There have been countless rebellions and turmoil in the long river of history, and the "Anshi Rebellion" can be called the bloodiest and chaotic chapter of them. Imagine how this rebellion, known as the bloodiest rebellion since ancient times, ravaged the entire empire, causing chaos in the world and devastation?
What is even more interesting is what kind of strength and wisdom made this chaos finally put down? This is an epic story full of blood and fire, wisdom and bravery. The Anshi Rebellion, which took place during the Tang Dynasty, is considered one of the largest and most devastating rebellions in Chinese history.
It swept across the empire, causing the deaths of millions of living beings and bringing profound social and cultural upheaval. The bloodshed of this rebellion and the impact on the entire country are still fresh in people's minds. This article will delve into the historical background of the "Anshi Rebellion" and reveal the causes and scale of this rebellion.
More importantly, we will analyze how this chaos was finally put to rest after a long period of resistance and strategy. By digging into the historical record, we will take a closer look at the heroic feats of restoring order and quelling the rebellion, as well as the daunting challenges they faced.
In 713 AD, Li Longji ascended the throne with the year name Kaiyuan. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, he knew that the country's economy and culture needed to be strengthened, and he urgently needed to select talents to help. At that time, Li Longji had a benevolent temperament, great ambitions, and considerable political skills. He chose to appoint the young and promising Yao Chong as the prime minister to help deal with disasters and build water conservancy.
Yao Chong made plans and worked as one, and the locust plagues and floods in various places were gradually brought under control, the people were freed from fire and water, and the country's economy and culture were restored. Li Longji also successively promoted Song Jing, who sought truth from facts, and Zhang Shuo, who was both civil and military, to govern, and chose courtiers who emphasized discipline and had great ability to govern the country to govern the country. During this period, the government and the opposition were harmonious, and people were both prosperous and prosperous, all of them raised their heads high, stood tall and proud, and were full of vitality. Li Longji was also commended by the government and the opposition for this, and his reputation spread far and wide.
However, the good times were short-lived. In the winter of 736 AD, Li Longji, who had already sat firmly in the country, changed his temperament and indulged in beauty. This year, he took a group of civil and military officials to leave Luoyang and return to the capital Chang'an to appreciate chrysanthemums, but he ignored the autumn harvest season and made a big reward, causing public resentment. What's more serious is that during this period, he took Yang Guifei, the sister of the new favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan, as his own.
Yang Guifei is good at music and rhythm, and she is increasingly favored, and the flattered Yang Guifei began to play petty and asked to transport the southern lychees to Chang'an for fun. In order to curry favor with her, Li Longji purchased southern food, held banquets in the deep palace continuously, and promoted her brother Yang Guozhong to prime minister and took power.
There are countless beauties in other palaces, but only Yang Guifei is favored. Li Longji abandoned the government for this reason, and even began to listen to the slanderous rumors of the powerful minister Li Linfu, executed the crown prince, and appointed his youngest son Li Li, who was only 8 years old, as the crown prince. The government and the opposition changed color, and people no longer dared to mention the prosperity of the past, so they could only keep their heads short and keep their eyebrows low, and live cautiously.
In the winter of 755 A.D., the world had been restless for a long time. At this time, Fan Yang Jiedu made An Lushan's frontier more and more sharp, and the military discipline was slack, and he raised troops to rebel in the name of "Qing Jun's side", claiming to overthrow the Yang dictatorship. An Lushan has experienced a hundred battles, soldiers and horses are like hair, all the way through the states and counties, ** have been invincible, tied to capture. In the first month of the following year, the rebels directed at Chang'an, the capital division, and drove straight in.
Although there are 200,000 troops and Jinwu guards guarding the city gates on all sides, none of its generals know how to train and use soldiers, and the soldiers have no fighting spirit. At this time, the decaying Tang family was powerless to resist at all, so it could only wait to be killed.
Li Longji ran out in a hurry at the instigation of Yang Guifei, only took a few horsemen, and was killed by the rebels at Maweiyi, and he was forced to give way to the crown prince Li Heng, for Tang Suzong. The Tang dynasty is already in danger.
After Suzong succeeded to the throne, he was concerned about the world and immediately appointed Li Guangbi, Guo Ziyi and other loyal ministers, who did not abandon in the Anshi Rebellion, and also supported the prince with a twelve-point spirit at this time. Su Zong issued an edict affirming his guilt and imploring the soldiers of the border towns to rise up and help.
At this time, the Hebei generals Zhao Tingzheng, Zhang Xun and others also resisted, and under the leadership of Su Zong, the Tang army from all walks of life mobilized the remnants to repel some of the rebels and barely stabilized the situation. Under the attack of internal and external troubles, the rebels were finally defeated in 763 AD, and the Tang Dynasty was temporarily preserved. If it weren't for the loyal soldiers who supported the prince, the Tang Dynasty would have perished.
However, it is difficult to restore the old view, and this eight-year rebellion has greatly damaged the vitality of the Tang Dynasty. The treasure was empty, the people were killed and wounded, and widows and orphans who had lost their husbands and sons were everywhere. More than half of the imperial army was also killed or wounded, and morale fell to the bottom. The palace of Luoyang was burned to the ground, and the prosperity of the original prosperity was no longer there, overgrown with weeds, and the walls were ruined.
The population also plummeted to one-fifth of its original size, and Chang'an became deserted. The morale of the government and the opposition is low, and everyone is full of question marks and uncertain about the future. Although after Li Longji's death, Li Heng quelled the rebellion and stabilized the situation, but since then, the Tang Dynasty has been like a candle in the wind and has no power to return to the sky. This most tragic rebellion since ancient times was destined to open the liquidation and fall of the Tang Dynasty. Future generations will inevitably ask, is it true that the prosperous era cannot last long?
However, the fall of the prosperous era was not entirely due to destiny or chance. As the leader of the country, Li Longji should bear the main responsibility for all this.
He chose meritocracy in the early days to bring the country to its peak; However, in the medium term, he indulged in lust and abandoned political affairs, which led to the gradual loss of popular support. As a Ming monarch, he should have been self-improving, always tightening the strings of governing the country, and consistently caring for the people. But the ease of court life eventually made him lose his fighting spirit and lose his popularity.
As a courtier, An Lushan has been plotting for a long time, and the coup d'état became the last straw that broke the camel's back. The Tang Dynasty under the leadership of Li Longji has accumulated many difficulties, the city wall is full of crises, and An Lushan disintegrated and fell apart with a slight push.
It is the law of history that prosperity will eventually fall. But as the historian Chen Yinke said: "Whoever rises and falls, it is because the Lord is easy to move." The responsibility of Tang Xuanzong, the "master", still cannot be ignored. Only by taking this as a warning and always maintaining our iron will can we protect our country for eternity.