Diqin Designer

Chapter 497 "Emperor Renzong's Prosperous Reign," Far Surpassing the Han and Tang Dynasties? (History of the Northern Song Dynasty)

Li Nian continued, "Of course, the reason why Liu E did not become empress was also because, after the precedent of Wu Zetian, the dynasties after Tang were more vigilant against empresses interfering in politics and women becoming empresses."

Therefore, Wu Zetian's ascension to the throne blocked the path for later empresses dowager and empresses. With Wu Zetian as a precedent, who would be willing to let a woman ascend the throne?
Although Empress Liu E had already assumed power and was only one step away from the final step, the key was that one step. The Zhao Song imperial family and civil and military officials could tolerate Empress Liu E standing at the threshold, and even tolerate her wearing imperial robes, but they would not allow her to actually take that step.

"Furthermore, Empress Liu has another major problem: she has no clan, unlike Empress Wu who could use members of the Wu clan. Who can Empress Liu use? Is she going to make good use of Gong Mei's clan?"

"Even if Liu E had succeeded in becoming empress, she would have had to pass the throne back to the Song dynasty in the end."

Since Liu E had no clan, no children, and her closest relative was her adopted son Zhao Zhen, if she didn't pass the throne back to the Zhao Song dynasty, could she pass it on to her ex-husband's family?
Feng Jie said, "Even so, it is quite remarkable that Liu E was able to stop at the last step. If Liu E had insisted on going her own way, although she might not have succeeded, it would have caused great turmoil for the Zhao Song dynasty."

Indeed, given the various obstacles, even if Liu E wanted to become empress, she might not have succeeded. But if she insisted on doing so, it would have caused a huge upheaval.

Given her position and immense power, her every move would have a profound impact on the Song Dynasty. Even if she were ultimately prevented from declaring herself empress, the Song Dynasty would inevitably suffer losses in the process.

But Liu E restrained herself and curbed her ambition, thus preventing these changes and losses from occurring for the Zhao Song dynasty.

"Empress Liu ruled as regent for eleven years. During these eleven years, she ended the 'Heavenly Book Movement' that had begun during the reign of Emperor Zhao Heng, quelled factional strife, promoted water conservancy projects, established the Censorate, and founded state schools, laying a solid foundation for the so-called 'Renzong's Prosperous Reign'."

Upon hearing the word "so-called," the First Emperor and others knew that this young man did not quite approve of the "prosperous reign of Emperor Renzong."

Li Nian said: "In the third month of the second year of Mingdao, Liu E died at the age of sixty-four. She was posthumously named Empress Zhangxian Mingsu. Apart from not having any achievements in martial arts, I think Liu E did better than Zhao Heng and Zhao Zhen."

"As for Emperor Renzong's 'Prosperous Reign,' how much did it have to do with Emperor Renzong himself? Did his prosperous reign solve the problems of the Song Dynasty?"

"Did he reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, prevent the establishment of the Western Xia dynasty, unify Jiaozhi, or solve the problems of excessive bureaucracy and land annexation?"

"On the contrary, during his reign, he increased the annual tribute to Liao and allowed Western Xia to establish a state. Although he later negotiated the 'Qingli Peace Treaty' with Western Xia, he still had to give Western Xia rewards every year. In other words, he changed the annual tribute to Liao to a more palatable term when dealing with Western Xia."

"The problems of excessive bureaucracy, redundant labor, and excessive land use have become more serious, and the factional strife that was temporarily suppressed by Empress Dowager Liu has resurfaced."

"Furthermore, by the time of Emperor Zhao Zhen, the Song Dynasty had already gone through three emperors and one empress. Apart from Zhao Heng's reckless behavior in his later years, these emperors were not bad in terms of domestic governance. The Song Dynasty was about to reach a period of prosperity."

"To say that the population of the Song Dynasty increased, in the eighth year of the Jiayou reign, the population of the Song Dynasty reached 1246 million households, with 2642 million able-bodied men. During Zhao Zhen's 42-year reign, the Song Dynasty's population increased by a net 379 million households, an increase equivalent to the total number of households during the Zhenguan reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. They don't even consider the situation when Emperor Taizong ascended the throne..."

This is a typical example of belittling the Tang Dynasty and praising the Song Dynasty. Song Dynasty literati did indeed like to do this. In the view of some Song Dynasty literati, Li Shimin, that bird who murdered his brother and seized the throne, is not worthy of being compared with our great Zhao Song emperor.

Those ignorant and corrupt Tang dynasty folks are completely unworthy of being compared to our Song dynasty, which is known for its etiquette, wealth, and power.

Before the Jingkang Incident, many scholars in the Northern Song Dynasty looked down on the Tang Dynasty.

"Furthermore, there is an important reason why the population of the Song Dynasty increased so rapidly: the availability of higher-yield crops, such as Champa rice, in the Song Dynasty. More food to feed more people will naturally lead to an increase in population."

"Champa rice was already being popularized during the reign of Emperor Zhao Heng. Can all of this be attributed to Emperor Zhao Zhen?"

"In my opinion, this 'Renzong's Prosperous Reign' is truly undeserved. Yet, Song Dynasty scholars praised and lauded it, calling it 'unparalleled in history,' 'far surpassing the Han and Tang dynasties, almost possessing the grandeur of the Three Dynasties,' and 'never before recorded in the Book of Poetry and the Book of Documents has there been such a prosperous reign.'"

Upon hearing Li Nian's assessment of the "Renzong's prosperous reign" by the Song people, even the First Emperor and others couldn't hold back. These Song people really had no shame.

Meng Tian went even further, saying, "The Song Dynasty couldn't even unify China. What face do they have to claim that they are far superior to the Han and Tang Dynasties? Is it because they send more annual tribute to the Liao people and more rewards to the Western Xia people?"

How shameless! How dare these Song Dynasty literati compare themselves to the Han and Tang dynasties, and even claim that they surpassed them?

The Han and Tang dynasties were not as cowardly as your Song dynasty. The Han and Tang dynasties achieved unification and once dominated all directions, forcing other countries to submit. But your Song dynasty, whether you win or lose, you just give money to others.

Li Nian smiled and said, "That's what people thought during the Song Dynasty, and they weren't just ordinary literati. Many of them were famous scholars and important officials, such as Ouyang Xiu, Sima Guang, and Wang Anshi... They were both famous scholars and important officials during the Song Dynasty."

"Perhaps it was the Song Dynasty's emphasis on civil administration over military affairs and its policy of co-governing the country with scholar-officials that gave them confidence. Or perhaps it was the advanced brewing techniques of the Song Dynasty that made these people drunk and unaware of their own limitations."

The First Emperor wisely did not ask these Song people what they thought of him and the Qin Dynasty. These people were so shameless as to claim that their Song Dynasty far surpassed the Han and Tang Dynasties, so what good could they possibly think of him and the Qin Dynasty?
He's definitely a tyrant, and the Qin Dynasty is a tyrannical dynasty!

Li Nian continued, "Although he didn't achieve much in military, political, or economic matters, Zhao Zhen still had his merits, which lay in the 'benevolence' of his title 'Renzong'."

"Under Zhao Zhen's rule, the environment in the Northern Song Dynasty was relatively relaxed. Although this relaxation made some problems more serious, it also had its advantages. For example, in terms of culture, many famous scholars emerged. Six of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties lived during Zhao Zhen's reign, as did Yan Shu, Fan Zhongyan, and others."

"For example, in the field of science and technology, three of the Four Great Inventions of China were applied during the reign of Emperor Zhao Zhen..."

Li Nian then changed the subject, "While there were achievements in these areas, they could not erase other problems that arose during Zhao Zhen's reign. Although those problems did not originate with Zhao Zhen, as the successor to the Song throne and the emperor of the Song dynasty, he had to bear the responsibility!"

The First Emperor nodded in agreement with Li Nian's last statement. Since he had become the emperor of the Song Dynasty, he had responsibilities and could not simply shirk them by saying that the problems did not begin during his reign.

"Zhao Zhen was actually aware of the problems that existed in the Song Dynasty and came up with some ways to change them. For example, during the Qingli era, with Zhao Zhen's approval, Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, and others implemented a reform called the 'Qingli New Deal'."

"The main purpose of the Qingli Reforms was to solve the problem of excessive bureaucracy, extravagance, and redundancy in the Song Dynasty. However, the reforms only lasted for a little over a year before ending with the main figures of the reforms being demoted from the court."

Feng Quji said, "Then Zhao Zhen certainly didn't firmly support the reform policies, otherwise things wouldn't have come to this." Li Nian replied, "Indeed not."

The new policy ended in just over a year, which was too fast. Besides the resistance from the conservatives, Emperor Zhao Zhen must have also failed to firmly support the reformers.

As long as Emperor Zhao Zhen remained steadfast in supporting the reformists, the new policies could not have ended so quickly.

The First Emperor commented: "This also shows that Zhao Zhen was a weak and cowardly person. No wonder he was given the temple name 'Renzong' after his death."

"If the reforms are to succeed, they must persevere regardless of any obstacles ahead. As the emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Zhen should provide firm support to the reform ministers. However, Zhao Zhen's nature dictates that he cannot support them to the end. He will hesitate when he sees that the reforms have offended too many people, and he will become suspicious when he sees people slandering and framing the reform ministers..."

"If even they cannot persist, how can the Qingli Reforms proceed? Zhao Zhen must have seen that the reforms were facing too many obstacles and that many people were against them, so he wanted to stop the reforms to appease these people. At the same time, although he demoted the reform ministers, he would not kill them, and might even give them important positions again later."

To summarize Qin Shi Huang's evaluation of Zhao Zhen, he was a man who lacked the courage and determination to be an emperor and tried to offend no one at the same time.

Therefore, Zhao Zhen was given the temple name "Renzong" because it was so pleasant to be an official under this guy that there was no need to worry about offending him and being beheaded.

As for why the Liao and Western Xia missed Zhao Zhen, it was because he increased their annual tribute and gave them rewards, and he did so quite generously. Who wouldn't like such a kind-hearted, money-giving man?

Li Nian said, "Just as Your Majesty said, Zhao Zhen's temperament meant that even with renowned ministers like Fan Zhongyan and Fu Bi, he was unable to carry out the Qingli Reforms. The Qingli Reforms were destined to fail!"

"After the Qingli Reforms, Zhao Zhen did not achieve much in politics. As for military affairs, the main military conflict during his reign was the war against Western Xia."

"The Western Xia was a historical problem left over from the Song Dynasty, but it was completely exposed during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong. In the first year of the Mingdao era, Li Deming died and his son Li Yuanhao took over the power. Both Li Deming and his father Li Jiqian had the idea of ​​establishing their own country, but during their time, they were not strong enough and could only endure it. However, during Li Yuanhao's time, although his strength was still not as good as that of the Liao and Song Dynasties, he was able to establish his own country."

"Therefore, in the first year of Emperor Zhao Zhen's reign (1264), Li Yuanhao formally proclaimed himself emperor and adopted the name 'Xia' for his state, which is historically known as 'Western Xia'. The territory where Li Yuanhao established his state was considered by the Song court to be part of the Song Dynasty's territory, and Li Yuanhao's father and grandfather had both received titles from the Song Dynasty and were considered Song subjects by the Song court."

"Therefore, Li Yuanhao's self-proclamation as emperor was an unacceptable thing for the Song court."

"Not to mention that the Song court regarded the land where Li Yuanhao established his state as its own territory, Li Yuanhao's act of declaring himself emperor is intolerable."

"This was a provocation against the dignity of the Song court. If Li Yuanhao were to declare himself emperor and establish a country, it would likely encourage more people to follow suit. Thus, from the first year of the Kangding era to the second year of the Qingli era, the Song and Xia dynasties engaged in a major war. The Song army initially won but was later defeated. Although the Xia dynasty was victorious, its national strength was inferior to that of the Song dynasty, and it was unable to continue the war with the Song dynasty."

"The two countries signed a peace treaty in the fourth year of the Qingli reign, historically known as the 'Qingli Peace Treaty.' The treaty stipulated that Li Yuanhao would relinquish his imperial title and become a vassal of the Song Dynasty. However, the Song Dynasty was required to recognize the Xia state, appoint Li Yuanhao as the ruler of the Xia state, and provide the Western Xia with annual 'gifts' totaling 150,000 bolts of silk, 70,000 taels of silver, and 30,000 catties of tea. Additional gifts would also be given on the birthday of the Western Xia ruler."

Wang Wan shook her head and said, "This peace treaty is tantamount to Song using money to buy back some face for itself!"

Meng Tian said speechlessly, "No wonder the young master said that whether we win or lose, we have to pay compensation. What's the point of fighting? We might as well have Song pay the Xia people directly, and we'll lose fewer soldiers' lives."

Wang Jian asked curiously, "What are the people in the Song court thinking?"

Feng Jie said, "Perhaps the Song people believe that their country is the richest among all countries, and that spending some money can buy face and peace, which is very worthwhile."

Li Nian said, "The Song people really did have this idea, thinking that it was worth spending a little money to buy peace. They also had a very interesting concept: they believed that the more barbaric and poor a country was, the more powerful it was. The reason why the Song Dynasty was inferior to these countries was because the Song Dynasty was too rich and too civilized."

"Zhao Zhen and the others thought it was a small amount of money and did not feel much shame. They did not realize that these silver coins, silk and tea were the result of the hard work of the people of the Song Dynasty."

Whose wealth was it, really?

It was the wealth of the civil officials and nobles, the emperors of the Song Dynasty and their imperial family, not that of the common people.

They take the hard-earned money of the people and use it as annual tribute to the Liao people and rewards to the Western Xia people, yet they have the nerve to think that it is just a small amount of "money" that the Song Dynasty is rich enough to afford.

This kind of thinking is wrong. We should be ashamed and then brave, rise up and develop, destroy the Liao and Xia dynasties, and wipe away this shame.

"When the Song and Xia were at war, the Liao saw this as an opportunity to blackmail the Song. In the second year of the Qingli era, the Liao provoked a conflict by asking the Song to return the ten prefectures south of the pass. The Liao did not actually intend to fight, but only wanted to get some benefits from the Song."

"Zhao Zhen sent Fu Bi to negotiate with the Liao people, and finally reached an agreement to increase the annual tribute by 100,000 taels of silver and 100,000 bolts of silk on the basis of the annual tribute agreed upon in the Treaty of Chanyuan. Moreover, the annual tribute was no longer a gift from Song to Liao, but was 'paid' to Liao."

"This is the 'Qingli Increased Currency'!"

Anyway, our Great Song Dynasty is rich and prosperous. Problems that can be solved with money are not a problem. What's wrong with giving the Liao and Xia Kingdoms a few melons and dates?

But is this a matter of whether or not it costs money?
Li Nian continued, "Although the Qingli increase in tribute was a humiliating event, it did indeed benefit the Song Dynasty. When agreeing to the conditions proposed by the Liao Dynasty, Zhao Zhen also put forward a condition: the Liao Dynasty must restrain the Western Xia from negotiating peace with the Song Dynasty. This condition led to the Liao and Western Xia turning against each other and breaking out into war!"

The falling out between Liao and Western Xia cannot change the humiliation of Song being forced to increase its tribute under Liao's pressure. It's like having two foreign armies fighting on your own land. Just because the two countries fought to a draw doesn't mean you've won.
What Song should have done was to take advantage of the war between Liao and Xia, actively develop its power, and eventually destroy both Liao and Xia.

Just because one person who extorted you gets into a fight with another doesn't mean you're not ashamed of being extorted.

Li Nian continued, "Besides the war with Western Xia, another major military event during Zhao Zhen's reign was the war with Nong Zhigao. This was also a consequence of the Song Dynasty's failure to seize the opportunity to unify Jiaozhi earlier."

(End of this chapter)