Hello everyone, today I will introduce you to the second empress of the Southern Song Dynasty Ningzong, her family is ordinary but because of her appearance into the palace, and later because of The favor of Ningzong, she was also named empress. I will tell you more about her life.
Empress Gongsheng Renlie's original name was Yang Guizhi, and she was born into an ordinary family. However, due to her amazing appearance since childhood, she was sent to the palace, and after entering the palace, she has been serving in the palace of Empress Wu, although Yang Shi is only from a small family, she is not only amazing in appearance, but also proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and is also familiar with poetry. Empress Wu liked her very much and kept her by her side. Later, Yang was favored by Crown Prince Zhao Kuo, who was six years younger than her, and Empress Wu rewarded yang to him. The Yang clan was greatly loved by Zhao Kuo, although at the time of Zhao Kuo's ascension to the throne, Yang was only given the title of Lady of Pingle County (the seventh rank in the concubine rank of the Song Dynasty, a total of eight ranks), but later she was constantly promoted to the title of noble concubine, and finally promoted to the title of noble concubine. Coincidentally, shortly after Yang was made a noble concubine, the empress at that time died of illness. It is reasonable to say that the promotion of the noble concubine to empress is the most appropriate thing, but cao meiren in the palace at that time was also very favored. At that time, the powerful minister Han Nongxin told Zhao Kuo that it was not a good thing for women to be too clever, and it was not as good as the gentle and obedient Cao Meiren, but Song Ningzong did not listen to his advice and chose to establish Yang As his successor.
Portrait of Empress Yang
After Yang Guizhi became empress, she hated Han Nongxin, who had blocked her way to empress. She had been waiting for an opportunity, and a few years after Yang Guizhi became empress, Han Nongzhi's Northern Expedition failed, and Yang Guizhi conspired with another chancellor, Shi Miyuan, to kill Han Nongzhi elsewhere. Empress Yang was actually a grateful person, and she was grateful for the kindness of Empress Wu, so she posted a list of Wu families in her palace, often pointing to the people on the list and asking the attendants if this person had an official position. She also instructed the crown prince at the time that if the officials wanted to appoint officials, they must first select people from the Wu family. Moreover, she repaid the favor to the people who helped her kill Han Nongxu at that time, and Zhao Yuan, who was not yet the crown prince (only the adopted son of Song Ningzong), opposed Han Nongxu at her behest, so under the impetus of Empress Yang, Song Ningzong made Zhao Yuan the crown prince, knowing that someone in the palace was already pregnant at that time. In the following month of his appointment as crown prince, Shi Miyuan, who helped Empress Yang, was also promoted. After Shi Miyuan was promoted, his status rose. After the death of crown prince Zhao Yuan, Shi Miyuan was at odds with Zhao Hu, the adopted son of Emperor Ningzong of Song at the time, and he wanted to make Zhao Yun, the son of the emperor who was closer to him, the crown prince.
Song Dynasty Women's Image
Later, Emperor Ningzong of Song died of illness, and after emperor Ningzong of Song died, Shi Miyuan took Zhao Yun into the palace and sent two ministers to persuade Empress Yang, who believed that Zhao Was established by Emperor Xian and could not be deposed. Shi Miyuan sent people to persuade Empress Yang seven times, but Empress Yang still did not change her original intention, and Shi Miyuan had no choice but to tell Empress Yang that the soldiers and the people were sincerely subordinate to Zhao Yun, and if Zhao Yun was not established as emperor, the world would definitely be in chaos, and the Yang clan would also be implicated. Empress Yang had no choice but to make Zhao Yun emperor and depose the crown prince Zhao Yun as the King of Ji. From here we can see Empress Yang's position in the government, and without her nod, Zhao Yun would not have been able to ascend the throne as emperor. After Zhao Yun ascended the throne, he was known as Emperor Lizong of Song. In order to thank Empress Yang for her kindness, Emperor Lizong of Song honored her as empress dowager, and also gave her the right to bow to the government. At that time, Empress Yang was already sixty-two years old, and she did not control the government like Empress Dowager Cixi, and she regarded the curtain to listen to the government as Song Lizong's respect for herself. After she bowed to the government, in order to avoid suspicion, Empress Yang ordered her brother to resign and return to the field, and warned her mother's family to act in a low-key manner no matter what they did, and Empress Yang's mother's family obeyed her teachings and never bullied others, and was highly praised by local officials and people.
Picture of a lady of the Song Dynasty
Therefore, only a year later, Empress Yang resigned her right to listen to the government to the hundred officials because of her physical inconvenience. Song Ningzong twice asked Empress Yang to let her continue to listen to the government, but Empress Yang did not agree, but chose to retire in the palace. When she was seventy years old, Song Lizong personally took hundreds of officials to congratulate Empress Yang and added an honorific title to Empress Yang, and in the same year, Empress Yang announced that she would no longer take care of the government and announced a general amnesty for the world. In the following year, Empress Yang died of illness at the age of seventy-one, and Emperor Lizong of Song gave her the title of "Filial Piety and Gong Lie" and buried her in Yongmao Mausoleum.
In fact, throughout Empress Yang's life, her life has ups and downs, although she was born in an ordinary family, but she is proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. Moreover, she reflected her wisdom and agility in handling a series of major affairs of the dynasty.
Paintings and calligraphy left by Empress Yang: "Hundred Flowers Picture Scroll" of Jilin Provincial Museum, "Cherry Blossom Yellow Oriole" of Shanghai Museum, "Cup Map Under the Moon" of Tianjin Museum
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