Chapter 38 Chapter Four

As a member of the Xianbei ethnic group, Tuoba Hong has the blood of the Tuoba clan flowing in his veins, so he naturally has an instinctive kindness and affection for the culture of his ethnic group; however, he has been influenced by the Confucian culture of the Han nationality since he was a child. Influence and influence, two different cultural factors co-exist in his heart at the same time, will definitely produce fierce collisions and conflicts from time to time.Comparing the two, he rationally agreed with Han culture, because it was, after all, an advanced representative of social production and lifestyle at that time.He completely worshiped at the feet of the Han culture, and painstakingly guided his subjects on the road of advanced culture.

After the capital was moved to Luoyang, the Sinicization reform of the Northern Wei Dynasty developed to a new stage. Emperor Xiaowen was no longer satisfied with the previous "piecemeal" reforms, but increased the intensity and speed, and attacked Han culture from multiple sides and all directions. Regardless of the essence and the dross, "take" all of them and use them for me. Specifically, Emperor Xiaowen Tuoba Hong's reform measures mainly include the following points: 1. Abolish the old customs and implement Sinicization.The Tuoba tribe of Xianbei has an ancient ritual of offering sacrifices to heaven in the western suburbs, which gradually evolved from the primitive tribal alliance meeting that decided major policies in the early days.In March of the second year after deciding to move the capital to Luoyang, Emperor Xiaowen resolutely abolished it by "stopping worshiping heaven in the western suburbs".If there is no destruction, there will be no establishment, and this move is a good demonstration of his determination to completely reform.

In terms of accepting Chinese culture, he first started from people's customs such as language, clothing, and surnames. Emperor Xiaowen issued an edict in 495 A.D.: "Northern vulgar language shall not be used in the court. If there is any violation, the residence official shall be exempted." Heluo Phonetics" and other books are used by Xianbei people to learn Chinese. For the convenience of riding and shooting, Hu people often wear long boots and short jackets with narrow sleeves.After entering the Central Plains, it is very special and dazzling among the large number of Han people.In order to reduce ethnic estrangement, Emperor Xiaowen ordered the Xianbei clothing to be changed, and the Han people's praise clothes and belts were adopted.

Xianbei surnames are mostly transformed from tribal names, and are often complex surnames with several characters joined together. The translation into Chinese characters is very complicated. Emperor Xiaowen issued an edict to change all surnames to Chinese surnames.For example, changing Tuoba to Yuan, Hegu to Hu, Yilou to Yi, Qiudun to Qiu, etc.He not only changed the Xianbei compound surname to a single surname, but also changed some Xianbei names to Chinese names. Second, reform the official system.In the early Northern Wei Dynasty, the government agencies adopted a bureaucratic system with a mixture of Hu and Han.Later, Emperor Xiaowen imitated the Southern Dynasties and carried out some corresponding reforms on the official system, such as canceling the internal official system and replacing it with eunuchs and female officials; establishing a new official system of censors, expanding and strengthening its authority; The official positions held are called honest officials, and those who are suitable for the common people are called dirty officials; the titles are changed from virtual titles to real titles, and the food city system is implemented; the official performance appraisal system is established, and it is combined with the rectification of official administration...

3. Change laws and decrees.Emperor Xiaowen revised the laws and regulations twice. He not only discussed and revised the laws in person, but also went to prisons, heard unjust lawsuits, and decided doubtful prisons; he emphasized seeking truth from facts and opposed extorting confessions by torture; torture", family punishment, chariot splitting, beheading and other tortures. Fourth, promote Confucianism.Tuoba Hong has accepted a set of Confucianism since he was a child, so he respects Confucius very much, respects classics, and pays special attention to etiquette, the core of Confucianism.He restored Yale, established schools, and fully adopted the Confucian cultural education of the Han people.

Fifth, establish a powerful system.Family status and status are the capital of the Han people to show off, but the Xianbei people do not have this system.After entering the Central Plains, there is often an inferiority complex in the heart that cannot be compared with the Han people.In order to improve the privileges and status of the Xianbei nobles, in 495 AD, Emperor Xiaowen formulated the surname clan and established the clan system.He divided the ranks of the Xianbei family into surname and clan, with the surname higher than the clan.The nobles of the Xianbei family had eight surnames: Mu, Lu, He, Liu, Lou, Yu, Ji, and Wei.With the so-called noble families, Xianbei nobles had the capital to intermarry with Han people. Hu-Han marriages were quite common, which also strengthened the integration of Xianbei and Han people in terms of physiology and blood relationship.

A series of vigorous and comprehensive Sinicization reform measures implemented by Emperor Xiaowen indeed brought cultural prosperity and prosperity to the Northern Wei Dynasty at that time. Notable achievements: the official script of the Northern Wei Dynasty——Wei stele has a rigorous structure and calm strokes, which can be called a treasure of Chinese calligraphy; Dunhuang Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes, Bingling Temple, Maiji Mountain and other grottoes are collections of literature, art, sculpture, painting, etc. Yu Yilu is a typical representative of the culture of the Northern Wei Dynasty; the two brilliant geographical works "Shui Jing Zhu" and "Luoyang Jialan Ji" throughout the Southern and Northern Dynasties were both created in the late Northern Wei Dynasty. They are Sinicization displayed in a unique way The results and crystallization, if there is no Sinicization reform of Emperor Xiaowen, it is impossible to have the birth and publication of these two immortal works...

At the same time of internal reforms, Tuobahong never forgot the great cause of the reunification of the North and the South.He is naturally intelligent, decisive, courageous, and courageous, but his temperament seems to be too impatient. He can't wait to accomplish some things in one fell swoop and complete them all in his hands.As soon as he moved his capital to Luoyang, he disregarded the dissuasion of his ministers and hurriedly led his army to the south when the internal stability was not stable and the military and material resources were insufficient. In October 496 A.D., just over a year after the first Southern Expedition returned without success, he decided to take advantage of the great opportunity of the internal political turmoil in the Southern Dynasty to attack Qi on a large scale again.This time, Emperor Xiaowen made more adequate preparations. At the beginning, the Wei army won consecutive victories and captured many counties and counties in the north of Mianyang, such as Nanyang and Xinye. However, in the battle of Guoyang, the Wei army suffered a tragic defeat. More than a thousand people were captured.Although defeat turned into victory, the southern expedition, which lasted seven months, did not achieve breakthrough progress and results.

In April 498 AD, Tuoba Hong sent 200,000 soldiers from prefectures and counties to gather in mid-August, preparing for the third major attack on Southern Qi.The Gaoche soldiers in the Southern Expedition were afraid of the expedition and led an uprising. It coincided with the death of Emperor Qi Ming.Years of exhaustion from expeditions had already exhausted Emperor Xiaowen, and all kinds of internal conflicts made him upset.At this moment, the backyard suddenly caught fire, and someone reported that Queen Feng Miaolian had an affair with the monk Gao Bodhisattva who pretended to be an eunuch.As if adding fuel to the flames, Tuoba Hong couldn't help being very angry, and ordered Empress Dowager Feng to be imprisoned, and the monk Gao Bodhisattva and the "matchmaker"-the palace deacon Shuangmeng were executed together.Emperor Xiaowen was desperate and exhausted, and his already weak body couldn't help being seriously ill.Yan doctor took medicine, the disease improved a little, but the body has not yet recovered, and he supported the sick body and led the army to conquer the Southern Qi.As a result, he became terminally ill and died in the army on April 26, 499 AD, at the age of thirty-three.

Before Emperor Xiaowen died, he did not forget the lecherous Empress Dowager Feng. He left a will and said: "The empress does not abide by women's morality, and is afraid of interfering with the government after death. She is ordered to commit suicide, and she will be buried in another place with the empress's ceremony." For the sake of the throne and the great cause of the country in the Northern Wei Dynasty, Tuoba Hong hardly gained any happiness and warmth from his family.His personal life can be said to be an out-and-out multiple tragedy.When he was two years old, his mother gave him death because of his status as crown prince; when he was nine years old, his father became a victim of court struggle; With the support of opposing Sinicization reforms, he conspired to flee back to Pingcheng, and took the opportunity to attack. He was given to die by himself before his death.Parents, wives, and sons were either murdered and ordered to die, or ordered to die by themselves.In Tuoba Hong's blood relatives and family life, there seemed to be a desolate and gloomy wind, which never drifted away throughout his life.