Historically, the name "Rich Song" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, but the "poor and weak" of the Song Dynasty is more famous than its prosperity and prosperity. Logically, this should not have been the case, because this was an era of famous generals: during the Northern Song Dynasty, there were Cao Bin, Li Jilong, Di Qing, Zhong Shiheng, and Fold Wei Zhong... During the Southern Song Dynasty, there were also Liu Kai, Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, Meng Gong...
Unfortunately, these famous generals who can fight well have not been able to save the fall of the Great Song Dynasty. Perhaps, we can glimpse a little bit from the tragic life of a generation of famous generals Di Qing. Why did he, who had outstanding military merit, suffer the unanimous exclusion of the courtiers, and why was he feared by Song Renzong, who was bold and loyal?
At its root, this is obviously inseparable from the song dynasty's basic national policy of "suppressing the right language and suppressing the martial arts." And a generation of famous generals, Di Qing, is the victim of this "distorted" system...
Di Qing (1008–1057), courtesy name Hanchen, was a native of Xihe, Fenzhou
I. The Fall of the Meteor: The Death of Di Qing
Di Qing became famous during the Battle of Song and Xia. In just a few years, he was promoted from a junior officer "rocket-like" to the commander of the Ma Army, and then to the deputy envoy of the Privy Council. Later, the Vietnamese Nong Zhi Gao rebelled, and with the support of Song Renzong and the chancellor Pang Yuan, Di Qing went out as the main general and became famous in world war I.
Di Qing, who returned victoriously, was once again praised by Song Renzong. The latter could not wait to promote Di Qing to the position of Privy Counsellor so that he could become the "number one" in charge of the military of the Great Song Dynasty. Unexpectedly, it was precisely Pang Yuan, who had tried to defy the public opinion for Di Qing's expedition, who took the lead in standing up against it.
According to the Biography of Song Shi Pang, "During the reign of Emperor Taizu, Murong Yanzhao's generals won the lands of Jingnan and Hunan in one fell swoop, but they moved officials, Jiajueyi, and Sikkim; Cao Binping Jiangnan, Taizu gave money of 200,000 guan. Qing Yanzhao and Bin zhigong are fierce and ugly, and they can be praised, but Fang Yu Yanzhao and Bin's merits are not far away. ”
Pang Yuan, who had previously treated Di Qing with "harmony and pleasant color", was like changing his face, not only demeaning Di Qing with "killing and ugly", but also using the old affairs of Murong Yanzhao and Cao Bin as an example to try to weaken Di Qing's achievements in pacifying Nong Zhigao. Seeing this, Song Renzong once dispelled this idea; but under the persuasion of Liang Shi, he still let Di Qing "turn right".
Zhao Zhen (赵祯, 30 May 1010 – 30 April 1063), courtesy name Zhao, was the fourth emperor of the Song Dynasty
At this point, it can be regarded as "poking the honeycomb". Originally, when Di Qing was appointed as the Deputy Envoy of the Privy Council, there was fierce opposition from the courtiers; now that he has become a Privy Counsellor, he has completely penetrated the nerves of this group of civilian officials. In the third year of Hehe (1056), the literary "big man" Ouyang Xiu personally came forward, and he wrote three consecutive letters, shaking the determination of Song Renzong with very inflammatory words and some "false" slanders.
Therefore, under the joint protest of a group of civil servants, Di Qing was finally deposed and "sentenced to Chen Zhou". By March of the following year, Di Qing fell ill and died at the age of 49. According to the Southern Song Dynasty Wang Shu's "Wild Guest Series", "Qing is in the town, and the envoys in the two dispatches every month are asked, and the envoys in the Qingwen are sent to come, that is, they are suspicious all day long, and they do not die in half a year." ”
Above_ Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072)
Second, the wisdom of the civil servants: what is the reason?
It is hard to imagine that the biggest driver of Di Qing's death was a group of "high wind and bright festival" scholars.
Ouyang Xiu and Di Qing had no personal grudge, but they did not hesitate to "demonize" them. Although he admitted that Di Qing had "never seen a loss" during his tenure as Privy Councillor, he still forcibly installed the flood disaster in Beijing on Di Qing's head: "Water man, Yin Ye." Soldiers are also yin, and martial ministers are also yin, and so on. Heaven's rebuke is not false. "This means: Your Majesty has exonerated a military attaché to the Privy Council...
Compared with Ouyang Xiu's "desire to add sin", Wen Yanbo's methods were more clever. Emperor Renzong of Song called Di Qing "a loyal subject", and Wen Yanbo also acknowledged that he was "loyal and virtuous", but then asked, "Isn't Taizu a loyal subject of Zhou Shizong?" But the military intelligence, so there is a change in Chen Qiao. Renzong was silent.
Kami-Maki_ Fumihiko Hiroshi (October 23, 1006 - June 16, 1097), Ajio, I
In this mighty "anti-Di" movement, the Northern Song Dynasty's wenchen group seemed to be collectively "demoted", which was particularly puzzling. Why did Ouyang Xiu use strong words and far-fetched reason, and also want to bite Di Qing? Why did Wen Yanbo disregard the friendship of his fellow countrymen and deliver a fatal blow to Di Qing?
Obviously, Di Qing's assumption of the post of Privy Counsellor has become the most serious "hidden danger" in this dynasty. Wen Yanbo's words "Without him, the imperial court is suspicious", that is, here. Why did the loyal Di Qing make the imperial court suspicious? Guy is born as a military attaché!
Since the fifth dynasty of the Tang Dynasty, the feudal towns have been divided, and the situation of military generals interfering in the government has not uncommon. Even Zhao Kuangyin, the grandfather of the Song Dynasty, who was born as a military general, also ate this wave of "dividends" to start. The change of the elbow is close at hand, how can Taizu not be jealous?
Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin released his military power with a cup of wine, and explained to the crowd: "There are more than a hundred Confucian officials who have chosen to divide and rule the great domain, and even if they are greedy, they are not as good as the martial ministers." As soon as this remark came out, it set the tone for the song Dynasty's basic national policy of "suppressing martial arts with right language." So the military attaché declined, and the soldiers rose. The Song Dynasty ruled the world together with scholars and doctors, giving various preferential treatment to readers; on the contrary, more and more people were "ashamed of being armed".
Above_ Comic strip: Zhao Kuangyin's cup of wine releases military power
When Chen Yao consulted and shot well, he called himself "Xiao Yang Yuji", and Zhenzong heard of it, saying that Yan Shu said: "If Chen Mou is willing to change arms, when he grants the festival, Qing can tell him." Unexpectedly, Mother Chen was furious when she heard the words, and she made people beat Yao Zhi with a scepter, and she was angry: "Ru Ce is the first, the father and son take the article to establish the dynasty as a famous subject, Ru wants to steal Houlu, shame on the valve reading, endure? ”
This case alone shows the contemptuous attitude of the world towards military attaches. Therefore, even though Di Qing made meritorious achievements, the Northern Song Dynasty civil officials still did not recognize it, such as Pang Zhi and others, who not only relied on Di Qing's military talent, but never looked up to him. For example, such derogatory titles as "pawn", "red old man", and "fierce ugliness" are even more noisy and endless.
Of course, in addition to Di Qing's "potential threat" and the orientation of social atmosphere, another important reason that prompted the Northern Song Dynasty's wenchen to join forces to exclude Di Qing was also related to their personal selfish desires.
Above_ Comic strip: Di Qing's night capture of Kunlun Pass
Iii. Renzong's concessions: People's words are fearful
Di Qing, a "thief with an army", unexpectedly ranked side by side with the Northern Song Dynasty Wenchen and ranked among the core decision-making circles, which inevitably made the Wenchen feel ashamed and embarrassed. Especially for the courtiers who "relegated" to Di Qing, this was more like a "shame". The more glorious Di Qing became, the more incompetent they became.
What worried the courtiers even more was Song Renzong's attitude.
It should be noted that there are Song generations, who are born in the army and have been transferred to the Privy Council with military merits, except for the famous founding general Cao Bin, there is only Di Qing. The latter's promotion to privy councillor in a short period of time was obviously inseparable from the support of Song Renzong. It was this kind of unconventional promotion that deeply stung the Northern Song Dynasty's wenchen.
Di Qing's loyalty and talent were recognized by the courtiers, but they still did not dare to trust him. This is not only because of the "lessons of the past" since the Fifth Dynasty of the Tang Dynasty, but also because of Song Renzong's appreciation of Di Qing, which inevitably made the civilian courtiers feel afraid: afraid that the military attaché would rise up and even become a rival to the civilian officials in the future.
If the military attaché class rises, it will not only violate the basic national policy of "suppressing the right language and suppressing the military" promoted by Taizu and Taizong, but will also greatly damage the practical interests of the civilian official clique. Of course, judging from the Song Dynasty's strategy of "separating the way between culture and martial arts" and "ruling the military with civilians", it is still difficult for military attaches to rise. But "the spark of a spark can burn the plains", Di Qing's flat steps had to make these courtiers think more.
Above_ Song Dynasty civilian official uniforms
Therefore, the Wenchen at that time had to spare no effort to attack Di Qing. This is not only a sense of distress that "precautions are prevented before they occur", but also shows their resolute attitude of safeguarding their ancestral family law and their own rights and interests. To this end, they did not hesitate to launch various channels to create public opinion and put pressure on Song Renzong.
For example, Liu Chang said: "There are great worriers in the world, and there are great doubters, and now the upper body is calm, and the great superiors are gone, and the great doubters still exist!" Another example is what Lü Jingchu, the attendant of the palace, said: "The celestial signs are seen, the demons are false, and the powerful ministers have false voices, which are attached to the soldiers, and the Chinese and foreign countries are fierce." What's even more outrageous is that "dog head horns" and "fire in the house" have also become excuses for attacking Di Qing...
The law of the ancestors, the public opinion of the people, the "same hatred and hatred" of Wen Chen, and Wen Yanbo's "words of the heart" finally made Song Renzong, who insisted on his own heart, have a suspicious and defensive heart towards Di Qing. At this point, Di Qing's tragic ending was already doomed...
Author: Yingzhou Haike Correction/Editor: Lilith
References: "History of the Song Dynasty", "Continuation of the Zizhi TongjianChang", "Wild Guest Series", "Xiangshan Wild Record"
The text was created by the History University Hall team, and the picture originated from the Internet and the copyright belongs to the original author