Which emperors in the history of the Song Dynasty have been underestimated by history?

1. Song Renzong

Song Renzong Zhao Zhen was the sixth son of Song Zhenzong and the fourth emperor of the Song Dynasty. He ascended the throne at the age of thirteen and reigned for forty-two years.

Out of nature, he is generous and kind, and rules the world with kindness and forgiveness.

Under his rule, the literary style of the Song Dynasty flourished and talents gathered. Almost all the famous scholars and scholars were born in this period.

Therefore, "History of the Song Dynasty" calls it "loyal and honest governance, which has the foundation to cultivate the Song Dynasty for more than 300 years."

In addition, it is said that during the Jingkang period at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, after the Jin soldiers occupied the Central Plains, they excavated royal tombs and plundered rare treasures, but they did not attack the Yongzhao Mausoleum of Song Renzong.

"Renzong's Prosperous Rule" is an overview of Song Renzong's governance of the country, which even far exceeds the "Wenjing Rule" of the Han Dynasty and the "Zhenguan Rule" and "Kaiyuan Prosperity" of the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, the Song Dynasty's economy, science and technology , culture, education, military and other aspects also reached their peak during the Song Renzong period.

During the Song Dynasty, the world was peaceful, the eight wastelands were peaceful, scholars and farmers were happy, and the civil and military were loyal. Moreover, Emperor Renzong had a generous temperament, did not indulge in luxury, and was able to restrain himself. He was praised by later generations as "the sage and wise Tang Yu". In this world, the sun and the moon are selfless and the heaven and earth spring", which has been praised by historians and politicians of all ages!

Song Renzong Zhao Zhen was the longest reigning emperor in the Northern Song Dynasty, which lasted for forty-two years, and brought this dynasty to the peak of the socio-economic culture of the Northern Song Dynasty and even the Chinese feudal dynasty.

Because he changed Yuan Dynasty many times, later generations called this entire period the "Renzong Shengzhi". Compared with the strong Han Dynasty and the prosperous Tang Dynasty, this enlightened rule left Zhao Zhen's unique mark.

In addition, Zhao Zhen ascended the throne as a young man, and it was only after the weak crown came to power that he truly realized the "Renzong Era" that was different from the prosperous Tang Dynasty but also unparalleled!

Renzong was famous for his kindness.

For example: One year after the earthquake in the capital, a plague broke out. He ordered the only two rhinoceros horns in the palace to be smashed and ground into powder for the people to eat. The minister dissuaded him by saying that this was the emperor's favorite treasure. Why? Can you break it into pieces and give it to the servants? Zhao Zhen said that my people are in disaster, what use do I need this treasure?

Renzong's pragmatic style was also praised by later generations.

He took the lead in breaking the boundaries between the "fang" where people lived and the "city" where they traded, making Kaifeng, Tokyo, the first full city in the world.

On the issue of the importance of people's livelihood and imperial power, Zhao Zhen and the ministers not only agreed to unify the city and the city, but also lifted the curfew system, gradually forming the night market and the morning market.

A fire watch tower and a fire brigade were set up in the capital. When Bao Zhengquan was informed of Kaifeng Prefecture, he personally dealt with the phenomenon of the powerful and indiscriminate construction of rivers.

In addition, in the Qingli New Deal, he firmly supported Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, Han Qi and others' "clearly deposed Zhi, suppressed luck, promoted fine tribute, selected officials, equalized public land, enriched farmers and mulberry trees, A package of reform plans such as "repairing military equipment, reducing corvee service, strengthening trust, and emphasizing orders" were successively issued in the form of imperial edicts throughout the country.

Later, although Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi and others were transferred out of the capital due to the obstruction of the conservative faction, Emperor Renzong did not stop the reform. Instead, he re-appointed Wen Yanbo, who could understand the holy will, as his prime minister. He implemented the New Deal with a more pragmatic attitude and promoted Wang Anshi to the center of political power.

"Renzong's prosperity" is mainly reflected in:

The population and finances are comparable to those of the Han and Tang Dynasties.

In the eight years of the Jiaqing period, the national population reached 12.46 million households, with 26.42 million male households. In 42 years, the national population had a net increase of 3.79 million households. This increase in the number of households is equivalent to the total number of households in the Zhenguan period of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. number.

Due to the imperial court's policy of "hiding wealth in prefectures and counties and cultivating roots", national tax revenue increased to more than 36.8 million yuan during the Jiayuan period, which was four times the highest annual monetary income in the Tang Dynasty.

In addition, the people’s royal grain and national taxes are not a lot.

Renzong attached great importance to the training and selection of talents. He named Confucius' descendants as Yanshengong and encouraged states and counties to establish schools.

There was a time when there were many virtuous ministers and the house was full of gentlemen.

Kou Zhun, Wang Zeng, Yan Shu, Lu Zongdao, as well as Fan Zhongyan, Bao Zheng, Fu Bi, Di Qing, Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, as well as the "San Su" who were promoted by the Renzong Dynasty or became officials through the imperial examination. Shen Kuo, Mi Fu, etc. are all outstanding figures in the annals of history and role models for scholars.

Culture prospered.

Among the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties" that have been passed down to the world, except for Han and Liu from the Tang Dynasty, the other six were active in the Renzong period.

Song Ci, which is the end of poetry, has been promoted by a large number of poets such as Yan Shu, Liu Yong, Fan Zhongyan, Su Shi, etc., and has created Song Ci's leading position in the history of Chinese literature.

In addition, literary forms such as storytelling, novels, and dramas have also sprouted and developed.

In terms of science and technology, three of China's four great inventions were applied during the Renzong Dynasty and transformed into productivity.

The invention of gunpowder promoted rockets, muskets, artillery, landmines, and fire. After the advent of movable type printing technology, a large number of classics in the Song Dynasty were preserved.

There is also the acupuncture bronze man invented by Wang Weiyi, which perfected the acupuncture system of traditional Chinese medicine.

The imperial court issued the world's first banknote "Guanjiaozi", and its contribution to world economic and financial history cannot be underestimated.

There are various schools in the field of philosophy, laying a solid foundation for modern Chinese ***.

The "Heavenly Principle" proposition proposed by Er Cheng brought a breath of fresh air to the dull philosophical world. It also provided theoretical support for why Zhao Song accepted Zhou Zen and established the feudal ruling order.

Wang Anshi put forward the practical theory, trained a large number of students, provided theoretical guidance for his subsequent reforms, and reserved a team of cadres.

Evaluation:

People at that time praised "Renzong's prosperous rule" like this: "In the forty-two years since then, it can be said that there has been great rule in the country.

Stealing traces of Xihuang Previously, the novel "Dongpo" written by Anonymous in the Qing Dynasty was written by Anonymous. "Shihua" describes Renzong's prosperous rule in this way: "When the Song Dynasty was in its heyday, Emperor Renzong was in a period of imperial rule.

The kings of this generation are respectful to themselves, tolerant and wise, the world is prosperous, the wilderness is peaceful, scholars and farmers are happy in their work, and they are loyal in civil and military affairs.

The truth is: the sage had his way in the Tang and Yu Dynasties, the sun and the moon were selfless and the heaven and earth spring. "At the same time, this also represents the status of "Renzong's prosperity" in the eyes of the people for hundreds of years.

The Ming Dynasty writer Qu You said in "Guitian Shihua": Song Renzong reigned for forty years In the second year, the people were in peace and customs, and the world was ruled.

When he was buried in Zhaoling, there was a poem written by someone who said: "The farmers and mulberry trees are not disturbed, and the officials who have no merit can't."

Forty-two years passed like a dream, the spring breeze blew tears over Zhaoling. "

"Benevolence" is the highest evaluation of an emperor! "Being a king stops at benevolence. "History of the Song Dynasty" commented and praised Renzong and his great rule like this: "During the forty-two years of (Renzong's) reign, the officials were lazy and neglected the weak; the criminal law seemed to be relaxed, but the executions were uneven. Yun Zhishi.

The country is not without evils and fortunes, but it is not enough to burden the body of governing the world; the government is not without villains, but it is not enough to overcome the good spirit.

The compassionate heart of the monarch and his ministers, as well as the loyal and honest administration, were the foundation for the Song Dynasty for more than 300 years.

As soon as the descendants correct their behavior, tameness leads to chaos.

"Biography" says: "Being a king stops at benevolence." The emperor was sincere and unashamed.

Before the Tang Dynasty, the evaluation of an emperor’s merits and demerits mainly relied on his posthumous title. At that time, the posthumous title could basically objectively evaluate the emperor’s merits and demerits. By the Tang Dynasty, the posthumous title of the emperor became more and more important. As the years passed, the posthumous titles became better and better. They were basically a collection of various good and good posthumous titles. For example, the posthumous title of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was the Great Sage of Civil and Military Affairs, Emperor Da Guangxiao. However, judging from the fact that Taizong threatened Gaozu, he was really undeserving of it. The word "filial piety" means that since the Tang Dynasty, emperors have generally been addressed by their temple names, such as Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Taizu of the Song Dynasty, and Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty. This time we will talk about "Renzong".

Ancestral Temple

According to the posthumous law, those who accumulate righteousness and achieve great deeds are called benevolence; those who are kind to the people and love things are called benevolence; those who deny oneself and restore etiquette are called benevolence; those who cherish the virtuous and have a close relationship are called benevolence; those who commit suicide to achieve benevolence are called benevolence; Being able to benefit the country is called benevolence; benefiting all generations is called benevolence; being able to act with ease is called benevolence; doing merit to the people is called benevolence; being able to bend oneself to catch others is called benevolence; being able to perform meritorious deeds is called benevolence; being tolerant, trustworthy and sensitive is called benevolence; loving benevolence and establishing things is called benevolence. ; the foundation of the body is called benevolence; the good life of Rutian is called benevolence; the education of Pu Bo is called benevolence; the loving heart is called benevolence; the love of Pu Qia is called benevolence. It can be seen that the posthumous title of "Ren" is quite good. Ah, in the history of China, four emperors received the posthumous title of "Renzong" in one year. They were the four "Renzongs" of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In the author's mind, among the four Renzongs, Song Renzong was the most deserving of this title. The word "benevolence".

Portrait of Song Renzong

Song Renzong Zhao Zhen, the fourth emperor of the Song Dynasty, is the prince in the folk legend of "The civet cat exchanges for the prince".

Zhao Zhen had a gentle and gentle character. During his reign, he was quite tolerant to his officials, people and eunuchs.

The emperor neither cares about the sufferings of the people nor discusses with the ministers the plan for governing the country." The examiner Hu Su thought it was unworthy and requested that Su Che be dismissed. Su Che also believed that he would be punished. Zhao But Zhen said: "Originally, we should recruit talents through outspokenness, but now I have to depose people because of outspokenness. How will the world see me?" Su Zhe was admitted because of this.

Su Che

One day, Zhao Zhen was playing in the palace. He walked in front of the crowd but turned back from time to time. He also hurriedly ended the tour and returned to the palace to ask for water. The concubine was puzzled. Asked why Zhao Zhen didn't drink water outside, Zhao Zhen explained that he turned around frequently and saw no one with a water bottle. If he asked for water but couldn't drink it, someone would definitely be punished for it, so he couldn't bear to ask questions, so he just kept silent. Drink water when you are thirsty.

During one meal, Zhao Zhen suddenly ate a grain of sand, which caused severe pain in his teeth. He quickly vomited it out, not forgetting to say to the accompanying maid: "Don't tell anyone that I have eaten sand. , this is a capital crime." One night, Zhao Zhen heard the sound of orchestral music, music, dance, and laughter in the palace, and he couldn't help but curiously asked, where is the joy? The concubine in the palace replied that this was a private restaurant looking for fun.

Then I couldn't help blaming Zhao Zhen, Your Majesty, it's so happy outside that it looks like a fairy, but how can it be so deserted and lonely in our palace.

Zhao Zhen said sternly, it is precisely because I am deserted that they are so happy. If I sing and dance and have fun like them, then they will be lonely and desolate.

Zhao Zhen was not only tolerant to his own people, he was also magnanimous to the Liao Kingdom. According to "Shao's Records of Hearing and Seeing": In the autumn of the second year of Jia?, the Liao Dynasty sent an envoy. Ask for Zhao Zhen’s portrait.

The courtiers were worried that the portrait would be used in a way that would make them tired of winning. Zhao Zhen said: "I treat the captives sincerely, and they will definitely not do this." So he sent an envoy to present his portrait to the Liao Dynasty.

Yelu Hongji, the Lord of the Liao Dynasty, held a ceremony in person to welcome the portrait of Zhao Zhen ceremoniously. After Yelu Hongji saw the portrait, he "were shocked and bowed again, and said to his left and right: 'If I were born in China, I would only hold a whip for him. In the eighth year of Jiayou's reign, Zhao Zhen passed away. According to the "History of the Song Dynasty", after the news came out, "the capital went on strike and cried in the streets for several days. Even beggars and children burned paper money." Crying before Ouchi."

When the news reached Luoyang, the citizens also voluntarily stopped the market to mourn. The smoke from burning paper money filled the sky over Luoyang City, so that "the sky was dark."

After the obituary was sent to the Liao Kingdom, "all the people in the Yan Kingdom cried, both far and near." Yelu Hongji was also shocked. He rushed up to grab the hand of the Song Dynasty envoy and howled bitterly, saying: "Forty-two years of no return." "I want to build a tomb for him to express my condolences."

Song Renzong's portrait

Zhao Zhen was not only kind-hearted and kind-hearted, but also made great achievements in politics. During his reign, there were many famous ministers, the country was stable and peaceful, the economy was prosperous, and science, technology and culture had been greatly developed.

During the reign of Zhao Zhen, the Song Dynasty enjoyed peace and tranquility all over the world. Scholars and peasants were happy in their work, and civil and military officials were loyal and good.

In history, it is known as the "Qingli and Jiayuan rule". During Zhao Zhen's reign, a number of important figures in history emerged, including Bao Zheng, Ouyang Xiu, Fan Zhongyan, Sima Guang, Fu Bi, and Wen Yanbo. It can be said that it was Zhao Zhen, a generous and benevolent monarch, and the joint efforts of these famous ministers who made the Song Dynasty the most economically prosperous and politically enlightened dynasty in Chinese history. Song Renzong Zhao Zhen is the "ancestor of Renzong".

Nowadays, people often mention the prosperity and glory of the Tang Dynasty, but they know very little about the previous dynasty. After all, that dynasty only had two short emperors and did not leave much in the annals of history. Pen and ink, but in fact that dynasty was of great historical significance, because its founder, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, left immortal achievements in history. Although people at the time knew little about it, historical facts cannot be erased by time.

First of all, the Sui Dynasty ended a major division in our history and once again completed unification. This achievement cannot be erased.

The "literary, Taoist and military strategies" of this dynasty were not bad. At that time, the Turks were prosperous and they wanted to take over the Central Plains. However, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty appointed talented people and used ingenious strategies to break the situation after many years of deployment. The strength of the Turks laid the foundation for peace in the following dynasties.

Because the Sui Dynasty was a unified dynasty in Chinese history that inherited the Southern and Northern Dynasties and started the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty inherited the same culture, system, and social characteristics, so historians often refer to the two dynasties together as the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

Moreover, this emperor also made great achievements in the country's culture. The culture of the Han Dynasty was also prosperous at that time. After that, the culture accumulated until a hundred years of chaotic wars. Many books were burned and nowhere to be found. Traces, if you don't take the time to collect them, may disappear quickly.

In 583 AD, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty issued a decree to allow people to submit books, and they would be rewarded with a piece of silk for each book they submitted, thus preserving the culture.

Although the chaos in the Tang Dynasty caused these books to be burned, his contribution is indelible.

He also reformed the monetary system and reunified weights and measures. This was the second unification of weights and measures after Emperor Qin.

In addition, he also deleted the tortures of the previous dynasty, reducing the heavy burden on the people.

It can be said that these measures are similar to Qin Shihuang's various reforms. Although his achievements cannot be compared with the first emperor who unified the world, they are still among the best among the emperors of the past!

Yang Jian can be said to be a wise emperor. Faced with the chaos in the court, he resolutely chose the three provinces and six ministries system passed down from the previous dynasty instead of the six official system.

In addition to changing the situation in the court, he also implemented drastic reforms at the local level. The previous local official system was chaotic and the number of counties was huge, which made it difficult to manage and was not conducive to social stability, so he abolished the Covered more than 500 counties.

To clarify the local situation, he also eliminated a large number of redundant officials, which not only improved the efficiency of work, but also reduced the financial burden of the court, killing two birds with one stone.

Officials are the foundation of a country's government. Without good and honest officials, they are all corrupt officials who plunder the people. This country will definitely not survive forever, and he deeply realized this and set up a strict assessment system. , so that mediocre people will not be confused, and the change in the way of selecting officials has also made the source of officials more excellent, and the court is prosperous.

He conducted a population census and strictly prohibited local officials and powerful squires from forming gangs to rob people for private purposes. He identified many "black households", which increased the country's labor force and increased tax revenue.

But he is not a foolish king who is always demanding on the people. He has introduced a series of measures to reduce the burden on the people, making the entire country prosperous.

When he first came to the throne, the country's total population was only more than four million, but when his son became emperor, the country's population had increased to more than 50 million, which means What?

What is lamentable is that the inheritance of this dynasty was too short. If there could be a ruler like him, then the Sui Dynasty would definitely become a world power at that time.

With the country at its peak and a healthy social environment, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty started several major projects.

He ordered people to build Luoyang City and Chang'an City at that time, which showed the level of urban planning in our country. These two cities were the top in the world in terms of design and construction capabilities at the time, becoming It has become a national treasure and has profoundly affected surrounding countries.

After that, he began to build the canal, the canal, which was the beginning of the Grand Canal.

The Grand Canal has flowed for thousands of years, bringing endless convenience to the people around it. Its contribution can even be equal to that of the Great Wall!

During the years of his rule, the people of this country were considered very happy, because they were able to support themselves, live and work in peace and contentment, and did not have to be harassed by war. History called this period the "Kaihuang Rule" .

Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty resisted the attacks of multiple ethnic groups at the same time, firmly grasped their progress, and left a foundation of peace for future generations.

Nowadays, people only say that the Tang Dynasty was prosperous, but in fact many of the Tang Dynasty's systems came from the Sui Dynasty. Even the stability when they first took over the world was given by the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty was not unpowerful.

The study of historical figures naturally needs to be carried out from many aspects. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty made outstanding contributions to our country in terms of politics, economy and culture. The imperial examination system and other systems used in later generations seem to have There are traces of the Sui system.

With all his achievements, we have to admit that this emperor is indeed powerful.