Chapter 7 2. Kaiyuan prosperity

From Kaiyuan to Tianbao, the most important figure on the political stage of the Tang Dynasty was naturally Xuanzong.Historical figures are often both the author and the characters in the play. The tragicomedy of Xuanzong's life, which was full of ups and downs, was staged vigorously from the very beginning. In March of the second year of Xiantian (713), more than half a year after Xuanzong ascended the throne, Yang Xiangru, a county lieutenant from Jiupin in Jinling County (now Changzhou, Jiangsu Province), commented on the current affairs, saying: "The Sui family died of indulgence, Taizong suppressed If you want to prosper, may your majesty choose it in detail." ("Zizhi Tongjian Volume 210") This is mainly aimed at the phenomenon that the high officials and relatives of the Tang Dynasty competed for pomp and extravagance at that time.

When Empress Wei was in chaos, Princess Anle was so extravagant that she ordered people to weave two feather skirts with birds, one for herself and one for Empress Wei, and the price was one million.These two woolen skirts are the same color when viewed from the front, the same color when viewed from the side, the same color under the sun, and the same color in the shadows, as if all birds see the same color in the skirt.Since Princess Anle made this skirt, many officials have imitated it, resulting in "the feathers of strange birds and animals in Jiangling are exhausted."Princess Taiping is even worse.Princess Taiping is the only daughter of Wu Zetian. She has been loved since she was a child. In addition to occupying the "fat" countryside in Gyeonggi, she has "sparse treasure tents, music and rides, which are the same as those in the palace. There are often hundreds of servants in Luoqi. Women will be filled with thousands. It’s a good taste for dogs and horses to play in other states, and it’s unreliable.”See "Old Tang Book Volume 183 Biography of Princess Taiping".Although Princess Anle and Princess Taiping were executed successively, the trend of extravagance is still there. "Praise each other, it has become a custom."

After reading Yang Xiangru's memorabilia, Xuanzong "learned it well", and took decisive measures against the social abuse of "extravagant customs": it was stipulated that ministers below the third rank and those below the inner palace concubine should not wear ornaments made of gold and jade, and Dismiss the court ladies to save money.He also ordered that all parts of the country are not allowed to mine pearls and jade and make brocade, which changed the extravagant style formed in the harem since Wu Zetian.In action, Xuanzong followed his great-grandfather's practice of "restraining desires and prospering", suppressing emotions and destroying desires, being strict and frugal, and repeatedly prohibiting extravagance, in order to "return to simplicity and simplicity, and the family will be satisfied".

Xuanzong knew very well the truth that "the style of writing and quality starts from the top", and he started from himself first.As mentioned earlier, after Wang Renjiao, the father of Queen Wang, died of illness, Xuanzong gave him special treatment and wanted to build a high grave and a large tomb according to the funeral specifications of his grandfather Dou Xiaozhan when he died.The two prime ministers, Song Jing and Su Ting, spoke to stop him, and Xuanzong hurriedly corrected his mistakes, saying to Song Jing and others: "I always want to be upright in everything to achieve discipline. As for my wife, is there any selfishness?" ("Old Tang Book Volume Ninety-six Biography of Song Jing) Sima Guang believed that Xuanzong's move of "suppressing desire and prospering" was very important for the later realization of "Great Rule". Zhitongjian Volume 211) As for Xuanzong's extravagance and corruption in his later years, "Late festivals are still defeated by extravagance" is another story.

It is particularly worth mentioning that most of the prime ministers during the Kaiyuan period were known for their "clean and thrifty".At the beginning of Kaiyuan, Xuanzong used Yao Chong as his prime minister.As the prime minister, Yao Chong did not have his own special house, and his whole family lived far away from the court.After he went to court to handle government affairs, he often lived in a monastery called Wangji Temple because he couldn't go home in time at night.Once, Yao Chong was suffering from malaria, and Yuan Qianyao was ordered by the Shangchang to handle government affairs. Whenever there was a major event, he would go to the temple to ask Yao Chong for advice.Yuan Qianyao had a lot of contact with Yao Chong, and he admired Yao Chong's strict self-discipline, honesty, diligence and thrifty life style. He asked Xuanzong to let Yao Chong move into Sifangguan (belonging to Zhongshu Province), and Xuanzong immediately approved it.But Yao Chong thought that the Sifang Pavilion was too luxurious and contained official documents, so it was inconvenient to live in, so he resolutely declined.Yao Chong left a will before his death, admonishing his children and grandchildren to "keep their own parts", and especially "belong to a thin burial".Wang Fuzhi, a thinker in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, believed: "Only in the Kaiyuan era, there were three prime ministers in the Qing Dynasty: Song Jing was clear and vigorous, Lu Huaishen was clear and cautious, Zhang Jiuling was clear and harmonious, far-sighted, out-of-stock and profitable, and stood out from Tang San. For more than a hundred years, the imperial court knows that there is a sense of shame, and the world relies on it for peace." ("Du Tong Jian Lun Volume 22") Song Jing, Zhang Jiuling and others are all famous figures in history, politically All have made achievements.

It is precisely because the Kaiyuan monarchs and ministers were strict with themselves and started from the top, the extravagant customs of the Tang Dynasty were effectively restrained, and the atmosphere of "returning to simplicity and simplicity" gradually formed.It can be said that the realization of the "Kaiyuan Reign" actually started with "returning to simplicity and simplicity". When Xuanzong came to the throne, the Li Dynasty had already experienced decades of usurpation and bloody suffering.In order to stabilize the political situation, Xuanzong decisively killed or demoted the remnants of Wu, Webster and Princess Taiping.In order to improve administrative efficiency, a large number of officials appointed by Empress Wu, Zhongzong and Ruizong were oblique officials (informal appointments), and officials of trial, examination, judgment, and magistrates (non-official redundant officials) were abolished and streamlined, and the number of prime ministers was reduced by Ruizong At that time, more than ten people were reduced to two or three people.For his compatriots and brothers, Xuanzong treated them preferentially, but did not give them real jobs, which fundamentally weakened the political basis for a coup d'état within the royal family.As for those heroes who claimed to have contributed to Xuanzong and sought power, such as Liu Youqiu, Zhong Shaojing, Wang Ju, etc., they were resolutely denounced.In this way, through a series of powerful measures, the imperial power, which had already declined, reached its peak again in the hands of the strong and resolute Xuanzong.

It should be emphasized that the effective ministers in Xuanzong's early days were all the talents left by Wu Zetian. During Wu Zetian's reign, he vigorously promoted the imperial examination system and effectively selected a group of talented elites to serve the court.The series of major reforms that Xuanzong carried out in the early days of his accession to the throne were carried out through these elites. At this time, Xuanzong was high-spirited and ambitious, and he was determined to display his political ambitions.In the first month of the fourth year of Kaiyuan (716), Empress Wang's brother-in-law, Sun Xin, the eldest son of Shang Yifeng, had a feud with Li Jie, the imperial historian, and asked her brother-in-law Yang Xianyu to wait for an opportunity to beat Li Jie in the alley.Li Jie was extremely angry, regardless of whether the other party was a relative of the emperor or not, he went to the table and said: "The minister was beaten, which is really humiliating the country."Xuanzong was furious, and ordered the execution of Sun Xin, Yang Xianyu and other participants.Ma Huaisu, a regular servant of Sanqi, believed that the first month of the lunar year was not suitable for execution.So Xuanzong changed the sentence of beheading to death with a stick in the court hall, thanking all officials, and said: "Those who order are from close to far, and those who punish are first intimate and then distant." ") At the same time, he issued an imperial edict to express his condolences to Li Jie.After disposing of Zhang Sun Xin and others, "the noble relatives have nothing to do."

Xuanzong was only in his early 30s at this time, and he had only been in power for a few years, and he had not forgotten the hardships he faced on the political stage. Therefore, the handling of this matter should be based on Xuanzong's original intention, not the so-called imperial power.With his own practical actions, Xuanzong showed the people of the world his determination to "strive for better governance". People are used to calling a beautiful era the "golden" age. This golden age has appeared several times in Chinese history. The "Golden Age of Kaiyuan" created by Xuanzong is one of the most acclaimed models of prosperous ages.This is indeed an era shining like gold, an era of brilliant political achievements, economic prosperity, cultural prosperity, and national strength, and it can even be said to be an era of brilliance, whether it is internal affairs, diplomacy, military affairs, or culture and art, All achieved great success.

During the Kaiyuan period, the land was opened up, and there were many "high mountains and gullies, and Leisi was also full".Due to increasing income and reducing expenditure, the country's finances have become more and more abundant, and the granaries of the whole country have been filled, resulting in very cheap prices.According to Du You's "Tong Dian": "In the thirteenth year of Kaiyuan, Mount Tai was granted, the rice bucket reached thirteen wen, and the Qingqi Gudou reached five wen. Since then, there have been no valuables in the world, and the rice bucket in the two capitals is less than twenty. Wen, thirty-two wen for face, and two hundred and ten wen for one piece of silk.” It can be seen that at that time, the production of grain, cloth and silk was abundant, the price of goods was low, and commerce was flourishing.There are Du Fu's poems as evidence: "Recalling the heyday of Kaiyuan in the past, there are thousands of houses in Xiaoyi. The rice is fat and the corn is white, and the public and private warehouses are full. There are no jackals and tigers in Jiuzhou. Traveling far without asking for auspicious days. Qi Wan The Luxuan car runs frequently, and the man who farms and the woman does not lose each other." Chinese silk traveled to the West along the Silk Road, and immediately became a luxury that was more precious than gold in the hands of Roman nobles.

At that time, the people of Tang Dynasty not only lived and worked in peace and contentment at home, but also traveled comfortably, with smooth roads and safe travel. "Tong Dian" records: During the Kaiyuan period, as far as Luoyang and Bianliang in the east, and Qizhou in Guanzhong in the west, Jialu was lined with shops and restaurants, and wine shops were overflowing. Every post station rented donkeys and horses for guests to ride.There are post stations and shops in Jingxiang in the south, Taiyuan and Fanyang in the north, and Chunfu in Shuchuan in the west.Du Fu also once described in his poems: the post houses from Qinzhou (now Tianshui, Gansu) to the Western Regions (now Xinjiang and Central Asia) have ponds, swamps, forests, and bamboos.At that time, the posthouses from Gansu to Xinjiang had ponds and bamboos, which shows that the climate and water sources are much better than now.There is another statistic that can well explain the stability and peace of the society, that is: there are very few crimes committed by officials and civilians.In the eighteenth year of Kaiyuan (730), there were only 24 criminals nationwide.

A strong national power is another important symbol of Kaiyuan rule.Since Tang Gaozong, Tubo became powerful and became a serious threat to the west of the Tang Dynasty.During the period of Empress Wu, the late Turks revived in Mobei, and the Khitan rose in the northeast, which caused the tense situation in the north of the Tang Dynasty.Many areas that belonged to the Tang Dynasty during the Zhenguan and Yonghui years were out of control again.After Xuanzong ascended the throne, he strengthened the army in the adjacent areas, set up farms, greatly enriched the defense, and established four towns in Pinglu, Fanyang, Hedong, Shuofang, Longyou, Hexi, Anxi, Yibeiting, Jiannan and other 9 Jiedu envoys and one Lingnan five government envoys commanded and defended the military in a unified manner.Foreign wars have also achieved brilliant results.In the fifth year of Kaiyuan (717), the Tang Dynasty recovered 21 prefectures in western Liaoning from Khitan, reset the governor's office in Yingzhou, and Mobei Bayegu, Tongluo, Huihe, etc. all returned to the Tang Dynasty.In the northwest, the Tang Dynasty regained Suiye City and defeated the powerful Tubo and Xiaobolu. The road to Central Asia was thus reopened, the Tang Dynasty's sovereignty over the Western Regions was restored, and the Tang Dynasty's prestige spread far and wide in West Asia.Japan and the Korean Peninsula had frequent contacts with the Tang Dynasty, and countries in South Asia had constant exchanges with the Tang Dynasty.Messengers and merchants from various countries kept coming and going.Regarding the frontier defense system that defeated Tubo and Xuanzong, I will describe it in detail later in the section "Ge Shu Ye Brings a Sword". Many Hu people who came to China (the Tang people collectively called people from all countries "Hu people", foreign traders called "Hu businessmen" and "Hu Jia", foreign monks collectively called "Hu monks", and foreign women collectively called "Hu Ji". ") Seeing the unparalleled prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, he was so happy to miss Shu that he didn't even want to go back to China, so he simply stayed in China.At that time, the ethnic minorities in the Western Regions generally yearned for the Eastern Paradise, and the capital Chang'an was a sacred place that everyone looked forward to, so there gathered an astonishing number of Hu people from the Western Regions, sometimes as many as 200,000.The masters of singing, dancing, a hundred operas, illusion (acrobatics) and other masters who performed in Chang'an, and accompanied by them were Hu merchants and Hu Ji who opened restaurants, restaurants, singing houses and dances in Chang'an. They soon became the cultural giants of the Tang Dynasty. A novel landscape in the field of vision. The prosperity of social economy will inevitably promote the development of culture.The achievements of the prosperous Tang Dynasty in literature and art are also fruitful, with extraordinary weather and great achievements.Tang poetry is most praised by later generations.The tide of Tang poetry reached its peak in the Kaiyuan period, and it was spectacular.The great poets Li Bai, Du Fu, Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, etc. are all first-class poets who have never been seen before, and decorated the entire poetic world of the prosperous Tang Dynasty with unprecedented splendor and grandeur.The famous poets in the mid-Tang Dynasty (the so-called Dali Ten Talents) were also cultivated during this period.The artistic achievements of great calligraphers Zhang Xu and Yan Zhenqing, great painter Wu Daozi, and great musician Li Guinian are also unprecedented and unprecedented.Other arts such as dance, sculpture, and shaping have all made brilliant and remarkable achievements. In a feudal dynasty, there were so many outstanding talents who could shine through the ages, which is the best portrayal of Wenzhiwugong in the early period of Xuanzong's rule.His achievements are unprecedented and unprecedented. Not only have they surpassed any emperor in history, but none of the later emperors can surpass him.Kaiyuan indeed ushered in a new era and the most prosperous and glorious monument in Chinese feudal history. This is a time of masculinity, inspiring and flourishing.Because of self-confidence, openness, magnanimity, broadness, and development, Datang's prestige has spread all over the world. The internal affairs and diplomacy, military affairs, and poetry of the prosperous Tang Dynasty will be discussed in subsequent chapters. Here we will focus on the music and dance of the Tang Dynasty. Xuanzong's appearance is extraordinary, his temperament is decisive, he is versatile, able to calligraphy, familiar with temperament, rich in life and aspirations, no less than his achievements in politics, he is a rare emperor in history who combines politicians and artists .Under Xuanzong's strong admiration, the art of music and dance reached the peak of ancient Chinese artistic achievements during Xuanzong's reign. Xuanzong strengthened the establishment of music and dance institutions, and he even directly participated in the creation, which greatly promoted the prosperity of music and dance creation. The famous music and dance institutions of the court in the Tang Dynasty were Jiaofang, Liyuan, and Taichang Temple.These places not only concentrated a large number of outstanding folk artists, but also trained many professional artists.Even the official prostitutes, camp prostitutes, and house prostitutes in various places have undergone strict selection and training, and they are good at singing and dancing, and have outstanding talents.At that time, the exchange and integration of Chinese and foreign national music and dance became a common practice, outstanding musicians and dancers were like stars, and dazzling music and dance works emerged one after another.Here are a few examples - The sword dance of the Tang Dynasty was very popular.Sword Dance belongs to Jianwu, and its dancing posture is heroic and magnificent.In the Tang Dynasty, the dancer who was good at this dance was first promoted by Aunt Gongsun.Aunt Gongsun's sword dance is a combination of "Xihe sword dance" and "sword dance". "Xihe" belongs to the northwest where the folk customs are fierce, while "Hunduo" is originally a dance of the Western Regions.Different from the soft dances such as "Plucking Lotus Song" and "Hua Ting Hua" inherited from the Southern Dynasties, this healthy dance is dripping, tense and full of fighting atmosphere and vitality.Chen Chang's "Book of Music" contains: "The music of the Yuefu has not been used since ancient times... In the last years of the Tang Dynasty, the sword qi (device) entered the Huntao, and it was the beginning of the offending sound. Jun.” It can be seen that the accompanying music of Huntuo Dance is quite majestic and enthusiastic.Du Fu praised Gongsun Da Niang's dancing skills in a poem: