This article is originally created by: Upstairs Old Fan
Zhang Bangchang, the prime minister at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, was a representative of the lord and faction, and vigorously advocated peace. After the Battle of Jingkang, he was established by Jin Guoqiang as the Emperor of Great Chu and established a "pseudo-Chu" regime.
History will not repeat itself, but it will always be strikingly similar, the Song Taizu "Chen Qiaoyi Mutiny" yellow robe added, after the shame of Jing Kang, the Great Song Dynasty staged such a drama of courtiers stealing power. However, this courtier obviously did not have the ambition and courage of Taizu, and it was really a helpless move to ascend the throne, and in the end, the Zhao clan was slaughtered, which is the ruthlessness of the imperial family, the ancient farmer and the snake, Mr. Dongpo and the wolf. This story takes place between Emperor Gaozong of Song and the chancellor Zhang Bangchang.
After experiencing the shame of Jing Kang, the weak military strength of the Song state was obviously unable to compete with the Jin people. As an ethnic minority, the Jin people, because of the limitations of their own ideology and culture, are unable to rule over the people of the Central Plains. Moreover, the main purpose of the Jin people was not to rule the Central Plains, but the wealth of the Song people. Then at this time, what the Jin people needed was a spokesman to help them manage the Song Dynasty, although the Zhao clan at that time was weak, but the accumulation of power was very heavy, originally the master of the country, not suitable as a puppet of the Jin people, so zhang Bangchang, the minister of the Lord and the Sect, entered the vision of the Jin people.
The Jin army approached the city, and Tokyo was in danger. The main reason why the Jin people besieged and did not attack was to maximize their own interests. Zhang Bangchang had considerable prestige among the forces advocating peace. With the support of his staunch supporters Song Qiyu, Wang Shiyong and others, the Jin people "persuaded" Zhang Bangchang. Hopefully, he will ascend the throne as the new emperor of the Song Dynasty. Such a scene is the same as the Song Taizu Chen Qiaoyi mutiny, but Zhang Bangchang is not Song Taizu, and he has no ambitions for Jiangshan. He only wanted to be a courtier of the Great Song, but the man was under the eaves and had to bow his head. If Zhang Bangchang did not agree, the Jin people were bound to refuse to give up, and the demise of the Great Song would be instantaneous.
Under such a dilemma, Zhang Bangchang finally gave in. This is also the best way at present, only in this way can we maintain the foundation of the Great Song. This is just a stopgap measure, presumably Zhang Bangchang has already anticipated the later outcome when he agreed to the conditions of the Jin people. But there is no remorse, and this is the last thing a courtier can do for the country. Although Zhang Bangchang was timid and afraid of things, he had a patriotic heart, and his loyalty to the Great Song Dynasty had never wavered. In order to save the lives of the people of the city, he had no choice but to accept the path of the Golden People's canonization. Zhang Bangchang was very cautious during his reign as emperor, and his main performance was the following three points.
1. Do not go to the Purple Palace and the Hanging Arch Hall to work
Zhang Bangchang was very low-key during his time as emperor, and Zhang Bangchang chose a secluded side hall to work in the office location, and the layout of the desk also circumvented the rules of the imperial family and was placed facing the west (the royal family's placement rules were placed facing the south).
2. Refusal of the Minister not to bow down and pray
During this period, Zhang Bangchang resolutely did not allow the ministers of the DPRK to kneel and pray, and when discussing things with the courtiers, he did not think of himself as "朕", but called himself "giving", and when letters were exchanged and announced, they were not called "holy wills", but "handwritten".
3. Explain the status of identity with practical actions
During Zhang Bangchang's reign as emperor, some courtiers would deliberately curry favor with him, and even some people would advise him that all matters should be handled according to the emperor's specifications. But Zhang Bangchang did not agree anyway, because he knew very well in his heart that he was just a puppet of the Jin people, and now the emperor's position was just a useless shelf. Therefore, they used actions to prove that he was a courtier of the Song Dynasty and a citizen loyal to the Song Dynasty.
At that time, the Jin people did not have enough ability and ambition to completely control the Central Plains, after the Jin people had plundered and returned to the north. Zhang Bangchang fell into an embarrassing dilemma, and under the influence of traditional human subject thinking, the idea of returning the government to Zhao became Zhang Bangchang's choice. It was in this situation that Zhang Bangchang returned the national seal to King Kang. It is also such a move that makes Zhang Bangchang's life trajectory completely changed.
After Emperor Gaozong of Song ascended the throne, Zhang Bangchang was the chief hero of the government, but under the background of the Song Dynasty's emphasis on literature and light martial arts. Zhang Bangchang, who was in the midst of the government and the opposition, was isolated as never before, and soon after returning to power, Zhang Bangchang faced his first life danger. At that time, after Emperor Gaozong of Song activated the main battle faction, Zhang Bangchang immediately became the target of the main battle faction. However, due to Zhang Bangchang's meritorious service, Emperor Gaozong of Song did not take Zhang Bangchang's life, but in order to calm the anger of the main war faction, he demoted him to the position of deputy envoy of Jiedu.
Although Emperor Gaozong did not take Zhang Bangchang's life on the surface, there was always a murderous intention hidden in The heart of Emperor Gaozong of Song. Zhang Bangchang's move completely pushed him into the abyss. During his time as puppet emperor, the Jin gave Li Chunyan, the concubine of Emperor Huizong of Song, to Zhang Bangchang and made empress of the puppet Chu regime. After returning to power, Lady Li's pseudo-empress status naturally ceased to exist, but at this time, Zhang Bangchang and Lady Li had a broken affection. After a drink, Zhang Bangchang even took the initiative to provoke Mrs. Li. Such an approach is undoubtedly a move to give people a handle, and it is a godsend for Emperor Gaozong.
So Emperor Gaozong quietly grabbed Lady Li and forced her to identify Zhang Bangchang's guilt. It was under such circumstances that Zhang Bangchang bore false responsibility. In the history books, Zhang Bangchang's crime was only "counting the sins of Bangchang", so Zhang Bangchang, who was both a human subject and a puppet emperor, was eventually killed by Emperor Gaozong.
Zhang Bangchang's story is just a small episode in the regime change between the two Song dynasties. Zhang Bangchang could have been emperor himself, and that might have saved his life, but from the moment he chose to return to Zhao, his fate was completely doomed.