Emperor Renzong of Song had three empresses, namely Empress Guo, who was deposed first and then restored, who died young, Empress Cao, Cao Bin's granddaughter, and Empress Zhang, who was posthumously honoured.
In 1024, Guo Shi, the second daughter of Chongyi's deputy envoy Guo Yungong, and Zhang Shi, the great-granddaughter of the late Xiao Cavalry General Zhang Mei, entered the palace at the same time, and Emperor Renzong saw Zhang's beauty and wanted to make him empress, but Empress Dowager Liu liked Guo and strongly advocated Guo as empress, and Zhang was made a talent.
In 1028, Zhang Cairen was promoted to beauty, and died five days later. Empress Guo, on the other hand, with the support of Empress Dowager Liu, was pampered and arrogant, jealous and domineering, and sent people to monitor Song Renzong, not allowing Song Renzong to get close to other concubines.
Empress Guo
In 1033, Empress Dowager Liu died, and Emperor Renzong of Song immediately distanced himself from Empress Guo, favored the beautiful and lovely Shang Chongyi and Yang Meiren, and posthumously named Zhang Meiren, who had been dead for five years.
On this day, Shang Chongyi told Song Renzong that Empress Guo was not, just when Empress Guo came to the door, the two quarreled again, Empress Guo raised her hand to fan Shang Chongyi, Song Renzong quickly stepped forward to stop it, but Empress Guo couldn't hold back, and slapped Song Renzong on the neck, Song Renzong was furious, claiming to depose Empress Guo.
Prime Minister Lü Yijian, who had been deposed because of Empress Guo's rumors, heard that Empress Guo had mistakenly beaten Emperor Renzong of Song, and was overjoyed in his heart, and encouraged the counsellor to enter the speech, and said in the middle of the song: "It has been nine years since the Hou Li, and he has no sons, so righteousness should be abolished." "It means that Guo has been made empress for nine years, but she can't give birth to a son, and she should be deposed!"
Above the court, Lü Yijian believed that Empress Guo should be abolished, but the right counsellor, Chengkong Daofu in the imperial history, and the advisers Sun Zude, Fan Zhongyan and others strongly dissuaded, they believed: "The empress must not be abolished, it is advisable to stop this discussion as soon as possible, and not to make it spread to the outside world." ”
In November 1033, Emperor Renzong of Song issued an edict of abolition, which said: "Empress Guo entered the Taoist Temple with no son, and specially appointed her as a concubine and a fairy master of Yujing Chongmiao, and gave her the name Qingwu, and did not live in Changning Palace to raise her." Kong Daofu, Sun Zude, Fan Zhongyan and others opposed it again, and the result was all denounced.
In August 1034, Emperor Renzong of Song issued another edict, counting the mistakes of Concubine Guo Jing, and ordered her to live in Yaohua Palace. In September of the same year, Cao Bin's granddaughter Cao Shi was crowned empress. In October, he gave Guo Jingfei the legal number: Jin Ting Sect Master, Chong Jing Yuan Master.
After that, Song Renzong secretly summoned Guo Jingfei back to the palace, and Guo Jingfei said: "If you summon again, you must be registered by a hundred officials." But at that time, Cao had already been made empress, and Song Renzong could not meet her request. In 1035, when Guo Jingfei fell ill, Yan Wen, a friend of Lü Yijian of the Song Ren Sect, should bring an imperial doctor to treat her, and Yan Wen deliberately delayed, causing Guo Jingfei to die violently at the age of twenty-four.
Empress Wen Chengzhang
In 1041 AD, Zhang Shi, the daughter of Zhang Yaofeng, a Jin Shi, was named the Prince of Qinghe County by Emperor Renzong of Song because of her bright appearance, well-behaved nature, versatility, and intelligence, and in the same year, Jin was made a talent, and later promoted to Xiu Yuan, and gave birth to three daughters for Emperor Renzong of Song, namely: Princess Deng Guo, Princess Zhenguo and Princess Tang Guo.
In 1043, when Princess Zhenguo died early, Zhang Xiuyuan was deeply saddened and said to Emperor Renzong of Song: "The concubine is thin, she is not worthy of the favor, and she is willing to be a beauty." "Song Renzong is allowed to play and reduce it to a beauty, which can be honored and favored. In 1048, Zhang Meiren was made a noble concubine, just one step away from the empress.
Zhang Guifei's father Zhang Yaofeng, who was a Shizhou governor, died of illness at an early age, and her mother Cao Shi originally wanted to take her daughter to Zhang Yaofeng's brother Zhang Yaozuo, but Zhang Yaozo refused to take him in on the grounds that he was far away. Cao had no choice but to lead her daughter into the palace of the Grand Princess of Qi to make a living from singing and dancing, and when Zhang Guifei was eight years old, she was sent to the palace by the Grand Princess of Qi, raised by the palace maid Jia Shi, and later favored by Song Renzong.
It stands to reason that Zhang Guifei should be dissatisfied with her uncle Zhang Yaozuo, but Zhang Guifei is particularly concerned about Zhang Yaozuo's career and repeatedly recommends Zhang Yaozo in front of Song Renzong, why is this?
Zhang Yaozuo, Zhang Guifei's uncle, was born as a scholar, and successively served as an official of Xianzhou and Yunzhou, in charge of prison litigation. Later, he was renamed Dali Temple Cheng and Xianshui Zhi County, and then promoted to Dianzhong Cheng and Xipu Zhi County, and later promoted to Kaizhou Zhizhou, and returned to Beijing and was awarded the Judgment Dengwen Drum Academy.
If the steps are followed, Zhang Yaozuo, who knows political affairs and criminal law, will definitely have some achievements, but it is precisely because of Zhang Guifei's relationship that Zhang Yaozo has come to the opposite side of the civil and military ministers and has become a negative teaching material that relies on the status of foreign relatives to climb step by step.
When Zhang Yaozu returned to Beijing, Zhang Guifei was still only Xiuyuan, and in order to promote the door and elevate herself, she appealed to Emperor Renzong of Song, hoping to promote Zhang Yaozo to be the official of Kaifeng Prefecture. Counselor Yu Jingshangshu said: "Zhang Yaozuo should not be promoted too quickly. But Emperor Renzong of Song did not listen, and promoted Zhang Yaozo to judge of the three divisions, Tianzhang Pavilion to be systematic, official Liu Neiquan, Langzhong of the Qianbing Department, and Quanzhi Kaifeng Mansion, and added officials to Longtuge Zhi Bachelor, promoted to Shizhong and Duanmingdian bachelors, and also appointed him as the third envoy, in charge of the national money valley cashier, balancing fiscal revenue and expenditure.
Bao Zheng
Counsellors Bao Zheng, Chen Shengzhi, Wu Kui and others wrote to the letter: "In recent years, frequent earthquakes and the flooding of the Yellow River are all caused by villains. Zhang Yaozo presided over the great plan, and the roads suffered from insatiable demands, resulting in disturbance of internal funds and the decline of the legal system. The ministers believed that although the saint could not avoid the intimate selfishness, he would be able to handle it properly. Emperor Renzong of Song reappointed Zhang Yaozo as a Hubu attendant, but soon after, he appointed him as the envoy of the Huaikang Army, the envoy of the Qunmu system, the envoy of the Xuanhui Southern Courtyard, and the envoy of the Jingling Palace, and also gave his two sons the rank of Jin Shi.
Bao Zheng and others wrote again: "Your Majesty reuses Zhang Yaozuo, and the fault is not in Your Majesty, but in the female pet, favored courtier, and ruling." His Majesty should make a righteous decision and immediately pursue Zhang Yaozuo's official position. If it is a last resort, Xuanhui and Jiedu can choose one of the two, only in this way can it be in line with the will of God and conform to human feelings. "But Song Renzong is not allowed.
In 1049, Emperor Renzong of Song opened the branch to obtain a scholar, and the people in the capital believed that the current branch champion was none other than Feng Jing, the son of Ezhou, because this person had won the first place twice in the township examination and the meeting examination. Zhang Yaozo saw that Hunter was happy, so he invited Feng Jing to his home, gave him a gold belt, and wanted to give his daughter to Feng Jing, but Feng Jing was unwilling to join Zhang Yaozuo, "laughing without looking, and speaking vigorously." ”
Feng Jing
Zhang Yaozuo became angry and mobilized his subordinates, contacted the examiner, and prepared to let Feng Jing fall off the list during the palace examination. Feng Jing had a premonition that the crisis was coming, so he moved the first two points of his name back, and Feng Jing became "Ma Liang". On the day of the list, Zhang Yaozo suddenly found that the champion who came out of the crowd was not someone else, it was Feng Jing, who was aliased Ma Liang, which is the origin of the proverb "mistook Feng Jing for Ma Liang".
In view of the fierce public opinion and the opposition of the ministers, Emperor Renzong of Song finally issued an edict to remove Zhang Yaozuo from the post of ambassador, and soon after, he was appointed as the general judge of Heyang as the envoy of Xuanhui, and was later recalled to Beijing, changed to the town of Tianping Army, and was given the title of imperial master after his death.
In 1054, Zhang Guifei died of a violent illness at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve. Song Renzong was so sad that he left the dynasty for seven days, preparing to mourn Concubine Zhang with the gift of empress. Because Empress Cao reigned, the ministers opposed, and Emperor Renzong of Song insisted on going his own way, announcing that Zhang Guifei would be posthumously crowned empress, and the full name was: Empress Wen Cheng. Empress Wen Cheng's father Zhang Yao was posthumously honoured as the Prince of Qinghe Commandery, and her mother Cao was the Lady of Qi. Zhang Yaozuo's son Zhang Shanfu later served as deputy envoy of introduction and deputy privy councillor.