Dynasties of ChinaNorthern SongNorthern Song lineage
Taipingxingguo and others · Reign 976—997
After the brother-in-law came, the unification was completed, the imperial examination was expanded, and the Great Book was compiled. After the two disastrous defeats of the Northern Expedition, the Song Dynasty turned to the defensive against the Liao Dynasty.
Zhao Guangyi's real name was Zhao Kuangyi. After Taizu came to the throne, he changed his name to Guangyi to avoid taboos, and then changed his name to Jiong after he came to the throne. He was the younger brother of Taizu and participated in planning the Chenqiao mutiny. He served as the Yin of Kaifeng for fifteen years from 961 to 973. He was named King of Jin in 973, ranking above the chief minister, and secretly recruited a large number of civil and military officials. Taizu died suddenly in 976, and he succeeded to the throne as the emperor's younger brother. In that year, he changed the Yuan Dynasty and brought peace and prosperity to the country. From this, the saying "The Shadow of the Candle and the Sound of the Axe" spread.
After taking the throne, he forced Wu and Yue to accept the territory, and personally conquered the Northern Han Dynasty in 979, ending the split of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. However, he immediately attacked Youzhou and was defeated at the Gaoliang River. In 986, Yongxi's Northern Expedition suffered another disastrous defeat, and the famous general Yang Ye was martyred. The Song Dynasty turned to the defensive against Liao. Internally, he greatly expanded the number of candidates for imperial examinations, organized the compilation of large-scale classics such as "Taiping Yulan", strengthened the assessment and supervision of officials, and further consolidated civilian politics.
Taizong is extremely sensitive to the succession of the throne: Taizu's eldest son Dezhao committed suicide, his second son Defang died early, and his younger brother Zhao Tingmei was demoted to Fangzhou and died. In his later years, Wang Xiaobo and Li Shun's uprising broke out in Sichuan, and Li Jiqian in the northwest rebelled against Song Zili. In 995, he established his third son Zhao Heng as Crown Prince. He died of illness in 997 at the age of fifty-nine.
Taizong completed the unification, and by expanding the imperial examination, compiling classics, and strengthening supervision, the civil governance system initiated by Taizu was matured, thus laying the foundation for the literati politics of the Song Dynasty. However, he was eager for success, and both Northern Expeditions suffered disastrous defeats. From then on, the Song Dynasty turned to the defensive against the Liao Dynasty, and the trend of "defending the inside and leaving the outside" gradually developed. His succession process was full of doubts, and his nephew and younger brother died unexpectedly one after another, which was criticized by later generations.
PoliticsParticipated in the Chenqiao Mutiny
According to official records of the Song Dynasty, he, Zhao Pu and others contacted the soldiers at Chenqiaoyi and supported his brother Zhao Kuangyin as emperor. After the establishment of the Song Dynasty, he changed his name to Zhao Guangyi to avoid taboos.
PoliticsLong term Kaifeng Yin
He was appointed Yin of Kaifeng in 961, and was granted the title of King of Jin in 973, ranking above the chief minister. He operated in the capital for fifteen years and gathered a large number of civil and military talents in the shogunate, laying the foundation for his future succession.
PoliticsAscended to the throne and adopted the era name
Taizu died violently in October, and he ascended the throne in front of his soul. He did not wait for the following year to change the Yuan Dynasty in December of that year to bring peace and prosperity to the country. This violated the practice of new monarchs changing Yuan Dynasty after a year, which caused criticism from later generations.
CultureGreat expansion of imperial examination enrollment
At the first opening of the course, more than 500 people including Jinshi, various subjects and special examinations were admitted, which was several times the size of each subject in Taizu's time. Lü Meng, the number one scholar, became chief minister more than ten years later. Since then, the scale of imperial examinations has expanded unprecedentedly, and a large number of children from poor families have joined the officialdom.
CultureCompilation of three major books
Ming Li Fang and others compiled the 1,000-volume book "Taiping Yulan", the 500-volume collection of novels "Taiping Guangji", and the 1,000-volume collection of poems and essays "Wenyuan Yinghua", which brought together a large number of classics before the Song Dynasty.
Lasting legacy"Taiping Guangji" preserves a large number of lost novels of the Han and Tang Dynasties, and many famous Tang legends rely on this book to be circulated today.
PoliticsWuyue Natu
Wu King Yue Qian Chu entered the dynasty and donated the territory of thirteen states and one army under his jurisdiction; Chen Hongjin, who had separated Zhang and Quan states, also donated land and surrendered. The Song Dynasty peacefully unified the southeastern coast.
MilitaryDestroy the Northern Han Dynasty
He personally conquered Taiyuan and defeated the Liao army that came for reinforcements. In May, Liu Jiyuan, the leader of the Northern Han Dynasty, surrendered. Taizong ordered the ancient city of Jinyang to be burned and the residents relocated, thus ending the split between Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
Lasting legacyThe ruins of the ancient city of Jinyang are now located in Jinyuan District, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province; in the early Song Dynasty, a new city was built in Tangming Town on the east bank of the Fen River and developed into today's Taiyuan City.
MilitaryThe defeat of Gaoliang River
After defeating the Northern Han Dynasty, he ignored the fatigue of his soldiers and took advantage of the victory to attack Youzhou. In July, he was attacked by Liao generals Yelü Xiuge and Yelü Xiezhen at the Gaoliang River. The Song army was defeated. Taizong was hit by an arrow in the leg and escaped in a donkey cart.
PoliticsZhao Dezhao commits suicide
When Youzhou was defeated, Taizong's whereabouts were unknown for a time, and someone in the army planned to assassinate Taizu's eldest son, Zhao Dezhao. After returning to the capital, Dezhao asked for a reward for the soldiers. Taizong said angrily, "It's not too late for you to do it yourself. It's not too late to reward you." Dezhao committed suicide after returning home.
PeopleYang Ye Yanmen Great Victory
When the Liao army invaded Yanmen, Yang Ye, the governor of Daizhou, led hundreds of cavalry around the small road to the back of the Liao army, and attacked with the defenders, defeating the Liao army. After that, the Liao people retreated when they saw Yang Ye's flag.
PoliticsPrison of Tingmei
After Zhao Pu returned to the prime minister, he announced the "Golden Chamber Alliance" and exposed Taizong's younger brother King of Qin Zhao Tingmei's evil intentions. Tingmei was first deposed to Kaifeng Yin, and then demoted to Fangzhou. He died of grief in 984, and the throne was stable in the Taizong line from then on.
MilitaryYongxi's Northern Expedition
The troops were divided into three groups for the Northern Expedition, and Cao Bin on the east side was defeated at Qigou Pass. When Pan Mei and Yang Ye escorted the people to retreat on the West Road, Yang Ye was forced to fight by the prisoner Wang Qian. He fought hard in Chenjia Valley and was captured without help. He went on a hunger strike for three days and died.
CultureEngraved "Chunhua Pavilion Post"
Wang Zhu, a bachelor of official calligraphy, was ordered to compile and engrave the Dharma books of the past dynasties collected in the imperial palace. There are ten volumes in total. It is the earliest large-scale official engraving series in China and is known as the "ancestor of Dharma scripts".
Lasting legacyIn 2003, the Shanghai Museum purchased four of the rarest copies of Song Dynasty's "Chunhua Pavilion Notes" from the American collector An Siyuan, and they are now the museum's treasures.
SocietyWang Xiaobo Li Shun Uprising
Wang Xiaobo, a tea vendor in Sichuan, called on the poor to revolt by saying, "I am sick and the rich and poor are unequal, but now it is for you to share the same." After Wang Xiaobo died in battle, Li Shun conquered Chengdu and became the king of Shu. The uprising in 995 was suppressed.
MilitaryDestroy Xiazhou City
In order to cut off Dangxiang Li Jiqian's base area, he ordered the destruction of Xiazhou City and moved the residents to Yin, Sui and other states. This city is the Tongwan City built by Helian Bobo during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.
Lasting legacyThe Tongwan City ruins are now located in Jingbian County, Shaanxi Province. Parts of the white city walls still remain and are regarded as the only capital ruins left by the Huns.
PoliticsMake Zhao Heng the Crown Prince
At Kou Zhun's suggestion, the third son, Shou Wang Zhao Heng, was made the Crown Prince. Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Central Plains has been troubled, and the ceremony of instituting the Crown Prince has not been held for a long time. It has only been restored now.
PeopleTaizong died of illness
He died of illness in March at the age of fifty-nine. The eunuch Wang Jien and Queen Li plotted to install Zhao Yuanzuo, the king of Chu. Chief minister Lü Duan saw through their plot and supported Crown Prince Zhao Heng to the throne.
The Taizong Dynasty returned to power twice. In 981, the "Golden Chamber Alliance" was announced to help Taizong establish the succession plan and attack the King of Qin Tingmei. After his death, he was granted the title of true King Ding.
He was originally a general of the Northern Han Dynasty, nicknamed "Yang Wudi". After returning to the Song Dynasty, he guarded Daizhou and defeated the Liao army at Yanmen in 980. In 986, Chenjiagu was defeated and captured, and died on a hunger strike. His deeds evolved into the story of the Yang family generals.
In 986, he led the Eastern Route Army in the Northern Expedition. Due to the lack of food and grass, and the lack of progress and retreat, he was defeated at Qigou Pass and was demoted. Later, he was reinstated as Privy Councilor.
A famous official who entered the Song Dynasty from the Five Dynasties, Taizong paid homage to the Prime Minister twice and was ordered to preside over the compilation of "Taiping Yulan", "Taiping Guangji" and "Wenyuan Yinghua".
The younger brother of Taizu and Taizong, Taizong served as Kaifeng Yin after he ascended the throne and was once regarded as the heir to the throne. After 981, he was accused of evil intentions and was demoted to Fangzhou.
In 980, he became a Jinshi and was appreciated by Taizong for his daring speech. Taizong said, "I won Kou Zhun just like Emperor Wen won Wei Zheng." In 994, he was appointed as the counselor of political affairs. The following year, he proposed to establish Zhao Heng as Crown Prince.
A tea vendor in Qingcheng, Sichuan, raised the slogan of "equalizing the rich and the poor" in 993 and raised a crowd to revolt and captured Qingcheng, Pengshan and other counties. In the same year, he was wounded and died in the battle. The tribesmen recommended Li Shun to continue to lead.