Looking at the history of Tuoba Jue after the age of 28, we usually feel bored, because from Tuoba Jue's 28 to 39 years old, a total of 11 years, Tuoba Jue has not had any obvious performance of expanding the territory.
In these 11 years, what exactly is Tuoba Jue doing? There is only one answer: the consolidation of imperial power.
When I see this history of Tuoba Jue, I always think of Former Qin's Jian Jian.
We can use the example of building a building: the practice of building a building is to build a building first and then strengthen it, but as the building is built higher and higher, the building gradually loses the opportunity to strengthen. When the building was crumbling, Jian Jian, although still alive, could only watch the building slowly collapse.
Tuoba Jue learned the lesson of Jian Jian, so after occupying most of Later Yan's territory, he gradually gave up the pace of external expansion and stopped to consolidate the foundation of his rule.
How does Tuoba Jue do it? In fact, it is to re-implement the strategy that Wang Meng tried to implement in the first place but ultimately failed to implement it.
Is it worth it? Judging by the results, it is clearly worth it.
The price of Tuoba Jue's implementation of this strategy was to stop the pace of expansion of the Northern Wei Dynasty for more than twenty years (it did not begin to change until the late Tuoba Si period). However, this strategy laid a solid foundation for the later expansion of the Northern Wei. Tuoba Jue died, and Tuoba Si succeeded to the throne in a chaotic situation, but he was still able to hold great power and become a veritable emperor.
On the other hand, former Qin, it should be said that this was a larger empire than most of the Northern Wei, but this empire only lasted for a short period of time, and then it collapsed. The reason why Former Qin was so large and why it collapsed was because of The unbridled expansion policy of Zhi Jian.
If Jian Jian had also chosen to implement Tuoba Jue's strategy (or Wang Meng's strategy), would Former Qin have avoided extinction? Not necessarily. Because the formation of each piece of history is composed of many factors that can be encountered but cannot be sought. In that era, when the magnate clan was dominant, consolidating imperial power was an extremely dangerous thing. Tuoba Jue can do it, but Jian Jian may not be able to do it, this has nothing to do with ability, but more is the constraint of objective conditions.
If Tuoba Jue also chose to implement The strategy of Jian Jian, the Northern Wei dynasty might also become an empire comparable to Former Qin, but the end would inevitably be like Former Qin, disintegrating at some critical moment.
Many people believe that the reason why the Northern Wei Dynasty did not choose to expand its territory was entirely because the international environment at that time was too poor. In fact, the international environment at that time was very friendly to the Northern Wei.
During Tuoba Jue's reign, the Jiangnan region was still in the stage of Sima Yuanxian and Huan Xuan's successive deaths. It was not until the year of Tuoba Jue's death that Liu Yu had just begun to govern, and was also constrained by Liu Yi and others. If Tuoba Jue had invaded the south ten years earlier, something similar to the "Great Battle of Liu Jiao" would not have happened, because at this time, the Eastern Jin Dynasty was unstable internally, and there was absolutely no spare strength to interfere with the Central Plains.
During Tuoba Jue's reign, the western region was still in the stage of mutual war between Hu Xia and Later Qin, and Yao Xing was overstretched by Helian Bobo, and if Northern Wei intervened at this time, the war situation might immediately change drastically. Because both Hu Xia and Later Qin lacked the strength to independently resist the Northern Wei, and the hatred between the two sides was so deep that even if they reluctantly joined forces, they could not last long.
During Tuoba Jue's reign, Northern Yan in the eastern region has been in turmoil, from Murong Bao to Feng Hong, there have been a total of seven rulers in the Northern Yan region, and none of them have died, all of which show the turmoil of the local situation. If Tuoba Jue's army suppressed the territory, I believe that it would be easy to sweep away these scattered sands, and then learn from the way Tuoba Jian destroyed former Yan and bring the relevant interest groups back to the capital to raise them.
During Tuoba Jue's reign, the relationship between Rouran and Northern Wei in the northern region had always been hostile, but this hostility continued until the Tuoba Tao period, but it did not delay Tuoba Tao's expansion of territory, so it can be seen that although this kind of military pressure on Rouran cannot be ignored, it is also extremely limited.
After understanding the above historical facts, we can draw a conclusion: during Tuoba Jue's reign, the international environment of the Northern Wei Was very friendly, and the main reason for preventing the Northern Wei from carrying out military expansion was that Tuoba Jue wanted to integrate internally, rather than the external environment did not allow it.
However, it is precisely because Tuoba Jue did not continue to expand its territory, so that Tuoba Jue's original historical status was much lower than that of Tuoba Jian. Because the territory of Northern Wei during the Tuoba Jue period could not be compared with Former Qin.
How much is the difference? Unless Tuoba Jue conquered all the Northern Yan, Southern Yan, Xia, Later Qin, and several Liang states, and then captured Sichuan and Shandong occupied by the Jin Empire, and finally drove Goryeo out of the Liaodong Peninsula, the territory of Northern Wei would be comparable to that of Former Qin.
The reason why Tuoba Jue was able to have a high historical position was because he did a good job of consolidating imperial power, and his descendants were more contentious, and his grandson Tuoba Tao began a new round of expansion in Northern Wei on such a solid basis.
The reason why Tuoba Jue's historical status can be so high is inseparable from the efforts of his grandson Tuoba Tao; Tuoba Tao's historical status is not low, and it is also inseparable from the accumulation of His grandfather Tuoba Jue.
If Tuoba Jue's move to consolidate imperial power fails, then neither Tuoba Jue nor Tuoba Tao can only be destroyed in the long river of history like the monarchs of other small countries, and will never shine like Tuoba Jian.
When talking about Tuoba Jue's centralization of power, the history books always write in a cloud of fog, telling us specific events, but not detailing them, so we always feel that Tuoba Jue is a bit of a sense of taking advantage of the opportunity to make trouble.
For example, the left general Li Li was killed by Tuoba Jue just because he liked to spit on the ground when talking to Tuoba Jue.
Chestnut nature is simple and slow, reserved, not reckless, every time in front of taizu shu pride, not self-solemn, cough spit on the heart. Taizu had lived in the past, and Tianxing had been punished for three years. - Book of Wei, vol. 28, Liechuan XVI
On the face of it, this is definitely a small thing, but this small thing shows that the courtiers have not yet fully recognized the fact that the imperial power is supreme. When Tuoba Jue killed Li Li, it was not just because of such a crime. Because if Li Li is not in order in these small things, it is estimated that he will not be much better in other things.
It is such a small thing that can be played by Tuoba Jue, and other powerful factions that may threaten Tuoba Jue are naturally hit by Tuoba Jue's relentless blows.
Tuoba Yi and Tuoba Zun were both princes with outstanding military achievements and important factions of strength, who contributed to the establishment and strength of Northern Wei, but they were all killed by Tuoba Jue on trumped-up charges.
Taizu was evil and killed the secretary of state, hoping to get tired of the disaster. The instrument is not safe, and the single ride away. Taizu made people pursue him, so he gave him death and was buried with the ceremony of a commoner. - Book of Wei, vol. 15, Liechuan 3rd Descendant of Zhaocheng
Obey the wine, give it four years, sit drunk and disrespectful to the princess of Taiyuan, give death, and bury her with the ceremony of a commoner. - Book of Wei, vol. 15, Liechuan 3rd Descendant of Zhaocheng
Under Tuoba Gui's brutal blows and killings, no powerful faction in northern Wei could compete with the imperial power. In this context, the military and political tycoons and the rich and powerful warriors had no choice but to bow to Tuoba Jue's feet.
Moreover, judging from the power structure after the Northern Wei Dynasty, Tuoba Jue did not blindly attack and kill in the process of centralizing power, but always tried to formulate a power structure that exceeded the norm. For example, before the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital to Luoyang, neither the imperial family nor the top magnates could obtain important positions in the central government. The people who played the main role in the central government during this period were usually the emperor, the empress, the eunuchs, and the ordinary scholars.
Throughout the entire Two Jin Dynasties, the Northern Wei Dynasty's centralization of power was the best. This kind of goodness was not only reflected in the good emperor, but in the transition of power, no matter what the ability of the successor, no matter what the internal and external environment at that time, the Northern Wei Dynasty would not cause infighting and turmoil.
Tuoba Si and Tuoba Jun both succeeded to the throne in chaos, and the top noble clans supported them very strongly. In this context, the top giants could naturally become the protagonists of the Northern Wei in a short period of time, but with the rise of the emperor's private power (such as Cui Hao and Gao Yun), the top giants were reduced to supporting roles.
The reason why Cui Hao and Gao Yun and others were able to suppress the top noble families was only because they were symbols of imperial power.
In the Five Hu Sixteen Kingdoms and the Southern Dynasty, although a similar phenomenon also occurred. However, whether it was Shi Le reusing Zhang Bin or Jian Jian reusing Wang Meng, it was only a temporary gain, and with the passage of time, the noble clan stood up again and countered the imperial power.
Liu Yu reused Xu Xianzhi and others, and this reuse made Xu Xianzhi and others dare to directly kill the king, but when Liu Yizhen, Liu Yilong and other powerful princes stepped forward, Xu Xianzhi and others could only tie their hands.
On the other hand, in the Northern Wei Dynasty, which powerful prince and noble clan could be compared with Cui Hao and Gao Yun at their peak? There seems to be none.
Shizu asked more questions about strange things. Or the pawn is not enough to tie the belt, and the food is not served, and it is not exquisite. The ancestors swirled for the sake of lifting the dagger or tasting it. It's like that. Therefore, Ying Hao went in and out of the bedroom, and added shizhong, tejin, fujun grand general, and zuo Guanglu doctor to reward Mo for his merits. - Book of Wei, vol. 35, Liechuan 23. Cui Hao
In the second year of Taihe, he returned to the village as an old beggar, and after more than ten chapters, the superior did not listen to the permission, so he returned with illness. In his year, the edict was requisitioned with an automobile, and the county was dispatched. Zhidu, a major general of the Baizhen Army, led the Zhongshu Supervisor. Excuse me. He also supported the introduction and revised the "Imperial Curse". - Book of Wei, vol. 48, Liechuan XXXVI
As the exclusive empresses (Empress Feng and Empress Huling) who were specialties of Northern Wei, the reason why they were able to become the protagonists of Northern Wei was also as assistants to the emperor, which was a special existence during the two Jin Dynasties and the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
Recommended reading of related articles in previous periods:
Tuoba Jue rose, and Murong Chui helped
Three women in one play, detailing the pattern of Tuoba Jue's harem
The death of the son and the noble mother created the dictatorship empress