Zhang Jiuling may be the nemesis of An Lushan, but this nemesis fell prematurely.
Zhang Jiuling had his own views on the frontier defense policy of the Tang Dynasty, and also put forward reasonable suggestions to Xuanzong. He even expressed concern about how to treat border generals like An Lushan, especially An Lushan, but Xuanzong failed to follow his advice. Then, why didn't such a prime minister, who was highly valued by Xuanzong, adopt his suggestion? In addition to various objective reasons, besides Xuanzong himself, there are also personal reasons of Zhang Jiuling. He is not very good at dealing with the relationship with Xuanzong, and he is not good at making Xuanzong understand his thoughts and original intentions.
Zhang Jiuling was born in Qujiang, Shaozhou, so people later called him Zhang Qujiang. This man was exceptionally clever when he was a child and was good at writing articles. Later, he was admitted to Jinshi and served as the secretary of the provincial school. Although the official rank of the school librarian is low, it is the best starting point for scholars to embark on their official career, and it has always been the official position that scholars strive for, especially those scholars and scholars, who often take this kind of civil servant first.
When Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty was a prince, he asked everyone to recommend talents to Chang 'an, and Xuanzong personally interviewed him. At this time, Xuanzong actually took power. Zhang Jiuling, a former school bookkeeper, took part in the selection. In response to Xuanzong's proposal to solve the national political problems, his answer sheet made Xuanzong particularly satisfied and gave him high marks. He was immediately appointed as the right gleaner. Picking up remains is an admonisher. From eight aspects, although the taste is low, it is a great responsibility. About his work, Old Tang Books? The official record reads like this:
Fill a vacancy, glean, palm sacrifice irony, squire riding on. When it is not convenient to issue commands to raise events, it does not conform to the Tao. If it is big, it will be discussed, and if it is small, it will be sealed. If the legacy of virtue is lagging behind and the way of loyalty and filial piety is unheard of in the world, then I will recommend it by citing its facts.
In this position, many people in the Tang Dynasty made achievements, such as Chen Ziang before and Bai Juyi later. Zhang Jiuling's talent and understanding, especially in the selection and evaluation of officials, he and another right gleaner, Zhao Dongxi, were both fair and clear, and were widely praised. Therefore, in the tenth year of Kaiyuan (722), he was promoted to the third level in one year and was promoted to Yuan Wailang, the official minister. According to the official system of the Tang Dynasty, Si Xun and Yuan Wailang, two officials, are probably equivalent to the current place class in terms of six products. Its duty is to "hold official titles for the country", and those who have made meritorious deeds are awarded honorary officers of different ranks according to their contributions.
The then prime minister Zhang said that he was appointed secretary of the Secretariat. Because I have the same surname as Zhang Jiuling, I checked my genealogy, and it turns out that he comes from a noble family, so I especially trust and value him. Zhang Shuo was a famous writer at that time. He often praised Zhang Jiuling, saying that Zhang Jiuling would inevitably take his place as a literary leader in the future. Zhang Jiuling also felt that he had met a bosom friend, Zhang said: In the second year, he was promoted to the position of Sheren in Chinese Book. As an important official of the imperial court, Mr. Zhongshu Sheren got five grades, which is equivalent to today's bureau level. In the present words, he has entered the ranks of high G and is forty-five years old this year. A famous political star rose in the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty.
Although Zhang is an elder, there are several things that show that Zhang Jiuling has more brains than him.
Zhang Jiuling is famous for his integrity. Although he was highly valued by Zhang and promoted to a high position, he constantly criticized Zhang. In the 13th year of Kaiyuan (725), Xuanzong went to Mount Tai to hold a meditation ceremony. In this important activity, Zhang said that many people have poor taste, even junior officials and officials who have been promoted by themselves. After the closing ceremony, all these people were promoted to five officials, including his son-in-law. Zhang Jiuling reminded: "But after the fear of committing crimes, the Quartet was disappointed." Persuade him to correct it. However, Zhang said he wouldn't listen. Later, Zhang said that he was criticized by public opinion, and the allusion of "the power of Mount Tai" and calling his father-in-law "Mount Tai" came from this. It is said that when Xuanzong asked Zhang's son-in-law why he was promoted so quickly, someone implicitly said that he had used the power of Mount Tai. Obviously, this allusion contains satire on Zhang.
In the proposal, Cheng Yuwenrong was trusted by Xuanzong and was responsible for the household registration and local tax. Every time he played in the imperial court, Zhang said that most of them raised objections, and Yu Wenrong was extremely dissatisfied with Zhang. Zhang Jiuling advised Zhang to take precautions, but Zhang didn't listen. Sure enough, Yu Wenrong impeached Zhang to Xuanzong soon, and Xuanzong ousted Zhang as prime minister. Zhang Jiuling was implicated because he was Zhang's confidant, and was demoted to Taichang, the deputy director of Taichang Temple, as the fourth product. Note that the four-level official is taller than the Chinese original Sheren. Why do you still say "demoted"? This is because officials in the Tang Dynasty still have the distinction of "integrity is important" and "leisure", and Taichang Temple's "giving consideration to ceremony and music, making the country important in suburban temples"-all work in sacrificial ceremonies and stay away from political affairs at leisure. Soon he was appointed as the secretariat of Jizhou and let him leave the court. However, Xuanzong took good care of Zhang Jiuling. In order to make him closer to home, he often learned the news of his mother, and changed him to the governor of Hongzhou and Guizhou, and served as the provincial judge of Lingnan Road. He also asked his two younger brothers, Zhang Jiuzhang and Zhang Jiugao, to serve as the secretariat in Lingnan, so that they could go home to visit relatives and reunite with their families during the holidays. This is a kind of compensation for his frustration in officialdom.
At first, Zhang claimed that he presided over the affairs of Jixian Academy and recommended Zhang Jiuling to Xuanzong. He thinks that Zhang Jiuling can enter Jixian Academy as a bachelor, and his talent is enough to be an adviser to the emperor. After Zhang's death, Xuanzong remembered Zhang's words, called Zhang Jiuling to Beijing, and appointed him as secretary, supervisor with the doctrine, bachelor of Jixian Academy, assistant director of the research institute, and was promoted to assistant minister of Zhongshu. Assistant Minister Zhongshu is the deputy chief of Zhongshu Province, second only to Zhongshu Order, and is already the deputy prime minister. At that time, Zhang Jiuling put forward many opinions to Xuanzong and stated his political views, many of which were adopted by Xuanzong. But Zhang Jiuling didn't want to show off, and he never boasted to others. Those measures that achieved good results were considered by others to be based on Xuanzong's judgment, but actually based on Zhang Jiuling's suggestion.
Just when Zhang Jiuling's career was in full swing, his mother died and he needed to return home. Ancient officials left their jobs to mourn the death of their parents, which was called "Ding You". According to the requirements of etiquette system, it usually lasts for 27 months. However, Xuanzong felt that Zhang Jiuling was indispensable in the imperial court, so he didn't wait until the expiration, so he was recalled to Beijing. In December of the 21st year of Kaiyuan (733), Ren Zhongshu was assistant minister and Ren Zhongshu was assistant minister. At that time, after the official name, a "matter of making a flat chapter under the same book" was added, and this person was listed as the prime minister. In the second year in the first month, Xuanzong went east, and Zhang Jiuling arrived in Luoyang from Shaozhou. When he met Xuanzong, he suggested that he should be filial and go back to his hometown, and then return to the DPRK after the expiration. Xuanzong did not agree. This year, he was promoted to secretary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, majoring in national history. For a prime minister, it is a glorious job to take an amateur course in national history.
There is a potentially hard-to-change side in a person's personality, which we usually call nature. Everyone knows that "a leopard cannot change his spots". Zhang Jiuling is a studious person, who demands a lot from himself and expects a lot from others. He has a keen sense and foresight, but he is slow to show the subtle complexity of personal relationships; He is too honest, too devoted and goes all out to treat life; He has courage and outstanding activity ability, but because of his honesty and subjective attitude, he occasionally suffers losses and his interpersonal relationship is tense. This determines that there can be no long-term tacit understanding and cooperation between him and the increasingly corrupt Xuanzong and mysterious Li.
When he disagreed with Xuanzong, he didn't echo it like Li, but argued it out. The rebellion of Xi and Qidan in the northeast of Tang Dynasty became a disaster for the imperial court in the northeast. Zhang Shousheng was appointed as our special envoy to Youzhou, who broke the invasion of Xi and Qidan many times. Xuanzong admired Zhang Shouxuan and wanted to promote him as prime minister. Zhang Jiuling advised Xuanzong: "The prime minister is an important position to govern the world on behalf of the emperor, not an official position to reward meritorious military service." Xuanzong said, "Just give him the title of prime minister, and don't let him actually be the prime minister, ok?" Zhang Jiuling said, "No, Confucius said that titles and powers cannot be lent to others, because they are the tools of kings and are serious. And Zhang Shousheng just defeated the Khitan, and your majesty appointed him as the prime minister; If he destroys Xi, Khitan and Turkic, what official position will your majesty give him? " Xuanzong had to give up his original idea.
As mentioned earlier, when Pinglu An Lushan of Zhang Shousheng attacked Xi and Qidan, he suffered a big defeat, that is, the defeat of Huangshui. Zhang Shousheng and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty cherished An Lushan's generals and couldn't bear to kill him. Zhang Jiuling insisted on being executed according to law. As a result, Xuanzong not only pardoned An Lushan, but also made Xuanzong dissatisfied with Zhang Jiuling's boss. It is said that Zhang Jiuling thought: "The ministers are upside down. If you don't kill them, you will have trouble later." The so-called prediction that the future will be reversed according to appearance may be a supplement to later legends. We believe that Zhang Jiuling's insistence on killing An Lushan is probably mainly due to the motive of restraining border affairs, which is consistent with his opposition to the appointment of Zhang Shousheng as prime minister. Tang Xuanzong was overjoyed, contrary to Zhang Jiuling. In this regard, Zhang Jiuling did not please Xuanzong, which of course caused Xuanzong's displeasure.
It is worth pondering that An Lushan's ambition for the world sprouted in the early years of Tianbao. How did Zhang Jiuling predict that he would "mess up the world" when he didn't have any rebellious ambitions more than ten years ago? This is not inexplicable. According to the viewpoint of historical materialism, a sense of determination may lead to a chaotic social environment and objective conditions, and then some people have the ambition to launch rebellion and rebellion. Although everyone, including An Lushan, may not have rebelled at that time, Zhang Jiuling noticed that the environment and conditions that caused the chaos in the world were budding, which was his keen and brilliant point.
Regarding the security of the central government, Zhang Jiuling felt the threat from the border areas, instead of focusing on the interior of the royal family like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty. The imperial court favors the generals in the border area, and there will be heavy troops in the border area, and the military structure is heavy outside and light inside. Once it happens, the Central Plains will not have the corresponding military strength to compete with the transfer of troops. It is normal and natural for people of insight to be sensitive or worried about this situation. So when he saw that An Lushan, the general of the conference semifinals, could even be exempted from capital punishment because of his meritorious military service, he might have an ominous thought and premonition. If such a person who has no loyalty and patriotism to the monarch is fully armed, what might he do? A terrible idea crossed his mind.
However, Zhang Jiuling's political sensitivity not only did not arouse Xuanzong's vigilance, but aroused Xuanzong's disgust. The key is that he walked straight on the right road and didn't notice the subtleties of interpersonal relationships. The first opportunity to avoid serious turmoil in the Tang Empire was so easily missed.
Li, who lived in the same dynasty as Zhang Jiuling, was just the opposite of Zhang Jiuling. He is "soft and cunning" and climbs up by pandering. When he was an assistant minister in the official department, he paid attention to making friends with the eunuchs and concubines in the palace and learned about Xuanzong's activities through them. Xuanzong's every move, thoughts and psychology were mastered by him, so every time he talked to Xuanzong, he could talk to Xuanzong's heart and soon won Xuanzong's favor. At that time, Wu Huifei was a favorite of Xuanzong, and Li Mao, the birthday boy, was born in Wu Huifei. Of all the sons, Xuanzong loved the longevity king the most. Li told the eunuch that he was willing to do his best to protect Shouwang. Wu Huifei was very grateful to him and spoke well of him in front of Xuanzong. Therefore, he was promoted to assistant minister of Huangmen, deputy chief of the province, ranking second only to assistant minister and equivalent to deputy prime minister. In May of the 22nd year of Kaiyuan (734), he became prime minister on an equal footing with Pei Yaoqing and Zhang Jiuling. Compared with Pei Yaoqing and Zhang Jiuling, Li is particularly good at catering to Xuanzong and winning his favor.
In October of the 24th year of Kaiyuan (736), Xuanzong was in Luoyang, the eastern capital. It was originally planned to return to Xijing in February next year. However, due to strange things happening in Luoyang Palace, Xuanzong called the Prime Minister to discuss and planned to leave immediately and leave the eastern capital. Pei Yaoqing and Zhang Jiuling both think that it is the autumn harvest season, and it will cause a lot of trouble and burden to arrange accommodation and transportation along the way. It is best to wait until 1 1 month. Li has already found out Xuanzong's mind. After Pei Yaoqing and Zhang Jiuling left, Li made an excuse to stay and said to Xuanzong, "Chang 'an and Luoyang are your majesty's East Palace and West Palace. You can visit each other at any time. What time do you choose? Even if there is a little interference with the autumn harvest, there is no need to exempt the tax along the way. Let me inform the official to leave today. Tang Xuanzong was overjoyed and ordered his departure. "。 The next day, the driver set out for Xijing. Li's performance made Xuanzong naturally feel very happy, but also felt that Zhang Jiuling was a little embarrassed.
Li everywhere associate with Zhang Jiuling and others, won the favor of Tang Xuanzong, but let Tang Xuanzong hate Zhang Jiuling day by day. When Niu Xianke was in Hexi, he was diligent and diligent, making the warehouse in Hexi Town full and well-equipped. This incident was reflected in the court, and Xuanzong admired him very much. He wants to promote Niu Xianke to a minister in Shangshu Province, which may be equivalent to a minister in the State Council now, and perhaps his position is more important. Zhang Jiuling said, "No way. Shangshu was a minister in charge of giving advice to the emperor in ancient times. Since the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, only retired prime ministers or prestigious people inside and outside the imperial court can serve. Niu Xianke was born in Hehuang, and now he has been promoted to an important position in the court, which will affect the reputation of the court. "
Xuanzong rewarded the frontier generals, bent on expressing his gratitude to Niu Xianke, and asked, "So, is it okay to just add a title to Niu Xianke?" Zhang Jiuling replied, "No! The title is an encouragement to those who make meritorious deeds. As a frontier, it will enrich the warehouse and repair equipment, which are all internal affairs, not meritorious deeds. If your majesty thinks he works hard, he can give gold and silk, but it is not appropriate to give land to the title. " Zhang Jiuling's insistence on principle made Xuanzong very uncomfortable. When talking about Niu Xianke, Li and Xuanzong said: "Niu Xianke has the talent of prime minister, so what's wrong with appointing him as a minister! What Zhang Jiuling said is all a scholar's opinion, and I don't know the general idea. " Of course, for Tang Xuanzong, words are sweet words.
The next day, when he met Zhang Jiuling, Xuanzong raised the title of Niu Xianke, and Zhang Jiuling strongly opposed it as before. Xuanzong's face changed greatly, and suddenly he said angrily, "Are you in charge of everything?" In the rage of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Jiuling fell on his knees, kowtowed and apologized, saying, "Your Majesty doesn't think I'm stupid, so he wants me to be the prime minister. I feel that something is wrong and I dare not make a sound. " Xuanzong said, "Don't think that Niu Xianke was born in a poor family!" Zhang Jiuling said, "My family is in Lingnan, and I came from a humble background. It is not as good as Niu Xianke who was born in the Central Plains. But I went in and out of the court and was in charge of the court for many years. Niu Xianke is a small official in the border area and can't read. If he is appointed as a senior official at once, I am worried that everyone will look down on him. " Li said to Xuanzong behind his back, "As long as you are talented and knowledgeable, you don't have to be knowledgeable or literary! The son of heaven appoints people, what kind of people can't be used! " Xuanzong got Li's consent, regardless of Zhang Jiuling's opposition, and gave Niu Xianke the title of Duke of Longxi County, and sealed 300 households of grain, that is, the rent of 300 households was regarded as Niu Xianke's income.
At the beginning, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty wanted Li to be prime minister, so he consulted Zhang Jiuling. Zhang Jiuling replied: "The appointment of the Prime Minister is related to national security. Your majesty wants Li to be the prime minister, and I am afraid that it will become a disaster for the court in the future. " Tang Xuanzong rejected Zhang Jiuling's opinion and appointed Li Wei. At that time, Zhang Jiuling was valued by Xuanzong because of his erudition. Although Li is jealous, he still does everything Zhang Jiuling says. Pei Yaoqing has a good relationship with Zhang Jiuling, and Li is jealous of him. Now that Xuanzong has been in power for decades, he is more and more indulgent in desires, pursuing luxury enjoyment, and becoming more and more lazy in government affairs. When Zhang Jiuling saw what was wrong with Xuanzong, he argued, regardless of size. Li cleverly guessed Xuanzong's mind and looked for opportunities to vilify him in front of Xuanzong every day.
When Xuanzong was king of Linzi, Zhao, Liu Cairen and others in the palace all got his favor. Zhao Lifei gave birth to Prince Li Ying, King Li Yao of Hubei, and Liu Cairen gave birth to King Li Cong. Later, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty ascended the throne, and Zhao and others were left out in the cold. Tang Xuanzong's favorite birthday girl is Li Mao from Wu Huifei. When Prince Li Ying first met Li Yao and Li Cong, they all said something discontented because their mother was left out in the cold. Yang Hui, the princess's husband, a man surnamed Xu, often looks for the shortcomings of the three children and tells them. Princess Xianyi is Wu Huifei's daughter, so Yang Hui is on Wu Huifei's side. Wu Huifei cried and shouted in front of Xuanzong: "The prince has formed a clique to harm our mother and son and even denounce the emperor." Xuanzong was furious and told the Prime Minister about it, wanting to abolish the Prince, the King of Hubei and the King of Light. Zhang Jiuling didn't agree. He thinks that none of the three princes is greater than others, so they should not listen to groundless words. They were all deposed in a fit of pique. The prince is the foundation of the world and cannot be shaken. Abolishing the prince may cause political instability. He cited many civil strife caused by the abolition of the prince in history and advised Xuanzong to be cautious. Moreover, he said, "Your Majesty will want this, and I dare not serve a letter." The implication is that I want to oppose your majesty in this matter. Zhang Jiuling's integrity made Xuanzong unhappy again.
Li did not say anything in public. After retiring from the DPRK, he privately said to Xuanzong's favorite eunuch, "This is the emperor's family affair. The emperor can make his own decisions. Why ask outsiders? " Of course, this will reach Xuanzong's ears, and Xuanzong is hesitant. Wu Huifei secretly assigned Niu Guier, a court handyman, to privately say to Zhang Jiuling, "If Prince Li Ying is abolished, Li Mao, the immortal king, will be established. As long as you are willing to help, you can be the prime minister at any time. " Zhang Jiuling rebuked the petty officials for their nonsense and told Xuanzong about it. Xuanzong found that on the issue of the prince, it was actually Wu Huifei who made mischief and turned pale with anger. Therefore, until Zhang Jiuling was deposed as Prime Minister, the status of the Prince was not threatened. But Li said Zhang Jiuling's fault in front of Xuanzong all day, and Xuanzong became more and more estranged from Zhang Jiuling.
According to the recommendation, the court appointed Xiao Huan as assistant minister. Xiao Huan, who has no knowledge, once read a material with Yan Ting, assistant minister of Chinese books, which contained the word "Ralph", but he actually read it as "crouching hunting". Yan Tingzhi complained to Zhang Jiuling: "How can a central institution like Shangshu Province appoint a' hunting assistant'!" Zhang Jiuling told Tang Xuanzong that Tang Xuanzong wanted Xiao Huan to go out of Beijing to be the secretariat of Qi, and Li began to resent Yan Ting. Zhang Jiuling has a good relationship with Yan Ting, and he wants to recommend Yan Ting as prime minister. He once said to Yan Ting, "Li Shangshu is favored by the emperor and will visit him if he has the opportunity." At that time, Li served as prime minister and minister of rites. Yan Tingzhi is a lofty and willful person. He usually looks down on Li, never flatters him, and never goes to Li Men. Li is even more jealous of him.
Yan Tingzhi's ex-wife married the King of Yuzhou, who committed the crime of corruption and was handed over to the court for trial. In the Tang Dynasty, the three official departments responsible for jointly trying major cases, namely, the Ministry of Punishment, Yushitai and Dali Temple, were collectively called the Three Departments. For his ex-wife, Yan Tingzhi pleaded for Wang, hoping to be lenient. Li asked his men to report it to Xuanzong. Xuanzong told the prime minister: "Yan Tingzhi actually interceded for sinners and pulled relationships." Zhang Jiuling said: "Wang's wife is Yan Tingzhi's divorced wife, so there should be no affair." Xuanzong said, "Although we are divorced, we still have an affair." Only Zhang Jiuling dared to argue with the emperor.
Xuanzong felt that since Yanting was the fact that Wang interceded, Zhang Jiuling was obviously protecting Yanting. Considering that Zhang Jiuling and Pei Yaoqing used to support each other and echo each other from afar, it is concluded that Zhang Jiuling, Pei Yaoqing and Yan Tingzhi have formed cronies. In the 24th year of Kaiyuan (736), on November 27th, Xuanzong ousted Pei Yaoqing and Zhang Jiuling as prime ministers, and appointed Li as the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and Niu Xianke as the minister of the Ministry of Industry and the minister of the Ministry of Commerce, still leading our time in the north. "Three things in the same book" and "things in the same book" have the same meaning and are listed as prime ministers. At the same time, Yan Tingzhi was demoted by the court and was appointed as the secretariat of Mingzhou; Wang was exiled to Lingnan.
In this political struggle, Zhang Jiuling is not completely without mistakes. His mistake was put to good use by Li, so he fell out of power. The adjustment of the prime minister alienated Zhang Jiuling, Pei Yaoqing and Yan Ting, several upright and knowledgeable ministers. Due to the appearance of Niu Xianke, Li's power occupied an absolute advantage in the imperial court. Li's deliberate efforts finally achieved his goal. Zhang Jiuling, famous for his incorruptibility, was convicted, relegated and out of phase, which sent a signal to other court ministers. Since then, court officials have wisely protected themselves, and they have to think ahead about what they can do to keep their posts. As for the principle, they can give up, so everyone is afraid to "speak out". The mistakes in decision-making and the dark political situation after Li took office were one of the important reasons for the later Anshi Rebellion.
Officialdom has always been a glory and a loss. Zhang Jiuling once recommended Zhou Zi as an ancient scholar. After Zhang Jiuling's strike, Zhou Zi dared to impeach Niu Xianke, which was not the prime minister's material, but he quoted superstition as saying that Niu Xianke was unlucky. Xuanzong personally interrogated and examined, ordered people to beat Zhou Zi with a stick in court, and exiled him to Lingzhou (now Shangsi County, Guangxi). Zhou Zigan went to Lantian County and died of injuries. Zhang Jiuling was also implicated in improper employment and was demoted to Jingzhou Secretariat. Later, Zhang Jiuling asked to go back to China to visit his parents' graves and died at home. In fact, the Zhou Zi incident is only the beginning. Of course, Zhang Jiuling's demotion is related to the fall of Li, Niu Xianke and others.
Judging from the cases that Zhang Jiuling angered Xuanzong several times, an important difference between him and Xuanzong is the border defense policy. Xuanzong adopted the policy of expanding the army, rewarding frontier work and giving preferential treatment to generals with thick borders; Zhang Jiuling, on the other hand, advocated the suppression of border work, and opposed the reuse of border generals who entered the body with military exploits. This is almost the main reason why Zhang Jiuling made Xuanzong unhappy. If Xuanzong had listened to Zhang Jiuling's advice, he would have sharpened his edge a little, even if he had been a little more vigilant, perhaps the Anshi Rebellion would not have sat in the northeast for ten years, causing a situation of "looking like a mountain, shaking all over the world". Now it seems that Zhang Jiuling may be the only prime minister who can stop the Anshi Rebellion by his own efforts. Unfortunately, he was dismissed prematurely. Zhang Jiuling, Xuanzong and Li, from psychological discord to verbal friction, finally turned against each other, representing an unbridgeable rift in the imperial political building, which created opportunities and conditions for An Lushan to sit on the throne.
A group of talented officials, represented by Zhang Jiuling, are far-sighted politically. Although Li and others have officials, they lack foresight-this refers to the national development plan, excluding the calculation of individual rights and positions. These people control a huge state machine, it is difficult to grasp the general direction, and it is easy to cause major loopholes. Later, when the Anshi Rebellion happened, Xuanzong fled to Shu, thinking of Zhang Jiuling's foresight, regretting not following Zhang Jiuling's advice, and crying bitterly. He sent eunuchs to Qujiang, Shaozhou, Zhang Jiuling's hometown, to pay homage to Zhang Jiuling and give his family a generous reward.
2, honey in mouth and sword in belly: Li has missed this country.
Although Li had been dead for three years during the Anshi Rebellion, people thought that the Anshi Rebellion was closely related to his administration, and the seeds of the Anshi Rebellion were Li Peizhi's. This is definitely not unreasonable. It was Li who created the political situation in this period and created conditions for the Anshi Rebellion.
Li is the great-grandson of his cousin, but when he arrived, the relationship between this branch and the royal family was quite distant. His father Li Sizhi joined the army in Yangzhou. Li Yin was good at gaining a job and gradually climbed to a high position, and was promoted to prime minister by buttering up. This man is sinister and vicious. He has been prime minister for nineteen years, and he can say that he has done all kinds of bad things.
China people used to judge historical figures from their moral qualities, and Li became a traitor in the history books. Western historians have been trying to clear the fog of historical records and restore Li's reputation. They think that a series of political reforms were successful during Li Ren's reign, such as compiling laws, reforming the military system and developing finance (History of Sui and Tang Dynasties in Cambridge, China). Indeed, for such a figure, we should emphasize his role in history. Li is a well-known competent official, and at the same time he is good at government work and bureaucratic affairs. During his term of office, he tried his best to keep everything in order and set limits, which really showed a clear-cut atmosphere. It may not be too much to say that he is a shrewd administrator or politician, but it may not be qualified to say that he is a politician. He doesn't have the excellent qualities that a politician should have, such as serving the public, sacrificing spirit and appointing people on their merits. In fact, the economic crisis faced by the Tang Dynasty in Tianbao period was not fundamentally solved, and the reform of the military system also laid the groundwork for the border guards to mobilize troops for the uprising. As for the achievements of Tang Law in compilation and legal system construction, it is the result of several generations' efforts since Emperor Taizong, and it cannot be attributed to Li alone. As we all know, in ancient China, many laws were not obeyed. In an authoritarian society, the effectiveness of the law is often offset by the rule of man. Many of Li's actions run counter to the operation of the law. In particular, he likes to play politics, which makes politics in Tianbao period full of terror, makes everyone feel insecure, and reproduces the haze in the political sky in Wuhou period to some extent. The Tang dynasty turned from prosperity to decline, and it is not wrong to let him bear part of the responsibility.
We can see that during Li's reign, most of his time and energy were spent on how to consolidate Xuanzong's favor and political affairs. Zhang Jiuling and others were dismissed, and Li wanted to monopolize the state affairs, fearing that those remonstrators would always reflect problems to Xuanzong and destroy their image in Xuanzong's mind. He openly called a meeting of remonstrators and said, "It is too late for ministers to obey the emperor's orders now, so there is no need for remonstrators to make irresponsible remarks about the state affairs." He pointed to the fat horses in the nearby royal stable and said, "Look at these horses in the honor guard. They usually enjoy the feed of the third-class horse, but as long as they call out in the honor guard, they will be fired immediately. It was too late to regret at that time! " Du Fu, who didn't understand the current situation, wrote to the court and expressed his opinion. The next day, he was called out of Chang 'an and sent to Xiayi County as a county magistrate as a screaming etiquette horse.
After the queen was abolished, she was favored by Xuanzong, and Li thought it was a ladder for him to climb. Yang Hui, the son-in-law, reported to the court that Prince Li Ying, King E, King Guang Li Yan and princess royal's brother, Xue Xiu, surnamed Xu conspired to kill the longevity king Li Mao. Xuanzong called the prime minister to discuss this matter, and proposed to depose the prince and punish several kings, which was opposed by Zhang Jiuling. Li had a promise and tacit understanding to Shouwang's mother, and wanted to support Shouwang as a prince. Seeing that Xuanzong loved Shouwang, he catered to Xuanzong and said, "This is your majesty's family affair, not our responsibility as courtiers." Li's attitude made Xuanzong finally determined to punish these unfortunate princes and the brother of the crown princess, which caused great injustice in Kaiyuan period. In the 25th year of Kaiyuan (737), on April 21st, Xuanzong sent eunuchs to announce the imperial edict, abolishing the prince and two kings as Shu Ren, and banishing Xue Xiu from Lingzhou. Then the prince and the two kings died in the east of the city, and Xue Xiu died in Lantian County. Li Yao, the king of Hubei, and Li Cong, the king of Guang, are both studious and talented people. They were killed innocently, and people feel sorry for them. The next day, Li Ying's uncle Zhao, Princess Xue and her uncle Huangfu were all involved in the case, and dozens of people were exiled and demoted. Only Li Yao's Wang Feijia Webster, because the princess is famous for her virtue, no one has been implicated-the so-called "virtue" means that she is safer in the sinister court and politics without asking politics.
Li is good at practicing fraud and exaggerating his political achievements. On July 7 this year, Dali Shao Qing Xu Jiao appeared: "Only 58 criminals were sentenced to death this year. For a long time, the prison in Dali Temple has been considered too cruel to even live birds. Now there are magpies nesting in trees in the yard, which is a sign of peace in the world. " So all the officials congratulated Xuanzong on social stability. Xuanzong was attributed by the prime minister to the good governance of the country. The next day, Li was named Jin Gong and Niu Xianke was named Xian Gong.
Those who surpass themselves in talent and prestige and may threaten themselves are the targets of Li Xiaoxin's prevention and key attack. Li Chengfu is so deep that it is difficult for others to see through his heart. He is good at winning the favor of others with sweet words, but he hurts people behind his back and keeps a straight face. Anyone who Xuanzong likes, or whose talent, fame and achievements surpass his own, always approaches him first, and then designs to crowd him out when his position and power threaten him a little. Even people who are longer than old scoundrels in officialdom can hardly avoid falling into his trap. He is particularly jealous of those who are rich in literary talent and knowledge, making friends with them on the surface and setting them up behind their backs. So people commented on him: "There is honey in the mouth and a sword in the belly." "Mouth-honeyed sword" has become a common idiom, which is the language accumulation of Li-style political culture. Li's scheming and cunning can be seen in several things.