The song emperor and the minister often spoke between the emperor and the minister, often surprisingly straightforward, without scruples, without turning corners.
The Song Ren Tian's "Ru Lin GongHui" contains:
Emperor Taizong rebuked Zhao Pu for not raising a general. Pu Said: "Emperor Ximingzong raised Shi Jin, Jin elected Zhang Yanze, Liu Gaozu plucked Guo Shanghuang, Sejong got Taizu, how dare the subjects lift up Yahweh?" ’”
As the prime minister of the two dynasties, Zhao Pu participated in the decision-making of so many state affairs and major events, and his ability was beyond doubt, but Song Taizong blamed him as the prime minister and had the duty of recommending talents and talents, but never recommended generals to him and criticized him for dereliction of duty.
After hearing this, Zhao Pu replied:
"In that year, Later Tang Mingzong recommended Shi Jingyao, but Shi Jingyao overthrew Later Tang and replaced him as Emperor of Later Jin; Shi Jingyao reused Zhang Yanze, but Zhang Yan surrendered to Khitan and led the Khitan soldiers to personally destroy Later Jin; Later Han Gaozu Liu Zhiyuan selected Guo Wei, but Guo Wei deposed his son after his death and established himself as Emperor of Later Zhou; Emperor Chai Rong of Zhou reused Taizu from a small bodyguard to command the forbidden army, but Taizu took his Jiangshan after Chai Rong's illness and death, how dare the subjects take him lightly?"
This is like a stone, for the emperor, when you recommend him is a paving stone, stepping stone, but with the change of position and the increase of power, the paving stone, stepping stone has gradually become a roadblock, stumbling block, and even a "falling stone" thrown head-on to the emperor, then your original "Bole" has become an unjust creditor and is going to be liquidated.
Zhao Pu was well aware of the dangers, so he preferred to be criticized rather than recommend a general to the emperor. However, what was rare was not that Zhao Pu knew the danger of recommendation, but that he could spit out these words that most people could only swallow in his stomach and let it be moldy and rotten in front of the emperor whose country and prestige had been established.
About 60 years later, during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, the chancellor Wen Yanbo said something similar to Emperor Renzong of Song. At that time, the general Di Qing was very successful in the military because of the rebellion of the Western Xia army and the internal Ping Guangxi NongZhigao, and Song Renzong reused him as a privy envoy who held the military power of the whole country.
The Song Dynasty Wang Dacheng's "Chronicles of the Wild Old Man" records:
"Di Qing was a Privy Counsellor, proud of his merits, arrogant and disrespectful, and sorry for his soldiers. Every time they get food and clothing, they bear the burden: 'This is given by grandpa of the Di family.' 'The court is in trouble. Shi Wenlu was in charge of the state, and suggested that the two towns should be used sparingly. ”
Because of the Song Dynasty's policy of "promoting literature and suppressing martial arts", few military generals served as privy councillors, and from the founding of Taizu to Emperor Renzong, only Cao Bin was a privy envoy among the military generals, and the others were all civilian subjects. Emperor Renzong of Song's use of Di Qing as a privy councillor was immediately met with almost collective opposition from the civilian bureaucracy, and Wen Yanbo, who was then chancellor, suggested to his face that Song Renzong dismiss Di Qing from his post as privy envoy and be released as an envoy to the two towns.
Song Renzong felt that Di Qing had worked hard and was unwilling to let him go, so he said, "Di Qing is a loyal subject. ”
Wen Yanbo asked rhetorically, "Isn't Taizu a loyal vassal of Emperor Zhou Shizong?!" ”
This means that When Taizu took the Zhou Shizong Chai Rong World as a military general, it was because the military power given by Sejong was too large, the tail was too big, and finally he committed suicide.
The Song Dynasty wenchen really dared to say it. However, it was Wen Yanbo's "great disrespect" remark that made Di Qing eventually degrade to death.
It can be seen that by the time of Emperor Renzong, the fear of the military generals sitting on the throne had reached the point of "being bitten by a snake for ten years and being afraid of the well rope for ten years". So far, the policy of "promoting literature and suppressing military force" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and has been implemented most firmly and thoroughly, almost without exception. But because of this, the Song Dynasty is also gone on the road of "accumulation of weakness".