Diqin Designer

Chapter 488 The Root of the Zhao Song Dynasty's "Cowardice" (History of the Northern Song Dynasty)
"God of War" is a good title, but it doesn't quite fit with "donkey cart".

As the second emperor of the Song Dynasty, he was called the "God of War of Donkey Carts" and the "God of Carts of Gaoliang River," which were obviously not proper titles and were meant to be ridiculed and mocked.

It's just a mystery how Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty came to be associated with donkey carts.

Could it be that this person was fond of driving donkey carts and had exceptional driving skills that were unmatched by his contemporaries, thus earning him the titles of "God of War" and "God of Carts"?
It's quite normal for monarchs to have some unique quirks. Some like cultivating immortality, some like bestowing upon themselves the title of Great General, some like woodworking, and some like stealing...

It's not too surprising that Emperor Taizong of Song liked to drive a donkey cart.

Li Nian said, "Besides these two well-known nicknames, Zhao Guangyi was also known as the 'Axe Gang Leader' and the 'Breaking Bad Master.' The 'Axe Gang Leader' comes from the 'Shadow of the Candle and the Sound of the Axe,' while the 'Breaking Bad Master' comes from the fact that Zhao Guangyi often used poison to kill people."

"Although it is not recorded in the History of Song, some people in the Song Dynasty and later believed that Li Yu was poisoned by Zhao Guangyi, and Li Yu did have a reason to be poisoned by Zhao Guangyi."

"As the last ruler of the Southern Tang, Li Yu still had some people in the former territory of the Southern Tang, just like those people in the Six Kingdoms. Although the Six Kingdoms were destroyed, there were still people who cared about them."

"When the Southern Tang Dynasty was destroyed, Li Yu also became a prisoner of the Song Dynasty. If he had been honest and upright, he might have survived. But Li Yu was a cultured man who was prone to melancholy and lamenting the past and present."

He often lamented the fall of his homeland and his own imprisonment, and would often reminisce about his homeland and write a few lines about it. It is said that on his birthday, he ordered his former singing girls to make music and also composed the poem "Yu Meiren".

Li Yu was not born with the talent to be an emperor.

When will the spring flowers and autumn moon end? How much of the past do we know?

The east wind blew again last night in my little building; I can't bear to look back at my homeland in the bright moonlight.

The carved railings and jade steps should still be there, only the rosy cheeks have faded.

How much sorrow can one have? It's like a river of spring water flowing eastward.

Although the literature of the Qin Dynasty at that time differed from that of later generations, the beauty of the language transcends time, and the First Emperor and others could appreciate that it was a fine poem.

The words are good, but what is Li Yu trying to do? Is he in such a hurry to die?

Again with "past events" and "former country," the Southern Tang Dynasty has fallen, and you have become a deposed ruler, a prisoner of others, yet you still jump up to reminisce about the past and miss your former country, as if you are afraid that others will not kill you.
Meng Tian said, "This poem... is indeed excellent, but isn't Li Yu somewhat... unwise?"

Feng Jie also said, "Unless he intentionally sought death, it was not only unwise, but downright foolish. After he composed this poem, 'Yu Meiren,' the Song emperor could no longer tolerate him. In the eyes of the Song emperor, the meaning contained in the poem was that Li Yu's desire to restore his country had not died."

"But Li Yu is not giving up, and those former members of the Southern Tang who are equally unwilling to give up will rely on him as their leader to rebel against the Song Dynasty. The Song emperor will surely kill him!"

Li Nian said, "Li Yu was not suited to be an emperor. His talent lay in poetry, but unfortunately he was born into an imperial family. According to rumors, in addition to Li Yu, Meng Chang, the emperor of Later Shu, and Qian Chu, the ruler of Wuyue, were also suspected of being poisoned by Zhao Guangyi. Even his brother Zhao Kuangyin was said to have been poisoned by Zhao Guangyi."

"But in reality, Meng Chang may not have been poisoned by Zhao Guangyi, because Meng Chang died in the third year of the Qiande era, when Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, had only been on the throne for five years. If Meng Chang was poisoned, it should have been Zhao Kuangyin who did it."

"It's quite possible that Meng Chang was poisoned. After the fall of Later Shu, he was captured and taken to Kaifeng. He was granted the title of Duke of Qin, but died seven days later. His quick death is probably due to someone else's doing!"

"Although Meng Chang was probably not poisoned by Zhao Guangyi, but was related to Zhao Kuangyin, Qian Chu's death is somewhat likely related to Zhao Guangyi."

"Qian Chu was very pragmatic. During the Later Zhou Dynasty, he assisted the Later Zhou in conquering the Southern Tang. After Zhao Kuangyin established the Song Dynasty, he stood on the side of Zhao Song. In the seventh year of the Kaibao era, when Zhao Kuangyin ordered Wu and Yue to jointly attack Huainan, he refused the Southern Tang's request to unite against the Song and led 50,000 troops to assist Zhao Song."

The following year, he personally went to Changzhou and dispatched Shen Chengli and others to lead troops to accompany the Song army to pacify Runzhou and advance on Jinling. In the ninth year of the Kaibao era, he led his troops to the capital to pay homage to the emperor.

"Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin treated him with great courtesy. When Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne, Qian Chu once again came to court and offered his territory to Zhao Guangyi. Zhao Guangyi then enfeoffed him as the King of Huainan, the King of Hannan, and the King of Nanyang, but Qian Chu firmly declined the title of king."

Wang Jian said, "This man is indeed pragmatic and knows when to advance and retreat. If he were to hold the title of the state, it would surely arouse Zhao Guangyi's suspicion. Taking the initiative to relinquish the title of the state would put Zhao Guangyi at ease."

Li Nian nodded and continued, "So compared to Li Yu and Meng Chang, Qian Chu lived longer. He lived until the first year of Duan Gong, which was the twelfth year of Zhao Guangyi's reign. Until his sixtieth birthday, an accident occurred."

"On Qian Chu's birthday, Zhao Guangyi sent someone to wish Qian Chu a happy birthday on his behalf and presented him with various gifts. The guests enjoyed themselves at the birthday banquet. However, that evening, Qian Chu suffered a stroke and died at the fourth watch of the night at the age of sixty."

"So later it was said that Qian Chu was poisoned by Zhao Guangyi!"

After hearing this, Wang Jian shook his head and said, "It shouldn't be Zhao Guangyi's doing. Qian Chu is such a pragmatic person that killing him would be pointless. On the contrary, keeping Qian Chu alive would be more useful to Zhao Guangyi. Qian Chu is like a flag that can demonstrate the magnanimity of the Song Dynasty. Treating Qian Chu well and letting him live a good life will reassure the people."

The Qin Dynasty treated Zhao Yue and others in the same way. Killing them was certainly an option, but keeping them alive was more valuable than killing them.

"This matter should just be a coincidence. Zhao Guangyi sent people to celebrate Qian Chu's birthday, but it just so happened that Qian Chu fell ill and died. Moreover, even if Zhao Guangyi really intended to kill Qian Chu, he would not have chosen to do so on Qian Chu's birthday. This move is too suspicious."

It is estimated that Zhao Guangyi was quite speechless after learning that Qian Chu had died on his birthday: Why did this guy have to die at this time of year? People will surely suspect that I was behind it.
Feng Quji said, "It seems that Zhao Guangyi's title of 'Breaking Bad Master' is not accurate."

Li Nian laughed and said, "'Breaking Bad' and 'Axe Gang Leader' may not be true, but 'Donkey Cart God of War' and 'Sorghum River Cart God' are definitely real."

Now we're finally going to talk about how Emperor Taizong of Song became the "God of War of the Donkey Cart" and the "God of the Sorghum River Cart," something that the First Emperor and others had been curious about for a long time.

Li Nian said, "Zhao Guangyi was not bad in ability, but he was better at civil administration than martial arts. In the period between the Tang and Song dynasties, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, warlords fought each other and military men took lives at will, and the people of the world suffered."

"Therefore, starting with Guo Wei of the Later Zhou Dynasty, there was a deliberate attempt to restrict military men. After the Song Dynasty took over the Later Zhou Dynasty, it did the same thing, whether it was Zhao Kuangyin or Zhao Guangyi."

"The two brothers had witnessed the cruel scenes of warlords wreaking havoc on the world, and naturally did not want them to repeat themselves."

The Song dynasty did indeed suppress military power and emphasize civil administration, but this was not without reason.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, whoever had an army was king. Today they would massacre a city for fun, tomorrow they would raid a village for fun. As for loyalty to the emperor, patriotism, propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame, none of that mattered.

The emperor is the one with the strongest army and the most powerful horses!
The reason why Emperor Taizu of Song is often mentioned alongside Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, and Emperor Taizong of Tang is primarily because he ended the chaotic rule of military figures that had prevailed since the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, restoring order to China. "A year after ascending the throne, Zhao Kuangyin hosted a banquet for his old brothers, namely his military generals. These men, who had enabled him to ascend the throne during the Chenqiao Mutiny, also had the power to make him abdicate."

"To prevent a repeat of the Chenqiao Mutiny and to ensure the longevity of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin used a banquet to coerce and entice his generals into relinquishing their military power. This is the famous 'Release of Military Power over a Cup of Wine' in history!"

Wang Ben asked in bewilderment, "These generals hold military power, yet they readily listen to Emperor Taizu's advice and willingly give it up?"

Li Nian said, "They certainly won't be willing to accept it, but what can they do? Emperor Song's prestige in the army is higher than theirs. If they themselves are unwilling to accept it with dignity, then Emperor Song will find another way to make them accept it with dignity."

If Zhao Kuangyin had offered them wealth and honor by giving up their military power, they would have been in danger of losing everything, not to mention their lives.

As for those who rebelled against Zhao Kuangyin and opposed him, these generals were basically Zhao Kuangyin's sworn brothers and knew how formidable he was.

If Zhao Guangyi had been in charge of this task, he probably wouldn't have succeeded, as his prestige in the army was not as high as that of his brother Zhao Kuangyin.

Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne after Zhao Kuangyin, and he should thank Zhao Kuangyin for clearing away many obstacles for him.

"After relieving these generals of their military power, Zhao Kuangyin centralized military power and carried out military system reforms on the Song army. The command of the Imperial Guards was divided into three parts, each directly responsible to the emperor."

“The Privy Council was established to manage military affairs throughout the country. The Privy Council had the power to mobilize troops, but did not directly command the army. The generals who actually commanded the army could command the army, but did not have the power to mobilize troops.”

After a moment's thought, the First Emperor and others understood the advantages and disadvantages of this method. The advantage was that it could reduce the possibility of military rebellion, but it could also easily lead to problems such as the inability to deploy troops in time to deal with the situation and the delay in seizing opportunities.

Moreover, doing so would require more officials, which would be tantamount to dividing the military power that generals should have.

Even so, it's not that everyone takes a portion and performs their respective duties; rather, there is overlap and duplication in the portions taken by each person.

This is also a major characteristic of the "big coward" – he likes to divide up complete power into small parts here and there, with some overlap between them.

This leads to a situation where it seems many government departments can handle certain matters, but it also seems that no single department can handle everything.

This can indeed create checks and balances between various government departments, but it will require more officials and lead to a lack of clear distinction between powers and responsibilities.

Li Nian continued, "In order to guard against military men, policies such as the rotation of garrison troops, the defense of the interior against the exterior, and the mutual restraint between the interior and the exterior were also implemented. Of course, any policy, when it was first introduced, was often advanced, with its advantages outweighing its disadvantages, and it could play a positive role."

"Therefore, although Zhao Kuangyin reclaimed the military power of his old brothers and carried out military reforms during his reign, the Song army's fighting strength remained very strong. If Zhao Kuangyin had not died and had lived for another five or ten years, the Song Dynasty under his rule might have indeed been able to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, destroy the Liao Dynasty, and reunify the land of China."

"Song's evaluation will be even higher!"

"However, Zhao Kuangyin did not live to see that day. After his brother Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne, he continued to adopt the policy of suppressing the military and emphasizing civil administration, and promoted the 'commanders from the center to control' policy, which required front-line generals to obey the command of the court."

Meng Tian couldn't help but say, "How is this possible? The imperial court is not on the battlefield, so how can they know the situation? The battlefield situation changes in an instant. If we don't let the generals make decisions, but instead report to the imperial court first, and then issue orders after the imperial court knows, I'm afraid the opportunity will be lost!"

"If the Song army is like this, it may be able to defend the city, but it will be defeated if it fights outside."

Li Nian smiled and said, "The Song Dynasty also understood that the court could not immediately know the situation on the battlefield before issuing orders to the Song soldiers, so they adopted another method—battle formations!"

"That is, before the battle, the formation in which the army should be deployed, where to place shield soldiers, where to place archers and crossbowmen... all are arranged in advance!"

"Zhao Guangyi also personally created a formation called the 'Pingrong Wanquan Formation Diagram'. In terms of design concept, this formation diagram is quite impressive. However, the problem is that the battlefield is ever-changing, and the formation diagram cannot adapt to the battle situation, which is harmful."

Designing battle formations in advance so that generals and soldiers can fight according to them—is this an idea that anyone could come up with?

This is exactly like how a certain principal had to micromanage the placement of a machine gun, but in that principal's time, communication was at least more advanced than in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Wang Jian, Meng Tian, ​​and others only dared to broaden their horizons, but this Emperor Taizong of Song was truly a "talented person".

With such a "heroic" commander who came up with the idea of ​​using battle formations to guide the soldiers in battle, the Song army was truly "blessed".

Emperor Taizong's kindness can never be fully repaid!
Meng Tian said, "This Zhao Guangyi is definitely not a man of military knowledge, at least not skilled in this area. If the Song army is commanded by him, they will suffer defeat!"

Since he doesn't know much about military affairs and lacks command ability, he should just stay in the rear, hand over command to the front-line generals, and wait for good news from the rear.

However, Zhao Guangyi found it difficult to guard against military men. He couldn't sleep soundly if he allowed frontline generals to freely command troops and fight. What if those generals encountered his brother and staged a "Huangqiao Mutiny" or "Chaiqiao Mutiny"?

He must be on guard, and even if he cannot go to guard against it in person, he must send someone to guard against it on his behalf.

Wang Ben also said, "It would be best for this person to stay in the court and wait for good news. His interference will only make things worse."

Li Nian said, "But that's impossible. Although Zhao Guangyi is talented, he is not as good as his brother Zhao Kuangyin. Zhao Guangyi is far less prestigious than Zhao Kuangyin among the Song army soldiers."

"Therefore, he needed to establish his personal prestige in the army, and he dared not let his generals command the army without taking precautions. Furthermore, Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne by his brother, and although there is the saying of the 'Golden Box Covenant,' some people do not believe it and think that his succession was illegitimate!"

"Zhao Guangyi must find a way to prove that his imperial throne is legitimate and justified, and that he has the merits and abilities to be emperor. And personally leading the army to conquer Liaodong is an excellent choice!"

"At that time, after Shi Jingtang, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun were occupied by the Liao Kingdom. Neither Chai Rong nor Zhao Kuangyin were able to take them back, and China was thus unable to remain intact."

"If he can reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun and restore the integrity of China, Zhao Guangyi's achievements will immediately surpass those of his brother. Even if he did kill his brother to seize the throne, no one would object to such merit!"

(End of this chapter)