In ancient China, the emperor was revered as a symbol of supreme power, and courtiers were an extension of imperial power, from which all power derived. Therefore, the courtiers are always trembling in the face of the emperor, as if walking on thin ice, as the saying goes, accompanying the king is like accompanying the tiger.
However, before Qin Shi Huang established the imperial system, inequality between monarchs and ministers was not as severe as it was later. Even after the Han Dynasty, the power of the monarch gradually increased, and the status of the courtiers gradually declined, but they did not grovel like the ministers of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
During the Tang Dynasty, the scene of mutual courtesy between the Son of Heaven and the ministers is a good example of this change in the etiquette of the monarch and the ministers.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuansheng invited Dou Wei and several other ministers to dinner, and they sat and ate together, showing that they felt at home. But why Li Yuan was able to give such a noble courtesy to his courtiers, this question still needs to go deep into the changes in the etiquette of ancient Chinese monarchs and ministers.
From the pre-Qin period to the Tang Dynasty, what changes have taken place in the etiquette between monarchs and ministers? In the pre-Qin period, there was no emperor system, and the feudal aristocratic feudal system was implemented, and the monarch was the nominal co-lord of the world and the leader of the clan group, but his power did not reach the supremacy of the later emperors.
In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the imperial power was extended, and there was a kneeling ceremony between monarchs and ministers, which was called the "Jishou Ceremony".
Duan Yuci mentioned in the "Commentary on the Interpretation of the Words" that the chief is a very respectful etiquette, and usually on the most important occasions, the courtiers perform the official ceremony to the monarch. And in the "Chinese", there is also a story that records the Jin Marquis court's meeting with Zhou Tianzi, and the Jin Marquis refused to bow down when he met Zhou Tianzi in the Yugui court.
At that time, the ministers of the Zhou royal family warned that if they did not bow down, the Jin kingdom would be in danger of extinction. Therefore, the aristocrats of the time believed that it was extremely important to bow to the monarch on important occasions, otherwise it could bring disaster.
So, what is an important occasion?
In ancient times, when a native scholar met a foreign king, they usually had to bow down when they met for the first time. In addition, when expressing gratitude or sincerity, such as when King Qin Zhao asked Fan Ju to come out, he would also bow down to show his sincerity.
Although the courtiers bowed to the monarch, the monarch did not simply accept it, but simply returned the salute. According to the records of the "Zhou Li", when the monarch bows and bows, he should perform a half-kneeling prayer, that is, he kneels down, arches his hands to his chest, and then slowly puts his hands on the ground, lowers his head but does not touch the ground, and completes half of the kneeling ceremony.
In ancient China, the country of etiquette, the etiquette of monarchs and ministers was very particular. Generally speaking, courtiers only need to make a concession to the monarch. The so-called concession ceremony is similar to the modern 90-degree bow, and the hands are placed on the forehead at the same time as a sign of respect for the other person.
This kind of etiquette is recorded in detail in the "Zhou Li", when people of different ranks meet, those of lower rank must bow to the higher, from the Son of Heaven to the common people.
What's more, when others bow to you, even the noble Son of Heaven and the princes of the princely states cannot refrain from returning the salute, otherwise they will be considered uneducated. In the "Zhou Li", it is also stipulated that the Son of Heaven should return the salute in the face of people of different ranks, such as the return of the salute in the face of the higher doctors, and the only need to bow three times in the face of ordinary scholars.
These rules may seem cumbersome, but they all reflect the importance and respect for etiquette in ancient China.
In the pre-Qin period, the relationship between the monarch and the minister showed the characteristics of equality and division of courtesy, and the monarch had the natural obligation to treat his courtiers, and even Mencius advocated the view that "the people and the nobles are light" and "the monarch and the minister are responsible".
These unique monarch and minister fashions are undoubtedly very rare and peculiar in the eyes of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Slogan innovation: In Mencius's eyes, courtiers have the right to choose their own monarch, and if they are not courteous, they should have the right to choose to leave. This proposition overturned the monarchy system like an earth-shattering rock.
Once, Liu Bang held a banquet in the palace to entertain the founding heroes, but these heroes ignored etiquette, made loud noises, and even fought with each other. According to the "Historical Records", at the banquet at that time"The ministers drank and competed for merit, drunk or shouting, drawing their swords and striking the pillars"。
Faced with this intolerable situation, Liu Bang urgently needed to find a solution. At this time, he happened to meet Shusun Tong, a minister from Confucianism, who saw this problem and took the initiative to make a suggestion to Liu Bang.
He suggested that Liu Bang could refer to the etiquette of the Qin Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and formulate a set of etiquette systems that were both simple and could divide the status hierarchy. Liu Bang was moved by this suggestion and agreed to Shusun Tong's proposal.
In the next month or so, Liu Bang saw the courtiers being polite when he held a court meeting, which made him experience the happiness and dignity of being an emperor for the first time. Since then, the etiquette of monarchs and ministers has become stricter, and it is no longer possible to return to the relatively loose situation of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
However, even though the imperial power was established after the Han Dynasty, due to the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the power of the local wealthy clans expanded rapidly, resulting in the imperial power having to yield to the powerful clans, which means that the imperial power did not reach the point of supremacy.
This question has always plagued the aristocracy of the north and south and the political group of Li Tang's founding country.
With the collapse of the Eastern Han Empire, the imperial authority was gone. After the Cao Cao regime unified the north, in order to stabilize the regime and attract talents, they implemented the Jiupin Zhongzheng Law.
There is a cloud in the Book of Song: "The war at the end of the Han Dynasty, the beginning of the Wei Dynasty, the army was in urgent need, and the nine products were hurriedly ordered." This kind of Nine Grades of Zhongzheng Law originated from the special situation that people migrated in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and it was difficult to implement the law of township selection.
However, after the establishment of Cao Wei, the Jiupin Zhongzheng system was manipulated by the family and became a tool for them to continue the family's power. The Book of Jin once said: "The top grades are all the descendants of the princes or the families of dignitaries." ”
Important positions in the court were controlled by various families, and the Hanmen clan lost the possibility of promotion.
From the Western Jin Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the role of the family changed. From cooperating with the Sima clan to being asked by the Sima clan to cooperate, it reflects the weakness of the Sima regime.
This weakness has changed the relationship between the monarch and the minister, and it is no longer the traditional monarch who is inferior to the minister, but the monarch needs to constantly show favor to the nobles. Even in such a situation,"The king and the horse share the world"It is still circulating, reflecting the political importance of the family.
At the turn of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the family became the key force in the founding of the Li and Tang dynasties. The Li family of the Li Tang royal family itself originated from the family of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Li Yuan's grandfather, Li Hu, was an official in the Western Wei Dynasty and was an important figure in the Western Wei court.
According to the "Old Tang Book", "The Li family used to be in Longxi, rich in turtle jade. descended to Zumi, married to the emperor", the Li family stood out from many forces, and of course gave preferential treatment to other families who also belonged to the family.
Among these families, the Guanlong Group, which is composed of the Guanlong family, has the greatest influence. Mr. Chen Yinke, an expert in medieval history, once put forward a classic thesis, he believes that the rise and fall of the Guanlong group runs through the 300-year historical process of the Tang Dynasty ("Essays on the Political History of the Tang Dynasty").
In the Guanlong group, the Eight Great Pillar States and their families in the Western Wei Dynasty were its core forces, they were Yuwentai, Yuan Xin, Li Hu, Li Bi, Yu Jin, Duguxin, Zhao Gui and Hou Mo Chen Chong.
Since then, the Guanlong group has continued to expand, absorbing many figures from non-Guanlong regions, including the Southern Dynasty scholars and Shandong scholars. These people formed a close in-law relationship with the Guanlong Group, forming a group of Guanlong Group in a broad sense.
On the one hand, the figures from the Guanlong clique occupied important positions in the imperial court, and the monarch had to value their potential power, and it was impossible for them to strictly abide by the etiquette of the monarch and ministers.
On the other hand, Li Yuan, Li Shimin and others pursued the policy of Corporal Lixian during the founding of the country. According to the "Zizhi Tongjian", Li Shimin "leaned into the corporal, scattered his wealth and made customers, and won their favor."
During the founding of the early Tang Dynasty, the relationship between the monarch and the courtiers was more like cooperation and co-governance, and although the Li family was the most powerful, it was not more noble than other families. Even in Li Shimin's time, the traditional seven families with five surnames were still recognized as the most noble families in society, and the royal family could only be relegated to second.
In the early Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan even asked his ministers to enjoy banquets in the palace and eat and live with them. This is not only because of the historical reasons for the evolution of the etiquette of monarchs and ministers, but also because the influence of the family is deep-rooted and has to be encompassed.
In the early Tang Dynasty, the clans had developed into a political force that even the imperial power could not ignore, and their social status even surpassed that of the imperial power. Therefore, how could the Li Tang monarch implement the etiquette of the monarchs and ministers in the Ming and Qing dynasties?