Chapter 241 Wen Yanbo Kills Di Qing
This statement comes from Ye Lao Ji Wen's record of Di Qing's death during Emperor Renzong's reign:
Di Qing, serving as Privy Councilor, was arrogant and disrespectful, boasting of his achievements. He treated his soldiers with contempt, and whenever he received food and clothing, he would claim, "This is a gift from my grandfather." The court was aware of this. Duke Wenlu, then in power, proposed that he be appointed Jiedushi of the two garrisons. Qing explained, "I have received the Jiedushi of the two garrisons without merit, and I have been appointed as the governor of a remote vassal state without any crime." Duke Wen entered the courtroom and told the emperor these words, adding, "Di Qing is a loyal minister." The duke retorted, "Isn't Taizu also a loyal minister of Zhou Shizong?" The emperor remained silent. Unaware, Qing went to the Secretariat and repeated his previous remarks to Duke Wen. The duke looked him straight in the face and said, "Nothing else, the court is just suspicious of you." Frightened, Qing retreated a few steps. While Qing was in the garrison, envoys were sent twice a month to inquire about the situation. Upon hearing the envoys' arrival, Qing became distraught and suspicious all day long. Within six months, he fell ill and died. All this was Duke Wen's scheme.
But there is a question here, because according to the long record, Wen Yanbo was not the one who dealt with Di Qing, on the contrary, he was the one who protected Di Qing.
Jingchu repeatedly went to the Secretariat to petition the Chancellor, requesting the release of Di Qing. Wen Yanbo considered Di Qing loyal and prudent, and his outward remarks to be those of a villain, so he was not worth taking seriously. Jingchu said, "Although Di Qing is loyal, what is his true heart? He is a villain and lacks knowledge, which could lead to rebellion. Ministers should consider the court, not the favoritism of their neighbors."
Lu Jingchu directly said that you, Wen Yanbo, and Di Qing are from the same hometown, so you should speak to him (both are from Fenzhou), so shut up, and then Wen Yanbo didn't say anything else.
There is a contradiction and I don’t know which one is true.
There are two historical materials that are often linked to this paragraph, but these two paragraphs should be true.
Sima Guang's Sushuiji records:
Taizu wished to appoint Fu Yanqing as commander of the army. The King of Zhao and Han repeatedly advised against entrusting him with military command, arguing that Yanqing's position was already high and that he should not be entrusted with it. The emperor would not listen. After the "Announcement" had been issued, the King of Han again requested an audience. The emperor met him and asked, "Isn't it about Fu Yanqing's affairs?" He replied, "No." He then presented a separate report on the matter. After the report was dismissed, the Emperor presented Yanqing's "Announcement" to the Emperor. The Emperor said, "As expected. Why is the "Announcement" still with you?" The King of Han replied, "The words I entrusted to you were not prepared, so I have retained it. Your Majesty, please carefully consider the pros and cons and do not regret it." The Emperor said, "Why do you so doubt Yanqing? I have treated Yanqing very well. How could he betray me?" The King of Han said, "How could Your Majesty betray Emperor Shizong of Zhou?" The Emperor remained silent, and the matter was dropped.
The earliest record of the famous "false accusation" should be Zhao Xiong's "Monument to King Han Zhongwu"
When Qin Hui came to power, he sent relatives of people from the Central Plains back to China. Some, deeply grateful for the country's kindness, could not bear to leave, and they were bound and sent away. When it came to the plan to send Zhao Rong, Wang strongly argued, "Rong has not forgotten his return to this dynasty, and his parents and wife were all slaughtered. Your Excellency, are you still willing to send him? Do you have no hope for the Central Plains?" He refused to listen. Regarding Yue Fei's imprisonment, Wang was dissatisfied and asked Hui about it. Hui replied, "Although Fei Ziyun's letter to Zhang Xian is unclear, the incident is not necessary." Wang's face changed color and he said, "If your Excellency says it is not necessary, how can you convince the world?"
Di Qing, a rising star from the frontier, was a man of ambition, renowned for his achievements in dozens of battles. Emperor Renzong, despite his lack of success, sought to summon him, but the opportunity never materialized. While stationed on the frontier, he first met the Deputy Chief Justice Yin Zhu, who recommended him to the Chief Justices Han Qi and Fan Zhongyan. He later served under the Chief Justice Pang Ji, and all three of them eventually became members of the Secretariat. Let's examine Di Qing's interpersonal relationships.
Yin Zhu, Qing's mentor, once discussed military affairs with him and thought he had the talent of a good general, so he recommended him to Han and Fan.
When Yin Zhu was the commander of Jingyuan, he was angry that Liu Hu violated the rules and illegally seized the city water, so he sent Di Qing to punish him. Zhang Kang was imprisoned for misusing the envoy's money, which implicated Di Qing. Zhu defended him, and Qing did not blame him. Yin Zhu died in demotion, and Di Qing, who was the governor at the time, arranged his funeral. The two were quite close friends.
Han Qi and Di Qing had no interaction, just admiration.
Fan Zhongyan - Di Qing fought under him several times, and later Zhongyan gave him a book, which made him familiar with the art of war. After that, Zhongyan was in charge while Di Qing was away. Apart from co-arranging Yin Zhu's funeral, there was nothing more between him and Di Qing.
Ouyang Xiu - Zhang Kang was implicated in a case involving Di Qing, who was implicated in the misuse of public funds. Ouyang Xiu defended him, and Di Qing was not held responsible. Di Qing was serving as Privy Councilor when Emperor Renzong fell ill and refused to appoint an heir. Consequently, Ouyang Xiu, Lü Jingchu, Liu Chang, and others submitted petitions requesting Di Qing's dismissal. With one proposing the other, Ouyang Xiu and Di Qing did not have a close relationship.
Pang Ji---Di Qing served under Pang Ji for a long time, and Pang Ji used him very well. When Di Qing was appointed as the Deputy Privy Councilor, Pang Ji was the sole Prime Minister. It can be seen that Di Qing entered the Western Palace with Pang Ji's consent. When Nong Zhigao caused chaos in Lingnan, it was also Pang Ji who recommended Di Qing and made him the commander. After returning from the battle, he was appointed as the Privy Councilor, while Pang Ji was dismissed as the Prime Minister to guard the border. Later, Pang Ji destroyed him. Pang Ji and Di Qing had only a profit relationship.
Wen Yanbo - During the Qingli period, both were in Shaanxi, but they were in charge of different regions and had little interaction. After the Song-Xia peace agreement, Wen Yanbo was appointed as the Secretariat, while Di Qing remained at the border. Wen Yanbo was dismissed from his position as prime minister, and Di Qing was subsequently appointed as the Western Palace and Privy Councilor. After that, Wen Yanbo was reinstated as prime minister.
When Emperor Renzong fell ill, censors and imperial officials repeatedly criticized Di Qing, but Yanbo always protected him. It was not until the capital was hit by a flood that Di Qing failed to follow proper etiquette when he sat in a temple that Yanbo was left speechless and filed a petition to dismiss him. Wen Yanbo and Di Qing had no vested interests, so there was no need to exclude Di Qing.
As for Di Qing himself, he had military achievements and ambitions, and it can be said that he was ambitious. A soldier who does not want to be a general is not a good soldier. After finally entering the Western Palace, he realized that this position was not so easy to sit in. It was the ancestral law that military men were not allowed to enter the two palaces.
However, Emperor Renzong was fed up with the censors and insisted that Di Qing be made the Prime Minister. Di Qing felt lonely at the top. As a military man with no family background, he was marginalized by the civil officials. He could use Nong Zhigao to save his situation.
Di Qing executed over 30 generals in his army. Yu Jing was also guilty and should have been punished, but Di Qing did not punish him. This shows his fear of the influence of civil officials and his desire to curry favor with them. Di Qing did not die of depression in the end, but rather of an abscess on his beard. Could this be due to his long-term consumption of stalactites?
If we don't judge a hero by his success or failure, Wang Anshi is the most dazzling star in the 167-year history of the Northern Song Dynasty.
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