Can emperors in feudal society really appoint and dismiss officials at will?
But in fact, in the Han feudal dynasty, the power of the monarch was not so crazy. Of course, a few exceptions are not excluded. For example, a hero like Qin Huang Hanwu is born to be self-centered, and he acts arbitrarily when fighting, but he is not as capricious as everyone thinks.
Kill whoever you want, and you're not a tyrant.
The political ideas of ancient courtiers were all about taking the world as their own responsibility and taking pride in daring to speak and remonstrate. In today's words, called? Political correctness? .
In ancient times, emperors and governments had supervisory bodies to supervise their words, deeds and policies. As early as the Qin Dynasty, an ancient empire was set up to supervise the words and deeds of officials and emperors.
In the Tang Dynasty, it was upgraded to Yushitai, with independent judicial power. Yushitai in Song Dynasty can impeach the prime minister directly. In the Ming Dynasty, Yushitai was renamed Duchayuan, and Yushitai of Duchayuan even dared to curse the emperor.
Moreover, in the Ming Dynasty, not only the imperial censor of Douchayuan dared to scold the emperor, but everyone dared to scold the son of heaven to show sincere loyalty to the country.
Luo, a left critic of Dali Temple in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, wrote a book "Scattering Wine, Color and Wealth" in the seventeenth year of Wanli, specifically criticizing Wanli for being lazy, lazy, lustful, addicted to alcohol and greedy for money. In short, Wanli is said to be useless.
Emperor Wanli was very angry about this, but in the end, he just cut off Luo's official career and didn't take any measures against him.
After all, Emperor Wanli was used to being scolded.
In the Ming dynasty, cursing the emperor was a childish thing, and courtiers would never compromise with the emperor on some issues related to their positions.
Take Wanli as an example. When Emperor Wanli was alive, his favorite third son, Zhu, wanted to make him a prince. However, according to the rules of the Han family and the laws of the Ming Dynasty, Chu Jun needed to have an eldest son. However, Wanli didn't like her eldest son, Zhu Changluo, so she didn't establish a prince.
The ministers all supported the emperor's eldest son, Zhu Changluo, and the famous Ming Dynasty broke out between them? Earn the country? Events.
This matter has been deadlocked for more than ten years. After several generations of ministers, Wanli finally compromised and the ministers won.
It can be seen that in the Han Dynasty, the emperor could not do whatever he wanted.
(Wan Li who is scolded every day)
The reason why modern people's cognition of imperial power is biased is actually mainly influenced by the Qing Dynasty.
Because Manchu was founded by Manchu people outside Guanwai? Conquer the dynasty? As an alien regime, some ethnic oppression is certain.
If compared with the Ming dynasty, at least in the Ming dynasty, speech was free, and ministers could publicly accuse the emperor. But this was unthinkable in the Qing Dynasty. If you make a mistake and violate the emperor's taboo, your head will be gone.