A small county order, because of the trick of fate, actually became a powerful prime minister in a foreign land, and his descendants became emperors a hundred years later and created a new dynasty! What the hell is going on?
The story takes place in the ninth year of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, that is, in 750 AD. At that time, the Nanzhao Kingdom, located in the area of present-day Yunnan, was a place full of wildness and mystery. The king of Nanzhao, Mengge Luofeng, was originally the leader of one of the Six Edicts, and with the support of the Tang Dynasty, he gradually annexed the other five edicts and became the overlord of the land.
Zhang Qiantuo, the local governor sent by the Tang Dynasty, did not buy it. In his eyes, Ge Luofeng is just an upstart, although he has the title of 'king', but in front of this self-esteemed Taishou, he still has to bow his head and ears. Zhang Qiantuo even ignored the etiquette, humiliated Ge Luofeng's family, and touched his bottom line. This fierce conflict eventually prompted Ge Luofeng to decide to solve the problem by force, and he led his army to attack Zhang Qiantuo, an action that directly ignited the contradiction between Nanzhao and the Tang Dynasty.
Tang Xuanzong was furious and sent Jiannan Jiedu to envoy Xian Yu Zhongtong to lead an army to attack Nanzhao. In the face of the powerful Tang army, Ge Luofeng begged for peace and help, but to no avail. The army of Xian Yu Zhongtong, although it came to Yunnan majestically, was defeated for no other reason, the miasma and disease of Nanzhao made it impossible for the Tang army to adapt to this strange and dangerous land.
In the eleventh year of Tianbao, Yang Guozhong took over as the envoy of Jiannan Jiedu, and he led an army of 600,000 to expedition to Nanzhao again. Although the Tang army achieved some victories this time, conquered three cities and captured a large number of people, on the whole, the losses of the Tang army were still very large. These wars not only exhausted the national strength of the Tang Dynasty, but also made the independent status of the Nanzhao Kingdom more solid.
In the midst of this chaos, there was a Xilu county commander named Zheng Hui, who was originally just an inconspicuous petty official, but was accidentally captured as a prisoner of Nanzhao. But who would have thought that the fate of this small county magistrate would be turned upside down because of this. The king of Nanzhao, Ge Luofeng, was no longer the bullied nouveau riche at this time, and he began to consciously implement the policy of sinicization, trying to consolidate the rule of Nanzhao through the power of culture. With his outstanding talent and wisdom, Zheng Hui soon won the trust of Ge Luofeng and was promoted to the prime minister of Nanzhao. His political skills and decision-making skills helped Nanzhao stabilize the situation in the turbulent political situation, and even expand its influence.
With the help of Zheng Hui, Nanzhao gradually became a powerful country in the southwest region. He not only improved the administration of Nanzhao, but also promoted the development of agriculture and handicrafts, which greatly increased Nanzhao's economic and military strength. More importantly, Zheng Hui implemented a series of sinicization policies in the position of prime minister, including the promotion of Chinese characters, Hanfu and Han etiquette, which allowed Nanzhao to have more cultural exchanges and integration with the Central Plains.
Game of Thrones has always been brutal. Although Zheng Hui was in power for a while, his tyranny and high-handed methods also made many nobles of Nanzhao dissatisfied with him. The accumulation of this contradiction eventually led to the tragic end of Zheng Hui. In a palace coup, Zheng Hui was assassinated, and his political career came to an abrupt end.
Although the once-high-ranking prime minister died young, his political legacy and reform measures laid the foundation for the long-term development of Nanzhao. What's even more remarkable is that Zheng Hui's descendants also inherited his political talents. After several generations of hard work, they finally succeeded in establishing the Dali Kingdom a hundred years later, a dynasty that left a strong mark on history.
The establishment of the Dali Kingdom is not only a continuation of Zheng Hui's personal history of struggle, but also a product of the integration of Nanzhao and Central Plains culture. Dali has made remarkable achievements in culture, art, religion and other aspects, especially in Buddhist art and architecture, and its contribution is still praised by people today.
Through Zheng Hui's story, it is not difficult to find that history is always strikingly similar, no matter in which era, those who can swim against the current and change their destiny can always leave a strong mark in the long river of history. Although Zheng Hui was ill-fated in the end, his wisdom and courage, as well as his contributions to Nanzhao and even Dali, are worth remembering and learning from.