At 3 p.m., regular meeting was held in Chongzheng Hall.
Outside, the summer heat is scorching and the birds are chirping. Inside, the coolness is refreshing and soothing.
Especially after Zhao Zhen asked the kitchen to serve each prime minister a bowl of refreshing ice sour plum soup, everyone felt more comfortable.
At this moment, Zhao Zhen was sitting upright behind the desk, putting down the bowl of soup in his hand.
The window next to it was opened a crack, and a willow branch stretched in, its green leaves swaying gently, full of verdant beauty.
In the front, many prime ministers sat on the left and right, and precious spices were burning in the middle of the room - it was afternoon, and many old prime ministers were feeling sleepy, and burning incense could help clear their minds.
“Establish a modern national system?”
Zhao Zhen looked at the note written by Zhao Jun, put down the bowl in his left hand, and still held the note in his right hand. He looked up at Zhao Jun and said, "Grandson, do you mean like the countries of later generations?"
"Um."
Zhao Jun nodded and said, "Standardizing the national system and improving it is what we should do. This will not only standardize and regularize things, but also provide a path for those at the bottom to move up, giving everyone the opportunity to move up."
Zhao Zhen asked curiously, "Can you tell me more about it?"
"First, we need to clarify what a modern national system is."
Zhao Jun said: "I believe everyone should have a preliminary understanding that the political systems of later countries are mainly divided into two categories: one is monarchy and the other is republic."
He said, "Everyone is familiar with republics; they are non-monarchical states. The main political systems are divided into four categories: presidential republics, parliamentary republics, and so on. We just need to have a basic understanding of this; there's no need to delve too deeply into it."
Zhao Jun looked around again and said with a smile: "After all, it is impossible for the Song Dynasty to become a republic now. It may appear in a few hundred years. The Song Dynasty will perish and a republic will appear, but it will definitely not be now."
Although Zhao Zhen knew Zhao Jun was right, he still sighed and said, "Is it possible that the Song Dynasty cannot continue for a long time?"
“It’s difficult.”
Zhao Jun shook his head and said, "We must establish a monarchy, but can you guarantee that every emperor will be a wise ruler? You should also know what the consequences will be if a foolish ruler emerges."
"well."
Zhao Zhen sighed deeply.
The prime ministers below lowered their heads and dared not say a word.
Is this what they should hear?
That is the Renzong Dynasty.
If it were an emperor with a slightly worse temper, everyone present would probably be doomed.
"Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. Isn't Japan also a country with a dynasty that has lasted for eternity? As long as productivity continues to improve and the country's overall environment tends to be stable. As long as there aren't a series of incompetent rulers who deplete the country's strength, it can still be maintained."
Zhao Jun consoled him, "But that's definitely a few hundred years away. The worst that can happen is that, like France, it's overthrown by the people, leaving Louis XVI bewildered and holding Head & Shoulders."
"Look at what you said, do you think it makes sense? Are you trying to comfort me?"
Zhao Zhen almost peed his pants at that time.
He had seen the video of the Tongliao rat, so he naturally knew what this sentence meant.
"There's nothing I can do about it. This is the truth. If you treat the people well, they will naturally remember your kindness. If you treat them badly, they will definitely overthrow you."
Zhao Jun spread his hands and said, "Whether it's ancient or later times, weren't there many kingdoms overthrown before and after World War I and World War II? Even in the modern era, coups d'état are still happening every day in Africa. If we want long-term peace and stability, unless we can achieve immortality, there is no way to have long-term stable politics."
"Your Majesty, Han Long's words are indeed true. What we are doing now is to ensure that the Song Dynasty can prolong its life for hundreds of years. There is no eternal country in this world, and no eternal king."
Yan Shu said something fair: "Only when the country is stable and the people live and work in peace and contentment can it last long. Therefore, benevolent governance and loving the people are the right path."
"All right."
Zhao Zhen had no choice but to respond.
He was also considered an emperor who understood reason and was reasonable.
After all, these words are not false, and later history has proven this.
He also read a lot of history. In addition to the Qin, Han, Three Kingdoms, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui and Tang dynasties, he also read a lot about the Southern Song, Ming and Qing dynasties.
Naturally, he also had his own understanding and thoughts on the changes of dynasties and the collapse of empires.
Therefore, he also understood that although the words of Zhao Jun and Yan Shu were not pleasant to hear, they were irrefutable truths. If he truly cared about the longevity of the dynasty, he should accept and understand these truths.
Zhao Jun continued, "Let's not talk about the republic, then let's talk about the monarchy. I believe you know that it is mainly divided into absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy."
"Our current political system is definitely an absolute monarchy. We currently have a cabinet system under this system. The Constitutional Council is responsible for helping the emperor lead the various ministries, but this system is not sustainable."
He pointed at himself and said, "The reason we can trust each other is because of my existence. I've broken the old pattern of distrust and suspicion between the ruler and his subjects. Once I die, and our generation is gone, will the next generation of rulers and subjects be able to maintain such close ties?"
Everyone looked at each other and said nothing.
Zhao Jun continued, "Then we'll return to the old autocratic monarchy. Then the imperial power and the power of the chancellor within the Council of Political System will clash once again, leading to domestic political instability. A wise ruler might be fine, but if someone like Song Huizong or Song Gaozong emerges, the country could slowly decline, triggering another change in imperial power."
"So I believe that the Song Dynasty's political system should gradually shift from an absolute monarchy to a dualistic constitutional monarchy. Our generation will set the direction for the next few hundred years, balancing the power of the emperor and the power of the prime minister, retaining a relatively large amount of imperial power while still maintaining a governance system with prime ministerial power."
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