After the death of Emperor Gaozong of Song, Emperor Xiaozong of Song immediately ceded the throne to his son Zhao Huan, which was a very unreasonable thing. Why is it unreasonable?
(Portrait of Song Xiaozong)
First, Song Xiaozong has always suffered from not being able to act exactly according to his own wishes.
When Emperor Gaozong of Song was 60 years old, he took the initiative to give the throne to Song Xiaozong. After Zen gave up the throne, he lived for 20 years.
We know that after the Qianlong Emperor gave up the throne, although he was quite old, he still held the power and did not let it out. Although Jiaqing was an emperor, he could only be a puppet. The situation of Song Xiaozong was not as serious as that of Jiaqing, and the affairs in the imperial court were mainly his decision-making. However, Song Gaozong did not sit idle, but was constrained everywhere. Including Song Xiaozong's Northern Expedition, including the personnel arrangements at the imperial court, including the economic reforms promoted by Song Xiaozong, they all had to listen to Song Gaozong's words. If Song Gaozong didn't nod, Song Xiaozong wouldn't dare to do it.
Song Xiaozong was thus the "half-puppet" emperor for 20 years, and he had to survive the death of Song Gaozong, and he could make his own decisions and act according to his own wishes, but he did not do anything. Isn't that a less understandable thing?
(Southern Song Dynasty Northern Expedition)
Second, Song Xiaozong has always been ambitious and wants to do things.
Emperor Xiaozong of Song is known as the most effective emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty. Since he came to power, he has been working hard with ambition and has made great achievements.
The Southern Song Dynasty was only a partially peaceful dynasty, but this partially peaceful dynasty was able to continue for a century and a half, and it can be said that the foundation laid by Song Gaozong and Song Xiaozong was indispensable. Emperor Gaozong of Song mainly ensured the stability of the territory and promoted the peace between the Jin Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty. In the first 10 years of song's reign, through the active northern expedition, the Jin state never dared to take the initiative to attack the Southern Song Dynasty again. In addition, in the last 10 years of his reign, Song Xiaozong actively developed the economy, accumulated money, hoarded pile vaults, and prepared funds for another Northern Expedition.
Although it is said that during the Northern Expedition, Song Xiaozong failed to achieve great success and failed to recover the lost land. However, the active Northern Expedition also dealt a blow to the arrogance of the Jin State, so that the Jin State did not dare to provoke a war after that. The money that Song Xiaozong saved in the next 10 years was the capital he was preparing to go north again.
The money was saved, and Song Gaozong was also dead, so why didn't he go north?
(Portrait of Song Guangzong)
Third, the heir Song Guangzong Zhao Huan was not an ideal emperor.
If Song Xiaozong's heirs are capable, it makes sense for Song Xiaozong to give up the throne and let more capable people do it. However, the heir Song Guangzong was not a good emperor.
First, Song Guangzong was mad and ill, often not sober-minded, and could not even handle government affairs. Second, Song Guangzong was not filial and had always ignored Song Xiaozong. Third, Empress Guangzong of Song was a brutal and powerful person, and she showed these bad qualities when Song Xiaozong was alive. After Song Guangzong became emperor, she became more in control of the imperial government.
In short, Song Xiaozong did not choose a reliable heir. If you did not choose a reliable heir, but gave up the throne, is this not irresponsible to Jiangshan Sheji?
The reason why Song Xiaozong wanted to give up the throne was that he himself said in the Holy Will: "Shuo Bi Nian is sick and tired, and wants to pass on the throne to the crown prince..." That is to say, he was sick, and he often felt very tired and did not want to do it.
Many historical research experts also believe that Song Xiaozong is indeed tired of political affairs.
The reason why Song Xiaozong was tired of political affairs was because Song Xiaozong himself was a king of great talent and greatness, and he always hoped to complete the great cause of reunification through the Northern Expedition. As we said earlier, during the 20 years that he was emperor, he actively carried out the Northern Expedition in the first 10 years, and raised money and grain in the next 10 years. The purpose of raising money and grain was mainly for the Northern Expedition. Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, once set up a "sealed pile warehouse", hoping to buy back the "Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures" by raising money. If you can't buy it back, use the money to recruit warriors to fight back. Song Xiaozong did the same.
(Yu Yunwen)
However, during the 20 years of Song Xiaozong's reign, he discovered a serious problem. In the first 10 years, he insisted on the Northern Expedition, and the reason why it failed was that the generals could not do it. The Song Dynasty itself emphasized literature and suppressed martial arts, and Emperor Gaozong of Song killed Yue Fei in order to stop the Northern Expedition. This once again suppressed the military generals. Therefore, the generals during the entire Song Xiaozong period, slightly better, that is, Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun was also a man of great ambition and talent, which also led to the failure of the First Northern Expedition.
The only one who had a little ability and won the battle was Yu Yunwen. And Yu Yunwen is also a literati.
Song Xiaozong did accumulate wealth in the second 10 years. However, this was not actually the main problem of the Northern Expedition. The main problem is the lack of generals leading the troops. Originally, he could still rely on Yu Yunwen, and he also had an agreement with Yu Yunwen, he let Yu Yunwen set off from Sichuan, and he set off from Jiangnan to attack the Jin Kingdom together. But Yu Yunwen unfortunately died. In this way, his hopes are completely gone, and as a result, he will be tired.
However, I think that although this is the reason why Song Xiaozong let the emperor out, it is not the whole reason. In fact, Song Xiaozong still had an idea. He felt that his Northern Expedition had failed, so there had to be something that had to succeed. And this successful thing is the pursuit of "moral perfection."
The purpose of Song Xiaozong's Zen position was to give Song Gaozong filial piety, and he wanted to keep filial piety for three years. In Song Xiaozong's view, anyway, being held hostage by Song Gaozong in the early stage has already embodied "filial piety", so it is better to carry this to the end and continue filial piety. This can also leave a good reputation in history.
Therefore, Song Xiaozong did the Zen thing.
(Reference: History of the Song Dynasty, etc.)