Di Renjie’s help to Wu Zetian’s politics

He was first appointed as the Legal Cao of the Governor's Office of Bingzhou, then as the Dali Cheng, and then as the Shiyushi. He successively served as the governor of Ningzhou, Yuzhou, and the local official's minister. As an official, Di Renjie, as Lao Tzu said, "The saint has an impermanent heart and takes the people's heart as his heart." In order to save the innocent, he dared to go against the will of the monarch. He always maintained his true character of being considerate of the people and not afraid of power. He always stayed above the temple and served the people. Because of worry, later generations called him "the mainstay of the Tang Dynasty"; during the reign of Wu Zetian, he served as the country's highest judicial position, adjudicating backlogged and doubtful cases, and correcting unjust, wrong, and false cases; he served as Dali Cheng in charge of criminal law. In one year, he handled more than 17,000 cases left by his predecessor, and no one appealed for justice. His fairness in dealing with matters was obvious. He was an upright official known for his integrity and diligence in the history of our country. He was Wu Zetian's most valued prime minister and the driving force behind the rule. An important contributor to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

In the first year of Jiushi (700), Di Renjie died of illness, and the government and the public were in mourning. When Wu Zetian heard the news, she cried and said: "The court is empty!" He was given a posthumous gift to Sikong; after Tang Ruizong came to the throne, he was named Liang Guogong.

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Di Renjie was born into a family of officials. His grandfather Di Xiaoxu served as Zuocheng, Shangshu of the Zhenguan Dynasty, and his father Di Zhisun served as governor of Kui. Di Renjie passed the Ming Dynasty classics examination and became the judge of Bianzhou. Yan Liben, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, was deposed as the envoy of Henan Province. Di Renjie was falsely accused by officials. Yan Liben accepted the interrogation. Not only did he find out the truth of the matter, but he also found that Di Renjie was a rare person with both ability and political integrity. He called him "the pearl of the river meander, the southeastern one" "His legacy", he recommended Di Renjie to serve as the Facao of the Governor's Mansion in Bingzhou.

During the Yifeng period of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (676-679), Di Renjie was promoted to Dali Cheng. He was upright and upright, enforced the law well and worked conscientiously. In one year, he judged a large number of backlogged cases, involving 17,000 people. Those who had no wrongful prosecution suddenly became famous and became highly respected by both the government and the public as a great judge who could resolve cases like a god and eliminate evildoers. In order to maintain the feudal legal system, Di Renjie even dared to offend Yan Zhijian. In the first year of Yifeng (676), General Quan Shancai of Wuwei accidentally chopped down a cypress tree in Zhaoling, and Renjie reported the crime and was dismissed. Gao Zong ordered him to be executed immediately, but Renjie declared that he should not die. The emperor said: "The good man cut the tree on the mausoleum, which makes me unfilial, so I must kill him." Renjie looked at him from left to right and ordered him to come out. Renjie said: "I heard that I rebelled against the dragon scale and disobeyed the master. I have been in trouble since ancient times. I I am foolish to think otherwise. It was difficult in the days of Jie and Zhou, but it was easy in the days of Yao and Shun. Now that I am lucky enough to meet Yao and Shun, I am not afraid of being punished by thousands of people. Stop abandoning the city. Wei Wen will move to his people. , Xinbi is in the ground. Your Majesty's behavior is just like that of Wei. Is there any penalty for committing a crime? Since the law is impermanent, why should your Majesty want to change the law? , please start from today. The ancients said: "If you steal the soil from Changling, why would your Majesty kill a general with a cypress tree in Zhaoling? Why do you dare to say that your Majesty is the master?" I was ordered to kill a good person and trap His Majesty in a dishonorable way." The emperor's intention was slightly understood, and the good person was saved from death.

Soon after, Di Renjie was appointed by Emperor Gaozong as Shi Yushi, responsible for interrogating cases and impeaching officials. During his tenure, Di Renjie abided by his duties and impeached some dignitaries who were flattering and favored their parents. In the first year of Tiaolu (679), Wei Hongji, the minister of agriculture, built Suyu, Gaoshan, Shangyang and other palaces, which were spacious and magnificent. Di Renjie wrote a memorial to impeach Wei Hongji for leading the emperor to pursue luxury, and Wei Hongji was dismissed from office. Zuosi Langzhong Wang Benli relied on his kindness to do things, but the court was afraid of him. Di Renjie mercilessly exposed his evil crimes and requested to be handed over to the judicial department for trial. Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty wanted to be tolerant and protect Wang Benli, so Di Renjie protected him: "Although the country lacks talents, how can we lack Benli? How could your majesty regret sinners who violate the king's law. You must forgive Benli. Please abandon your ministers in a land where there is no one, and be loyal to the future." Ring!" Wang Benli was finally convicted, and the court was awestruck. Later, Di Renjie's official position was transferred to the branch of the doctor, and Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty was preparing to visit Fenyang Palace. He appointed Di Renjie as his envoy to arrange accommodation and meals on the way. Li Chongxuan, the governor of the state, created the Jealous Girl Temple and conscripted tens of thousands of people to open the royal road. Di Renjie said: "The emperor's journey involves thousands of rides. The wind will clear the dust and the rain master will sprinkle the road. How can you harm your jealous daughter?" He ordered them all to give up and exempted tens of thousands of people from Bingzhou from labor service. Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty praised him and said, "What a man!"

In the second year of Wu Zetian's reign (686), Di Renjie was appointed governor of Ningzhou (now Ningxian, Zhengning, Gansu).

At that time, Ningzhou was a place where various ethnic groups lived together. Di Renjie paid attention to properly handling the relationship between the ethnic minorities and the Han people. "To harmonize the Rong and Xia, there will be peace both internally and externally, and people will feel at ease." People in the county paid tribute to him with a monument. In that year, the imperial censor Guo Han inspected Longyou, and the governor of Ningzhou Ge Di was on the road. After Guo Han returned to the court, he recommended Di Renjie to the minister of Dongguan (Ministry of Industry) and served as the governor of the south of the Yangtze River. In view of the evil customs of many prostitute temples in Wu and Chu at that time, Di Renjie petitioned to burn down more than 1,700 temples, leaving only four temples for Xia Yu, Wu Taibo, Jizha, and Wu Yuan, which reduced the burden on the people of Jiangnan. In the fourth year of Chui Gong (688), Li Chong, the governor of Langya in Bozhou, raised troops to oppose Wu Zetian's rule. Li Zhen, the governor of Yuzhou, raised troops in response. After Wu Zetian put down the clan rebellion, he appointed Di Renjie as the governor of Yuzhou. At that time, there were six to seven hundred people implicated by the King of Yue in prison, and as many as 5,000 people were deported. Di Renjie knew that most of the Li people were forced to serve in the Yue King's army. Therefore, he went to Wu Zetian and said: "This man is not true to his original intention. I look forward to and mourn his mistakes." Wu Zetian followed his suggestion and granted amnesty. These prisoners on death row turned from killing into exile, appeasing the people and stabilizing the situation in Yuzhou. At that time, it was Prime Minister Zhang Guangbi who pacified Li Zhen, the king of Yue. The soldiers relied on their merits and extorted money. Di Renjie did not agree, but instead angrily scolded Zhang Guangbi for killing his soldiers in order to claim military merit. He said: "The one who caused chaos in Henan was the King of Zhen'er of Yue. Now one Zhen died and ten thousand Zhen were born." "Ming Gong Dong sent 300,000 soldiers to quell a rebellious minister. He did not fight the front, but used his troops to act violently. The innocent man will be devastated. "But I am afraid that the grievances will rise up and reach the sky. If the horse sword is stabbed at the king's neck, he will die as if he were dead." Later, Di Renjie's speech was disrespectful. Di Renjie was demoted to the governor of Fuzhou (now southwest of Mianyang, Hubei Province) and became the Sima of Luozhou.

Di Renjie's talent and reputation have gradually gained Wu Zetian's appreciation and trust. In September of the second year of Tianshou (691), Di Renjie was appointed as the Minister of Local Officials (Hubu) and Tongfengge Luantai Pingzhangshi, beginning his short first career as prime minister. Holding an important position, Di Renjie is cautious and self-disciplined. One day, Wu Zetian said to him: "Your Majesty has very good governance in Runan. Do you want to know who is teasing you?" Di Renjie thanked him and said: "Your Majesty thinks that I have done something wrong, and I should correct it. Your Majesty knows that I have no fault. It's a blessing. I don't know how to be a good friend. "Wu Zetian was deeply impressed by his open-mindedness.

When Di Renjie was the prime minister and participated in government affairs, it was also the time when Wu Chengsi was prominent and full of ambitions. He believed that Di Renjie would be one of the obstacles to his being established as the emperor's heir. In the first month of the second year of Changshou (693), Wu Chengsi colluded with the cruel official Lai Junchen to falsely accuse Di Renjie and other ministers of treason, and arrested and imprisoned them. There was a clause in the law at that time: "Those who accept the treason upon questioning will be spared their death." Lai Junchen forced Di Renjie to admit "treason", and Di Renjie took an extraordinary step and immediately pleaded guilty: "In the Great Zhou Revolution, everything was new, and in the Tang Dynasty, everything was new." The old ministers of the house are willing to be killed, but it is true!" Lai Junchen got a satisfactory confession and put Di Renjie and others in prison to wait for execution. No more strict preparations. Di Renjie took off his quilt and wrote a letter of injustice, placed it in a cotton-padded coat, and asked the jailer to tell his family to remove the cotton. Di Renjie's son Di Guangyuan was informed of his injustice and lodged a complaint with him. Wu Zetian summoned Di Renjie and other ministers who had "conspired to rebel" and asked, "Why do you accept the rebellion?" Di Renjie replied calmly: "If you don't accept the rebellion, you will have died of whipping." He then asked, "Why do you want to express your gratitude to death?" He replied: "I don't have such a form." Wu Zetian asked someone to take out the death form and found out that it was a forgery. So he ordered the release of the seven people involved in the case and demoted them all to local officials. Di Renjie was demoted to Peng Zeling. In this way, Di Renjie used his ingenuity to escape death. Later, Wu Chengsi wanted to eradicate the future troubles and petitioned to punish him many times, but Wu Zetian rejected them all.

During the tenure of Peng Ze (now Pengze, Jiangxi Province), Di Renjie worked diligently to benefit the people. In the year when he took office, there was no rain in Pengze, the camp tenants were lost, and the people had no food to eat. Di Renjie wrote a memorial asking the court to send relief, waive rent and taxes, and save the people from famine. In October of the first year of Long Live Tongtian (696), the Khitan captured Jizhou (now Linzhang, Hebei), causing Hebei to be shaken. In order to stabilize the situation, Wu Zetian appointed Di Renjie as the governor of Weizhou (today's Daming area in Hebei Province) adjacent to Jizhou. After Di Renjie took office, he changed the former governor Dugu Sizhuang's practice of gathering people into the city to repair and repair the guards, and allowed the people to return to the fields to farm. The Khitan tribe heard about it and led the people back north, thus avoiding a disaster in Weizhou. The local people sang praises and erected monuments to commemorate their kindness. Soon, Di Renjie was promoted to governor of Youzhou.

Di Renjie's social prestige continued to increase. In recognition of his achievements, Wu Zetian gave him a purple robe and a turtle belt, and personally wrote on the purple robe "Follow Zhengmu, be honest and diligent, and rise to the throne." "Encourage Prime Minister" twelve golden characters. In October of the first year of Shengong (697), Di Renjie was summoned back to the court by Wu Zetian. He was appointed as the Minister of Luantai and Tongfengge Luantai Pingzhangshi. The right-hand man who assisted Wu Zetian in controlling the power of the country. At this time, Di Renjie was old and frail and unable to do what he wanted. However, he deeply felt the great personal responsibility, and still tried his best to care about the fate of society and the future of the country. He put forward some suggestions or measures that were beneficial to society and the country, and played a huge role in the country's social and political life in the following years.

In the first year of the Holy Calendar (698), Wu Zetian's nephews Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi lobbied the Queen Mother several times to ask her to be crown prince. Wu Zetian hesitated. With the foresight of a politician, Di Renjie persuaded Wu Zetian to comply with the people's will and return power to Luling King Li Xian. At that time, minister Li Zhaode and others advised Wu Zetian to continue to use his fourth son Li Dan as his heir, but Wu Zetian did not accept it. Di Renjie, who had a thorough understanding of Wu Zetian and had a subtle understanding of it, calmly persuaded her from the perspective of mother-son affection: "If you establish a son, you will live in the imperial temple for a long time, and your inheritance will be endless; if you establish a nephew, you will never hear that your nephew is the emperor and attaches himself to the temple. "Yes." Wu Zetian said: "Please don't predict my family affairs." Di Renjie replied calmly and solemnly: "The king regards the four seas as his home. Who is not a concubine? The king is the leader of the family!" We are the same as each other. How can we not predict the position of prime minister?" In the end, Wu Zetian realized that he listened to Di Renjie's advice and personally welcomed Li Xian, the king of Luling, back to the palace and established him as the emperor's heir. Tang Zuo was able to maintain his relationship. Therefore, Di Renjie was called a loyal minister and righteous man by politicians and historians of the past dynasties who had the ability to rebuild the Tang Dynasty.

In the autumn of the first year of the Holy Calendar (698), the Turks moved south to harass Hebei. Wu Zetian appointed the prince as marshal of Hebei Province and Di Renjie as deputy marshal to conquer the Turks. When the prince failed, Wu Zetian ordered Di Renjie to know about the marshal's affairs and send Di Renjie off personally. The Turkic Mochu Khan killed and plundered more than 10,000 men and women from Zhao, Ding and other prefectures and returned to Mobei. Di Renjie was unable to pursue him, so Wu Zetian appointed him as the pacification ambassador of Hebei Province. Faced with the desolate scene after the war, Di Renjie took four measures: 1. Shangshu asked for amnesty from the Hebei states without asking any questions, so that the innocent people who were forced to serve by the Turks would be happy to return to their hometowns to produce. 2. Transport bulk grain to provide relief to the poor. 3. Build post roads to benefit the Xuanshi. 4. It is strictly forbidden for subordinates to intrude on the people, and offenders will be killed. Stability in Hebei was quickly restored.

In the first year of Jiushi (700), Di Renjie was promoted to internal history (Zhongshu Ling). In the summer of this year, Wu Zetian went to Sanyang Palace to escape the summer heat. Monk Hu invited her to view the burial relics (Buddha bones). Wu Zetian, who regarded Buddhism as the state religion, agreed. Di Renjie knelt in front of the horse and said: "Buddha, the god of barbarians and Di, is not enough to subjugate the lord of the world. That Hu monk is so strange that he wants to invite you to come to him in ten thousand chariots." Wu Zetian then returned in the middle way. In the autumn of that year, Wu Zetian wanted to build a large pagoda statue. It was estimated that the cost would be several million, and the palace would not be enough, so he ordered monks and nuns all over the world to donate money every day to help. Di Renjie went to the admonishment and said: "The Tathagata teaches primarily with compassion. Why do you want to work hard just to show off?" "Recent floods and droughts have been uncontrollable, and today's borders are not peaceful. If you waste official wealth and use all your manpower, you will lose a corner." If he is in trouble, how can he be rescued?" Wu Zetian accepted his suggestion and dismissed him.

As a loyal prime minister who seeks the country, Di Renjie is very knowledgeable about people and often seeks to promote talents. Once, Wu Zetian asked him to recommend a general and minister, and Di Renjie recommended Zhang Jianzhi, the governor of Jing to her. Wu Zetian promoted Zhang Jianzhi to Luozhou Sima. A few days later, Di Renjie was asked to recommend talents to generals and prime ministers. Di Renjie said: "I recommended Zhang Jianzhi, but he has not been used yet." Wu Zetian replied that he had been promoted. Di Renjie said: "The person recommended by me can be the prime minister, not the Sima." Due to Di Renjie's strong recommendation, Zhang Jianzhi was appointed by Wu Zetian as the Minister of Qiuguan, and after another period of time, he was promoted to the prime minister. Later, in the first year of Shenlong (705) after Di Renjie's death, Zhang Jianzhi took advantage of Wu Zetian's serious illness and supported the restoration of Tang Zhongzong, making great contributions to the restoration of the Tang Dynasty. Di Renjie also recommended dozens of loyal, honest, smart and capable officials such as Huan Yanfan, Jinghui, Dou Huaizhen, and Yao Chong. After they were entrusted with important tasks by Wu Zetian, the political style changed and a kind of uprightness appeared in the court. Qi. Later, they all became famous officials of Zhongxing in the Tang Dynasty. For generals from ethnic minorities, Di Renjie can also recommend talents. Li Kaigu, a fierce Khitan general, led his troops to defeat the Wu and Zhou armies many times. After being defeated, he surrendered, and the relevant departments advocated his execution.

Di Renjie believed that Li Kai was a talented general, and if he was spared the death penalty, he would be grateful for his service, so he petitioned to confer an official title on him and assign him a special expedition. Wu Zetian accepted his suggestion. Sure enough, Li Kaigu and others led the army to attack the remaining Khitan people and returned in triumph. Wu Zetian held a banquet to celebrate the victory, raised a glass to Di Renjie and said "it is a public achievement." Because Di Renjie has the ability to know people, someone said to Di Renjie: "All the peaches and plums in the world are in Gongmen."

During the years when Di Renjie was the prime minister, Wu Zetian had more trust in him than any other minister. She often called Di Renjie "the elder of the country" without naming him. Di Renjie liked to lead the court into disputes, and Wu Zetian "complied with him every time." Di Renjie retired many times because of his old age, but Wu Zetian did not allow him to come in and often prevented him from worshiping. Wu Zetian once warned the officials in the court: "Since it is not a major military matter, do not bother the public."

In the first year of Jiushi (700), Di Renjie died of illness, and the government and the public were in mourning. Wu Zetian cried and said: "Chaotang "Empty" was given to Wenchang Youcheng, whose posthumous title was Wenhui. When Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty succeeded to the throne, he gave Sikong a posthumous gift. Emperor Ruizong of the Tang Dynasty also named him Duke of Liang.

Central officials: "Since it is not a major military matter, don't bother the public."