Han Shizu

Chapter 2177 Renzong Chapter 1 The Orthodox Era
After all matters of national mourning were settled and Emperor Shizong's funeral was over, the new emperor Liu Weizhen, who succeeded to the throne in front of the coffin, returned to the court. With the support of his ministers, he ascended the throne in Qianyuan Hall in Xijing on the seventh day of March of the following year (1042), the day of Jiaqing Festival, changed the reign title to Zhengtong, and issued a general amnesty.

It is worth mentioning that Liu Weizhen was the one who took the longest time to ascend the throne among all the emperors of the Han Empire, with a gap of nearly half a year. During this half year, the new emperor was devoted to mourning and mourning, while state affairs were in the hands of the prime ministers of Jianlong, mainly the "troika" of Prince Xu Liu Yao, Minister of the Chancellery Du Yan and Minister of Personnel Li Zhaoxian.

From this interval between enthronements, we can also see what the political structure and direction of the empire will be like when a new emperor arrives.

At the same time, it was this general amnesty in the first year of the Zhengtong era that made the "prisoner camp" completely a thing of the past in the Han Empire. The prisoner camp system, which once numbered hundreds of thousands of prisoners, was not completely eradicated until the Zhengtong era, a full half century after the reigns of Taizong, Kangzong, and Shizong. This was also the first "system of Emperor Shizu" to be completely abolished.

The direct impact was that the Han Empire no longer had labor that it could use at will legally, and the court had to spend a large amount of extra money and grain every year for related labor projects.

At the same time, after eliminating a crime and garbage shelter, and after the so-called "rule of benevolence" further rose, the security situation in the empire began to fluctuate again, crimes multiplied, crime rates rose, social unrest and people's livelihood insecurity intensified simultaneously.
Of course, it was not without benefits. At least no "benevolent people" in the government or the opposition criticized this matter. On the contrary, many people sang praises for it. After all, this was also a sign and a symbol of the resurgence of "benevolent rule" in the context of "rule of law" having penetrated the spine of the empire and taken root in the national system.

For example, a professor named Kong Yanfu in the Political Science and Law University expressed his feelings about this: "Your Majesty is benevolent and wise, and there will be no more prisoners in the world from now on." Kong Yanfu, whose family name tells us where he came from, was also a celebrity in the academic circles of the empire. After all, being a professor in the Political Science and Law University meant that he was quite capable. Of course, his brother Kong Daofu was even more famous. He once served as the Minister of Rites and was also a famous official in the Jianlong Dynasty.

Since the so-called "Kong Renyu's Restoration", the Kong family of Qufu has actually been in a state of suppression during the reign of Emperor Shizu. At the lowest point in their decline, the halo of saints was almost completely stripped away. This was also one of the backgrounds for the development and growth of various schools and doctrines in the empire during the Kaibao era.

However, the Kong family had been passed down for thousands of years and the incense had never ceased to be burned out. There must be internal reasons and principles for this, and Emperor Shizu had no intention of completely eradicating it. Therefore, after devoting themselves to academic research and cultivating their reputation and lying dormant for forty years, they began to rise again in the Yongxi period. By the time of the Jianlong period, when Emperor Shizong promoted the rule of culture, the Kong family of Qufu had once again stood at the core stage of the empire's ideological and cultural circles.

When Emperor Zhengtong Liu Weizhen ascended the throne, the Kong family became more active and proactive. They actively moved closer to the imperial power, actively engaged in politics, and tried their best to get into the court.

After all, it was not easy for the Kong family. Some schools of thought had already ushered in their spring in the reign of Emperor Taizong (such as Xiangjiang, Suiyang, Songyang, Fujian, etc.), while they lay dormant for forty years and revived for forty years, and only in the reign of the orthodox emperor did they really raise their heads and stand tall. As the descendants of a saint, how could they have suffered such injustice?
The gradual revival of the Confucius family also reveals some characteristics of the Zhengtong era. The civil governance promoted by Emperor Shizong, apart from those dazzling tricks, is essentially based on "rule of law". Starting from the first year of Zhengtong, the civil governance of the Han Empire inevitably compromised with "benevolent governance".

Of course, whether it is rule by law or rule by benevolence, it is fundamentally rule by man, and its fundamental purpose is to maintain the stability of imperial power and the rule of the empire.

Unlike Emperor Kangzong, the Crown Prince Liu Weizhen does look mediocre. He is not even as wise and intelligent as Emperor Kangzong was during his latent period. If he had not been born there, it would be hard to imagine that such an ordinary person could become the emperor of an empire that rules over all.

Of course, it must be said that short intelligence does not mean mental retardation. Liu Weizhen is still a normal person, and he cannot be compared with a freak like Sima Zhong. However, compared with the brilliant position of the emperor of the Han Empire, he naturally looks ordinary or even mediocre.

However, Liu Weizhen has one peculiarity, and Emperor Shizong is also right in his judgment. He is honest and does not make trouble. The old Taifu Zhang Jian is also right in his judgment and can listen to others, but he is a little soft-hearted.
Although the power of ministers, which had been suppressed by Emperor Shizong for sixteen years since the eighth year of Jianlong, began to rise again from the beginning of his reign, Liu Weizhen was a powerful emperor throughout his entire reign. It was just that his authority was far from as strong as that of his ancestors, and his control over the court and officials was relatively weak.

For a long period of time, the Zhengtong era was a continuation of the Jianlong era. The entire empire, from top to bottom, from national policies to systems, was based on Emperor Sejong's system.

Whether this continuity was out of respect for Emperor Shizong or because the emperor himself was mediocre, it at least extended the peak period of the Han Empire for a few years. However, as the helmsman of the empire, he lacked the keen insight and excellent coordination of the previous emperor. As time went by, it was almost impossible for him to move forward as smoothly as before.

It must be said that Emperor Shizong's view of Liu Weizhen was accurate. He could not be considered a restless emperor. Throughout his life, he never built palaces or constructed any wonders. He was not frugal, but he was not overly extravagant either. He also rejected local contributions proposed by court officials.

However, as an emperor, he enjoyed all the enjoyments he should have, especially in terms of women. There were hundreds of beauties in his harem. As for material life, the wealth accumulated by the Shaofu over the past hundred years was enough to provide for him.

On the other hand, throughout his entire reign, Liu Weizhen never conducted any in-depth inspections with political intentions. Only in the middle period, due to food shortages in Luoyang, did he live in Tokyo for a few years. He did often send important ministers and prime ministers to inspect local areas.

Liu Weizhen was always consistent in his attitude towards the profession of emperor: I sit in the court with peace of mind, and you all govern the country with loyalty. The Chongzheng Hall in Ziwei City has not been renamed, but Liu Weizhen is indeed ruling the country with ease.

"Governing by doing nothing" is not as simple as it appears literally. At least the basic authority must be mastered and the majesty of the emperor must be maintained. Liu Weizhen insisted that if the country is well governed, there will be rewards, and if there are problems, then accountability is also necessary.

Liu Weizhen was not without a bottom line. For example, when the ministers once again reached out to the Imperial City and Wude Departments, he resolutely defended them and refused to listen to anyone. This was because Emperor Shizong taught him in his last days that these two departments were the emperor's underwear and the most powerful weapon for the emperor to control the government. He would never allow others to interfere or lose control.

Emperor Zhengtong obviously remembered his grandfather's teachings and even developed them further, which made the presence of the Imperial City and Wude Departments further strengthened after the later years of Emperor Sejong.

This also led to the first direct confrontation between the inner court and the outer court since the founding of the country during the Zhengtong period. This confrontation was also long-term, lasting almost throughout Liu Weizhen's entire reign.

Although in the middle period, Liu Weizhen was forced to dismiss powerful eunuchs such as Shi Quanbin and Chen Wei under pressure from ministers, the power and influence of the "Eunuch Party" remained, and the ministers' enthusiasm to fight against the Eunuch Party remained.

The Zhengtong era was also an era of great changes in the thought and politics of the Han Empire. With the fire of civilization burning and a hundred schools of thought flourishing, many schools of thought inevitably came to an end and faced a kind of shackles, including the Xiang School, which was known for its pragmatism and tolerance.

It was in this environment that the "Neo-Confucianism" represented by the great thinker and educator Zhang Zai, which combined Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and many other miscellaneous studies, gradually rose. Of course, the Neo-Confucianism of the Han Dynasty was a study of protecting the law, governing the country, educating the people, and in essence, a study of ruling.

As for politics, it opened up a power structure in which the nobles and the commoners took turns to be in charge. This was reflected in the backgrounds of successive Shangshu Ling, until the two sides gradually merged after constant conflicts and compromises.

After all, whether it is the aristocratic group or the commoner bureaucrats, they are essentially powerful and the ruling class of the Han Empire. The room for reconciliation of conflicts of interest is much wider than that of the upper and lower classes.

Even from the perspective of the entire history of the Han Empire, the Zhengtong era is still an era that connects the past and the future. While continuing the brilliant achievements of the three generations of rule (Shizu, Taizong, Shizong, Kangzong was ruthlessly eliminated from the ranks), the empire inevitably ushered in a turning point, a turning point of decline.

This was an era when problems multiplied and contradictions emerged. Without a strong emperor to suppress and adjust them, the shortcomings of the system and the country's illnesses were inevitably exposed and gradually became more serious.

As the people of noble character and lofty ideals who have come all the way from the previous era, they could not sit idly by. In order to maintain the glory of the foundation laid by the previous emperor, they also made efforts and put them into action. For example, a group of famous ministers and prime ministers who rose in the Jianlong era were represented by Fan Zhongyan.

(End of this chapter)