In the first month of the first year of Baoqing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1225), the Lin'an Palace was solemn. The young Emperor Lizong sat in front of the imperial case, discussing a difficult question with Cheng Jue, the official of the banquet: "Why is there less rule in the world and more troubled times, and there are fewer gentlemen and more villains?" This seemingly simple question has led to a new emperor's deep thinking about governing the country.
The voice of the people
During the Southern Song Dynasty, the people complained about the imperial court. Taxes are heavy, officialdom is corrupt, wars are continuous, and the people are struggling to make a living. The common people often say: "Where you used to be rich, now you are so poor; Where the population used to flourish is now depressed and deserted. The rich became the middle class, and the middle class became poor. "Prices are skyrocketing, paper money is depreciating, and people are having a problem even getting food.
At this time, a young man named Zhao Yun became the emperor, and people pinned their hopes on him. But who would have thought that the process of the new emperor's ascension to the throne was full of palace intrigues. He was put on the throne by the powerful minister Shi Miyuan, but the original crown prince was deposed. This made Zhao Yun's ruling foundation very unstable, and both the government and the opposition had opinions about him.
The Emperor's troubles
Zhao Yun, who later became Li Zong, was not a fuel-efficient lamp. He knew that he was in a difficult situation, so he began to wonder: how can I sit on this dragon chair?
First, he had to curry favor with the ministers. As a result, he began to study diligently, listening to his ministers explain the Confucian classics and history every morning and evening. He also lived a frugal life and always cared about national affairs. This trick really worked, and many ministers praised him for his "holy nature".
Second, Li Zong had to find a way to get rid of the control of the powerful minister Shi Miyuan. But Shi Miyuan is so powerful that he really can't move him for a while. As a result, Li Zong could only swallow his anger and wait for the opportunity.
In the end, Ritsune had to find a way to win the hearts and minds of the people. But the treasury is empty, and the people are having a hard time, what can I do?
The whimsy of the emperor
Rizune is no idle man. He came up with a brilliant idea: to promote science!
At that time, science was the new favorite of intellectuals. Everyone thinks that science can solve all the problems of the world. Isn't this exactly what he needs? As a result, he began to advocate the science of science.
Li Zong not only studied science himself, but also summoned a group of physicists to the imperial court to serve as officials. These people are all highly educated, and they speak in a straightforward manner. Li Zong felt that with the help of these masters, his rule would be more secure.
However, Rishu's philosophy is not simply superstitious. He understands that it is not enough to just preach, but also to take action. So, he set out to solve some practical problems.
How to break the economic crisis?
After Li Zong came to power, the biggest problem he faced was the economic crisis. Not to mention the emptiness of the treasury, prices are still soaring. The common people complained, saying that "the income of a year cannot even live for ten months".
Li Zong was not intimidated by these difficulties. He first appointed a group of honest and capable officials, such as Xu Luqing, who was sent to manage the salt administration. Salt was a major source of income for the imperial court, and if it was well managed, the treasury would be much more abundant.
Then, Ritsune began to rectify the currency. At that time, the paper money had been seriously devalued, and the common people were reluctant to use it. Richard came up with a solution: exchange the government's property for paper money. He ordered the dumu (certificate of being a monk) and the letter of appointment to be taken out of the treasury and used to collect old paper money.
This trick is quite clever, but unfortunately the effect is not ideal. After all, the imperial court's family background is just like that, how can it be enough to fill this big hole?
In desperation, Ritsune came up with another idea: to have officials and temples pay paper money according to the area of the land. This can poke the hornet's nest, and everyone is against it. There was no way, and this policy had to be canceled quickly.
The way of employing people
Although Li Zong has hit a wall in economic policy, he still has two brushes in terms of employing people. He is well aware of the truth that "those who win others prosper, and those who lose them perish."
After Li Zong came to power, he immediately drove away the flattering villains in the Shi Miyuan period. In their place were a group of honest and capable officials, such as Zhen Dexiu, Wei Liaoweng and others. These people are not only good at learning, but also dare to say and do, making the court atmosphere new.
Li Zong also made special use of Zheng Qingzhi and Qiao Xingjian, two capable ministers. Although Zheng Qingzhi is Shi Miyuan's confidant, he does not want to be a powerful minister, but really wants to assist the emperor in his career. Qiao Xingjian is a virtuous minister who is well received by all parties. With the assistance of these two ministers, Ritsune's rule can be described as a tiger with wings.
Military adventures
Rikhon took great pains in his domestic affairs, but he made a big mistake in military affairs. He was bent on recovering the lost territory and reviving the Southern Song Dynasty, so he launched the "Battle of Recovering Sanjing".
It was a terrible battle. The Southern Song Dynasty army not only confiscated the lost territory, but instead lost its troops and returned defeated. This defeat dealt a heavy blow to the economic, military, and popular morale of the Southern Song Dynasty.
This move by Rizuma is really self-defeating. He tried to consolidate his rule through military victories, which only turned out to make the situation more volatile. This also makes people sigh: Governing the country, planning and then acting, can't be in a hurry!
, Emperor Lizong is really not simple. Although he came to power through conspiracy, he did not indulge in pleasure. On the contrary, he studied diligently, worked hard to reform, and tried to solve the problems of the country.
Although many of Rishon's policies have not achieved the desired results, his efforts are still worthy of recognition. His achievements in employing people were particularly outstanding, and he trained a number of outstanding officials for the Southern Song Dynasty. Rishu also has a number of shortcomings. He was sometimes too anxious, as in the case of the failed military operation. Moreover, his admiration for science sometimes seems a bit excessive, a bit of a "learning without thinking" flavor.