Chapter 273 Chapter 272 Zhenzong Zhao Heng

Song Zhenzong, originally named Dechang, later changed his name to Yuanxiu and Yuankan. In the first year of Dao (995 A.D.), he became the crown prince and changed his name to Heng.He is the third son of Emperor Taizong, and his mother is Empress Li of Yuande.Born in the sixth year of Qiande (AD 968) in Song Dynasty and died in the first year of Qianxing (AD 1022).55 years old. Zhenzong Zhao Hengcongrui is sensitive, and has been loved by Taizu and Taizong since he was a child. When he was 7 years old, he was taught by Fu Shoujing, and he could recite it at the first glance.He also likes to play battle games with his brothers. He often calls himself the Marshal, who is high above him, gives orders, and speaks well.It is said that once he entered the Long Live Hall with Taizu, and he sat on the throne of Taizu playfully. Taizu asked him caressingly: "This is the throne of the emperor, do you want to be the emperor?" The young Zhao Heng answered Said: "The destiny has returned, and the child dare not say goodbye." This surprised Taizu.A little longer, Taizong asked him to practice cursive script, but he said: "The traces of cursive script are indeed wonderful and secret. But my child heard that the king's career has been accomplished by the sun and the moon. When dealing with government affairs, there should be no concealment. One can see everything at a glance. Learning cursive script, I am afraid that I may make a mistake, so I would like to stop learning." This remark also made Taizong sigh.

In the eighth year of Taiping Xingguo (AD 983), when Zhao Heng was 16 years old, he was granted the title together with his brothers Dechong (later renamed Yuanzuo) and Deming (later renamed Yuanxi), and was granted the title of Taibao of the school and Pingzhang of Tongzhongshumenxia. He was granted the title of king of Han and renamed Yuanxiu.In July of the third year of Yongxi (986 A.D.), he was named Yuan Kan.In the first month of the first year of Duangong (988 A.D.), he became the Jiedu envoy of Jingnan and Hunan, and was renamed King Xiang.In August of the sixth year of Chunhua (995 A.D.), he was re-established as the crown prince, and he was also sentenced to Kaifeng Mansion and given the name Heng.

In February of the third year of Zhidao (AD 997), Emperor Taizong fell ill, and the court began to fight openly and secretly to find a new emperor.After Zhao Hengli became the prince, he offended the eunuch Wang Ji'en who was the Xuanzheng envoy because of something, and hated him.Since Taizong was seriously ill, Wang Jien secretly connected Li Changling, Zhigao Hu Dan, etc., and conspired with Taizong Empress Li to establish Yuan Zuo. On March 29th, Prime Minister Lu Duan entered the palace to inquire about illness. He saw that Emperor Taizong was in critical condition, and that only Empress Li, Wang Jien and others were serving Taizong. , Secretly wrote the word "Dajian", and sent his confidant officials to rush to the East Palace to urge Zhao Heng to enter the ban.At this time, Emperor Taizong died. With the assistance of Lu Duan and others, Zhao Heng, the emperor, was in front of Taizong's spirit at the age of 30.It is Zhenzong.

After Zhenzong ascended the throne, he issued an imperial edict saying: "The general government of the previous dynasty had established rules, and it was important to follow them, and dare not lose them. However, at the beginning of the Tuan Tu, he was afraid of Defuming, so it is appropriate to recruit outstanding talents and open up the road of remonstrance. , Huifu is tired and won. The concubine Yanzong Du Zhihong rested, calling for the harmony of heaven and earth." It expresses his determination to rejuvenate and strive for prosperity. In order to gain the support of the majority of people, Zhenzong first ordered to improve the political treatment of Beijing officials, stipulating that court officials and unchallenged officials should also wear crimson and purple official uniforms.Courtesy of the ministers of the first court, plus the prime minister Lu Duanyoupushe, called his two teachers Li Zhi and Li Hang as governors, and the old general Cao Bin as a privy envoy and servant. Xiang Minzhong, Minister of the Ministry, and Xiahou Qiao, the chief minister, were deputy envoys of the privy secretaries, and they jointly ruled the military affairs.Empress Dowager Li is the Empress Dowager, who still lives in the Jiaqing Hall of the West Palace and moved back to the Wan'an Palace.At the same time, the biological mother Li was honored as a virtuous concubine, and she was honored as the empress dowager. She was posthumously named Yuande, and she was buried in Yongxi Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong.Li Changling, the political adviser, Hu Dan, the eunuch, and Wang Jien, who participated in the abolition of the establishment, were successively demoted and exiled to Yuanjun.Then the Yushitai was ordered to inform the civil and military officials at home and abroad that since the present, there have been mistakes in the emperor, current politics or losses, military dissatisfaction, and civil interests.In the first month of 998 AD, it was changed to Xianping.

In October of the first year of Xianping, Zhenzong made a major personnel adjustment.Lu Duan and Li Zhi were dismissed from their positions, and Zhang Qixian and Li Hang were promoted to be Ministers of the Ministry of Household Affairs.Yang Li and Song Shi, who were promoted to Hanlin bachelors, were the deputy envoys of the Privy Council and participated in the state affairs.Then he began to rectify the administration of officials to solve prominent problems such as overstaffed institutions, corruption, redundant officials, and electoral fraud. Zhenzong adopted the suggestion of Prime Minister Zhang Qixian, and began to establish the system of foreign official positions.Then abolish and merge the bureaucratic institutions that stacked beds and houses, dismiss Yantie, Duzhi, and Hubu deputy envoys, and Yantie, Duzhi, and Hubu as one envoy, and merge the three divisions of Yantie, Duzhi, and Hubu Gouyuan For one, in order to improve the efficiency of the three divisions.It also strictly enforces the recommendation, appointment, transfer, and assessment systems of officials.In the second year of Xianping, Zhenzong ordered all ministries, Taiwan, and courts to recommend officials to be promoted to Zhizhou. Only those who have been recommended for three terms and have achieved political achievements can be rewarded as good deeds.Otherwise, if the person who is promoted commits the crime of corruption, etc., the recommender will also sit down.Zhenzong also ordered the ministers to transcribe the merits and demerits of internal and external officials, and compile and submit them for reference when appointing officials.In April of the fourth year of Xianping, Emperor Zhenzong personally assessed the Beijing officials in the Chongzheng Hall, creating a precedent for the investigation and introduction of officials in the Beijing Dynasty in the Song Dynasty.

In order to widely select outstanding talents and recruit people, Zhenzong put the reform of the imperial examination system and the development of school education in an important position.In "Encouraging Learning", the extreme concept of profit and wealth, such as "the book has its own golden house, and the book has its own Yan Ruyu", was used as a means of persuading learning, which made many scholars tend to be in the examination room.Since the early Song Dynasty, there were very few official schools in school education, and private schools with academies as the main form of teaching gradually flourished.Zhenzong also gave support to such academies.

While implementing political reforms, Zhenzong also actively sought ways to become economically prosperous.In May of the year when he came to the throne, he issued an edict saying: "As a matter of national importance, sufficient food is the first priority." Concerned about the country's less than 9 years of savings, the ministers of the two governments emphasized the art of abundance.He also said to his courtiers: "The way of governing the country must be the first to support the people." Every year, the third division of the imperial edict wants to expand the market to buy real warehouses.It is reiterated that one of the main responsibilities of the transfer envoy is to persuade farmers to teach.In the second year of Xianping (999 A.D.), Pei Zhuang and other officials were ordered to go to Jiangnan, Liangzhe and other places to distribute official granary relief to the hungry victims of the disaster and remove the land tax.The imperial edict ordered the reduction of all kinds of unnamed labor and the suspension of civil engineering construction in order to recuperate the strength of the people.He also ordered the border areas of Shaanxi to broaden the fields and combine the border guards with farming. He also ordered the whole country that all households who have the ability to open up wasteland do not need to increase the rent tax. Pay taxes lightly.In order to enable private households to be able to produce, the method of "purchasing silk in advance" created by the magistrate Ma Yuanfang of the Ministry of Garment was also promoted.That is to say, when the people's power is exhausted every spring, the government borrows money from the households to arrange production and life for the farmers, and after the autumn harvest, the government repays the debts with silk.

Zhenzong himself also focused on diligence.The work schedule he formulated is: every morning in the front hall, he will meet with officials from the Zhongshu, the Privy Council, the Third Division, Kaifeng Mansion, and the Judgment Court.After hearing about the matter, reply immediately if you can make a decision.After breakfast, we deal with the memorials of various divisions and review the memorials until noon.In the afternoon, I read and studied, and arranged various routine activities. In the evening, I called more Confucian officials to give lectures, inquire about the gains and losses of politics, and discuss classics and history.He also believed that prisons are directly related to the governance of the country and the people's security, and first restored the long-abandoned prison officials.Later, due to the complicated lawsuits in the capital prisons, a special institution was set up to "check out the prison department in Beijing".In order to prevent the abuse of false punishments and prisons, the governors of the states were ordered to decide the prison lawsuits and clear up the grievances.County officials in various places are not allowed to set up prisons privately.He also ordered Chai Chengwu and others in Shizhong to compile 856 articles of "Xin Dian Edict" and promulgate them on the plank board, in parallel with the format of laws and regulations and the system of punishment.

At the same time, Zhenzong also issued an edict to strictly restrain the relatives of the emperor and eunuchs.His aunt, Princess Qin, asked for an official assassination for her son Wang Shilong. Zhenzong politely refused, saying: "The official assassination is a matter of public discussion by the court, so it is not allowed." reject.Shi Baoji, the captain-in-law, has a domestic servant stealing at his home. Shi Baoji invites Zhenzong to ask for a felony, and he also wants to punish him at his home.Zhenzong believed that the country had its own common law, and refused to allow it, so he ordered it to be executed by a minister.

Because Zhenzong was able to speak out widely, determined to promote revolution, and diligently governed the country in the first few years of his accession to the throne.The measures taken promoted the social and economic development at that time, so the national population increased from more than 4 million households in the early years of his accession to nearly 8 million households, and a well-off situation called the rule of Xianping appeared in later generations. While strengthening domestic rule, Zhenzong also paid close attention to the relationship with his neighbors.At that time, the external threats of the Song Dynasty were mainly the Khitan regime in the north and the Dangxiang regime in the west.

Since Taizu, the Khitan regime has always been the main threat to the northern Song Dynasty.Emperor Taizong used a large number of troops, hoping to recover the important defense areas in the north of the Song Dynasty, the You and Ji prefectures ceded to Khitan during the Shijin period of the Five Dynasties, but he was defeated.Since then, the Song Dynasty has mainly adopted a defensive strategy towards the Khitan, using the strategy of dangerous fortifications, opening up border rivers and ponds, and planting paddy fields as a passive defense. At this time, the Khitan side took the lead and invaded Song soil in 1004 AD.The stormy attack of the Khitan army caused the Song court to panic. Minister Wang Qinruo and others asked Zhenzong to flee to Jinling (now Nanjing) for refuge.At this critical juncture, Prime Minister Kou Zhun advocated an active war of resistance, and urged Zhenzong to go north to the front line and lead the army to conquer.Although Zhenzong was afraid of going to Hebei, he felt that the proposal of fleeing south was not advisable, so he had to bite the bullet and reluctantly follow Kou Zhun's proposal.In December of this year, Zhenzong set off from the capital and went north to Chanzhou.Zhenzong received all the generals at the gate tower of the north city of Chanzhou.All the troops in the city cheered thunderously when they saw the emperor's personal conquest, and were greatly encouraged.At this time, hundreds of thousands of Song troops gathered around Chanzhou successively. The soldiers only waited for the imperial court to issue an order, then drove out the powerful enemy and took revenge.When the soldiers and civilians on the front line of Hebei heard about Zhenzong's personal conquest, they also launched offensives to attack the enemy. At this time, the Khitan army went deep into the Song Dynasty, suffered setbacks in several battles, had difficulties in supplies, and low morale.Emperor Shengzong Yelu Longxu and Empress Dowager Xiao adopted the suggestion of Wang Jizhong, a surrendered general of the Song Dynasty (who was captured and surrendered to the enemy in the Wangdu War in the sixth year of Xianping), and sent a letter to Zhenzong, proposing to stop the war and negotiate a peace.This is in line with Zhenzong's wishes. He immediately wrote back and said that the Song Dynasty did not like militarism.Han Qi, the envoy of the Khitan Restoration, met with Zhenzong, and agreed to demand the return of the former land of Guannan, which was recovered by Emperor Shizong of the later Zhou Dynasty, as a condition for a strike.Zhenzong was deeply afraid of cede land and negotiate peace, and was reviled by future generations. He asked Cao Li to make peace with him at any cost as long as he didn't cede land.Cao Li asked how much he was allowed to give to Khitan, and Zhenzong said without hesitation: "If you have to, even a million is fine." Later, under Kou Zhun's resolute obstruction, they did not give so much. An agreement was reached on 300,000 taels of silver silk, and it was agreed to stop the war. The Dangxiang (later Xixia) regime also sent envoys to the Song Dynasty when Khitan and the Song Dynasty stopped fighting and made peace.Zhenzong rewarded Li Deming, the leader of the party, generously.In order to ensure the safety of the western border of the Song Dynasty and prevent Deming from repeating himself, Zhenzong proposed seven conditions to Dangxiang, including returning Lingzhou and sending his children into Song Dynasty as hostages, but Deming resolutely refused.Zhenzong had no choice but to make another concession and give up these requirements. In October of the third year of Jingde (1006 A.D.), Deming was granted the title of Jiedu envoy of the Dingnanjie Army and named King Xiping.In addition, the Security Army (now Zhidan County, Shaanxi Province) and Yanzhou (now Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province) were opened successively to conduct trade with them.Since then, Deming has sent envoys to the Song Dynasty every New Year's Day and holy festival, and his contributions have been endless.For Deming, Zhenzong continued to appoint officials and ranks, and rewarded him generously. Zhenzong paid a huge price in exchange for a peaceful relationship with Khitan and Dangxiang, so that the western and northern border defenses of the Song Dynasty were safe for the time being. After the Chanyuan Alliance, the external threats that Zhenzong worried about were temporarily relieved, but the internal contradictions of the court became increasingly intensified. Soon after the war, Zhenzong recalled Wang Qinruo of the Zhuhe faction back to the capital, and gave him the favor of a scholar of the Zizheng Palace.Wang Qinruo took the opportunity to slander Zhenzong, saying that the Chanyuan alliance the day before yesterday was an alliance under the city, and the alliance under the city was a shame in ancient times.Kou Zhun's advocacy of the emperor's personal conquest is to use the emperor as "a desperate bet", and "a desperate bet" is also a great shame and humiliation of the emperor.These words cast a shadow over Zhenzong's heart, and made him depressed and restless for several days. Zhenzong didn't like Kou Zhun's uprightness at first, so he hired Kou Zhun mainly to help him tide over the difficulties.After listening to Wang Qinruo's words, Zhenzong used Kou Zhun's excuse of "excessively seeking a false reputation and no ministerial courtesy" in February of the third year of Jingde (1006 AD).Let go of his appearance and go out to know Shanzhou (now Sanmenxia City, Henan).Wang Dan, who is promoted to know political affairs, is prime minister, and Wang Qinruo knows the affairs of the Privy Council.He also added the title of Wang Qinruo Zizhengdian University Bachelor, ranking first among the ministers. On the third day of the first lunar month in the fifth year of Jingde, Prime Minister Wang Dan led a group of ministers into the palace for the early court. When the ministers finished their performances, a person from the Imperial City Secretary reported that at the south corner of Zuochengtian Gate in the palace city, he found two feet of yellow silk like a scroll. Many, there are faint words on the yellow silk.Zhenzong then said to his ministers: "In November last year, I dreamed of a man of gods, saying that three articles of "Dazhong Xiangfu" should be dropped in the first month of this year. It must be that the book of heaven has dropped." It is said that the "Book of Heaven" has come, and it should be greeted.Zhenzong's monarchs and ministers went to Chengtian Gate, burned incense and worshiped, and took back the "Book of Heaven", which was read by Chen Yaosou of the Privy Council.The general idea is that Zhenzong can inherit his ancestry and govern the world with filial piety and virtue. From now on, he should be quiet, simple and thrifty, start well and end well, and keep Song Zuo forever.After reading, Zhenzong worshiped again, took over the "Book of Heaven", and hid it in the golden cabinet.Then a banquet was held for civil and military officials, the officials of the Beijing Dynasty were promoted to nobles, and they were ordered to change the Yuan Dazhong Xiangfu, and the Zuo Chengtian Gate was changed to the Zuo Chengtian Xiangfu Gate.Afterwards, "Books from Heaven" continued to appear, and Zhenzong was also busy enshrining east and west. Zhenzong believed in auspiciousness and indulged in feudal sacrifices. A group of ministers in the court were also eager to cater to them, hoping to increase their officials and ranks in order to consolidate their power.Wang Qinruo, who first advocated the theory of auspicious enshrining, exhausted his thoughts and relied on Fu Rui to invite grace. In the fifth year of Dazhong Xiangfu (AD 1012), he was worshiped as a chancellor and also a privy envoy.Wang Qinruo was short in appearance, with warts on his neck, and was ridiculed as a "gall phase". He was very sinister and blindly catered to the emperor's wishes. However, so many "auspicious omens" did not bring much benefit to Zhao Heng and his empire, instead, natural disasters and man-made disasters continued. Since the summer of the ninth year of Dazhong Xiangfu, dry locusts have occurred in large areas of Gyeonggi, Hebei, Shaanxi, Jingxi, Jingdong, as well as Jianghuai, Liangzhe, and Jinghu.For this reason, Zhenzong was so worried that he went to various Taoist temples in person or sent officials several times to build Taoist temples to pray to God and beg for blessings.He issued several edicts to exterminate the locusts.But not only did the disaster not ease, but it continued to expand.One day in July of this year, Zhenzong sat in the toilet hall and reported from left and right that migratory locusts passed through the capital.He went out to look at the pavilion, but he saw locusts covering the sky and the sun, and he couldn't see the head and the tail.Zhenzong was worried about his appearance and displeasure, so he ordered to withdraw the food to deal with the disaster.Since then, depression has become a disease. Wang Dan, who has been in office for a long time, has catered more to Zhao Heng since the "Book of Heaven" and the enshrinement, and seldom remonstrates. Change to ", keep yourself clean.At this time, due to the decline of the government and serious disasters, he resigned from the phase in July of the first year of Tianxi (AD 1017).Zhenzong promoted Wang Qinruo as his prime minister. After Wang Qinruo paid homage to the prime minister, he first focused on eliminating dissidents.Shen Zhizhengshi Wang Zeng was the first to be excluded from the court because he had a gap with him.Zhang Zhibai, who was in charge of political affairs, was excluded again because he had many disagreements with him in discussing matters. He stopped knowing Tianxiong Army (now Hebei Daming).Even Li Shiheng, the envoy of the third division, was always favored by Zhenzong because he had repeatedly donated money and silk to help sacrifices when he was the transfer envoy of Hebei.Wang Qinruo's domineering caused dissatisfaction among the government and the public, and was impeached by admonishers.Then someone wrote a letter exposing him for selling officials and nobles. Wang Qinruo defended himself in front of Zhenzong and asked Yushitai to defend him.Zhenzong refused to allow it with the words that "the state set up the Yushitai, not for people to argue the truth".Then, someone exposed his family's collection of forbidden books, and was summoned by Zhenzong for questioning. At first, he felt uneasy, so he dismissed the prime minister and was sentenced to Hangzhou. After Wang Qinruo dismissed as prime minister, Zhenzong remembered Wang Dan's recommendation, called Kou Zhun, who had been outside the court for a long time, as his prime minister, and took Ding Wei as his political adviser.Ding Wei is good at figuring out people's wishes, and relying on his flattery to Zhenzong, his career has skyrocketed.Kou Zhun had always hated him, and he also hated Kou Zhun.Ding said that through this, he connected with Cao Yong and others who had long been dissatisfied with Kou Zhun, and conspired to wait for an opportunity to squeeze Kou Zhun out. After Zhenzong became ill, he became more and more superstitious.Although he once said: "The ancients said that praying to the gods can prolong blessings, I'm afraid it may not be the case." At this time, he kept visiting the temples, worshiping gods and Buddhas, and begging the blessings of the gods.In March of the second year of Tianxi, Zhu Neng, the inspector of the Yongxing Army, dropped the "Book of Heaven" in the mountains of Qianyou (now Zhashui, Shanxi) and went to the capital to present it.Zhao Heng still believed in the faith, prepared a guard of honor, went to Qionglin Garden in person, received the "Book of Heaven" into the palace, amnesty the world, popularized Taoist and Buddhist children, and built a Taoist temple to worship the heaven and the earth.Then summoned more than 13,000 Taoist monks from the capital and other temples in Tian'an Temple, and gave them medicine and money to pray for their blessings and prolong their lives.In August of this year, the prince Zhao Zhen was established as the crown prince.From then on, he invoked the old system of supervising and listening to the government every three to five days, and dealt with the great military affairs played by the ministers perfunctorily, while the rest avoided living in the deep palace and indulged in the alchemy.Empress Liu gradually took power in politics. Kou Zhun then asked Zhenzong: "The crown prince is gradually becoming an adult, and he is expected to belong to him. May your majesty think about the importance of the country and give it an artifact to strengthen the foundation of the world. Ding said that he is a treacherous man and cannot assist the young master. Please choose Fangzheng Minister to think Wings." Zhenzong nodded in agreement.Unexpectedly, this matter was discovered by Ding Wei, who was in a hurry to find Qian Weiyan and others. He conspired with Empress Liu and slandered Zhenzong, saying that Kou Zhun had monopolized power and plotted wrongdoing.After Zhenzong fell ill, he was forgetful of many things. At this time, he did not remember the previous conversation with Kou Zhun. He believed what Ding Wei and others said. Subsequently, Ding Wei had conflicts with Zhou Huaizheng, Zhenzong's confidant eunuch and vice-in-command.Zhou Huaizheng conspired with Yang Chongxun, the envoy of the Hakka Province (in charge of Khitan, Koryo envoys to see speeches and banquets, and the Sifang Jinfeng, Siyi pilgrimage) and others, intending to kill Ding Wei, restore Prime Minister Kou Zhun, abolish Empress Liu, and serve Zhenzong as the emperor. The Supreme Emperor, the Crown Prince.It was also agreed to start the incident on July 25th in the fourth year of Tianxi.Just the night before the coup d'etat, Yang Chongxun was afraid before the battle and reported to Ding Wei.Ding said that he had heard about the change. He was wearing casual clothes and was in a woman's car.At dawn the next day, Cao Li immediately entered the palace to play Zhenzong.Zhou Huaizheng was about to deploy an uprising, and suddenly broke into a group of guards and arrested him. At the same time, Zhou Huaizheng's accomplices were also arrested one by one.Empress Liu personally interrogated Zhou Huaizheng and others, reported to Zhenzong, and beheaded them in Pu'an Temple in the west of the city.Ding said that he used this to promote unjust prisons and eliminate dissidents.Zhu Neng, the inspection envoy of the Yongxing Army who had contact with Zhou Huaizheng and presented the "Book of Heaven", sent troops to arrest him after hearing that Dingwei hanged himself.Kou Zhun was also demoted to Sima of Daozhou (now Dao County, Hunan Province). Since then, Ding Wei has become more authoritarian. Anyone who does not attach himself to himself will be denounced as a "bandit party".Zhenzong's illness is also becoming more and more serious, not only moody, but also forgetful and speech disorder.After Kou Zhun was demoted, he asked Zuo Zuo, "Why haven't I seen Kou Zhun for a long time?" Zuo Zuo was frightened by Ding Wei's power and dared not answer.After Li Di was dismissed, Zhenzong wanted to meet Wang Qinruo.Ding Wei corrected the decree to remove Wang Qinruo as the envoy and stay behind in Xijing, and sent him to the Henan government.Zhenzong only heard that Wang Qinruo had removed the appointment of a new official, but he didn't ask what official he was appointed.In November of the fourth year of Tianxi (1020 A.D.), Zhenzong's illness became more serious and he had to order the crown prince to supervise the country. Empress Liu and the prince came to the state affairs together.He also ordered to build the Longevity Hall in the Jingling Palace in the capital, so that Daoni and monks could pray for him day and night. In the first month of the next year, Yuan Qianxing was changed.Zhenzong watched the lanterns at Donghua Gate with illness, and was bedridden after returning. He died in Yanqing Hall on February 19.In October, he was buried in Dingling (in today's Gongxian County, Henan Province), and his posthumous title was "Emperor of Civilization Zhang Shengyuan Xiao", and his temple name was Zhenzong.The yuan was changed 5 times, with a total of 26 years before and after his reign.In the seventh year of Qingli (1047 A.D.), he was given the posthumous title of "Emperor Yuan Xiao, who was awarded the ancient magic power of Fuji, made De Wenming, Wu Dingzhang, Sheng Yuanxiao".