Chapter 77 168 Chess Players in the Eastern Palace

Tang Dezong favored eunuchs.Those greedy eunuchs tried their best to oppress and exploit the people, and plundered property by any means.They set up a "Gongshi", and let a group of eunuchs go outside the palace to purchase things needed in the palace.These eunuchs saw the people selling goods in the market, and as long as they needed them, they would force them to buy them, paying only one-tenth of the price.Later, hundreds of eunuchs were simply sent to look around the street, and if they saw something, they would grab it and leave, which is called "White Watch". There are also some eunuchs who set up "five workshops" in Chang'an.Wufang is a place dedicated to raising eagles, falcons (sound gu), harriers, eagles and dogs for the emperor.There is a group of eunuchs working in Wufang, called Wufang Xiaoer.This group of people did not do serious things when they were full, and extorted from the people everywhere.If they want to rob someone, they put the bird net on the door of the house or on the derrick.If anyone comes across a bird net when going in and out of the house, or when going to fetch water from the well, they will say that he has scared away the birds enshrined in the emperor, surround him and beat him until the family pays for the compensation, and then they leave .

Wufang children often ask for wine and food in the hotel, eat and drink, get drunk, and walk away in a mess.The owner of the hotel asked them for wine money, and they were either scolded or beaten.Once, the children in Wufang drank and refused to pay. They handed a bag of snakes they had caught to the shopkeeper and said, "I don't have any money with me. Let's put it with you as a mortgage. I will take the money to get it in a few days." But these snakes are used to catch birds in the palace, you have to be careful to raise them, if one of them starves to death, be careful of your head.”

The owner of the shop was terrified, and begged Wufang Xiaoer to take the snake away. As for the money for the wine, of course he didn't dare to ask for more. The misbehavior of Gongshi and Wufang children aroused the hatred of the people in Chang'an, but when the eunuchs were in power, where should they go to sue for injustice? At that time, in the East Palace of Prince Li Song, there were two officials who accompanied the prince to study.One is Wang Shuwen, who is a good chess player; the other is Wang Tong, who is good at writing.In addition to reading, Li Song likes to play chess and write. Wang Shuwen and Wang Yi often accompany the prince to study and play chess in the East Palace.

Wang Shuwen was born as a low-level official, so he knew more or less the suffering of the common people.He took advantage of the opportunity of playing chess with the prince to report the outside situation to the prince.The prince was very dissatisfied when he heard that the eunuch was doing evil outside in the name of Gongshi.Once, several officials attending the school discussed this matter together in the East Palace, and the prince said angrily: "I must bring this matter up when I see my father." After hearing this, everyone praised the prince for his wisdom, except for Wang Shuwen who remained silent.When the other officials left, the crown prince left Wang Shuwen alone to talk, and said, "Don't you often talk about the disadvantages of Gongshi? Just now you talked about Gongshi, why didn't you talk?"

Wang Shuwen said: "I think it's better for Your Highness not to care about these external affairs at the moment. If bad people sow discord in front of the Emperor, saying that His Highness wants to buy people's hearts, the Emperor will become suspicious, and it will be difficult for His Highness to defend himself." The prince suddenly realized and said: "I didn't think of this before sir reminded me." After that, the prince trusted Wang Shuwen even more.Wang Shuwen thought that Dezong was old and the prince would take over the throne sooner or later, so he secretly found talented officials in the court for him and made friends with them.He told the prince in private that this person can be a prime minister in the future, and that person can be a general in the future.

Unexpectedly, a year later, the prince suffered a stroke, his tongue couldn't move, and he couldn't speak.The old Tang Dezong fell ill because of this matter, and died first.In 805 A.D., Prince Li Song ascended the throne while sick. This is Tang Shunzong. Tang Shunzong couldn't speak, so he had to rely on Wang Shuwen and Wang Yi, the officials who had accompanied him to study in the East Palace, to help him deal with the government affairs.Knowing that his prestige was not enough, Wang Shuwen was inconvenient to openly hold the power of the government. In addition, he invited Wei Zhiyi, a veteran official, to be the prime minister, and he himself was a Hanlin scholar to help Shunzong draft the imperial edict.He cooperated with Wei Zhiyi and Wang Yi internally and externally, and appointed some talented officials such as Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan, and finally captured the power of the government.

After Wang Shuwen took power, the first thing to reform was to rectify the bad atmosphere of eunuchs oppressing the people.He issued an imperial edict for Tang Shunzong, exempting some exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes: all things that bullied the people in the palace market and Wufang children were all banned. As soon as this measure was implemented, all the people in Chang'an clapped their hands and applauded, but some eunuchs who did many evil things turned their faces in anger. Wang Shuwen took over the financial power again and carried out reforms.In history, this event was called "Yongzhen Innovation" ("Yongzhen" is Tang Shunzong's year name).

Wang Shuwen carried out drastic reforms, which of course offended the eunuchs in power.Ju Wenzhen, the head of the eunuch, thought that Wang Shuwen's power was too great, and in the name of Shunzong, he dismissed Wang Shuwen as a Hanlin scholar. Wang Shuwen knew that if he wanted to fight against the eunuchs, he had to seize the military power from them.He sent veteran Fan Xichao to take over the Shence Army controlled by the eunuch.But most of the generals of the Shence Army are cronies of the eunuch.Fan Xichao went to take over the troops, some generals ignored him and had to come back empty-handed.

In less than a month, Ju Wenzhen colluded with a group of old ministers who agreed with them, and announced that Shunzong could not govern because of his serious illness, and that Prince Li Chun would supervise the country.After another month, the prince officially ascended the throne, and this is Tang Xianzong. As soon as Shunzong came to power, a group of eunuchs such as Ju Wenzhen immediately dismissed Wang Shuwen and Wang Tong and relegated them to other places.In the second year, Wang Shuwen was executed again.Yongzhen's reforms failed in less than a year, and those officials who supported Wang Shuwen's reforms were also implicated.