On a sunny day, Zhao Kuangyin went out hunting with a group of guards. Walking into a deep dense forest, there was no one around, Zhao Kuangyin suddenly stopped, turned to the guards behind him and said: "There is no one here, you want to be an official, you can kill me and do it!" The guards were taken aback, looked at each other, and didn't know why the master suddenly said this. Could it be that Zhao Kuangyin had doubts about their loyalty? Or is there something else hidden in this? What is the purpose of Zhao Kuangyin's move?
1. Chen Qiao's Mutiny: The Mystery of Zhao Kuangyin's Ascension to the Throne
On the first day of the first month of the first month of 960 AD, Fan Qian, the prime minister of the Great Zhou Dynasty, was restless. He had just received military information that the Khitan and the Northern Han were jointly attacking south. At this time, Zhou Shizong Chai Rong had died, and Chai Zongxun, who was only seven years old, succeeded him as emperor. Although Fan Zhen, a powerful minister of the DPRK, held the power of the government, he did not have military power in his hands. After thinking about it, he decided to find Zhao Kuangyin, who was then the envoy of the German army and the lieutenant of the inspection school, to discuss countermeasures.
Early the next morning, Zhao Kuangyin led the army to the battle. However, the strange thing is that when the army marched to the vicinity of Chen Qiaoyi, it actually stopped, and was not willing to advance half a step further. What is even more surprising is that Zhao Kuangyin was "forced" to accept the support of his subordinates in the army that night, and he was crowned emperor with a yellow robe. According to the history books, Zhao Kuangyin didn't know about this, and he was put on a dragon robe in a dream. But this statement is really doubtful.
First of all, the source of the Khitan and Northern Han joint southward movement is unknown, and it is difficult to distinguish between true and false. As the prime minister, Fan Zhen should verify the military situation in detail before making a decision. He rashly ordered Zhao Kuangyin to send troops in a hurry, which inevitably made people suspicious. Secondly, Zhao Kuangyin led the troops to the battle, and he should have traveled to the front line under the stars. But he had only walked dozens of miles out of the capital, and then he stopped to rest, which was really unreasonable. Moreover, after Zhao Kuangyin ascended the throne as emperor, he not only ignored the border troubles, but returned to the capital and forced Chai Zongxun to take the throne, which is even more incredible.
Summing up all the above doubts, one cannot help but wonder: Could the joint southward movement of the Khitan and the Northern Han Dynasty be just a smoke bomb released by Zhao Kuangyin? Could it be that he led his army to the expedition just to get rid of the control of the imperial court and wait for an opportunity to launch a mutiny? As for his "unknowing" and "forced" acceptance of the support of his subordinates, could it be just a well-designed drama?
Of course, we cannot completely deny the record of the canonical history. But judging from Zhao Kuangyin's various behaviors before and after his accession to the throne, his covetousness for the throne has been revealed. Regardless of whether the Chen Qiao Mutiny was premeditated for a long time or improvised, Zhao Kuangyin was by no means completely innocent, let alone passively accepted. He undoubtedly played a key role in this "change".
The Chen Qiao Mutiny fulfilled Zhao Kuangyin's dream of becoming an emperor, but it also laid hidden dangers for his future rule. He started his career by virtue of military power, so he naturally understands the importance of military power. Therefore, he was always suspicious of his courtiers with heavy troops, lest one day his throne would be taken away by someone "mutiny". It is precisely because of this consideration that Zhao Kuangyin adopted a series of strategies to consolidate imperial power after becoming emperor, the most famous of which is the good story of "releasing military power with a glass of wine".
2. Zhao Kuangyin's strategy to consolidate imperial power
Zhao Kuangyin ascended to the throne by virtue of the Chen Qiao Mutiny, but he knew that if he wanted to sit firmly in the country, he still needed to adopt a series of strategies to consolidate the imperial power. He used his own experience as a lesson to understand the threat of military power. Back then, he was able to force the palace to seize the throne, and he had heavy troops in his hands. Now that he is the emperor, he should prevent others from following in his footsteps.
Looking around, Zhao Kuangyin found that the old subordinates who followed him to fight the world at the beginning are now in high positions and are in power. Shi Shouxin served as the commander of the palace and was in charge of the forbidden army; Wang Xianqi and Li Chuyun respectively served as the commanders of the Ma Bujun and commanded the elite; Li Chongxian, Wang Jien and others also held military power. Although these old henchmen are loyal, Zhao Kuangyin still can't rest assured. After all, they are all from the army, and if they want to follow their example one day and launch a mutiny, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Zhao Kuangyin decided to show his forte-acting. One day, he set up a banquet to entertain Shi Shouxin and others, and invited them to drink together during the banquet. After a few rounds of drinking, Zhao Kuangyin suddenly sighed and said: "Since I ascended the throne, I have been sleeping at night, and my food is not sweet. Shi Shouxin and the others were shocked and hurriedly asked the reason. Zhao Kuangyin sighed again: "You are all from the army, if one day your subordinates support you as the emperor, wouldn't anyone be able to be the emperor?"
When Shi Shouxin and the others heard this, their faces were so frightened that they shook their heads again and again and said that they didn't dare. They immediately expressed their willingness to surrender all their military power as a sign of loyalty. Seeing this, Zhao Kuangyin pretended to be magnanimous again, saying "Aiqing and others don't have to worry too much", "How can I be a suspicious person". However, he secretly acted quickly to withdraw the command of the forbidden army from Shi Shouxin and put it under the control of the inner court, and successively reduced the military power of Wang Xianqi, Li Chuyun and others. As for Li Chongxian, Wang Jien and others, Zhao Kuangyin gave them Houlu, so that they could be relieved and return to the field, and they could live in their old age.
So far, some of the henchmen around Zhao Kuangyin have been cut off, some have been transferred, and some have been pensioned, in short, there is no one left. No one in the DPRK and China can shake his position. Zhao Kuangyin can finally sit back and relax and sit firmly in the country.
It can be seen from Zhao Kuangyin's strategy that his sensitivity and vigilance to power have reached the extreme. He knew that he had risen to power by mutiny, so he was always wary of his generals. Even if he is an old subordinate who has followed him for many years, Zhao Kuangyin does not dare to take it lightly. He would rather hurt people's hearts than firmly grasp the military power in his own hands. This kind of mentality, which borders on paranoia, is probably something that only a high-ranking person can understand.
Of course, in the process of consolidating imperial power, Zhao Kuangyin did not only use tough means. For those courtiers who have no real power, he is still willing to envelop them. Giving money and dismissal is his usual tactic. For Li Chongxian, Wang Jien and others, Zhao Kuangyin did not dethrone them, but gave them generous treatment, allowing them to enjoy their old age in peace. This seems to be benevolent, but it is actually a clever trick of power. Zhao Kuangyin understands that instead of pushing people too much, it is better to give a way back. As long as these people stay away from the centers of power and don't pose a threat, that's fine.
In short, in the process of consolidating imperial power, Zhao Kuangyin can be described as painstaking and careful. He sometimes thundered and sometimes softened his tactics to defuse those potential threats one by one. This kind of vigorous and resolute style, this kind of step-by-step strategy, is the key to his success.
3. Hunting temptation: Zhao Kuangyin's scheming methods
Zhao Kuangyin weakened the important ministers and withdrew the military power, can he finally rest easy? Although he controlled the power of the DPRK, he was always at ease with the guards around him. These guards serve day and night, and if they have bad intentions, the consequences will be unimaginable. Zhao Kuangyin has always been suspicious of their loyalty.
In order to test the reaction of the guards, Zhao Kuangyin came up with a clever plan. One day, he went out hunting with his guards and came to a deep forest. With no one around, it's a good time to get started. Zhao Kuangyin suddenly stopped his horse, turned to the guards behind him and said, "There is no one here, if you want to be the emperor, you can kill me first!"
These words were like thunder on the ground, and the guards were shocked, and they didn't know what to do for a while. They looked at each other in trepidation, for fear that the emperor would really think they had bad intentions. Some guards immediately knelt on the ground to plead guilty, some guards hurriedly explained, and some guards were even so frightened that they couldn't speak.
Seeing this, Zhao Kuangyin was secretly happy in his heart. He pretended to be surprised and said, "Why are Aiqing and the others so frightened? The guards were relieved, and they swore allegiance to the death. Zhao Kuangyin pretended to be magnanimous again, saying "I am not a suspicious person", "Aiqing and others don't have to worry too much".
In this hunting temptation, Zhao Kuangyin can be said to have acted vividly, scaring those guards into dissipation. Although they had no intention of rebelling, they still did not dare to slack off in front of the emperor. In this way, Zhao Kuangyin beat the guards, making them always vigilant and not daring to have different intentions.
In fact, this is not the first time Zhao Kuangyin has used this method to test his subordinates. As early as when he first ascended the throne, he had set up a banquet to entertain his ministers, and he deliberately sighed during the banquet, saying that it was better to be an emperor than to be a festival. Shi Shouxin and the others, who were present at the time, were also frightened and showed their loyalty again and again. Now that Zhao Kuangyin is playing this trick while hunting, it can be seen that his vigilance against power has reached the point of paranoia.
Of course, Zhao Kuangyin didn't really think that the guards would plot against him. He did this more out of a precautionary consideration. In his opinion, instead of waiting until the accident to remedy, it is better to take precautions and strike first. Through this temptation from time to time, Zhao Kuangyin can make the guards walk on thin ice, thereby minimizing the risk.
It can be seen from Zhao Kuangyin's scheming methods that his control of power has reached the point of perfection. He is well aware of the weaknesses of human nature, and knows how to use grace and power to control his subordinates. Although his guards have no real power, they are closest to him after all, and it is easy to think about it. Zhao Kuangyin knows this, so he will take such preventive measures.
In short, under the rule of Zhao Kuangyin, whether it is the important ministers of the court or the guards around him, they are all played by him. They are either taken into power or tempted, and they are always in a state of fear. This kind of atmosphere where everyone is in danger is the magic weapon of Zhao Kuangyin to consolidate the imperial power. He used his own scheming methods to resolve those potential threats one by one, so as to sit firmly in the country and achieve a generation of emperors.
Fourth, Zhao Kuangyin's imperial technique
Throughout Zhao Kuangyin's life, it can be said to be a textbook of power schemes. He stepped up to the throne of the emperor step by step from an ordinary envoy of moderation, and all kinds of strategies he displayed during this period all reflected his superb political wisdom and extraordinary imperial skills.
What Zhao Kuangyin is best at is to use the weakness of human nature to manipulate his courtiers. He knows very well that people's hearts are separated from their stomachs, and everyone has selfish thoughts. Instead of blindly guarding against it, it is better to indulge appropriately and then control it. In this way, we can not only win people's hearts, but also grasp the initiative. Zhao Kuangyin adopted this strategy to Shi Shouxin and other confidants. He first held a banquet to entertain them, pretending that they did not want to be emperor, so that they could relax their vigilance, and then forced them to hand over their military power in the form of "releasing military power with a glass of wine". This kind of method of combining softness and rigidity can be described as killing two birds with one stone, which not only eliminates future troubles, but also buys people's hearts.
Zhao Kuangyin is also good at taking advantage of the situation and acting when the opportunity arises. For those courtiers who had no real power, he often adopted a policy of gentleness, giving them gold silk and allowing them to enjoy their old age in peace. The advantage of this is that it can not only win people's hearts, but also avoid making enemies. After all, these people didn't pose much of a threat, so why should they push people too much? On the contrary, Zhao Kuangyin did not dare to be careless at all about those generals who had heavy troops in their hands. From time to time he tempted them, striking them, so that they were walking on thin ice, and did not dare to have different hearts. This strategy of differential treatment fully reflects Zhao Kuangyin's wisdom of power and strategy. He knows how to assess the situation, and knows when to relax and when to tighten.
In the process of consolidating imperial power, Zhao Kuangyin also showed extraordinary political foresight. Not only does he have to address immediate threats, but he also has to take precautions. That's why he had to test the guards while hunting, and he had to be constantly on the lookout for those around him. In Zhao Kuangyin's view, anyone can become a threat, even the closest guard. Rather than waiting until a problem arises to remedy it, it is better to preemptively minimize the risk. This kind of foresight thinking, this kind of precautionary strategy, is the key to Zhao Kuangyin's achievement of the imperial industry.
Of course, Zhao Kuangyin's imperial skills are not only on the side of power and conspiracy. During his reign, he also took a series of measures to improve people's livelihood and develop the economy. He attached great importance to agricultural production and encouraged the reclamation of farmland for farmland; he rectified the administration of officials and cracked down on corrupt officials and corrupt officials; and he also vigorously advocated thrift and opposed extravagance. Although these measures are not as dazzling as power schemes, they are an important foundation for Zhao Kuangyin to win the hearts of the people and stabilize the country.
In short, Zhao Kuangyin's imperial technique can be said to be a combination of power strategy, politics, economy and other aspects. He is good at taking advantage of human weaknesses, judging the situation and taking precautions, both thunderous means and soft strategies. This all-round and multi-layered statecraft not only consolidated his imperial power, but also laid the foundation for the long-term stability of the Song Dynasty. It is with this extraordinary wisdom and strategy that Zhao Kuangyin was able to stand out in the troubled times of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms and achieve a generation of emperors, which can be called a generation of Ming monarchs in Chinese history.