湛 Zhàn

Jingzong

Jingzong (posthumous title: Ruiwu Zhaomin Xiao Huangdi), whose personal name was Zhan, was the eldest son of Muzong. His mother was Empress Dowager Gongxi, of the Wang clan. He was first enfeoffed as Prince of E, and later moved to Prince of Jing. Edit

In the twelfth month of the second year of Changqing, Muzong was suddenly taken ill while playing polo and did not see the assembled officials for three days. Pei Du, Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, sent up three memorials asking that a Crown Prince be named, and the Hanlin Academicians and the officials of the two Departments, one after another, all urged the same. Some days later, when Muzong's illness had eased a little, the Chief Minister Li Fengji asked that the Prince of Jing be made Crown Prince. Edit

In the first month of the fourth year, Muzong died. On the guiyou day Li Fengji, Vice Director of the Chancellery and Manager of Affairs, acted as Chief Steward. On the bingzi day the Crown Prince took the imperial throne in the Taiji Hall. Edit

On the xinsi day of the second month, he began to attend to government. On the guiwei day he honored his mother as Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager as Grand Empress Dowager. On the xinmao day those who had been confiscated into the Lateral Courts and the Inner Gardens were released. On the dingwei day he played polo in the Zhonghe Hall. On the wushen day he played polo at the Flying Dragon Stables. The Huangdong Man surrendered. On the jiyou day he played polo, with music. Edit

On the renzi day of the third month, there was a general amnesty. The green-sprouts tax of the capital region and Henan was remitted; the expenses of the palace and the Emperor's own clothing and food were reduced; and the tribute of hawks and dogs was stopped. Of the garrisons of the two He regions that had returned their territory since Yuanhe, each was granted office for one son. On the gengwu day Venus crossed the sky by day. Edit

On the bingshen day of the fourth month, he played polo in the Qingsi Hall. Zhang Shao, an artisan of the Dyeing Workshop, rebelled; the Emperor went to the Left Divine Strategy Army, and Shao was executed. On the dingyou day the Emperor returned to the palace. Edit

On the yimao day of the fifth month, Li Cheng, Vice Minister of Personnel, and Dou Yizhi, Vice Minister of Revenue in charge of the Public Revenue Section, were made Joint Managers of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. Edit

On the gengchen day of the sixth month, a great wind wrecked the Yanxi and Jingfeng Gates. Edit

That summer the Han River flooded. Edit

On the dinghai day of the eighth month, Venus was seen in daytime. On the dingyou day the palace eunuch Ji Wende plotted rebellion and was executed. The Huangdong Man raided Annan. Edit

On the wuwu day of the eleventh month, the King of Huan and the Huangdong Man took Lu Prefecture, and its Prefect, Ge Wei, died in its defense. On the gengshen day the Emperor Ruisheng Wenhui Xiao was buried at the Guang Mausoleum. Edit

On the jiyou day of the first month of the first year of Baoli, the Emperor made offerings at the Taiqing Palace. On the gengxu day he made offerings at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On the xinhai day he sacrificed at the Southern Suburb. There was a general amnesty and the era name was changed. On the yimao day Niu Sengru was dismissed. Edit

On the guisi day of the fourth month, the assembled officials offered the honorific title "Emperor Wenwu Dasheng Guangxiao." There was a general amnesty. Civil and military officials were granted rank and noble titles. Edit

On the gengxu day of the fifth month, he watched the boat races at the Yuzao Palace. Edit

On the renwu day of the ninth month, Liu Wu, Military Commissioner of the Zhaoyi Army, died, and his son Congjian named himself Acting Military Commissioner. Edit

On the bingshen day of the eleventh month, he enfeoffed his son Pu as Prince of Jin. Edit

On the jiaxu day of the first month of the second year, the Six Armies of the Divine Strategy were called out to dig a pool inside the palace. Edit

On the dingwei day of the second month, Pei Du, Military Commissioner of Shannan West Circuit, was made Acting Grand Minister of Works and Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. Edit

On the wuyin day of the third month, he watched the boat races at the Yuzao Palace. Edit

On the wuxu day of the fourth month, Li Quanlüe, Military Commissioner of the Henghai Army, died, and his son Tongjie rebelled. Edit

On the wuyin day of the fifth month, he watched the boat races at the Yuzao Palace. On the gengchen day the Lulong Army of You Prefecture mutinied and killed its Military Commissioner, Zhu Kerong, and his son Yansi named himself Military Commissioner. Edit

On the xinyou day of the sixth month, he watched fishing at the Linbi Pool. On the jiazi day he watched donkey polo and wrestling at the Three Halls. Edit

On the guiwei day of the seventh month, Xuan, Prince of Heng, died. The Mei Lake was put under the Palace Food Service, and the people were forbidden to fish there. Edit

On the bingwu day of the eighth month, he watched the boat races at the New Pool. Edit

On the jiaxu day of the ninth month, he watched the hundred entertainments in the Xuanhe Hall, and they ended only after three days. On the wuyin day Li Zaiyi, Military Commander of the Lulong Army of You Prefecture, killed Zhu Yansi and named himself Acting Military Commissioner. On the renwu day Li Cheng was dismissed. Edit

On the jiashen day of the eleventh month, Li Fengji was dismissed. On the jichou day court officials and regional garrisons were forbidden to keep private men without official status. Edit

In the twelfth month, the palace eunuch Liu Keming rebelled. On the xinchou day the Emperor died, at the age of eighteen. Edit

Appraisal

The appraisal says: By the rule of the Spring and Autumn Annals, when a ruler is murdered and the murderers are not punished, the state is gravely blamed, as having no true ministers or sons. Xianzong was murdered, and three reigns passed while the murderers still lived. When it came to Wenzong, he could not bring to light the crimes of Hongzhi and the others so as to uphold the statutes and punishments of the state; he could only kill him, and that is lamentable. Muzong and Jingzong were benighted boys who lost all virtue; because they did not reign long, the realm did not fall into ruin and chaos, but in the end disaster overtook Jingzong himself. Did he ever have the will to punish the murderers! Wenzong was respectful, frugal and refined in the manner of a scholar, and this was his nature. He once read the Essentials of Taizong's Government and admired it with deep feeling. When he came to the throne he set his mind keenly on good government, and whenever he received his chief ministers in the Yanying Hall it usually went on until the eleventh mark of the water clock. Under the Tang system the Son of Heaven held court on odd-numbered days, and he ordered that suspensions and cancellations of court should all fall on even-numbered days. Whenever he appointed an official he would summon him and question him, judging in person whether he was able. And so in the early years of Dahe government was in good order and was called pure and enlightened. But he was humane and lacked decision; he inherited the ills left by his father and brother, the eunuchs bent power to their will, and he did not find the means of controlling them, and in the end this is what brought him to grief. In the Sweet Dew affair, disaster reached loyal and good men; he could not bear his grief and anger, and could only swallow his resentment. Seen this way, his killing of Hongzhi was enough to show his purpose. Edit

Of old Wuding found one Fu Yue, and became Gaozong of Shang. Wuzong employed one Li Deyu, and so achieved his great deeds. Yet while he set about abolishing the Buddhist teaching with great vigor, he himself received the registers of the Daoists and took drugs in search of long life. From this one sees that he was not a man of clear wisdom free from delusion; it was only that his likes and dislikes were different. Xuanzong was skilled at hearing and judging cases, but he took scrutiny for discernment and had no more thought of humane kindness. Alas, from this time on, Tang declined! Edit