The Emperor's Cold Knowledge in Northern Song Dynasty

The cold knowledge of the Northern Song Emperor

First, don't try to fool me

There is a famous saying in Zhao Kuangyin, Song Taizu: "I asked more than 1 capable Confucian ministers to divide and rule Dafan, even if they were greedy, they were not worth a martial man." Some "experts" later accused him of "conniving at corruption". But can you take this seriously? Song Bai, a famous minister and writer in the early Song Dynasty, almost became true. When he presided over the scientific research, he was possessed by ghosts and took bribes to smuggle goods. In order to prevent things from being exposed, he took the admission list and signed it with Song Taizu, intending to get things done first.

But I was scolded by Song Taizu: I sent you to preside over the scientific research just to select talents fairly. How can I sign before posting a list? If a scandal of graft breaks out after posting, I will "take Xie Zhong as your head!" Pull me as a shield for corruption? I'll chop his head off first! Song Bai's legs trembled with fear, so he quickly returned the bribe money and completed the job of taking scholars fairly. Because of this "being your head", it is really not an expression. In the sixteenth year of Song Taizu's reign, * * * executed 28 corrupt criminals, including officials at all levels of civil and military affairs, and the execution methods were beheaded and beheaded in various ways, which simply changed the pattern to kill corruption. The stability and strength of the Song Dynasty first came from this zero-tolerance anti-corruption attitude.

Second, serial slapping

As the second generation emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Huan of Song Taizong, although he didn't fight well, has always been complacent about his achievements in governing the country. At the banquet on the 15th day of the first month in 993, Song Taizong began to boast that the country had been at war for years since the Five Dynasties. Thanks to my hard work over the years, I have a good picture of prosperity today. I didn't expect Lv Mengzheng, the minister, to immediately slap in the face and say, "Your Majesty, what you see is only the false prosperity of Bianjing City. After a few miles outside Bianjing City, all kinds of people are still in poverty.". A big truth, choking Song Taizong half a day could not speak.

But before Song Taizong rushed to settle accounts with Lv Mengzheng, a month later, Sichuan farmers, led by Wang Xiaobo and Li Shun, could not bear the imperial court's exploitation and rose up. Song Taizong, advertised as "prosperous", was slapped in the face again. Song Taizong also likes the "dazzle" lifestyle. Also in 993, an official suggested that the redundant maids in the palace be released. Song Taizong immediately criticized seriously: I have always been busy with state affairs, and there are no redundant maids in the palace. It is really ignorant of you to make such a suggestion.

Four years later, Song Taizong died, and his son Song Zhenzong ascended the throne. When he checked, he cried: "There are many imperial palaces, and it is pitiful to be claustrophobic." How can there be a backlog of so many imperial secretaries? Let me go now. Even my own son hit him in the face.

Third, the immortal exterminates locusts

Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng's 25-year ruling career was almost all kinds of smart and capable: he was thrifty and diligent all his life, and there was no rice left in his meal, and he would commit crimes if he saw anyone who was extravagant. The work is also unambiguous. First beat Liao and then sign a peace treaty. We will continue to develop industrial and commercial foreign trade for 25 years and introduce overseas rice seeds to improve agriculture. The economic aggregate of the Northern Song Dynasty rose year by year, and the per capita wealth was more than three times that of the Song Taizong era.

But in the glory of the country and the people, there is also a failure that has been laughed at for thousands of years: engaging in feudal superstitious activities. In this case, Song Zhenzong is really like eating the weight, throwing money hard every year, spending a lot of money to build temples and hold activities every year, and also going to Mount Tai for meditation with great fanfare, and a trip to a large-scale Buddhist activity, and casually rewarding tens of thousands of monks and Taoist priests. The trip to Mount Tai for meditation cost eight million yuan.

Zhang Qixian, a hero who fought against Liao in the past, said: Bad money is enough to fight a few more wars with Liao. However, Song Zhenzong's firm belief was challenged in the ninth year of Dazhong Xiangfu (116): a catastrophic locust plague that had never happened in a hundred years swept across the north, but he asked the immortal to ask Song Zhenzong, who was in high spirits, but burned incense and asked the immortal to kill locusts. All localities responded one after another, and local officials reported one after another that those locusts who destroyed crops were committing suicide in shame under the care of the immortal.

Song Zhenzong was also so happy that he made a high-profile statement in the court that he would hold a grand celebration ceremony and thank the immortals for helping him overcome the plague of locusts. Who knows that as soon as the voice just fell, the overwhelming locusts swept across Bianjing City and even flew into the hall, scampering back and forth in front of Song Zhenzong ... This scene, also called Song Zhenzong's face turned white, and he muttered for a long time: Fortunately, there was no celebration, otherwise it would have become a laughing stock ...

Fourth, how to deal with the spray? Zhao Zhen, Song Renzong, who was often "sprayed" during his forty years in office, and even spat on his face by Bao Zheng, a famous minister, was actually very marketable. At that time, this good-tempered emperor was not only "sprayed" by famous officials, but even some folk scholars were always spraying. In a certain year, a juren went to Chengdu Prefecture to cast a poem: burn the broken sword gate on the plank road, and give up a dry Kun. This is a high-profile call for rebellion! The angry Chengdu magistrate caught this juren on the spot and played Song Renzong demanding severe punishment.

Who knows that Song Renzong just smiled after reading it: This is a frustrated scholar who rubs his popularity by scolding the imperial court. Then give him an official position in a remote area first and see what he does. But less than a year later, when this "lucky" juren was in office, he lost all the heroism of writing poetry and didn't do anything. So even ashamed and angry, he died of a disease. Why did Song Renzong, who has been scolded all his life, get deep condolences from the people of the whole country when he died? This broad-minded tolerance makes people have to obey.

5. Threatening the Queen Mother

Song Renzong, who had no children, died and was ascended to the throne by her adopted son Zhao Shu, for Song Yingzong's sake. This emperor, who had a low sense of existence in the history of the Northern Song Dynasty, made a chicken fly a dog jump after he ascended the throne: he first fell insane in front of Song Renzong's coffin and screamed wildly, and the angry Prime Minister Han Qi personally picked him up and carried him away, making a big joke that shocked the ruling and opposition parties. The next Song Yingzong, but also worse, rolled around in search when taking medicine, and there was no way to Han Qi. The prime minister personally served the medicine bowl in front of the bed, but Song Yingzong gave a bunch of it, and all the liquid medicine was sprinkled on Han Qi.

The Prime Minister was treated like this, and the adoptive mother, Empress Cao, was even more wronged on weekdays. When Song Yingzong caught her, she even scolded her. Finally, she told Empress Cao to put up with it enough. When she saw Han Qi, she complained bitterly, and all she needed was to explain the subtext: Let's change to an emperor. Han Qi, who listened carefully to the Queen Mother's complaint for a long time, only replied coldly: If the official (Song Yingzong) is neglected, the Queen Mother will not be safe. It's impossible to change the emperor. If anything happens to the emperor, I'm asking you!

Song Yingzong kept the throne, but during his four years in office, the political affairs in the Northern Song Dynasty were of course completely closed. When his son Song Shenzong Zhao Yong ascended the throne, the frontier defense in the Northern Song Dynasty was seriously damaged, and the finance was even worse. Song Shenzong, who was pregnant, asked the ministers what to do. This group of ministers who threatened the spirit of the Queen Mother's fortune were all kinds of clouds and mountains. In Sima Guang's words, "an official will be punished if he appreciates it" is all useless empty talk, which also makes young Song Shenzong finally make up his mind: Wang Anshi must be used!

6. Come and be the emperor.

Is there anything wrong with Wang Anshi's political reform? Sima Guang was sent by Song Shenzong to Shaanxi for an inspection. As soon as he arrived in Shaanxi, he began to curse, saying that Wang Anshi's "immunization method" had made the people in Shaanxi miserable. However, Song Shenzong, who saw the memorial, even scolded his mother: I haven't implemented the immunization law in Shaanxi yet, so where are the people living in poverty? Wen Yanbo's reason made Song Shenzong even more angry: to rule the world with the literati, not with the people. No matter how good your reform is. If we move our interests, we will fight with you! After being stimulated many times by these "old parties", Song Shenzong, whose iron core was reformed, was blocked by his own brother, Qi Wang.

The King of Qi was cut off by Wang Anshi's political reform. In a rage, he called the Empress Dowager Caotai and echo each other cursed Wang Anshi in front of Song Shenzong. Song Shenzong listened coldly first, and when he had had enough, he finally replied to the King of Qi: If you think I'm doing something wrong, then you can be the emperor. Qi Wang, who was justified, was scared to cry on the spot. This situation is enough to show that under what heavy pressure, this young emperor carried this vigorous change.

after fifteen years of hard reform, the finances of the Great Song Dynasty, which was poor when it came to the throne, were already full of money. The once weak armaments of the Northern Song Dynasty were more full of blood and powerful, and they beat up their old rivals Xixia. At the time of Song Shenzong's death, some old Party members who had been desperately opposed to the reform, such as Su Shi, Fan Bailu, Lv Gongzhu, Li Chang, etc., understood the reform deeply, and even argued to prevent Sima Guang and others from abolishing the new law. After Song Shenzong's son, Song Zhezong, came to power, the Northern Song Dynasty, which regained its political reform, once reached an unprecedented peak of national strength. With the prosperity of economy, national defense has advanced to the front line of Xixia Tiandu Mountain, and Xixia has been struggling for peace.

the "weak" Northern Song Dynasty once reached the peak moment when the country was rich and the army was strong. And all these great changes were initiated by Song Shenzong, the emperor who was ridiculed and satirized by later generations. It can be said that there was an opportunity in the Northern Song Dynasty to avoid the shame of Jingkang, and that was Wang Anshi's political reform. If there is a powerful emperor who can lead the Northern Song Dynasty to the road of becoming a powerful country, the person with the least suspense is Song Shenzong.