Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 304 Lu Beigu's "On the Mid-Tang Dynasty" [Seeking monthly votes!]

The snow fell heavier and heavier, covering the examination hall inside and out in a blanket of white. The passageways between the examination rooms were trampled into muddy snow paths by clerks and patrolmen.

During the lunch break, because it was so cold, Lu Beigu even felt a slight stinging sensation in his lungs with each breath.

"I imagine the situation for others is even worse, right?"

He slowly put the last piece of sesame cake in his mouth, let it melt, and finished it, pondering.

It can be said that this year's provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites is no longer simply a test of academic ability, but also a test of physical strength and willpower.

The subtle skewness in his vision seemed to intensify after he wrote five policy proposals in succession, even the light filtering through the reed curtain appeared slightly distorted.

Lu Beigu squeezed his eyes shut, patted them, then opened them again, forcing himself to focus and stay awake.

It's too late for a nap at this point.

If you want to sleep, you can sleep as long as you want after the exam, but if you fall asleep now instead of staying awake, it's questionable whether you'll be able to wake up again.

Soon, it was time for the afternoon exam.

"when--!"

The gong sounded, announcing the final battle of the Ministry of Rites provincial examination in the second year of the Jiayou era.

"Silence, students!"

"In the second year of the Jiayou reign, the Ministry of Rites' provincial examination, the essay topic was released!"

The clerk's footsteps made a "plop plop" sound as he walked on the wet, cold snow.

The exam paper was passed through the gap in the reed curtain. Lu Beigu reached out and took it. He felt the paper was icy cold, but he didn't care. His eyes fell on the title of the essay.

What he wants to know most now is what the topic of the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites has changed.

The first thing you see is three large characters.

—"On the Middle Tang Dynasty"

Lu Beigu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling calm.

It's perfectly normal for Ouyang Xiu to use this as a topic when he was revising the "New Book of Tang" and the "New History of the Five Dynasties".

Since the literary battle at Ma Jiliang Garden that day, "On the Utmost Importance of Punishment and Reward" appeared ahead of schedule, and he had a vague premonition that the final topic of the Ministry of Rites provincial examination might be subject to change.

After the butterfly flaps its wings, the storm eventually comes—a topic never before discussed in history.

This means that the fate of all candidates in this year's exams may be changed, either slightly or significantly.

"Mid-Tang Dynasty."

Lu Beigu muttered to himself, his mind racing.

The mid-Tang Dynasty, that is, the Tang Dynasty after the An Lushan Rebellion, and during this period, there are two words that cannot be avoided: regional military governors!
In his mind, countless historical events surged forth: An Lushan's uprising in Fanyang, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi's efforts to turn the tide, Emperor Daizong and Emperor Dezong's helpless appeasement of the three towns in Hebei, Emperor Xianzong's short-lived Yuanhe Restoration, Emperor Muzong's disastrous failure of the "disbanding troops" policy, and finally Zhu Wen's usurpation of the Tang Dynasty at the end of the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, when discussing the mid-Tang Dynasty, it is essential to write about the regional military governorships.

To be honest, he wasn't completely unprepared for this question.

When Song Xianggong discussed history and politics, he had many insightful views on the disasters caused by the regional military governors in the mid-Tang Dynasty. Lu Beigu, who studied historical records in depth, also had profound thoughts on this matter.

How should I write it?

Simply listing historical facts is meaningless and misses the point.

After a moment of contemplation, a sudden inspiration struck Lu Beigu. The formation of the regional military governorships (fanzhen) stemmed from the imbalance of power between the central government and local authorities in the Tang Dynasty, and the most similar system in the history of the mid-Tang Dynasty was the prefectures and kingdoms of the Western Han Dynasty.

So, given that both are power struggles between the central government and local authorities, why did one win and the other lose? This question, raised by the comparison, serves as an excellent entry point for further investigation.

A deeper examination reveals the issue of the military system based on the land system.

Lu Beigu's pen hovered over the draft paper, the outline of the article already formed in his mind, before he finally put it down.

"On the Middle Tang Dynasty"

The decline of the mid-Tang Dynasty is often blamed on the arrogance of the regional military governors. However, from the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong onward, it was not that the Tang Dynasty did not want to weaken these governors; on the contrary, the attempts to do so only fueled rebellions. Although the situation resembled the Rebellion of the Seven States at the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty was ultimately able to regain control, while the Tang Dynasty lost its pivotal role. This difference in success and failure was not accidental. Rather, the root of the disaster did not begin with the An Lushan Rebellion, but rather with the collapse of the Fubing (military service) system; and the collapse of the Fubing system was rooted in the disintegration of the land system.

In the Zhenguan era, laws and regulations were well-established. The equal land distribution system ensured the stability of the fields, and the establishment of military garrisons strengthened the foundation of the state. able-bodied men who received land were provided with their own weapons, while those selected for military service took turns guarding the palace. This integration of military and agricultural functions allowed for a balance of power, eliminating the threat of powerful ministers within the court and the danger of centralized imperial control without. This system effectively concealed military power within the fields, a successful method of integrating soldiers with farmers that had been practiced since the Three Dynasties, and the very reason why Emperor Taizong achieved the prosperous reign of Zhenguan.

However, laws, when applied for a long time, breed abuses; systems, when established for too long, accumulate corruption. During the reigns of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu, the government became lax and laws collapsed, allowing powerful and wealthy families to encroach on land for personal gain, and increasing public taxes to create a burden of exploitation. Unequal distribution of land led to the gradual decay of the land allocation system; the migration of able-bodied men resulted in the depletion of the manpower for the imperial army. Although the military commands remained, those capable of wielding weapons were few; although the imperial guards were well-equipped, those skilled in carrying spears were increasingly scarce. Despite repeated imperial edicts to investigate and rectify the situation, the trend of land annexation had already taken hold and could not be stopped by a single decree.

When Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, he inherited these long-standing problems. Although he attempted to rectify them at the beginning of the Kaiyuan era, the foundation of the equal-field system had already crumbled, and the military system of the Fubing (military garrison) was like a rotten rope used to control a horse. Border troubles intensified daily, and military preparedness was difficult to maintain. Therefore, the Fubing system was abolished, and recruitment was promoted. However, the recruited soldiers were mostly commoners from the marketplace, whose interests lay in their stipends and were not connected to their hometowns. In order to reduce the burden of supplying provisions, the court granted them the title of Jieshuai (military commander) and concurrently put them in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, allowing them to recruit soldiers and raise military funds themselves.

Initially, it was a convenient means to subdue the surrounding barbarians and expand the territory by thousands of miles, demonstrating its expedient effect. However, its drawbacks were that with vast territories and powerful armies, it resembled an enemy state, and the court gradually lost its control. The regional military governors of the Tang Dynasty posed a more profound threat than the feudal lords of the early Han Dynasty. The feudal lords of the Han Dynasty had small territories and fragmented power, mutually restraining each other, making it possible to extend benevolent influence. In contrast, the regional military governors of the Tang Dynasty controlled multiple prefectures and counties, wielding absolute power over military and taxation, making it difficult to weaken their power.

During the prosperous Kaiyuan era, Emperor Xuanzong's wise and decisive rule still allowed him to maintain order, and figures like Geshu Han and Gao Xianzhi were able to follow his example. However, during the decline of the Tianbao era, the emperor became incompetent, and the government fell into chaos. An Lushan, relying on the elite troops of Fanyang, captured both capitals in a short time. Was this not a case of nurturing a festering sore from recruiting soldiers and leaving behind a boil for monopolistic control?

Although Emperors Daizong and Dezong wished to punish and punish the regional military governors, their power was already as solid as a rock. When the court planned to recover Hebei, the three governorates formed a united front; when it plotted to conquer Huaixi, the other provinces remained hesitant. The foundation of the local military system had crumbled, and the imperial guards were weak and unreliable; the profits from the tax system had all gone to powerful regional governors, leaving the treasury empty and unable to sustain itself. Using regional governors to control other regional governors was like letting hawks and hounds hunt wild beasts—victory would lead to arrogance and uncontrollability, defeat would result in them turning on their master.

By the time of the Ganlu Incident, the central government's authority had waned daily, relying solely on appeasement and control, and the indiscriminate granting of imperial power. Powerful regional governors treated imperial edicts as mere post stations, outwardly complying when it benefited them, and secretly disobeying when it harmed them. The emperor's commands did not extend beyond the capital region, and his favor and authority only reached the territories of the surrounding areas. The prefectures and counties of the four directions were at the mercy of the regional governors. Finances were fragmented, the court grew increasingly impoverished while the regional governors grew increasingly wealthy, and a situation of inverted priorities was established.

In contrast, during the Han Dynasty, although the Seven Kingdoms were powerful, the prefecture-county system was robust, taxes were collected into the imperial granary, and laws were enforced throughout the land. The balance of power remained intact, thus enabling the Tang Dynasty to ultimately achieve its goal of quelling rebellions. However, after the collapse of the land system in the Tang Dynasty, the people's livelihood had no means of support, the military system had to be changed, and regional military governors had to be established. With the seeds of rebellion sown and the seeds of disaster already sown, how could the Tang Dynasty possibly achieve the same level of pacification as the Han Dynasty?

Alas! Land is the foundation of people's livelihood, the source of food and military supplies, and the very basis of the nation. The success or failure of the land system is related to the rise and fall of the nation. During the mid-Tang Dynasty, the fundamental problems were not understood; instead, the emperor sought to control the regional military governors through political maneuvering and appeasement for a temporary peace. How erroneous! Future generations who uphold the throne and wish to avert the calamity of powerful regional military governors should learn from the mistakes of the mid-Tang Dynasty.

The poem, over a thousand words long, was written in a flowing, vigorous style, completed in one go.

Lu Beigu's discourse is like a skilled butcher dissecting an ox, peeling back the layers to reveal the root causes of the disaster caused by the regional military governors in the mid-Tang Dynasty. It starts with the land annexation that led to the collapse of the equal-field system, which in turn led to the disintegration of the military system and the rise of the conscription system. Then it goes on to the decentralization of power by Emperor Xuanzong, the court's tolerance of evil, and the complete collapse of the checks and balances mechanism. Finally, the regional military governors diverted taxes from the prefectures and counties to enrich themselves, ultimately resulting in a situation of "strong branches and weak trunk".

The historical lesson here, to put it bluntly, is that farmers should not be left without a place to stand!

At this moment, the continuous cold and three days of intense mental exertion had pushed Lu Beigu's body to its limit. He forced himself to write down the historical arguments on the draft paper onto the exam paper and checked them twice.

Then, he felt the distorted vision spreading like ripples on water. He closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples hard, which finally relieved the pain.

It didn't take long.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The final gong sound, like rolling thunder, suddenly exploded in the empty examination hall.

"The time has come! Stop writing!"

"No student may write another single word!"

The hoarse and stern roars of the clerks, accompanied by dense, rapid footsteps that pounded through the mud and snow, surged in from all directions like a death knell.

"Seventeen characters from the character '宙'! Hand in your paper!"

Lu Beigu silently handed over the exam paper and draft paper, which was then grabbed by the hand without hesitation. He turned and rushed to the next exam room.

The moment the exam paper left his hand, Lu Beigu's nerves, which had been taut for three days and three nights, finally relaxed completely.

An overwhelming sense of exhaustion washed over him instantly. He could no longer hold on, his body swayed, and he slumped heavily against the cold, icy brick wall.

The snowstorm at the examination hall gradually subsided, and the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites in the second year of the Jiayou era, which belonged to Lu Beigu, finally came to an end.

(End of this chapter)