Chapter 40 Xuanzong ascended the throne

However, Li Deyu laughed too early. He originally thought that the emperor Li Zhen, who was just in his early thirties, would rule the empire for a long period of time, and his power and status would be unshakably maintained in the years to come. But he was wrong. Because, the young emperor is about to die soon. From the fifth year of Huichang (845 A.D.), the young Li Chen accidentally embarked on the same old path as his grandfather Xianzong and father Mu Zong - taking elixir in the hope of longevity. No one knows why these emperors could not learn from the mistakes of their predecessors.

Seeing that Li Tang's successive emperors repeated the same tragedy in this speechless historical cycle, we can't help but think of the words Hegel said: The only lesson that human beings can learn from history is—human beings Never learn from history. This is a paradox, but also a helpless truth. The emperors of Li and Tang, who rushed to death like moths to the flame, are the best footnotes of this truth. On the first day of the first lunar month in the fifth year of Huichang, all civil and military officials presented the honorary title to the emperor Li Yujin, calling him "the emperor who is benevolent, civil and military, Zhang Tiancheng, successful, divine, moral, wise, and filial."

The title has sixteen characters in total, which is really hard to read.I don't know if all the officials have to secretly take a breath when they praise the name in unison at the honor ceremony? In fact, the honorary title offered by the officials was originally a little shorter, only fifteen characters.But the emperor felt dissatisfied, so he ordered to add a word - Tao. For Li Chen, the word "Tao" is by no means dispensable. Because it is the "Tao" of "Taoism". Taoism is the state religion of this dynasty, and Emperor Wu Zong Li Zhen has always believed in it, so he naturally hoped to add this sacred and noble word "Tao" to his honorary title.These days, Wu Zong was extremely fond of a Taoist priest named Zhao Guizhen, and the immortality elixir he took was all refined by Zhao Guizhen.

Since the Son of Heaven respected Taoism, he naturally didn't have a good impression of Buddhism.In order to further elevate the political status of Taoism, Zhao Guizhen, of course, had to deliberately attack Buddhism, so he said bad things about Buddhism in Wu Zong's ear every day.Soon, Wu Zong's aversion to Buddhism grew day by day, thinking that Buddhism "consumes the world" and is of no benefit to the country and the people.In July of this year, Wu Zong finally issued an edict, which dealt a devastating blow to Buddhism. In the Tang Dynasty, Chinese Buddhism, which reached its peak, encountered a catastrophe.

Under Tang Wuzong's order, a total of 4,600 formal monasteries were demolished across the country, and more than 40,000 small private monasteries such as Zhaoti, Lanruo, Jingshe, and Zhaitang were ordered; 260,500 monks and nuns were ordered to return to secular life, and foreign More than 2,000 traveling monks returned to the secular world; tens of millions of hectares of fertile land were confiscated, and 150,000 slaves were confiscated; Objects such as bells and chimes were all melted down and used to cast copper coins... This is the famous "Wu Zong exterminated Buddha" in Chinese history, and it is called "Huichang Dharma Difficulty" in Buddhist history.

Buddhism encountered this disaster, first of all, of course, out of the personal will of Wu Zong Li Zhen, and at the same time there was competition and exclusion from Taoism, but objectively speaking, this catastrophe was actually inevitable.Because, at that time, Buddhism was not so much a religion that was indifferent to the world, but a super industry that "struggled with the country for profit". Since the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, the current situation of the whole country has been continuous civil wars, economic depression, and empty treasury. The land property has expanded the manor one after another, driving slaves and maidservants, and a large number of Buddhist monks and nuns are entangled with the aristocratic forces, adopting various means to evade state taxes, and in addition, many monasteries are making profits through usury activities...

Such a variety will inevitably produce sharp contradictions with the national interests economically.Therefore, Tang Wuzong's decisive move to "destroy Buddha" was not a whim, but had profound historical and practical reasons. From the historical event of "Wu Zong destroyed Buddha", it is not difficult for us to draw a conclusion: when Buddhism acts as an ultimate concern on the morals of the world, it is an independent and indispensable lotus flower in this dirty world; But when Buddhism forgets its own spiritual mission and pursues material desires together with all living beings in the world of mortals, it will be alienated into a malignant tumor that devours the healthy body of society.

In other words, when the scale of temple buildings is getting bigger and bigger, when the incense of the Daxiong Hall is getting more and more prosperous day by day, when Buddhist monks are getting busier and richer, we seem to be able to ask a question - this is the prosperity of Buddhism. A sign, or is it the beginning of alienation and degradation? Perhaps, this question is not superfluous. In the autumn of the fifth year of Huichang, Emperor Wuzong Li Zhen began to become irritable and moody. His symptoms were exactly the same as those of Emperor Xianzong back then, but he still insisted on taking elixir every day.

In the winter, many organs in Wu Zong's body were out of order, but Taoist Zhao Guizhen told him, don't worry, it's a bone replacement. Yes, bone change.In order to live forever, in order to achieve Taoism and immortality, one must endure the pain and trials of being reborn. Li Chen believed that this was the only way for ascetics, so he was not intimidated by the difficulties in front of him, but gritted his teeth and continued to take medicine. Wu Zong concealed his illness from the prime minister and officials.Li Deyu and the others only knew that the Son of Heaven had an abnormal temper recently and neglected the government affairs. As for the extent to which the Son of Heaven's health had deteriorated, they had no idea at all.

It was not until the third day of the first lunar month in the sixth year of Huichang (846 A.D.) that Wu Zong was suddenly unable to go to court, and Li Deyu and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty realized the seriousness of the situation. Li Deyu immediately asked to enter the palace to meet the emperor, but was refused. The person who rejected him was not the emperor, but the eunuch in power around the emperor.Li Deyu didn't know that at this time the emperor Li Zhen was bedridden and could not even speak. At such moments, the fate of the empire would once again fall into the hands of the eunuchs.

Ma Yuanzhi, the current lieutenant of the Zuo Army, and Qiu Gongwu, the eunuch of the eunuch, secretly finalized the candidate for the new emperor after urgent consultations. During this period, China was banned from news from the foreign court.Although Li Deyu and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty were worried, they had nothing to do. They waited in panic until March 20th, when they finally received an edict issued by the "Son of Heaven": Because the prince is young, the prince must find another person with both ability and political integrity; Liguang Wang Li Yi can be named as the emperor's uncle and changed his name. Li Chen will take full charge of all military affairs from now on. Obviously, this edict came from the hands of eunuchs. But when Li Deyu realized this, it was too late. On the day the imperial edict was issued, Emperor Taishu Li Chen received all civil and military officials in the palace.Three days later, that is, on March 23, the sixth year of Huichang, Tang Wuzong Li Yan (renamed during illness) passed away at the age of 33. On March 26, Li Chen ascended the throne as Tang Xuanzong. Li Chen was thirty-seven years old the year he ascended the throne.Since Daizong Li Yu, the empire has not seen such a middle-aged emperor for nearly a hundred years. Although Li Chen's ascension to the throne surprised the ruling and opposition parties, for most subjects, it was a blessing to have an older emperor.Because old age means experience and experience, it means rationality and maturity, it means that they will not take state affairs as a joke like Mu and Jingzong, and they will not be as weak and weak-willed as Wenzong. However, for Li Deyu, the sudden ascension of the new king Li Chen is obviously not a good thing. At the enthronement ceremony of the new emperor, when the eyes of Li Deyu and the emperor collided by chance, both of them gasped in unison. Afterwards, the emperor said to the left and right: "The person next to me just now is the Taiwei? Every time he sees me, it makes my hair stand on end." (Vol. Take care of me and make my hair fall.") The emperor felt like his hairs were standing on end, while Li Deyu felt like he was being shocked by an electric shock. Because, he saw the scheming and city government of this middle-aged emperor, and he also saw a kind of domineering arrogance. On the first day of April, the new emperor Li Chen officially began to govern the government. On the second day of April, Li Deyu was dismissed from his position as minister and sent out as Jiedushi of Jingnan (where the government is located in Jiangling County, Hubei Province today). As a powerful prime minister who monopolized all power, Li Deyu knew that he would not be tolerated by the new emperor, but he absolutely did not expect that this relegation edict would come so soon. Not only Li Deyu himself was surprised, but all civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty were also horrified.Although it is said that the emperor and the courtiers once reigned, it is really rare to see a powerful and outstanding imperial veteran kicked out on the second day of his reign. With the rapid downfall of Li Deyu, the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty had a premonition that a new round of reversal of the empire's political circle had begun. In August of that year, Emperor Xuanzong Li Chen issued an imperial edict, all five prime ministers who had been relegated to exile during Wuzong's first dynasty were transferred internally within a day.Sima Niu Sengru of Xunzhou (now Huizhou City, Guangdong) was transferred to be the governor of Hengzhou (now Hengyang City, Hunan), and Li Zongmin, who was exiled in Fengzhou (now Fengkai County, Guangdong) was transferred to Sima of Chenzhou (now part of Hunan), Chaozhou (now part of Guangdong) Yang Si, governor of Jiangzhou (now Jiujiang City, Jiangxi), was transferred to governor of Jiangzhou (now Jiujiang City, Jiangxi), Li Jue, governor of Zhaozhou (now Pingle County, Guangxi), was transferred to governor of Chenzhou, Sima Cui Gong of Enzhou (now Enping City, Guangdong) was transferred to Anzhou (now Anlu City, Hubei) long history. It's finally over. These few former prime ministers who had many official careers packed their bags with mixed feelings, and couldn't wait to get on the carriage going north. However, before Li Zongmin had time to step on the carriage, he died of regret and died of illness in the demolition office.Just as Li Deyu hoped, his soul can only wander in the ends of the earth from now on. However, Li Zongmin does not need to regret, nor does he need to feel lonely.Because, in just three years, his old opponent Li Deyu would be demoted again and again, until he was farther than him, and also died in the demotion. Since September of the sixth year of Huichang, Li Deyu's life has only been "relegated". He was first demoted as Jingnan Jiedushi, and soon transferred to Dongdu to stay behind. In March of the first year of Dazhong (847 AD), he was transferred to Prince Shaobao; 848) in September, he was relegated to Yazhou (now Qiongshan City, Hainan) Sihu. This last relegation really demoted Li Deyu to the ends of the earth. On December 10th in the third year of Dazhong (849 AD), Li Deyu passed away in endless sadness and desolation at the age of 63.Before he died, Li Deyu climbed to the top of Yazhou City, took a last look at the northern sky, and left a deadly poem "Chengyazhou City Work": Li Deyu, like Li Zongmin, failed to return to the imperial capital of Chang'an in the end, and failed to return to the hometown they dreamed of. All the fame and wealth, right and wrong, grievances and grievances in the world have quietly rotted along with their bodies on the border of the desolate empire. In the tens of thousands of mountains, only their souls are left watching every night—— Keep watch over Chang'an, which will never return.