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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
There are always some puzzling people and events in history. Xu Jingzong, the official who laughed at the funeral of Empress Changsun and was rude in front of Li Shimin's Zi Palace, should have been severely punished a long time ago.
Surprisingly, however, not only was he not deposed, but was reused, and he eventually rose to a high position in the imperial court. What's going on here?
What kind of background and strength did he have to stand tall in front of everyone? What kind of unknown secrets are hidden behind Xu Jingzong?
Talent is high and eight buckets: Xu Jingzong's brilliant life beginning
In 607 A.D., in a scholarly door in Hangzhou, south of the Yangtze River, a baby who was destined to leave a strong mark in history fell to the ground. This child is Xu Jingzong, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty in the future.
The Xu family has been a scholar for generations and is famous for their moral articles. Xu Jingzong's grandfather moved his family to Jiangnan when he was "dressed in the south" and took root in Hangzhou. In such a family background, the young Xu Jingzong naturally bathed in the atmosphere of poetry, books, rituals and music.
As he grew older, Xu Jingzong's talent sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. He was well-read and knowledgeable, and could be called the "encyclopedia" of his time.
Whether it is a subset of classics and history, or astronomy and geography, Xu Jingzong can tell the story and know everything. This talent paved the way for his future career.
However, fate always likes to play jokes with people. Just as Xu Jingzong's talent began to bloom, a huge political storm swept in, completely changing the trajectory of his life.
Ups and downs in troubled times: Xu Jingzong's life choices
In 618 AD, the Sui Dynasty was already in turmoil. Yu Wenhua and Jiangdu staged a mutiny and brutally killed Emperor Yang of Sui. For a time, the world was in turmoil, and the heroes rose together.
At this critical juncture of life and death, the father and son of the Xu family made completely different choices, which also showed the contest between the two forces of good and evil. Xu Jingzong's father, Xu Shanxin, adhered to the traditional virtues of the family and resolutely refused to give in to the usurping Yu culture.
Even if he was caught in front of Yu Wenhua, Xu Shanxin still stood proudly and refused to salute. Yu Wenhua was enraged and killed this upright Confucian on the spot.
Xu Shanxin's mother, a 92-year-old old lady, not only did not shed tears after learning that her son died for the national disaster, but stroked her son's coffin and said: "I really have a good son who can die for the national disaster." Subsequently, this fierce old man died of hunger strike, and used his life to explain what loyalty and righteousness are.
However, in stark contrast to the choices of his father and grandmother, the young Xu Jingzong chose a different path. In the face of Yu Wenhua's obscenity, he knelt on the ground without hesitation and made the most respectful salute.
His actions not only betrayed his family's traditions, but also laid a hidden danger for his later political career. This scene was seen by Feng Deyi, who also took refuge in Yu Wenhua at that time.
Later, when both of them returned to the Tang Dynasty, Feng Deyi once accused Xu Jingzong in person: "When Yu Shiji was killed by Yu Wenhuahe, his younger brother Yu Shinan stepped forward and asked to die on behalf of his brother. And you, Xu Jingzong, don't care about your father's life or death, and only pray for your own life. "
In the face of such accusations, Xu Jingzong did not show the slightest guilt. Instead, he sneered, "You still have the face to talk about me? Didn't you also kneel down at the beginning? You were also ordered to count Emperor Yang of Sui, and you were scolded by Emperor Yang of Sui. Fifty steps and a hundred steps, are you embarrassed? "
This scene of verbal swords not only showed Xu Jingzong's sharp teeth, but also exposed his ruthless nature of sacrificing his relatives for self-preservation. This personality trait repeatedly appeared in his later career and became the key to his survival in the Game of Thrones.
Soaring to the top: Xu Jingzong's career has soared
With the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Xu Jingzong quickly emerged in the court with his outstanding talents. His literary talents are particularly remarkable. On the battlefield of Li Shimin's conquest of Goguryeo, Xu Jingzong was ordered to draft an edict of victory.
He stood in front of the horse and did it in one go without thinking, and his words were gorgeous and gorgeous, which made Li Shimin amazed: "The words are very beautiful, and I am deeply appreciative." Such a talent has won Xu Jingzong more opportunities.
He has participated in the compilation of "Gaozu Records" and "Taizong Records", and has an overview of many important works such as "History of the Five Dynasties", "Book of Jin", "New Book of Dongdian", "Atlas of the Western Regions", "Wensi Boyao", "Wenguan Cilin", "Leibi", "Yaoshan Yucai", "Surname Record", "New Rite" and many other important works.
These works not only demonstrated Xu Jingzong's profound knowledge, but also accumulated a large number of contacts and influence in the court. However, just when Xu Jingzong's career seemed to be bright, an unexpected move almost made him lose his previous achievements.
In the tenth year of Zhenguan (636), the 35-year-old Empress Changsun unfortunately died young. The entire imperial court was shrouded in grief, and Li Shimin was even more grief-stricken. In such a solemn atmosphere, Xu Jingzong made a jaw-dropping move - he laughed out loud at the funeral of Empress Changsun!
It turned out that Xu Jingzong saw Ouyang Xun's ugly face, and couldn't help but let out a pig-like laugh. This move immediately attracted the attention of the imperial history of the court, and a letter of impeachment was quickly submitted to the imperial court.
As a result, Xu Jingzong was demoted from Zhongshu to Sima of Hongzhou Governor's Mansion. This year, Xu Jingzong was 44 years old and in the prime of life, but he suffered a serious setback because of a temporary gaffe.
However, this setback did not make Xu Jingzong relent. Thirteen years later, Xu Jingzong, who had been promoted to the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, capsized in the same ditch again.
In the twenty-third year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin died, and Xu Jingzong lost his honor again in front of Emperor Daxing's Zi Palace, and was seen hanging his arms over his shoulders, which was extremely disrespectful. This time, he was impeached again.
Faced with such a predicament, many people may sink into it. However, Xu Jingzong, with his extraordinary intelligence and sleek means of dealing with the world, not only resolved the crisis, but also rose to prominence in the following years, and finally reached the pinnacle of power.
Game of Thrones: Xu Jingzong's Political Tactics
Xu Jingzong's political career really began to take off after Tang Gaozong Li Zhi ascended the throne. In this new era, Xu Jingzong has found a stage to display his talents and ambitions.
First of all, Xu Jingzong is well versed in the way of clinging to the powerful. He married his daughter to Qian Jiulong, who was 19 years older than him, an upstart in the Tang Dynasty who rose to prominence by following Li Yuan's army.
In order to consolidate this relationship, Xu Jingzong did not hesitate to tamper with history, exaggerate Qian Jiulong's achievements, and exaggerate his background when compiling the history of the country. Not only that, Xu Jingzong also actively married other powerful people. He let his son marry the granddaughter of the famous general Chi Jingde, so as to win over the military forces.
When writing a biography for Wei Chi Jingde, Xu Jingzong once again exerted his "talent" to cover up Wei Chi Jingde's mistakes, exaggerate his military exploits, and even said that the "Mighty Fu" given by Li Shimin to the eldest grandson Wuji was a royal work given to Wei Chi Jingde.
However, Xu Jingzong's biggest political move was in the process of Tang Gaozong deposing Empress Wang and establishing Wu Zetian as the queen. At that time, the conservative faction in the DPRK and China, led by the eldest grandson Wuji and Chu Suiliang, vigorously opposed this decision.
At this critical moment, Xu Jingzong stood up and publicly supported Tang Gaozong's decision. He said a widely circulated sentence: "Tian Shelang has beaten a few more buckets of millet, and he still wants to change his mother-in-law, what is it for the Son of Heaven to change his wife?" "
This disregard for decency just said what Tang Gaozong was thinking. Under the call of Xu Jingzong, Li Yifu, Wang Dejian, Cui Yixuan, Yuan Gongyu, Hou Shanye and others quickly gathered and formed a "Gongwu faction" to support Wu Zetian.
It was with the support of this group of people that Wu Zetian ascended to the empress throne as he wished, while opponents such as the eldest grandson Wuji and others were exiled or executed. This political action allowed Xu Jingzong to completely win the trust of Tang Gaozong and Wu Zetian.
Since then, his career has been smooth, and he soon entered the cabinet and became the second-in-command of the DPRK and China. He also obtained the title of Duke of Gaoyang County, and successively held prominent positions such as the crown prince and prince, the three divisions of Kaifu Yitong, and Tejin.
The Late Festival is not guaranteed: the final chapter of Xu Jingzong's life
However, power and wealth did not make Xu Jingzong's life peaceful. On the contrary, his later life was full of absurdity and tragedy. The aging Xu Jingzong became more and more lustful.
He built seventy connected flying towers on the top of the house, and the roofs of the buildings could run horses. Every day, he had fun upstairs with a group of singers. Among them, there is a woman named Xiaoyu who is particularly favored, she was originally the maid of Xu Jingzong's wife, but she was taken by Lao Xu as her own.
However, what Xu Jingzong didn't expect was that his son Xu Ang had also coveted Xiao Yu for a long time. Taking advantage of his father's unpreparedness, Xu Ang had a relationship with Xiaoyu. This matter was finally discovered by Xu Jingzong.
Enraged, Xu Jingzong made a shocking decision: he disregarded the scandal of his family and sued his son to the imperial court, demanding that Xu Ang be exiled to Lingnan.
The consequences of this decision were tragic. Xu Ang finally died in a foreign land, which made Xu Jingzong taste the pain of the white-haired man sending the black-haired man. This family tragedy seems to be some kind of retribution for Xu Jingzong's actions in his life.
In 679 AD, Xu Jingzong died in controversy at the age of 80. His life was full of talent and stains, achievements and controversies. After his death, officials in the DPRK and China suggested that he be given the nickname "Miao", which means "name and truth", implying that his actions were not in keeping with his status.
This sparked a backlash from his grandson, Xu Yanbo. In the end, under the intervention of Tang Gaozong, Xu Jingzong's nickname was changed to "Gong", which means "there have been changes".
Xu Jingzong's life is like a historical drama full of drama. He used his talents and means to rise in troubled times, but he also left a lot of controversy because of his greed and unscrupulous means. His story may give us some profound insights into talent, morality, and power.
epilogue
Xu Jingzong's life is like a prism, reflecting the complexity of human nature and the profundity of history. His talent is undeniable, his achievements are obvious to all, but his lack of morality is also embarrassing.
When judging historical figures, should we think beyond the simple dualism of good and evil and think about the complexity of that particular era? Xu Jingzong's story may be a reflection and challenge to the ancient adage of "having both talent and virtue".