Biography of Yang Fei

Chapter 337
During Yizong's reign, a total of 21 prime ministers were appointed: Linghuxiao, Bai Minzhong, Xiao Ye, Xia Houzi, Jiang Shen, Du Shenquan, Du Wei, Bi, Yang Shou, Cao Que, Gao Zhu, Xiao Zhi, Xu Shang , Lu Yan, Yu Cong, Wei Baoheng, Wang Duo, Liu Ye, Zhao Yin, Xiao Fang, Cui Yanzhao.Since Yizong himself is not very interested in political affairs, the prime minister still has a lot of transactional power, which could have played a big role. The problem is that most of the prime ministers are either mediocre, or they love money like their lives, and they are unbearable people, like Xiantong The first prime minister, Du Wei, was the grandson of Du You, the prime minister of Dezong Dynasty, and the son-in-law of Xianzong.Lu Yan, who served as prime minister for five years in Xiantong, formed a clique, recruited bribes, extravagantly and illegally, and entrusted political affairs to Bian Xian, a small official under his confidant.An official named Chen Pansou reported to Yizong that if he copied Bian Xian's house, he could help the country's military expenditure for two years.Lu Yan and Wei Baoheng, who later served as the Prime Minister's consort, fought together, and the two "moved the world". At that time, people called them "Niu Tou A Pang", which means "sinister and dreadful" like a ghost.The prime ministers of the Yizong Dynasty were very corrupt. The residents of Chang'an compiled a ballad with the names of several prime ministers including Cao Que, Yang Shou, Xu Shang, and Lu Yan, saying: No matter what happens, the money will always be collected.Merchants don't care, when will the goods (roads) stop?
These prime ministers of the Yizong Dynasty had no ministerial demeanor, which aggravated the ruling crisis of the Tang Dynasty.

Unlike Xuanzong who cherishes official rewards and does not easily give them to others, Yizong doesn't care about official rewards.He rewards people with official positions and gives them money, often as he pleases and as he pleases.Li Keji, an actor, is good at melody, especially able to turn his throat into a new voice, with twists and turns in his diction, and the listeners forget to get tired. The merchants and butchers in the capital city imitated him like chasing stars, calling him "Pattan".After the death of Yizong's beloved daughter, Princess Tongchang, he composed "Sighing for a Hundred Years of Dance Music", the words are sad, and those who hear it burst into tears, which deeply comforts the emperor's longing.Therefore, Yizong doted on him very much and named him General Weiwei.There was no precedent in the Tang Dynasty for conferring the official position of Lingguan.During Taizong's reign, strict restrictions were imposed on the employment of businessmen and others. These people were limited to rewards and property, and were never allowed to exceed official ranks.During Wenzong's reign, he wanted to confer the post of Yueguan Wangfu, but because of strong opposition from the admonishing officials, he changed it to the long history of the local state government.Yizong granted Li Kehe an official position in the court, and the prime minister also made suggestions, but he didn't listen at all.When Li Keji's son got married, Emperor Yizong gave him two silver bottles of wine, which were actually not wine, but "Jin Cui".In addition, the imperial examination has been the most important way for scholars to become an official since the Tang Dynasty, especially the Jinshi Department enjoyed a high reputation in the Tang Dynasty, so the Tang people had the so-called "thirty old Mingjing, fifty young Jinshi".Originally, the Ministry of Rites was responsible for the examination and selection every spring, but Yizong's cronies did not need to take the examination of the Ministry of Rites, and were directly awarded Jinshi's background in the form of "special imperial conferment and title".In the Tang Dynasty, when the palace examination had not been institutionalized like the Zhao and Song Dynasties, this practice was obviously out of Yizong's personal love and hatred.The imperial edict of the emperor replaced the golden list of the Ministry of Rites, and the monarch became the head of the Jinshi and the ranks. Because of the emperor's favor, he "climbed the Dragon Gate". topic of.

Yizong was an extremely vain and overjoyed emperor, which can be seen from the number of his titles.The title of honor is to show fame and virtue. Whenever the emperor adds the title of honor, a grand ceremony must be held, and an imperial edict must be issued to the whole country, and an amnesty will be held at the same time.In the first month of the third year of Xiantong, the officials gave Yizong the honorary title of "Emperor Ruiwen, Saint and Xiaode", but he felt that he was not satisfied. In the first month of the 12th year of Xiantong, he gave Yizong another 12-character honorary title: Ruiwen Yingwu Mingde Zhirenda Emperor Sheng Guangxiao.Among the emperors of the Tang Dynasty, Gao Zu and Taizong did not add honor titles when they were alive. Since then, the emperor's honor titles have basically been 4 or 6 characters, and some have reached 8 or 10 characters.Xuanzong once added the 14-character honorary title of "Kaiyuan Tiandi Great Treasure Sage Wen Shenwu Shenwu Xiaode Demonstration Emperor", and added honorific titles to all ancestors.Later, Wu Zong also had a 14-character title: Ren Sheng Wen Wu Zhang Tian Cheng Cheng Shen De Ming Dao Da Xiao Emperor.During Suzong's time, the officials added the honorary title "Emperor Qianyuan Dashengguang Tianwenwu Xiaogan", but he removed the 761-character "Qianyuan Dashengguang Tianwenwu Xiaogan" in the imperial edict on September 21, the second year of Shangyuan (10). The honorary title is only called "Emperor".Later, Xianzong's honorary title was also 10 characters: Emperor Yuanhe Shengwen Shenwufa Tianyingdao.It can be seen that Yizong's honorary title can almost catch up with Xuanzong and Wuzong, but in terms of political achievements or ability to govern the country, not to mention that he cannot be compared with Xuanzong, even Wuzong can't match him.

Yizong's attitude towards the relatives of the clan, from his doting on Princess Tongchang, shows that he is obviously different from Xuanzong's strict requirements on the clan.Princess Tongchang was born to his beloved concubine Guo Shu, and Wei Baoheng was chosen as her son-in-law.On the day of the princess's marriage, Yizong gave the princess a house in Guanghua, the capital, with all the treasures in the palace. The doors and windows were decorated with miscellaneous treasures. Even the fence and skip baskets are woven with gold thread.The bed is made of crystal, tortoise shell, glass, etc., and the brackets of the bed legs are also carved with golden turtles and silver deer. etc. are from foreign lands.In addition, 500 million guan of money was given, and there were countless other gold, silver and jewelry.Princess Tongchang's family has a kind of "Chengshui silk", about eight or nine feet long, like cloth but thinner than cloth, bright and transparent, and can shine on people.Hang it in the house when it is hot in summer, and all the seats will feel cool without heat.It is said that there is ambergris in Chengshui silk, so it can cool off the heat.Princess Tongchang used a red glazed plate filled with luminous beads, so that the house was as bright as day at night, and the family members of the son-in-law played leaf opera at night, which was not affected at all.In the second year of her marriage, the princess fell ill and died.Yizong angered the medical officer that the medicine was ineffective, so he executed two of them and sent them all to prison.For a time, there was a lot of discussion between the ruling and opposition parties. Prime Minister Liu Zhan hoped that the admonishing officials would go up and make admonitions, but the admonishing officials were forced by the emperor's despotic power, and no one dared to add fuel to the flames and bring disaster to the upper body.Liu Zhan had no choice but to go to Shushu to defend the medical officer.Sure enough, Yizong was furious, and immediately dismissed Liu Zhan's position as minister. At the same time, he also demoted several court officials who were close to Liu Zhan to Lingnan.Yizong held a grand funeral for the princess. The clothes and toys used for the funeral were no different from those of strangers. He also carved several halls with wood. Victory.On the day of the funeral and burial in the eastern suburbs of Chang'an, Yizong and Concubine Shu saw him off at the Yanxing Gate in person and wept bitterly. They also brought out the "Diamond Sutra" scrolls inscribed in the ninth year of Xiantong (868) in the inner treasury, each several feet high, with golden camels, phoenixes, Kirin is considered a guard of honor.The scene was so grand that all the common people in the capital were closed to watch, and the funeral procession was more than 20 miles long.Yizong also gave the funeral servants 100 dendrobium wine and 30 camels full of two-foot-wide pancakes as meals.Yizong disregarded the country's etiquette for princesses and did whatever he wanted, but he didn't care about internal and external troubles at all. The face of a foolish king was exposed!

After Wu Zong exterminated Buddhism, the influence of Buddhism was hit hard.After Xuanzong ascended the throne, the temples were restored one after another.By the time of Yizong, the influence of Buddhism developed rapidly again.He himself indulged in it, built Buddhist temples widely, built large Buddha statues, and donated countless money.Under Yizong's advocacy, large-scale Dharma conferences and ashrams flourished unprecedentedly, and the sutras and Buddha's chant in Chang'an Buddhist Temple began to resound once again, praising the real Bodhisattva.The large demand for Buddhist scriptures has stimulated the development of printing. One of the earliest prints in the world is the "Diamond Sutra" scroll engraved in the ninth year of Xiantong (868), which is now in the British Museum in London.The earliest existing printed matter in China is also the "Dharani Mantra" of Buddhism.The "Bodhisattva holding the real body" and the "Silver and Golden Flower Twelve-ring Tin Battalion" discovered from the underground palace of Famen Temple are also exquisite cultural relics made in the Xiantong period.The climax of Yizong's advocacy of Buddhism was another large-scale worship activity after Xianzong - Famen Temple welcomed Buddha bones.

In March of the 14th year of Xiantong (873), Emperor Yizong arranged for an edict to honor the Buddha's bone, which immediately aroused the persuasion of the officials.The ministers agreed that this move was a waste of money and people, and there was a lesson from Xianzong's sudden death after welcoming the Buddha's bone, so they all thought this move was ominous.Yizong turned a deaf ear to this, and he said to the ministers: "I can see the bones of the Buddha alive, even if I die, I have nothing to regret!" No less.Along the way from the capital to Famen Temple, the forbidden army and military battles stretched for tens of miles, and the scene was so spectacular that it far surpassed the grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven presided over by the emperor.On April [-]th, the Buddha bone relic was welcomed into the capital, and after three days of enshrining in the palace, Yizong allowed it to be sent to the temples in the capital for the common people to pay their respects.Pious believers do not hesitate to set their arms on fire or burn incense on top of their heads to offer sacrifices, while wealthy families hold pujas and spend huge sums of money. They even use mercury as a pool and gold and jade as trees to recruit eminent monks and great virtues, and invite The troupe sang and danced.Officials below the prime minister also donated gold and silk, and the amount was quite considerable.The offering of the Buddha bone lasted for quite a long time, and it was not until Emperor Xizong came to the throne that the Buddha bone was returned to Famen Temple.

Yizong is so resolute in welcoming the relics of the Buddha's bones, and in his own words, he is "praying for the common people". In fact, he is trying to bring blessings to himself, and it is for the sake of "holy longevity and eternal spring", that is, praying for his own safety. .Ironically, the relics of the real body of the Buddha bone did not bring blessings to the perverse emperor.In June of that year after the Buddha bone was welcomed into the capital, Yizong became seriously ill again.On July [-]th, Yizong had already "succumbed to a serious illness" and reached the point where he could not recover.No wonder some historians in the old days commented: "The bone of the Buddha has just entered the gate, and the dragon has wept in the wilderness." It means that the bone of the Buddha welcomed by Yizong has just entered the door, and the funeral car carrying his coffin has been accompanied by everyone crying. To the cemetery.

On July 14th in the 873th year of Xiantong (41), the [-]-year-old Yizong ended his extravagant life in Xianning Hall.In February of the following year, he was buried in Jianling (located in today's Fuping, Shaanxi).At this time, the elegy of the last days of the Tang Empire could be faintly heard.

(End of this chapter)