The fate of the ministers is generally not good, for the simple reason that they have enough prestige and a lot of military power.
Therefore, whether it is Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, or Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, after the country stabilized, they purged the heroes who worked hard with him back then.
Compared with them, Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu of the Song Dynasty, was much more merciful, not only did he not kill those heroes, but also took back the military power without blood, solved this hidden danger, and took great care of their family members.
So after Zhao Kuangyin released the military power with a glass of wine, what happened to those generals? Let's find out together today.
After the establishment of the Song Dynasty and tended to be stable, Zhao Kuangyin once asked Prime Minister Zhao Pu a question, why did the Tang Dynasty, which was once prosperous, be so decaying in the late period?
Zhao Pu replied that it was because the power and troops of the feudal town were more than those of the emperor, so the emperor could not balance the courtiers, so it would decline. After Zhao Kuangyin heard this, he made up his mind that he must take back his military power.
Anyone who knows anything about Zhao Kuangyin knows that Zhao Kuangyin is not an emperor who likes to kill, and even compared to many emperors, Zhao Kuangyin can be regarded as benevolent.
And the generals who held great power at that time were all his cronies, robes, and even his brothers with different surnames.
In order to minimize the damage, Zhao Kuangyin came up with a plan to release the military power with a glass of wine.
On that day, he summoned the generals to the palace to drink. During the banquet, he frowned, saying that he was the emperor, and it was better to be comfortable. Several generals were puzzled and hurriedly asked why.
After that, Zhao Kuangyin "borrowed the slope to get off the donkey" and expressed his worries.
These generals are all old men who have followed Zhao Kuangyin for many years, how could they not understand what he means when they heard him say this?
So they all expressed their loyalty, lest they be suspected by Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Kuangyin saw that the scare was almost over, and said If you are not a general with all the soldiers, I don't have to worry.
The next day, they began to apply for the surrender of military power on various grounds.
Zhao Kuangyin pretended to keep it, and then agreed. Then read on their years of affection and merits, and made arrangements for these five generals.
At that time, among the generals who handed over military power, there were five most important people, namely Shi Shouxin, Gao Huaide, Wang Xianqi, Zhao Yanhui, and Zhang Lingduo.
Shi Shouxin is Zhao Kuangyinyi's sworn brother, and he was also the person who contributed the most and was most trusted by Zhao Kuangyin back then.
At the banquet where the military power was released with a glass of wine, he was also the first person to understand Zhao Kuangyin's "voice outside the strings" and took the initiative to ask for the military power to be handed over.
The other four generals, whether in terms of their relationship with Zhao Kuangyin, or their meritorious performance in the process of establishing the Great Song Dynasty, or even the number of troops in their hands, could not be compared with Shi Shouxin.
Therefore, after Shi Shouxin expressed his willingness to hand over the military power unconditionally, they had no choice but to comply and willingly handed over the military power.
And Zhao Kuangyin, after this good brother handed over the military power, did not feel ashamed of him and named him the envoy of the Taiping Army.
Shi Shouxin has been a festival envoy for a total of 17 years, during which he has wantonly amassed wealth, and the prestige he has accumulated among the people has been lost, and Zhao Kuangyin also sees his behavior.
This is nothing more than a signal to Zhao Kuangyin, my handle and charges have been handed over to you, if you are really not at ease with me one day, you can get rid of me at any time.
Zhao Kuangyin also lived up to his old brother, married his daughter to his son, and the two families became married, and also gave Shi Shouxin's family supreme glory, Shi Shouxin died of illness at the age of fifty-seven.
Then let's talk about Gao Huaide, Gao Huaide was also appointed as a festival envoy, but he did not defile himself like Shi Shouxin.
After retiring from the army, he began to be obsessed with music and rhythm, and he also achieved a lot of success. When he has nothing to do, he rides a horse to hunt, and his life is very narrow.
In order to take care of this old brother, Zhao Kuangyin summoned all his children and grandchildren into the country to become officials, and also rewarded his family with enough wealth. Gao Huaide was later rehired by Song Taizong to participate in the campaign against the Northern Han Dynasty. In the end, he died at the age of 57 and seven, which can be regarded as a good death.
Compared with Shi Shouxin and Gao Huaide, the three generals Wang Xianqi, Zhao Yanhui, and Zhang Lingduo lived a more comfortable life.
Although they were retracted by Zhao Kuangyin, they were also rewarded with different official positions, some of them married Zhao Kuangyin, and some of them became in-laws with Zhao Kuangyin's younger brother under Zhao Kuangyin's intentional arrangement.
Or he was directly arranged in Kyoto, and it was convenient for Zhao Kuangyin to drink and play chess, and he would have no worries for a lifetime, and his family would be prosperous for generations.
I have to say that although Zhao Kuangyin was born in the army and sought the throne through improper means, he still misses the old feelings very much.
Compared with those who are in power who wash ministers in blood at every turn and rely on force, he is really too merciful.
Some people say that it is a shame for Zhao Kuangyin to release military power with a glass of wine, he turned his face and denied people, and exploited his brothers. But we can look back at history and think about it, how many ministers who have held military power since ancient times have been able to get a good death?
Compared with those ministers who were suspicious of the emperor and finally lost their lives, although these five generals lost their military power, they saved their lives and gave their family descendants a good future. Isn't there too much happiness in such a good ending?