In China's 5,000-year history, there was a short but admirable period that, despite its reign of less than 10 years, was a magnificent period that left a lasting impact on China.
There was a chance to rule China, but in the end, it was fateful and went to ruin, which is very emotional. So, what exactly is this once glorious dynasty? Let's find out.
1. The Rise of the Later Zhou Dynasty After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, five regimes emerged in the Central Plains region successively - the Later Liang, the Later Tang, the Later Han, the Later Jin and the Later Zhou. Among them, the Later Zhou was the last dynasty to be established, founded by Guo Wei, the Taizu of Zhou.
Guo Wei was born poor, has a resolute personality, is informal, and once tattooed to show his style, leaving people with the impression of a "gangster", which makes people avoid it. But at the age of 18, he was determined to change his life and chose to join the army, becoming a soldier in the Later Tang Dynasty, and moving towards his ideals.
With his unique skills in the "little gangsters", he quickly rose to prominence in the army, attracted the attention of the general Li Jitao, and was selected as a personal soldier. In 936 AD, Shi Jingjiao overthrew the Later Tang Dynasty and established the Later Jin Dynasty.
Because of his intelligence and beautiful handwriting, he was regarded as a confidant by Shi Jingjiao, and was sent to Hedong to serve as a military officer, serving Liu Zhiyuan for the festival and being highly used.
In 947 AD, Emperor Shi Chonggui of the Later Jin Dynasty was captured, and the Central Plains lost its ruler. At this critical moment, Liu Zhiyuan seized the opportunity and established the Later Han Dynasty. Guo Wei, as the founder of the country, became the general of the Later Han Dynasty and held a high position.
However, Liu Zhiyuan's sudden death plunged the Later Han Dynasty into a crisis.
After Liu Chengyou, Emperor Yin of the Han Dynasty, ascended the throne, his suspicions deepened, and coupled with the instigation of traitorous ministers, he decided to eradicate Guo Wei. Under the persuasion of the strategist Wei Renpu, Guo Wei decided to send troops to attack Kaifeng, and although he successfully rebelled, he also paid a heavy price for it.
Liu Chengyou is cruel and ruthless, and he has all his relatives, even the baby. Guo Wei was in pain and resisted desperately, but in the end, Liu Chengyou couldn't resist and was stabbed to death halfway.
From this moment on, the Later Han Jiangshan will change his surname to "Guo". In 951 AD, Guo Wei, who was nearly fifty years old, ascended the throne and became emperor, changing the name of the country to "Zhou", and the historical title was "Hou Zhou".
A few weeks after Guo Wei was established, he immediately began to implement a series of livelihood policies to save the people from hardship. He abolished the cattle tax, allowed the common people to sell cowhides, and regulated the sale of salt and wine.
He firmly believed in the power of civil rule, reused civil servants to avoid ** rule, and abolished harsh punishments to show mercy.
He adheres to the principle of frugality and simplicity, advocates the style of thrift, leads the people to save together, and is committed to reducing the burden of the people. He was open-minded and well-loved by the people.
He once said: "I was born in poverty, I know the hardships of the people, and now that I am the emperor, I must not let the people suffer anymore, but let them live a stable and happy life." ”
As Guo Wei grew older, he felt that he was powerless and needed to find the right person to inherit his great cause. Since he no longer has children, only his adopted son Chai Rong can be up to the task.
In 954 AD, Guo Wei died of illness, and Chai Rong, who was only 34 years old, officially became emperor, namely Zhou Shizong.
In the turbulent situation of the Later Zhou, the Northern Han seized the opportunity and planned to unite with the Khitan to attack the Later Zhou in an attempt to eliminate the new monarch. Faced with this situation, Chai Rong resolutely decided to personally lead the army to establish his prestige in the imperial court.
Ignoring Zhao Kuangyin's opposition, he led the army to Gaoping, which led to the "Battle of Gaoping".
After this battle, Zhou Da won a complete victory, consolidating Chai Rong's dominance and making the ministers more respectful. With his prestige, Zhou Shizong could finally give it a go. He adhered to his adoptive father's admiration for Wenzhi, not only reused Wenchen, but also restored the imperial examination system and selected talents.
The continuation of this system reflects the importance he attaches to talent.
As the old saying goes, the way to govern the country lies in talents, and only by continuously introducing and cultivating outstanding talents can we promote the development of the country. Zhou Shizong has a unique vision, he dares to use courageous and insightful talents, and always adheres to a principle - "select geniuses, recruit talents".
Among them, Wei Renfu is the most typical, he was once an ordinary official, but with his outstanding talent and drive, Zhou Shizong promoted him to prime minister.
The court was shaken, but Zhou Shizong firmly believed: "Since ancient times, the civil and military talents have been slightly assisted, is it limited to Kedi?" "He was eclectic and reused officers and soldiers who surrendered or were captured, showing a broad mind to accept talents from all sides.
It is this kind of mind that makes the talents of the Later Zhou Dynasty come out in large numbers and present a prosperous scene.
In the military aspect, he strictly implemented the system of rewards and punishments, severely punished soldiers who escaped from battle, and vigorously promoted meritorious servicemen, thus successfully solving the problem of arrogance and arrogance among soldiers, and reversing the situation in which the monarch was weak and the ministers were strong, and the soldiers were disobedient.
This fully demonstrated Zhou Shizong's decisiveness and resoluteness, and his vigorous and resolute spirit was admirable.
He attaches great importance to the will to fight of the generals, thinks"The soldiers will be in the generals, and the will be in the ambitions", showing that he paid great attention to the idea of governing the army. He upheld"Elite soldiers"The principle of selecting a group of elite generals, replacing the original old, weak, sick and disabled, and at the same time promoting those who are both brave and resourceful.
After the reform, the strength of the army of the Later Zhou Dynasty has been greatly improved, and no one can match it. Zhou Shizong firmly believes that a good leader should be able to handle important matters without being stuck in trivial details.
This flexible and overall concept of governing the country can quickly and effectively enhance the strength of the Later Zhou.
The first step is to put down the rebellion in ten years, the second step is to restore the people's livelihood and economy within ten years, so that the people can live a good life, and the last step is to implement the rule of inaction to ensure peace in the world.
However, fate did not give him enough time to realize these plans, and he died sadly after only five and a half years in power.
Zhou Shizong, a heroic figure who could have dominated the country, conquered all the way in the Northern Expedition in 959 AD and regained lost territory. However, just when he was only one step away from victory, he suddenly fell seriously ill and had to return to the court ahead of schedule.
Unfortunately, not long after returning to the dynasty, this 39-year-old talent passed away forever.
After the death of Zhou Shizong, Chai Zongxun, who was only 7 years old, ascended the throne, but because he was too young to govern, the imperial court decided to cede the throne to Zhao Kuangyin. In 960 AD, Zhao Kuangyin officially ascended the throne and announced the change of the country's name to "Song", which marked the end of the Later Zhou Dynasty, which had ruled for ten years.
ConclusionAlthough the reign of the Later Zhou Dynasty was relatively short, only a short period of ten years, its place in Chinese history is undeniable and of great significance. Whether it was the consolidation of rule in the Central Plains or the influence on the Southern Tang Dynasty, the historical traces left by it are still deeply engraved in people's memories thousands of years later.
The Later Zhou Dynasty played an important role in the long history of the Song Dynasty, and it played a decisive role in the establishment of the Song Dynasty, just as the Qin Dynasty was to the Han Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty was to the Tang Dynasty.
It's a pity that the next week has not been able to sustain development, otherwise the vision of a unified country may have been realized long ago.