The change of political power between the wealthy families and the humble common people. In the Song, Qi and early Liang Dynasties, the actual situation of political power had changed significantly compared with the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
The Eastern Jin Dynasty was the peak of the development of powerful families. They controlled both political power and military power.
After crossing the river, the Wang family has the most power. At that time, there was a saying in society that "the king and his horse ruled the world" ("Book of Jin·Wang Dun Biography"). Wang Dao was in the middle and held great power in the court, and Wang Dun led the troops to station in Jingzhou, a strategic location. Even when Emperor Yuan ascended the throne in Jiangdong, all officials accompanied him, but he ordered Wang Dao to sit on the royal bed. Director Yu insisted and said: "If everything under the sun is the same, how can the common people look up to it?" Emperor Yuan didn't say anything.
After the Wang family, there was the Yu family. The Yu family also held both political and military power. Yu Liang served as prime minister and assistant in the imperial court, and Yu Yi and Yu Bing continued to lead the army.
After the Yu family came the Huan family. Huan Wen led the army, and all the members of the Huan family led the army. Huan Xuan also led troops from the upper reaches to Jiankang, deposed the Jin Emperor and became emperor.
After the Huan family came the Xie family. Xie An was in charge of the government, and Xie Xuan, Xie Shi, and Xie Hui all led the troops. The Xie family is the last of the powerful families to hold military power. They also made a final struggle on behalf of the wealthy family. After the rise of Liu Yu, who was born in a poor family, Xie Hui also led troops in the important area of ??Jingzhou in the upper reaches. The struggle between him and Emperor Wen of Song Dynasty, in addition to their personal grudges and power struggle, also reflected the power of the rich and poor families to some extent. scramble. Until Xie Lingyun, a scholar, still wanted to use troops to seize power.
The power of the wealthy family suffered a setback after Liu Yu rose to power. The poor family gradually became stronger politically. Liu Yu Group, from Wen to Wu Duo, came from a poor family. It can be said to be a poor group. His subordinates such as Liu Muzhi were "poor and humble, and had many problems in providing support" ("Song Book·Liu Muzhi Biography"). Xu Xianzhi is a "poor scholar with middle talent", and Fu Liang is a "student of ordinary people" (Volume 120 of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian"). Military generals such as Liu Yi "have no storage of stones at home" ("Book of the Song Dynasty: Chronicles of Emperor Wu").
The decline of the power of powerful families does not mean that their political status and social status have declined. The rich and powerful families have lost political power and military power, but their political status is still very high. They still enjoy high officials and generous salaries. The rich and powerful families still have a certain social and economic foundation. The reason why the powerful families lost their power was, on the one hand, that the emerging royal families such as the Song Dynasty and the Southern Qi Dynasty demanded to strengthen the monarchy. In order to strengthen the monarchy, they were willing to use cold people who were easy to command; on the other hand, it was also because people of noble family background despised worldly affairs and lost touch with reality, and gradually lost their ability to handle political affairs. This situation had already appeared in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. "Shishuo Xinyu·Jian Ao Pian" contains such a story by Huan Chong and Wang Huizhi: "Yu Ziyou (Huizhi) joined the army as Huan's chariot and cavalry. Huan asked: 'Where is your position?' He replied: "I don't know where I am, but I see a man riding a horse." Huan asked again: "How many horses do the officials have?" He replied, "How can you know the number of horses if you don't ask about them?" He also asked: "How many horses are there?" ? 'The answer is: 'If you don't know life, how can you know death? '" ① This story vividly describes the fact that the nobles have neither administrative ability nor disdain to interfere with administrative affairs. During the Song and Qi Dynasties, the common people from poor families gradually replaced the noble families and took over the power of the imperial court. "Song Book: Preface to the Biography of Enxing": "Xiaojian (Emperor Xiaowu of Song Dynasty) and Taishi (Emperor Ming Dynasty of Song Dynasty) were the masters of power and luck. They had hundreds of offices in their official positions, and their power was nothing but fake. However, the criminal and political affairs were complicated and difficult to reason. The key to rewards and punishments is to be close to the ears and eyes, and the key to rewards and punishments is to control them according to the king's orders. Therefore, the people's masters say that they are low in status and have no power. Chong... There is no suspicion of forcing the master on the outside, but there is special power inside, and the power is all over the world. It is not possible to realize it. "During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty, Zhongshu Tongshi Ren Qiudang and Zhou Jiu came from a poor family and were in charge of important affairs. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu, Chao Shangzhi and Dai Faxing were all ministers of Zhongshu, and participated in the "selection, transfer, transfer, execution, reward, and major punishments." Arbitrary." Folks call Dai Faxing the "true emperor" ("Song Book Enxing Biography of Dai Faxing"). Chao Shang's origin was "at the end of the elite", and Dai Faxing "sold kudzu in Shanyin City". During the reign of Emperor Ming, Ruan Dianfu, Wang Daolong, and Yang Yunchang all worked for Zhongshu Tongshi. Ruan Dianfu was born as a small official in Taiwan, Wang Daolong was the chief bookkeeper at the beginning, and Yang Yunchang was the official in Xuancheng County at the beginning.
During the Southern Qi Dynasty, those who served as general secretary of Zhongshu included: Ji Sengzhen, Liu Xizong, Lu Wenxian, Lu Wendu, Ru Faliang, and Qi Zhenzhi. Some of them were from humble backgrounds, or they started from minor officials, but " "Both the total weight" and "the power dominates the world" ("Southern History·Enxing·Lv Wenxian Biography").
Zhongshu Tongshi Shiren is a low-level position in Zhongshu Province. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Zhongshu's provincial power rested with the Jian, Ling, and Shilang; in the Southern Dynasties, Zhongshu's provincial power rested with Zhongshu Tongshishiren. The positions of supervisor, commander, and minister became noble positions, but they no longer had any power. When Ru Faliang was appointed as Zhongshu General Secretary, Taiwei Wang Jian said: "Although I have a great position, I can't entrust my power to Duke Ru." ("The Biography of Ru Faliang, Enxing, Southern History")
< p> The wealthy noble families in the Southern Dynasties were generally satisfied with the generous salaries of powerless high-ranking officials. Although they still retain their land, tribes, guests, and slaves economically, and socially they still have the noble status of "the distinction between scholars and common people, separated by nature", but it has declined greatly compared with the Eastern Jin Dynasty.During the Qi and Qi Dynasties, there was a Diansu system. This is a system that strengthens imperial power and controls clan and local power.
Both Song and Qi used their own children to serve as governors of various states.
This was originally a way to protect the imperial court. However, since the Western Jin Dynasty, clans have been granted the title of king and concurrently served as governors of local states and towns. As a result, not only did they not play a role in protecting the imperial court, but they became more of a force that threatened and subverted the imperial court. Both the Song and Qi Dynasties accepted the method of using clan kings as governors of prefectures and towns, but they assigned the emperor's close associates to make signatures for the kings and review official documents on their behalf. Although Dian's position is low, his real power is very high. The imperial court controlled the kings and states and towns through Dianxu. ① "Don't ask about the horse", "If you don't know life, how can you know death": These are all Chinese words in The Analects of Confucius.
The power of the lot is so great that even the lives and actions of the kings are controlled by the lot. "Southern History Enxing Lu Wenxian's Biography": "The story is about the affairs of the Fuzhou Department. They all signed directly describing the things discussed in the first part of the signature. Later it was said that the signature was sincerely signed. At the end of the month, it was said that a certain official signed the signature, so Fuzhou was established. In the late Song Dynasty, most young princes were appointed as the governor, and the rulers at that time were close to each other to receive the lot. When a clan leaves the town, they all have orders from the internal sect, and the governor cannot be assigned to his duties. "The Book of Qi: The Biography of Emperor Wu's Seventeen Kings" states: "The emperor's younger brother... was old and young, and kept his weapons in the palace... In the morning, he left his boudoir, and in the evening, he was in charge of Fang Yue. The emperor's son was in the state, and he was close to the people. Qu, move should be informed. .. Execute your power, and the sign will restrain you. Although the place is heavy, you can't do it yourself. There are many examples. For example: King Yi of Wuling was in Jiangzhou, and he signed Zhao Wo's disobedience. Zhao Xing revealed his gains and losses and summoned him back to the capital. Wang Jian of Yidu, every time his actions were judged by the commander-in-chief, he had many intentions but could not carry them out. The prince of Nanhai rarely wanted to visit the East Hall temporarily, but Jiang Xiu did not allow it. Returning, he wept and called his mother: "My son cannot move five steps even if he wants to. How is he any different from a prisoner?" Prince Shaoling begged Xiong Bai, but the cook replied that he didn't dare to do it because he didn't have a fortune teller. The prince of Xiyang wanted to send a book to Bao Xun for study, but Wu Xiuzhi refused to do so, so he stopped. Those who are unwilling to be restrained and are good at killing Dianju will be punished with the crime of being pretentious. Yufu Hou Zixiang was angry and killed Wu Xiuzhi, and was killed for resisting the Taiwanese soldiers. Emperor Wu of Qi heard this and said: Zixiang rebelled? Dai Sengjing shouted loudly: All kings should rebel? The emperor asked why. He said: "The kings who are not guilty but are imprisoned for a while, take a stick of lotus root and a cup of syrup. If the signer is not there, they will endure thirst all day long. The states only hear of the signer, but not the governor." The small official who signed the sign has great weight. in this way.
Even if every move of kings and governors was controlled by the establishment of Dianguai, it would not be enough to resolve the conflicts between the imperial court and local governments. The emperor and the kings are fathers, sons and brothers. Fathers, sons, and brothers can kill each other. Dianshan were the emperor's cronies, and they could also participate in the rebellion of local groups of kings against the imperial court. Where power lies, profit lies. Where power lies, father, son and brother will not give in to each other. This has been common in the political history of past dynasties. During the Song and Qi dynasties, the struggles and even massacres between monarchs and ministers, fathers and sons, and brothers were more cruel than in the previous dynasties.
Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty took his younger brother Yikang, King of Pengcheng, as the commander-in-chief of the military affairs of Jingxiang and other eight states, and the governor of Jingzhou. Jingzhou and Yangzhou are two key areas for economic development in the Yangtze River Basin. "The Biography of He Shang in the Book of Song Dynasty" states: "The two states of Jing and Yang have half the world's household registration. Since Jiangzuo, the foundation of Yangzhou has been based on Jing and others." Shen Yue added another sentence after the biography: "Since Jiangzuo, The roots of the tree are in Yangyue, and the boss is in Jingchu. The realm of civilian households accounts for more than half of the world. "Pengcheng Wang Yikang was "few and wise, and he was responsible for his work" ("Song Book·Pengcheng Wang Yikang"). ). Emperor Wen appointed Yikang as the governor of Jingzhou and the commander-in-chief of the military affairs of the eight states in the upper reaches. This was a sign of his trust in his younger brother.
In the fifth year of Yuanjia (428), Fan Tai, the doctor of Zuo Guanglu, said to Situ Wang Hong: "The world is so important that it is difficult for powerful people to stay in power. Your brother is rich, and you should pay close attention to me. King Pengcheng , the emperor's second younger brother, Yizheng returned to the court, and he participated in the government affairs." (Volume 121 of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian") In the spring of the next year, Wang Hong petitioned to be dismissed and allowed Yikang to take charge of the court. Government affairs. Emperor Wen accepted Wang Hong's opinion and ordered Yikang to serve as the minister, governor of the military affairs of Yang, Nanxu, and Yanzhou, and Situ, to record the affairs of the Shangshu, and to lead the governor of Nanxuzhou. Yikang and Wang Hong were appointed to assist the government. Wang Hong was sick and wanted to let Yi Kang take charge. From this time on, power inside and outside the court was concentrated in the hands of Yi Kang. The letter from Emperor Wen to Yikang cited above was written at this time.
Yikang and Wang Hong recorded the ministerial affairs together, but gradually became dissatisfied. He wanted to be the governor of Yangzhou. He said to people: "The prince has been ill for a long time, and Shenzhou Zhen can be treated lying down!" In the ninth year of Yuanjia, Wang Hong died. Yikang changed his position to be the governor of Yangzhou, achieving the purpose of becoming the governor of Yangzhou and monopolizing the government affairs.
Yikang relied on the emperor's brother, and he liked to ask about political affairs. He often made his own decisions when it came to matters, and did not ask for imperial edicts from Emperor Wen. Some people saw that Yi Kang was powerful and attached themselves to him. Prince Zhanshi Liu Zhan and the leading general Yin Jingren were good friends, and Yin Jingren once introduced Liu Zhan to Emperor Wen. Yin Jingren was fortunate enough to have a higher official position than Liu Zhan due to Emperor You, so Liu Zhan was extremely unhappy. Liu Zhan had written a long history of Yikang, and had this old relationship. At that time, Yikang was in charge of the government, so Liu Zhan committed himself to it, hoping that with the power of Yikang's minister, Emperor Wen could depose Yin Jingren. However, the more Yikang spoke ill of Yin Jingren, the more Emperor Wen trusted Yin Jingren, and appointed Yin Jingren as Zhongshu Ling and Zhonghujun. It can be seen from this that Emperor Wen was no longer happy with Yikang's autocratic power. When Liu Zhan first came to the court, Emperor Wen treated him very politely. He is good at discussing and governing Taoism, and is familiar with the stories of previous generations, which makes listeners forget to get tired. Later, he formed cliques and friends to instigate Yikang. Emperor Wen disliked him very much, but on the surface. He still endured it.
Emperor Wen said to people close to him: When Liu Zhan came to see me in the past, I "always looked at the morning and evening, worrying that he would go away; when I came in, I also looked at the morning and evening, worrying that he would not go away." (Volume 123 of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian", The same below).
Emperor Wen was often ill, so Liu Zhan said to Yikang and others: "The world is in trouble, and it is the young master who controls it!" He also often went to Shangshu to consult with Cao to check the old affairs of Emperor Cheng of Jin Dynasty who established Emperor Kang in the last years, and became Emperor Wen. After his death, he established Yikang to prepare for the emperor. Emperor Wen also heard a little bit about Liu Zhan's affairs. Although it has not happened for the sake of the brotherly relationship between Yikang, "it is the master and the power of the prime minister."
The conflict finally broke out. In the seventeenth year of Yuanjia (440), Emperor Wen ordered Liu Zhan to be transferred to the imperial court. He issued an edict to expose his crimes, execute him in prison, and punish his son and party members. Yikang abdicated the throne, and Emperor Wen appointed Yikang as the governor of Jiangzhou and left the town of Yuzhang. He said goodbye to Emperor Wen, who cried silently to him and said nothing. When he left for Yuzhang, Emperor Wen sent the ascetic Huilin to see him off. He asked Hui Lin: "Does the disciple have any objections?" Hui Lin said, "I hate you for not reading hundreds of books." Shi said that although Yikang "had a good nature and was good at official duties, he was always diligent in correcting copywriting", "but he had no academic skills." ,ignore the general interest".
Kong Xixian, the minister of Sanqi outside the Yuan Dynasty, conspired with Danyang Yin Xu Zhanzhi to assassinate Emperor Wen and usher in Yikang. Xu reported to Emperor Wen, but Kong was killed after the incident was revealed. The incident naturally connected with Yikang, who was demoted and punished. Yikang and his children were demoted to common people, and they were moved to Ancheng County (now Binyangdong, Guangxi). When Yikang was in Ancheng, he read about the story of King Li of Huainan in the Han Dynasty. He scrapped the book and sighed: "This has been happening since ancient times, but I didn't know it. It is appropriate to offend him."
Yikang was repeatedly convicted of crimes. His immortality was due to the protection of his sister, Princess Kuaiji. Princess Kuaiji was Liu Yu's eldest daughter, and Emperor Wen respected her very much. She tried to tell Emperor Wen: "Chezi (Yikang's small character) will not be tolerated by your majesty at the end of his life. Now I specially ask for his life." After saying this, she cried. Emperor Wen pointed to Jiang Shan and swore: "There will be no such worries. If you violate this oath, you will suffer the loss of Chu Ning Ling." ("Song Book·Pengcheng Wang Yikang Biography") Chu Ning Ling refers to Liu Yu's mausoleum, and the cemetery is in Jiang Shan.
In the winter of October of the 24th year of Yuanjia, the son of Hu Fan was born and killed Huan Longzhi, the prefect of Yuzhang. He rebelled against the county and planned to favor Yikang as the leader. If he fails, he will be killed.
Yikang did not die, but he told Emperor Wen that it was a heartache after all. When Hu was born and rebelled, King Yigong of Jiangxia said to Emperor Wen: "There are complaints about Yikang, which shakes the people's ears. Therefore, those who are unwilling to succeed are willing to move to Guangzhou, Yikang" (Volume 126 of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian") ). Yikang did not want to move. Emperor Wen was undecided. In the twenty-eighth year of Yuanjia (451), Tuoba Tao's army marched south and reached Guabu. At that time, people's sentiments were fierce, and Emperor Wen was afraid that some people would cause chaos by following Yikang. Prince Shao, Wang Jun of Wuling, and Shangshu Zuopushe He Shangzhi also asked Emperor Wen to deal with Yikang early, so Emperor Wen gave Yikang death. After all, the relationship between flesh and blood cannot withstand the struggle for power, so Jiang Shan's oath will not be mentioned.
Prince Jin, Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty, "loved reading history books, and especially loved bows and horses. ... Whatever you want, your superiors will follow it" ("Song Book·Yuan Ji Shao Biography"). It seems that Shao had civil and military talents and was favored by Emperor Wen since childhood. During the Battle of Guabu, Prince Shao "went out to control Shitou, and served as president of the navy. He was good at tending the imperial army. When he climbed up to Shitou City, he looked worried, and Shao said: 'If I don't kill Jiang Zhan and Xu Zhanzhi, I can't thank the world.'" Emperor Wen wanted to launch the Northern Expedition, but Prince Shao and the guard general Xiao Sihua expressed opposition. Only Jiang Zhan, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and Danyang Yin Xu Zhan, who were good at discerning people's ideas, advocated the Northern Expedition. Therefore, Shao said that if he did not kill these two people, he would not be able to thank the world. As a result, Prince Shao developed a hatred for Xu Zhanzhi and Jiang Zhan, the favorite ministers of Emperor Wen. Twenty-eight years before Yuanjia, Emperor Wen still had great trust in Prince Shao. In order to prevent the clan kings from plotting rebellion, he made the number of soldiers in the Prince's East Palace equal to that of Yulin soldiers, more than 10,000. But since the twenty-eighth year, resentment gradually developed between Emperor Wen and Prince Shao.
In the twenty-ninth year, witchcraft occurred. Emperor Wen favored Concubine Pan Shu, and Concubine Pan gave birth to a son, Jun, who engaged in witchcraft with Prince Shao. Emperor Wen said to Concubine Pan: "The prince's pursuit of wealth is even more true. The tiger head (jun small character) is like this, which is beyond the scope of his thoughts. How can your mother and son be without me for a day?" (Volume 1 of Zizhi Tongjian) 26) Witches and Gu were carved into wood and buried in the ground, cursing Emperor Wen to die early, so Emperor Wen had such words.
Emperor Wen wanted to depose Prince Shao and gave him death. Concubine Pan informed Prince Shao and Jun. Shao then raised troops and entered the palace to kill Emperor Wen, as well as Xu Zhanzhi, Jiang Zhan and others.
Wang Jun, the governor of Jiangzhou, raised troops to seek the sun to fight against Shao. After a war, Shao was defeated and killed. King Jun of Wuling ascended the throne and was Emperor Xiaowu of Song Dynasty.
The conflict between Emperor Xiaowu of the Song Dynasty and the king with the same surname. Emperor Xiaowu Liu Jun was the third son of Emperor Wen. When he ascended the throne, his uncle Wang Yixuan of Nanjun was appointed governor of the military affairs of the eight states of Jing, Yong, Liang, Yi, Xiang, Jiao, Guang and Ning, and governor of Jingzhou. Yi Xuan "has been in the town for ten years, and his troops have strengthened his wealth" ("Song Book·Nanjun Wang Yi Propaganda"). Emperor Xiaowu wanted to appoint Yi Xuan as prime minister and record the affairs of the minister. Yi Xuan refused to listen to the transfer. Some careerists such as Zang Zhi and Lu Shuang complimented him and advised him to proclaim himself emperor. Yi Xuan then raised his troops to rebel. Yi Xuan is a mediocre person. Lu Xiu, the governor of Sizhou, listened to his brother Lu Hong's words and followed Yi Xuan to rebel. He went to Jiangling to see Yi Xuan. When he came out, he beat his chest and regretted, saying, "My brother mistakenly made me a thief with a fool. I will be defeated this year!" Zizhi Tongjian" Volume 128). Lu Xiu said that he was a fool, but his talent could be known.
The Song court used Shen Qingzhi and Xue An to fight against Lu Shuang, and Liu Yuanjing and Wang Xuanmo to fight against Yixuan. As a result of the war, Chongqing defeated Lu Shuang and killed him in the army. Liu Yuanjing defeated Yi Xuan's army. Yi Xuan's army was defeated, and the two men fled. At a loss, they closed their doors and cried. Zang Zhi was defeated and returned to Xunyang, where he was killed. Yi Xuan was defeated and returned to Jiangling.
Zhu Xiuzhi, the governor of Yongzhou, entered Jiangling and killed Yi Xuan and sixteen of his sons.
After Emperor Xiaowu killed Yi Xuan, he even killed the clan. During his ten years in power, he successively killed King Liu Hun of Wuchang, King Liu Dan of Jingling, King Liu Xiumao of Hailing, King Liu Shuo of Nanping, etc.
The governor of Yangzhou and King Jingling were "generous and courteous". They also killed the prince Shao and the prime minister Yixuan. They all had great achievements and people's hearts were attracted to them. He gathered many talented people and accumulated energy and armor. ". Emperor Xiaowu was afraid and jealous. "He didn't want to be born in the middle, so he left Zhenjingkou; he still disliked its proximity, so he moved to Guangling." He also asked his confidant Liu Yansun to "secure the entrance to Jing to prevent it." King Jingling also knew that Emperor Xiaowu was afraid of him, so he secretly made preparations, using the pretext of Wei invasion to repair Guangling city and accumulate grain, grass and weapons to strengthen himself.
Someone accused Liu Dan of wanting to rebel. Emperor Xiaowu ordered Shixing Gong Shen Qingzhi to be the general of chariots and cavalry and the governor of South Yanzhou. He sent his troops to attack Dan and besiege Guangling. The city was destroyed and Dan was killed. His mother and wife both committed suicide. All the soldiers and civilians in Guangling City were ordered to be killed, no matter how big or small. Shen Qingzhi requested that those under five feet be spared from death, and all the other men were killed. The women thought they were rewarded by the army, so they killed more than 3,000 people.
Emperor Xiaowu was very happy when he heard that Guangling had been destroyed. When he left Xuanyang Gate, everyone on his left and right shouted long live. The attendant Cai Xingzong accompanied him, but he did not shout long live. Xiaowu asked him: "Why don't you call me alone?" Cai Xingzong said: "Your Majesty is weeping and executing today, how can he be called long live!" (Volume 129 of "Zizhi Tongjian")
< p> Emperor Xiaowu's son was an even more cruel person when he abolished the emperor's son's career. He led the Yulin soldiers to kill his great-uncle Dazai, King Yigong of Jiangxia, and his four sons. He killed the minister Liu Yuanjing and his eight sons, sixth brothers and nephews, and also killed the minister Yan Shibo and his six sons. He also sent envoys to kill Bo Qin, the governor of Xiangzhou, the eldest son of King Yigong of Jiangxia. Beating ministers on demand is like treating slaves. He also killed Prince Luan of Xin'an, his mother's brother Prince Shi of Nanhai, and his mother and sister. He also wanted to kill Xuzhou governor Yiyang Wang Chang, who fled to the Northern Wei Dynasty. They also killed Kong Lingfu, the prefect of Kuaiji, and He Mai, the general Ningshuo. They also killed Shen Qingzhi, the veteran minister of the three dynasties, and Wang Xuanmo, the leading general.King Xiangdong or, King Xiuren of Jian'an, and King Xiuyou of Shanyang were all the fathers of the former deposed emperor. The former deposed emperor gathered them all in Jiankang, detained them in the palace, and tortured them at will.
The former deposed emperor committed many evil deeds, the courtiers were uneasy, and everyone on the left and right trembled all day long. Each had his own different ambitions, and was agitated at home and abroad. In the end, the palace and the province combined forces to kill him. King Yu of eastern Hunan ascended the throne and became Emperor Ming. The former deposed emperor ascended the throne in May 464 AD and was killed in October 465 AD. He reigned for one and a half years.
The disasters of the Song and Qi clans. The Song and Qi clans, especially those close relatives of the emperor who are qualified to inherit the throne, are often regarded as potential threats by the reigning emperor and his supporters and become the object of suspicion. , and even become the target of elimination. This was particularly prominent during the reigns of Emperor Ming of the Song Dynasty and Emperor Ming of the Southern Qi Dynasty. At this time, it was difficult for the clan to avoid the disaster of death and family ruin.
When Emperor Ming of the Song Dynasty first came to the throne, the governor of Jiangzhou and Prince Xun of Jin'an raised troops to oppose him. Linhai Prince Xu, the governor of Jingzhou, raised troops to respond to Zixun. Xue Andu, the governor of Xuzhou, Cui Daogu, the governor of Jizhou, and many local county guards raised troops to respond to Zixun. "The only ones protected by the imperial court were Danyang, Huainan and other counties, among which the counties may be Ying Zixun." (Volume 131 of "Zizhi Tongjian")
The Ming Emperor relied on "the bravery of the six armies. "The weapons and armor are sharp, waiting for the soldiers who are not accustomed to it." After a hard battle, he finally defeated Zixun and various liberation troops, won the victory, and killed Prince Xun of Jin'an (who was eleven years old at the time). Prince Sui of Anlu, Prince Xu of Linhai, and Prince Yuan of Shaoling were all given death. Then, Songzi Hou Zifang, Yongjia Prince Ren, Shi'an Prince Zhen, Huainan Prince Meng, Nanping Prince Chan, Luling Prince Yu, Zi Chu, Zi Qi, Dongping Prince Si and Zi Yue were all given death. Almost all of Emperor Xiaowu's twenty-eight sons had been killed.
In the late Ming Dynasty, Emperor Ming was suffering from many illnesses. He thought that the prince was young and weak, and he was afraid that after his death, his younger brothers would be detrimental to the prince, so he operated on his younger brother. In the tenth year of Taishi (471), first the fierce-tempered Nanxu governor Jinping Wang Xiuyou ordered people to squeeze him off his horse and beat him to death; then he poisoned Jian'an Wang Xiuren. When Xiuren was about to die, he cursed: "Who has the power to conquer the world? Xiaowu killed his brothers, and his descendants were extinct. Now that we are here again, how long can Song Zuo last?" (Volume 133 of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian") Jingzhou The governor of Baling, King Xiuruo, was always timid and cautious, but this made Emperor Ming even more jealous. Only Guiyang Yu Xiufan, with his inferior talents, was not jealous of Emperor Ming and could save his life.
Emperor Ming was suspicious of the clan, as well as of the heroes and ministers. Wu Xi made great achievements when Prince Xun of Jin'an raised troops. However, in his later years, Emperor Ming was suspicious of his popularity among the people in Sanwu. He told his confidants Liu Li and others, "(Xi) Taishi first moved eastward, with only 300 people, who directly conquered Sanwu. After a few battles, everyone will be able to break out of Pogang." As far as the sea in the ten counties, all the people were in chaos when they heard that Wu He was coming from the east. If they hadn't accumulated the favor of Sanwu, how could they be so happy? Evil! For example, when a person is sick and cold, the medicine is used to spread the stones throughout the body and activate the heat to remove the accumulation and stop the trouble. "(Zi Zhi Tong Jian, Vol. 1) 33) Therefore, Wu Xi, who had made outstanding contributions, had to die.
In the first year of Taiyu (472), Emperor Ming's illness became more serious. At that time, his brother Wang Jingwen was the minister Zuopushe and the governor of Yangzhou. Emperor Ming was afraid that after his death, when the queen came to the court, Wang Jingwen thought that his uncle Yuan would be the prime minister, which would be unfavorable to his son, so he sent poison to kill him.
Emperor Ming died and King Zi Cangwu came to the throne at the age of ten. At this time, the power of the clan was weakened, but the power of the powerful ministers grew.
Xiao Daocheng gradually took control of the political power, killed King Cangwu and established Emperor Shun. Within two years, Xiao Daocheng eliminated Shangshu Ling Yuan Can and Jingzhou Governor Shen Youzhi. A drama of abdication was staged, and Emperor Shun of the Song Dynasty gave up the throne to Xiao Daocheng.
Xiao Daocheng was also very cruel in killing the descendants of the clan. "Southern History: The Second Chronicle of the Song Dynasty" records: "The princes and princes of the Song Dynasty, all of whom had no elders, died." That is, they were all killed by Xiao Daocheng.
Xiao Daocheng once warned his son Emperor Wu: "If the Song family does not live in harmony with each other, how can other clans survive its decline." Therefore, when Emperor Wu of the Southern Qi Dynasty was in power, the clan could still be preserved. But when Emperor Ming arrived, he massacred the descendants of Emperor Qi Gao (Xiao Daocheng) and Emperor Qi Wu (Xiao Yu, Daocheng's son). Almost all of the nineteen sons of Emperor Gao and the twenty-third son of Emperor Wu were killed.
Song and Qi killed clan members because they were afraid that these clan clans would rise up and seize the throne. In fact, during the Song and Qi Dynasties, many clans raised troops to compete for the throne, and some of them were successful. For example, Emperor Xiaowu of Song Dynasty raised troops from Jiangzhou to win the throne. However, most of these clan princes who raised armies were very young. For example, Prince Xun of Jin'an in Song Dynasty was only ten years old when he raised armies. Children of that age could command large armies to rebel. This has a lot to do with their officers and assistants, who want to gain greater wealth as a result of the uprising.
It was a blessing in disguise that the powerful family left the "power" they had to fight for. They are generally satisfied with the honorary status of high-ranking officials and generous salaries. They all started out as officials such as Huangmen Shilang, Sanqi Shilang, Secretary Cheng, etc. Although these official positions were not of high grade, they were highly selective. At that time, there were sayings that "Huang and San's positions require both people and land to be beautiful" ("Chen Shu·Cai Ning Biography"), and "Secretary Cheng is an upright official in the world" ("Southern History·Chang Yu Biography with a Biography of Great Grandson"). They do not need to fight, they can "advance with the flow and sit in high positions" ("Book of Southern Qi: Biography of Chu Yuan and Wang Jian"). Among them, those who were a little ambitious were like Wang Sengda, who "was proud of his talents and became prime minister within three years" ("The Biography of Wang Hongzhuan of Fuzi Sengda" in "Southern History"), or Wang Rong, who "relied on his talent and ability and became prime minister within thirty years" I hope to serve as an assistant to the public" ("Southern History: Biography of Wang Hong with Biography of Great-grandson Wang Rong"). They spent their time leisurely, without bothering with documents, and did not need to be frightened by killing each other in political struggles. They did not need to be moved by the change of dynasties and emperors. The change of monarchy and the change of dynasties had nothing to do with them. They are like guests at other people's weddings, and sometimes they are just conferring seals on behalf of the Zen recipients. There is such a story: Chu Zui, the son of Sikong Chu Yuan in the late Song Dynasty, went to visit his uncle Chu Zheng. Zheng asked: Where is Sikong today? Ben replied: Feng Xifu is at the gate of Qi Da Sima (Xiao Daocheng). Zheng said unhappily: "I don't know if your family is Sikong, so what does it mean to treat one family with another?" ("Southern History: Biography of Chu Yuzhi") They ignored the change of dynasty, because it would not affect the change of dynasty. their status and honor. "Book of the Southern Qi·Chu Yuan·Wang Jian's Biography" states: "Since it is the relationship between monarchs and ministers (referring to the Wei and Jin Dynasties), it only leads to false reputations. Noble officials and qualifications all come from the door. If you make progress with the flow and become a high official, you will know the feeling of martyrdom for the country. Because of heaven, the desire to protect the family is urgent. The city and the dynasty are in urgent need of favor. Although the mausoleum is different, Gu Xiao is the same. "The killings among the emperors in the Southern Dynasty and the indifference of the powerful families to the political situation were just the result of political struggles and corruption at that time. of different performances.
Emperor Wu of Liang’s coordinated policies Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan, was the royal family of Southern Qi. His father Xiao Shunzhi made great contributions in the process of Xiao Daocheng's reign in the Song Dynasty. During the massacre of the clan by Emperor Ming of the Southern Qi Dynasty, Shunzhi's family was not killed.
Xiao Yan is Xiao Shunzhi’s third son. History calls him "erudite, good at planning, and capable of civil and military affairs" ("Southern History Liang Benji"). He made friends with Xiao Ziliang, was a leader among the "Eight Friends", and was quite influential among officials. During the reign of Donghun Hou, "Nine times were prospered by internal difficulties and three by external invaders" (Book of Liang: Chronicles of Emperor Wu, Part 1). Xiao Yan saw that the Qi Dynasty would not rule for long, and he was determined to replace it. He made great preparations in secret in Xiangyang, "lurking to make equipment, cutting down a lot of bamboo and wood, sinking it in Tanxi River, and secretly making boat equipment" ("Southern History Liang Benji I", the same below). In the winter of the second year of Yongyuan (501), Xiao Yan raised his troops in Xiangyang, "that day he built a tooth, and sent out Tanxi bamboo and wood barges, and held a grand event in ten days." Because the rule of the Southern Qi Dynasty was so decadent at that time that it completely lost the support of the people, Xiao Ziliang, the king of Jingling, opened his west residence and recruited literary scholars, including Xiao Yan, Wang Rong, Xiao Chen, Fan Yun, Ren Fang, and Lu Jue. , Shen Yue, and Xie Tiao gathered among them, and they were named "Eight Friends".
After the army was raised, "those who are willing to follow will be given 5,000 iron horses and 30,000 soldiers." After more than two years, Qi Jianliang was finally abolished.
Emperor Wu of Liang ruled for nearly half a century (502-548) and was the longest reigning emperor among the emperors of the Southern Dynasties. His rule can be divided into two major periods. The rule in the early period was relatively stable. "Historical Records of Liang·Zan of Emperor Wu" said: "In the thirty or forty years, it was prosperous. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it has not been possible." However, in his later years, the affairs of the people were favored, and the politics also declined. Unclear.
Among the emperors of the Southern Dynasties, Emperor Wu of Liang could be regarded as an emperor who worked hard to govern. Before he proclaimed himself emperor, he had worked in grassroots political institutions for some years, had some political experience, and had heard and witnessed Qi Mo's corrupt rule. Therefore, after taking the throne, most of the policies implemented were beneficial to Liang's political stability and economic recovery and development. Emperor Wu of Liang paid great attention to the contradiction between the powerful families and the poor families within the ruling class, and adopted a conciliatory policy in employment. On the one hand, he resorted to re-employing people in the family to maintain and expand their political status, making these people a supporting force for stabilizing the regime. At the same time, we also pay attention to talented and knowledgeable people from poor families and appoint them to important positions.
For example, Zhu Yi, whom he trusted very much, "read all over the Five Classics, especially the Ming Dynasty and the Book of Changes" ("The Biography of Zhu Yi in Southern History"), came from a poor family. It was Emperor Wu of Liang's basic policy to select officials by paying equal attention to both wealthy and poor families.
Emperor Wu of Liang believed that the turmoil in the Song and Qi Dynasties was caused by the emperor's excessive strictness. He tried to be kind to others. Within the royal family, he wanted to replace fratricide with flesh-and-blood love. He had no children in his early years and adopted his nephew Xiao Zhengde as his heir. Later, Xiao Tong was born, and Xiao Zhengde was returned. Xiao Zhengde changed from the natural successor of the emperor to an ordinary prince. He was so angry that he actually led Wei to attack Liang. Later Xiao Zhengde fled back from Wei. Emperor Wu of Liang not only did not punish the crime, but also did not blame him at all. Emperor Wu of Liang was also very tolerant towards his brothers. His sixth brother, Xiao Hong, "had sex with money. One million dollars was collected, and the yellow label was marked. Ten million was a treasury, and one purple label was hung. In this way, there were more than thirty rooms" ("The Biography of Wang Hong of Liang Linchuan in Southern History" 》). He originally thought Xiao Hong was hiding weapons, but when he saw it was just property, he praised him for his ability to accumulate wealth. Emperor Wu of Liang also ordered Cai Fadu to delete Dinglang as the minister and formulate the "Liang Code". Later, the minister Ling Wang Liang, the minister Fan Yun, the minister Pushe Shen Yue and others were ordered to revise it. The Song and Qi Dynasties only followed the Jin law without creating anything, and now began to have relatively complete criminal laws. However, the "Liang Code" "is eager for the common people and slows down for the powerful" ("Sui Shu·Criminal Law"), and has almost no restrictions on official crimes.
These measures taken by Emperor Wu of Liang to coordinate the internal conflicts of the ruling class were of great importance to maintaining the stability of the ruling class. The internal unity of the ruling group cannot be said to have any effect, but "eagerness for the common people" finally aroused dissatisfaction among the people; "slowness for the powerful" made the ruling group lawless, and finally led to bad results. These contradictions have not yet intensified, and the situation remains politically unstable.