Chen Qiao mutinied, and Zhao Kuangyin was dressed in a yellow robe. No throne in history has been so easy as he was. Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, his life is full of legends. The Chenqiao Mutiny not only marked the beginning of Zhao Kuangyin's struggle for the throne, but also opened a new chapter in the history of the Northern Song Dynasty.
The beginning and end of the Chenqiao Mutiny
The Chenqiao Mutiny was a famous coup d'état in Chinese history, which occurred in 960 AD, and was initiated by Zhao Kuangyin, the palace capital of the Later Zhou Dynasty, who overthrew Emperor Gong of the Later Zhou Dynasty and established the Zhao Song Dynasty. And this mutiny is also considered to be the end of the period of five dynasties and ten kingdoms,
In this mutiny, the history of a great dynasty was created without bloodshed, and this result is inextricably linked to the social environment, political problems, and popular aspirations of the people at that time.
When Chai Rong first ascended the throne, the Later Han Dynasty joined forces with the Khitan to send troops to attack, and Chai Rong drove the expedition in person, but collided head-on with the enemy army in Bagongyuan. At the critical time, Zhao Kuangyin led the general Zhang Yongde to lead two thousand elite soldiers to fight to the death and did not retreat, and finally defeated the Northern Han army. This approach also made Zhao Kuangyin one of Chai Rong's henchmen.
Later, Chai Rong regarded Zhao Kuangyin as the pillar of the Hou Zhou, and treated Zhao Kuangyin with courtesy. not only named him the envoy of the Dingguo Army, served as the highest military commander in the country, but also appointed the forbidden army to him as the commander. With the addition of these positions, Zhao Kuangyin also controlled the entire Later Zhou military power.
In 960 AD, the Later Zhou Emperor Chai Rong died of a sudden illness, and his seven-year-old son Chai Zongxun ascended the throne. The new emperor was too young to take control of the government, and the power struggle inside and outside the court intensified. At this critical moment, Zhao Kuangyin returned to the capital in the name of guarding the frontier.
There is no choice but to let the seven-year-old child inherit the throne, but he has not yet secured the position of emperor. There was a sudden urgent report from the court, that is, the Khitan invasion must send troops to fight the enemy as soon as possible. On the third day of the first month, the army set out on an expedition.
However, many people were deeply skeptical of this urgent report, after all, no one verified the authenticity of this information, so they set out at will. After all, it is difficult not to doubt whether the enemy crossed the border and how urgent it was to send troops out, and if there were no other intentions.
But just when Zhao Kuangyin led the army out of the city gate, a military academy who was familiar with astronomy said that he saw two suns, and said to Zhao Kuangyin's confidant Chu Zhaofu that this matter was destiny. The conversation quickly spread throughout the army, and many considered it a bad omen, and some were even preparing to flee the place.
Although such rumors cannot be verified, many people also think that they are nonsense. But for Zhao Kuangyin, it was good news, as the soldiers' emotions became more and more excited, at this time Zhao Kuangyin's younger brother Zhao Kuangyi and his confidant Zhao Pu thought that the time was ripe, so they asked the soldiers to prepare the yellow robe of the emperor's enthronement and drape it on Zhao Kuangyin.
At this time, Zhao Kuangyin knew that the current situation could not be changed, and the national fortunes of the coming week had ended, and the country could not be saved. I believe that only I can turn things around and save the country. and Zhao Kuangyin, who held the power of the army, finally decided to launch a mutiny. Determined to rewrite history.
In the record of "History of the Song Dynasty", the Chenqiao Mutiny was a peaceful incident without premeditation and bloodshed, and Zhao Kuangyin was completely unaware of it before the mutiny, and was completely supported by the soldiers. Although that being said, didn't Zhao Kuangyin know anything about such a major matter.
Later, Zhao Kuangyin led his army back to Kaifeng City at that time. At that time, the officers guarding the city learned of Zhao Kuangyin's mutiny, and hurriedly opened the city gate to greet them. It can be said that Zhao Kuangyin's return to Kaifeng City did not let the officials and the people shed a drop of blood, and he also successfully established his own dynasty.
The truth behind the Chenqiao Mutiny
Regarding the Chenqiao Mutiny, current scholars also have different views. Most people think it was an elaborate conspiracy, and some believe it was a fortuitous event. From a historical point of view, however, the mutiny looked like a planned political conspiracy.
After all, Zhao Kuangyin grasped the power and military power of the Later Zhou Dynasty at that time, and launched a mutiny on the grounds of resisting foreign enemies, so as to successfully proclaim the emperor. Although everything seems to have happened by chance, Zhao Kuangyin has basically mastered Hou Zhou, and it is a matter of course that the yellow robe is added.
The impact of the Chenqiao Mutiny
After the mutiny, the Northern Song Dynasty began to strengthen its military strength, improve the treatment of soldiers, and raise the level of weapons and equipment, in order to better deal with external threats. There are also generals in the army who can gain more political power, which means that military strategy is no longer in the hands of civilians.
The importance of real combat experience and military technology was adopted or emphasized, thereby influencing the development of Chinese military traditions. It was also during this period that the rise of national security consciousness led to an increase in aid and cooperation between China and foreign countries, and a boost to China's military modernization.
Zhao Kuangyin also succeeded in achieving Huaxia's consent by seizing political power, and took measures to strengthen the centralization of power and weaken the local separatist forces. It also made the Song Dynasty a powerful central power, which had a very far-reaching impact on the development of Chinese history.
After Zhao Kuangyin established the Song Dynasty, it was the great cause of the Song Dynasty, during this period of the Song Dynasty, the economy developed rapidly, and the lives of the people were also greatly improved.
The main reason for Zhao Kuangyin's success is that he has a long-term vision as a ruler and excellent management talent. There is also the surrender of a large number of talents later, which also shows that Zhao Kuangyin has the ability to govern the country.
The Chenqiao Mutiny is a typical example, which tells us that political instability and the threat of foreign enemies are the biggest challenges facing a country, and that only by mastering strength and taking the right measures can we maintain the prosperity and stability of the country.