One day in July 961 AD, the founding emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, hosted a banquet for his generals. He said at the banquet, I became the emperor thanks to you, but after becoming the emperor, I couldn't sleep well all night.

glasses of wine to release military power at the Hongmen Banquet

One day in July of 961 AD, Northern Song DynastyThe Founding EmperorSong TaizuZhao Kuangyin hosted a banquet for his generals, and said this at the banquet, I am relying on you to become the emperor, I can be The emperor couldn't sleep well all night.

General Shi Shouxin quickly asked what the reason was.

Zhao Kuangyin said, If one day, your respective subordinates are no longer satisfied with the status quo and want more glory and wealth, and a higher political status. By then, even if you didn't originally want to be the emperor, you will have to do something under the pressure and expectations of your subordinates.

Shi Shouxin and others heard the meaning behind the words.

On the second day, these leading generals began to resign due to illness, or made deliberate mistakes, handing over their military power in disguise. This is "a cup of wine to release military power."

Shi Shouxin was originally a benevolent general who fought bravely and always valued justice over profit. However, after the "drinking to release military power" incident, he had an "epiphany" and began to pursue sensuality and crazily amass property.

" Song History " makes it clear that he was just deliberately "self-defiling".

The same is true for other generals. It can be seen that although these generals come from the military and have reckless personalities, they are also very politically acumen.

In order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the short-lived dynasties of the and five dynasties and ensure the long-term peace and stability of the new Zhao and Song dynasties, Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin directed such a famous "liberation of military power over a glass of wine" in July of the second year of Jianlong.

Senior generals of the Forbidden Army Shi Shouxin, Wang Shenqi, Gao Huaide and others were all relieved of their military power.

The military power was adjusted step by step

After Song Taizu came to the throne, made several small-scale adjustments to the military power of the Forbidden Army. It was carried out once a week after

" Chenqiao Mutiny "; it was carried out again in the autumn of the first year of Jianlong.

Through these two adjustments, the nine highest military positions in the Forbidden Army Palace and the Guards Department were all held by the founding heroes of the Zhao and Song Dynasties.

In March of the second year of Jianlong , the third adjustment was made.

In this adjustment, Han Lingkun, the supreme commander of the Guards Department, was removed, and replaced by Shi Shouxin; Murong Yanzhao, the supreme commander of the Palace Front Department, was removed, and he immediately inspected all the people in front of the palace. The highest-ranking military positions were revoked.

So this adjustment is actually the final step to prepare for the "release of military power over a glass of wine".

In July, "a cup of wine released military power", six more generals of the Imperial Army were relieved of their military power.

took the first step to strengthen centralization and to consolidate dynastic rule.

Learn lessons from history

The reason why Zhao Kuangyin carried out drastic reforms in the ownership of military power when the overall situation was initially determined, is mainly due to the painful lessons of the vassal town being domineering, supporting troops and self-respect, and disrupting the world since the "Anshi Rebellion" in the Tang Dynasty.

Since the "An-Shi Rebellion" in the mid-Tang Dynasty, Jiedushi in various regions have supported their own troops and strengthened themselves, which has caused a turbulent situation in feudal towns.

However, since the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, as powerful vassal towns have continuously brought troops into the central government, and dynasties have changed, the strength of the central forbidden army has gradually grown stronger.

Later Tang Mingzong Li Siyuan, Later Tang Late Emperor Li Congke, Later Jin Gaozu Shi Jingtang, Later Zhou Taizu Guo Wei and Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin and other five people ascended to God under this historical environment. bit.

Approximately after Li Cunxu destroyed Liang in the Later Tang Dynasty, the military strength of various local towns no longer had the strength to compete with the central army. The main influence on the political situation in the Central Plains was the central imperial army.

But because the forbidden army mostly evolved from the army of the vassal town.

Therefore, since the middle Tang Dynasty, the soldiers in the army have been arrogant and arrogant, so they will unite to squeeze the generals, and the generals, with their hearts as high as the sky, will commit the following crimes. Not only has the bad habit of plotting against the emperor not changed, it has further developed into a mobilization Coup d'état, changing the person in charge of the court.

After the "Chenqiao Mutiny", although Taizu of the Song Dynasty was already wearing a yellow robe, military coups such as "abolition of the emperor and changes in the court" may still happen again.

At that time, there were nine senior generals in the Forbidden Army. Some of them were Zhao Kuangyin's sworn brothers, and some of them were founding heroes with great achievements.

In this situation of high power and weight, is also a potential threat to Zhao Kuangyin's throne. After all, as the old saying goes: high power shakes the master, and power is unpredictable.

The release of military power is actually a kind of redemption, that is, using conditions such as generous material benefits for generations to exchange for power that may endanger the imperial power.

From the perspective of the entire historical process, has had a profound positive impact on the development of and in the Song Dynasty, and has also had a serious negative impact.

Positive significance

1. It strengthened the centralization of power in the Zhao and Song Dynasties and consolidated the imperial rule.

Throughout history, in China, since ancient times, soldiers are still there, and people die when soldiers are gone.

When the political situation is in turmoil, it is often the samurai generals who hold military power who play a key role.

Zhao Kuangyin was well aware of the shortcomings of the Five Dynasties. adopted the policy of "removing meritorious officials, releasing military power, controlling generals, and establishing a military system", which provided an important way to effectively weaken the military power of leading generals and changed the " square control is too heavy, The situation of "the king is weak and the ministers are strong" provided reliable political and military support for China to once again form a unified dynasty.

2. Provided a good and stable political environment for the implementation of various follow-up measures to strengthen centralization.

When Song Taizu ascended the throne, the Song Dynasty faced a huge development crisis.

From the perspective of the internal environment, a relatively stable domestic foundation has not been formed, and a large number of vassal towns are deliberately trying to compete for territory.

In terms of the external environment, Northern China has Khitan and other national forces with evil intentions and frequent intrusions.

Facing complex internal and external environments, only by comprehensively strengthening the imperial power can we promote the stability of the political situation in the early Song Dynasty and avoid repeating the mistakes of the short-lived dynasties of the Five Dynasties.

Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin divided the power of dispatching troops, commanding troops, and holding troops into three families, forming a military leadership system in which the Privy Council, Three Yamen and the ministers restricted each other.

3. Created a favorable social environment for the development of cultural and scientific undertakings in the Song Dynasty.

cups of wine released military power" means the end of military intervention in politics, opening the opportunity to suppress military power and promote culture.

During the Five Dynasties, it was the world of warlords, "Lances and big guns. "Sword" commanded politics, forming a social trend of emphasizing military force over literature.

At the beginning of the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty, the trend of emphasizing military force over literature was still the same.

Therefore, "a cup of wine releases military power" soon after, Zhao Pu immediately became the Privy Councilor After taking the post of a military leader, he held the high position for ten years without changing it. Controlled the central and central government in the hands of one person. It was very clear that the imperial court would deliberately suppress the generals while suppressing the generals.

In the early Song Dynasty, the national policy of emphasizing culture and suppressing military affairs was an urgent need to attract intellectuals outside the aristocratic families to participate in the government and expand the basis of feudal rule.

Therefore, it led to the improvement and development of the imperial examination system . The "Roll Call of Chinese Clan" was the envy of the world, and a large number of children from poor families with political ambitions participated in national governance, which also brought a fresh atmosphere to politics.

provided an opportunity for the prosperity of civilian politics in the Northern Song Dynasty.

implemented to advocate civility and suppress military power. 's national policy, The Song Dynasty saw an unprecedented civilian political situation, which also promoted the prosperity of China's cultural and educational undertakings.

Negative meaning

1. It led to poverty and weakness in the Northern Song Dynasty.

"Release military power over a cup of wine" was mainly to strengthen the centralization of power. However, due to the appointment of a large number of civilian officials, it led to the emergence of the phenomenon of "redundant officials". The military recruitment system implemented by

, in addition to the usual recruitment of soldiers, also recruited a large number of soldiers in times of famine and disaster, in order to recruit bankrupt farmers who had left the land into the army, so that the Song army, which was originally a mixture of old and weak, continued to swell.

Rather than saying this is a recruitment system, it is better to say that it is using economic means to solve the problems of farmers.

It is not for national defense, but to maintain social stability and unity.

Therefore, this kind of military system not only results in low combat effectiveness, but also creates the phenomenon of "redundant troops". And "redundant officials" and "redundant soldiers" will inevitably bring about "redundant expenses".

"Redundant officials", "redundant soldiers" and "redundant expenses" have brought four undesirable consequences: increased financial expenditure, lack of administrative efficiency, lack of military combat effectiveness, and added resistance to future political reforms.

These four consequences increased the burden on society, suppressed social vitality, and restricted the improvement of comprehensive national strength. As a result, although the Northern Song Dynasty seemed prosperous, it was actually riddled with holes.

is poor and weak, and the financial crisis is extremely serious.

The rulers of the Northern Song Dynasty treated civil servants and military generals with "gratitude to hundreds of officials for fear of their inadequacy."

Zhao Kuangyin deprived the generals of their military power. The condition mentioned was to allow them to annex land at will. Therefore, the land concentration situation in the Northern Song Dynasty was always extremely serious.

However, this practice of achieving peace between monarch and ministers through economic bribery brought serious difficulties to the finances of the Northern Song Dynasty, making it difficult to collect taxes.

has long-term financial constraints. The country is in trouble, but the bureaucrats and landlords regard their wealth as their lives and do not spare a dime.

In addition, the Northern Song Dynasty's policy of promoting officials and indiscriminate promotion of official positions resulted in a large number of mediocre and incompetent people in the court, and these people "There are only two or three out of ten people who are capable of governing, and seven or eight out of ten who are corrupt." ”

The bureaucracy is bloated, stacked, and overstaffed. You sign and others hope to get things done. There is bickering, no one is responsible, and work efficiency is low.

2. The level of military generals has declined

Although releasing military power can avoid the generals from relying on their own troops and consolidate central power to the greatest extent.

But since the "Release of Military Power over a Drink of Wine", there have been almost no generals except Di Qing.

"Release military power over a cup of wine" was the first of its kind in the Song Dynasty to be suspicious of military generals. Due to the effect of inertia, later emperors became more civilized and in turn became more suspicious of military generals. Di Qing, Yue Fei and other famous generals throughout the ages eventually became the most popular of this policy. direct victim.

Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty once quoted Taizu's saying "Those who violate my laws only have sword ears" to warn Yue Fei.

In the context of intense foreign aggression and constant wars, the reduction of military power from generals also weakened the combat capabilities of the troops.

Zhao Kuangyin strongly advocated civilized governance suppression of military affairs This is not a bad thingBut the "civilized governance" advocated by the rulers of the Song Dynasty was mainly based on the guiding ideology of " Neo-Confucianism" which was empty talk on the heart, nature, and principles Practical words was not practical ActualThere is a lot of talk but little success.

Even civilian officials who do not understand military affairs are in charge of military affairs and play an important role in border defense. This makes the generals lose their fighting spirit, and the civilian officials profit from it and become corrupt.

In the emperor's heartThe criterion for measuring the quality of a generalis not whether he can win the battlebut whether he is obedient to the court.

As long as the generals act in accordance with the emperor's will and go to war according to the emperor's will, even if they lose the battle, they can still get the opportunity to be promoted. Otherwise, they will be considered "arrogant" and despise the court. Even if they win, they will be May be punished by God.

Military generals are frequently mobilized, which not only affects the enthusiasm and initiative of military generals, but also limits the improvement of generals' military capabilities and restricts the display of their military talents.

Since the late Taizong Dynasty, the Northern Song Dynasty's wars against Liao, Xixia and later the Jurchens have repeatedly suffered defeats. The main reason is that for many years, "control from the center" has been implemented, the troops are separated, and the power to mobilize, command and hold troops is divided. Three troops cannot quickly adjust their armaments and attack at any time.

Military measures were overcorrection. Although they were beneficial to the emperor's control of the army, they violated military laws and have always been taboo among military strategists.

"An army cannot be defended from within" is an excellent military thought formed since the pre-Qin Dynasty. It is also a profound summary of the laws of war and has been highly praised by outstanding politicians and military strategists of all ages.

However, in the Northern Song Dynasty, they set up a large number of military supervisors and favored ministers to check the generals through various means.

led to the dispersion of military power. Within the army, because the level of the generals was not outstanding, many soldiers and generals were not aligned, and they were incompatible with each other. This severely weakened the combat effectiveness of the Song Dynasty's army. The final fall of the dynasty was also a historical necessity. trend direction.

Corruption in society breeds

After the "drinking of wine to release military power", almost all the founding generals of the Song Dynasty became greedy and lustful.

When Song Taizu implemented this measure, in order to reduce the resistance of military officers, made compensation in terms of property and military discipline constraints, which also led to the growth of corruption and ruined the social atmosphere.

If there were many military generals who had no choice but to do so at the beginning, was quite a bit of a show when it came to corruption, which was just a show on occasion.

Over time, due to the underlying evil nature in human nature such as indulgence and pleasure, habits have become natural, and corruption has gradually become normal.

"Exchanging corruption for military power" was tantamount to self-destruction the Great Wall and chronic suicide for the Zhao and Song dynasties.

Summary

"Release military power with a glass of wine", in terms of its direct significance, it had a very far-reaching and positive impact on strengthening the centralization of power in the Zhao and Song dynasties, and maintaining the stability of the dynasty's regime.

Through a relatively rational and gentle way, solved the conflict between the emperor and the founding heroes. prevented the generals of the Forbidden Army from using military power to launch a coup and repeat the story of "the yellow robe". It also solved the problem of the founding generals being proud of themselves because they thought they had merit. Big question.

Therefore, its success greatly contributed to the stability of the political situation in the early Song Dynasty, preventing the Northern Song Dynasty from following the footsteps of the Five Dynasties.

However, "releasing military power over a glass of wine" is only a strategy used by those in power as a last resort in a specific historical period.

"Release military power over a glass of wine" is just the beginning, but subsequent related measures are obviously overkill. When the country is stable and mature, corresponding adjustments should be made in time.

However, due to the inertia of the system, relevant policies have not been adjusted in time, but have intensified their development in an unfavorable direction, which has also brought about a series of negative impacts.

These historical lessons should also be learned from for us today.