What is history: it is the echo of the past to the future, the reflection of the future on the past. - Hugo
In the first month of the ninth year of Kaibao (976), Zhao Kuangyin issued an edict that he would start driving luoyang in April and visiting there. Of course, Zhao Kuangyin's reason is very reasonable: Luoyang, there is my father Zhao Hongyin's Yong'an Mausoleum, I want to go back to my hometown to worship my ancestors.
As everyone knows, for such a reason, the civil and military officials have given a unified answer: do not agree.
Among those who opposed it, Li Fu's attitude was the most resolute, and he raised eight difficulties in one breath, vowing to die to get the emperor to take back his life. Jingyi withered, one also; the palace was not prepared, the second was also; the suburban temple was not repaired, the third was also; the hundred divisions were not equipped, the fourth was also; the people of Kiuchi were trapped, five also; the military food was not enough, the sixth was also; the barrier was not set up, the seventh was also; the thousand multipliers rode in the summer, and the eight also.
The history books record that in the face of Li Fu's eight difficult problems, Zhao Kuangyin's answer was also those three words: disagree.
You know, in history, Li Fu was a minister who was very good at patting his ass and pandering to his wishes, otherwise, he would not have become Zhao Kuangyin's personal butler, responsible for recording all the words and deeds of the emperor (Qi Julang).
Then, why did this sworn enemy of Zhao Kuangyin have to raise objections? Or rather, this Emperor Zhao Kuangyin, why did he have to insist on going his own way, and no one listened to his words?
In fact, this reason is very simple, in April of the same year, according to the original plan, after Gongyi worshipped his father, Zhao Kuangyin finally said this secret: "The intention has been decided, move the capital to Luoyang City." ”
As soon as these words came out, the whole world was shocked, and Zhao Kuangyin's confidant ministers and the iron horsemen and the left and right vans all commanded Li Huaizhong to immediately die and said: "Your Majesty must not do anything, Luoyang wants nothing -- one has no grain, the other has no soldiers, and the Kaifeng soldiers are strong and strong, and the power is even more deep-rooted, so why should we hastily move the capital to Luoyang City?"
For this question, the response record to Zhao Kuangyin in the history books is four words: Shangyi Fuzhi.
Why don't you pay attention, because Zhao Kuangyin is waiting for someone, a person who really needs to raise objections.
This person is Zhao Guangyi, the King of Jin.
After meeting his brother, Zhao Guangyi started from many considerations, and finally told his brother euphemistically: "It is not feasible to move the capital in a hurry, and it is feasible and cherished." ”
As everyone knows, in the face of his brother's heartfelt words, Zhao Kuangyin replied: "Moving the capital to Luoyang is only a temporary measure, sooner or later, one day, I will move the capital to Chang'an." ”
You know, after the baptism of the five generations and ten kingdoms, Chang'an is even more dilapidated than Luoyang, so it is even more unfeasible, so Zhao Guangyi immediately fell to his knees in his robe and prostrated his head in the hope that the emperor would take back this fate.
Seeing his brother desperately trying to see him like this, Zhao Kuangyin immediately explained: "The reason why I want to move the capital west has no other purpose, that is, to rely on the dangerous terrain to block the enemy, so as to cut off a large number of troops, and imitate the methods of the Zhou Dynasty and the Han Dynasty to govern the world." ”
Note that here, Zhao Kuangyin said a total of two questions:
First, the three elements of war are time, location, and people. Among them, "heaven, time, people" are all illusory things, and only "geographical advantages" are real money and silver. It seems that Zhao Kuangyin understands this very well.
Second, settling down in a place where there was no danger at all, and only a large number of troops could be hired, which created a redundant military problem that had been suffering the Song Dynasty, which showed Zhao Kuangyin's foresight and specific measures to solve this problem.
Well, since it makes sense, let's start moving the capital.
Slowly, at this moment, under his brother's proud expression, Zhao Guangyi slowly said five words: "There is no danger in Germany." ”
As soon as this remark came out, history said that Zhao Kuangyin "did not answer." Why didn't Zhao Kuangyin answer, perhaps, Zhao Kuangyin was shocked by this sentence, perhaps, Zhao Kuangyin felt that this sentence was "too childish", and people did not want to answer at all.
Or maybe there's a deeper meaning to it.
Literally, the so-called "no danger in Germany" means that "we must attach importance to morality and the people's hearts, and do not rely on geographical advantages." This is what Mencius called "the sky is not as good as the location, and the location is not as good as the people."
Popularly explained, Zhao Guangyi is educating his eldest brother, don't always think about useless geographical advantages, we must be benevolent, win the hearts and minds of the people, so that the whole people are united and fight together, then the world will naturally be too peaceful, and our country and mountains will be forever solid.
From the perspective of military defense, Luoyang and Chang'an are indeed superior to Kaifeng, these two places are surrounded by mountains, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there are strong fortresses such as Tiger Prison Pass, Hangu Pass, and Tong Pass, which are definitely the places where the princes control and dominate the kings, so in the history of China, many dynasties have chosen them as their capitals.
On the other hand, Kaifeng is open in all directions and surrounded by a flat river. Although the transportation is convenient, there are no mountains or fortresses around to rely on. Therefore, it is easy to attack and difficult to defend, and once the enemy attacks here, the empire is in jeopardy.
In addition, since the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun were ceded to the Liao state, Kaifeng was even more dangerous, because there was no protection from the Great Wall, once the Liao army went south, their iron horses would run across the North China Plain, as if entering no man's land. Moreover, as long as the Yellow River is crossed, the enemy army can directly approach Kaifeng City and begin to attack the city arbitrarily.
Therefore, the shortcomings of Kaifeng City's military aspects have become a significant disadvantage in choosing it as the capital, and in the life of the Northern Song Dynasty, this is a problem that cannot be solved.