There are two recognized historical masterpieces in Chinese historiography: one is the "Records of History" and the other is the "Zizhi Tongjian". The "Shi Ji" is the first general history of China's jichuan style, which is a historical work of the Taishi Gong dynasty, and its historical value is unmatched except for the Zizhi Tongjian. The Zizhi Tongjian is a chronicle of general history that Sima Guang spent decades compiling.
Anyone who has read the "Records of History" and the "Zizhi Tongjian" cannot help but marvel at the works of the two historians. So is the character of a historian as brilliant as his talent? Tai Shi Gong was just and righteous, jealous and hateful, and would not bend his back in the face of the emperor, and Cha Shijun was particularly admired. And what is the difference between Sima Guang as a historian and a politician? Zha Shijun revealed the secret to everyone.
First, the talented Sima Guang
Sima Guang (司馬光) (November 17, 1019 – October 11, 1086) was a native of Xia County, Shanxi, and a northern Song Dynasty historian, writer, and politician.
When Sima Guang was a child, he was quick-witted and quick-witted, and at the age of seven, he could not only recite the "Spring and Autumn of the Zuo Dynasty", but also explain the essence of the book; and he made a thing that shook Jingluo by "smashing the cylinder to save his friends", and the title of "prodigy" did not go away. At the age of twenty, he entered the First Division of High School, and his intelligence was extraordinary. His career path is also quite smooth, and he eventually became the prime minister and left his name in history. During Sima Guang's reign as an official, he was determined to be clean and honest, and opposed the wind of feasting and rewarding in the palace to alleviate the suffering of the people.
Second, the gravediggers of the Northern Song Dynasty: Yong Chen? Traitors?
Due to the tragedy caused by the Sima Yi family in history, the contempt has always harbored a deep hatred for the Sima family, but they did not expect that Sima Guang was still a nasty Sima clan. When I was a child, I had a special admiration for "Sima Guang smashing the cylinder, and the little Sima Guang was able to break his thinking and save people in time, and instantly felt that Sima Guang was a great heroic image."
However, in his adult life, Sima Guang changed from a talented man who dared to break his mind as a child into a hypocrite who followed the old ways and was pedantic, and eventually became a gravedigger of the Northern Song Dynasty.
III. Sima Guang has several major historical crimes:
1. The abolition of the Anshi Public Transformation Law completely deprived the Song Dynasty of strong capital
We know that Wang Anshi's transformation was praised by Lenin as "the greatest reform of the eleventh century", and this praise is not exaggerated. The fundamental purpose of Wang Anshi's change of law was to change the situation of poverty and weakness in the Northern Song Dynasty, and to enhance the ability to defend externally and suppress internally, so as to consolidate and strengthen feudal rule.
Let's see what are the benefits of Wang Anshi's transformation:
(1) Government revenue has increased significantly. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song, the treasury savings were available for the imperial court's financial expenditure for twenty years.
(2) The Green Shoots Law replaced usury by upper-class households and restricted the exploitation of peasants by usury
(3) The Municipal Law of Change of Commerce enables a portion of the commercial profits monopolized by large merchants to be collected by the State
(4) Opening the Border of the Xihe River: The strong military measures of changing the law have reversed the passive situation of repeated defeats in the northwest border defense for a long time. The Northern Song Dynasty expanded its territory for more than 2,000 miles, which is the only example of the two Song Dynasties in the history of the two Song Dynasties that has opened up territory, expanded its territory, displayed its might, and won a complete victory.
An Shigong's change was the most successful change after the Shang Martingale, but unfortunately it was completely destroyed by the conservative faction led by Sima Guang, and the Song Dynasty lost its only chance to become stronger, and the Northern Song Dynasty perished within a few years.
2. Crack down on the reformists and destroy the achievements of the reform
After Sima Guang came to power, he not only destroyed the results of the change of law, but what was even more regrettable was that he had a terrible suppression of the courtiers, as long as he was a law changer, whether he had talent or not, he was brutally suppressed, resulting in a waste of talent, which was a loss to the Northern Song Dynasty. Sima Guang was narrow-minded, and Wang Anshi changed the law only for official affairs, but privately he still respected Sima Shi, and Sima Guang's monopoly on power was particularly inferior to retaliation.
The money accumulated through the reform of the law was also "irrationally dissipated" during the years in which the anti-reform faction was in power.
3. Traitors seek glory and take the initiative to send territory to Western Xia
After Sima Shi took power, he feared retaliation from Western Xia, and even took the initiative to send back the four villages of Anjiang, Yelu, Futu, and Mizhi that had been recovered by Wang Anshixi River directly to Western Xia in order to steal an anthem. This kind of behavior was despised by the subjects of the Great Song Dynasty at that time and aroused strong dissatisfaction. The term "Yongchen" is very appropriate for Sima Shi. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is a traitor to the country and a sinner in history.
The picture above is the territory of Wang Anshi when he changed the law, and the picture below is the territory after Sima Guang came to power
4. Flattery, offering countless traitors to the Northern Song Dynasty
Sima Shi acted perversely, excluding dissidents, and all those who were upright and capable, including Su Shi, were exiled by him, leaving behind all the incompetent wastes who flattered and failed, and then Cai Jing and other traitors, and after that, the court was smoky and miasma, and none of them could rule the world.
5. Consequences: Thirty-seven years after the abolition of the New Deal, the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed by the Jin Dynasty in 1127 AD. The Northern Song Dynasty only experienced a short period of 100 years from prosperity to death, and the reason for the fall of the country for a long time was carried by Wang Anshi alone, but in fact, it was Sima Guang, a mediocre minister, who caused it. If Sima Guangquan knew, would he regret it? This ghost knows.
Therefore, a person is talented, but it does not mean that he is capable. Sima Guang, he was an excellent historian and writer, but he was not worthy to be a politician, at most a politician. The term "shusheng mistaken the country" was most appropriate for Sima Guang.
What he had experienced suddenly becoming a pedantic mediocre traitor was incomprehensible.