After all the matters related to the national funeral were handled and Emperor Shizong was buried, the new emperor Liu Weizhen who succeeded to the throne in front of the coffin just returned to the court. With the support of his ministers, he ascended the throne of Xijing on the seventh day of March in the following year (1042), the day of Jiaqing Festival.
Palace, reformed the Yuan orthodoxy, and granted amnesty to the world.
It is worth mentioning that Liu Weizhen was the one who delayed the longest among the previous emperors of the Han Empire in enthroning the throne, with an interval of nearly half a year. During these six months, the new emperor concentrated on mourning and observing filial piety, while the country
Major events were all in the hands of the Prime Minister Jianlong of the Qian dynasty, led by the "troika" of King Xu Liu Yao, Shangshu Ling Du Yan and Shangshu Li Zhaoxian.
From this interval of accession to the throne, we can also see that when the empire welcomes a new emperor, what will be the political structure of the empire and what will its direction be?
At the same time, it was also the general amnesty in the first year of Zhengtong that made the "prisoner camp" completely a thing of the past in the Han Empire. The number of prisoners who once numbered hundreds of thousands and the accompanying prisoner camp were changed by Taizong and Kangzong.
, the three dynasties of King Sejong, it took half a century for them to be completely eradicated in the Orthodox Era. This was also the first "system of King Sejong" to be completely abolished.
The direct impact was that the Han Empire no longer had a labor force that could be used at will according to the legal system. For related projects using labor, the court had to spend a large amount of extra money every year.
At the same time, after the elimination of a crime and garbage shelter, and the further rise of the so-called "rule of benevolence", the security situation in the empire began to deteriorate again. Crimes multiplied, the crime rate increased, and social unrest and people's unrest intensified simultaneously.
Of course, it is not without any benefits. At least there are no "benevolent people" in the government and the opposition to criticize this matter. On the contrary, many people are singing praises for it. After all, this can be regarded as the "rule of law" that has penetrated deeply into the spinal cord of the empire and is rooted in the national system.
In this general environment, there are signs and signs of the resurgence of "benevolent governance".
For example, a professor named Kong Yanfu in the University of Political Science and Law lamented, "Your Majesty is benevolent and sage, and from now on there will be no more prisoners in the world." Kong Yanfu, whose surname can be traced back to his origin, was also known in the intellectual circles of the empire.
He is considered a celebrity. After all, being a professor at the University of Political Science and Law always has the advantage. Of course, the more famous one is his brother Kong Daofu, who was the highest official to the Minister of Rites during his lifetime. He was also a famous official in the Jianlong Dynasty.
The Kong family in Qufu, since the so-called "Kong Renyu Resurgence", has actually been in a state of suppression during the ancestral dynasty. At the time of its greatest decline, the aura of the saint was almost completely deprived. This was also the development and growth of various theories and schools in the empire during the Kaibao era.
One of the backgrounds.
However, the Kong family has been passed down for thousands of years and has continued to be popular. It has its own internal reasons and principles of life. Emperor Shizu did not have the idea of completely eradicating it. Therefore, after concentrating on studying and cultivating his hopes, after lying dormant for forty years, it began to rise again in the Yongxi Dynasty.
, after the Jianlong Dynasty and Emperor Sejong's great promotion of civil rule, the Qufu Kong family had once again stood on the core stage of the empire's ideological and cultural circles.
When the orthodox emperor Liu Weizhen succeeded to the throne, Kong became more active and active, actively moved closer to the imperial power, actively engaged in politics, and sharpened his head to infiltrate the court.
After all, it is really not easy for the Kong family. Some schools have ushered in the spring as early as the Taizong era (such as Xiangjiang, Suiyang, Songyang, Min schools, etc.), but they have been dormant for forty years, revived for forty years, and become orthodox.
It was only during the emperor's era that we really held our heads high. After becoming a saint, how had I ever suffered such grievances?
From the gradual revival of the Kong family, we can also see some characteristics of the orthodox era. The civil rule promoted by Emperor Sejong, aside from the dazzling tricks, is essentially based on the "rule of law", and starting from the first year of orthodoxy
, the civil governance of the Han Empire inevitably compromised to "benevolent governance".
Of course, regardless of the rule of law or the rule of benevolence, it is fundamentally the rule of man, and the fundamental purpose is to maintain the stability of imperial power and the rule of the empire.
Unlike Emperor Kangzong, Liu Weizhen, the grandson of the emperor, does seem mediocre, not even as heroic and spiritual as Kangzong during his Qianlong period. If he hadn't been born there, it would be hard to imagine that such an ordinary person could become the emperor of an empire that ruled all directions.
.
Of course, I have to say that being short-witted does not mean being mentally retarded. Liu Weizhen is still a normal person and cannot be compared with a weirdo like Sima Zhong. However, against the backdrop of such a dazzling position as the Emperor of the Han Empire, he naturally seems ordinary.
Even mediocre.
However, Liu Weizhen had a certain quality that Emperor Shizong saw correctly. He was honest and did not give in. The old lady Zhang Jian also saw it correctly. He could listen to what others said, but his ears were a bit soft.
Although from the beginning of his accession to the throne, the ministerial authority that had been suppressed by Emperor Sejong for 16 years since the eighth year of Jianlong began to slowly rise again, Liu Weizhen was considered a powerful emperor throughout his entire reign, but his authority was far from the same as that of his predecessors.
Zun Ancestor is so powerful, but his control over the court officials is relatively weak.
The Orthodox Era was, for a long time, a continuation of the Jianlong Era. The entire empire, from top to bottom, from national policies to institutions, was the same as Emperor Sejong.
And this continuity, whether it was due to respect for Emperor Sejong or the emperor himself was mediocre, at least extended the peak period of the Han Empire by a few years. However, as the helmsman of the empire, he lacked the skills of the late emperor.
With keen insight and excellent coordination, as time goes by, it is almost impossible to move forward as smoothly as before.
It has to be said that Emperor Sejong's view of Liu Weizhen was accurate. He was indeed not a troubled emperor. Throughout his life, he did not build palaces or wonders. He was not frugal, but he was not too extravagant and wasteful. He also refused.
Courtiers requested local contributions.
However, as an emperor, there is no lack of enjoyment, especially in terms of female sex, there are hundreds of beauties in the harem, and in terms of material life, the wealth accumulated by the Shaofu in the past hundred years is enough to provide for him.
On the other hand, throughout Liu Weizhen's entire reign, he did not conduct any in-depth inspections with political intentions. Only in the middle period, due to food shortages in Luoyang, he lived in Tokyo for a few years and sent important ministers to patrol the local areas.
Do it often.
Liu Weizhen's attitude towards the profession of emperor has always been consistent: I sit in court with peace of mind, and all the princes govern the country with loyalty. The Chongzheng Hall in Ziwei City has not been renamed, but Liu Weizhen is indeed ruling from the top.
Governing from the top is not as simple as it appears on the surface. At least the basic authority must be controlled and the emperor's majesty must be maintained. What Liu Weizhen insists on is that if the country is well governed, there will be rewards. If problems arise, then accountability will also be required.
necessary.
Liu Weizhen was not without a bottom line. For example, when the ministers reached out to the Second Division of Wude in the Imperial City again, he resolutely defended it. He would not recognize his relatives and would not listen to anyone. Just because of the teachings of Emperor Sejong in his last days, this Second Division was
The emperor's underwear is the most powerful weapon for the emperor to control the situation of the court. It must not be allowed to be interfered with by others, nor can it be out of control.
The orthodox emperor obviously remembered his grandfather's teachings and even carried them forward, which made the presence of the Imperial City and Wude Division continue to strengthen again after King Sejong's later years.
This also led to the first direct confrontation between the inner court and the outer court in the Zhengtong Dynasty since the founding of the People's Republic of China. This confrontation was also long-term and lasted almost throughout Liu Weizhen's entire reign.
Although in the mid-term, Liu Weizhen was pressured by ministers and dismissed Shi Quanbin, Chen Wei and other powerful officials, the power and influence of the "Eunuch Party" remained, and the enthusiasm of ministers to fight against the Eunuch Party remained.
The orthodox era was also an era of major changes in the thinking and politics of the Han Empire. With the fire of civilization burning and schools of thought blooming, many schools inevitably came to an end and faced a kind of shackles, including seeking truth,
Xiangxue, which is famous for its tolerance.
It is also in this environment that "Neo-Confucianism", represented by the great thinker and educator Zhang Zai, which combines Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and many miscellaneous studies, is still slowly rising. Of course, the Neo-Confucianism of the Han Dynasty is authentic
The study of Tao to protect the law, govern the country, and educate the people are essentially the study of governance.
As for politics, it created a power structure in which nobles and common people took turns to "take the throne". This was reflected in the background of successive ministers, until the two sides gradually merged in constant conflicts and compromises.
In the final analysis, whether they are aristocratic groups or common people bureaucrats, they are essentially powerful people and the ruling class of the Han Empire. The space for reconciliation of conflicts of interests is much wider than that of the upper and lower classes.
Even from the historical perspective of the entire Han Empire, the Orthodox Era is still an era of continuity. In addition to continuing the glorious achievements of the three generations of rule (Shizu, Taizong, Shizong, and Kangzong were ruthlessly eliminated), the empire also
It is inevitable to reach an inflection point, a downward turning point.
This is an era when problems breed and conflicts arise. The shortcomings of the system and national diseases, without the suppression and adjustment of a strong emperor, are inevitably exposed and gradually become more serious.
As people with lofty ideals who have come all the way from the previous era, they cannot sit idly by. In order to maintain the glory of the late emperor's foundation, they have also made efforts and put them into action. For example, a group of people represented by Fan Zhongyan who have emerged in the
Famous ministers and prime ministers in the Jianlong era.