Dynasties of ChinaNorthern SongNorthern Song lineage
Yuanyou · Shaosheng · Reign 1085—1100
After ascending the throne at a young age, Gaotaihou abolished all new laws; after taking office, he adopted the era name Shaosheng, restored the new laws, and demoted the old party. He died young at the age of twenty-five.
Zhao Xu, originally a servant, was the sixth son of Shenzong and his mother was Concubine Zhu De. Shenzong died of illness in 1085. At a young age, he was made Crown Prince and ascended the throne, with his grandmother Gaotaihougovern as regent. Gaotaihou recruited Sima Guang, Lu Gongzhu and other old parties, and abolished new laws such as Qingmiao and exemption from military service. This was known as "Yuanyou Genghua" in history. The old party split into Luo, Shu and Shuo factions to attack each other. Zhezong grew up under the control of the Queen Mother and ministers, and was deeply dissatisfied with this.
Gaotaihou died in 1093, and Zhezong took charge. The following year, he adopted the era name Shaosheng to express his inheritance of Shenzong's government. He appointed Zhang Dun as prime minister, restored the new law, demoted Su Shi, Su Zhe and other Yuanyou ministers to Lingnan, and pursued Sima Guang's gifted officials. He turned to the offensive against Western Xia and defeated the Xia army in Pingxia City, forcing Western Xia to sue for peace. He died of illness in the first month of 1100 at the age of twenty-five. He was childless and was succeeded by his younger brother Duan Wang Zhao Ji.
PoliticsAscended to the throne at a young age
When Shenzong was seriously ill, he was made Crown Prince and ascended the throne in March. His grandmother, Gaotaihou, governed as regent as the Empress Dowager and summoned Sima Guang to Beijing to preside over the affairs of the court.
PoliticsYuanyou changes
Sima Guang paid homage to the prime minister, abolished the new laws such as young crops, exemption from service, market transactions, and Baojia, and restored the service law. Su Shi believed that the exemption law had merits, and fought hard with Sima Guang to no avail. In the same year, Wang Anshi and Sima Guang passed away successively.
PoliticsLuoshu Shuo Party Struggle
Within the old party, the Luo party headed by Cheng Yi, the Shu party headed by Su Shi, and the Shuo party headed by Liu Zhi criticized each other. They argued endlessly due to differences in academic and political views, and the government was in turmoil.
EconomySet up Quanzhou Shipping Division
The Municipal Shipping Department was established in Quanzhou to manage overseas trade and foreign merchant ships. Quanzhou rose rapidly after that, and developed into a world-famous trading port from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty.
Lasting legacy"Quanzhou: China's World Marine Trade Center in the Song and Yuan Dynasties" will be included in the World Heritage List in 2021, and the Shibosi Site is one of its components.
Science & technologyWater transport instrument platform
Su Song and Han Gonglian presided over the manufacture of a waterborne instrument platform, which was driven by water power and integrated celestial observation, demonstration and time telling. Its escapement was regarded as the pioneer of modern clocks and watches. Su Song also wrote "New Yixiang Fayao" detailing its structure.
Lasting legacy"New Instruments and Symbols" has been passed down to this day, and people today have restored water-transported instruments and elephants based on it and have exhibited them in many science and technology centers and museums.
Science & technology"Mengxi Bi Tan" is published as a book
Shen Kuo retired to Mengxi Garden in Runzhou in 1088 and wrote the notebook "Mengxi Bi Tan", which recorded Bi Sheng's movable type, compass, magnetic declination, petroleum and other scientific and technological knowledge, covering astronomy, mathematics, geology, medicine and other fields.
Lasting legacyThe record of magnetic declination in the book is about 400 years earlier than that in Europe; the former site of Mengxi Garden exists in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province.
PoliticsShaosheng Shaoshu
Gaotaihou died and Zhezong took charge. The following year, he changed the Yuan Dynasty to Shaosheng, appointed Zhang Dun as prime minister, restored new laws such as exemption from service and young crops, chased and demoted Sima Guang, and demoted a large number of Yuanyou ministers to Lingnan.
PeopleSu Shi was exiled to Linghai
Su Shi was demoted to Huizhou, and then demoted to Danzhou (now part of Hainan) in 1097. Over sixty years old, he was still running schools and teaching there, educating scholars. It was not until Huizong came to the throne that he was pardoned and returned to the north.
Lasting legacyThere is now Dongpo Academy in Danzhou, Hainan, which was developed from the former site of Zaijiu Hall where Su Shi gave lectures.
MilitaryBattle of Pingxia City
Western Xia Xiaoliangtaihou personally led an army to besiege the newly built Pingxia City in the Song Dynasty. Song generals Zhang Kai and Guo Cheng held on for more than ten days. The Xia army could not attack the city, but encountered strong winds and retreated. Western Xia was forced to sue for peace the following year.
PeopleZhezong died of illness
He died of illness in the first month of the year at the age of twenty-five and had no children. The Queen Mother strongly advocated the appointment of her younger brother Duan Wang Zhao Ji, but chief minister Zhang Dun opposed it, saying that "Duan Wang is frivolous and cannot rule the world" and was not adopted.
Queen Yingzong, mother of Shenzong, grandmother of Zhezong. After eight years of listening to politics behind the curtain, he adopted the old party and abolished all new laws. He was frugal and was praised by the old party as "Yao and Shun among women".
In 1086, he paid homage to the prime minister and abolished the new law. He died of illness a few months later and was given posthumously to Duke Wen. During the Shaosheng period, he was deprived of the official position and was later included in the Yuanyou party.
The backbone of the new party, Zhezong became prime minister after taking office, restored the new law, severely cracked down on the old party, and launched an offensive against Western Xia. After Huizong ascended the throne, he was demoted.
During the Yuanyou period, he presided over the manufacture of water-borne ceremonial platforms and wrote "New Essentials of Ritual Symbols". He became prime minister in 1092. He was a generous and prudent man and tried to avoid party disputes.
He founded Luo School with his brother Cheng Hao, and Yuanyou first gave lectures to Zhezong. However, he was at odds with Su Shi due to the strict etiquette and law, and the Luo-Shu war broke out.