet is in charge of the chief minister of the aircraft maintenance." In the edict of Xia Yan, Ze Yun said: "The simple and trustworthy of the Yuanzhi are relied upon, and the Qing is the only one, and the position is the first to be assisted." This title for Shoufu was occasionally seen before zhengde, and after Jiajing, it was a special title. This is not an accidental phenomenon, but an inevitable reflection of the legalization and institutionalization of the first auxiliary.
The main vote of the first assistant and its exclusive position in the cabinet were impacted twice during the Apocalypse and Chongzhen. In the fourth year of the Apocalypse, the eunuch Wei Guangwei, in order to divide the power of the first assistant Han Ye, colluded with Wei Zhongxian to pass on the will, and told Han Ye to assist him to "tongyin xiegong", and blamed other auxiliary ministers for "accompanying food", which led to Han Ye's resistance and begging. The History of Ming regards this incident as a division of voting rights, and "later follows it as a story". Not really. Erwei divided Han Ye's voting rights because Han Ye "did not attach himself". After Han Ye stepped from the throne, Gu Bingqian succeeded him as the first assistant and still voted for it, so between December of the fourth year of the Apocalypse and September of the sixth year, there was a saying that "all those who are loyal and loyal are prepared with humility".
Sun Chengze's "Tianfu Guangji" said: "The old system, the red book to the cabinet, the first auxiliary vote is proposed, Yu wei promised." In Chongzhen, Yushi Ni Yuanjun asked for a split vote. Subsequently, the book shall be divided. Sun Chengze Chongzhen was given the punishment department to the matter, and he and Ni Yuanjue separated from the department, and his words should not be false. According to Ni Yuanjue's imperial history since the first year of Chongzhen, Chongzhen's eighth year was recorded in the Guanglu Temple due to the restoration of the society, and the matter of the division of votes on it should be between the first year of Chongzhen and the eighth year. However, from the actual situation, Wen Tiren and Zhou Yanru, who were the first assistants after Chongzhen eight years later, still held the right to draft votes. Therefore, the Zhongshu split does not fundamentally change the tradition of the first auxiliary main vote, so Sun Chengze also believes that this impact is just to make the power of the first auxiliary "slightly divided".