Text: Wang Zongchao (Columnist for Reading History)
In 1063, the fifth emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Yingzong of Song, Zhao Shu, ascended the throne.
Soon after Emperor Renzong's son ascended the throne, he inexplicably fell ill and was unable to handle government affairs, and Empress Cao bowed to the government.
However, with the passage of time, Empress Cao never had the idea of returning to the government, and the contradictions between the two palaces gradually became prominent.
Empress Cao often appeared in front of her ministers, and emperor Yingzong did not have the slightest intention of respecting emperor Yingzong when he saw this empress. In the Great Song Dynasty, which advocated filial piety, Emperor Yingzong would obviously have a problem by doing so.
The manchu dynasty was worried, worried that the delay in removing the curtain by the empress dowager would affect the stability of the country's political situation.
At this time, Han Qi stood up and resolutely defended the dignity of the emperor. When the empress dowager and the ministers discussed the emperor, Han Qi would always stand up and coldly say, "Why is it that every time I report to the emperor, the emperor is very normal!" ”
But the emperor could not always rely on Han Qi to maintain, and the emperor had to come out and take charge.
Han Qi and several ministers went to see Empress Cao in the name of reporting on their work. Empress Cao listened to the ministers through the curtain.
After reporting on the work, Han Qi told the empress dowager: "The minister still has some things he wants to tell the empress dowager alone. ”
Since they had greeted each other beforehand, several ministers around them withdrew.
Inside the curtain was Empress Cao, and outside the curtain stood Han Qi.
Han Qi said, "Empress Dowager, I have entrusted political affairs to the emperor, and the emperor has handled them in an orderly manner. ”
Empress Cao also nodded and said yes, thinking that the handling was indeed very good.
Han Qi then said, "It seems that our emperor's body has almost recovered, and I am older, so it is time to retire." ”
Han Qi stopped after saying this, and for a few seconds, there was no sound in the whole room. Empress Cao did not react at all, and the air seemed to freeze.
Outside the curtain, I vaguely saw Empress Cao's face sink.
Empress Cao said: "How can you retire, the country still needs you, the emperor also wants your assistance, you can't retreat, if you want to retreat, I will also retreat." ”
The last sentence was spoken weakly, but everyone in the hall heard it.
Han Qi did not wait for this sentence to land, and then shouted, "Empress Dowager Shengming!" ”
According to normal etiquette, the empress dowager said that she would retire, and as the prime minister, Han Qi should retain it, at least three times, and the empress dowager said that she had made up her mind before she could give up.
The empress dowager was also surprised, and for a moment she was overwhelmed, and her brain was buzzing.
Han Qi then said, "Now that the Manchu Dynasty is talking about your lust for power, and one criticism after another of the counselors has been suppressed by me, I will tell them, how can the empress dowager be the kind of person who covets power, and the empress dowager is a person of divine light." So, when does the Empress plan to remove the curtain? ”
When the empress dowager heard this, her head was like being hit by something, she didn't expect Han Qi to be so direct, a little overwhelmed, and stood up to leave.
Han Qi interpreted this action as the empress dowager's intention to remove the curtain immediately, and immediately said loudly: "The empress dowager plans to remove the curtain now, and she is not quick to remove the curtain!" ”
The people around them heard Han Qi say this and immediately removed the curtain.
As soon as the curtain was withdrawn, Empress Cao was exposed to the chancellor, which was very uncivilized, and the empress dowager hid in the screen in a panic, which was very embarrassing.
The next day, Empress Cao announced her return to power.
In this curtain removal incident, Han Qi did a neat and crisp job, there are indeed many improprieties, as a courtier, the empress dowager is still the empress dowager after all, this is not in line with the etiquette, and it is impossible to make the empress dowager really willing to return to the government.
But I have to admire Han Qi's boldness, without the sense of responsibility of taking the safety of the society as my own responsibility, it is impossible to do such a risky thing, or even say something very bad. Han Qi's toughness is to really think about this country, and he is afraid of some chaos in this country.
There is another thing that can also see Han Qi's boldness and responsibility.
Emperor Yingzong did not appoint an heir until his death, and the matter remained unresolved.
Or Han Qi stood up.
Facing Song Yingzong on his sickbed, Han Qi said lightly: "The society is important, please write down your successor immediately." ”
Emperor Yingzong wrote in a hesitant manner, "Establish the Great King as crown prince." "When I finished writing, I put down my pen.
Han Qi also said, "The establishment of the crown prince is not a trivial matter, please write the edict clearly!" ”
Emperor Yingzong was helpless and wrote down the three words "Ying Wang" again, that is, Zhao Yan's name.
Han Qi was relieved.
Minister Wen Yanbo said to Han Qi: "Your Majesty seems to be reluctant, and it is inevitable that father and son will have ideas. ”
Han Qi said, "State affairs should be like this. ”
After announcing Yingzong's death, some ministers suddenly saw Yingzong's fingers move, and everyone was extremely frightened. The new emperor has taken over, what if Emperor Yingzong is not dead?
The ministers were in a mess for a while.
Han Qi said eight words in a categorical manner: "The first emperor is reborn, and he is the emperor of Taishang." ”
Even if Yingzong survived, it would be too much of an emperor.
With such determination and willingness to take risks, Han Qi was indeed admirable!
Not only the Yingzong Dynasty, but also Han Qi played an important role as early as when Emperor Renzong chose the heir.
Emperor Renzong had no sons, and the son who had succeeded him was Emperor Yingzong, who did not like it very much, after all, it was not his own flesh and blood, and Emperor Renzong was looking forward to giving birth to a son before he died, so he did not establish a reserve for a long time.
However, Emperor Renzong's health was worse than that of a day, and Han Qi immediately wrote to him after paying homage to him, saying: "The heir of the emperor is the safety of the world." ”
Under Han Qi's repeated petitions, Zhao Shu was determined as the heir. Perhaps it is precisely because of the twists and turns of the throne that the beginning mentioned that after Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne, he fell ill with a strange disease, went crazy, and did not treat Empress Cao as a mother. The contradictions between the two houses are prominent. It was Han Qi who reconciled the contradictions between the two palaces in the middle and maintained the image of Emperor Yingzong.
In Chinese history, it is not uncommon for sages to be virtuous, and there are many who can bow down to the state society, but there are not too many who can play the role of the needle of the sea god many times at the critical moment of the handover of state power.
Han Qi counted one.
The "History of Song" has a very good evaluation of him: Qi Xiang Three Dynasties, Li Second Emperor, and Great Achievements. When the peace of mind is in danger, the two palaces are almost suspicious, and the abundance of Qi is as good as it is, and the people obey their quantity.
Han Qi, the elder of the Three Dynasties, was a prominent scholar and doctor, concerned about the safety of the country and taking the national community as his responsibility, even if he risked his life. Establishing the Second Emperor and reconciling the contradictions between the two palaces, these things that Han Qi did were not like other civil officials who stirred up their mouths and made trouble in the court, but the major affairs of fixing the country and stabilizing the society, this kind of thing, if a little careless, may be a major crime of killing the Nine Tribes, but Han Qi did it without hesitation.
What supports him is not power or status, but the logic of "the reason for what should be" under traditional morality and the "sense of moral mission" given to him, which also supports all the scholars and doctors who take the Jiangshan Sheji as their responsibility.
Everything done is worth doing as long as it is for the sake of national stability and the future of the country, and it is all deserved, and as for the dangers facing it, it is not feared.