The Anshi Rebellion was a rebellion that caused Tang's muscles and bones. Since then, the huge empire has collapsed until it perishes. Before the rebellion, An Lushan was an ambassador to the three towns of Pinglu, Fanyang, and Hedong. He was a side general who shouldered the heavy responsibility of Datang. He actually betrayed the Tang Xuanzong who believed in him and turned against him.
Therefore, when studying the causes of the Anshi Rebellion, many people focused on the border defense system of Datang, and believed that Datang was destroyed by the Jiedushi system.
(Anlushan stills)
is not always true. Before Anlushan, the Jidu Envoy system has been implemented for more than 40 years, and the Jidu Envoy that holds the power does not count. In fact, like Gai Jiayun and Wang Zhongsi, the strength of the two even surpassed An Lushan, but they did not rebel. So, among so many jundu envoys, why is Anlushan alone rebelling?
Generals holding heavily armed forces have been the focus of the emperor’s defense throughout the dynasties, and Datang is no exception. In order to prevent them from rebelling, the court set up multiple insurances in the system.
First of all, since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the military system has been implemented. Soldiers usually work in agriculture and fight in wartime, enjoying tax exemption treatment. There are more than 600 military organizations called "Zhechong Mansion" across the country, each with 800 to 1,200 people, and there are more than 400 distributed in Chang'an, Luoyang, and Taiyuan, the base camp where Li Tang started, around this triangle area .
But in the frontier areas, there are only a few security forces that belong to the Duhufu or Dudufu. In the event of a war, the Zhechong Mansion will summon troops and the generals appointed by the emperor will lead the team. It is entirely a military pattern that emphasizes internal emphasis on external affairs, and there is no hidden danger of generals rebelling.
Later, due to various reasons, the military system gradually collapsed and the recruiting system replaced it. The recruited soldiers are basically out of production and become professional soldiers, which helps to improve the combat effectiveness of the army. With the implementation of the recruitment system, the system of "Jingdu Shi" in the border areas also came into being. In the first year of Jingyun, Tang Ruizong appointed Xue Rengui's son as Xue Na as the ambassador of Youzhou Guardian Economics, and Jiedushi was born.
(Xuanzong stills)
Although Jiedu gives a lot of power, the military, political, and financial powers in the area under its jurisdiction provide a hotbed for the side to rebel, but everyone does not Underestimating the wisdom of the ancient rulers, in order to prevent the frontiers from rebelling, they summarized the three principles of "never take office, do not lead far away, and do not both. The iron-fighting generals kept the side generals from staying for a long time and cultivated personal prestige, which prevented them from becoming bigger and stronger.
However, after Tang Xuanzong ascended the throne, he was more enthusiastic about the pursuit of Bian Gong. As long as he could win the battle, he would abandon all criteria. Prime Minister Zhang Shuo, Xiao Song, Li Linfu, and Yang Guozhong were all remotely responsible for the envoys; the phenomenon of capable generals concurrently serving everywhere, Wang Zhongsi actually hung the four towns’ jealous seals; Anlushan, Ge Shuhan, and Gao Xianzhi. The general was familiar with the frontier situation and was able to win the battle. Since becoming a Jiedu envoy, he has not moved his nest.
Xuanzong abandoned three principles for the side work. However, don't worry. At this time, the imperial court still has an insurance for the border generals, which is the rule of "communicating generals".
The distinction between civil servants and generals in the Tang Dynasty was not obvious, and everyone was keen to squeeze in the capital to serve as officials, and the third-ranking governor who was appointed to be the sole party also cried and felt like being exiled. So the imperial court drew up rules and wanted to be a Beijing official instead of serving in the locality. There was no way. As a result, it is a shortcut to become a prime minister, which is the highest official position and the easiest to perform meritorious service.
Therefore, the high-ranking officials who served as Jiedu Envoys at the time were thinking of doing meritorious service in the Fa, and letting the meritorious service become a stepping stone for the prime minister, and did not cultivate the idea of personal power. For example, Zhang Shuo, Li Yuanhong, Xiao Song, Niu Xianke, and Li Shizhi all acted as ministers before entering the DPRK.
(An Lushan stills)
However, after Li Linfu became prime minister, the last insurance was also taken away. Because Li Linfu was worried that these men and women would shake his position, he gave Xuanzong a very bad idea: suggest to use the low-status Hu Rendan.Regardless of General Ren Bien, the Hu people are both brave and good at fighting, and there is no possibility of forming a party in the DPRK.
Xuanzong, who was thinking about opening up the frontiers, agreed to this suggestion. In this way, all insurances no longer exist. The reason why the side general did not rebel was only because of his loyalty to the court. But the so-called loyalty is invisible and intangible. It is somewhat credible! From the performance point of view, it seems that An Lushan is the most loyal general.
The emperor was greedy for side merits, and the prime minister was selfish. The envoys caused the system to be changed again and again. Not only did it lose its original effect, it seemed to be tailored for the rebellion of An Lushan. Therefore, the reason for the outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion was not the temperance system. The system was not wrong, but the people who made and implemented the system were wrong. (Text: Xiong Yu laughs from himself)
(Xuanzong stills)
Reference materials: "New Tang Book", "Old Tang Book", "Zizhi Tongjian".
