In ancient officialdom, the most favored position by civil and military ministers was "Prime Minister".
Taimiao is not an ordinary place of worship for gods and Buddhas, it is a place of special honor. So,"Worthy of the temple"When did it start? What kind of meritorious person can attain such supreme glory?
Will their descendants be able to enjoy special treatment as a result?
What period can the appearance of the Taimiao be traced back to? The Book of Rites and the Imperial System records the number of temples and sacrificial methods of the Son of Heaven, princes, doctors, and scholars. Among them, "Taizu" refers to the king of the first seal.
It should be noted that in the pre-Qin period, there was no "的" character in Chinese. This character was officially entered into the Chinese dictionary only after Qin Shi Huang unified the Six Kingdoms.
The Taimiao is the supreme glory that the ancient courtiers dreamed of. It represents that the courtier's exploits during his lifetime were recognized by later generations, and after his death, he could be permanently enshrined in the temple and accepted by the world.
This is not only an affirmation of the courtier's merits during his lifetime, but also a respect for the courtier's reputation and status after his death. Confucianism is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, regards death as life, and pursues the glory of fame and status after death, so being able to enter the Taimiao to enjoy it is the eternal glory of the courtiers.
According to the record of "Zhou Li, Xia Guan, and Si Xun", "Wang Gong is said to be honorable, national merit is said to be public, people are said to be mediocre, meritorious service is said to be labor, governance is said to be powerful, and war merit is said to be many." This means that everyone can receive honors and rewards for their contributions.
Similarly, the saying "rare is precious" tells us that the rarer something is, the more valuable it is. Therefore, we should cherish our contributions and be proud of our efforts and achievements.
Although the heroes who made great achievements during their lifetimes are widely praised, the development process and characteristics of each dynasty are also different.
Emperor Wei Ming was the founder of the Taimiao system, while Cao Cao was a figure who was enshrined in the temple court during this period. It is worth mentioning
Sima Yan established the Jin Kingdom, formulated strict rules, and stipulated that during the Jin Dynasty, Sikong and Julu Jungong were the first heroes to enjoy the Taimiao.
Pei Xiu has achieved remarkable achievements in his life, one of which is that he was honored in the Taimiao, which is undoubtedly an important milestone in his life.
During the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the society was in turmoil, wars were frequent, and the people's livelihood was suffering.
Emperor Wen of Sui Emperor Yang Jian was the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty, and he followed the "Five Temples System" of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Although meritorious officials were allowed to enjoy the temple before the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Wen of Sui's actions still had important historical significance for later dynasties.
In ancient times, the sacrifice of the Taimiao was called"The Sacrifice of the Jacket"。After the deliberation of eighteen ministers including Taichangqing Wei Ting, the decision was finally made.
Tang Gaozu Li Yuan's son, Tang Taizong Li Shimin, posthumously crowned him Emperor Shenyao after his death.
Portrait of Tang Gaozu, Tang Taizong Li Shimin arranged for Yan Liben to paint portraits of 20 heroes who fought the world and ruled the world, and asked calligrapher Chu Suiliang to write inscriptions to commemorate their achievements.
Although after the death of Tang Taizong, only seven of the original twenty heroes were fortunate to accompany him in the Taimiao. Li Zhi arranged this list for the first time, and it is worth mentioning that Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, was determined to unify the Central Plains. After the news broke, civil and military officials wrote to him asking him to change his plan, but he firmly believed that unifying the Central Plains was a necessary condition for achieving national prosperity and stability.
Zhao Kuangyin's firm belief and determination have won him unanimous praise and support.
During the reign of Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty, Su Shi suggested to the emperor that those who had the high prestige of the fathers and were always virtuous should be selected to be worthy of the saints. He pointed out that this selection needs to be deliberated by the provincial government, and it must be a candidate who is publicly discussed by the whole world before he can be selected.
In the end, Su Shi's suggestion was adopted, and the emperor agreed to his proposal and made a proclamation in the temple before daring to carry it out, a very serious process.
During the period of Song Zhenzong and Song Yingzong, many important events and figures were left in history.
The development of the Song Dynasty's meritorious system of enjoying the Taimiao as shown in the portrait of Huizong of the Song Dynasty did not gradually disappear until the decline of the Qing Dynasty. However, its far-reaching significance cannot be overlooked. First, the system had a political purpose, designed to co-opt and consolidate imperial power, while at the same time setting an example for other civil and military ministers, encouraging them to work harder to contribute to the dynasty.
Secondly, the impact of this system on future generations is also far-reaching.
Although it is only a symbolic honor for the meritorious person to enjoy the temple, we cannot ignore the spiritual meaning behind it.
The fundamental reason why the courtiers were able to obtain the privileges they enjoyed in the Taimiao was their unwavering support for the imperial power. It's like"Those who win the hearts of the people win the world"In the same way, only by being accepted and used by the emperor can you enjoy all kinds of preferential treatment.