Renzong reigned for 42 years, and the concubines of the harem, why did he have no heirs?
Why didn't one of the longest-reigning emperors have an heir?
Song Renzong Zhao Zhen was an elusive emperor.
He ruled for 42 years and ushered in a peaceful and prosperous era"Renzong is prosperous"；He has a group of wives and concubines, and the harem is as beautiful as a cloud; He cares about the people, is diligent and loves the people, knows people well, and is open-minded and enterprising. With such outstanding political achievements and the benevolence of a generation of kings, how can they not find the best people after their deaths?
The confusion on this issue is really confusing.
The hopeless fate of the King of Glory.
Zhao Zhen was born in the capital city of Kaifeng in 968 AD. He was the fourth son of Song Taizong and the sixth son of Song Zhenzong. Under the system of succession to the throne, he had little chance of ascending to the throne of the emperor.
However, Song Zhenzong died when Zhao Zhen was 13 years old, and Zhao Zhen's fifth brother unexpectedly became the fourth emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty. This young man, who should not have been on the throne, became by mistake"Song Renzong"。
After Renzong ascended the throne, his policies were very different from those of previous emperors. He actively adopted the advice of his ministers and initiated new political reforms during the Gyeongli period to address the drawbacks of land annexation and reduce the number of unnecessary **. Although the New Deal was thwarted by the elite and eventually abolished, Injong's reform ideas and political ideals had already had a profound impact on the imperial court.
During his reign, he was diligent and thrifty, generous to the people, and was deeply loved by the people. Renzong often lit the lamp and read the edict at night, and personally recited it chapter by chapter; He also traveled extensively to gain insight into the sufferings of the people. Because of his diligence and love for the people, the Northern Song Dynasty ushered in a rare era of peace and prosperity.
But the good emperor also has grassroots problems. For Emperor Renzong, the biggest problem was that there was no successor.
Renzong grew up in the palace since he was a child, has an introverted personality, likes to read, and is pampered. After ascending to the throne, he devoted himself to political affairs, striving to create a prosperous period of peace.
But as an emperor, Renzong will inevitably think like an ordinary person. Especially after the early death of his brothers, he knew the importance of inheriting the throne. If he himself dies without a son, it will inevitably cause chaos in the world.
In addition, in traditional Chinese ethics, a full house of children and grandchildren means success in life. On the other hand, having no children is considered the greatest sin. This thought deeply influenced Renzong, who wanted to have a son of his own to inherit the ancestor's bloodline.
As a responsible ruler, Injong also realized the importance of an heir to the throne. For a dynasty to be long-lasting, it must have a stable heir. Without a son, it is difficult for his own hard work to last.
Faced with all kinds of pressures and expectations, Renzong is also worried about his successor. This became the biggest question on the mind of the wise king.
The Emperor's anxious expectations.
Emperor Injong began choosing a wife in 982, when he was 14 years old. His first queen, Kwok, was 12 years old at the time. However, Empress Guo did not give birth to a son for Emperor Renzong and remained childless until she was 27 years old.
This undoubtedly worried the emperor. According to the etiquette system, only the eldest son of the emperor can inherit the throne, and the emperor has no children, which will inevitably cause chaos in the transfer of power.
What's more, in Chinese history, no heirs are considered"Shame", the most serious accusation against the rulers.
Therefore, for Renzong, giving birth to a prince is both a political necessity and a personal dilemma.
In 1037, Emperor Renzong embraced his eldest son, Zhao Fang, at the age of 27, into his arms. He was ecstatic and placed countless hopes and dreams on his son. He hopes that Zhao Fang can grow up healthily, inherit the throne, and continue his career.
But the heavens did not favor him, and Chao Cuo soon died young. The emperor couldn't sleep at night. Shouldn't his life be flesh and blood? He is only 27 years old, but he seems to have reached the lowest point in his life.
Two years later, Renzong had another son. His name is Zhao Xin, which symbolizes the arrival of the sunrise. But the good times didn't last long, and Zhao Xin left him when he was three years old. This time, Renzong was so sad that he even doubted whether he had committed a crime and was not worthy of having a son.
After Emperor Renzong had a second son, he took good care of him and hoped that he would grow up healthily. However, fate was cruel, and Zhao Xi died when he was two years old. The three blows almost brought the self-deceived and anxious Renzong to the ground, and he no longer believed that the heavens would support him.
The dull life of a king.
After the early death of his three sons, Renzong became depressed and lost his mind during the day.
The imperial court was hesitant on the issue of succession to the throne. Finally, on the advice of his ministers, Emperor Renzong recognized Zhao Shu, the son of King Pu, as his son, making him the emperor's son and the nominal heir of Emperor Renzong.
The appearance of Zhao Shu alleviated the crisis of the royal family, but it could not alleviate Renzong's anxiety and sadness. He was still hungry for his flesh and bones, so much so that he became weaker and weaker, both physically and mentally.
In the middle of the night, Emperor Renzong himself couldn't sleep. From time to time, he recalled the moments when Zhao Fang, Zhao Xin and Zhao Xi's lives bloomed and withered. Every moment is heartbreaking and indelible.
During the day, he had to deal with government affairs, but whenever he had free time, he began to mourn. There was an uproar in the court, and everyone was worried about the emperor's health and mental state.
In 1067, at the age of 53, Injong gathered a group of young concubines to serve him, hoping to have another son. But he was too old to bring a new lease of life to the royal family.
As a result, Injong can no longer cope with the arrival of the toddler. He knew that God would not care for him anymore. His father's bloodline was doomed to extinction in his generation.
A mockery of fate.
Looking back on Renzong's life, we have to say that fate skillfully mocked him.
One prince after another who should not have been on the throne lost his flesh and blood; The people's beloved Ming Jun died of old age.
History gives us two clues.
First of all, Emperor Renzong liked to choose beautiful women for the court. He favored young women who were not physically fit to have children, which led to the early death of many of Injong's sons.
According to records, Emperor Renzong liked to choose young and beautiful concubines to serve him. These adolescent girls are physically underdeveloped and weakened after pregnancy, which is not conducive to the growth of the fetus and leads to dystocia. The resulting problems of dystocia and premature birth led to the early death of many of Injong's sons.
Second, it may be a genetic problem. It has been confirmed that the entire Renzong paternal line has the problem of early death, which may be related to a genetic disease.
According to the data, starting from Song Taizong, the descendants of the royal family of the Song Dynasty have the problem of early death. Among Taizong's sons, except for Zhenzong, none of them died well. Most of Zhenzong's sons also died young, and only Renzong survived. Injong's son also died young, so it's a genetic problem.
In any case, an unfortunate fate deprived the son of the famous ruler. The final outcome of Emperor Injong's reign is perhaps one of the ironies of history.
We have to regret that if it were not for this desperate fate, the history of the Northern Song Dynasty might have ushered in a new climax; The fall of the Northern Song Dynasty may usher in a new writing.
But history does not"If", we can only understand the complicated life of this great ruler.
He reigned the longest, but there was no successor; He created peace and prosperity, but he could not avoid chaos.
This is Song Renzong, an emperor who plays hide-and-seek with fate.