Diqin Designer

Chapter 502 The Origin of Zhao Xu's Resentment (History of the Northern Song Dynasty)
"Although Zhao Xu died and his policies ceased, they were not completely over, because someone brought the new laws back."

"This person was the seventh emperor of the Song Dynasty and the son of Zhao Xu."

"Zhao Xu had many children. According to records, he had fourteen princes, but most of them did not live to adulthood, especially the first five sons who all died young."

If the first five sons died young, then the sixth son must have survived, and he should have been the one to inherit the throne of the Song Dynasty after Zhao Xu.

No, Li Nian intentionally said that Zhao Xu's first five sons all died young, not just to say that Zhao Laoliu (the sixth son) ascended the throne, but because the first five sons died young. Zhao Xu was only thirty-eight years old when he died, so this sixth son was probably not very old.

Sure enough, Li Nian said, "Zhao Xu died in his prime. His eldest son was born in the second year of Xining, when Zhao Xu was twenty-one years old, and his fifth son was born in the eighth year of Xining, when Zhao Xu was twenty-six years old. If any of the first five sons had survived, they would have been around ten years old when they ascended the throne, but unfortunately, all five sons died young."

"Therefore, Zhao Xu's sixth son was only eight years old when he ascended the throne (ten years old according to the ancient Chinese age reckoning). Speaking of which, so many of Zhao Xu's sons died, why did the great calligrapher survive? He should have died young at birth!"

Upon hearing this, the First Emperor and the others secretly thought: This kid is truly full of malice towards that great calligrapher.

"Zhao Xu's sixth son was Emperor Zhezong of Song, Zhao Xu, while the great calligrapher was his eleventh son."

"When Zhao Xu ascended the throne, he was too young to handle state affairs, so his grandmother, Empress Dowager Gao, ruled as regent. To be precise, after Zhao Xu's death, Empress Dowager Gao's status was elevated to that of Grand Empress Dowager."

"Even during Zhao Xu's lifetime, Empress Dowager Gao opposed the new laws. After her son Zhao Xu died, and her grandson Zhao Xu was still too young to rule, Empress Dowager Gao, who was in charge of the court, naturally abolished the new laws and expelled the officials who advocated the reforms during Zhao Xu's reign from the court, and appointed officials who opposed the reforms."

"It was at this time that Sima Guang, who was in charge of compiling the Zizhi Tongjian, was appointed by Empress Dowager Gao and became prime minister."

"In fact, Zhao Xu is young and lacks both mental maturity and experience in governing the country. It was not a problem for Empress Dowager Gao to rule as regent."

After all, the child was too young. Even Gan Luo became prime minister at the age of twelve. Even with his extraordinary talent, eight years old was still too young, especially since he was doing the very challenging job of being emperor.

"The problem is that Empress Dowager Gao and others have no respect for Zhao Xu. They have always treated him as a child and have not regarded him as a monarch."

Now that he has ascended the throne and is sitting on the dragon throne, even if he is very young, he should be given a certain degree of respect. No matter how young he is, he is still the emperor.

"According to historical records, when Empress Dowager Gao was ruling as regent, his throne was opposite hers, just like this!"

Li Nian gestured with her left and right hands to show everyone how to compare them, but no one immediately realized what the problem was.

Li Nian smiled and said, "At that time, Zhao Xu was not in power, and all government affairs were decided by Empress Dowager Gao. Naturally, the ministers would report to Empress Dowager Gao and discuss matters with her. Reporting and discussing matters should generally be done with the person who is listening to the report. You can't report matters with your back to her."

The First Emperor and his entourage immediately realized that if these ministers were reporting to Empress Dowager Gao, then Zhao Xu, who was sitting opposite her on the throne, was...

The First Emperor and the others had strange expressions. This was... a point that was hard to come by, but it was sure to offend people.

"The ministers went to present their reports to Empress Dowager Gao, and Zhao Xu on the throne could only see their backs and buttocks. This was not just for one day, but for all the years before Zhao Xu assumed personal rule."

Being forced to only look at a minister's backside and buttocks for years on end would make any normal person resentful.

Moreover, it is highly unlikely that Empress Dowager Gao and the Yuanyou ministers were completely unaware that their actions were disrespectful to Zhao Xu; most likely, they knew but simply ignored it.

So what if they did it? What can the little emperor do to them?

"It wasn't just in this matter that Zhao Xu was disrespected; in other matters, Empress Dowager Gao and the Yuan You ministers also showed him a great deal of disrespect. Yuan You was the reign title Zhao Xu used after he ascended the throne, but Empress Dowager Gao was in charge of the government during the Yuan You era."

"The Yuanyou ministers were those officials who opposed the reforms and were appointed by Empress Dowager Gao during her reign. They were also known as the 'Yuanyou Party members' and were considered part of the old party. In contrast, the 'Yuanfeng Party members' were considered part of the new party!"

"The conflict between the two parties originated from differences in political views. At the beginning, the two parties exercised some restraint. However, when the struggle between the two parties intensified, they used all kinds of means, which eventually turned the conflict into a struggle to suppress dissent. If one side gained power and returned to the court, the other side would be demoted and expelled from the court."

"It can be said that they were irreconcilable enemies, with neither side able to coexist. It was either him or me. The struggle between the old and new factions lasted for decades, wasting the national strength of the Song Dynasty."

Li Nian shook her head, then continued, "First, there's Zhao Xu's birth mother. She came from a humble background and initially served as a maid to Zhao Xu after entering the palace. It was only after bearing him children that she gained a certain status. After Zhao Xu's death and Zhao Xu's ascension to the throne, as Zhao Xu's birth mother, she should have received better treatment. However, Empress Dowager Gao did not do so; instead, she suppressed Zhao Xu's birth mother!"

Feng Quji laughed and said, "Zhao Xu's birth mother is naturally closer to Zhao Xu. Empress Dowager Gao suppressed her because she was afraid that Zhao Xu would use her to compete for power."

Li Nian said, "That's right, but Empress Dowager Gao's actions will make Zhao Xu resentful. While she is alive, Zhao Xu dares not do anything, but what about after she dies?"

"In the fourth year of the Yuan You era, news came from the palace that Zhao Xu was looking for a wet nurse. Minister Fan Zuyu believed that Zhao Xu was only fourteen years old and not the right age to be close to women. He submitted a memorial to advise him, and his words were vehement."

"His words, 'Though the current external opinions are unfounded, they serve as a warning for future actions. As your humble servant, I have heard things on the road, and I am truly concerned. Therefore, I dare not shirk the crime of speaking recklessly. It is indeed wrong to speak of things before they happen; but once they have happened, it is too late to do anything about it, so what is the use of speaking? Your Majesty would rather accept words spoken before things happen than let your servants have regrets that cannot be undone.'"

Especially the last sentence, what does it mean: "Your Majesty would rather accept words that have not yet come to pass than let us ministers have regrets that have not yet come to pass"?
The translation is: Even if Your Majesty did not do this, and we have wronged you, it is still a wrong. Your Majesty, please suffer a little injustice so that we won't regret it later.

We are all doing this for Your Majesty's good. Even if we have wronged you, it is for your own good. Your Majesty, please correct your mistakes if you have them, and strive to improve if you don't.

"Their starting point may be good, but their approach is very problematic. They are pointing fingers at Zhao Xu under the guise of doing what is best for him, and they don't allow Zhao Xu to refute them. This will only force Zhao Xu to rebel."

Like some parents, instead of communicating with their children and understanding the situation carefully, they interfere excessively under the guise of "I'm doing this for your own good," even punishing and criticizing their children before fully investigating the matter. After all, they claim they're doing it for their own good and have no ill intentions!

"Empress Dowager Gao's handling of the matter after seeing the memorial was also wrong. She did not ask Zhao Xu himself about the situation, but instead privately summoned Zhao Xu's palace maids for interrogation, without considering what Zhao Xu might think?"

"Both Fan Zuyu and Empress Dowager Gao treated Zhao Xu as a child, without considering that he was a monarch! And even a child has his own thoughts."

"When Zhao Xu was seventeen, he was already capable of ruling in his own right. Empress Dowager Gao should have gradually returned power to Zhao Xu. However, Empress Dowager Gao was reluctant to relinquish power and continued to hold court as usual, and the officials remained the same."

Wang Jian laughed and said, "They treat Zhao Xu as if he doesn't exist, so Zhao Xu must be extremely resentful."

At this point, Wang Jian seemed to understand something and looked at Li Nian, saying, "This must be the reason why Zhao Xu reinstated the new laws after assuming power!"

Li Nian smiled and said, "In fact, if Empress Dowager Gao and the Yuan You ministers properly guide Zhao Xu, even if Zhao Xu still wants to reform and implement new laws after he takes power, he will definitely not suppress the Yuan You ministers. Instead, he may try to eliminate the struggle between the old and new factions."

"Zhao Xu later recalled the Yuanfeng Party members and reinstated the New Policies. Li did not genuinely believe that the New Policies were better for the Zhao Song Dynasty, but rather it was out of revenge against Empress Dowager Gao and the Yuanyou Party members."

"You, Empress Dowager Gao, want to abolish the new laws, appoint the old party, and suppress the new party? Then I'll do the opposite of you, bring back those you don't like, and expel those you do like! I couldn't do anything to you while you were alive, but I'll make the decisions after you're gone!"

Emperor Jiaqing, the eldest son of Emperor Qianlong, did the same thing to him. After Qianlong's death, he deliberately did things to disgust him.

"Therefore, Zhao Xu's actions, including reinstating the new laws, recalling the new party, expelling the old party, and deposing the empress, all stemmed from his desire to retaliate against Empress Dowager Gao. Zhao Xu's first empress, Lady Meng, was appointed during Empress Dowager Gao's regency!"

"Zhao Xu was a very talented emperor in the history of the Song Dynasty, but unfortunately, due to a series of manipulations by Empress Dowager Gao and the Yuan You ministers, his talent was not discovered. Instead, Zhao Xu harbored resentment towards them."

It's a pity that this promising talent, Zhao Xu, could have been nurtured more carefully if he had been in better health. Perhaps he could have helped the Song Dynasty eliminate some of its problems and prevented the "Jingkang Incident".

"In the eighth year of the Yuan You era, Zhao Xu, filled with resentment, finally endured until Empress Dowager Gao passed away, and he was able to rule in his own right. The reason why Empress Dowager Gao was unwilling to relinquish power when Zhao Xu was able to rule in his own right was that she knew that Zhao Xu would definitely overturn her current policies after he took power in his own right."

Meng Tian scoffed, "Isn't this all her and the Yuanyou faction's doing? They didn't take Zhao Xu seriously, nor did they teach him properly, which only fueled Zhao Xu's resentment. The more she refuses to relinquish power, the more resentful Zhao Xu will become. If she does relinquish power, Zhao Xu will remember her kindness and harbor less resentment!"

Li Niandao said: "After assuming power, Zhao Xu quickly recalled Zhang Dun, and the following year changed the era name to 'Shaosheng', thus beginning his path of promoting the new party and suppressing the old party. He posthumously honored Wang Anshi and allowed him to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, posthumously demoted Sima Guang, and exiled Su Shi and others to Lingnan."

"Su Shi's poem 'I would eat three hundred lychees a day and not mind being a Lingnan native forever' comes from this period. If Zhao Xu had not demoted him to Lingnan, Su Shi would not have been able to write this poem."

"Not only did Zhao Xu suppress the old party of Yuan You, he even wanted to abolish Empress Dowager Gao's title and privileges, and to denounce her as an 'old cunning tyrant who usurped the country'."

The accumulated resentment was immense, but it made sense when you thought about it. For years, he had seen the backs and buttocks of ministers in court, and he was treated like a child, scolded and reprimanded for everything he did, and he wasn't allowed to argue back. When it was time for him to take charge of the government, that old woman still refused to relinquish power.

"After Zhao Xu reinstated the New Party, with his support, they vigorously attacked the Old Party, and the main business of the court became suppressing dissidents within the Old Party. As a result, Zhao Xu did not achieve any outstanding political accomplishments."

Putting aside the question of governing the country, these old party members who deserve to be dealt with must be suppressed. That's what I, Zhao Xu, say!
"As for military affairs, Zhao Xu has achieved some remarkable results!"

"When the Yuanyou Old Party was in power, they made concessions to the Western Xia, even ceding the land they had already acquired to the Western Xia in exchange for peace."

This is also an important reason why later generations have a negative view of the Yuanyou Party members, Sima Guang, and others: ceding territory to seek peace was a great disgrace!
"After Zhao Xu assumed power, he no longer made peace with Western Xia, but instead adopted a tough stance, launched an attack on Western Xia, defeated Western Xia, and seized its territory, giving the Song Dynasty an advantage in the war against Western Xia. Zhao Xu also restarted the Hehuang Campaign and recovered the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau."

"These are actually things that his father, Zhao Xu, was doing during his reign. However, Zhao Xu failed in dealing with the Western Xia, while Zhao Xu achieved success. The Hehuang region had already been acquired during Zhao Xu's reign, but it was abandoned by the old faction during the Yuanyou era."

Sima Guang, Wen Yanbo, and others believed that these border lands were idle lands that had been acquired, and keeping them would be of no benefit and would only invite war. It would be better to return them to Western Xia as a gesture of goodwill, so that Western Xia would be grateful and not start a war.

This sounds so familiar, it's like how some of the lands of the Qin Dynasty were acquired in this way.

If other countries voluntarily cede land, will the countries involved be grateful? Great Qin has a lot to say about this!
The Qin Dynasty would certainly be grateful, thankful to have encountered such a fool who would voluntarily offer up the land. As for not waging war over it, how could that be possible?

The Qin Dynasty will only think you are weak and easy to bully, and will prepare to bully you even more severely!
Who exactly are these Yuanyou Party members? They actually dream that if the land is returned to Western Xia, Western Xia will live in harmony with the Song Dynasty.

More than a thousand years after the Qin Dynasty, these people were all scholar-officials who had emerged from the imperial examinations. They were the top intellectuals of the time and could not possibly be unaware of history. They did not understand the principle that "the six states offered land to Qin, which was like carrying firewood to put out a fire. The firewood would not be exhausted and the fire would not be extinguished."

How could someone have such a wildly imaginative idea?
This will not make the Western Xia grateful; it will only make them look down on the Song Dynasty and thus try to gain more benefits from it.

Meng Tian asked curiously, "These ministers of the Zhao Song dynasty are not fools, so why would they have such thoughts?"

Li Nian said: "Because they hate war and are unwilling to start a war, and they have a wishful thinking about the Western Xia, they feel that it is worthwhile to give up some land that does not belong to them in the first place in exchange for peace with the Western Xia."

Wang Ben, who had not spoken for a long time, commented: "No wonder the Song Dynasty was unable to achieve unification; none of the Song ministers had the will to unify the country."

“Those places do not belong to the Song Dynasty, but they belonged to the Han and Tang Dynasties. If the Song Dynasty had the ambition of unification, it should have regarded them as Song territory and considered them lost homeland. Now that the Song Dynasty has inherited the ambition of the Han and Tang Dynasties, it should recover its homeland!”

As soon as Wang Ben finished speaking, Feng Jie laughed and replied, "How could the Song Dynasty look down on the former lands of the Han and Tang Dynasties? How could the Han and Tang Dynasties compare to the prosperity and strength of the Song Dynasty? Their 'Renzong's Prosperous Reign' was unparalleled in history, far surpassing the Han and Tang Dynasties!"

(End of this chapter)