Tell the truest history in the simplest words.
In the first year of Jianlong, Zhao Kuangyin was proclaimed emperor, and after quelling the rebellion of Li Yun and Li Chongjin, there was no longer any force in the country that could compete with Zhao Kuangyin. As the old saying goes: it is easy to open a country, but it is difficult to defend a country. Zhao Kuangyin began to consider a series of strategies for the stabilization of the state, focusing on how to strengthen his power and thus consolidate his rule.
Zhao Kuangyin
To strengthen imperial power and consolidate rule, the most difficult thing to deal with is the founding heroes. "Birds are exhausted, good bows are hidden; cunning rabbits die, running dogs cook." Killing the founding heroes is the usual method used by some founding fathers. The emperor feared that the position of power of the hero would threaten the rule of his future generations, and the hero was also well aware of the "rabbit and dog cooking" and did not want to lose the power in his hands, and this mutual suspicion would only lead to two outcomes: the emperor would kill the killer or the hero would jointly rebel.
The most famous example described above is Liu Bang's murder of the founding hero (what a tragic word). Zhao Kuangyin's approach was very different from Liu Bang's, he only stripped the heroes of their military power, while giving them rich rewards and lofty status, and consolidating their relationship through marriage, which was the foreshadowing (not all) of Zhao Kuangyin before the "cup of wine and military power" occurred.
Dynasties and dynasties, including some people today, believe that such an eternal problem Zhao Kuangyin can solve it with only one meal? Of course, there are some professionals who study history who have questioned: "the right to release the soldiers in a cup of wine" comes from the notes of the Song people, not in official documents; the "right to release the soldiers from the cup of wine" underwent a process from scratch and from simplicity to complexity in the Song Dynasty.
Did Zhao Kuangyin solve the problem with one meal? This question is the easiest to answer. I have already answered this question in the third paragraph of this article, and since it is not comprehensive, I would like to add a few points:
At the beginning of the second year of Jianlong, Zhao Kuangyin dismissed Murong Yanzhao from the post of Dianqian Du Dian Inspection and Zhenning Jiedushi and was made an envoy of Shannan's Western Province, and from then on he no longer established the post of Dianqian Du Dian Inspection (Zhao Kuangyin was added through this position). At the same time, he deposed Han Lingkun, the commander of the guards and pro-army forces, and served as the envoy of Chengde Jiedushi. These two people are not light, but this is only the first step, in July of the same year, Shi Shouxin, Wang Zhenqi and other old brothers served as jiedushi envoys, which was the last step. What happened in the middle of this was the point that I first mentioned that was different from Liu Bang. In view of this problem, there is another person who can see very clearly, he is the Qianlong Emperor, who once commented in the "Cup of Wine to Release the Military Power": "The history readers have taken the Song Zu's 'cup of wine to release the military power' as a matter of silence and take the world's security. If a trustworthy number of people are indeed uncontrollable, how can they be counted as those who can stop their pawns by means of words and rules? At that time, Lord Song heroically fixed several people, manipulated by himself, and eliminated the troubles. How dare the trustworthy people bear the order, and how dare they disagree? Historians have no insight, and they are surprised by the words of the cup of wine, thinking that the secret plan is divine, rather than focusing on the Song Lord's courage, and later generations think that it is a brilliant strategy. sigh! Ridiculous! ”
To the effect: "Most people who have always read history books believe that Song Taizu easily relieved the generals of the Forbidden Army between banquets and drinks, and unconsciously stabilized the world. If Shi Shouxin and several other leaders of the Forbidden Army were not subject to Song Taizu, how could they have relinquished their military power with a few kind words, confidant words, and secret threats? This was obviously because Song Taizu was more strategic and decisive than them, and he had long prevented problems before they happened. Shi Shouxin and others were still too late to take orders, so how could they dare to make other sounds? The people who cultivate history do not have foresight, and only see a cup of wine and hype it up, but they can't see the superiority of Song Taizu, which is ridiculous! ”
The Truth of the Right to Release the Military Power with a Glass of Wine On this point, I am a light-hearted person, and I can only tell what I know as much as possible. Regarding the matter of "releasing military power through a glass of wine", there is no record in the official documents of the time, "History of the State" and "Records of the State", and even the "Song Shi Taizu Benji" does not contain much ink, while the main information comes from the Notes of the Song People, such as Wang Zeng's "Record of Records", Ding Zhi's "Tanlu", and Sima Guang's "Records of Shuishui".
The matter of "releasing military power through a glass of wine" first came from the hands of Ding Zhi (Ding Shu was the prime minister during the Song Zhenzong period), after which Wang made a more detailed description in the "Records of Wang Wenzheng" (now the most circulated version on the Internet, those interested can search), Wang had served as the prime minister during the Song Renzong period, and he was dignified and benevolent, and his speech and behavior were all regular, and even Yang Yi, who loved to joke at the time, saw him as a serious book.
The "History Book" said: "Zeng was qualified and thick, and his eyebrows were picturesque. In the imperial court, there are always places to enter and stop, living in peace and smiling, and no one dares to do anything selfish. "How could a man like this who is serious and hates falsehoods make false accusations about the affairs of the previous dynasty?
On the other hand, who is Sima Guang? The strange man who compiled the Zizhi Tongjian with one hand, he has always been considered a rigorous historian, would such a person add a lot of details to the incident of the release of the military power without evidence?
Therefore, in my personal judgment, the matter of "releasing the right to drink from the army" must exist. Moreover, Zhao Kuangyin had already begun to plan in order to successfully complete this move. He took precautions and precautions, so he smoothly solved the problems of the founding kings of previous generations with "a process that seems like a meal".
References: "Song Shi Taizu Benji", "Wang Wenzheng's Record", "Qianlong Imperial Approval General Jian"