In the Tang Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Taizong, outside the Grand Palace.
Emperor Taizong and his officials stood outside the palace, gazing at the radiant golden screen with utmost reverence.
"My esteemed ministers, what are your thoughts?"
Emperor Taizong's gaze sharpened, and the officials immediately began to express their opinions.
"Your Majesty, the countless nations of the world, even if they have fallen, are no more. Rest assured!"
The first to speak was Wei Zheng, the most renowned advisor during the Zhenguan era.
"Of course I know that, but I'm concerned whether our Tang Dynasty will appear on this list?"
"Your Majesty, fear not. Didn't the Golden Screen state that it will assess the difficulty of a fallen nation's resurgence? If I'm not mistaken, the greater the difficulty, the higher the ranking!"
Changsun Wuji, standing beside him, chuckled lightly.
"But there are countless reasons for the fall of dynasties throughout history. How can the difficulty of their resurgence be assessed?"
The speaker was none other than Fang Xuanling, renowned for his astute strategizing and decisive actions.
"Indeed! While the Golden Screen's assessment is significant, we are still unclear about the criteria used for this evaluation…"
Gao Shilian, standing nearby, echoed with a sigh.
As if in response to their words, the text on the Golden Screen dissolved like sand, and new characters emerged, imbued with the majestic resonance of heavenly principles:
【Considering the diverse circumstances and numerous causes for the fall of each dynasty throughout history, to ensure the objectivity and fairness of this assessment, fifteen primary factors leading to national demise will be listed beforehand, and the evaluation will primarily focus on these fifteen factors.】
【Furthermore, this assessment will primarily focus on unified dynasties or those with a continuous reign exceeding one hundred years. The difficulty levels will be categorized into five tiers: Heavenly Fortune, Ordinary, Difficult, Earthly Nightmare, and Hell.】
【The assessment will be conducted in ascending order of difficulty. After the completion of the assessment, those with inquiries or requests can contact the author.】
【Prepare yourselves, the ranking will begin shortly.】
【The fifteen factors leading to national demise are now being revealed for your review: Political interference by relatives (Empress Dowager), Eunuch interference, Factional Disputes, Feudal lords' secession, Rebellion by princes (regional kings), Foreign invasions, Peasant uprisings, Foolish rulers and treacherous ministers, Natural disasters, Economic crises, Overturn by powerful ministers, Clan dominance, Powerful external enemies, Institutional constraints, Bureaucratic expansion】
Upon seeing this, the anxieties of Emperor Taizong and his officials subsided.
"With this, it becomes easier to assess!"
"Indeed! Even if we cannot foresee the future, we can deduce the presence of these fifteen factors in our Tang Dynasty based on current circumstances!"
"My esteemed ministers, take a close look at these fifteen factors and see how many apply to our Tang Dynasty!"
Emperor Taizong, with a wave of his hand, spoke with an air of confidence and optimism.
The officials focused their attention, intently scrutinizing the list.
After a short while, one of them stepped forward and proclaimed:
"Your Majesty, our Tang Dynasty should not appear on this list!"
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
"Except for foolish rulers and treacherous ministers, and natural disasters which are unpredictable, the rest do not apply to our Tang Dynasty. Your Majesty subjugated the Turks and ascended as the Great Khan of Heaven, so where are our external threats? Furthermore, we have no need to worry about relatives or eunuchs!"
"With our current three-province system firmly established, it is unlikely for internal officials to control the court!"
Upon hearing this, the officials nodded in agreement, and even Emperor Taizong smiled.
"While that is true, we must remain vigilant. The future is unpredictable. Let us witness the unfolding of events together!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
…
In the Song Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Taizong, outside the Chonggong Hall.
Zhao Kuangyin, with an air of regal confidence, surveyed his surroundings and proclaimed:
"You've all seen it, haven't you? Will our Song Dynasty be on this list?"
"Second Brother, our Song Dynasty will definitely not be on the list!"
Zhao Guangyi, standing beside him, chuckled.
Zhao Kuangyin raised an eyebrow, inquiring with a hint of curiosity:
"Oh? Why do you say that, Third Brother?"
"Big Brother, look, rebellion by princes was a factor that led to the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. Now, our Song Dynasty has a complete system and a strong central government. We have no need to worry about feudal lords' secession or rebellion by princes. And has there ever been an instance of peasant uprisings achieving great success?"
Zhao Kuangyin nodded slightly, prompting Zhao Guangyi to continue.
"As for other factors, natural disasters are surely a divine warning. There has never been an instance of a nation falling due to this. And eunuchs and the palace, those are simply impossible!"
Zhao Kuangyin was quite pleased, but still inquired with a touch of concern:
"The military aspect is settled, but what about the civil officials?"
After all, the list included "Factional disputes" and "Bureaucratic expansion"!
He had just established rules to treat the scholar-officials well!
"Second Brother, don't worry about the civil officials. Throughout history, who has ever conquered the world without brave warriors? Even if the civil officials are powerful, how can they cause the downfall of a nation?"
Hearing Zhao Guangyi's words, Zhao Kuangyin's frown relaxed, but the anxiety in his heart did not completely dissipate!
His Third Brother's points were valid, but there was one factor that was being overlooked: invasion by foreign enemies!
After all, the Song Dynasty currently faced the formidable Liao Dynasty, which occupied the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun in the north. Could this become the reason for the downfall of our Song Dynasty?
…
In the Ming Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Hongwu, outside the Wudeding Hall.
Zhu Yuanzhang was initially occupied with handling the mountain of memorials alongside his son Zhu Bi, but upon hearing the commotion outside, he ordered his attendants to carry out a wooden table so he could view the Golden Screen.
"Bi'er, do you think our Ming Dynasty will be on this list?"
Zhu Bi smiled gently, "Father, I believe it will be."
"Nonsense! Our Ming Dynasty will certainly not be on this list!"
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand with confidence.
He had left behind the Imperial Ancestor's Instructions for his descendants, which could be considered a "complete encyclopedia of governance." As long as his future generations followed those instructions, the Ming Dynasty would never fall!
However, Zhu Bi did not share the same opinion. He chuckled wryly and bowed, "Father, there is no nation that does not eventually fall…"
"I understand! Then our Ming Dynasty should be ranked first on the list!"
To be ranked first meant having the highest difficulty of resurgence after falling. Even if such a dynasty fell, it would be due to the will of Heaven!
Zhu Yuanzhang could accept this outcome.
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's stubborn attitude, Zhu Bi shook his head and chuckled. He looked towards the sky, hoping that the Ming Dynasty's ranking would be higher, so his father and he could feel a little better…
…
In the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, outside the Qianqing Gate.
The officials who had already assembled for court had gathered outside the Qianqing Gate with Emperor Xuanxie, looking up at the golden screen in the sky.
In the Qing Dynasty, court sessions typically took place at the Taihe Gate or outside the Qianqing Gate, known as "御门听政" (Hearing Government Matters at the Palace Gate).
The Golden Screen appeared at the time when the emperor and officials were gathering for court, so it was very convenient for everyone.
Emperor Xuanxie was now with graying temples and a white beard, clearly in his twilight years.
When he saw the list of fallen dynasties on the Golden Screen and the assessment of the difficulty of their resurgence, his expression instantly changed. He became unhappy.
"Tell me, will my Qing Dynasty be on this list?"
Noticing Emperor Xuanxie's displeasure, Zhang Ying, the Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall and Minister of Rites, stepped forward and replied:
"Currently, the Qing Dynasty enjoys peace within its borders and the people live in comfort. There is no threat of national demise!"
"Even if we were to be on the list, it would be the previous dynasties!"
As soon as Zhang Ying finished speaking, the officials behind him all nodded in agreement, vigorously praising the Qing Dynasty's thriving national strength and absence of any signs of downfall!
…
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