In the cold winter of Chang'an, the wheel of history has entered 682 years. When Tang Gaozong's feat of going to Luoyang came to an end, Pei Yan was appointed as the prime minister of Chang'an, accompanying the crown prince Li Xian to take charge of government affairs.
This young talent from an ordinary background, with tenacity and resourcefulness, climbed to the pinnacle of power step by step. After years of hard work, his figure shines in the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty and is deeply relied on by Gaozong.
However, as Gaozong's body fades, Pei Yan is about to face a severe challenge that has never been seen in his career.
Chang'an symbolized the center of power, and as the capital of the Tang Dynasty, its remnants held the power to make decisions about the country. Knowing Pei Yan's outstanding talents and bold decisions, Gaozong saw heroes and did not hesitate to entrust him with the responsibility of regent, while he chose to go to the royal palace in Luoyang to seek physical and mental recreation.
This purple palace full of aura was originally pinned on ** hope, but unfortunately, Gaozong's condition was not alleviated by the benefits of feng shui, and he finally passed away in Luoyang.
In the severe test of history, Pei Yanyong shouldered heavy burdens and carried huge psychological pressure. He faced the frivolity and ignorance of the crown prince Li Xian, the careful calculations of the cunning villain, the fierce eyesight of various feudal towns, and the threat of external troubles such as Tibet and Khitan.
His night is lit by worry and responsibility, and he sticks to his duty and loves the people only to protect the peace of the country. After careful consideration, Pei Yan had insight into the situation, Gaozong's years were running out, and Li Xian's ** was worrying.
As a senior minister of the Tang Dynasty, he knew that the qualifications of the new emperor were insufficient compared with those of the previous emperor. Foreseeing the possible ensuing chaos in the government, Pei Yan's worries were indescribable.
In the spring of 683 AD, in the Forbidden City of Luoyang, with the death of Tang Gaozong, Li Xian ascended the throne and became Zhongzong. Adhering to the legacy of the previous emperor, Zhongzong appointed Pei Yan as the Zhongshu Order, relying on him to be in charge of government affairs.
At this time, Pei Yan was already the most influential prime minister in the imperial court. However, soon after Zhongzong ascended the throne, he revealed his intention to let his father-in-law Wei Xuanzhen take control of important positions, and wanted to grant the position of servant.
Pei Yan was deeply worried about this, and he tried his best to admonish Zhongzong, reminding him that this move would leave the imperial power aside and harm the long-term interests of the country.
Zhongzong and Pei Yan had a fierce conflict over key matters. In the face of Zhongzong's weak assertion and handing over the country to his father-in-law Wei Xuanzhen, Pei Yan lost control of his emotions, and even if he mentioned it for a while, it didn't hurt.
He was well aware of the potential risks of this move, that is, Zhongzong's eagerness to hand over the power of the court to a suspicious and ruthless Wei Xuanzhen, which was like opening the door to thieves and could cause political turmoil.
Therefore, Pei Yan vigorously exhorted and reminded Zhongzong of the serious consequences of this decision.
Zhongzong firmly believed that Pei Yan's advice was not taken seriously, and he emphasized: "Wei Xuanzhen is not only my father-in-law, I have no doubt about him. Soon, Wei Xuanzhen was promoted to the rank of servant, a position that allowed him to frequently meet the saints and directly affect government affairs.
However, in the face of the emperor's rashness, Pei Yan was furious and said bluntly: "Even if you entrust the country to Wei Xuanzhen, I have no complaints." Pei Yan realized that this sentence had completely broken his relationship with Zhongzong, and disaster seemed to come in an instant.
At the pinnacle of power, Wu Zetian was like an eagle soaring in Luoyang, with sharp eyes locked on the power center of Chang'an. Insight into the disagreement between Zhongzong and Pei Yan, she skillfully laid out and induced Pei Yan to plan together"Incompetence"For the reason, Zhongzong was pulled down from the throne.
In the well-planned chess game, Zhongzong became the king of Luling, and the wheel of history turned. Seizing the excellent opportunity, Wu Zetian decisively declared the system, and Ruizong Li Dan took over the docile baton and became the new helmsman.
At this point, above the court, Wu Zetian walked alone in the world, and Pei Yan, who had helped him reach the top, felt deep regret at this moment and understood that he had inadvertently acted for the tiger.
Wu Zetian, who had long been ambitious, and the conflict between Zhongzong and Pei Yan happened to be the catalyst for her to take power. She acted quickly and sent her cronies to throw an olive branch to Pei Yan, promising that if they could join hands, she would push him to the position of prime minister.
However, Pei Yan felt a deep dilemma: he questioned Zhongzong's ability to abdicate the throne, and he was worried about Empress Wu's ambitions for power. After much consideration, Pei Yan made a difficult decision to join forces to depose Zhongzong, a move that revealed a turning point in history.
Under Wu Zetian's ingenious layout, Pei Yan cooperated with his ministers to depose Zhongzong in the name of the Queen Mother, and he was demoted to the king of Luling and imprisoned in the depths of the palace. Taking this opportunity, Wu Zetian smoothly passed the throne to his son Li Dan, that is, Ruizong, and grasped the power of the imperial court in one fell swoop.
Afterwards, Pei Yan was deeply remorseful, and he had insight into the woman's ambition and skill, and realized that this would lead to the decline of the Tang Dynasty. However, it was too late, and he had already been caught up in this androgynous empress strategy, as if walking on the tip of a knife, deeply feeling the precariousness of the fate of the Tang Dynasty.
In the spring of 684, in the bustling city of Chang'an, Wu Zetian aspired to elevate the glory of his ancestors to the throne. Pei Yan took history as a mirror, resolutely stated, and warned of the risk of chasing the seal, but it angered the empress.
Subsequently, she intended to get rid of King Han and King Lu, but Pei Yan stepped forward again and resolutely opposed it, which undoubtedly deepened Wu Zetian's suspicion of him. Wu Zetian, who was in power, tried to emulate his predecessors and liquidate dissidents at the same time.
Pei Yan was worried, and he had insight into the hidden historical lessons of this series of measures, and he repeatedly admonished sincerely. However, Wu Zetian did not listen, and the positions of the two became increasingly opposed.
Pei Yan said bluntly, revealing the warning of history like looking in a mirror: excessive rewards will inevitably sow disaster, just like the family of the Empress Dowager Dou in the past went out of control of power due to similar behaviors.
Wu Zetian ignored Pei Yan's wise warnings, and she asserted that she was different from the actions of previous usurpers. She emphasized that her actions were to respect the ancestors rather than control the living, and her motives were pure and would not cause disasters, as if to comfort Pei Yan without worrying too much.
However, in the face of Pei Yan's insistence on stopping her suppression of King Han and King Lu, he pointed out with in-depth insight that these two were just the cornerstones of guarding the stability of the royal family, and there was no difference.
He feared that the excessively harsh purge would provoke panic and shake the very foundations of the Tang dynasty. But Wu Zetian became more and more annoyed by this, and Pei Yan had become an obstacle that she could not tolerate.
This year, Yangzhou was full of smoke, and the rebellion led by Xu Jingye shook the world. Pei Yan offered advice for Wu Zetian to return power to Ruizong in an attempt to quell the rebellion. However, this did not get a positive response from her, but made Wu Zetian suspicious of Pei Yan.
Subsequently, Yushi accused Pei Yan of colluding with Xu Jingye, and the situation took a turn for the worse. It is rumored that Pei Yan once secretly sent a letter to Xu Jingye, only two words"Green goose", but it was interpreted by Wu Zetian as a code for rebellion.
As a result, the position of prime minister was crumbling, and Pei Yan faced the imminent fate in the iron window and lamented"Green goose"The two words became the end of his life's work.
In the future, someone may rehabilitate him, but the brand of betrayal is difficult to erase. Pei Yan was not completely without fault in the whirlpool of power, he failed to foresee Wu Zetian's unfathomable depth, and finally planted himself in this political struggle.
When Xu Jingye rebelled in Yangzhou and the situation was critical, Pei Yan made a wise suggestion, advocating the return of Li Tang Zhengshuo and the return of power to Ruizong to stabilize the overall situation. However, Wu Zetian did not adopt it, but regarded it as an alien and questioned his loyalty.
Finally, a supervisor secretly presented key evidence to Wu Zetian, accusing Pei Yan of suspicious correspondence with Xu Jingye. There is only the word "green goose" in the letter, which seems ordinary, but in fact it hides a deep meaning.
Wu Zetian had a keen insight into the meaning behind it, and immediately ordered the arrest of Pei Yan, accusing him of collaborating with the enemy**. Pei Yan's hard work passed like flowing water, and he was sad in the cold cell, realizing that his efforts might have been in vain.
The daily cold and miserable rain tortured his soul, making him deeply lament the impermanence of life and the fact that he would fall into such a desperate situation.
In the spring of 685 A.D., in Chang'an City, after Ruizong ascended the throne, he tried to clear Pei Yan's grievances, posthumously recognized him as a lieutenant, and praised him as him"Loyalty"。However, the truth of history is often misunderstood, and the ending is a thing of the past.
Pei Yan assisted with all his heart during his lifetime, but his reputation was discredited due to dynastic disputes. Although Wu Zetian was in power for a while, he couldn't decide the situation on his own. Time passes, life is like a dream bubble, and the evaluation of future generations is not omnipotent.
Although Ruizong had the intention to correct Pei Yan's name, everything could not be reversed, and the boundary between loyalty and treachery, good and evil had been blurred. Pei Yan's fate was accompanied by the turmoil of the Tang Dynasty, and his efforts eventually came to naught.
Although Wu Zetian was powerful and tried to influence the course of history, she could not escape the torrent of the times and the fair judgment of history after all. Her resourcefulness and ambition have now only left faint traces in ancient books.
Pei Yan and her have become hurried passers-by in the long river of time, and their love-hate entanglement has been washed away by the hourglass of time. For their evaluation, future generations will inevitably have limitations, but life is like a dream bubble, although Pei Yan's life is full of struggles, he can't resist the impermanence of fate.
However, the truth of history is still evolving, and through their stories, we can gain insight into the changes of that era and judge their value with a rational eye.