Song Jing

Song Jing

Song Jing (663-737) was born in Nanhe District, Xingtai City, Hebei Province. The famous Prime Minister of Tang Dynasty was the seventh grandson of song Bian, the Minister of Li Department in Northern Wei Dynasty.

He is erudite and good at literature. In the examination of Jinshi, he was awarded the county captain of Shangdang, the Secretary of Qianzhong, the imperial censor Zhongcheng, the Minister of the Ministry of officials, and the Minister of the Ministry of officials and the Minister of punishment. In 729, he paid homage to the Prime Minister of Shangshu, Shangzhu state, Kaifu Yitong and entered Guangping county. In the 25th year of Kaiyuan (737), he died in Luoyang at the age of 75. He was posthumously awarded to Taiwei as Wenzhen.

He worked hard with Yao Chong to help Tang Xuanzong create the "prosperous era of Kaiyuan". He was also known as the four great sages of Tang Dynasty together with Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and Yao Chong.

Song Ci, the "father of forensic medicine" in the later Song Dynasty, was a descendant of song Jing.

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Life of the characters

Song Jing was born in Nanhe, Xingzhou (now Songtai, Yanli Township, Nanhe District, Xingtai City, Hebei Province). During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, song Jing, a 17-year-old Jinshi, was promoted to the rank of censor and Fengge Sheriff after he was granted the order of Yichang (now Rucheng).

In the second year of Shenlong (706), Emperor Zhongzong ordered song Jing to be the governor of Jianxiao and the governor of beizhou, but he did not go there. He was also appointed the governor of Jianxiao and beizhou. Song Jing was forced out of the court.

In the first year of Jingyun, Emperor Ruizong of the Tang Dynasty, song Jing became the official minister and tongzhongshu from governor Shi of Luo. Song Jing's choice of Pingyun is known as time. At that time, Princess Taiping was in power and would murder Prince Li Longji. Song Jing and Yao Chongzou asked the princess to live in Luoyang, the eastern capital, and was demoted as the governor of Chuzhou.

At the beginning of Kaiyuan, he was the governor of Guangzhou, and taught the people to build houses by burning tile instead of bamboo to avoid fire.

In the fourth year of Kaiyuan (716), he was summoned to be the Minister of the Ministry of punishment, and soon replaced Yao Chong as prime minister. In Song Jing's phase, he chose the right person to do the work, and then he was appointed, so that all the officials were called their posts. He was selfless in punishment and reward, and dared to offend Yan Zhijian. He was respected and feared by Xuanzong. Although he didn't agree, he reluctantly adopted it. Song Jing and Yao Chong are called virtuous prime ministers, and they are called "Yao and song". It is said in history that "we should respect goodness and adapt to changes to achieve the world's affairs, and we should be good at keeping the integrity of the world. The two are different and belong to the rule of law.

In the fifth year of Kaiyuan (717), song Jing accompanied Xuanzong on a tour of Dongdu, passing by Gugu (now Shanxian County, Henan Province). The mountain was high and the road was narrow, so it was difficult to walk. Xuanzong was very angry and wanted to remove Henan Yin Li Chaoyin and Zhidun envoy Wang Yi who was in charge of travel affairs. Song Jing remonstrated that "Your Majesty is always happy. Now he is guilty of this crime, and he is afraid that the people will suffer from it in the future.". Xuanzong thought that it was reasonable, so they were exempted from capital punishment.

In the eighth year of Kaiyuan (720), in order to suppress the appeal of the bureaucrats who broke the law, and to prohibit the circulation of evil money, it attracted people's resentment. Therefore, it was granted Kaifu Yitong, the third division, to be the founder of Guangping county.

In the 10th year of Kaiyuan (722), Jingzhao rioted in Liangshan. After being suppressed, many of them were arrested. Xuanzong took song Jing and Jingzhao to stay for review. He only punished the first few people, and the rest were released.

In 724, Emperor Xuanzong visited Mount Tai in the East, and song Jing stayed in the capital. Xuanzong set out and said to song Jing, "Qing is the elder of the country, and he is my father. I'm going to visit Luoyang for a while now. Please let me know if you have any good ideas. " Song Jing told each other one by one. Xuanzong song Jing "into the words, the right seat of the book, access to the province, to admonish life.".

In the 17th year of Kaiyuan (729), he paid homage to the right Prime Minister of Shangshu.

In the 20th year of Kaiyuan (732), song Jing asked the old man again and again, but Xuanzong had no choice but to agree. He still ordered him to give him 500 pieces of silk. After Song Jing retired to his private residence in Luoyang, the eastern capital of China, he put an end to guests.

On November 19, the 25th year of Kaiyuan (737), song Jing died at the age of 75 in the private house of Mingjiao in Luoyang. His posthumous title is Wen Zhen. Xuanzong ordered Cui Shizhi, Henan Shaoyin, to act as a guardian envoy, responsible for handling the funeral.

In 770, 33 years after the death of song Jing, Yan Zhenqing wrote and wrote the inscription at the request of song Jing's descendants. In 772, the tombstone was engraved and erected in Song Jing cemetery.

Main achievements

Wu Zhou period

In the reign of Empress Wu, song Jing was valued for his frankness and uprightness, and was gradually promoted from Fengge Yuren (Zhongshu Sheren) to Zhongcheng. Zhang changzong, the favorite Minister of Empress Wu Zetian, violated the palace rules because he asked the Xiangshi about his fortune privately. However, Wu Zetian ordered Zhang changzong and Zhang Yizhi to come to his residence to apologize, but song Jing refused to see him. Song Jing and their resentment, two Zhang repeatedly to borrow an excuse to slander him, but failed.

Zhongzong Ruizong period

After the revival of the Tang Dynasty, song Jing served as the Minister of Huangmen in Zhongzong. At that time, song Jing offended Wu Sansi who was in power, so he was excluded and was transferred to beizhou as a governor. Later, empress Wei rebelled, Zhongzong was killed, Ruizong's son Li Longji countered, and Ruizong succeeded. Song Jing was reappointed, and Ruizong transferred him from governor Luo Shi to minister of the Ministry of officials and Minister of tongzhongshu, and took charge of the government for the first time. During this period, he changed the imperial court's bad habit of employing only relatives, and put forward the principle of employing "those who are not talented, though they have deep experience in the college entrance examination". In spite of the opposition and obstruction of the powerful Princess Taiping and others at that time, he dismissed thousands of fatuous officials and invited Princess Taiping to live in Luoyang, the eastern capital, in case of rebellion. However, he offended Princess Taiping and was injured, Therefore, he was dismissed as prime minister and demoted as governor of Chuzhou.

Xuanzong period

Li Longji appeased the rebellion of Princess Taiping and ascended to the throne of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, while song Jing was promoted to be the governor of Guangzhou. Song Jing is still focusing on improving people's livelihood, but he is not discouraged by the external transfer. He teaches people to build brick and tile houses instead of simple thatched cottages and thatched cottages to reduce the possibility of fire. In 716, he was transferred back to the capital and served as Minister of the Ministry of punishment. Later, Yao Chong retired because of something. He was recommended by Yao Chong and became prime minister again. At this time, song Jing once again put forward the principle of "although the college entrance examination is deep, those who are not talented will not take it". In order to prevent the treacherous villains from slandering in the emperor's ear, he proposed that there must be admonishment officials and historiographers. Xuanzong also attached great importance to song Jing and treated him with teacher's courtesy. When he entered, he welcomed him and when he left, he sent him away. Therefore, song Jing's constructive suggestions were generally adopted. Because of this, the Imperial Court changed the old bad habit of using people only as relatives, and reduced the situation of cheating and flattering, which made the political situation in the early days of Kaiyuan very clear. Before and after Song Jing was Prime Minister for four years, he was not afraid of the powerful and powerful, tried to reform the former malpractice, abide by the law, and did not play favoritism. According to legend, after his uncle song Yuanchao became a "candidate" (Marquis), he asked the Ministry of officials to give priority to him. When song Jing learned that, he not only refused to give priority to employment, but also showed the Ministry of officials "not to harm the public in private." According to historical records, it was stipulated in the Tang Dynasty that every year local Taoists sent people to report their work to the emperor and prime minister on a regular basis. When envoys came to Beijing, they often brought precious goods, gave gifts everywhere and paid homage to the powerful. Many officials accepted gifts and bribes, and many envoys were promoted. Song Jing was very dissatisfied with this, and agreed with Xuanzong. He ordered all the gifts to be returned, and killed the trend of accepting bribes. Later, he was demoted to Kaifu Yitong third division because he suppressed the complaints of the officials who violated the law and prohibited the circulation of black money, which offended many powerful people.

In the later period of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, due to his political contentment with the status quo, he was also gradually influenced by the rear court, clan and marriage. With the help of Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong and other traitors, the political discipline painstakingly established by Yao and Song Dynasty was soon destroyed by them. According to legend, after the an Shi rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong fled to Xianyang in a panic. An elder said to Emperor Xuanzong, "I still remember song Jing as my prime minister, so I can speak frankly. The world depends on peace. Since the Qing Dynasty, the officials in the imperial court have used their words as taboos and flattery, so that their majesty does not know about them outside the que gate. The officials in the grass must know that they have been here for a long time. This is not only a criticism of Xuanzong, but also a praise and memory of song Jing.

Character evaluation

General comments

Song Jing, like Yao Chong, was a famous political minister in the history of Tang Dynasty. During the three hundred years of Tang Dynasty, it was known as "Fang and Du before, Yao and song after". Yao and Song dynasties have always been mentioned in historical books, and there is a praise of "respecting goodness to meet the needs of the future, and Jing is good at keeping the integrity". Xuanzong and song Jing maintained a stable relationship, which not only improved the status of the poor scholars, but also made the whole society show a positive, optimistic, energetic and enterprising humanistic atmosphere.

Song Jing was praised by the government and the public as "a man with feet". It is said that song Jing is like a wisp of spring breeze, where he goes is like a warm spring breeze, he feels warm and does not strive for fame and profit for himself; he is strict with himself and lenient to others, which all embody his noble morality of loving people and caring for things.

Historical evaluation

Su flavor: true Wang zuocai!

Li Longji: it's called Er after selling it.

Lu Huaishen: Song Jing was upright in nature and firm in heart. His literature was good enough to handle affairs. He had a good understanding of the times. He was upright in action and did not agree with others. He was a minister of the country when he heard about the opinions of the government and the opposition.

Zhang said: the king will come down and kill the spirit of the country, sing the songs of the north and dance the songs of the south. After studying the seven virtues and the six classics, we can say no more about politics and painting, and cultivate more plants and fish. Change the roof, change the fence, fish scale tile, bird wing hall. The sun is shining in the cave, the fire is not stewing, the wind is not blowing, and things are near. The treasure of Kunlun, the treasure of Xihai, comes here at the age of tens of thousands of Li. Boats are like birds, goods are platforms, markets are free from deception, roads are free from theft, and travelers forget their homes. Crossing the well, crossing the hill, crossing the stone gate, and crossing the golden drum, I am worried about my good performance. Why is it late to come and early to go? It's hard to predict the fate of cattle, but it's hard to predict the fate of God.

Liu Fang: Xuanzong started the Tang Dynasty again with his powerful talents. He was controlled by the virtuous officials, and his power was in the past. Yao Chong, song Jing, Su Xun and so on, all of them were ministers with a bone sticking in their bones. The town was quiet and quiet. The court had its own decisions, but there was no desire for them. Siyi laikou

Chinese PinYin : Song Jing