Text: Wang Jianbin is a columnist on reading history
Kou Zhun (寇準), also known as "Kou Lai Gong", also jokingly known as "Kou Lao Xi'er", was a politician of the Northern Song Dynasty. Twice into the photo, he was belittled, and died of illness at the age of 62 in Leizhou.
Kou Zhun was born in the Shuxiang Mendi and the famous family. Kou Zhun's ancestors lived in Taiyuan, Shanxi, and his distant ancestor Su Chasheng served as a Sikou during the reign of King Wu of Western Zhou, and because of his many great achievements, he was given the official title of "Kou" as a surname. His father, Kou Xiangzhong , was posthumously appointed to join the army in the Wei Dynasty , and because of his many meritorious achievements , he was made a duke of the state and posthumously given the official post to the post of Taishi ShangshuLing.
Kou Zhun has been talented and studious since childhood. At the age of 7, he wrote a poem like this:
Wing Wah Hill
Only the sky is above, and there are no mountains and qi.
Raise your head to the red sun approaching, look back at the low white clouds.
The verse shows that Kou Zhun had hills and ambitions in his chest at a young age. This poem just foreshadows his future position, the official to the prime minister, but is not only the Son of Heaven on the top? It makes sense to look old at three and look old at seven.
When Kou Zhun was 19 years old, he was admitted to the entrance examination, and then entered the career path. He was first appointed as an advisor to Dali Temple and a governor of the county, and then promoted many times until he participated in the affairs of the governor and the affairs of Tongping Zhang. He was honest and honest as an official, good at planning big things, single-mindedly serving the people, outstanding political achievements, assisting Emperor An Bang to set the country, and famous in the history of Biao Qingshi.
In 989, the young Kou Zhun was blunt and bold in his advice, but the emperor could not listen to it and left the dragon chair angrily. However, Kou Zhun pulled the corner of the emperor's clothes and persuaded him to re-sit down and listen to him finish his words.
Later, the emperor greatly praised Kou Zhun and felt that he was as loyal, upright, and wise as Wei Zheng during the Tang Taizong period.
When Kou Zhun first took charge of the Xiangfu, life was still very luxurious. He usually likes to listen to songs. Once, a singer came to Xiangfu to sing, and Kou Zhun was happy to hear it for a while, so he rewarded her with a silk horse. I didn't expect that this singer was still too rewarded, and her face was unhappy. Kou Zhun was a concubine from the Cold Gate, and was very angry at seeing this situation, and wrote a small poem "Chengkou Gong":
A song and a bouquet of Aya,
The beauty is still too light on herself.
I don't know under the weaver girl's screen,
A few degrees of throwing shuttle weaving!
Kou Zhun read The Peach's poem and was very touched, and has maintained the virtue of frugality ever since.
Kou Zhun has been the prime minister for many years, and has always been honest and honest, and the virgin Wei Ye gave a poem: "There are officials living in dingnai, and there is no land to rise from the platform." Kou Zhun is also known as "No Building Platform Xianggong".
Things are clustered in groups, and people live in groups. Kou Zhun, who was loyal to the country and honest and upright, became close friends with the famous Eight Sages King Zhao Defang and the loyal Yang family general.
At that time, Kou Zhunzhi tried Pan Renmei to frame Yang Qilang and was promoted all the way by the Eight Sages King, and then he was like-minded with the two kings of Zhi yong and Yong, Hu Yan Pi, and was named "Double Heavenly Official" by the emperor.
Forty years of wealth. Swim in the smoke, walk like a flat ground. In the Purple House Dantai Immortal Book, everyone knows that there is no unique beauty.
Whoever dares to compare will be equally honored. Colorful phoenix wandering, heavy bath Xun pond water. A very powerful person who has done meritorious service to the world, fragrant world song peach and plum.
"Kou Zhun Back Boots" recounts an interesting story during this period. At that time, due to the lack of way and listening to rumors, Zhongliang was repeatedly framed, and Marshal Yang Yanzhao, who was loyal to the country, was charged with troops in Yunnan. The traitorous vassal Wang Qinruo, still a thief, continued to frame Yang Yanzhao and falsely passed on the holy will to give him poison.
Yang Yanzhao's friend Ren Tanghui, loyal and righteous, similar to Yang Liulang, he could not bear to see Zhongliang killed, so he drank poison himself and died for Liulang, so that Yang Yanzhao escaped this disaster.
She Taijun, who had spent his life as a horseman, a former servant and a successor, and had sacrificed his husband and sons to the imperial court, was already cold to the imperial court and was unwilling to fight for the death of the King of Xia, so he falsely reported that Yang Yanzhao had died of illness, assuming that the Lingtang wanted to return to his hometown in Hedong from now on to live in seclusion, and never go out to fight for his life again.
At this time, the Liao army invaded, and the border pass was in a hurry. Zhao Defang, the King of the Eight Sages, and Kou Zhun, the Official of the Two Heavens, heard Yang Yanzhao's bad news at that time, and their mood was very sad, and the two of them went to Yang Mansion to mourn.
Kou Zhun saw that Yang Yanzhao's son Yang Zongbao was not very sad at the spiritual hall, Yang Yanzhao's wife Cheshire Lord, although she was dressed in filial piety on the outside, was wearing a red dress inside, and when she heard She Taijun playing a book to the Eight Sages King, the family wanted to return to Hedong, and her heart was suddenly suspicious, so she left the Eight Sages King to guard the spirit at Yang Mansion.
At night, Kou Zhun was full of doubts and had difficulty sleeping. He suddenly noticed the Cheshire Lord peeking out of his window, and then hurried toward the garden with his basket. Kou Zhun felt that there must be something strange in it, so he followed the Cheshire Lord to the garden, and the Cheshire Lord sped through the night, followed by Kou Zhun, in order to avoid making a sound, took off his boots and carried them on his back, and followed the Cheshire Lord.
Finally, he saw the Cheshire Lord bring the meal into the flower hall, and heard her and Yang Yanzhao talking in the flower hall. This cola spoiled Kou Zhun, who was loyal to the country, and hurriedly and quietly ran back to the Spirit Hall to inform the Eight Sages King of the matter: "Great joy, Marshal Yang Liulang is still alive!" The imperial court has been saved! ”
The worried Eight Sages were very surprised to hear that Yang Yanzhao was still alive. Therefore, the two quietly came to the flower hall and finally met Yang Yanzhao. After that, the Yang family, who has been loyal for generations, will continue to fight for the country.
In the winter of 1004, Emperor Shengzong of Liao and his mother Empress Xiao led an army of 200,000 to the south to invade the Song Dynasty, besieging Yingzhou and other regions, and the Song Dynasty and the opposition were shocked. The compromisers attempted to escape, but Kou Zhun opposed the southward movement and urged Emperor Zhenzong of Song to march in person. After Zhenzong arrived at the front, the military's morale gradually stabilized, and the two sides finally sat down to negotiate and reached the famous "Alliance of the Yuanyuan" in history.
Fan Zhongyan said: "The Battle of Kou Lai Gong Yuan, and being able to sway the Heavenly Son, not moving like a mountain, the world is called great loyalty." Wang Anshi also said: "Since then, Huanmeng has been the first in gonggong of Cheng Xianglai. ”
However, the meritorious ministers thus aroused the envy of the compromisers of the imperial court and suffered unexpected disasters.
Kou Zhun was a man of integrity, and once angrily rebuked the traitorous minister Wang Qinruo for "beheading for his sins", and if Wang Qinruo already hated Kou Zhun to the bone, he would want to get rid of him quickly, and he tried every means to plot against Kou Zhun, constantly waiting for the opportunity to make rumors to Song Zhenzong, and over time, Song Zhenzong, who was not wise, alienated Kou Zhun.
Pro-villain, Yuanxian Chen, Song Zhenzong was bedridden in his later years, more and more superstitious and confused, and for traitors such as Wang Qinruo and Ding Shu, he actually reached the point of obedience. Later, due to the malicious exclusion of the traitors and the fainting of the emperor, Kou Zhun was finally forced to resign.
After the villain Ding Zhi became the prime minister, he degraded Kou Zhun one after another. When Kou Zhun was demoted to Leizhou, Guangdong Province, he explained astronomical geography to the local people, tried to avoid heresies, taught agricultural technology, built water conservancy, opened canals and diverted water, irrigated fertile fields, and spread the culture of the Central Plains, which played a role in promoting the development of Leizhou civilization.
In 1023, Kou Zhun was bedridden in Leizhou. He wrote "Poetry in Sickness", expressing his resentment and sorrow for his unpaid ambitions:
Many illnesses will pass through the years, and it will not be possible to meet the fate.
The book only reads the medicine record, and the guest only waits for the doctor monk.
Ambition is like snow, and nostalgia is cold as ice.
After the wind and rain of the county, there is no sleep on the green lights.
Exactly: the oblique moon is half clear of tree shadows, and the late night wind dew is even more miserable. When the sunset is over Tingzhou, the sorrow is constantly like spring water. Wave slim, Willow Yiyi. The lonely village is far away, and the apricot blossoms fly obliquely. More than a glass of wine, a song. Sigh life, the most difficult to get together and easy to part. And Mo Ci was intoxicated and listened to Yang Guanche. Remembering the deceased, thousands of miles have been bright moon ever since.