Kou Zhun schemed and had a tragic life.
Kou Zhun, a five-year jinshi in the Northern Song Dynasty, spent his life in officialdom. Since he was 19 years old, he has gone through five major derogations, and has been promoted from Dali Judge all the way to Prime Minister, but he has paid a tragic price in the power struggle. Let's trace the legendary life of this cattle man.
In the five years of Taiping Xingguo, Kou Zhun was only 19 years old in the Jinshi examination, and was exceptionally promoted by Song Taizong and awarded Dali Evaluation. In the first year of Duangong, he became the right Zhengyan and began to rank among the political centers of the Northern Song Dynasty. In the second year of Chunhua, Kou Zhun, who was only 30 years old, worshiped the doctor of Zuo and served as the deputy envoy of the privy council, becoming the first person to join the assistant in the five years of Taiping Xingguo. is better with Wen Zhongshu, who was also appointed as a member of the Privy Council, but the contradiction with Zhang Xun gradually deepened.
In the third year of Chunhua, during a suburban walk, a madman suddenly knelt down to worship Kou Zhun and shouted "Long live". Kou Zhun didn't take this matter to heart, but it became a turning point in his officialdom career. Due to the contradiction with Zhang Xun, Kou Zhun was demoted to the governor of Qingzhou. His coarse character in political struggles and his lack of respect and humility towards his older colleagues made his degrading not only a product of fierce struggles, but also a deficiency in character.
After the derogation, Kou Zhun was recalled in the fifth year of Chunhua, and the official left advised the doctor and participated in political affairs. He promoted some loyal people, but because he did not pay attention to strategy, he constantly clashed with his colleagues. In the second year of Daodao, he caused internal contradictions because of his suggestion to promote the five-year jinshi of Taiping Xingguo, and was demoted to Dengzhou. This derogation made Kou Zhun deeply feel that the world is impermanent.
During his tenure in the local government, although Kou Zhun restrained some of his words and deeds, he had a tense relationship with Wang Qinruo and others, who were also degraded. At the critical moment of the alliance between the Yuanyuan, Kou Zhun stepped forward and successfully supported the emperor's northern expedition and achieved a preliminary victory in the Khitan War. This credit also made him suspicious in the court. After the alliance of the Yuanyuan, Kou Zhun's status gradually declined, and he was removed from the post of prime minister and reappointed as the governor of Daozhou.
After the death of Song Zhenzong, Kou Zhun was once again used as a minister. Because he suggested that Zhenzong pass on the throne to the crown prince, which violated the bottom line of imperial power, coupled with conflicts with his colleagues, he was removed from the post of prime minister in the third year of Tianxi, and was demoted to Leizhou Sihu to join the army. This time the derogatory place was even more distant, and the road was difficult, and Kou Zhun walked for two months to arrive. In Leizhou, he left many victories, but also ended his tragic life here.
In the first year of Tiansheng, Kou Zhun left behind the "Book of Illness" before his death: "Ambition is like snow, and his heart is as cold as ice." His life is full of power and political struggle. Eventually, he died in Leizhou at the age of 62. Kou Zhun's life is the epitome of the officialdom of the Northern Song Dynasty and the representative of the power struggle. His experience tells us that in a world where officialdom is like a game of chess, power and loyalty are often intertwined, and fate is unpredictable. Perhaps, we can wonder if what happened to Kou Zhun was not uncommon among ancient intellectuals who participated in politics, especially in the Song Dynasty