1. The continuous expansion of the middle and early Tang Dynasty, the pressure of border troubles was too great, and the large-scale use of troops abroad continued. [China's traditional economic and fiscal and tax structure cannot support an empire that is too large, either sacrificing efficiency or stability.
2. In terms of the fiscal and taxation system, due to the expansion of the region, the location of military service is too far away, resulting in the collapse of the prefectural military system, which originally had less financial and military pressure on the central government, the establishment of the conscription system, the general and the soldier get along for a long time, and form an interest group.
3. At that time, the technical conditions were backward, and in order to improve efficiency and gain superiority in foreign wars, the central authorities were forced to delegate some power to the envoys of Jiedushi, and the envoys of Jiedu gradually grasped the military power, the financial power, the personnel power, the right to supervise, and so on.
4. Emperor Xuanzong was not a confused emperor, and basically formed two major military groups in the northeast and northwest that mutually restricted each other, and at the same time, in the appointment of generals, he pursued three no's: soon to be appointed, not concurrently, and not remotely led [only An Lushan broke through these principles], basically forming a relatively balanced situation.
5. However, over time, the system was deformed and the interests of generals and soldiers alienated. The interests of the soldiers were entangled, and sometimes the generals were kidnapped, typical of the three towns in Hebei. Generals need to use the authority of the imperial court to restrain soldiers, and the imperial court also needs to rely on generals to restrain soldiers. From The beginning of Tang Suzong to Tang Xianzong, the central government has been trying to rebuild the central authority, but the effect is not ideal. Later emperors had no power to change, forming a situation in which the central government, the feudal towns, and the soldiers also balanced each other, which was able to maintain the national fortunes of the Tang Dynasty for more than one hundred and fifty years after the Anshi Rebellion.
Two problems in Chinese history have not been solved for thousands of years: one is the relationship between the central and local governments, and the other is the problem of the heir to the highest power, which has not been handled well for thousands of years. It was not until the Ming and Qing dynasties that a temporary stability was exchanged for sacrificing vitality, and a super-steady structure was established that suffocated the localities and people, and eventually the empire slowly died in this system.
Such problems are still faced. How to maximize the enthusiasm of local and non-governmental organizations under the premise of safeguarding the authority of the central authorities and maintaining national unity has always been a key issue. There is a small detail in this round of institutional reform that many people may not notice: the merger of national land taxes, which will have far-reaching effects.
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