In the late Taikang period, with the stability of the regime and the development of social economy, the entire ruling group became extravagant and could no longer control it. Not only ministers like Shi Chong and Wang Kai competed for wealth, but also Sima Yan I also changed my original habit of being diligent and thrifty, and my days became more and more absurd.
The Western Jin Dynasty was the power of aristocratic families. During this period, the clan system was further established.
The so-called family name means family status. In ancient my country, there were two pillars outside the gates of aristocratic and bureaucratic houses. The one on the left was called the valve and the one on the right was called the yue, which were often used to post the merits of the household. The status of a noble family became a symbol of a noble family. Therefore, those families who had been officials for generations were also called family members. The clan system is a hierarchical system that strictly distinguishes the different political, economic, social and cultural statuses of gentry and common people according to the family hierarchy in order to maintain the privileges of high-ranking nobles.
The formation of the gate system is a process. After Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, two far-reaching things happened: first, the development of large land ownership; second, Confucianism was determined to be one. Confucian classics such as Shangshu and Chunqiu have become family studies studied for generations. Some big landowners can be officials for generations by combining Confucianism. They are called gentry or noble clan. The gentry refers to those who master Confucianism and cultural knowledge, and the gentry refers to those who have been officials for generations. After the Eastern Han Dynasty, scholars were selected based on their surname, clan, and clan status, and a group of aristocratic families who had served as officials for many generations began to form. For example, the Yang family of Hongnong and the Yuan family of Runan both had people serving as senior officials of the Three Dukes for four consecutive generations. After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the hierarchical distinction between the nobles and the common people in the landlord class was further established. The politics at that time were often called clan politics.
In the process of the formation of the clan system, the nine-rank Zhongzheng system implemented by Cao Pi when he established the Wei State played an important role: the nine-rank system means that scholars are divided into nine grades, and Zhongzheng is the official who evaluates the scholars, mostly from aristocratic families. Rich people take charge. Therefore, the Jiupin Zhongzheng system became a powerful tool for Tu landlords to consolidate their political privileges. At that time, family background was the only criterion for determining a good grade. The so-called capital-based decision-making was based on family qualifications and official qualifications as the basis for determining a good grade. The aristocratic families used this system to monopolize important government positions, forming a strict hierarchical clan system that was passed down from generation to generation.
In addition to the main political privilege of being an official for generations, the noble gentry also had two other privileges: First, economically, they could occupy land according to official status and be exempted from taxes and servitude for themselves, their families, food and clothing customers, tenants, etc. The second is the right of impunity. The Western Jin Dynasty always offered leniency to nobles for committing crimes and set new standards for conviction and sentencing. For crimes committed by nobles, according to the Eight Treatises, that is, according to their special status and identity, their sentences can be reduced or exempted, or they can use money to atone for their crimes. Therefore, Xiong Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty later said: The virtuous people do not come from the aristocratic family, and their methods are not as good as those of the powerful.
After the formation of the clan system, the Gaomen Tu people were considered to be the most noble special class. They were called the surname, Ming clan, noble clan, Guan clan, Yi Guan clan, Gao Men, Sheng Men. , Shiliu, Junwang, Jun surname, You surname, etc. Others who do not have privileges are called common people, sub-men, servicemen, backmen, etc. The social status and identity of scholars and common people were completely different. They had different household registrations, could not intermarry, and sat at different tables.
A luxurious life requires spending a lot of money. All the aristocratic families used any means to make money. Starting from the emperor, they sold their official positions and titles. One day, Emperor Wu of Jin asked his minister Liu Yi: Do you think I can compare with any emperor of the Han Dynasty? Liu Yi is a straight minister who dares to speak out, and his answers are comparable to those of Huan and Ling. Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling were the famous fatuous emperors in the following years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty was very unhappy and said: It shouldn't be like this. I pacified Soochow, unified the country, and governed the country diligently. How can I compare with Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling? Liu Yi did not give in and said: Emperors Huan and Ling sold their officials and the money went into the public treasury. Your Majesty sold their officials and the money went into the private treasury. From this point of view, you may not be as good as Huan and Ling. Although Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty was unhappy after hearing this, Liu Yi's statement was indeed the truth and could not be denied. He was still smart enough, and then laughed and said: No one dares to speak like this when Huan and Ling are alive. There are direct ministers like you in my court, which means that I am still smarter than them. As soon as he said this, he left the stage with dignity. The ministers who were scared to death by Liu Yi's words quickly praised him in unison and made Emperor Wu of Jin dizzy.
The rich and powerful aristocrats love money as much as their lives. In response to this characteristic, Lu Bao, a Nanyang native, wrote a satirical poem on the god of money, which said: Money is the body, with the image of the universe, and the internal On the outside, he is round and close like a brother. His courtesy name is Kong Fang. If you lose it, you will be poor and weak; if you gain it, you will be rich without virtue and honorable; if you have no power, you will be hot; if you line up at the Golden Gate, people will have purple gates; where money is, danger can bring peace; death can bring life; where money goes, nobility can bring debasement. , life can lead to death. Therefore, angry arguments and lawsuits cannot be won without money; loneliness, weakness and stagnation cannot be achieved without money; hatred and resentment cannot be understood without money; making people laugh and talk cannot be achieved without money. Zhuyi in Luozhong, a man of Dangtu, loves my brother to no end. He holds my hand and holds me till the end. People nowadays only care about money! How vividly the aristocrats' worship and affection for money are depicted! This reminds me of a similar passage in Shakespeare's Timon of Athens:
Gold, yellow, shining, precious gold! Just this little bit can turn the black reform professor He Qiao into the white, the ugly into the beautiful, the wrong into the right, the humble into the noble, the old into the young, the coward into the warrior.
While the aristocrats of the Western Jin Dynasty were enjoying themselves and enjoying themselves, a sober-minded minister Fu Xian had already seen the seriousness of the problem.
In his memorial to the emperor, he said: Extravagant expenses are worse than natural disasters. Yes, there are limits to natural disasters, but the harm caused by luxury is endless. The powerful squeezing the people's blood and sweat without limit will eventually encounter resistance from the people.