The opening inventory of the top ten young emperors

At this moment, Tian Juan finally said:
[Reply 7 continued: It is a pity that Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Kuangyi, seized the throne in the blink of an eye. Later, his third brother died inexplicably, and his eldest brother's sons also died inexplicably one by one. Except for his line, almost all the Zhao family members died out.]

Zhao Kuangyin: Axe light and candle shadow? What axe light and candle shadow?
[Reply 8 to continue. Now he has the throne but no one to inherit it. In the end, his eldest brother's descendants will have to inherit it. ]

[Reply 9 continued: Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, was so high-spirited when he was crowned with the yellow robe. But after ascending the throne, he died mysteriously in the shadow of an axe, and even his descendants could not be saved.]

[Reply 10 to continue. In the end, his descendants gave up the throne one by one after inheriting it. They would rather be idle scholars than emperors. How did Emperor Taizu of Song feel about this? ]

Zhao Kuangyin: Aren't you answering the words of this "Crown Prince"? Why are you talking about him now?
But this Crown Prince's tone seems a little familiar. What's going on?
There are also the light of axes and the shadows of candles. It seems that he is going to have a big drink with his good brother!
After answering the question about "Crown Prince", we finally come to the last question, which is the question about "Li Erlang", and "Li Erlang" is naturally Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin.
【V@鞠躬尽瘁李二郎: Did the Jiedushi system of the Tang Dynasty really lead to the destruction of the country and the family?】

It has to be said that Emperor Taizong of Tang was really politically sensitive.

The Jiedushi of the Tang Dynasty did not actually have much power during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. It was a position similar to an imperial envoy that was set up because the territory of the Tang Dynasty was too large.
It was in the later period that the drawbacks arose due to the emperor's lazy governance, which made him become like a local tyrant.

However, Lei Xiaomeng only mentioned the Anshi Rebellion during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. It was indeed not easy for Emperor Taizong of Tang to be so sensitive to the dangers of the Jiedushi and even raise it to the level of an institutional system.

[Reply 1 @鞠躬尽瘁李二郎 To be exact, it was because the Jiedushi had too much power in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, which made them like local emperors, that led to the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty. And the long-term separatist situation of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms after the Tang Dynasty. ]

The end of the Tang Dynasty? The long-term separatist regimes of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms?
Hearing these two words, Li Shimin felt his breathing stagnate and his heart ached a little.

Looking at the prosperous Tang Dynasty under his rule at that time, even though we know that every dynasty has a beginning and an end, who would have thought that the Tang Dynasty would end so miserably in the future?
[Reply 2: On the contrary, during your reign, that is, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, because Emperor Taizong was very cautious in granting official positions, the Jiedushi was actually just an official position similar to the Imperial Envoy.]

[Reply 3: At that time, the Jiedushi had no real power and often had to travel far away from Chang'an to distant places for "business trips". If they were not careful, they would be assassinated by the enemies in the area they were patrolling. It was not a good job.]

Yes, this is the duty of the Jiedushi I have appointed.

Emperor Taizong of Tang nodded silently.
But how could it later become the reason for the downfall of our Tang Dynasty?

[Reply 4 continued But later, especially after the Wu Zhou Dynasty, during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the power of the Jiedushi gradually grew. It can even be said that they were the local emperors of the places under their jurisdiction.]

[Reply 5: Your Majesty is well-versed in history books, so you should know the feudal system of the Zhou Dynasty. In fact, in the end, the Jiedushi was equivalent to the princes of the Zhou Dynasty. If this continues, how can there be no trouble? ]

Equivalent to the princes of the Zhou Dynasty? Local emperors!
Emperor Taizong of Tang gasped. If this was true, it would only be a matter of time before his Tang Dynasty fell apart!
Also, he could understand Tang Ruizong and Tang Xuanzong, as they were naturally descendants of the Tang Dynasty. What was this Wu Zhou? Was it a person's name?
[Reply 6: In fact, the changes in the duties of the Jiedushi are related to the changes in the imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty.]

Imperial examination system? What is the relationship with the imperial examination system?

When Tianjuan mentioned the imperial examination system, Qin Shihuang was the first to prick up his ears, except for Emperor Taizong of Tang.
He was already preparing to implement the imperial examination system in Qin, so of course he wanted to listen carefully to all the pros and cons.

His previous plan was to have half of the Qin officials recommended by recommendation and the other half selected through imperial examinations. This way, at least half of the court officials would be his "disciples of the emperor" and would not be too involved with aristocratic families and powerful people.

However, as soon as the news got out, many officials protested, saying that this move went against the ancestral system and that even officials who had passed the imperial examinations must have a letter of recommendation before they could become officials.

Haha, this is equivalent to letting the noble families screen first, so wouldn't his "disciples of the emperor" still be the mouthpieces of the various powerful families? It's really ridiculous!

[Reply 7: Although the Tang Dynasty adopted the imperial examination system to select officials, the officials who passed the examination still needed to be recommended by aristocratic families to become officials. This can be regarded as a compromise between the imperial examination system and aristocratic families.]

Recommend?
Qin Shi Huang was stunned.

Isn't this the same situation he is facing now?
Sure enough, for many things, even after hundreds or thousands of years, as long as the root cause remains unchanged, the situations faced and the solutions are similar.
So he listened more carefully.

[Reply 8 continued. However, the decline of the aristocratic families is an inevitable trend. Although the aristocratic families can still intervene in the selection of officials at this time, it is limited to the aristocratic families near the capital. ]
[Reply 9: As soon as the imperial edict is issued, the noble families who are waiting for the list will recruit promising students as their own. They may use marriage, huge profits, or various conditions to win them over and then recommend them.]

this……
Li Shimin pursed his lips.

The Heavenly Scroll really knows everything. These noble families are fighting for their own interests.

However, aristocratic families have existed for a long time. Isn't the Li family also an aristocratic family in Longxi? He didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
After all, the family has a solid foundation, and the imperial examination is a good way to select scholars. However, if the scholar only knows how to read and is a nerd, I am afraid he will not be able to handle government affairs well.

Qin Shi Huang narrowed his eyes.
Although he had wanted to hold an imperial examination, that was something he did only after paper was invented and movable type printing became popular. Among the various schools of thought, he was the only one who supported the Legalists. However, to govern the country, scholars of other schools were also needed.

For example, if he also wanted to open science and engineering courses, he could combine the Mohist school, the alchemist school, the medical school, the agricultural school, the mechanical school, etc. to create courses to teach scholars.

So thinking this way, maybe the imperial examination is not the only way to recruit scholars. And writing articles, no matter how you look at it, should be something that Confucianism is best at!

【Reply 10 continued But in this case, the noble families around the capital can still be dealt with. The noble families farther away will not be able to quench their thirst unless their children pass the imperial examination. Otherwise, they will not be able to compete with the local tyrants.】

[Reply 11: Although the aristocratic families control the politics and economy of a region, they can also influence the country's policies and select talents. ]

[Reply 12 continued. However, if there is no voice in the court to speak for them for a long time, they will not be able to influence government affairs, and the family will surely decline rapidly. ]

Indeed, if the imperial examination could select enough scholars and talents, why would the emperor need to recruit talents from aristocratic families?
Li Shimin nodded and agreed with what Tianjuan said.
Think about it, in the past, although aristocratic families had noble status, their daughters didn’t even want to be queens. Isn’t it because of this reason?

This is even more obvious in times of chaos, when emperors change like flowing water, but aristocratic families remain as stable as Mount Tai. Rather than saying that the emperor is the master of the world, it is better to say that the emperor relies on the aristocratic families to rule the world together.

Sometimes, the selection of the next emperor still needs the approval of the aristocratic family before he can take the position, which is because the power of the aristocratic family is stronger than that of the royal family.
What’s even more exaggerated is that even after the dynasty changed, the choice of Crown Princess did not change, and neither did the court ministers, which is even more regrettable.

Before this, no emperor was not troubled by the power of the aristocratic families. But after the imperial examination system was introduced, the aristocratic families became much more honest and rarely dared to go against the emperor.
This is exactly what he, as the emperor, would like to see.

However, Li Shimin still sighed softly.
As a former aristocratic family, how could he not know that the decline of the family was a matter of time? However, times have changed, and no matter how much he lamented, he would not stop this trend.

Just like the coming and going of dynasties, aristocratic families will eventually rise and fall, and this is true for everything.

[Reply 13 continued: Therefore, many powerful families in various places began to move to political centers such as Chang'an and Luoyang, which also caused power vacuum in the local areas.]

[Reply 14: Since there is a power vacuum, someone else must fill it, and naturally the court needs to send officials to the local areas. So in this case, the Jiedushi becomes the natural and most suitable successor. ]

[Reply 15: It was also because of this reason that the Jiedushi became more and more powerful. In the end, he became like a local emperor, which caused great unrest.]

It turns out that this is the case!
Looking at the answer to the heavenly scroll, Li Shimin narrowed his eyes slightly.
What if he stopped using the imperial examination system to select officials, and continued to select officials from aristocratic families as before? Would that eliminate the malpractices of the Jiedushi system?

As soon as this idea came into his mind, he rejected it.

Whether it was the Jiedushi or the aristocratic families, they were all unstable factors in the local area. If the government really declined, the ruler was weak and the ministers were strong, no matter which one it was, I'm afraid they would wait for an opportunity to rise up.

Who wouldn’t want to try to sit on the throne of the emperor?

【Reply 16, continued. So, the post of Jiedushi was a product of the times when the times had developed to a certain stage. After the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, when the Song Dynasty came, didn't Zhao Kuangyin abandon the disadvantages of the Jiedushi by giving up military power over a cup of wine?】

[Reply 17, continued. But we have seen in the past few issues that even though the Song Dynasty abandoned the drawbacks of the Jiedushi system, it eventually put the Chinese land into suffering again because it emphasized culture over military power.]

[Reply 18: Throughout the Song Dynasty, it was either paying tribute or negotiating peace. Not only did it allow small northern countries to grow bigger, but it also coveted the Central Plains. When did the Song Dynasty ever have a chance to be proud? ]

Feel proud? !
A trace of confusion flashed across Song Renzong's eyes, and he suddenly felt sad.
It is said that his Song Dynasty is full of talented people, but with so many talented people, the country is so weak. What went wrong?
[Reply 19: To this day, people still miss the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, the vast territory, and the might of the people from all over the world. So many Chinese left their homes and went to the West, and the places where they lived were also called "Chinatowns." ]

【Reply 20 to continue In the Song Dynasty, even the emperors repeatedly abdicated, and the emperor emeritus became very popular. This was because the emperor was too frustrated and his appeal was greatly reduced. 】

Chinatown?
Emperor Taizong of Tang: I have to find a way to eliminate the trouble caused by the Jiedushi. I cannot let the people of future generations down! It would be nice if I could have a chat with Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang: The prestige of our Tang Dynasty has spread far beyond the borders of China. This time, I will never let history repeat itself. I want my Tang Dynasty to continue to prosper!
Frustrated?

Song Renzong: Tianjuan knows my heart well.

Emperor Yingzong of Song: Being an emperor is exhausting both physically and mentally. I can’t hold on any longer.

Emperor Shenzong of Song: I don’t want to be so aggrieved, and I don’t want the Song Dynasty to be so aggrieved, so I want to reform!
Song Zhezong: It is difficult to reform the law, it is difficult to be an emperor, I'd better give it to my brother. Song Huizong: It is difficult to be an emperor, I'd better be the emperor emeritus!
Emperor Qinzong of Song: I don’t want to be an emperor. I don’t want to be an emperor. I really don’t want to be an emperor. Woo woo woo woo…

[Okay, I will reply to the comments in the previous issue here. Next, we will continue to review Song Renzong. Today is the last issue of Song Renzong, so let’s talk about him and his nine reign titles! ]

Nine era names?
Song Renzong showed a slight embarrassment on his face: "It's just a reign title, what's there to say about it."

This is his sixth reign title, which means he has to change three more... Well, it seems a bit too much.

[In fact, after reviewing the previous two issues, we have already gained a deep understanding of Song Renzong's situation. It still comes down to those three words: "too soft-hearted"! ]

[It is precisely because of this that he was given the temple name "Ren", and it is also because of this reason that he was indecisive, so that the bad policies of the Song Dynasty could not be solved or improved at the best time. ]

In the best possible time to be solved and improved?
Song Renzong's expression changed slightly... Was it really a problem that occurred when he was in power?

Is this the best time to implement new policies?

Although he had made up his mind to implement the new policy, he still wanted to know why.

[Now, let’s start the review of “The Top Ten Young Emperors Who Were Too Soft-Hearted: The First One - Song Renzong (Part 2)”. ]

【Song Renzong ascended the throne at the age of 13 and died at the age of 54, having reigned for 42 years. During his reign, there were a total of nine reign titles, namely Tiansheng, Mingdao, Jingyou, Baoyuan, Kangding, Qingli, Huangyou, Zhihe, and Jiayou.】

Reigned for forty-two years?
Song Renzong did some mental calculations and felt relieved. It seemed that he still had more than ten years left to live, which was enough for him to do many things.

[Each reign title reflects the characteristics of his administration at that time, and can also be said to be a microcosm of the political economy and foreign policy of the Song Dynasty at that time.]

[First, let’s talk about the two reign titles of Tiansheng and Mingdao. ]

Tiansheng, Mingdao?
When Song Renzong heard these two era names that had been buried deep in his memory, his expression was complicated.

At that time, the Queen Mother was still alive, and he was still young. Although he had a lot of ambitions, he didn't know how to realize them. To be honest, he hoped that the day when he could rule the country would come soon so that he could show his talents.

But after the Queen Mother passed away, he finally took over the government, and only then did he realize how difficult it was to handle state affairs. He had to balance the interests of all parties, reward and punish appropriately, and he could not do whatever he wanted and only consider his own likes and dislikes.
Even if it is something or someone that you like, you cannot put it out in the open so that people can see your likes and dislikes. It is really frustrating.

Yes, it was the word "frustrated". Tianjuan had already summed up the feeling for him before.

[Speaking of these two reign titles, we must first talk about the origin of Song Renzong. ]

My origin?
Looking at the heavenly scroll, Song Renzong complained in his heart: You know me so well, are you really polite?
Zhang Dexiang, who was standing beside him, lowered his head slightly, staring at a small crack on the floor without blinking.

He decided that when he returned later, he would tell the eunuch that the floor of the inner study needed to be renovated. The official was busy with state affairs and lived a simple life, but he was the emperor after all, so there was no need to be so frugal!
How would those ministers and noble families who hold office but do nothing and only think about living a life of luxury feel?

[Because he is the protagonist of the most famous "Civet Cat Substituted for Prince" incident in folklore. Speaking of this incident, I am afraid he is more famous than himself. ]

Emperor Renzong of Song: A cat replacing a prince? What does that mean? Does it have anything to do with me?
Zhu Yuanzhang: The Cat Substitutes for the Prince, I have seen this play, it is indeed wonderful, it is about Emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty, it seems this story is actually true!
[It can be said that although everyone may not know the name of the prince who was replaced, they can recite the legendary story of "The Cat Substituted for the Prince" by heart.]

[The story is about two concubines in the palace who were pregnant at the same time. The emperor said whoever gave birth to a boy first would be the crown prince. As a result, the concubine named Li gave birth to the crown prince first, but the concubine named Liu gave birth to a skinned civet cat corpse instead.]

Zhu Di: I watched this opera when I was a child. Chaos in the harem will bring disaster to future generations, so we must be on guard!

[As a result, Concubine Li was banished to the cold palace because she gave birth to a monster, while Concubine Liu gave birth smoothly, but unexpectedly gave birth to a dead baby.]

Zhu Houzhao: I have seen this play. This prince is the only child left, just like me. As the ruler of a country, he actually believes in such supernatural things? His IQ is really worrying! Compared with this fabricated play, I still prefer bicycles!

[So Concubine Liu had someone find a child from the common people and bring him into the palace, passing him off as her own son, and made him the crown prince.]

Song Renzong: Don't tell me that this child is me! Although I am kind, even Buddha cannot tolerate you making up stories about me!
Zhang Dexiang: Hey, the pillars in the hall seem to have faded a bit, they should be repainted...

[Little did they know that this child from the folks was the son of Concubine Li, whom Concubine Liu ordered the palace servants to kill. In other words, he was the real prince in the real sense. It was because the palace servants could not bear it that they saved his life. But Concubine Liu went to look for her son, and he was brought back to the palace.]

Song Renzong:...

【As for the later part, it was a happy ending. After the truth was revealed, Concubine Liu was punished, and Concubine Li, who had been exiled to the people, returned to the palace to become the empress dowager. The mother and son were reunited, and justice was upheld. And the child also became a benevolent emperor. 】

Song Renzong: Concubine Liu was convicted? Don't tell me, this Concubine Liu is the Queen Mother!
Zhang Dexiang: Hey, why are there flies in the middle of winter? They're buzzing, so annoying...

Song Renzong: Where is my sword!
Zhang Dexiang: I don’t exist, I don’t exist, I don’t exist…

[Of course, this is just a folk fabrication. In order to attract attention, it is deliberately written with twists and turns, full of legendary colors.]

[However, the legend is not groundless, because Song Renzong was indeed not the biological son of the then Queen Mother, Liu E. However, this matter is not like what the folk legend says, that Song Renzong was secretly taken by Liu E as her own son. ]

[The Concubine Li in the story was actually just a maid of Empress Dowager Liu E. She gave birth to Emperor Renzong of Song because of her favor. Liu E was the emperor's favorite concubine, but she just couldn't give birth to a son. So she recognized Renzong as her own son, and that's how Renzong became the crown prince.]

[So, if Liu E had not recognized him, Renzong would not have been able to become emperor by virtue of his mother's status. Although, at that time, Renzong was indeed the only prince left in the harem. ]

Qin Shi Huang: Was the Song Dynasty royal family cursed? Why was there only one prince left in such a large harem?
Emperor Taizu of Song: What, there is only one prince left? How could this be? Wait, that axe light and candle shadow... It seems that this is not my heir, hehehe...

Emperor Taizong of Song: Fell! Someone must have murdered the heir to the throne. We must investigate thoroughly!

Emperor Zhenzong of Song: It's really... It brings tears to my eyes when I talk about it! I hope my son will do well and give me more grandchildren.

Emperor Yingzong of Song: My great-uncle’s family had difficulty in having offspring, otherwise the throne would not have fallen into my hands.

The emperors of the Yuan and Ming dynasties all had gossipy faces: Later generations said that this was the retribution for the Zhao family seizing the throne, and no one knew whether this was true or false?

[Therefore, because he was adopted by Empress Liu E and not her biological son, when Emperor Renzong ascended the throne at the age of 13, he had no control over government affairs and relied entirely on Empress Dowager Liu E to rule the country from behind the curtain. This is also the origin of the reign title "Tiansheng".]

[Why these two characters? Let's split the character "天" into two parts to see which two characters it is? ]

[Yes, it is "two people", that is, "two saints", otherwise how can we say that Chinese culture is broad and profound? ]

"Two Saints?"
Li Shimin looked at the scroll with a hint of disdain on his face.

Even if she was only the Queen Mother, how could she be worthy of the word "saint"? If a hen crowed at dawn, wouldn't the world be in chaos?

Think about Lu Zhi, isn’t it the same?
It seems that the decline of the Song Dynasty was not without reason.

[That is to say, during this period, Emperor Renzong and Empress Dowager Liu E jointly ruled the country. If you were Liu E, and saw this reign title, would you give a promotion to the official who chose this reign title?]

Heavenly Saint?
Wu Zetian looked at the scroll and nodded slightly.

Obviously, the ritual official who determined the reign title was a man with good sense. Why weren't there so many officials with good sense under her rule?

It seems that people in later generations have become much more open-minded!
This made her very happy!
[The second reign title, "Ming Dao", was adopted nine years after Renzong ascended the throne.]

Ming Dao?
The corners of Wu Zetian's mouth curled up slightly.

This reign title is also quite meaningful! No wonder Tianjuan said that the Song Dynasty was full of talented people.
Just from the reign titles, we can tell that they are all people of great talent!
Tianjuan has been around for so long, and finally she sees a woman that interests her!
(End of this chapter)