Lü Duan
PoliticsTaizong said he was "confused about small things, but not about big things." In 997, he discovered the conspiracy between Wang Jien and Empress Li and supported Zhenzong to ascend the throne.
Dynasties of ChinaNorthern SongNorthern Song lineage
ZhenzongZhao Heng
Xianping · Jingde · Reign 997—1022
The establishment of the Chanyuan Treaty brought about a hundred years of peace between the Song and Liao Dynasties. In the later period, he was enthusiastic about the Book of Heaven and the enshrinement of Zen, which cost a lot of money and started a situation of preservation.
IBiography
- Reign
- 25 years
- Reign era
- Xianping · Jingde
- Order of accession
- Ruler #3 · Northern Song lineage
- Life dates
- 968—1022
- Titles
- Temple name Zhenzong · First posthumous title: Emperor Wenming Zhangsheng Yuanxiao · Buried in Yongding Mausoleum
Zhao Heng, whose first name was Dechang, was the third son of Taizong and his mother Li Xianfei. The eldest brother Yuan Zuo went crazy and was deposed because of the death of his uncle Tingmei. The second brother Yuan Xi died suddenly. In 995, he was made Crown Prince. When Taizong died of illness in 997, the eunuch Wang Jien and Empress Li planned to appoint Yuan Zuo. Chief minister Lü Duan locked Wang Jien in the cabinet and supported Zhao Heng to ascend the throne. In the early years of his accession to the throne, he was diligent in political affairs and appointed virtuous ministers such as Li Hang and Lü Mengzheng, which was known as the "Xianping Rule" in history.
In 1004, Empress Dowager Xiao of Liao and Shengzong went south in a large scale. Some court officials advocated moving the capital to Jinling or Chengdu, and chief minister Kou Zhun advocated the expedition in person. Zhenzong personally went to Chanzhou to supervise the war and concluded the Chanyuan Treaty, exchanging Sui coins for more than a hundred years of peace between Song and Liao. Afterwards, Wang Qinruo ridiculed Chanyuan Treaty as "the alliance under the city". Zhenzong felt deeply ashamed, so he forged the "Book of Heaven", sealed Mount Tai in the east, worshiped Fenyin in the west, and built palaces and temples, which exhausted Taizu and Taizong's savings. He was often ill in his later years, and Liuhuanghou participated in political affairs. He died of illness in 1022 at the age of fifty-five.
In the early stage, Zhenzong appointed virtuous prime ministers, rested with the people, and ended the decades-long war between Song and Liao with the Chanyuan Treaty. After that, there was basically no war between the two countries for more than a hundred years, border trade flourished, and the economy and culture developed rapidly. However, he felt humiliated by exchanging annual coins for peace, and instead forged heavenly books, granted sacrifices in the east and worshiped in the west, and carried out large-scale construction projects. He squandered all the wealth accumulated by Taizu and Taizong, which intensified the redundancy of officials and expenses.
IITimeline
During the reign · 997—1022
PoliticsLü Duan decides
Taizong died of illness, and the eunuch Wang Jien and Queen Li plotted to appoint Yuanzuo, the king of Chu. Chief minister Lü Duan locked Wang Jien in the pavilion and entered the palace to enthrone the Crown Prince. After personally going to the palace to verify that he was indeed the Crown Prince, he led the ministers to bow down.
PoliticsThe rule of Xianping
At the beginning of his accession to the throne, he appointed chief ministers such as Li Hang and Lü Mengzheng, reduced taxes, eliminated redundant personnel, paid attention to farming and famine management, and made politics relatively clear and clear, which is known as the "Xianping Rule" in history.
MilitaryTiesui City
The Liao army went south to besiege Suicheng, and the city had few soldiers. Yang Yanzhao, Yang Ye's son, took advantage of the cold night to water the city. The city walls were icy and slippery, so the Liao army had to retreat. At that time, it was called "Tiesui City".
MilitaryLingzhou fell
Party leader Li Jiqian captured Lingzhou, an important town in the northwest, and renamed it Xiping Prefecture. The Song Dynasty lost the gateway to the Hexi Corridor, and the northwest frontier troubles intensified.
EconomySet up in Jingdezhen
Named after the reign name "Jingde", Jingdezhen was established in Changnan Town, Fuliang County, Jiangnan East Road. The blue and white porcelain fired locally is of exquisite craftsmanship and was once presented to the court as tribute. The bottom of the vessel has the inscription "Made in the Jingde Year" written on it.
Lasting legacyThe name Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province comes from the Jingdez reign name. Since then, it has gradually developed into a national porcelain-making center and is still known as the "Porcelain Capital".
DiplomacyChanyuan Treaty
The Liao army went deep into Chanzhou, and Kou Zhun urged Zhenzong to fight in person. Zhenzong climbed to the north gate tower, and the morale of the Song army was greatly boosted. After the Liao general Xiao Talin was killed in a crossbow, the two sides negotiated a peace: the Song Dynasty would give the Liao 100,000 taels of silver and 200,000 pieces of silk every year, and the two countries became brothers.
EconomyJiaozi circulation
Iron money is widely used in Sichuan and is extremely inconvenient to carry for large transactions. During the Zhenzong period, Zhang Yong, the magistrate of Yizhou, rectified the privately issued Jiaozi, which was jointly hosted by 16 wealthy merchants. The coupons could be exchanged for iron money, which became the prototype of banknotes.
EconomyOpen a sales office
After the covenant was concluded, Qiangchang and Liao Mutual Market were set up in Xiongzhou, Bazhou, Ansujun and other places. In the Song Dynasty, tea, silk, lacquerware, and fragrant medicine were exchanged for sheep, horses, and furs. The trade was very profitable, which to a certain extent offset the expenditure of annual coins.
CultureEdited "Cefu Yuangui"
Wang Qinruo, Yang Yi and others were ordered to compile large-scale historical materials. It took eight years to complete a thousand volumes. Together with the three major books of the Taizong Dynasty, they are called the "Four Great Books of the Song Dynasty".
Lasting legacyThe "Four Great Books of the Song Dynasty" have been handed down to this day. "Cefu Yuangui" preserves a large number of original historical materials of the Tang and Five Dynasties, and is often used to correct history.
DiplomacyFeng Li Deming
After Li Jiqian's death, his son Li Deming declared himself a minister to the Song Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty made him the envoy of the Dingnan Army and the King of the West. He was given silver silk every year and opened up border trade. Song and Xia maintained peace for more than thirty years.
PoliticsBook of Heaven Fengzen
Wang Qinruo ridiculed Chanyuan Treaty as "the alliance under the city" and persuaded Zhenzong to use Zen to subdue the world. Zhenzong pretended to be the "Book of Heaven" descended from heaven, changed the auspicious talisman of Dazhong in the Yuan Dynasty, sealed Mount Tai in the east in October, and then worshiped Fenyin in the west. The whole country fell into a craze for advocating Taoism and auspiciousness.
SocietyJianyu Qing Zhaoying Palace
In order to enshrine the Book of Heaven, the Yuqing Zhaoying Palace was built in Kaifeng, employing tens of thousands of craftsmen. It took six years to complete, with more than 2,600 houses, and cost hundreds of millions. In 1029, the palace was destroyed by thunder and fire.
EconomyPromote Champa Rice
There was a severe drought in Jianghuai and Zhejiang provinces. The imperial court sent people to obtain 30,000 hu of rice seeds from Champa from Fujian and distributed them to farmers in the three districts for planting. This rice matures early and is drought-resistant, promoting the increase in rice production and multiple planting in the Yangtze River Basin.
PoliticsMake Liu E your queen
Liu E, who came from a humble background and made a living as a performer in his early years, was made queen. Empress Liu was intelligent and well versed in books and history. Zhenzong was often ill in her later years, and she was responsible for most of the government affairs.
PoliticsKou Zhun resigns as prime minister
Kou Zhun was at odds with Ding Wei, and because his plan to hire the Crown Prince to supervise the country and depose Ding Wei was leaked, he was removed from his position. After that, he was demoted again and again. In 1022, he was banished to Leizhou, and Ding Wei took charge of the government.
PeopleZhenzong died of illness
He died of illness in February at the age of fifty-five. The 13-year-old Crown Prince Zhao Zhen ascended the throne, and the posthumous decree gave the Queen Mother Liu the power to handle military and state affairs, which started the eleven years of Queen Mother Liu's behind-the-scenes administration.
IIIPeople of this reign
Kou Zhun
PoliticsIn 1004, he strongly opposed the idea of moving south and promoted Zhenzong to personally conquer Chanzhou and finally established the Chanyuan Treaty. Later, he was excluded by Wang Qinruo and Ding Wei and was demoted to Leizhou.
Bi Shian
PoliticsHe became prime minister at the same time as Kou Zhun, strongly recommended Kou Zhun, and supported his personal expedition in the Battle of Chanyuan. He died of illness shortly after the covenant was made.
Wang Qinruo
PoliticsDuring the Battle of Chanyuan, he advocated moving the capital to Jinling. Later, he ridiculed Chanyuan Treaty as the "Alliance under the City", advocated the Book of Heaven to enshrine Zen, and edited the "Cefu Yuangui".
Ding Wei
PoliticsHe was extremely talented and presided over the construction of Yuqing Zhaoying Palace. Zhenzong served as chief minister in his later years and marginalized Kou Zhun. Renzong was demoted to Yazhou for befriending eunuchs in his early years.
Liu E
ConsortsQueen Zhenzong was from a humble background but was smart and capable. Zhenzong participated in political affairs in his later years, and Renzong listened behind the curtain for eleven years after he came to the throne.
Yang Yanzhao
MilitaryThe son of Yang Ye, he has been guarding the Hebei border for more than 20 years. He is wise, brave, good at fighting, and strict in giving orders. He is also known as "Yang Liulang" in folklore.
Zhang Yong
PoliticsHe knew Yizhou twice, appeased the people of Shu after Li Shun's uprising, rectified the distribution of folk jiaozi, and was famous for his efficient management of Shu.