preface
Most of the emperors of the Song Dynasty gave the impression of weakness and incompetence. But among this group of "sheep", there is a "tiger" that is particularly eye-catching - he is Song Zhezong Zhao Xu.
At the age of 17, he began to govern himself, what is so special about this young emperor?
Zhao Xu succeeded to the throne at the age of 10 and began to govern at the age of 17. You may be wondering, what can a 17-year-old hairy boy do? Don't underestimate this young man. As soon as he came to power, he displayed astonishing political wisdom and courage.
At that time, the imperial court was controlled by conservatives, and the ministers were noisy all day long, vying for power. Zhao Xu saw it in his eyes and was anxious in his heart. He secretly made up his mind: he must change this situation and rejuvenate the Great Song Dynasty.
On one occasion, the ministers were again arguing in the court. Zhao Xu suddenly slapped the case and shouted: "Ladies and gentlemen, you have been arguing all day long, have you ever thought about the suffering of the people? This sound of interruption made the Manchu civil and military stunned.
From that day on, Zhao Xu began to implement reforms in a big way. He reused capable ministers, implemented new laws, and rectified the rule of officials. In just a few years, the government of the DPRK has taken on a completely new look.
Some people say that Zhao Xu's achievements are all due to good luck. But that's not the case. An old minister once commented on him: "Your Majesty is gifted and intelligent, and he is really a master of promise." "
Zhao Xu spends a lot of time every day reading the cantata and researching national events. Even in the middle of the night, the lights in the palace are often not extinguished. A palace maid once secretly told outsiders: "Your Majesty is often busy until late at night, and he can't even take care of meals." "
Not only that, Zhao Xu is also good at listening to different opinions. He often summoned ministers from various factions and listened carefully to their advice. At one point, a minister came up with a seemingly ridiculous idea. Everyone else scoffed, but Zhao Xu thought about it seriously and said: "Although there is something wrong with this plan, it is not without merit. "
It is this attitude of being eager to seek talents and humbly accepting advice that allowed Zhao Xu to master the way of governing the country in just a few years. His talent far surpasses that of his peers, and even makes many old ministers ashamed of themselves.
Someone once asked Zhao Xu: "Your Majesty is young, why can he have such foresight?" Zhao Xu replied with a smile: "Governing the country is like playing chess, not only to look at the present, but also to plan for the future." These words fully demonstrated the wisdom of this young genius.
A diplomatic crisis that almost became the "second Yanyun Sixteen States".
When Zhao Xu of Song Zhezong had just begun to take charge of the government, the Great Song Dynasty was facing a severe diplomatic crisis. If this crisis is not handled well, it is likely that the Great Song Dynasty will repeat the mistake of Shi Jingjiao ceding the sixteen states of Yanyun during the Five Dynasties.
The cause of the incident is this: during the reign of Song Shenzong, the Great Song Dynasty once occupied some border areas of Western Xia. However, during the war, many Song soldiers were also captured by the Western Xia. The conservative minister Sima Guang put forward a seemingly "humane" but humiliating proposal: return the occupied lands to the Western Xia in exchange for the captured Song army.
You heard it right, it's land for people! This is simply giving away the territory of the Great Song Dynasty for nothing! What is even more frightening is that there are quite a few people in the DPRK and China who support this proposal. They believe that this can show the benevolence of the Great Song Dynasty, and they can also exchange for their own people, which is a double win.
The situation at that time can be described as sabre-rattling. The conservatives who supported the land and the pro-militants who opposed the proposal were arguing in the court. Seeing that the situation is about to develop in an uncontrollable direction.
At this critical moment, the young Song Zhezong stepped forward. He first patiently listened to the opinions of both sides, and then said in a firm tone: "Ladies and gentlemen, although cutting land and seeking peace can be exchanged for peace temporarily, in the long run, it is to quench your thirst. When did my Da Song become so cowardly? "
As soon as these words came out, the court was suddenly silent. Song Zhezong went on to say: "We should try to rescue the captured soldiers, but we must not do so at the cost of ceding land. This will not only undermine the dignity of the country, but will also allow the enemy to gain an inch. "
An old minister was not convinced, and retorted: "Your Majesty is young, and I am afraid that I do not understand the value of peace. "
Song Zhezong was not in a hurry, and asked rhetorically: "So Aiqing thinks that after cutting the land, it can be exchanged for a long peace?" Isn't the lesson of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun profound enough? "
These words, like a slap in the face, silenced the ministers present.
In the end, at the insistence of Song Zhezong, the imperial court vetoed the proposal to cede the land and replace the people. He also ordered the strengthening of border defenses, while at the same time making diplomatic efforts to rescue captured soldiers.
The correctness of this decision was soon confirmed. Seeing that the Song Dynasty was resolute, the Western Xia offered to release some of the captives as a show of goodwill. The Great Song Dynasty not only kept the territory, but also saved some soldiers, which can be described as a win-win situation.
The successful resolution of this diplomatic crisis not only demonstrated Song Zhezong's political wisdom, but also laid the foundation for his later military operations. So, how did the young emperor make a big difference in military affairs?
The military legend of the "Iron and Blood Young Emperor": How the Battle of Pingxia made Western Xia bow down
Song Zhezong's diplomatic success gave him greater confidence to deal with strong enemies around him. And in his military career, the most brilliant achievement was the Battle of Pingxia.
In 1096, Empress Dowager Liang, the heroine of Western Xia, led an army of 500,000 and marched violently to the border of the Song Dynasty. Her goal was a Song Dynasty frontier fortress called "Jinming Village". Guess how many defenders there are in this fortress? Just 2,800 people!
When the news reached Bianjing, there was an uproar in the DPRK and China. Some ministers proposed an immediate withdrawal of troops to save their lives, and some suggested that peace should be ceded over land. But Song Zhezong was surprisingly calm. He smiled and said to the ministers: "There are not many soldiers, but fine." I have my own strategy to defeat the enemy. "
Song Zhezong ordered the border army general Zhang Kai to build a new fortress on the border and named it "Pingxia City". This name is a declaration of war against Western Xia! Empress Dowager Liang was really fooled and led an army of 300,000 to besiege Pingxia City.
On the third day of the siege, Empress Dowager Liang sent an envoy to shout: "Listen to the Song army, surrender and avoid death!" Otherwise, on the day the city is broken, the chickens and dogs will not be left! "
The generals of the Song army in the city responded loudly: "I'd rather die than surrender!" Unless all the Western Xia troops become sheep, they don't want to break through this city! "
This sentence made Empress Dowager Liang jump to her feet with anger. She ordered the whole army to storm on, but 13 days later, Pingxia City still stands.
Just when the morale of the Western Xia army was low, the reinforcements sent by Song Zhezong finally arrived! Zhang Kai led the army to attack the exhausted Western Xia army from behind. The Western Xia army was defeated, more than 3,000 people were captured, and 100,000 cattle and sheep were lost.
Empress Dowager Liang fled back in embarrassment, and the vitality of Western Xia was greatly damaged. It didn't take long for Western Xia to send envoys to sue for peace. Song Zhezong took the opportunity to push the border 300 miles west, driving the Tanguts into the desert area.
After the war, Song Zhezong summoned Zhang Ji and praised: "The general has made great contributions to this battle, and I want to reward him heavily." "
Zhang Qi said: "Your Majesty is clever, and the last general is just acting according to the plan." This credit should be given to His Majesty. "
Song Zhezong said with a smile: "This battle can be won, it is the Great Wall built by the soldiers with their flesh and blood. How dare I covet the merits of heaven? "
This great victory not only played the prestige of the Great Song Dynasty, but more importantly, until the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Western Xia no longer dared to easily offend.
The victory in the Battle of Pingxia made Song Zhezong militarily famous. However, fate always seems to like to joke. Just when the Great Song Dynasty was thriving, an accident happened. So, if history had a chance to repeat itself, would it end differently?
Regret of dying young: If Song Zhezong lived for 20 more years, would the Northern Song Dynasty rewrite the ending?
One day in 1100, a shocking news suddenly came out of the palace: Song Zhezong, who was only 24 years old, died! This news was like a bolt from the blue, which plunged the entire Great Song into grief.
The death of Song Zhezong is not only the end of a person's life, but also the end of an era full of hope. People can't help but start imagining: If Song Zhezong could live for another 20 years, would the fate of the Great Song Dynasty be completely different?
Let's make a bold assumption. If Song Zhezong lived to be 44 years old, what would it be like?
First of all, the reform will certainly continue to deepen. The new law implemented by Song Zhezong will be implemented more thoroughly, and the national power of the Great Song Dynasty may be further strengthened. An old minister once sighed: "If Your Majesty reigns for a long time, the Great Song Dynasty will surely reappear in the prosperous era of the Han and Tang Dynasties." "
Militarily, Song Zhezong is likely to continue his hard-line line. Some historians speculate: "During the reign of Ruozhezong, it is likely that the Liao and Jin kingdoms will not be able to sit large." The tragedy of the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty may not have happened. "
However, history has no ifs. Song Zhezong's untimely death made all the good ideas come to naught. After his younger brother Huizong of the Song Dynasty succeeded to the throne, the Great Song Dynasty soon went into decline.
Some people say that Song Zhezong is like a bright meteor, although it is short, but it illuminates the entire night sky. In just 7 years, he made the Great Song Dynasty reach unprecedented heights.
A folk poet wrote:
"Young Son of Heaven Zhi Lingyun,
Seven years of success, but unfortunately early death.
If you have to add another twenty years,
The Song Dynasty is full of spring. "
This poem speaks to the hearts of many. The death of Song Zhezong is not only a personal tragedy, but also a regret of the entire Great Song Dynasty.
So, reading this, do you also start to think: If history can really repeat itself, how will Song Zhezong change the fate of the Great Song Dynasty?
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section. If you find this article interesting, don't forget to like and retweet it, so that more people can understand the legendary story of this young son of heaven who died young.
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