Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen My Country I Decorate

It is said that everyone on the earth knows that men with excess energy can never live in peace, especially when tens of thousands of men with excess energy gather together.This was the case in the city of Yangzhou, which had been scorched black by Li Chongjin's fire. What did Zhao Kuangyin and the soldiers of the Song Dynasty think, why were they bored, and just went back like this?After more than half a year of preparation, is there still a great opportunity in front of us? In front of you is the Yangtze River, and on the other side of the Yangtze River is the fat and soft Nantang...do I need to say anything more?It was unexpectedly easy to kill Li Zhongjin, and the exercise ended before warming up, Li Jing, I can only count your fate.

Zhao Kuangyin ordered all the boats that could be found to be put into the water, and the navy that Chai Rong had formed back then was drilled again.What's so great about the Southern Tang Dynasty and the Yangtze River?Zhao Kuangyin stood by the river and looked across the river. The wind was high and the waves were rough, and it was dangerous in ancient times and today, but it seemed familiar.Time flies so fast. Just two years ago, when he was still a general under Chai Rong, he led his troops across the Yangtze River, killed people and set fire on the other side, and the whole army retreated. It's so easy and easy.

However, does this really mean that Li Jing's Southern Tang is vulnerable and can be conquered at will?Hmph, Zhao Kuangyin smiled in an unknown way. He knew very well that the Yangtze River was such a monstrous river in Chinese history, and how many dynasties used it to divide each other's boundaries. Is it all accidental? How many heroes who were once invincible came here with thousands of troops, as long as they step over this area, they can unify the country and live forever.But in the end, they were all disgraced, some lost all their belongings and ended up like Fu Jian and Liu Bei;

People can't predict their own future. If the thirty-five-year-old Zhao Kuangyin can be confident that he will be stronger than the three ancients mentioned above, then he will not be far from failure.Confidence and arrogance are just one step away. But history has proved that Zhao Kuangyin is cautious by nature, even too cautious.Just like at this time, he did not write a letter across the Yangtze River like Cao Cao did, asking Li Jing to hunt together in the south of the Yangtze River to intimidate and blackmail.He just led people to exercise along the Yangtze River, which is very normal, but Li Jing couldn't sit still, so he sent people across the river and sent a lot of military supplies, just to find out about Zhao Kuangyin's reality tone.

There is really no way, a guilty conscience is sometimes worse than a weak kidney. The people who came were Southern Tang Zuo Pushe Yan Xu, Li Jing's son Jiang Guogong Li Congjian, and Household Minister Feng Yanlu. When they met Zhao Kuangyin, he gave them a blow like he did Li Shoujie. --Say!Why did your lord have an affair with my traitor? (Why did your lord commune with my traitors?) "Fornication?" Yan Xu and Li Congjian didn't know whether they were angry or frightened by this sentence. Anyway, they held their breath and couldn't say anything.Because it’s right to think about it, why can’t we abbreviate the private communication?But the remaining Feng Yanlu didn't change his face. He replied slowly, making Zhao Kuangyin almost jump up.

——Your Majesty only knows that they communicate in private, but you don't know that we have participated in the conspiracy. (Your Majesty only knows about his fellowship, but does not know about his rebellion.) It really added fuel to the fire, Zhao Kuangyin was furious, he knew this Feng Yanlu, who was Chai Rong's captive back then.Well, it seems that I have not had enough sins, and dare to be so angry with him!But even in the fire, Zhao Kuangyin still asked what was going on. Feng Yanlu answered very flatly. ——The envoy sent by Li Chongjin lived in my home, and the words of our king were passed on to the envoy through me.The Lord said, "It is understandable to rebel, but you have lost your chance. When Li Yun in Luzhou rebelled, you should rebel together. Now you are facing the entire court alone. Even if I have soldiers and food in the Southern Tang Dynasty, I dare not help you." That's how Li Chongjin failed.What is wrong with our Nantang?

Please note that this is the first time someone from Southern Tang asked Zhao Kuangyin what was wrong with Southern Tang.Zhao Kuangyin was obviously unprepared, and couldn't call out the words handed down from generation to generation as confidently as he did later.At this moment, he lowered his face, and the soldier's true colors in his bones suddenly burst out. ——Even if it is, but all the generals persuaded me to take advantage of the victory to cross the river and capture the Southern Tang Dynasty. What do you think? The answer is not very good, this kind of momentum can overwhelm Yan Xu and Li Jing's son, but it is ineffective against Feng Yanlu, who was once in a prisoner-of-war camp.Facing the blatant threat, Feng Yanlu replied coldly:

——Li Chongjin is an invincible hero, but he is also vulnerable in front of you, let alone us in Nantang?But our former king (Li Min) also left tens of thousands of elite soldiers for our lord, if you are willing to fight with them, then there is nothing to say.However, the Yangtze River is naturally dangerous, and the waves are high and the waves are fast. In case of any mistakes, you can figure out the result yourself. Well, speaking of this, it seems that it is Zhao Kuangyin's turn to ask him, do you know what the Wrath of the Son of Heaven is?And even if Feng Yanlu is really the reincarnation of Mr. Tang Ju, if he wants to give Zhao Kuangyin a five-step blood flow, it is impossible to lay down two corpses. Zhao Kuangyin's ability to fight alone will make him despair.

But no one expected that Zhao Kuangyin's reaction was a slight smile—haha, you are so funny, just kidding you, you will be a lobbyist.Are you tired? Everyone stopped there that day, except for drinking and eating meat, they didn't mention anything about the Changjiang River and the Tang Dynasty, and then a few days later Zhao Kuangyin announced that the class teacher would return to the court. The brigade returned to the capital. Along the way, except for the emperor himself who was still smiling, all the soldiers were depressed.They are puzzled, angry, and want to kill!That former prisoner of war Feng Yanlu must be receiving heroic cheers in Southern Tang at this time, right?Just because he dared to stick his neck back to the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, and the emperor of the Song Dynasty suddenly softened.

What exactly is going on?In the hearts of these soldiers, it would be a waste for their invincible emperor to talk to such useless literati. How happy it would be to kill the Yangtze River directly and crush the soft persimmons of the Southern Tang Dynasty. And it's done!But now it's a good thing, what's the matter with this bastard old scholar who doesn't know how to live or die, and runs to his hometown in desperation after a few words! Only Zhao Kuangyin himself knows this.Indeed, it is not impossible to fight across the Yangtze River, and once he has made up his mind, let alone Feng Yanlu, even if it is really Tang Ju's resurrection, it is as simple as reaching out and slashing across the Yangtze River.But Zhao Kuangyin himself knew how weak his foundation was, and he finally knocked down Li Yun and Li Chongjin. They will pop out one by one.That's when it will really matter.

What's wrong now?Li Chongjin is dead, Yangzhou has been taken back, and all the goals of this trip have been achieved.What should be done now is to go back to the lair in full swing, rest for a few days, and then straighten out your internal affairs thoroughly. The first thing is to re-establish Zhao Pu's status. After pacifying Li Yun, Zhao Kuangyin promoted him to be the minister of the Ministry of War and the deputy envoy of the Privy Council. As the second in command of the Privy Council, he justifiably took over the country's military affairs.From this time on, Zhao Pu began to monopolize power in the first ten years of the Northern Song Dynasty. Here I want to mention the Privy Council.This word first appeared in the Tang Dynasty during the Tang Dynasty. The standard name was "Inner" Privy Council. Unfortunately, this department was later famous and commanded the national army. The original leader was... an eunuch.And it is only responsible for the confidential documents of the imperial court.It's that simple.By the time of the Five Dynasties, the country was in turmoil, all industries withered, and even eunuchs became rare animals, so literati and counselors were used as privy envoys to participate in the country's military and state affairs. As for Zhao Pu, he worked in the Privy Council for two years, which made people in the Yuan Dynasty very admired. Mr. Tuotuo, who compiled the history of the Song Dynasty, greatly praised Zhao Pu as Zhao Kuangyin's chief confidant in the "Zhao Pu Biography". Zhao Kuangyin is not eager to repay his merits, nor is he eager to seize power. It is very rare for the monarch and his ministers to live in harmony and have one heart and one mind. However, this is all a superficial statement that sees the skin but does not see the bones.The brothers in the Yuan Dynasty did not get enough research on the history of the Han nationality.Because in the Five Dynasties and the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, the power center of the government was in the Privy Council, not the prime minister.The reason is very simple-the Privy Council holds the knife handle of the whole country, which is the most important guarantee of the national economy and people's livelihood back then.The prime minister is just a decoration.As for the position of the prime minister later being slightly higher than that of the privy envoy, it was because Zhao Kuangyin's ancestral family law did not allow warriors to be in power; secondly, it was also because Zhao Pu was later promoted to prime minister.With his influence and the inertia of the center of power that he had created for a long time, he abruptly transferred all the real power to the side of the prime minister. Regarding Zhao Pu, it is a headache topic. After looking through the history of Song Dynasty, there is very little information on him. Even Zhao Pu, who is widely read by people, is used by someone, but Zhao Kuangyin just doesn’t use it. So Zhao Pu played it once and twice. Playing up and playing three times made Zhao Kuangyin angry and tore his memorials to pieces. He picked them up one by one and glued them up before sending them off until Zhao Kuangyin agreed. It is impossible to find out who he did it for. . Historically known as "someone". The events recorded in "Zhao Pu's Biography" are either extremely large, like Zhao Kuangyin asking about national policy at a snowy night, or extremely small, using a certain memorial of Zhao Pu back then to make up the number.There are very few specific records of him doing something in a certain year.This abnormality reminds me of a person, Martin Bormann, the number two figure in Nazi Germany. Bormann was the most mysterious and cunning person in the Nazi Third Reich, known as "the shadow of the Führer".At that time, the whole world knew that the Nazi diplomat was Ribbentrop, the air force commander was Goering, the propaganda was Goebbels, and even the army had Rommel, Keitel, etc., but no one knew that Martin Bowman did something, but he was everywhere. Perhaps it was because there were so many secret things involved that Martin Bowman was reluctant to leave even a photo, and Zhao Pu must be the same, there were too many things that could not be put on the table.And from the clues left behind, we can vaguely see Zhao Pu's true face. Zhao Pu's face was gloomy, and he stood at the junction of sunlight and shadow with piercing eyes. He looked at everyone coldly, including Zhao Kuangyin and his brother. On the one hand, he took the world's affairs as his own responsibility. On the one hand, he has a deep and restrained nature. When he needs to be vicious, he kills without blood. When he needs to be shameless, he will be more shameless than anyone else.But none of this will affect his significance in history. He is a powerful minister, a capable minister, a so-called half-scholar who disdains words and only knows half of them.But he had real talent and learning. From then on, the Song Dynasty began to set up its internal power. These specific, detailed, ingenious and ingenious ideas ensured that there would be no military generals in the Northern Song Dynasty for more than a hundred years. There were no eunuchs in the inner court to make trouble, and even the so-called female disaster did not happen to the descendants. History has recorded these credits on the head of Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin.This seems understandable, but, just like the construction of a skyscraper, people remember the names of investors and founders, but who built those bricks and tiles?Who designed the blueprint of the building? People seem to remember them more, they are the real builders of that tall building. In December 960 AD, Zhao Kuangyin made a triumphant return from Yangzhou and returned to the capital Kaifeng.Everyone was happy for him, but he himself was uncharacteristically listless.Someone asked him what's the matter, Zhao Kuangyin shook his head and sighed, looking very distressed - you think it's fun to be the emperor, don't you?Sigh... It's too far behind when I was Jiedushi. It's a bit scary, how can others comfort him?Could it be that his wishes are fulfilled, and everyone works together to rebel against him, and suppress him back to his original form as a Jiedushi?Just kidding, so Zhao Kuangyin can only continue to be depressed until his psychology becomes very bad. It's annoying, he can only have fun by himself, playing with a slingshot to shoot birds in his back garden (not very interesting), but he is in a better mood anyway, unexpectedly at this moment an official suddenly asks for an interview.Zhao Kuangyin thought that something important happened, so he didn't dare to neglect, so he met him immediately.As a result, what this man said and said was all ordinary things.Zhao Kuangyin got angry and asked him what he was doing.But the official didn't care at all, and responded with one sentence - the minister thought that no matter what happened, it was more urgent than hunting birds. The following scene should be the first record in history that Zhao Kuangyin used to carry an ax at hand at all times.Seeing Zhao Kuangyin's warrior habit broke out again, without a second thought, he raised his ax and smashed it, killing the opponent's two front teeth. This official is really kind, he didn't cry or scold, slowly bent down, picked up his teeth one by one, and put them carefully in his arms. Zhao Kuangyin's anger has not subsided, and he continues to curse - what are you doing?You hide your teeth, where are you going to sue me? ! But this official who has touched a dark head seems to be a real stubborn head. If he wants to push you, he is determined to push you to the end-I can't sue you, but naturally someone will record it in the history books! Well, Zhao Kuangyin is discouraged again, and history once again proves that those who have benefits will gain fame, especially those who have gained the most benefits in the world like Zhao Kuangyin, he does not want to be talked about by future generations every day because of such trivial matters .So he had no choice but to take out his wallet with a smile, and took out a large sum of money to share with others. These were all clearly seen by Zhao Pu, who stood in the distance and watched coldly. When there was no one around, he slowly approached Zhao Kuangyin. What's wrong with you? Only then did Zhao Kuangyin speak his mind - I was thinking about one thing, why do you say that from the end of the Tang Dynasty to the present, more than fifty years have passed, eight families have been emperors, and there are twelve in total? Not to mention those second emperors who called themselves the lord of the country.What's going on?If this mess continues, when will it be the end? He said, staring deeply at Zhao Pu, do you need to say the next thing?I, I, Zhao Kuangyin, are the ninth family, what should I do to prevent the tenth family from appearing?Isn't this something worth worrying about? Unexpectedly, Zhao Pu immediately blessed him deeply—Your Majesty, you can think of this, it is really a blessing from the gods and man of heaven and earth, and it is really a blessing to the people of the community!This problem is not difficult at all, as long as you can set up a suitable system... From this moment, Zhao Song's spirit of governing the country for more than three hundred years was established.As a result, the stability and prosperity of more than a hundred years began, and then the painful decline for more than a thousand years, several times of loss, and the root of the disease that was on the verge of national extinction several times were deeply planted from this moment. Zhao Pu said that day——the collapse of the Tang Dynasty, and the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Eleven Kingdoms, there is only one crux, that is, the power of the square township, the weak monarch and the strong minister.If you want to cure it, you must take away military power, restrict Qiangu, recruit its elite soldiers, and fundamentally dispel everyone's delusions, and then the world will be naturally stable.The specific method is the so-called "strong trunk and weak branches"... With one word, Zhao Kuangyin, known in history, suddenly realized, and interrupted Zhao Pu before he could finish speaking——Aiqing can shut up, I understand. History can prove that Zhao Kuangyin really understood, and after dozens of days, he began to practice.But it is a pity, what he understands is the crux of the problem in the past fifty years. With this disease, Zhao Pu's prescription can cure the disease.And the cure is clean and neat, leaving no root cause.But what about looking further afield? Is this the right solution, whether looking to the distance behind you or looking into the distant future? Let us recall the Tang Dynasty, or go forward and think about the Sui Dynasty, or go further, beyond the five chaos of China, and go directly to the Jin Dynasty after the Three Kingdoms.What is the source of their turmoil?What is the root cause?How did they sum up the gains and losses of their predecessors, and then deal with the national policy of this dynasty? The decline of Jin and the Rebellion of the Eight Kings caused such chaos that the Hu people invaded the Han family like never before. It is entirely because the vassal kings of the Sima family have extremely strong troops and can kill all directions regardless of the emperor; then the harm of the vassal town The world already knows it, right?However, in the Sui and Tang dynasties, there were countless capable ministers of Ming emperors. Why didn't they learn the lessons of the Jin Dynasty and strictly limit the feudal towns, no matter whether they were princes who developed into feudal princes or later became great envoys? There is an objective reason, because they have no way of knowing how arrogant the later Jiedu envoys will be, and the great achievements of the Jiedu envoys were not formed overnight. But more importantly, it is the subjective consciousness of the Sui and Tang emperors.Because of their confidence and strength. After Tian Khan Li Shimin ascended to the throne, he also competed with the soldiers on arrow skills. Some courtiers advised him that the soldiers in the Tang Dynasty were of mixed origin, and there were too many people of different races.But Li Shimin laughed loudly—I regard all people in the world as innocent, without distinction, so how can we beware? Zhao Kuangyin is naturally not an ordinary person, but he is incomparable with Li Shimin, he was born to lose.His country was not hired on the battlefield with one knife and one shot, so he was on guard against rebellion and various unstable factors from the beginning.This allowed him to retain all the officials in the later weeks to ensure the stability of the officialdom, but he could not give them real power, and be careful that they would rebel.So who is going to do the work?It can only be handed over to Zhao Pu, Li Chuyun and even his younger brother Zhao Guangyi and other cronies, but they must also be restricted, that is, they will not be given high-level positions, even if it is only temporarily. This is the prototype of the future Zhao Song world, where officials, posts, and missions have their own titles and are fortified layer by layer.Speaking of redundant officials, redundant soldiers, etc. are a last resort, who wants to do that? But thousands of years later, we live in a world where we have no worries about food and clothing, and we can call the police at any time even if someone slaps us in the face. To be honest, we have no right to laugh at Zhao Kuangyin's courage.And if you think about it one step further, couldn't Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Pu think of the disadvantages of strong stems and weak branches? Maybe they have already thought that if they choose to seize military power, restrict money and grain, and recruit elite soldiers, they will fundamentally suppress the vitality of the country and the spirit of the nation, and eventually they will die from exhaustion.But choose tough?That is to boldly appoint courtiers and vassals to make the country stronger and bigger, then the consequence is to copy the Jin and Tang dynasties, and die very ugly in the end... When human beings develop to the Song Dynasty, even those who sing the praises will admit that the family will sooner or later It must die, it is death anyway, so why not choose a safe way to die at home, without civil strife? As the saying goes - better dead than alive.Haha, no matter what, I lived for 319 years, Jin, Sui, Tang, Yuan, Ming, Qing, who of you can outlive me?Calculating with one's fingers, only the Han Dynasty, and the two Hans together are decades older than me... Then, why do you still pick my nose and eyes at me? In March of that year, in addition to Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin himself, Murong Yanzhao, the strongest military figure in the Song Dynasty, and Han Lingkun went to Beijing to report on their duties.The two men were full of joy when they came.Flowers, fine wine, bonuses, promotions...these are all what they deserve, but don't worry, Zhao Kuangyin will always have surprises for them. Order - Murong Yanzhao was removed from the post of inspector in front of the Palace of the Forbidden Army, and served as the Jiedu Envoy of Shannan Dongdao; Han Lingkun was dismissed as the commander of Sima Bujun, the bodyguard of the Imperial Army, and served as the Jiedu Envoy of Chengde. A basin of cold water was poured down, Murong Yanzhao and Han Lingkun were dumbfounded, did they do something wrong?Did something really go wrong?After thinking about it, the two smiled wryly at each other.Gao, in the end it was Zhao Kuangyin who was smart, and such an order was issued face to face after the two of them entered Beijing.How frank, if you have something to say in person, it is very convenient for you to lodge a protest nearby, and the emperor can answer you in person... Seems like it's easier to catch the dog once it's in the door, doesn't it? When they went out of Beijing again to become new officials in a new place, they realized that Han Lingkun's bodyguard, Sima Infantry, was the commander of the army, and Shi Shouxin, who was closer to the emperor, took over. In the history museum of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin, the old owner, once again exclusively collected it, and no one gave it to him. What more can I say?Fortunately, still alive.As for Shi Shouxin, there is only envy... Who made him a subordinate from the beginning, unlike the emperor we used to sit on an equal footing? But history proves that Shi Shouxin's happiness is short-lived. The guard Sima infantry commander, this high-ranking official who was previously controlled by the powerful and invincible Li Chongjin, he only served for less than a hundred days. For many days, it was only when Zhao Kuangyin's life suddenly encountered a major misfortune that he was ignored. Zhao Kuangyin's mother, Empress Dowager Du, suddenly fell ill, and Zhao Kuangyin used all the materials and manpower in the world, but it was only delayed until June of that year.In less than a hundred days, Zhao Kuangyin's life fell to the bottom. Zhao Kuangyin is recognized as a filial son, and the death of his biological mother made him extremely sad.But in fact, the death of this noble lady was not only the misfortune of Zhao Kuangyin alone. With the death of this old lady who was only recorded in Song history with only 545 characters, the two biggest and most important events in the early Northern Song Dynasty were also The mysterious case that has never had a correct solution - the alliance of the golden chamber, the former in the shadow of the candlelight and axe, just happened. The first old lady in ancient and modern times It is said that dragons and phoenixes give birth to dragons and phoenixes, and rats give birth to children who can make holes.It's a pity that this kind of thing can't be reversed, that is, the mother who gave birth to the first dragon must also be a dragon?But there are two things to say. For example, Zhu Yuanzhang's mother is a little regretful, but Zhao Kuangyin's mother is really extraordinary. This Mrs. Du, who married Mr. Zhao Hongyin, a professional soldier, is really a hero among women in her words and deeds.For example, when Zhao Kuangyin and Chen Qiao rebelled and became emperor, the news spread to Kaifeng. Zhao Kuangyin's wife was terrified, but Mrs. Du remained calm-"My son's life is strange, today is indeed true, why worry?" When Zhao Kuangyin officially ascended to the throne and became a veritable emperor, and all the ministers congratulated the Queen Mother according to the etiquette, she was "unhappy" again.Zhao Kuangyin inquired personally, and the new queen mother said-"The emperor is above Zhaoshu. If he is governed in the right way, this position will be respected; if he is out of control, he will not be able to get it if he wants to be a man!" Don't worry about danger, don't be happy when you get it.When such a person is dying, unless she has an emergency such as a cerebral hemorrhage, she will not let it go easily and don't care about anything.Sure enough, according to the official historical records of the Song Dynasty, when Queen Mother Du was dying, she suddenly asked Zhao Kuangyin a word ——Son, tell me how you became emperor? At that time, Zhao Kuangyin was so stupid that he couldn't answer anything.But Empress Dowager Du just didn't close her eyes, so she must answer. Zhao Kuangyin had no choice but to say - this is the good fortune of our ancestors and your blessing. Empress Dowager Du shook her head, her son said it very politely, but she was dying, and she didn't want to listen to happy songs anymore, so she had to explain clearly what she was worried about.She said——no, the only reason why you can become emperor is that Zhou Shizong's son is too young. If there is an adult emperor in the next week, how can this world get your turn?So after you die, you must make your younger brother the emperor, so that this country can be stabilized. It is said in history that Zhao Kuangyin agreed immediately (well, I don't know if it was out of comfort to his dying mother or something else).But he didn't expect that his mother was really a formidable person, and she would not relax even when she was about to die.She struck while the iron was hot, and immediately said—go call Zhao Pu, and write this oath immediately in front of me.Stand up calligraphy and draw a bet, don't go back on your word! Zhao Pu was quickly summoned, he wrote the oath, and signed the words "Chen Pu Ji" at the end of the paper, and then packed it in the special box for the palace - "Golden Chamber", and received it by the cautious and reliable palace people. Good safekeeping The above are the official records of the "Alliance of the Golden Chamber" among the two suspicious cases at the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty.According to the above records, we can know that there were probably only three people who survived when they knew about this incident——Zhao Kuangyin himself, Zhao Pu, and the Jinmi palace man who was in charge of the golden chamber (conservative estimate, only one palace man) . Regarding the mystery of the authenticity of the "Golden Chamber", and even whether there is a "Golden Chamber", it is impossible to verify because of the death of Queen Mother Du, the biological mother of Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin in June 961.It has been passed down to this day, and there is at least another version of its origin, which is based on the records in "Jianlong Legacy" written by Wang Yucheng, a famous official in the early Song Dynasty. . It is recorded in this notebook of the Song Dynasty that such a major event as passing on the throne was publicly decided at a family feast for the whole family to celebrate.And it was Zhao Kuangyin himself who made this decision. He toasted his mother and announced in public that when he died, he would be passed on to Jin Wang Guangyi, and after Guangyi's death, he would be passed on to his third brother Guangmei.His mother was overjoyed, this completely fulfilled a woman's highest wish - to make his mother, Empress Dowager Du, not only the mother of a generation of founding kings, but also make her the mother of three emperors like never before! The Empress Dowager was overjoyed and asked Zhao Guangmei to return to the imperial power after the death of Yu Kuangyin's eldest son Dezhao... What a harmonious family, graceful and generous, a great example of ancient and modern! Let's turn our eyes to the south, cross the Yangtze River, and then cross Jinling, the capital of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and go straight up the river to the ancient Hongzhou, which is today's Nanchang.There, also in June of 961 A.D., a major event that really had a huge impact on China at that time and was historically accurate occurred. Li Jing is dead.And very regrettably, at this time his name was already Li Jing.There is only one letter difference from his original real name Li Jingtong.Because he is no longer the emperor, but the "lord of the Southern Tang Dynasty." Li Jing, when he dies, maybe he will recall the traces of his life at the beginning of his life very clearly.He was born in peace, and his father had prepared everything for him, but he died helplessly in sorrow. He should remember that his father was still worried about him when he was dying.At that time, Li Min struggled to say the last request of his life —Son, put your finger in my mouth. Li Jing didn't know why, but he still obeyed.I saw Li Min bit down hard, biting his son's finger until it was dripping with blood.At this time, I said the most worrying thing in my heart. ——Son, does it hurt?Remember that you must be good at making friends with neighboring countries, keep your ancestral property, and keep your country. Don't send troops casually like Yang Guang, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, and end up perishing yourself in the end.Remember my words, you are the filial son...then it won't hurt! But Li Jing has forgotten that none of the fundamental affairs of the country, such as governing the country and employing soldiers, is done according to his father's last entrustment.By the time he died, his country had lost half of its land, and its neighbors were hostile, and people's livelihood was poor. The only thing that could save the country temporarily was the Yangtze River, which was bestowed on him by heaven. But it was this Yangtze River that almost made him fall into the hands of the Song Army on the north bank.It was in March of that year. Li Jing felt that Jinling was too close to the enemy camp on the north bank of the Yangtze River, and it was too unsafe, so he insisted on moving the capital to Hongdu (now Nanchang).However, during the process of moving the capital, his dragon boat suddenly encountered a strong wind in the Yangtze River and was blown directly to the north bank, almost letting the navy of the Song Dynasty get something for nothing. After going through all kinds of twists and turns to arrive in Hongdu, Li Jing fell ill. He really deserves to die. He traveled all the way to Hongdu in fear, and it turned out that he just wanted to die here.When he died, all thoughts were lost, and his last order to the prince Li Congjia who stayed in Jinling was—don't waste any more extravagance on my behalf, don't build any mausoleum, just have a grave a few feet high.All I want is to find peace underground. This is a dying request like that of a commoner, but unfortunately his twenty-five-year-old son Li Congjia cannot satisfy his father's request anyway.While overhauling the mausoleum, he made a petition to Zhao Kuangyin in the north, asking for his father to be buried with the emperor's etiquette. Perhaps it was because of a relative who had just died, Zhao Kuangyin agreed.Li Jing's body was grandly welcomed back to Jinling, the capital of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and was given the posthumous title of "Emperor Ming Dao, Chongde, Wenxuan and Filial Piety", and was buried in Shunling. On July 29 of that year, his son, to be precise, the sixth son Li Congjia, took the throne in Jinling as the third generation of the Southern Tang Dynasty lord, and changed his name to Li Yu from then on. A glass of wine releases military power In July of 961 A.D., it was destined to be a turbulent year. In the south of the Yangtze River, Nantang, the largest country in the Yangtze River, changed its new ruler. In the Song Dynasty, the largest country in the Central Plains in the north of the Yangtze River, there was also a shock that shocked the whole country. changes to the decree. Without any warning, the fundamental pillar of the country's security in the troubled times of the Song Dynasty - the senior officials of the imperial guards in the capital were suddenly dismissed on a large scale.These people include Shi Shouxin, Gao Huaide, Wang Shenqi, Zhang Lingduo, Zhao Yanhui, etc., all of whom are famous and loyal. They have never heard of any signs of rebellion, but they all lost their positions overnight. job. Can you imagine what kind of reaction the outside world had at that time?Strictly speaking, no one at that time would have known that they had successfully escaped the bloody killings of the Five Dynasties and Eleven Kingdoms period. Even Zhao Kuangyin himself was not qualified to say such a thing, because the Southern Tang, Later Shu, Northern Han, Wuyue, etc. After all, both are still coexisting with the Song Dynasty. Although there are differences in strength, who dares to say the final outcome?In the Five Dynasties period, there was almost no real honest relationship between the king and his generals.As it is now, almost all the leaders of the imperial army were suddenly dismissed. In people's memory, there must be some bloody coup that turned the world upside down. But in fact, at least in the records of historical books and documents, things went smoothly, and everything was like a breeze and a drizzle.Peaceful and relaxed, those who win feel relieved, and those who so-called lose something also celebrate with their foreheads and hands. Seems like a win-win. This incident is recorded like this - one night in July of that year, Zhao Kuangyin left the late court, left behind Shi Shouxin and other cronies, and invited them to the inner palace for a drink.When he was drunk, Zhao Kuangyin was suddenly very unhappy and said - if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be the emperor.But now I feel uncomfortable, and I can't sleep well at night. Shi Shouxin and others asked what was going on. Zhao Kuangyin's answer pointed to the point - "Who would not want to be in this position!" Everyone knows what happened next.Shi Shouxin and others pleaded guilty and vowed to have no second thoughts. Zhao Kuangyin was magnanimous, and pointed out a way for them to survive, that is, "release the military power and go out to guard the great feudal clan", and gave them a large amount of money, land, singing and dancing girls, so that they could "release the military power and go out to guard the big vassal". Drinking and having fun with each other every day, to last the rest of my life"... By the next day, Shi Shouxin and others all retired due to illness (please stop if you say you are sick). Zhao Kuangyin kept his promise and arranged new jobs for them one by one——Shi Shouxin was the envoy of Tianping Jiedu, Gao Huaide was the envoy of Guide Jiedu, Wang Shenqi was the envoy of Zhongzheng Jiedu, Zhang Lingduo was the envoy of Zhenning Jiedu, and except Shi Shouxin himself Apart from retaining the false title of Commander of the Sima Infantry Guards, all other officials of the imperial army were dismissed together. The job was also permanently cancelled. Moreover, in various history books, such as "Song History Chronicle" and "Continued Zizhi Tongjian", Shi Shouxin added a sentence after Shi Shouxin's still part-time job-"In fact, the military power is not there." No one escaped. The above is one of Song Taizu's benevolent policies praised by the world, "a cup of wine releases military power".For thousands of years, no matter how much investigation and suspicion, no one has been able to discover and prove that this matter is false.So there is no way not to praise Zhao Kuangyin for his true benevolence and righteousness. Compared with Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang who killed the founding heroes, he is really much better. But when I think about it, I can't help asking this question: 1. Are Shi Shouxin and others the heroes of the founding of the country? 2. Is Zhao Kuangyin unable to kill, or dare not kill, or is it unnecessary to kill? First of all, when Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang killed heroes, they all did it after the world was unified.So what about Zhao Kuangyin?At this time, he just stabilized the world in the former Zhou Dynasty, and there was no talk of founding a country at all.The greatest contribution of Shi Shouxin and others was only to elect Zhao Kuangyin to succeed in the coup during the Chen Qiao mutiny.When it comes to the heroes of the founding of the country, they can't talk about it, at most they can only be regarded as the heroes of the founding of the country. Second, why did Zhao Kuangyin kill them?Are they really threatening his throne and life?It is impossible to talk about it, their threats are all potential, at most they are afraid that they will follow in Zhao Kuangyin's footsteps and be forced to become emperor by his subordinates.How likely is this?Is it worth it to see blood at the head of the knife and damage the image of peace that we have tried our best to maintain? Therefore, the so-called "a cup of wine to release military power" can be taken lightly. It can indeed be regarded as one of Zhao Kuangyin's benevolent policies, and it has also set a good example for Zhao Song officials in the future, but it is different from Liu Bang, Zhu Yuanzhang, etc. The act of killing heroes by the National People's Congress is completely incomparable, because Zhao Kuangyin's life, Zhao Guangyi's life, and even all the officials of Zhao Song Dynasty have not reached the situation of Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang. They have no need or opportunity to kill the founding heroes. 除了以后的宋高宗赵构，此人才真正杀了他的开国功臣，杀得千年以来，无数国人扼腕痛恨！ 时间过得飞快，几乎就是一转眼之间，公元961年就过去了，紧跟着下一年，公元962年也平淡无奇地过去了。在中国的历史上，从961年7月份开始，直至962年的年底，这一年半的时间里基本上没有发生任何的刀兵争战。尤其是赵匡胤乖得出奇，他几乎是整月整年地窝在自己的家里，任由宝贵的黄金岁月匆匆而过，放任自己发霉腐烂。 好像他已经满足了，只是想在乱世中做一个平稳度日的守成之主。 但是奇怪的是，他身边的人却都累得要死。那么，他都做了些什么事呢？ 首先，还是军队。继“杯酒释兵权”之后，赵匡胤仍然对他的军队不满意。要知道，军队始终都是一把刀，不仅要对它放心，还要让它有用。 在放心的一面，赵匡胤的智慧让人没法不佩服。历史证明，“杯酒释兵权”仅仅是他改良军队的前奏，后面的事才是他治军之道的精华。 通过改换领导，殿前的都、副都点检都已经不复存在了。而到了962年的9月，石守信的侍卫司马步军都指挥使一职也被罢免且从此撤销，并且从此把马军与步军分开，使他们各自为政。从这时起，“两司”变成了“三衙”，其长官就是后来宋朝军中统称的“三帅”——殿前都指挥使、侍卫马军都指挥使、侍卫步军都指挥使。 南北两朝变成了三国鼎立，看你们还怎么联合起来作怪。 而这仍然不够，赵匡胤在“三帅”之下又设制了“四卫”，即属殿前司的铁骑军、控鹤军；属侍卫马军司的龙捷军；属侍卫步军司的虎捷军。这“四卫”下面再各设四厢都指挥使，再一层的剥离四卫的兵权。 但这还是不够，兵权如此细分，赵匡胤认为还是有危险。他进一步规定这些将军们加在一起，也仅仅是拥有了“握兵”之权，即平时由你们负责训练、职守、迁补赏罚。真正“调兵”之权他们一点边都别想沾。要“调兵”，只能去找枢密院。而枢密院应名是全国最高的军事统治机构，但它也仅仅不过是皇帝的一个喉舌而已，它只能接受皇帝的命令，然后由它发布由哪位将军具体“统兵”。 由此，军中三权分立，无论谁也没法直接掌握一兵一卒。按说这样赵匡胤就应该放心了吧，不，还不行。赵匡胤结合自身的发展轨迹，又找到了新的隐患破绽。那就是将军们身边的亲兵。 赵匡胤下令，无论是什么级别，什么高度的将帅，都绝对不允许拥有心腹亲兵，严禁军人培养自己的私人力量，违令者斩！ 这一条是重中之重，赵匡胤咬得极紧，不管合不合情理，对谁都一视同仁。就连他的义社兄弟、开国的元勋，被赐予殿前都指挥使，贵为“三帅”之一的韩重赟，被人告发拥有亲兵（仅仅是怀疑有），都差点被赵匡胤砍了脑袋。 这一步针对有用，赵匡胤的措施非常得当。他爱惜并重视士兵是特殊工种的劳动人士，军饷赏赐绝对优厚——“金币绢钱，无所爱惜”。但是，一定要守规矩，针对五代十一国其间骄兵逐主帅，悍将废帝王的血淋淋的教训，赵匡胤命令全军严格遵守“阶级之法”。 也就是说，从此以后，官大一级真的能压死人了。而且不仅能压死你，上级军官还真正有了生杀大权，使“士卒知将校、将校知统帅、统帅知朝廷”，彻底断绝以下犯上作乱骄横的不法之心。为了贯彻这些前所未有的命令，赵匡胤不惜大开杀戒，翻开宋史，因此一次杀二十九人、杀四十人、杀一百二十人屡有记载。 没办法，五代时军汉强鸷，不杀不足以立威，甚至不多杀都不足以立威。 这还没完，在开封城里，赵匡胤还有各种各样让军人暗自叫骂的阴损招数。比如说为了锻炼军人的体格，以及让他们保持勤劳防止懒惰，每到发粮饷的时候，赵匡胤就命令城东的兵去城西取粮，城西的兵到城东头去取粮，他本人就站在城中的制高点，看着满城的大兵各自背着至少两石（二百斤）的粮食从巨大的开封城这边走那边，那边走这边……而且他还规定了，绝对不许雇车或者有人帮忙。 这样的事太多了，在这一年半的时间里，赵匡胤全心全意地梳理打造着自己的帝国内部，要尽快彻底地把他从后周偷来的江山改造成功，变成他自己的私有财产。而且对军队的改良随着时间的推移、问题的发现，他的命令还会不断地增加，直到后来达到“兵不知将、将不知兵”的完美境界，才算是大功告成。