In our impression, the emperor is generally dressed in yellow dragon robes, sitting on the throne of the Golden Luang Hall, but this is not the case, in many dynasties in ancient China, the emperor's exclusive robe is not yellow, such as Qin Shi Huang, his robe is black, the Han Dynasty and red robes are popular, and to the Han Dynasty and red robes, it can be said that the dragon robe from Qin to Han does not have any specific color, mainly based on the emperor's personal preferences, and to the Tang Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, With the increasing improvement of the hierarchy and the strengthening of centralization, Tang Gaofeng stipulated that only the royal family could wear yellow clothing, and at this time what we call the dragon robe began to appear.
The Song Dynasty is a relatively "alternative" dynasty, such as the emperor does not kill meritorious ministers, cautiously kills ministers, such as emphasizing culture over martial arts, but rich in military experts, such as Yue Fei, who we all know.
The Song Dynasty also had two differences from other feudal dynasties, such as the emperor's dragon robe was red, and the emperor did not call himself "Xuan", but called himself "official".
Emperor Taizu of Song Zhao Kuangyin clearly seized the throne through the Chen Qiao Mutiny and was "added to the yellow robe", why didn't the Song Dynasty emperor use the yellow dragon robe?
Also, after the Qin Dynasty, "朕" was the special word for the emperor, why did the emperor of the Song Dynasty abandon it?
What is the meaning of the unique term "official"?
When it comes to dragon robes, people naturally think of the emperor of China.
In order to maintain their autocratic rule, feudal rulers emphasized the concept of divine right of kings, and they would describe themselves as true dragons and sons, and they were packaged as emperors as meaning heaven.
Therefore, the clothes they wear cannot be called clothes, but should be called "dragon robes".
In feudal society, dragon robes are only worn by successive monarchs, and others cannot wear them even if you are rich and powerful.
You can't even have dragon patterns embroidered on your clothes, and if you are discovered, you will be reported to the government, arrested and convicted of treason. In this way, not only will you be cut off your head, but you will also be connected to the Nine Tribes.
As for the word "朕", in feudal society, it can only be used by the emperor, and others cannot use it, otherwise it is also a crime of killing the head.
In fact, the word "朕" has not been the exclusive word of rulers since ancient times, before the Warring States, anyone could use it, whether you are a prince and nobleman, a peasant and a merchant, or even a beggar and a woman who asks for food can call yourself "朕".
When did the word "朕" become a special word for the emperor, and the common people could not use it? To be precise, it began with the Qin Dynasty.
Qin Shi Huang was the founder of the feudal system of the Great Unification Dynasty, and in 221 BC, the King of Qin destroyed the Six Kingdoms and ruled the world for the first time.
Because Yingzheng called himself "Emperor" for the first time, he was also called "First Emperor".
Since then, emperor has been the exclusive title of the supreme ruler of successive dynasties, and remained in use until the fall of the Qing dynasty.
Regarding the issue of the Song emperor wearing a yellow dragon robe, in fact, it was not completely abandoned. In the Song Dynasty, yellow, as a color reserved for royalty, still had the significance of symbolizing imperial power. However, compared to other dynasties, Song emperors may have chosen to wear more modest clothing on some occasions, which is also related to the humble image of the Song emperor.
In addition, the emperors of the Song Dynasty also reformed their etiquette and institutions. For example, they promoted Confucian etiquette, emphasizing the importance of ritual law and the ethical relationship between monarchs and fathers and sons. These reforms influenced the emperor's choice of clothing to some extent
In many dynasties, Chinese emperors often referred to themselves as "朕" to demonstrate the supremacy of imperial power. However, during the Song Dynasty, emperors began to call themselves "officials" and "widows", which was very rare at the time. The reason behind this change may have something to do with the importance that the Song emperors attached to state responsibility.
In the Song Dynasty, the bureaucracy was very developed, and the emperor was more like a high-ranking bureaucrat than an absolute master. They need to deal with trivial government affairs, pay attention to people's livelihood issues, and respect the opinions of officials. Therefore, calling themselves "official" and "oligarch" is a manifestation of the emperor's humility about his identity, and it is also an attempt by them to emphasize that they have important responsibilities to the state as representatives of the state.
epilogue
In short, these reflect the characteristics of the society at that time and the qualities and attitudes of the Song emperor as a ruler. These historical and cultural backgrounds are of great significance for our understanding of the traditional culture and historical development of the mainland.