In the long history of China, the Tang Dynasty, as the pinnacle of a feudal era and a treasure in feudal society, was once synonymous with prosperity and wealth. But people often say that "the Dirty Tang Dynasty messes with the Song Dynasty", is the opinion of the "Dirty Tang Dynasty" an exaggeration by netizens, or is it the historical truth?
Under the reign of Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, the rule of Zhenguan became a unique and glorious period in the history of the Tang Dynasty. This glorious period of governance has not only made remarkable achievements in the political, economic and cultural fields, but also left a profound imprint on social stability and people's livelihood and happiness.
With his outstanding political wisdom and military talents, Li Shimin realized the unification of the Tang Dynasty. In the years of war, he successfully eliminated civil strife and established the Tang Dynasty as a powerful and centralized feudal dynasty. This stable political landscape laid the foundation for later prosperity.
On the economic front, the rule of Sadakan propelled the country's prosperity. A series of reform policies have been implemented, such as the introduction of the equalization system, the reduction of tax burdens, and the encouragement of agriculture, resulting in a gradual social and economic recovery. The expansion of the territory and the prosperity of the country have also led to the growth of the country's wealth.
In terms of culture, the rule of Zhenguan became the heyday of Tang Dynasty culture. At that time, literati and artists such as Du Mu and Wang Bo emerged one after another, and literature and art reached its peak. The vigorous promotion of the imperial examination system provided a fair opportunity for the later selection of civil officials and further promoted social progress.
The uniqueness of the rule of Sadakan also lies in its enlightened concept of rule. Li Shimin is good at listening to the opinions of all quarters, respecting virtuous and virtuous people, and providing a pluralistic reference for political decision-making, thus making the political power more stable. He implemented a system of "unbridled admonitions" that created space for freedom of speech and political enlightenment.
The Tang Dynasty's "dirty Tang" label originated from a political event with far-reaching impact - the Xuanwumen Incident.
The coup d'état, which took place under the rule of Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, had a positive effect on the unity and stability of the Tang Dynasty, but the decisions and actions involved raised questions about social ethics and morality.
The Xuanwumen Incident occurred during a struggle between Li Shimin and his two brothers. In order to seize the throne, Li Shimin did not hesitate to use the army and killed his brother by forceful means, and finally succeeded in ascending the throne. What's even more controversial is that Li Shimin included his brother's concubines after seizing the throne, forming an unusual harem.
This decision not only violated the Confucian ethics of the time, but also provided later historians with material to argue for the "dirty Tang Dynasty". What's even more shocking is that in order to control the number of people in the harem, Li Shimin ordered to require the harem concubines to do contraception in advance.
The Xuanwumen Incident was not only a struggle for political power, but also the beginning of a gradual change in the social and ethical atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty. The impact of this incident went far beyond the political level, penetrated into all aspects of society, and became one of the fundamental ** of the later "Dirty Tang" evaluation. The coup d'état during this period and the changes in the atmosphere derived from it made the Tang Dynasty, a supposedly brilliant feudal dynasty, bring a historical shadow that cannot be ignored.
The complex relationship between Tang Gaozong Li Zhi and Wu Zetian also became part of the "Dirty Tang". During the reign of Li Shimin, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian developed feelings. After Li Shimin's death, despite the rule of becoming a nun, Li Zhi reincorporated Wu Zetian into the harem, which violated human ethics and morality, making the "dirty Tang" statement more and more entrenched.
Wu Zetian became the only female emperor to ascend the throne and claim the throne, and her political achievements were undeniable, but her favor for male favorites caused a series of political turmoil. In the last years of Wu Zetian's reign, her male favorite even affected the stability of the court, which also became a special label in the history of the Tang Dynasty.
The phenomenon of remarriage of princesses in the Tang Dynasty sparked social dissatisfaction and moral controversy. Historical records show that twenty-three princesses remarried, and some even remarried as many as three times. And some of the most adulterous incidents, such as the fornication between Princess Gaoyang and the debate monk, are even more embarrassing.
The root cause of this incident can be traced back to the dispute between Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and Fang Zhizhi. This inheritance dispute directly led to the estrangement between Tang Taizong and Princess Gaoyang. However, at this moment of intensifying contradictions, another, even more shocking affair was revealed.
At that time, Yushi discovered the affair between Princess Gaoyang and the monk debate, and found the treasure pillow of physical evidence. This discovery became a sharp blade to uncover the royal family, and Tang Taizong was forced to face the cruel fact that Princess Gaoyang had fornication with a monk. Tang Taizong was furious, issued an order to give death debate, and ordered the killing of more than ten slaves and maids. This bloody order left a strong mark in the history books, showing the strict moral and disciplinary requirements of Tang Taizong for the royal family.
In the "Zizhi Tongjian", the story is more complete and full, and the death is changed to a halving. This change in detail makes the whole incident even more tragic and thrilling. However, over time, later generations of researchers have questioned this historical source.
The early book "Old Tang Book" does not mention this matter, and the "Taiping Yulan" during the Song Taizong Dynasty also does not deal with the private affairs of Princess Gaoyang and the debate. This discovery raises doubts about the historical sources recorded in the New Tang Dynasty Book.
Because the Book of the New Tang Dynasty was written in the period of Song Renzong, it is based on various miscellaneous histories, notes, and some of these materials have not been rigorously verified, so the authenticity of this historical material has been controversial. The truth of the whole incident has become obscure and foggy in the long river of history.
Historical records show that the remarriage of princesses in the Tang Dynasty was quite common, with twenty-three princesses remarrying, and even some princesses remarrying three times. This phenomenon violated the feudal family system at that time and also impacted the traditional concept of ethics.
As a representative of the royal family, the princess's remarriage is not only an individual act, but also involves the reputation and inheritance of the royal family. This concept of family inheritance is extremely important in feudal society, and the phenomenon of princesses remarrying undoubtedly gives more social ethical meaning to the "dirty Tang".
Based on the above events, although the Tang Dynasty reached its peak economically and culturally, its deviations in human ethics and morality make the saying "dirty Tang" not unreasonable. Coups d'état, ** male pets interfering in politics and other cases have put on a layer of controversy for this feudal dynasty.
However, for the evaluation of "Dirty Tang", we cannot ignore a reasonable and profound reflection. The evaluation of history often needs to be considered comprehensively and objectively, and whether the questions raised by netizens are reasonable is also a question that we need to think about.
When evaluating history, we must be cautious about the authenticity and objectivity of various historical documents. As mentioned earlier, some of the historical accounts are inconsistent and foggy, so we need to question and examine the credibility of these sources. In particular, for some specific events in the "Dirty Tang", whether they really happened, were exaggerated or tampered with requires more in-depth research and verification.
In addition, we should also take a more comprehensive look at history, focusing not only on the negative aspects, but also on a series of brilliant achievements in the political, economic, and cultural fields of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was the peak of feudal society, and the rule of Zhenguan brought relatively long-term prosperity and stability to the society at that time, and these achievements should also be part of the evaluation.
Therefore, when we reflect on the evaluation of the "dirty Tang Dynasty", we need to maintain the objectivity and comprehensiveness of history, and avoid an overly one-sided understanding and evaluation of the entire Tang Dynasty. As a large and complex feudal dynasty, the historical evaluation of the Tang Dynasty should be more comprehensive and in-depth in order to better understand and grasp the essence and significance of this period of history.