Chapter 2 Second, reform is imminent
Song Shenzong was twenty years old when he succeeded to the throne.
This is a good age, full of enthusiasm, but also very old.Moreover, according to official history records, the eldest son of Emperor Yingzong named Zhao Xu (read Ruxu) seems to be born to be an emperor.In particular, the literati and bureaucrats praised him for his knowledge of books and principles, and his respect for teachers: he forgot to sleep and eat when he was reading, he was respectful to his teachers, he didn't use a fan in hot weather, and he was extremely filial in serving the two palaces.Although the official history books are inevitably full of praise, we are willing to believe that this is true.
In fact, the moment Shenzong succeeded to the throne, people were impressed. The first edict he issued was to simplify the funeral of Emperor Daxing.He also explained that when Emperor Renzong came to heaven, the first emperor (because he was not Renzong's own son) wanted to avoid suspicion and dare not cut it down.However, I have no such concerns, and just inherit the late emperor's behest and practice strict economy.
It is not difficult to imagine that the public opinion has received rave reviews.
However, the temple name of this supposedly good emperor after his death was Shenzong.
This is a conclusion that is neither good nor bad.Because according to the posthumous posthumous law, people are incapable of being called gods, which means "unable to evaluate".There are two temples named Shenzong in the history of the Chinese Empire, and the other is Wanli in Ming Dynasty.However, Emperor Wanli ignored the government for decades, but Zhao Xu made great efforts to govern.Such a big difference but they are all called Shenzong, it really makes people don't know what to say.
In fact, on this issue, the emperors and ministers of the Great Song Dynasty had unspeakable secrets.
The trouble is with the rating system.According to the traditional concept, there is meritorious deeds, meritorious service, and words, which are called "three immortals".Song Shenzong's moral character is of course impeccable.He is benevolent, understanding the people's feelings, caring for the orphans and the elderly; he is humble, self-restraining, respecting and assisting ministers; he is simple, and never spends much time traveling in mountains and rivers; he is diligent and always puts the affairs of the empire in the first place.Therefore, even the official history books, which were quite critical of the reform, had to admit that Zhao Xu was a virtuous king.
Zhao Xu's excellent qualities were even shown early on.One day in the first year of Zhiping when he was named King Ying, his subordinates made him a pair of beautiful boots.Everyone has a love of beauty, not to mention that Zhao Xu was only seventeen at this time, and he was extremely beautiful and handsome, so he took the boots and looked at them again and again, and couldn't put them down.
Han Wei next to him spoke: Does the prince also need dancing boots?
Zhao Xu blushed and immediately threw the boots away.
Although this is a trivial matter, it can explain the problem, at least it shows that Zhao Xu is an aspiring young man.For the Song Dynasty, he has a sense of ownership.He really wanted to carry forward the cause of his ancestors, and hoped that the empire would have long-term stability, so he put down his body and accepted advice humbly. He did not pretend to be arrogant as a prince or emperor.
He has always maintained this style of work, so that when the ministers of the DPRK and China are arguing endlessly, it is inevitable to be hesitant, and his support for Wang Anshi cannot be consistent to the end.But the situation here is actually complicated, let alone his moral flaws.
However, when it comes to meritorious service, opinions are divided.The reformists believe that he has made meritorious deeds, while the opposition believe that he has done so.At this time, Empress Dowager Gao, the backstage boss of the opposition, was in charge of the government. It was just that it was inconvenient for a mother to scold her son, and others dared not, so they had to be vague and declared "I don't know what to say", and went to the temple to say Shenzong.
So, shouldn't Song Shenzong reform?
No, it should, and arguably is imminently.
The most serious problem is the empty treasury.Three days after Shenzong succeeded to the throne, the third envoy (director of the National Finance Committee) Han Jiang and others handed over a report on the financial situation to His Majesty the emperor. In the memorial, eight words were impressively written:
A hundred years of accumulation, only an empty book remains.
In other words, there is no money in the account.
The reason why there is no money has already been mentioned in the volume "The Great Song Revolution", the fiscal revenue of the empire is used to support officials, raise soldiers, and buy peace.For example, when the funeral for Emperor Renzong was held four years ago, there was not a single sheep left in the Kaifeng area because wine and meat were given to all civil and military officials and the capital garrison.Hehe, a single banquet can use up all the sheep in the capital, and the number of officials and troops can be imagined.
But there is no way.The core idea of the "ancestral family law" left by Zhao Kuangyin is to safeguard the imperial power, and the basic national policy is to buy it with money.Therefore, Khitan and Xixia had to pay annual fees every year, and the number and salary of civil servants had to increase year by year. Criminals and refugees were organized into the Xiang army to keep them from rebelling.In other words, in order to maintain stability, Zhao Song's official family can only scatter money like a goddess.
Who can afford to spend such money?
Yes, the economy of the Northern Song Dynasty was prosperous.Unfortunately, the economy will never grow as fast as spending.According to statistics, during the Emperor Renzong's reign, the state's fiscal revenue was 39 million yuan, and its expenditure was 13 million yuan, accounting for one-third of the income.During the Hidemune Zhiping period, the income was 44 million, and the expenditure was 8.8 million, accounting for one-fifth of the income.In the Xining period of Shenzong, although the income reached 50.6 million, the expenditure was also 50.6 million, accounting for 100% of the income.
May I ask, how can Shenzong be the emperor?
Besides, this is just one of the sayings.Another statistic shows that during Yingzong's period, the imperial court was unable to make ends meet. In the second year of Zhiping (1065), the fiscal deficit reached more than 15 million yuan, of which more than 11.5 million was abnormal expenditure.This number is very different from the previous statement, and it is difficult to judge which is right and which is wrong, but it eloquently proves that the management of the empire at that time was really chaotic.
The confusion is no surprise.As stated in the volume "Great Song Innovation", in order to consolidate imperial power and prevent rebellion and coup d'état, Zhao Song officials deliberately designed very complicated systems and institutions.They first took away the military power from the government and handed it over to the Privy Council, so the Ministry of War became a dummy;The Privy Council and the Third Division can act on their own, and there is no need to communicate with the Ministry of Education.As a result, the treasury has long been empty, and the Privy Council is still recruiting soldiers; the people are already poor, and the three divisions are still extorting money.The most ridiculous thing is that once a certain official received different appointments from the Ministry of Education and the Privy Council at the same time, and he didn't know where to take up his post.
In such a chaotic state, there is no shortage of people who eat vegetarian food.In the third month after Shenzong succeeded to the throne, the imperial court decided to promote the magistrate of Kaifeng to work in Kaifeng Prefecture.However, when the emperor talked to this person, he found that he didn't know anything about the matters within his jurisdiction, so angry that Emperor Shenzong didn't know what to say.
Looking at it this way, didn't the imperial court spend a lot of money to raise a bunch of waste?
Indeed, even worse than trash.Because they still have internal strife and intrigue.Also this month, Shenzong received a complaint that two supervisory officials had impeached Shenzhi Zhengshi (Deputy Prime Minister) Ouyang Xiu for adultery with his daughter-in-law.
This is of course a huge scandal for the Song Dynasty, which advertised "ruling the country by virtue", and Ouyang Xiu himself had to defend it.He wrote to the emperor and said: This matter is not as good as a beast.If it is true, I will commit the greatest evil in the world; if it is false, I will bear the greatest injustice in the world.Therefore, I implore your Majesty to uphold justice and order the just ministers to inquire: How did the censor know about the secrets in the boudoir, and how did the filthy deeds come to light?
Ouyang Xiu is Ouyang Xiu after all, and he grasped the vital point at once.Of course, the whistleblower couldn't answer the question, saying that he couldn't remember it for a while, and then saying that the supervisory officials had the right to catch wind and shadow.After checking and checking, the rumor maker turned out to be Ouyang Xiu's brother-in-law.In a rage, the emperor demoted the two inspectors at the same time.
Shenzong spent a lot of energy on this matter, but in the end it was such an oolong, and the emperor was once again furious.He angrily said to those few people: Leave a lot of important military and state affairs alone, why do you care about people's private life!Of course, there is one more sentence he didn't say: Is it because I am troubled by raising you bastards?
Song's officialdom has really decayed.
Even the important ministers disappointed Shenzong.On the first day of April in the first year of Xining (1068), the old prime minister Fu Bi, who had retired to the second line, came to see him in the palace.The emperor asked the veteran of the three dynasties full of hope and humility, but the answer he got was: May your majesty keep his mouth shut for 20 years and maintain stability and unity at home.
Shenzong understood.Fu Bi knew that he was determined to innovate, so he said this on purpose.It seems that the state machinery of the dynasty has rusted, and it will not work without reform.Relying on those veterans, those old people, and those old methods is not enough.
Letting go of the old and taking in the new is the only choice.
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