Author: Xu Yunhui
One day in 713, Lu Huaishen, a Yellow Gate Attendant (adjutant of Menxia Province), who was presiding over the examination and selection of officials in the eastern capital Luoyang, received an edict from Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to "Grant Lu Huaishen the Pingzhang Affair System": he was "virtuous and simple, filial piety and benevolence" for a long time. The measure is deeper than the rivers and seas, and the strength of Chiang Mai is in the ice and snow..." And was appointed as the prime minister, and immediately returned to the western capital Chang'an to take up his post.
Lu Huaishen, a high-ranking official who was later ridiculed by the people of the time as the "prime minister of food", was he a middle-aged greasy man with a vegetarian diet, a sleek and sophisticated official old fritter, or a good prime minister who was diligent and for the people?
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > (i) advises Emperor Zhongzong</h1>
Lu Huaishen was "extraordinary" in his childhood, and was praised by his father's friends as "immeasurable!" He was "a young and prudent man, a soldier, and a former superintendent of imperial history and a member of the bureaucracy." ”
After the "Shenlong Coup" in 705, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang was restored to the throne as emperor, and his 82-year-old mother Wu Zetian was raised at Shangyang Palace. Wu Zetian was powerless to return to heaven, so he had to "command the emperor for ten days and one dynasty."
Lu Huaishen, who was serving as an imperial attendant at the time, advised: "In the past, Han Gaozu was called emperor, and every five days he went to see taigong in the Liyu official court, because he ascended to the throne as a cloth, 'the son has the world, and the honor belongs to the father', so he did this!" Your Majesty, if you follow the law and inherit the imperial system, why should you emulate Han Gaozu? And the Shangyang Palace is only about two miles away from the palace, and the horse cannot be lined up, and the car cannot be parallel. In case someone rushes into the Holy Driver, it will be too late to repent! The courtiers dared to request His Majesty that the Empress Dowager be taken to the Inner Dynasty (the place where the Emperor handled political affairs and rested) to be raised, and it was also convenient for His Majesty to ask for peace in the morning and evening, and to greet him warmly. Tang Zhongzong did not adopt it for various reasons.
A few years later, after Lu Huaishen was promoted to the post of Right Emperor Taichung, he "made three propositions based on chen shizheng's gains and losses": Officials at all levels must be at least four years old before they can be promoted, rewarding the superior and punishing the inferior; letting go of the use of foreign officials with outstanding talents to serve in local areas and have their political achievements examined by the imperial court; all former officials who were dismissed for corruption and accepted the punishment of dismissal for less than ten years will not be hired! Tang Zhuangzong smiled coldly and gave this hot-blooded young man a scoop of cold water, "Loose music is not accepted." ”
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > (ii) is not afraid of the strong</h1>
After Tang Ruizong ascended the throne, he was extremely dissatisfied with the chaotic political arena of "the end of Emperor Zhongzong, the use of affairs by Misfortune, the confusion of elections, and the lack of restoration of the program discipline", and appointed Song Jing as the official Shangshu to rectify the civil officials, and Yao Chong, as the Shangshu of the Bingbu To govern the military circles. Mr. Lu was appointed as a military attendant (equivalent to deputy defense minister) and participated in the cleansing of the chaotic military attaché election system. He "did not fear the strong (the powerful)" and strictly evaluated more than 10,000 officers, leaving only about 2,000 officers with real talent and practical learning. After the news was released, "people obey their justice." When Song Jing achieved the results of civilian rectification, "Wu Xuan also ruled." ”
Lu Huaishen took one step at a time, "Tired of the Yellow Gate Waiter, give the knight Yuyang Bo." After he returned to Chang'an to serve as prime minister, he wholeheartedly assisted Zhongshu, who was known as the "Prime Minister of Saving Time", to make Yao Chong handle government affairs.
Shortly after acting as the Huangmen Supervisor (Tang Xuanzong changed the name of the province to Huangmen Province, and his chief servant was the Huangmen Supervisor), he encountered a difficult case: King Xue's uncle Wang Xiantong relied on his power to abuse the people, and after yushi verified it, he was impeached and asked for punishment. King Xue interceded with Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and falsely accused Yu Shi of framing his uncle out of nothing. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ordered Menxia Province to verify it again. After Lu Huaishen and Yao Chong's investigation was clearly implemented, they held the table together to support YuShi: "The crime of fairy children is very clear! If the imperial history is suspicious, how can it be trusted! Tang Xuanzong then ordered the case to be closed. After Wang Xiantong was dealt with, the arrogance of the imperial relatives and relatives was reduced.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > (iii) accompanied by food prime minister</h1>
Lu Huaishen loves his post so much and dedicates himself to his work, why is he still ridiculed as a "food companion prime minister"?
The Old Book of Tang records that when Lu Huaishen and Yao Chong were in charge of the imperial government together, "HuaiShen thought that the official Dao was inferior to Chong, and everything was pushed and shoved, and people sometimes called it 'accompanying the prime minister.'" The New Book of Tang Yun: "Huai Shen thinks that he is not as talented as chong, and the stories are pushed rather than specialized, and he is ridiculed as 'accompanying the prime minister'." ”
"Accompanied by food prime minister" is definitely a derogatory term.
But if you carefully taste the origin of the nickname, this nickname happens to be a good name for Lu Huaishen. "Thinking that the official is inferior to Chong" and "Thinking that he is not as good as Chong" are enough to prove that Lu Huaishen's ability to handle government affairs is inferior to Yao Chong's, which is not recognized by the courtiers, but Lu Huaishen's humble self-knowledge.
As we all know, Zhongshu Ling of the Tang Dynasty was the chief chancellor and ranked first among the governors of the three provinces. In other words, Lu Huaishen was essentially just a vice chancellor. Therefore, Lu Huaishen's ceding the main approval power to Yao Chong, who ranked first, is precisely the smartest approach.
In addition, the New Book of Tang clearly states that what Lu Huai cautiously gives in and does not arbitrarily is not "everything (everything)" but "story (old things, precedents)". Therefore, what Lu Huaishen gave to Yao Chong was just a "story" of routine procedures. Otherwise, with the wisdom of Tang Xuanzong, how could a full-day official old fritter and a middle-aged greasy man eat vegetarian food in the middle of the court!
Another incident is more enough to prove this point: after Lu Huaishen officially served as the Yellow Gate Supervisor and concurrently served as the official Shangshu, Yao Chong' resignation for more than ten days because of his son's funeral. Zhongshu Province's lack of leaders has led to a mountain of government affairs. "Cautious cannot be decided", sincerely fearful and sincerely asking Tang Xuanzong for guilt. Tang Xuanzong comforted him: "Yuanben is entrusting the affairs of the world to Yao Chong. As for you, it is enough to hope that you will play a soothing role in the layman! It can be seen how accurate Lu Huaishen's thinking about the emperor and his position is.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > (4) honesty</h1>
Lu Huaishen was in a high position and adhered to his honest and frugal nature. He gave all of his gifts and rewards to the relatives of the deceased, so he had no money to buy real estate, "and the clothes were not decorated with gold and jade, although they were expensive and his wife was cold and hungry." At the beginning, when he went to Dongdu to evaluate officials, "the equipment of the body was stopped as a cloth bag." ”
Once, he was sick in bed. When colleagues Song Jing and Lu Congyi went to visit him, they found that his house was so shabby that it was "open and single, and the door was not foiled (wide grass mats were thin grass mats, and the door was not hung with grass curtains)". After talking for a while, when the wind and rain were blowing, Lu Huaishen had to get up and use the straw mat as a curtain to resist the wind and rain. He enthusiastically retained the dinner that the guests ate, and there was only "steamed beans and two utensils, and the number of dishes." ”
Before leaving, Lu Huaishen clasped their hands and instructed: "Although the emperor has been working hard to govern, he has now slackened off. I'm worried that some villains will take advantage of the opportunity to enter the rumors! I hope that the Prince will do his best to assist the King! In a word, Tang Xuanzong's later years gradually neglected the government and favored the traitors, which led to the outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion, resulting in the decline of the Tang Dynasty.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > (5) recommended the death of Xianxian</h1>
In April 716, Lu Huaishen, due to his aggravated illness, pleaded with him and was approved.
During his convalescence, Lu Huai cautiously worried about state affairs and forced his sick body, "pushing Song Jing ("shi shi is a minister of the society"), Li Jie ("the material of dry time, the consensus of the people") Li Chao ("the dedication in matters, the festival of the people's subjects"), Lu Congxian ("concise talent, rare to get"),and the bright time heavy instrument, the saint of the good minister... Look forward to the record, gradually add to the use. Tang Xuanzong was moved to tears, "Deeply accepted." ”
After completing the important task of recommending the sage to the country, in November of the same year, Lu Huaishen was cautious and uncertain. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang posthumously made him the Governor of Jingzhou, with the courtesy name Wencheng.
Although Lu Huaishen enjoyed high honors, the factors came to be incorruptible, so "and the funeral, the family has no reserves." The courtiers complained for him, and Tang Xuanzong, who was about to tour the eastern capital Luoyang, said: "Huai Shen is loyal to the Qing, always on the straight road, and does not add you tin (gift), and there is no way to persuade good." Emperor Xuanzong of Tang specially approved "giving him 100 pieces of household goods and 200 pieces of rice millet" to solve the urgent need.
One day after Tang Xuanzong returned to Beijing, when he was taking people hunting, he passed by Lu Huaishen's house, and in the distance he saw that the small and simple Lu Huaishen's family was busy in and out, so he "asked the envoy." The messenger replied that Lu Huaishen's family was holding a ceremony for him (the second anniversary of his death). Emperor Xuanzong of Tang "pitied the poor and gave them a hundred horses of silk" and ordered the hunting to be stopped. When passing through Lu Huaishen's cemetery, Tang Xuanzong saw that Lu Huaishen's tomb was not erected, and he stopped to look at it, and he wept bitterly, and the official was a monument." He ordered the Zhongshu attendant Su Yongcao to write an inscription and write it himself to show his remembrance.
Cui Qun, the chancellor of the middle and late Tang Dynasty, spoke highly of yao chong, Song Jing, and Lu Huaishen、...... Then rule, the use of Yu Wenrong, Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong is chaotic, so the use of people to gain and lose, the relationship is not light. ”
Sima Guang commented on Yao Chong in the Zizhi Tongjian and said of Lu Huaishen: "Chong, the sage of Tang, Huaishen fought with him with one heart and one mind to build the government of emperor Taiping of Jiming." ”
In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Wang Fu sang in the historical treatise "Reading through the Classics": "In the world of Kaiyuan, the three prime ministers who are in the position of Qingzhen are: Song Jing is clean and vigorous, Lu Huai is cautious and cautious, Zhang Jiuling is clear and harmonious, far-reaching, absolutely profitable, standing in the Tang Dynasty for more than three hundred years, and the imperial court knows that there is shame, the world is based on peace, the prosperity of Kaiyuan, Han and Song are invincible!" ”
Therefore, Lu Huaishen is not the "companion of the prime minister" of the corpse vegetarian meal, but the "clean and cautious" prime minister left by Qing Shi.
【About the author】Xu Yunhui, male, graduated from the Department of Chinese of Yunnan Normal University in 1984 and is now a senior lecturer at Baoshan No.1 Middle School Education Group in Yunnan Province. He has published two monographs and published more than 600,000 words in literary journals at or above the provincial level.
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